Will the companions be "Good" or "Evil"?

[Havelok]

With the notion of DnD alignment thrown out the window, I'm curious if we have learned anything about how the devs plan on shaping party selection based on core personality.

 

In BG+, you could quite easily come to know if a companion would be compatible with your group dynamic just by looking at their alignment. If they were evil, you could safely kick them out of the party knowing that they wouldn't stick around anyway (given you were heroic).

 

Take [Possible Spoiler Link] for example. [spoiler Link] is the only wizard companion with personality in PoE. I want to have a wizard in my party, but I have no idea if said person (who looks kinda evil from their portrait) will stick around if I play the good guy. If they didn't stick around, I'd play as a wizard myself.

 

Any indication on how Obsidian is handling this sort of thing?

[Luckmann]

Well first, I think they are consciously trying to do away with "good" and "evil" as concepts.

Second, Pillars of Eternity only has 8 CNPC:s total, so it's not like one really has a choice in the matter either way. And I'd be utterly flabbergasted if any CNPC actually left you due to metagame circumstances (such as the Reputation score in BG1/2). I'd be surprised if they left you for anything whatsoever, bar directly and deliberately working against them or their goals (if any), precisely because PoE doesn't have the freedom to do so without crippling the player (again, only 8 CNPC:s).

[Heijoushin]

Interesting question.

 

I've tried to avoid looking too deeply into the companions backgrounds to avoid spoiling the story, but I'm also interested in how they will handle this. I hope you'll be able to recruit good and evil types. But you need good writing to pull that off (or you get childish "stealing is wrong!" arguments between your lawful good paladin and evil rogue).

 

I suppose you can just use the adventures hall to create a new wizard but then you'll miss out on the sub-quests, right?

 

 

[Bazy]

I have a feeling the writer's created characters that will be sufficiently nuanced so that labeling them "good" or "evil" will be a matter of opinion. Or more likely... sometimes good, sometimes evil. 

Edited February 16, 2015 by Bazy

[Havelok]

Interesting question.

 

I've tried to avoid looking too deeply into the companions backgrounds to avoid spoiling the story, but I'm also interested in how they will handle this. I hope you'll be able to recruit good and evil types. But you need good writing to pull that off (or you get childish "stealing is wrong!" arguments between your lawful good paladin and evil rogue).

 

I suppose you can just use the adventures hall to create a new wizard but then you'll miss out on the sub-quests, right?

 

 

 

I view the adventurer's hall as pretty pointless, as NPCs with personality is half the fun (for me). Icewind Dale party members just felt like hairy sward-swinging meatsacks, whereas I actually wanted to be best buds with Minsc and Boo.

[TheisEjsing]

Pretty certain that the companions will try to reflect the complexity of real humans. Which means that they won't be good or evil, but somewhere in between.

[Quadrone]

Second, Pillars of Eternity only has 8 CNPC:s total, so it's not like one really has a choice in the matter either way. And I'd be utterly flabbergasted if any CNPC actually left you due to metagame circumstances (such as the Reputation score in BG1/2). I'd be surprised if they left you for anything whatsoever, bar directly and deliberately working against them or their goals (if any), precisely because PoE doesn't have the freedom to do so without crippling the player (again, only 8 CNPC:s).

 

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I believe it was confirmed that companions will in fact leave your party if you act against their wishes too much.

Though I'd wager it is like others already guessed and none of the companions will be outright evil nor good but instead be more complex.

Eder for example, from what I could gather, seems like an upstanding kind of guy who once had a good set of morals and beliefs but grew cynical from the war he took part in.

So with a nudge from the player he could be guided in either way.

[jones092201@gmail.com]

You know, they've (rpg developers) been making such a point of getting away from good/evil alignments for so long now, I kind of wouldn't mind having bg2 style good/evil companions again.

If i really think of the rpg characters that are memorable to me, that includes more bg/pst than any other games

[Luckmann]

 

Second, Pillars of Eternity only has 8 CNPC:s total, so it's not like one really has a choice in the matter either way. And I'd be utterly flabbergasted if any CNPC actually left you due to metagame circumstances (such as the Reputation score in BG1/2). I'd be surprised if they left you for anything whatsoever, bar directly and deliberately working against them or their goals (if any), precisely because PoE doesn't have the freedom to do so without crippling the player (again, only 8 CNPC:s).

 

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I believe it was confirmed that companions will in fact leave your party if you act against their wishes too much.

 

[...]

 

Exactly. And I think that's the only qualifier, and it'll probably come with 16 different warning signs along the way. With only two potential backups along the way, there's not going to be a lot of leeway when it comes to do's and don'ts.

[Sedrefilos]

As always: judging from their (Obsidian's) other non-DnD games, it probably (I'd say 99%) won't be good VS evil.

[Gromnir]

how do you typical decide if somebody is good or bad?  people you meet at work or school don't have a character record sheet that has a distillation o' their personality on some kinda cheesy x-y graph and yet we bet you can decide whether people is good or bad.  people don't have a pleasant white glow if they is in touch with the light side of the force, but that don't stop us from deciding that amon goth were clearly a dark side character... some folks might actual disagree. *shudder*  even characters in novels and movies is typical requiring us to decide for ourselves if we would label them good or bad... or otherwise.  were frankenstein's monster bad or were he the ultimate victim o' shelly's novel?  would be kinda cheap to have shelly attach a chaotic-neutral label to the monster, no?

 

am expecting that the obsidians want us to decide for ourselves if their characters is good or bad or... whatever. observe and decide.

 

HA! Good Fun!

[Rhaeg]

Luckily we have the lead writer from Kotor 2 on board, which IMO had some of the best written cRPG companions ever. I wouldn't worry about 1-dimensional companions like in BG1

[FlintlockJazz]

 

 

Second, Pillars of Eternity only has 8 CNPC:s total, so it's not like one really has a choice in the matter either way. And I'd be utterly flabbergasted if any CNPC actually left you due to metagame circumstances (such as the Reputation score in BG1/2). I'd be surprised if they left you for anything whatsoever, bar directly and deliberately working against them or their goals (if any), precisely because PoE doesn't have the freedom to do so without crippling the player (again, only 8 CNPC:s).

 

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I believe it was confirmed that companions will in fact leave your party if you act against their wishes too much.

 

[...]

 

Exactly. And I think that's the only qualifier, and it'll probably come with 16 different warning signs along the way. With only two potential backups along the way, there's not going to be a lot of leeway when it comes to do's and don'ts.

 

Well, actually three potential backups, one of your party of six is your main character after all (I'd be mighty impressed if someone managed to piss off their own character that much!).

[aeonsim]

And hey if your a complete bastard to all your companions and they all leave will that's when you spend some cash and hire some mercenaries, you've paid them so they don't care about what sort of bastard you are they'll just follow orders and ignore you all the rest of the time.

[Luckmann]

 

 

 

Second, Pillars of Eternity only has 8 CNPC:s total, so it's not like one really has a choice in the matter either way. And I'd be utterly flabbergasted if any CNPC actually left you due to metagame circumstances (such as the Reputation score in BG1/2). I'd be surprised if they left you for anything whatsoever, bar directly and deliberately working against them or their goals (if any), precisely because PoE doesn't have the freedom to do so without crippling the player (again, only 8 CNPC:s).

 

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I believe it was confirmed that companions will in fact leave your party if you act against their wishes too much.

 

[...]

 

Exactly. And I think that's the only qualifier, and it'll probably come with 16 different warning signs along the way. With only two potential backups along the way, there's not going to be a lot of leeway when it comes to do's and don'ts.

 

 

Well, actually three potential backups, one of your party of six is your main character after all (I'd be mighty impressed if someone managed to piss off their own character that much!).

 

 

You are, of course, entirely correct. My bad.

 

And hey if your a complete bastard to all your companions and they all leave will that's when you spend some cash and hire some mercenaries, you've paid them so they don't care about what sort of bastard you are they'll just follow orders and ignore you all the rest of the time.

 

Which from a roleplaying perspective is just all kinds of dumb.

[InsaneCommander]

I plan to play as a Death Godlike Bleak Walker Paladin in my second playthrough. So I'm definitely having Pallegina in my group when I first play the game.

 

I don't know what are the celebrated/condemned behaviours of her order, but I'll assume she will be one of the easiest companions to piss off.

[Karkarov]

Which from a roleplaying perspective is just all kinds of dumb.

I wish I could make a character in an RPG like this to be a companion.  Because that is what I would do, create a mercenary warrior who is in it for money and maybe a little fame/political inroads.  A well designed mercenary character can be so much more than "a guy who will do whatever as long as he gets paid".  I feel you though Luckmann, I also want to avoid the adventurers hall unless I am left with no other choice.  Even if it means I have to run what I feel is a substandard party.  The hall is there for the grognards and number crunchers who are worried about min maxing first.

[h3st]

Doesn't the Stronghold also get some "quests" where you can send off minions to haul back loot and fame? I'd imagine the extra companions and maybe some faceless goons could be put to use there.

[Endrosz]

The hall is there for the grognards and number crunchers who are worried about min maxing first.

 

Two other reasons one might want to use the Adventurer's Hall:

- You grew up with pre-1995 RPGs, where you created an entire party, and don't care about companions that much.

- You want to experiment with different builds and party setups, because experimenting is fun.

 

Both reasons apply to me, and that's why the only stretch goal during the Kickstarters that I cared about was the Adventurer's Hall.

[apolloooo]

if we're going t have D&D alignment, i prefer that we can have a part developing the companions, like in BG2, viconia can turn from evil to neutral, etc, etc

[Lephys]

Without the Adventurer's Hall, how else will the Adventurer's Rooms be adjoined? 6_u

[Voss]

Luckily we have the lead writer from Kotor 2 on board, which IMO had some of the best written cRPG companions ever. I wouldn't worry about 1-dimensional companions like in BG1

I'm trying and failing to remember the Kotor2 companions.  Annoying old woman, stupid gambler.... and... uh.  Huh.  Someone actually named Disciple?

 

If they ape KotoR 2 might as well throw the whole thing in the bin now. 

[Falkon Swiftblade]

sorry if it's already been stated, I wanted to read this thread but I'm unable to for times sake, but one of the thing's I noticed right away in character creation was there was no alignment selection, and since you can create a whole gang of new squad members anytime ya like, I get the impression there won't be a good or evil mechanic. however, that's not to say the npc's in your group won't have a personality or motivations of their own. One of the very first thing's they shared in the video at the first game play showing I think it was E3 last year was a girl in the party would leave your party if you decided to rest for the injured person in the group to heal because she wanted to get to her goal first. So there will be consequences to your choices. 

Edited February 17, 2015 by Falkon Swiftblade

[Lord Gorchnik]

Personally It doesn't matter too much to me.  For some reason I love the "big-picture" story in RPGs but when it comes down to companion stories I never care much for any of them.

[Gromnir]

Personally It doesn't matter too much to me.  For some reason I love the "big-picture" story in RPGs but when it comes down to companion stories I never care much for any of them.

let us introduce you to the developer of PoE:

 

https://www.obsidian.net/

 

they is know for such character-driven crpgs as nwn2, motb and kotor2.  companions is almost invariably listed by fans and critics as a highlight o' their games.  stories o' joinable npcs and side-quest npcs is typical the unsung stars o' obsidian games.

 

the core obsidian developers/bosses were part o' interplay and black isle

 

http://www.ign.com/companies/black-isle-studios

 

ps:t, in particular, is well-known and beloved by a smallish but dedicated group o' fans not 'cause o' its wonderful combat, but cause o' non-player characters, and particular the companions.  

 

http://www.gamebanshee.com/planescapetorment/companions.php

 

perhaps you backed poe 'cause o' obsidian's work on dungeon siege 3? 

 

ok, maybe we is being a bit snarky, but is weird to hear from a backer o' poe that they is not particular concerned with companions, 'cause that is one o' the things that actual sets obsidian apart from many crpg developers.

 

HA! Good Fun!