Sensuki's Suggestions #026: XP Rewards!

[Sensuki]

 

Here is a video I made where I talk about XP Rewards in Pillars of Eternity. I usually stay out of those discussions because I don't find them to be constructive. However since Obsidian has changed their XP implementation, I find the new system to be imperfect and offer some suggestions on how to make it better.

 

Long story short: Exploration XP should be rewarded for finding things in the areas themselves. It should only be rewarded for entering an area if that area was hard to find (such as the Dyrford Ruins). Lock/Trap XP should be merged into obstacle based XP, where if there are multiple ways to bypass an obstable, you should be rewarded for bypassing the obstable once, not for specific methods - such as picking a lock. Locks and Traps invidivually should not have XP rewards.

 

I do touch a bit on Combat XP in the end as well.

 

Let me know what you think.

 

Previous Suggestions:

Version Review v301 bb

Recovery time should not pause while moving

Revamped Character Creation

Show Derived Stats during CC

Talents and Feats

Inventory Mockup v2

Desynchronized Character Movement

Version Review v278 bb

Cultural Gear Selection

Navmesh for AoE Targeting

Animations & Model Collision

Inventory Mockup

Dyrford Crossing Area Design

Main HUD Mockup

Beta Version Review v257 bb

Fog of War

Inventory & Item Tooltips

Combat Feedback Comparison 

Re-wrote CC Class Ability Descriptions

Item Descriptions and Contextual UI Rant

Area Map Functions 

Main UI Tooltip Stuff 

Selection Circles and Targeting

Edited October 28, 2014 by Sensuki

[IndiraLightfoot]

I agree on where exploration xp should be rewarded. Otherwise obstacle xp, trap xp, lock xp.... Tomatoes, tomatos... As long as the xp rewards come often and in small increments I'm happy. Obviously, I'd been even happier if they would have stuck with the classic IE system for dishing out xp. Also, in the BB 333, it annoys me how each party member gets everything exactly the same. I do understand why this is the case, but the gamist in me prefers asymmetric xp gain, if ever so little.  

[Sensuki]

Otherwise obstacle xp, trap xp, lock xp.... Tomatoes, tomatos... As long as the xp rewards come often and in small increments I'm happy.

That was my point in the video. I had a feeling people vote for Lock/Trap XP because they want to be rewarded XP often.

Edited October 28, 2014 by Sensuki

[Guest 4ward]

i think you make good points in your video. I think trap xp for floor traps is over the top, but am not sure about trap&lock xp on chests since i wouldn’t know if the content of the chest is a worthy reward. I agree that gear should be an additional reward for the violent solution, since it’s always the harder path, though would people not very often choose the violent option then?

[NikoBolas]

I like your videos but I think they might be more useful if they were more concise? You spend a lot of time talking but your major points could be summed up much quicker. I like your viewpoints but sometimes you belabor the point a bit much. Also they aren't really "videos" if you don't show clips or gameplay, at that point its just an audio clip.

 

As far as the topic, I like exploration XP. I think maybe having it in all areas is fine, but having a bigger bonus for finding hard-to-find areas would gently encourage people to seek out those places. Like 100 xp for just going to a new area, but 500 xp for finding a hidden cave, just fake numbers.

[Sensuki]

Yes my videos could be more concise, although I am not proficient with any video editing software at present. For my next Version Review I am looking into learning how to edit so I can cut my clips down to be much shorter and concise.

 

The reason I upload like this is because I can just record myself talking over an image/game, transcode to small file size and upload to youtube - very fast turnover time suited to doing smaller videos. However for longer ones - yep, need to use an editor.

 

I also don't pre-write my speeches either, I usually have a couple of notes max but most of it is ad lib. 

Edited October 28, 2014 by Sensuki

[constantine]

I can agree to trap XP, tolerate lock-pick & exploration XP but I hate bestiary XP.

 

 

 

My suggestion:

either turn bestiary XP into encounter XP, scaling up/down based on party lv, or remove them altogether.

 

If the fear is that encounter XP will turn the player into a serial killer, know that even the current bestiary XP does that.

[Sensuki]

I think Bestiary XP is okay because against scrub encounters such as a group of Beetles that yield next to no loot, all you are doing by fighting them is draining your per-day resources.

 

In the current Dyrford Crossing, Beetles are all placed off the beaten path, you can completely avoid every group except the one at the statue entrance. There's not too much point fighting them if it doesn't reap you a benefit.

 

Encounters against humanoid groups are different, because I think the motivation for killing them is usually either quest related or because you want to kill them to take their stuff (such common banditry!). Some dude has an amazing sword, and you think that the amazing sword would help you complete the main quest of the game, so in order to further your goal you kill the guy for his sword.

 

Some people are arguing that there should be no 'trash encounters', but this is a sequel to an IE game, and the IE games had a good mix of trash and named encounters.

 

I would have been fine if Bestiary XP was left out, as long as the player was rewarded often for overcoming obstacles and completing objectives. I think people who want explicit Lock and Trap XP aren't fully grasping the issue, and would be fine with obstacle based XP instead.

Edited October 29, 2014 by Sensuki

[prodigydancer]

I like the obstacle XP idea. Trap/Lock XP makes having a thief type character almost mandatory (even if traps aren't deadly enough to warrant it anyway). Ideally this should be the case. Also disarming a trap is rewarded by getting safe passage and picking a lock is rewarded by loot - there's no need for any additional reward for performing these actions. On the other hand, obstacle XP is in line with overall objective XP theme and is therefore appropriate.

Edited October 29, 2014 by prodigydancer

[ctn2003]

I agree XP should be for secrets i wish their wher more secret things in the game but XP in the fallout 3 style...has never been a good way to get XP EVER     I hop somebody at OE sees this.-as for the locked things - thats just kinda lazy imo.   

[ctn2003]

lol your dm'ing is better than mine - i gave gave for my party prostituting themselves l to 10 foot lizard men.

[constantine]

..?

[Hiro Protagonist II]

Go with what they did in the IE games.