How is Tyranny compared to Deadfire?

[Wormerine]

I don't remember encountering bugs in Tyranny apart from the Bastard Wound DLC which felt a bit wonky at times. 

Tyranny is quite a different RPG, but it has some really strong parts. Characterisation, and plot momentum is pretty strong and the story and world is quite engaging. The story has a feel of first season of the tv show, which quite a bit of foreshadowing, and considering we most likely won't see Tyranny 2 its a bit frustrating. I would say worth the go.

Really didn't like the combat, and there is a lot of it.  

[algroth]

I love the build possibilities in Deadfire but hate the lack of quest options/reactivity.

 

Meanwhile I've seen very few games if any that have given me as much options and C&C as Deadfire so, what gives?

[Verde]

I dunno, different expectations I guess?

 

For example I was playing Plucked Fruit today. I find it egregious there is no option to simply let the fruit be hidden and grow. You HAVE to hand it in. No option at all to even discuss the benefits of growing it to feed the villagers.

 

That's what I've found in Deadfire - most decisions are shoehorned, missing out on some obvious choices. Example B - I can't give Bezas notes to the ranga if I destroy the pillar, which is one of the main reasons I destroyed it. I don't even have a chance to explain myself.

 

I'm not a nit picker, despite how it may seem, there are just painfully obvious omissions to me that I have trouble looking past. There are some really great quests, like in The Gullet, the DLCs, and the combination of options for the last faction quests. But for the most part, I feel the options are lacking.

Edited February 8, 2019 by Verde

[algroth]

I dunno, different expectations I guess?

 

For example I was playing Plucked Fruit today. I find it egregious there is no option to simply let the fruit be hidden and grow. You HAVE to hand it in. No option at all to even discuss the benefits of growing it to feed the villagers.

 

That's what I've found in Deadfire - most decisions are shoehorned, missing out on some obvious choices. Example B - I can't give Bezas notes to the ranga if I destroy the pillar, which is one of the main reasons I destroyed it. I don't even have a chance to explain myself.

 

I'm not a nit picker, despite how it may seem, there are just painfully obvious omissions to me that I have trouble looking past. There are some really great quests, like in The Gullet, the DLCs, and the combination of options for the last faction quests. But for the most part, I feel the options are lacking.

 

I recall the Plucked Fruit quest bugged me too... As for the second example I recall being able to do so - and what's more, being able to deliver the note to the ranga if I 'healed' the pillar instead and being also able to pickpocket it from him to show to other people and so on. Most games would assume such an item to be worthless once it's been 'delivered', not here. And again, between who you choose to deliver the letter to, what you choose to do with the pillar and so on, and your eventual discussion later with the factions about your actions there, that quest has more possible outcomes, effects and approaches than most games out there praised for their depth of choices would usually offer.

[Verde]

One devious thing I like to do with a rogue MC is to oust Castol and then turn on Avni during the Powderhouse "trial". A delicious turn of events, for everyone but the VTC. So there are some opportunistic moments

Edited February 9, 2019 by Verde

[algroth]

One devious thing I do with a rogue MC is to oust Castol and then turn on Avni during the Powderhouse "trial". A delicious turn of events, for everyone but the VTC. Somethings should remain hidden.

 

I like the VTC the most of all the factions (would be the pirates or Huana if it weren't for the outcome and ultimate plan of the former, and the isolationist stance of the latter). I hated the way they made me blow up a powderhouse though, but I found a curious workaround when I went to the Rauataians first and they forced me into a battle. From there, the VTC assumed their one big competition was done and dusted, and it was all ready to go without getting my hands (too) dirty.

Edited February 9, 2019 by algroth

[ShadySands]

I loved Tyranny. I think I played it at least 5 times to get all the endings

 

PS though the ending added in the DLC is more of a variation than a separate path

Edited February 9, 2019 by ShadySands

[Verde]

 

One devious thing I do with a rogue MC is to oust Castol and then turn on Avni during the Powderhouse "trial". A delicious turn of events, for everyone but the VTC. Somethings should remain hidden.

I like the VTC the most of all the factions (would be the pirates or Huana if it weren't for the outcome and ultimate plan of the former, and the isolationist stance of the latter). I hated the way they made me blow up a powderhouse though, but I found a curious workaround when I went to the Rauataians first and they forced me into a battle. From there, the VTC assumed their one big competition was done and dusted, and it was all ready to go without getting my hands (too) dirty.

Ha I thought the RDC attacking you was a well done twist. As I said I think the last faction quests allotted opportunities for hijinks.

 

I'll give you another example of annoying bug. So if you decide to talk to the animancers at the spiral to release Xotis lantern souls, the journal entry doesn't close even though the quest has finished...it still updates as well. Not game breaking by any measure but very annoying for the completionist in me. And I know this was a bug before, got fixed, and came back. That sorta stuff is frustrating:/

 

But the latest walk/run bug has me genuinely questioning Obs ability to code and QA and really hurts every gameplay session. Having to roll the dice whether I walk or run at any given moment, at this stage in the game's life, is just absurd.

Edited February 9, 2019 by Verde

[baldurs_gate_2]

I played it through once in 32 hours. It's not a bad game, but can not compete with PoE 1 and 2. And i like to play solo and Tyranny was in that regards harder than the other two games.

[Pus-in-Boots]

I fell in love with Tyranny and I completed every path and collected every achievement. It captures the vibe that I also felt playing Planescape Torment. The premise (playing as a servant of an evil overlord on a brink of total domination), the world (an Iron Age setting, which is unusual), the characters - everything clicked with me. You have so much freedom in roleplaying and the game world is very reactive. A spell system is brilliant. I love the game for its brevity, too. I like Pillars very much as well, but Eora is much, much closer to the standard fantasy setting so - more boring and cliche (but I appreciate an addition of guns and other post-Medieval elements). Pillars are more stuffed with filler and a little bloated and bland. I find Tyranny's companions more interesting as well. A reputiation system is superb because you don't get punished for your choices. Archons also are more interesting than Eoran pantheon, in my opinion. 

 

I could go on and on but I think my opinion is too incoherent already so in conclusion I just can't recommend playing Tyranny enough. A top notch cRPG experience.

[anameforobsidian]

Tyranny has an interesting setting, interesting characters, and an interesting take on the spell system.  All of them feel unfinished.  It's a worthwhile game to playthrough, but doesn't feel as complete as either Pillars game.

Edited February 10, 2019 by anameforobsidian

[bringingyouthefuture]

 

 you can be a good guy, it is almost like you start neutral good but and end up chaotic good

 

Best playthrough I enjoyed was the Chorus ....

 

I assume those were different playthroughs, because 'good' and 'with the Chorus' kind of...do not work together.

 

 

Yes true ture, but well with the Chorus - maybe somewhere in between, so many ways to end that story yeah?

Edited February 11, 2019 by bringingyouthefuture

[caites]

No matter how I love PoE setting, I consider Tyranny as the best game out of three Obsidian gave us last years. It has immense amount of amazing mechanics (tho unfinished like was said by many in this topic), way better approach toward follower affinity, more symmetric combat where hostiles use abilities on par with your party, game events are more dramatic and player's choices matter like nowhere else. It is a shame that kind of unusual approach toward game content where you can not see even half of it during one playthrough and overall game shortness killed it for majority.

 

But I am still sincerely baffled why even some small gems from Tyranny that were easy to transfer like artifact mechanics, passives with spectacular 2-3 hits animations (instead of boring plus to some stat) or reputation related perks didn't make it to Deadfire.

[thelee]

But I am still sincerely baffled why even some small gems from Tyranny that were easy to transfer like artifact mechanics, passives with spectacular 2-3 hits animations (instead of boring plus to some stat) or reputation related perks didn't make it to Deadfire.

I would have just settled for a combat tool tip that I could lock in place and scroll as needed.

[daven]

I have tried to play it a few times but got bored really fast. 

[Verde]

The fact that Tyranny has much better reactivity intrigues me.

Edited February 28, 2019 by Verde

[Katarack21]

I've really enjoyed Tyranny quite a lot. I've done four or five complete playthroughs with every faction and enjoyed it every time. That said, the combat is most certainly not the primary focus of the game; it's a little more on the Planescape side of the equation, where the story, setting, and characters are more the focus than the combat. It's not as much towards that side as Planescape was, but definitely more that direction than Pillars.

[draego]

I've really enjoyed Tyranny quite a lot. I've done four or five complete playthroughs with every faction and enjoyed it every time. That said, the combat is most certainly not the primary focus of the game; it's a little more on the Planescape side of the equation, where the story, setting, and characters are more the focus than the combat. It's not as much towards that side as Planescape was, but definitely more that direction than Pillars.

 

I wish they would have done the level design with this in mind. Most levels feel like a dungeon crawl or action rpg. you cant by pass fights and are constrained to these corridors. I enjoyed POE1 more open environments where you can bypass fights or come back to them later if you didnt want to engage. It was one of the things that pained my about White march just to many mobs everywhere. 

[Katarack21]

 

 

 you can be a good guy, it is almost like you start neutral good but and end up chaotic good

 

Best playthrough I enjoyed was the Chorus ....

 

I assume those were different playthroughs, because 'good' and 'with the Chorus' kind of...do not work together.

 

 

Yes true ture, but well with the Chorus - maybe somewhere in between, so many ways to end that story yeah?

 

You can actually reform the Chorus into full-on good guys in the ending credits if you make the right specific choices!

[QuiteGoneJin]

For me

 

Con's;

Super short,

much more broken magical system that turns everything into the same playstyle

 

Pro's:

Very interesting story

Finally some good martial animations and gap closers

 

Verdict, a fun distraction but ends like someone died mid writing. 

[gloomseeker]

I couldn't bring myself to replay Tyranny and I've been replaying infinity engine games since the late 90s.

 

I'm partly to blame because I did pick the best ending (for me) the first time through and I couldn't find any motivation in being a thrall or a goody two shoes in this game (which are the options I didn't go for). 

 

The real issue at stake is the disconnect between the narrative and the gameplay. 

 

The story is all about epic battles and momentous events that manage to fuel the imagination but when you end up playing the game (and not reading about these battles) you come to realise that the epic scale is nowhere to be found. All areas are rather small and every battle ends up being fought like yet another skirmish (plenty of these without much enemy variety). Simply put, there is no sense of scale, no epic dimension to be found in the gameplay. 

 

Frankly, I had more of an epic vibe playing the battle of Yenwood Field in the first Pillars. 

 

Bottom line, I'm not saying the game doesn't have some really fun bits and I'm not saying it isn't innovative (I loved the choose your own adventure style introduction) but the simple truth is that in Tyranny all the really good stuff happens off stage (including the ending).