Revisting cultural and backgrounds role

[Lephys]

Although I wouldn't mind seeing your suggestions make it in the final game, I prefer how things r at the moment.

 

I like it that there is a purely role-playing choice in character creation. Otherwise, for most people all background choice is gonna look like is 'a plus here, a minus there...', contributing to min-maxing all the while.

Well, as I understand it, currently, it isn't a "purely role-playing choice." Your background is supposed to affect things here and there throughout the game. I just don't know how many things, or exactly what. So, I'm just trying to evaluate what, ideally, these things might be.

 

Also, I have to say that putting something in the game with absolutely no mechanical effect is pretty pointless. The whole point of roleplaying is the significance of the differences in choices. Imagine playing a session of D&D, and saying "Yeah, my character has studied animal physiology for 20 years," and the DM saying "That's great, but you encounter this animal, and know nothing more about it than other people do." What's the point in even being able to "roleplay" that knowledge if the game isn't going to represent it in ANY way?

 

To put it another way, what's the point in choosing "I was a slave for a while" if you can never, ever, bring anything unique to a dialogue or scenario because of your time as a slave? "Oh, look, these people don't believe they can trust us, and they're slaves. I should be able to empathize with them, but I can't say anything to them that anyone else couldn't say. THANKS, GAME! AT LEAST I CAN PRETEND!"

 

It's fine to roleplay stuff that just isn't even represented in the game. But, if it IS represented in the game, it becomes very ridiculous to say "Okay, I know that outcome was what it was, but I'm going to PRETEND that it actually turned out a different way." You might as well just have to kill everything in the game, and roleplay that you diplomatically resolved situations, and the people lived long, happy lives, instead of dying.

[Arden]

Revised Skill Progression
You can no longer spend points to upgrade skills during level up. All skill advancement is now done through Talents, and thematically grouped Talents will award additional skill points if chosen during level up. Your background choice during character creation will also reward additional skill points

 

Could a tester show us what the additional skill points are?

 

Thank You

[Flayeriv]

 

In my opinion background affecting disposition is not a good idea, you are basically stating that all clergymen, aristocrats, etc are the same. It would be better for it to affect faction reputation and only slightly, e.g being an ex slave grants you +5 with a village with a lot of former slaves, and -5 with slave owners, or being an artist gives you +5 with aristocratic patrons of the arts.

 

Someone else mentioned it also but I'd say the thing about reputation is you don't actually have control over it. If you're a member of the clergy, and your background is that you were a little sadistic and performed multiple sins under the guise of being a clergyman, you'd still gain a +5 to reputation. Why? Because people trust the clergy in general and having made that generalisation they've failed to pick up on the specific cues that should make them think otherwise. Unironically, this is how a lot of con artists work. (Now excuse me while I integrate that into my future character design).

 

 

To put it another way, what's the point in choosing "I was a slave for a while" if you can never, ever, bring anything unique to a dialogue or scenario because of your time as a slave? "Oh, look, these people don't believe they can trust us, and they're slaves. I should be able to empathize with them, but I can't say anything to them that anyone else couldn't say. THANKS, GAME! AT LEAST I CAN PRETEND!"

 

It's fine to roleplay stuff that just isn't even represented in the game. But, if it IS represented in the game, it becomes very ridiculous to say "Okay, I know that outcome was what it was, but I'm going to PRETEND that it actually turned out a different way." You might as well just have to kill everything in the game, and roleplay that you diplomatically resolved situations, and the people lived long, happy lives, instead of dying.

 

My point exactly, except said considerably more entertainingly. It also, however, represents the huge risk they're taking with including backgrounds at all.

[Arden]

Can someone beta testing show what skill points will be rewarded with background choice during character creation ?

[Flayeriv]

It's actually available on the wiki. Check near the bottom.

http://pillarsofeternity.gamepedia.com/Character_creation

[Arden]

It's actually available on the wiki. Check near the bottom.

 

http://pillarsofeternity.gamepedia.com/Character_creation

Thanks I missed that. Looks like a good balance.