You have been waylaid by enemies and must defend yourself!

[TheSteadfast]

Any word on random ambush battles like in BG2 when traveling between maps?  Or even ambushes while resting?  Although they could be annoying "aw crap" moments if the timing was bad, but I thought they added a lot to the game of making it seem like a more dynamic dangerous world.  I'm worried that without these and non-respawning monsters that the world will feel very empty of danger as the game progresses.  A minor gripe, but I'm just curious, it be an easy way to get some more battles in the game without adding content.  Of course their might be enough already.

 

I'm guessing it is a no on both fronts, but would this be something that someone would be able to mod into the game?  It doesn't require new maps. 

[Luckmann]

I loved them in BG1, but in BG2, they were extremely meh.

 

That said, no, I don't think that there's any word at all on either of those. It certainly doesn't happen in the Backer Beta.

 

It might be moddable, but again it depends on whether they'll externalize the area files or not. Currently it's (to my best understanding based on what others have said) pretty much impossible to muck around with the actual areas, which means you couldn't actually place anything on existing maps, etc.

[ISC]

Finally, someone else who sees this! We need to get waylaid! (and preferably have some limited respawn of beasts/monsters).

 

But the answer is no, for now.

[SkySlam]

No monsters' respawn is fine by me, but I'm surprised about the absence of random ambush battles.

They used to give me a sense of real danger in BG, strengthening the immersion.

[TheSteadfast]

No monsters' respawn is fine by me, but I'm surprised about the absence of random ambush battles.

They used to give me a sense of real danger in BG, strengthening the immersion.

 

Yeah that's what I'm saying.  One or the other.  It's a fine line though because too many random battles or ambushes can be frustrating and tedious (think some of the Final Fantasy games).  BG2 struck a good balance, though i think the waylaid battles were definitely scripted because they ran out after a certain point.  If i was in charge or could mod it, I would put it some pretty occasional random fights that were leveled to be slightly lower than your current level.  I think why I like those ambush battles is because they were a time where I could melt a group of enemies with spells and feel powerful before going back to the challenging fights.

 

Or maybe it was just another chance to hear the awesome narrator.  YOU MUST GATHER YOUR PARTY BEFORE VENTURING FORTH!

[Valsuelm]

If Obsidian didn't hire the narrator from Baldur's Gate to tell me I'm waylaid from time to time I think they dropped the ball. If I never get waylaid in PoE then I'd say they didn't just drop the ball, they lost it.

[Suhiir]

It really depends on the random battle.

In BG2 getting jumped by a few kobolds while travelling between maps when you're level 15 isn't "fun" it's annoying.

[SkySlam]

It really depends on the random battle.

In BG2 getting jumped by a few kobolds while travelling between maps when you're level 15 isn't "fun" it's annoying.

I totally agree. Infact, I think this is something they could have *easily* improved, instead of just removing it from the game.

 

I believe some random ambushes here and there don't take much resources/developers' time away, nor they need too much playtesting/balance. Still, they contribute greatly to the immersion, the sense of danger and the uncertainty of the adventure.

[Diogenes]

I'm happy with this not being in the game because 1 out of 10 times it was a cool immersive thing that happened while exploring and the other 9 times I was backtracking somewhere for a quest or trying to get back to an inn after a long dungeon which made it extremely annoying.

[Rumsteak]

I want to get waylaid too!

 

I would also love stumbling upon "special encounters" between maps, a la Fallout: http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Fallout_special_encounters.

[Vaeliorin]

Simple random enemy ambushes are kind of silly. The ones in BG (which I'm currently replaying) are largely pointless. They're not even remotely dangerous, and serve only to add a couple clicks to traveling. I might find them immersive if they were dependent on party composition/skills, but since they're not, they serve no purpose other than to add a couple loading screens (well, there's minor loot as well.)

 

Encounters that occur randomly but are one off unique events, on the other hand, are something I would enjoy seeing.

[ISC]

Well, a mix of unique scripted and random would be nice, with some kind of weighting system for the randoms (e.g. different enemies in different areas of the map, or shifting slowly as chapters pass)

[curryinahurry]

Finally, someone else who sees this! We need to get waylaid! (and preferably have some limited respawn of beasts/monsters).

 

But the answer is no, for now.

 

Are you referencing an actual developer statement?  I don't recall anything being said about this either way.

[Luckmann]

 

Finally, someone else who sees this! We need to get waylaid! (and preferably have some limited respawn of beasts/monsters).

 

But the answer is no, for now.

 

Are you referencing an actual developer statement?  I don't recall anything being said about this either way.

 

 

I believe that is a "no" as in "No, there is no word".

[curryinahurry]

Ah, Cheers

[rjshae]

Not having random encounters during travel would seem to put a dampener on the usefulness of the Survival skill.

[Lephys]

This is something that I think the Roguelike genre gets right, a lot of times. Like the randomization of ship battles and encounters in FTL, for example. It's not just completely random -- it corresponds to the sector you're in, the type of node you're in (nebula, clear space, asteroid field), and several other things.

 

In PoE, it'd be pretty cool if there were random encounters whilst traveling, in the form of scripted interactions. Sometimes that would lead to a battle, sometimes not. And, even if much of the encounters is "random," (or really, a better word is just "non-specific," since you're likely drawing from a set pool of encounter parameters -- maybe their equipment is somewhat random or something, but you're not going to get a group of Elven priests who show up and try to rob you like Highwaymen, etc.), much of it is not, and at least indirectly pertains to the goings-on of the narrative at hand.

[Valsuelm]

This is something that I think the Roguelike genre gets right, a lot of times. Like the randomization of ship battles and encounters in FTL, for example. It's not just completely random -- it corresponds to the sector you're in, the type of node you're in (nebula, clear space, asteroid field), and several other things.

 

In PoE, it'd be pretty cool if there were random encounters whilst traveling, in the form of scripted interactions. Sometimes that would lead to a battle, sometimes not. And, even if much of the encounters is "random," (or really, a better word is just "non-specific," since you're likely drawing from a set pool of encounter parameters -- maybe their equipment is somewhat random or something, but you're not going to get a group of Elven priests who show up and try to rob you like Highwaymen, etc.), much of it is not, and at least indirectly pertains to the goings-on of the narrative at hand.

 

Aye.

 

I find it amusing that some actually think getting waylaid like we did in Baldur's Gate was annoying. Games like Nethack (a game I'm currently playing again right now), Legend of Zelda 2, or Final Fantasy 1-8 (I stopped playing after 8 so I dunno if they still do random encounters), all great games, would be like Guantanamo for these folks.

 

The whole random encounter thing was a fundamental aspect of AD&D gameplay, which was the ruleset that all of the IE games were based on (even 3rd edition had random encounter tables). Not to mention the other PnP games I played back in the day (notably Palladium games) also had random encounter tables, based on location as you suggest.

 

Seriously, if I don't get waylaid randomly at least a couple of times during my PoE adventure I'm going to be disappointed.

 

Even more seriously. Who in their right mind doesn't like getting waylaid? Far better than all that romantic crap some people want, just skip to the good part. Get waylaid.

 

Perhaps there should be an option in the menu next to the violence setting, on whether one wants to get waylaid or not withing the game.

Edited March 7, 2015 by Valsuelm

[Cantousent]

I detest map respawns, but I like the idea of random encounters a la the ol' DnD style where the terrain and eco system determine the variety of encounters.  I think sparingly, but random encounters.  I agree with ISC about a mix of random and scripted.  I think respawns would be great if they followed logically.  The trick is to make it so there the area doesn't become completely static after you've cleared it, but not respawn repeatedly with the same monsters so you feel as if you haven't had any effect in the world.  Say, maybe you clear spiders out of a cave only to have some other critters or maybe even bandits or some such fill the vacuum.

 

What I would hate is something like Wizardry 8, which was a great game, but having a non-stop slog of random encounters every time you take three steps is a pain and prevents you from advancing the story.

[ISC]

I detest map respawns, but I like the idea of random encounters a la the ol' DnD style where the terrain and eco system determine the variety of encounters.  I think sparingly, but random encounters.  I agree with ISC about a mix of random and scripted.  I think respawns would be great if they followed logically.  The trick is to make it so there the area doesn't become completely static after you've cleared it, but not respawn repeatedly with the same monsters so you feel as if you haven't had any effect in the world.  Say, maybe you clear spiders out of a cave only to have some other critters or maybe even bandits or some such fill the vacuum.

 

What I would hate is something like Wizardry 8, which was a great game, but having a non-stop slog of random encounters every time you take three steps is a pain and prevents you from advancing the story.

 

This is basically whats important to me. Im thinking that the wilderness shouldnt be devoid of animals the next time you return, for example. And I'm not saying that 10 lions should return every time you get to the gorge, maybe 1-3 will respawn or whatever. While a Skaen temple, should you happen upon such, shouldn't repopulate  once emptied. Maybe with a lone spider or whatever, but you know. Not having to go through a number of the same enemies again is the point, without making the gameworld feel static and predetermined.

 

As for "random" encounters, I actually think that fallout 2 did that pretty well. You hade some unique and some random, and the random ones were tied to different sections of the world, yet varied in each one of them. So you could encounter, say, rad scorpions, slavers or a trader among other things in the same area. That made it interesting and hardly tedious (to me at least).

Edited March 7, 2015 by ISC

[rjshae]

The overland map encounter system in SoZ was an enjoyable element of the game. If you had a half-way decent Survival skill, you could see many of the nearby random encounters on the map, and thus choose to travel so as to avoid them. It felt more plausible than just experiencing completely random encounters.

[Tuckey]

Getting waylaid is cool! It adds to the sense of adventure because you don't know what you'll encounter on the road.

[Striped_Wolf]

I also think this is an important feature to help bring the world alive. Even if it only happens once in a while.

Although, I wouldnt be surprised if there are some waylaid encounters scripted in, even if not completely 'random'.
 

[TheSteadfast]

After watching the second panel, between stronghold attacks and those bounty quests, I think I won't be left wanting for more encounters.  I wonder if the stronghold attacks are tied to your party's level.  It still would be nice be waylaid a few times even if it is scripted or part of a some quests rather than being a set mechanic. 

[Kal Adan]

I am not a big fan of ambushes. I don't think they would become something more than annoyance after some time. On the other hand I can understand that the possibility of being attacked could be important for players in making decisions when and where to go.