Two expansions for which I would pay good money

[mattdm]

One: Ship Combat Upgrade.

 

First, replace the scripting ship combat with zoomed-in real-time isometric ship combat, with a selection of (editable) AI options. Remove "close to board" as an approach option and instead only make it available when you've actually gotten your ship alongside the enemy.

 

Additionally, make attacking ships matter for your reputation — both faction rep and disposition. There should be options to be an all-out pirate, a privateer, or an actual hero who doesn't, y'know, sink merchants just to get more swords, hats, and coats to sell at the nearest fish shop. Towards that end, there should be many more ships at sea, including some that are full of vampires, vessels, and clearly hostile wilders. And make the latter come to you and chase you down some of the time (as would ships from factions that aren't happy with you).

 

Seriously, I'd happily pay $25 for this upgrade.

 

Two: Free form pirate mode

 

This is a little different, but it's basically a request to get some replay out of the fun character class and combat engine. Maybe this would be part of the above, or maybe it'd be its own thing. Either way, I'd pay. The idea is:

 

1. You create a whole crew, with five character-class characters and a complement of ship's crew. No pre-gen companions, just all roll-your-own.

2. There's a randomly-generated map — islands could stay as in the main game, but add completely randomized encounter maps. Use the existing maps, throw in thematic enemies at random. Give XP for clearing each of these.

4. Keep Neketaka, Port Maje, etc., but limit interaction to merchants and inns. Maybe have the bounty-assigners available.

5. And have lots of ships to attack and otherwise interact with. Possibly you could pick a faction alignment to start.

6. Level-capped: when you get to the top of the XP ladder, you're given a leader-board score and are done.

 

Sure, the main story of the game is great — and don't get me wrong, I love its depth and wouldn't be playing PoE without it — but it doesn't really invite constant replay. A mode like this would be fun and exploits the existing depth of the game engine to create a new experience.

[illathid]

Pretty sure they'd need to charge way more than $25 to be worth the investment of making a full isometric RTWP ship combat system. If you're into that kinda thing you should check out Battlefleet: Gothic Armada. 

[daven]

Play Overboard for the Playstation 1.

[Teclis23]

Ship combat is getting completely overhauled by sawyer himself if you believe what OBS say in there live streams

 

And thank god for that because oh boy is it terrible

 

expect something big in the 3.00 patch

Edited September 4, 2018 by Teclis23

[Boeroer]

Although I was one of the more vocal critics of the ship combat I actually came to like it after some time. Simply because it's so much faster than boarding and you can take super overleveled enemies (and their loot) quite easily. You need some upgrades though. By lvl 7 or 8 all non-member ships where done last playthrough. And all I needed was a Voyager with Palm Sails, Long Guns in the front and a flamethrower in the rear.

Edited September 4, 2018 by Boeroer

[TheisEjsing]

Why did you put a flamethrower in the rear?

[Teclis23]

Boerer stuck a flamethrower in his rear?

 

Maybe this is why he is allways so grumpy

Edited September 4, 2018 by Teclis23

[mattdm]

Although I was one of the more vocal critics of the ship combat I actually came to like it after some time. Simply because it's so much faster than boarding and you can take super overleveled enemies (and their loot) quite easily. You need some upgrades though. By lvl 7 or 8 all non-member ships where done last playthrough. And all I needed was a Voyager with Palm Sails, Long Guns in the front and a flamethrower in the rear.

 

Yeah, clicking my way through it quickly isn't really my goal, though. I'd like to have more fun with it. If all I wanted to do was get through and stop playing, I could just... stop playing now.

[Boeroer]

Because I always wanted to conquer enemy ships with some firefarts of course.

 

I mean without the need to eat tons of peppers before...

[illathid]

I think the ship system is a decent enough base. The biggest problem is that there is a very clear optimal set of decisions, and it's the same for almost every encounter. Adding some non-standard events that break up the optimal path would help it a lot.

[InsaneCommander]

I don't think they need to completely change ship combat. I'd very likely enjoy a more complex system, but it would not be worth the time and trouble to do it.

 

Hopefully whatever Josh Sawyer is working on now will be sufficient.

[rjshae]

I thought Josh Sawyer was done with this game?

[InsaneCommander]

I thought Josh Sawyer was done with this game?

 

From an interview with Brandon Adler:

 

There has also been some suggestion that Seeker, Slayer, Survivor might have more of a nautical focus with ship-focused combat. Is that the case?

BA: No, we’re not really pushing on that. The base game itself is taking the focus on revamping some of those systems. It was a big point of feedback from our community that they weren’t really necessarily happy with how the nautical combat really played out. So we’re actually revisiting that and Josh is actually heading that up.

 

http://expansivedlc.com/pillars-of-eternity-interview-with-brandon-adler/

 

[Tick]

I thought Josh Sawyer was done with this game?

He's done with the narrative element. I suspect that includes future projects. Which is a little sad and worrying, but I guess it has to happen sometime.

 

But he's still doing game design stuff

[house2fly]

Based on Beast Of Winter I'm not worried about the narrative side of things; Bridge Ablaze is the best bit of PoE2 at all imo- so far, at least.

 

As far as the ship combat, I don't find it very exciting, but I don't dislike it. It's a nice break from the usual brawls. I am annoyed that it's apparently less rewarding than just closing to board, because even if I wanted to close to board every battle, shipboard scenes absolutely tank my fps

[misterjimmy]

I wish there is "Citadel" DLC add more new content for my companions.

[Tigranes]

I can't imagine isometric ship combat being any fun until they developed enough systems for it to, well, be a full scale combat system comparable to the actual combat?

 

Oh look, I'm controlling one ship, it moves kind of slow, I guess I click on some abilities on some enemies. It will suck until they have systems for relative rate of fire, rate of turning, crew bonuses, 'wound'-like maluses to simulate crew taken out of commission, different types of 'injuries' / 'status effects' for the ship being damaged.....

[InsaneCommander]

Because I always wanted to conquer enemy ships with some firefarts of course.

 

I mean without the need to eat tons of peppers before...

 

If they add a couple of items, this can turn into a character build.

[Taevyr]

 

Because I always wanted to conquer enemy ships with some firefarts of course.

 

I mean without the need to eat tons of peppers before...

 

If they add a couple of items, this can turn into a character build.

 

Imagine the horrified look on your companions' faces when you activate "shared flames" 

 

[Teclis23]

Lol

[Boeroer]

You mean "Shart Flames" I presume?

 

Edited September 5, 2018 by Boeroer

[Taevyr]

You mean "Shart Flames" I presume?

 

Considering that'd probably cause Sickened and may deal corrode damage, that would be the Bleak walker variety. They're just as merciless to themselves as to others.

Edited September 5, 2018 by Taevyr

[InsaneCommander]

You mean "Shart Flames" I presume?

 

Considering that'd probably cause Sickened and may deal corrode damage, that would be the Bleak walker variety. They're just as merciless to themselves as to others.

 

I see will also need another "Battle of Yenwood" quest.

 

Marshal: "The enemy's heavy infantry is approaching in a tight line!"

Watcher: "Order the Bleak Walkers to turn around, lower their pants and wait for my signal!"

[Taevyr]

 

You mean "Shart Flames" I presume?

 

Considering that'd probably cause Sickened and may deal corrode damage, that would be the Bleak walker variety. They're just as merciless to themselves as to others.

 

I see will also need another "Battle of Yenwood" quest.

 

Marshal: "The enemy's heavy infantry is approaching in a tight line!"

Watcher: "Order the Bleak Walkers to turn around, lower their pants and wait for my signal!"

 

It'd be Rakhan Field all over again, except noone would ever want to remember it.

[InsaneCommander]

It'd be Rakhan Field all over again, except noone would ever want to remember it.

 

More like Shartan Field.