Newbie questions: roleplaying, new maps modding, console releases

[Cryostratos]

Hello.

 

I'm a new user and I looked around the forum, tried the search feature, googled around, and found no answers to my questions... hope I am asking in the right place, if not, I apologise in advance.

 

Here goes.

1. Is there a roleplaying community? PoE world seems almost perfect, almost ideal for a roleplaying community, one to exchange stories in writing and over IM. I was looking for a forum, for a Discord server, found nothing, no trace of it, no such need expressed. Am I alone? Is there a community like that? If not, can we start somehow, is there need out there like I feel?
2. I saw mods. But they all concern statistics or cosmetics. Are there new quests mods and more important new location mods with maps and interiors and expansion on sailing routes, and introducing NPCs to do and say things? This game begs for equivalents of giant mods like TES's Skyrim has, such as Falksaar or Wyrmstooth where entire new maps are made by players who do voice acting. Again, as with roleplaying, I found no trace, no need expressed. These things make games literally immortal. Am I alone? Why is there no new location or quest mods?
3. When will games be released on consoles, I suppose after DLCs, somewhere in 2019 maybe?

Thank you in advance. Peace

[neotemplar]

 Hi and welcome!

 

1. There is a pen&paper system https://pillarsofeternity.gamepedia.com/Pillars_of_Eternity_(pen-and-paper_RPG) 

But obviously it doesn't have the same widespread network as Pathfinder or DnD.

 

2. The engine is not as loyal to modding as Bethesda's engine is, so don't expect a modding paradise.

[Night Stalker]

Welcome to the community

 

1. As neotemplar mentioned there is an official TTRPG under development, but it is not finished yet. Besides that, PoE is fairly niche, so its community is not that big, and the part that wants to do role-play outside of the game within that group is even smaller (and we aren't exactly lacking in choice if we want to role-play not-too-untraditional fantasy settings).

 

2. PoE2 is miles ahead of PoE1 when it comes to modding, but it was never meant to be a platform for mods like Bethesda's games. The maps are not 3d objects, but rather the rendering of elaborate 3d models that has been projected down onto a 2d plane and then given a paint-over - zones and triggers being added, some 3d information being retained in order to add lights etc. In other words it is a hugely time consuming process that requires tools the community does not have access to. Conversations can be edited and added, and I guess the same applies to quests, but besides a few romance mods the incentive to do so seems less than the technical hurdles that have to be scaled.

 

3. The console versions were scheduled for the Q4 of 2018, but that date was given ages ago, so it is uncertain whether it still holds. I would wager it would be released after all the major paid DLC has been released, properly early in Q1 of 2019, and certainly no later than late Q1.

Edited October 22, 2018 by Night Stalker

[Cryostratos]

Thank you, guys. This were quite informative.

 

I guess we won't get big mods, which is such a pity...

 

As for roleplaying. There is tabletop, but I meant less statistics and more story and writing. I do that in many other games that range from STO to ESO, but PoE seems superior...

 

Is there some community Discord, by the way?

[Purudaya]

Thank you, guys. This were quite informative.

 

I guess we won't get big mods, which is such a pity...

 

As for roleplaying. There is tabletop, but I meant less statistics and more story and writing. I do that in many other games that range from STO to ESO, but PoE seems superior...

 

Is there some community Discord, by the way?

 

Part of the problem is that isometric CRPGs generally have a much smaller audience than, say, a Bethesda game. Modders hoping to build career portfolios (it's a thing) tend to gear their efforts more toward higher-exposure games, while casual modders might not have the time, resources, or drive to undertake a "big" quest-type mod with full voice acting, custom rendered maps, etc. There just aren't enough people playing these games - even BG2 never got the kinds of mods you (and I) would like to see. As was already said, the modability of the engine is also a big factor.

 

I'm just glad to be able to play isometric RTWP CRPGs again. And who knows - once all the potentially mod-breaking patches and updates are out, we might yet see a wider breadth of content over at the nexus.

 

 

Edited October 23, 2018 by Purudaya