Update #61 - Patch Update 5.0 - The Return of the Ultimate

[Mikey Dowling]

Greetings, Watchers,

It's the 1 year anniversary since the launch of Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire! We here at Obsidian can't thank you enough for the support and feedback you have given the game since the Fig campaign launched two years ago. Now we're here, a year out from the release of Pillars II, and have one final patch for you all. The time has come for the launch of Update 5.0 for Deadfire! This patch brings some new features and bug fixes to Pillars II and our own Design Director, Josh Sawyer, has made a video to let you know what you can expect from the update.

Patch 5.0 Highlights

There are a host of bug fixes in the 5.0 update that you can read on our forums, but here are some of the highlights for you:

• New Ship UI
  • An update to the UI has been implemented that will come up any time you engage with a ship on the seas that brings a more elegant way to perform ship-to-ship encounters.
• Turn-Based Mode Out of Beta
  • Thanks to feedback from the community, we have made a lot of changes to turn-based mode to account for bugs and balance fixes and it is now in full release with the 5.0 patch.
• New Story Content Added
  • After listening to feedback on the critical path of the game when it came to reactivity with Woedica and Eothas, so we’ve decided to go in and write new lines and get them recorded by the original actors to add more to that aspect of the game.
• Anarchist Path Adjustments
  • Some critical path items have been moved out of Neketaka to other locations in the Deadfire to address the difficulty and length that the game had if choosing to not side with a faction at Ondra’s Mortar.
• The Ultimate
  • The final God Challenge will be live with the 5.0 patch. This challenge, “The Ultimate” will turn on all other God Challenges, Trial of Iron, Path of the Damned, and Solo mode.

The Ultimate Challenge

In addition to the above changes, Patch 5.0 also introduces the Ultimate Challenge for Deadfire. The challenge is not for the faint of heart, and only the most devoted and erudite of our players stand even a chance in this challenge, but the first twelve players to triumph will be immortalized in Obsidian's studio lobby for all to see. The first twelve Watchers to succeed at the challenge will get their names and their Watchers' names, classes, and levels upon our Deadfire Ultimate Challenge plaque hanging in our lobby. And yes, that means that everyone who comes through our studio will bear witness to the glory of your triumph.

Not only that, but the first 50 players who complete the challenge will get a very special patch that not only celebrates your achievement wherever you wish to flex it, but also has Josh's face on it to let the world know you have his approval.

 

The Ultimate Challenge Submission Guidelines and Terms

In order to streamline the review and vetting process, please read the following submission guidelines and terms:

1. Cheating, including save-scumming, use of third-party tools or mods, and/or doing anything in a manner contrary to the spirit of the challenge is prohibited.
2. Console commands that do not require the "iroll20s" command be enabled are allowed.
3. Submissions must include a video of the entirety of your run and a save file of the run completed.
4. We reserve the right to disqualify a submission without notice or explanation.

If you have completed the challenge and wish to send it in for review and judgment, please send the following evidence to theultimate@obsidian.net:

• We require full video evidence of your run - acceptable forms of video include: YouTube playlist links, or direct download links via Dropbox.
• We also require the save game file with the completed challenge. 

 

Pillars Pen and Paper

Josh has updated the Pillars of Eternity Pen and Paper ruleset and had it playtested with an intrepid band of merry developers - he is now pleased to release it to the general public for play and feedback. You can download it from the front page of eternity.obsidian.net later today. We will also be pushing it live to your backer portals and, for those who have it, game libraries as well.

Thank you again for your continued support! If you have any issues with the game, contact us through our support portal to help you on your journey.

Cheers,
The Deadfire team

Reach out to us on our various social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or on our forums) and let us know your comments, your critiques, and what you love about the game.

Did you miss our last update? Check it out!

[Mikey Dowling]

The update is also live on Fig as well.

[Ethics Gradient]

Saving the best for last!  Thanks again to the team for creating and supporting a fantastic game!

[Moriendor]

Great news and "final patch" is music to my ears as I have been holding off a full proper playthrough until now. I'm glad it's a wrap now and can't wait to fully dive in since what I have played of the game so far has looked really promising. It's a pity that sales seem to have been a little on the slow side but hopefully there will be another push now that the final patch is here. Fingers crossed because I would really like a PoE 3 in the style & tradition of the first two (with refinements... top priority IMO should be the reduction of loading screens in the future).

[White.Kelevra]

Brilliant!

Waiting  PoE-III

"Hachiko mode ON"

[Boeroer]

Very cool. Time for a last playthrough I guess.

I'm 100% sure it will not be an "Ultimate" one.

 

 

Edited May 8, 2019 by Boeroer

[Wormerine]

I really wanna that patch. There is little hope I will be ever good enough for it. 

Story content! The dilemma I have to face now, is whenever I should abandon my current play through and start another, or soldier forward. I do like my character so I might stick with it, and do new play through later on, this time, finally with some challenges. I was hoping for revised finale, though I am looking forward to what you guys cooked up. It seems like a smart idea to incorporate exploration into faction-less path. It remedy at least a bit people from complaining about little story content, while ignoring majority of quality content the game. 

[Boeroer]

You mean you are not good enough to download 5.0? 

[thelee]

• Quote

  We require full video evidence of your run - acceptable forms of video include: YouTube playlist links, or direct download links via Dropbox.

i'm getting old, how do I stream directly to youtube effectively, for archival/this purpose?

[algroth]

2 minutes ago, thelee said:

•  

i'm getting old, how do I stream directly to youtube effectively, for archival/this purpose?

Download OBS and use it to record your playthrough, then upload it to YouTube as a regular video. I suppose anyhow.

Edited May 8, 2019 by algroth

[abstrack]

27 minutes ago, Boeroer said:

Very cool. Time for a last playthrough I guess.

I'm 100% sure it will not be an "Ultimate" one.

 

 

Boeroer! Go for it! I wanna see your name on the table in the first 12 Watchers!!!  Btw This Ultimate Challenge its VERY hard, without blessings and ALL Gods Challenges.. Must you kill the Mega-Bosses too?

[draego]

Ye it would be appropriate for Boeroer to be up there on the plaque 

[Flow]

I'm assuming "Final Patch" does not include minor patches to fix bugs that might have been introduced.

[Moriendor]

6 minutes ago, Flow said:

I'm assuming "Final Patch" does not include minor patches to fix bugs that might have been introduced.

Have you found any Bugs Bunnies already?

[uuuhhii]

so eroa have a josh sawyer constellation

is that what wael doesn't want player to see?

Edited May 8, 2019 by uuuhhii

[Boeroer]

Ha! I didn't even play one single god challenge so far (but also no Berath's Blessings besides Edér's pet slot). I also didn't do a proper solo run. I did most all boss fights with solo test-characters though.

But imagine the hassle with the video recording. Imagine you play for two hours and afterwards you realize that you video footage is corrupted or something.

Also no mods (I mean of course that means I can't use those really good "improved UI" mods that don't change the game mechanics at all.

A patch and a name on a plate - although both is cool - are not worth the hassle. I do have a real life with wife and kids and cleaning woman and cat and house and job after all.  

Edited May 8, 2019 by Boeroer

[Merany]

19 minutes ago, Moriendor said:

Have you found any Bugs Bunnies already?

There will be. Because that's how it goes with any piece of software. Hopefully as few as possible and hotfixes will be out quickly.

[Flow]

22 minutes ago, Moriendor said:

Have you found any Bugs Bunnies already?

Haven't even had a chance to play it yet, but bugs are a safe assumption.

[White Phoenix]

Another reason to return to Deadfire! Thank you for enhancing the critical path!

[Mamoulian War]

1 hour ago, Mikey Dowling said:

The update is also live on Fig as well.

Have you guys at the Obsidian considered also a Turn Based mode for PoE 1? I know it's looooong time ago, when this game got the last update, but man can still have his dreams

[Hawke64]

Thank you for supporting the game.

 

Mixed feelings about content changes - it reminds about the game-as-a-service model and makes the original version somehow less. But GOG allows to switch between versions, so it's good, I guess.
By the way, any chance of removing RNG elements from "The Courier's Calling" quest resolution?

[the_dog_days]

I'll never get the Ultimate, but it's awesome that it exists. 

[bringingyouthefuture]

Thanks for the game Obsidian ... it was a great RPG with tons of great content   As for the patch - it may be the first time ever I have wanted a patch lol ...

[Purudaya]

So the last god challenge is essentially just a switch that turns on all the other challenges? That's something I can do manually - would've been nice to see a new challenge type, especially one that would be attractive to more than a handful of players. That said, I really appreciate the new narrative tweaks; I've played around with the Woedica book and it's a really nice touch. Thanks for a great game and for continuing to integrate community feedback!

[Boeroer]

It is not only switching on all God Challenges. It adds PotD, Expert Mode, Trial of Iron, disables Berath's Blessings, disables cheats via console, disables all mods, adds the additional challenge to have to kill all bosses and more. So you can't do it manually. 

Edited May 9, 2019 by Boeroer