Update #3: Game Basics - Your Party, Your Characters, and Races

[NoxNoctum]

So where's the blog post Sawyer keeps referencing in the video? I didn't see a link.

 

Anyways, everything sounds great so far.

Edited September 18, 2012 by NoxNoctum

[Cycloneman]

Does the difficulty scale with the number of people in your party?

No. "rope kid" is J.E. Sawyer.

[Delterius]

Does the difficulty scale with the number of people in your party?

No. "rope kid" is J.E. Sawyer.

 

There goes my only question for now, it seems.

Edited September 18, 2012 by Gorth
Removed video.

[Cantousent]

Even though DA2 was a major disappointment, I've got to admit that it was nice how you could let Varric do the talking at certain points in the game.

I think such a thing should be fairly easy to implement. Your PC would usually initiate all dialogue, but at certain points an option would open up that would read something like "[Let your companion XYZ talk to this NPC]".

You wouldn't even need to set it before-hand in every case. In some cases, you could even just give dialogue options. For example, one option is, "Yorrick over there negotiates all things between heaven and earth for me. [nods to Yorrick] Talk to him about it." Then you could enter a three way conversation with your companion. Some cases would be easier that way. Others might not. Just a thought.

[Darji]

Thanks very much for the update. Is it going to be posted on the Kickstarter?

Yes. It is uploading presently with a rambling video from yours truly!(!!!)

 

Also big big thank you for letting us now so early how you want this game to be. If I look at some other game that was announced today and how the info politic is there. I am really glad you guys are not bound to publishers and can truly interact with your fans <3

[Anaeme]

I have been desiring to play an RPG of this nature as a deity for a very long time...but no developer is ever willing to pick up the gauntlet.

 

The closest they cam was in Baldurs Gate Throne of Bhaal...and that was at the very end...

 

Sigh. It would be a fresh addition to the genre. Instead of fading into the sunset, the PC becomes a deity.

 

I guess the difficulties must be insurmountable

[Paul D]

Formations sounds excellent, allows for the player to have even more control about how to respond tactically to particular situations. How firm will the formation rules be on the characters contained within. For example, if you put a mage on point, will they stand there despite getting hammered (you should have put a tank in that spot) and subsequently die, or will party characters be able to "flee" to a designated point once hit-points get low enough?

[Solivagant]

This is a very interesting setup, and I love the breadth of detail we are getting about this. That's the kind of writing I want to see on future Kickstarter updates, really outshines any other game's press releases or blogs. This is great, Obsidian, keep it coming!

 

Also happy about subraces, one of my favorite aspects of D&D.

Edited September 18, 2012 by Solivagant

[Terror K]

I really like the sound of the depth you guys are going into with the various races.

 

One thing I'm curious about with companions is how easy it is to switch between them. You're limited to five, so I'm assuming ala Baldur's Gate you can switch back and forth between party candidates. If this is so, will there be some kind of central hub or party camp to quickly and easily locate potential companions you aren't using, or will it be more like BG where you have to literally go to their location on the map and find them again to switch?

[Enoch]

The Set-Up

The player witnesses an extraordinary and horrific supernatural event that thrusts them into a unique and difficult circumstance. Burdened with the consequences of this event, the player has to investigate what has happened in order to free themselves from the restless forces that follow and haunt them wherever they go.

It's funny how this sounds like one of those "generic plot starters" from that "every Bioware game has the same plot" thing. I don't mean to imply that Obsidian redoes the same thing over and over, it's just this is so generic sounding, like it could describe a bunch of different games. I mean, it's not like they've done this hook before - wait a second, that's the plot to Mask of the Betrayer! And KotOR 2! And Fallout: New Vegas! Obsidian you hacks!

 

It actually sounds quite similar to the descriptions of how Black Isle's cancelled BG3 ("The Black Hound") was going to kick off. (Caveat: This is from memory of a Long Time Ago.)

[LadyCrimson]

Can someone please tell me the next word up from awesome?

Supercalifragiliawesomesauce?

 

Yes. It is uploading presently with a rambling video from yours truly!(!!!)

Nice. Liked the vid. But ... I think you might need a better mic next time.

[Mezentine]

I don't think I'm alone in being slightly disappointed that this setting is going to include "elves" and "dwarves", is there any chance of that changing?

[Cantousent]

I instantly thought of the Black Hound myself.

[Tychoxi]

This (and the interviews linked in in the KS mainpage) has very much quelled entirely my fuzzy-info fuelled thirst of Project Eternity information. Now instead of being really looking forward to the game, I'm really utterly wooberly sluperbly looking forwards to it.

 

EDIT: Let's expand a little because I'm all giddy, what I liked the most was actually the Feargus interview it explicitely tells us a lot about the game mechanics, setting, dialogue, point-of-view, etc. The whole "subraces" was really cool to hear (I hadn't thought of that) and there will be non-tolkienesque races (maybe even really odd ones!).

Edited September 18, 2012 by Tychoxi

[Shadenuat]

...GENIOUS!

 

Indeed.

 

I think the best part of what we got from the update was not which has been told, but which was't: in a sense that update does't have any next-gen features or revolutional ideas, just the same old-school pandering (no insult intended) which I myself am ready to eat in any amounts and feel all warm and fanboyish inside. When I've seen BGish little circles for formations I was smiling, cause I've actually drawn stuff akin to that for one project.

[Jozape]

I really like the sound of the depth you guys are going into with the various races.

 

One thing I'm curious about with companions is how easy it is to switch between them. You're limited to five, so I'm assuming ala Baldur's Gate you can switch back and forth between party candidates. If this is so, will there be some kind of central hub or party camp to quickly and easily locate potential companions you aren't using, or will it be more like BG where you have to literally go to their location on the map and find them again to switch?

 

The 'player housing' is meant to serve as a place for your party characters to hang out when you're not using them according to the update #2.

[limaxophobiacq]

Thanks for the info. Some dissapointment on the non-human races being the same old elves-dwarves but it's better than not knowing and I'd think at least the kinda-planetouched 'godlike' could be done in a way that's interesting and distinquishes them from their DnD equivalents.

 

Edit: That was a bit of a downer, other than the races all the other news are excellent.

Edited September 18, 2012 by limaxophobiacq

[Solivagant]

I can tell Obsidian are giving themselves some breathing room with the plot hook, its vague enough that it can be anything. I'm sure they're having lots of fun coming up with ideas for the world and plot right now. Fantastic.

[Tale]

I really like the sound of the depth you guys are going into with the various races.

 

One thing I'm curious about with companions is how easy it is to switch between them. You're limited to five, so I'm assuming ala Baldur's Gate you can switch back and forth between party candidates. If this is so, will there be some kind of central hub or party camp to quickly and easily locate potential companions you aren't using, or will it be more like BG where you have to literally go to their location on the map and find them again to switch?

 

The 'player housing' is meant to serve as a place for your party characters to hang out when you're not using them according to the update #2.

But that's only if we hit that goal. *checks the goal* Yeah, it'll happen.

 

But I suspect there's an alternative system in mind just in case. And if it's in mind, they might include both.

[Oerwinde]

Dwarves confirmed. Volourn pay up.

[JFS]

I instantly thought of the Black Hound myself.

Pretty much. And wasn't that supposed to be set in the Dalelands? And didn't Mr Sawyer say the current map excerpt was designed with the Dragon's Reach and the Dalelands in mind?

 

... uh-oh. Yeah.

[Badmojo]

I liked most of the story, buuut elves and dwarves? Yea, even if they are different, I have to be honest that I am dissapointed with using them and not something completely new. Now we know two of the limited race selection slots and companions will be them. Also, the opening premise sounds a bit...er...generic. However, it doesn't give enough detail and details are important so I wont judge.

 

I think most of us will be more excited when we have info about the other races, However, if one of them is an ogre I am pulling my funding..just kidding...maybe.

I am interested about the magic system, could we have some info and the type of magic we will be able to use. Also, is there any non combat magic? I feel that combat magic is all we ever get and it would be nice to have something beyond fighting magic.

 

Oh, one other thing, will everybody treat you different based on who you are (race/sex/occupation)? Or will people just ignore that and treat you the same regardless. I hope the former personally.

[Solivagant]

Dwarves confirmed. Volourn pay up.

 

Is Volourn around?!

[DreamingVoid]

Fantastic update! Thank you.

[Cantousent]

Folks, it doesn't matter how big your elf is, just how you use it. Come on, just because there are elves and dwarves doesn't mean they've sold out. It means they're using something traditional to put the traditionalists among us at ease but I. have. no. doubt. they'll use those elves and dwarves in a novel and entertaining way.

 

I, for one, like the use of elves and dwarves precisely for that reason.