Update #87: Internal Play Testing, VO, Performance Optimization, Mac Build, and More

[Nakia]

I like the voice overs we have so far but do agree that the use of Standard American accent is bland.  We have so many varied accents here including just about everyone to be found throughout the world.  So I am hoping that Obsidian 

[Flow]

I agree that a variety of accents corresponding to cultural background would be nice, but I don't have a problem with North American accents for most. Years of training have led people to expect British accents in custume dramas and fantasy video games, but there's no reason that makes any more sense than American in a made-up world.

Edited December 8, 2014 by Flow

[Gairnulf]

I agree that a variety of accents corresponding to cultural background would be nice, but I don't have a problem with North American accents for most. Years of training have led people to expect British accents in custume dramas and fantasy video games, but there's no reason that makes any more sense than American in a made-up world.

I've seen the "for god's sake, they could do X or Y in the IE games, why don't they do it now?" argument so many times, and by coincidence I'm playing BGT for the first time (have only played Baldur's Gate II completely before that), which allows me to spot bad design decisions in BG which are the same as bad decisions made all the way up to DA:I.

 

Things like anachronistic phrases or syntactical constructions used in dialogue (this might pass as ok for heroic/light fantasy, but I personally dislike it), or quest givers who give you a quest upon clicking on them, with no chance to opt out of the quest, or outright failing a quest upon talking to a quest giver if you don't meet a condition (possession of the item he asked you for), are all things present in BG, with the latter not even encountered in DA:I (which may actually be considered an improvement over BG)

 

American English spoken by NPCs is another one of these features. Many people criticize DA:I for using American English, yet are never heard to criticize BG for the same reason. Of course, BG had many other accents in addition to American for its voiced characters, which is also the case with DA:I although the variety there seems to be smaller.

 

Personally, American English doesn't bug me so much as the use of anachronistic language, which I haven't heard so far in the PoE BB. I'm really sick of npcs in DA:I speaking like they're in a business meeting. I've lost count how many times I've chosen "Thank you" from the dialogue wheel and heard my character say "I really appreciate it.", or the phrase I heard once "I look forward to working with you" These just sound very out of place. I'm glad PoE has good writing as far as vocabulary is concerned. Has anyone noticed problems in that regard?

Edited December 9, 2014 by Gairnulf

[Dark_Ansem]

I just realized that this game might feature alternative endings, like Chrono Trigger and Planescape Torment! well done!

[Lephys]

As long as it features alternate middles, we're good. But alternate endings and beginnings are definitely nice.

[Gorbag]

I just realized that this game might feature alternative endings, like Chrono Trigger and Planescape Torment! well done!

Yup! BTW Ps:T features alternative ways to end the game but not alternative outcomes of the endgame events, at least not for TNO (maybe it would have been nice if there was any way to redeem him, but I guess nothing can really change the nature of a man). PoE is supposedly going to have both.

[Dark_Ansem]

 

I just realized that this game might feature alternative endings, like Chrono Trigger and Planescape Torment! well done!

Yup! BTW Ps:T features alternative ways to end the game but not alternative outcomes of the endgame events, at least not for TNO (maybe it would have been nice if there was any way to redeem him, but I guess nothing can really change the nature of a man). PoE is supposedly going to have both.

 

 

Yes, I should have specified that. although, 3 endings exist, but they are not happy for the Nameless one.

[dorkboy]

Are there [going to be] separate sliders for the music, ambient/environment, SFX and VO volume?

 

Nice portraits. Please tell me that baby is a crafting component.

[Lephys]

Are there [going to be] separate sliders for the music, ambient/environment, SFX and VO volume?

Piggy-back question: Are characters' voices arbitrarily going to occasionally fall under the SFX setting? That's one of my biggest pet peeves in gaming history.

 

Me: "Oh, the sword clangs and fireball-splosions are really loud... I'll just turn down the SFX volume a bit. There, ^_^"

 

Game: "Oh, I see that you're not technically in a formal, cutscene dialogue with someone, but people are talking. That's totally a sound-effect and not a voice, u_u... Enjoy the whispers!!!"

 

Me: ">________________________<"

Edited December 18, 2014 by Lephys

[Gorbag]

Piggy-back on Lephys: ...or at least could voices fall into the "ambient/environment" category? Coz you know everybody is going to bump those and you'd kind of want characters to speak louder than crickets at any time.

[Silent Winter]

and you'd kind of want characters to speak louder than crickets at any time.

[Elma Fudd]"Shh, be veeewy qwuiet.  We're huntin' Dwagons."[/Elma Fudd]

[Dark_Ansem]

well, audio is quieter extracted, than in-game, I have to say. perhaps it is rendered in a more efficient way that standard playback?

[Azmodiuz]

wheres our monthly update, where is update 88?

Was the beta 392 the update ?  Surely you guys are back now from the holidays (BTW hope you all had a great time and came back with inspiration to drive this game into production finally:P)

[Nakia]

Back on Monday the 5th

[Bryy]

wheres our monthly update, where is update 88?

 

Was the beta 392 the update ?  Surely you guys are back now from the holidays (BTW hope you all had a great time and came back with inspiration to drive this game into production finally:P)

Post-production is what I think you mean.

 

It's been in production since the first work began.

[Gralq]

Hello,

 

So the update is delayed or it was expected to not give any in December?

[middydj]

was hoping to hear some more good news also.

[Hagbard]

Yeah, whats up. Any release date yet?

[Skree]

I admit that i am too quite eager to hear some news.

[Sensuki]

You will get one when something worth reporting happens. The most likely thing that the next update will be about is the Linux Backer Beta build, which they are working on now. I would probably expect one at the end of the month or something.

[Quadrone]

Aside from the linux build I guess they're crunshing now to have something good/stable to show for PAX. Maybe a release date too?

[Skree]

A release date would be mostly appreciated, although we already HAD a release date for october.

 

Then it became early 2015.

 

Then it became early SPRING 2015.

[Luckmann]

February 26th, I'm telling you. February 26th.

[Sensuki]

That's a whole month earlier than acceptable for me. End of March at the earliest, please.

[Luckmann]

That's a whole month earlier than acceptable for me. End of March at the earliest, please.

 

I'm sorry my birthday doesn't suit you, Sensuki. >=(

Edited January 11, 2015 by Luckmann