Update #21: 5 days left!

[dlux]

My copy-paste of the most relevant questions (basically 90% of what was answered) from the PCGamer live interview.

 

Josh Sawyer:

We will have very little level scaling and almost entirely in critical path areas since there's a lot of variability in when players approach them. Especially when it comes to optional content and general exploration, there will be no level-scaling. In this regard, Fallout: New Vegas might be a fair comparison.

Hmm, this has me a little worried. It is okay if there is very little level scaling used in the main campaign to balance a few things out (encounter scaling!)... but then Josh references New Vegas, in which the ENTIRE critical path was level scaled - and that was a huge part of the game...

[Monte Carlo]

My issue is quest-based XP... if you only get XP on the critical path and it scales then QED the whole game is more or less scaled.

[Frisk]

Hmm, this has me a little worried. It is okay if there is very little level scaling used in the main campaign to balance a few things out (encounter scaling!)... but then Josh references New Vegas, in which the ENTIRE critical path was level scaled - and that was a huge part of the game...

 

But is there any better alternative? Say for example, that at some point you have two semi-independent goals - you need to complete both A and B to proceed towards your primary goal, but it does not matter in what order you do them. Let's assume A and B are "equally" hard. Say you do A first ... spend a lot of time on it - it is pretty hard and time-consuming, but your party gains quite a bit of XP, levels and gear. Then you do B, but if it does not scale, it will be ... well, very, very easy compared to A, because of everything you have gained while doing A - and if it is not a real challenge, it will be a disappointment to some.

 

I would prefer to have some limited scaling in situations like that.

 

Too much scaling is even worse, however. If I reach a high level and return to a typical starting area - say, a rat-infested basement, I don't want to see duraluminum-plated, fire-breathing rats. Likewise, if I wander into a dragon lair at the beginning I should get killed, not have to fight a tiny, wimpy dragon whelp.

 

The right level of scaling to me means to have major NPCs, their spells, skills, pets, henchmen, gear and treasure scale a bit .. within a limited range - in D&D terms something like "NPC X will be set to level 13-17 depending on average party level when you first encounter him". To me, that is reasonable, and keeps the game challenging, without making the scaling silly.

[Monte Carlo]

America is just waking up and there's already $35000 in the pot!

[Krios]

I hope they do not scale the whole game. Trying to climb a mountain the whole way loses its appeal half way up for me.

[hideo kuze]

I hope they do not scale the whole game. Trying to climb a mountain the whole way loses its appeal half way up for me.

Did you read what Sawyer said at PCGamer interview?

 

We will have very little level scaling and almost entirely in critical path areas since there's a lot of variability in when players approach them. Especially when it comes to optional content and general exploration, there will be no level-scaling. In this regard, Fallout: New Vegas might be a fair comparison.

This makes sense.

Otherwise you would do all the optional quests first, and then would simply storm through the main plot without any challenge and thus breaking any suspension of disbelief.

 

 

 

 

 

On another subject,

will Obsidian please record the future UStreams?!!!

Not everyone is able to watch them live.

 

I missed the first stream with Adam at his office. Did anyone record it?

 

(will have to be repeating this one until someone from OE comments)

Edited October 13, 2012 by hideo kuze

[Eryn Shades]

I can´t watch the stream, too.... have to play it myself to remind me of good'ol days

[Frisk]

I just noticed that Project Eternity is currently at the #1 position on the Kicktraq hotlist: http://www.kicktraq.com/hotlist/

[Clammo]

I hope they do not scale the whole game. Trying to climb a mountain the whole way loses its appeal half way up for me.

Did you read what Sawyer said at PCGamer interview?

 

We will have very little level scaling and almost entirely in critical path areas since there's a lot of variability in when players approach them. Especially when it comes to optional content and general exploration, there will be no level-scaling. In this regard, Fallout: New Vegas might be a fair comparison.

This makes sense.

Otherwise you would do all the optional quests first, and then would simply storm through the main plot without any challenge and thus breaking any suspension of disbelief.

 

 

 

 

 

On another subject,

will Obsidian please record the future UStreams?!!!

Not everyone is able to watch them live.

 

I missed the first stream with Adam at his office. Did anyone record it?

 

(will have to be repeating this one until someone from OE comments)

 

Just watching Adam's current livestream and he says he's found yesterdays recording (and he's recording this one). He'll post it when he's finished the current one, possibly on youtube, but as it's 4 hours long he's not yet sure where he can.

[hideo kuze]

w00t!

 

(I'm watching the ustream on and off, but I failed that bit)

 

BTW, any way to remove the PE logo from the stream?

I like the logo, but it feels like an annoying pop up.

 

 

Someone tell Adam to use OE members portraits for the IWD party members

(I'm assuming he will shift the stream to his computer when he starts playing)

 

what's the image size for the custom portraits?

I can save Adam some work.

Edited October 13, 2012 by hideo kuze

[Clammo]

I think the PE logo is where his face will be when the game gets going - could be wrong however.

[hideo kuze]

(nevermind)

Edited October 13, 2012 by hideo kuze

[dlux]

Otherwise you would do all the optional quests first, and then would simply storm through the main plot without any challenge and thus breaking any suspension of disbelief.

Or I just simply skip all of the side quests because there is absolutely no reason to do them, seeing that the main campaign scales to my level.

 

There should be a reason for doing them, and not just for some story and lolz. If I do a bunch of side quests and return to the main campaign feeling just as powerful as before I left... well, that is just ****ed up. I want to get my ass handed to me in the main campaign - and I want to go and do some side quests to power up my characters before I continue.

 

Don't get me wrong, New Vegas was an excellent game - but I am expecting much, much more from this title. I will just give Josh and the team the benefit of the doubt, I am sure they know what they are doing (and won't turn this game into an isometric Oblivion).

Edited October 14, 2012 by dlux

[Slaunyeh]

What the, what's that enormous guy doing in our mega-dungeon!!

I'm getting jealous here.

 

Dungeonoutgrowthitis is actually a very serious ailment, and clearly the guy isn't doing too well. Fortunately, for him, the dungeon is only, like, 20 inches across (otherwise he might have trouble getting out of bed).