Namutree

Never knew Tom Sawyer was in an interview with poe as the topic. Mark Twain must have been a prophet.

The Aumaua are like fish Orcs.

Hm funny how it's always the man that is "gross." Are there any fairy tales with gross ladies, I'd like to know. Plenty of fairy tales with gross ladies, but they are always villains or at least creepy. I think you're trying to point out a double standard where men can be very unattractive, but still sympathetic; whereas women must be pretty to be considered good. If that is what you are trying to point out it's definitely true. I for one think an ugly female romance could be kinda interesting; especially if the woman had self-esteem issues because of it. Bioware should definitely give a romance like that a whirl. I wouldn't recommend Obsidian do something like that though.

I have a feeling that poe will be designed to require more teamwork than the IE games, and when Josh said it would be easier than IWD2; he probably had full teams in mind. Soloing in the old IE games usually involved either making an incredibly powerful character; which will almost certainly not be possible in the more balanced poe, or involved game exploits which likely won't be as common in poe as they were in the IE games. I'm betting soloing will be possible, but MUCH harder.

I like romance in some games, but not in others. In the Mass Effect series it was pretty bad. They really should have focused on quality over quantity in that case. Somehow people liked them, but I felt I was on the love boat; not the Normandy. If Obsidian chooses to add romance to poe2 I hope they do so in an interesting and mature way.

My impression has been that the game will not be too difficult to Mod in Npcs, quests, and dialog. Areas however, are another story. Don't expect maps comin' from mods.

I agree with many of the posters here that the dating sim style of romance isn't very good for role-playing. I think it would be best if the issue wasn't which choice gets you the girl/guy, but instead focusing on how you want to get him/her. Let's say in poe2 Pallegina returns and can be romanced. If your protagonist has high RES then he can win her over with his strength of personality, or if his RES is low he can attract her using his MIG; girls love a guy with big muscles. It wouldn't be a mini-game as much as a reflection of your pc's values. I also think that Obsidian should adopt Jade Empire's style of romantic timing. Romantic moments don't just happen anywhere; the time and place need to be appropriate.

I think it can be okay to add romance even if it's not a plot driver, but it does have to conform to the plot. You are absolutely right about ME2; the lack of discipline on the Normandy was downright silly. I hope Bioware will get it's act together and not allow romances to contradict the plot. I think poe is the kind crpg that a romance would be good for. I think it would be best if they followed the model I established in other threads. poe1: No romances, but a hint of flirting possible. poe2: Romances possible, but not spammed ME2/ME3 style. No more than 4 romances possible. Returning characters start a romance mid game, but new characters start a romance late game. poe3: Import data from poe2 into poe3 in order to continue romances. No new romances in poe3. Existing romances face some kind of conflict, and the player chooses how to resolve it. Decisions made through the games effect the ending of course; that applies to the main plot and the romances.

Let's wait 'till the game is released and we know it's good before we go around marketing it. If poe is good I'll do whatever it takes to get a sequel, but until I know for sure that poe is in fact a good game; I won't be advertising it.

Hypothetically they could be role playing. Lets say a girl could be romanced, but there was more than 1 way to do so. If you had high RES you could convince her to love you by being a smooth talker, but if not you might have to impress her with your big muscles a la MIG. It wouldn't be as much of a matter of CAN you convince her to like you, but instead HOW you get her to like you. I also feel they can give you a greater sense of purpose in your decision making. In Bg2 TOB: I was planning on becoming a god, but the thought of leaving Anomen behind made me a bit sad. When it came time to choose whether or not to ascend at the end; it really felt like a tough decision.

They both have the same amount of content. I mean, you said so yourself. So, if they both have the same amount of content... one doesn't automatically have MOAR content because they have different content. You're making huge, absolutist claims while at the same time saying that you're not. That's no way to discuss anything. No, they don't!! XD How is it possible that they do have the same amount of content? Both have let's say 5000 lines of content for friendships and the second one has 3000 more for romances (just examples). They definitely don't have the same amount of content. Maybe you are reading what I am saying as claims but I assure I am only trying to express what I think and what is only my opinon. That's all. They have limited development time for the game. Every moment they spend on romance lines comes at the expense of something else. So, what would you sacrifice for romance? That is the crux of the issue. I doubt many would object to romance if it were cost free.

I hope invisible helmets are an option, but if not; expect a mod to deal with them.

I'd like to see bromances, but I have a question. What would you call a bromance between females? Lephys, give me a good answer please.

namelesstree I think you didn't understand the implication of my second point. Remember that poe is only the first third of your hero's story; don't be too upset that you can't start a romance in the first act of three.

I also went ahead and compared Fallout 3 to Fallout: NV. The mechanics were similar, but not quite the same. The game experience was similar, but not quite the same. I doubt that was a coincidence.

The game mechanics are central to the experience. Change the mechanics; get a different experience. My impression is that you don't care for the game-play; and that's fine, but that doesn't at all change the importance of the race/class/level progression system because you'll still be dealing with them. Take those out, and all you have is a choose your own adventure style visual novel, and that isn't a game at all. If I wanted a sub-par book, I go to the library and get one for free. Obsidian is making a video game, and the mechanics matter most; even if you don't like them. No cover based shooter could create the experience the IE games can.

How is the race/class/level progression system irrelevant? It's the core of the game. Without them, Obsidian wouldn't have much of a game.

Let me make a few points here: 1: While romance is removed, a new role-play concept has been introduced; personality reputation. This means that PoE will likely have more role-play options than the old IE games. 2: Keep in mind that Bg1 had no romances, but Bg2 did. This suggest it is entirely possible for romances to be in PoE2. 3: While a full blown romance is out of the question; some subtle flirting may still be in the game. If point 2 comes true, that could lead to some very good romance role-playing. Building a relationship over time instead of in one game would be neat. PoE1: We flirt/tease. PoE2: We begin a romance and come into relationship conflict. PoE3: We resolve issue and live happily ever after. 4: I have played mod areas and romances and both are fine. In fact, some of the Mod romances were better and more in-depth than Bioware's.

A recent Angry Joe interview implies there may be more than 8 companions. If so, npc conflicts become more viable.

A terrible rpg? Care to elaborate why?

Maybe it'll be more like - do a quest for the weapons-master and he'll teach you how to do it. Or help the druid save the forest and he'll teach you how to 'call animals' to your aid (or whatever talents we have). I think Obsidian is smart enough to do it as you've described. I actually think that would be cool.

Just as long as it's that and not the Fallout THREE system, in which you could raise your attribute like 10 times, easily, at the cost of 10 perks. 8P Yeah, we were assuming this option was once every 4/5 levels. At least I thought so.

If Pillars of Eternity is as good as I think it will be. It will sell at least a decent amount. Even if it doesn't sell great; they can just do crowd funding for part 2. So it really doesn't matter all that much. If PoE is great I'll do whatever I have to in order to ensure a sequel. What matters most is that this game is good.

If they did fan voice work; it would be fantastic.

I approve.