If there are any sequel: continuous story or self contained?

[apolloooo]

basically like mass effect or fallout, baldur's gate and neverwinter nights, the witcher and dragon age  etc, etc

 

the first option:

 

1.1 :the story began not too long after PoE 1 finished, mostly featuring the same characters with some new addition, overarching plot line. (mass effect, baldur's gate, etc).

 

1.2 :to a lesser degree, KOTOR 1 & 2 ( the conflict's scope is alot bigger than the first protagonist's, the first game ties up what protagonist is involved, but overall big picture of the conflict isn't finished, we tackle the same big event in different point of view, with set of new characters, some shared villains and events) think like templar vs assassins in AssCreed games.

 

second option:

 

2.1 : different conflict that happened in other region, in the same time frame as the first one.

 

2.2 : timeskip. after some moment of peace in said region, a new threat arises, so is new heroes.

 

well they aren'y mutually exclusive of course. it can be a little of each, but Eora is shaping to be a really detailed, expansive world, in the era of discovery, so  a mix of 1.2, 2.1 and 2.2 can be really awesome, instead of direct sequels. if this keep making money, we hopefully will be seeing Eora in many games and watch how the world develop, and isn't afraid to break status quo like elder scrolls.

 

i like elder scrolls sequel works, as i said, kinda combination of all the variation, but the world in-game itself is too static and the devs is afraid or unable to introduce world-changing plot element in game, instead of becoming an in-book story. dwemer for example, will probably never appear in-game aside from that corpus - ridden dude in morrowind, or the eruption of red mountain, the great war, etc. they make a super major events into background stories instead of integrating it to the main plot.

 

 

[Luckmann]

I would really hope self-contained, but I doubt it'll be so.

[Avantre]

The biggest advantage to reutilising the same main character in a sequel would be in kicking the game up to a higher level cap, with the resulting expansion of skills and spells that result from this. It adds an extra dimension to things by getting a tangible sense of your character growing in strength over a story arc.

 

Having said that, even if this series is wildly successful and spawns many a future game there is a point where it's time (never let it go on for more than a trilogy) to move on to a new character rather than re-using the same one. After all, it's also nice to slip into a new pair of shoes - or character, as the case may be - and play someone with a new backstory.

[Valmy]

I would rather we continue with the same characters.

[Mazisky]

Imagine a sequel who continues the main story and lvl 30 cap: we would have a single full playthrough who lasts 200+ hours in a huge world.

 

I think would be nice

Edited March 17, 2015 by Mazisky

[Osvir]

What about both? Multiple endings in the first game and.... depending on your ending... different beginning in 2nd?

Example endings (Not even speculative, I'm just throwing out something random from the top of my head~)

 

Pillars of Eternity 1A & B: The Hero/Champion of Dyrwood, or (B) Villain of Dyrwood.
Pillars of Eternity 1C: Become the Gref of Dyrwood.

Pillars of Eternity 2A & B: Continue as the Champion/Hero, or (B) Villain of Dyrwood, venturing off into foreign lands.
Pillars of Eternity 2C: Continue as the Gref, or maybe as the Gref's child (the heir).
Pillars of Eternity 2D: An entirely new character, who starts in the foreign lands.

I hope that they keep all the assets from the first, all the areas and allow for exploration (but, obviously, with new quests/content and maybe some updated maps and such).

In essence: What Black Isle didn't do with Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate 2 (There is no cross-travel between north & south, Amn and the Sword Coast, unless you heavily mod it).

Edited March 17, 2015 by Osvir

[White Phoenix]

What about both? Multiple endings in the first game and.... depending on your ending... different beginning in 2nd?

 

Example endings (Not even speculative, I'm just throwing out something random from the top of my head~)

 

Pillars of Eternity 1A & B: The Hero/Champion of Dyrwood, or (B) Villain of Dyrwood.

Pillars of Eternity 1C: Become the Gref of Dyrwood.

 

Pillars of Eternity 2A & B: Continue as the Champion/Hero, or (B) Villain of Dyrwood, venturing off into foreign lands.

Pillars of Eternity 2C: Continue as the Gref, or maybe as the Gref's child (the heir).

Pillars of Eternity 2D: An entirely new character, who starts in the foreign lands.

 

I hope that they keep all the assets from the first, all the areas and allow for exploration (but, obviously, with new quests/content and maybe some updated maps and such).

 

In essence: What Black Isle didn't do with Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate 2 (There is no cross-travel between north & south, Amn and the Sword Coast, unless you heavily mod it).

I like idea of multiple beginnings depending on POE1 endings. It could work as origins in Dragon Age 1, which led you to main storyline in one point.

 

I am sure Josh said somewhere he would like to make POE similar to BG saga, continuing story with the same character.

[Starwars]

Personally I would much rather have a completely new story with a new character and such.

[Osvir]

 

What about both? Multiple endings in the first game and.... depending on your ending... different beginning in 2nd?

 

Example endings (Not even speculative, I'm just throwing out something random from the top of my head~)

 

Pillars of Eternity 1A & B: The Hero/Champion of Dyrwood, or (B) Villain of Dyrwood.

Pillars of Eternity 1C: Become the Gref of Dyrwood.

 

Pillars of Eternity 2A & B: Continue as the Champion/Hero, or (B) Villain of Dyrwood, venturing off into foreign lands.

Pillars of Eternity 2C: Continue as the Gref, or maybe as the Gref's child (the heir).

Pillars of Eternity 2D: An entirely new character, who starts in the foreign lands.

 

I hope that they keep all the assets from the first, all the areas and allow for exploration (but, obviously, with new quests/content and maybe some updated maps and such).

 

In essence: What Black Isle didn't do with Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate 2 (There is no cross-travel between north & south, Amn and the Sword Coast, unless you heavily mod it).

I like idea of multiple beginnings depending on POE1 endings. It could work as origins in Dragon Age 1, which led you to main storyline in one point.

 

I am sure Josh said somewhere he would like to make POE similar to BG saga, continuing story with the same character.

Yes, and I also recall him saying that it doesn't wrap up with a cliffhanger either. Which is good! Because it allows the developers to start fresh with either a new character or a new story for the first game's character, depending on what they feel like. Or both :D

 

EDIT: The story of a Pillars of Eternity 2D character could intersect with the Pillars of Eternity 1 character too, and even recruit each other (or fight each other). I've always thought this concept to be interesting in these games... kind of a bit Saga Frontier-esque.

 

"Start as Minsc and Dynaheir traveling to the Sword Coast and meet the Bhaalspawn on the way" or "Start as Kivan, seeking revenge" and so on, taking a completely different look at the game plot from a whole different characters perspective.

Edited March 17, 2015 by Osvir

[Archaven]

If there's sequel planned i would hope for self contained stories. A new story and plot with new characters (although 1-2 memorable returning characters would be neat). They better put in Romance in the sequel and i want my winged elf back .

[DarkWanderer]

I hope that there will be continuation with save import option from first PoE which will change few things if you do + increased level cap.

[mychal26]

I would prefer continuing with the same characters (perhaps to level 25 - 30). This gives an overall epic feel to the story (and one of the reasons why BG2 was so awesome). I also agree that some type of relationship (doesn't have to be full blown romance!) would be welcome, especially with NPCs that are brought over from the first game (two game character development ftw).

[BruceVC]

I would prefer continuing with the same characters (perhaps to level 25 - 30). This gives an overall epic feel to the story (and one of the reasons why BG2 was so awesome). I also agree that some type of relationship (doesn't have to be full blown romance!) would be welcome, especially with NPCs that are brought over from the first game (two game character development ftw).

 

Excellent post and yes you are 100 % correct. After PoE  I'm convinced that the success of the game will cause   Obsidian to ask " how can we make this new fantasy  universe and franchise even better " and they will make the prudent decision around  how to effectively implement Romance 

[Abel]

I've read an interview where the question was asked to Sawyer. It was somehing like "Will the story of PoE come to a true end, or will there be some things really needing a sequel like in BG?"

 

and the answer was kind of: "I think the story in PoE come to a true end. But yes, there will probably be some things in the story we could use for the sequel."

 

I understood that in this way, PoE can exist on its own, but that dev kept some plot stuff for a continued sequel with the same character, if there are to make a sequel. I'm sorry for not having linked the interview, i can't remember where i read it, probably linked at first by Gainulf (right name?).

 

Would like a sequel in the fashion of BG2. Same character, extensed plot, more and more epic, but with  (much) more companions (obviously :D).

[BruceVC]

I've read an interview where the question was asked to Sawyer. It was somehing like "Will the story of PoE come to a true end, or will there be some things really needing a sequel like in BG?"

 

and the answer was kind of: "I think the story in PoE come to a true end. But yes, there will probably be some things in the story we could use for the sequel."

 

I understood that in this way, PoE can exist on its own, but that dev kept some plot stuff for a continued sequel with the same character, if there are to make a sequel. I'm sorry for not having linked the interview, i can't remember where i read it, probably linked at first by Gainulf (right name?).

 

Would like a sequel in the fashion of BG2. Same character, extensed plot, more and more epic, but with  (much) more companions (obviously :D).

 

Yeah, I have to agree. For me  there was nothing quite as thrilling as the  continuation of aspects of the narrative in the BG series. I also enjoyed the fact I could have the same people in my party, it was cool seeing them again in BG2 and I already knew some of there tempestuous personalities yet I still welcomed them  into my party. Like when I freed Viconia from the fire...she was always my true love 

 

It makes me a little melancholic that there wasn't a BG3 ....thanks goodness for games like PoE       

Edited March 17, 2015 by BruceVC

[mtroman85]

I would hope for something like the Dragon Age: Awakening expansion.  In that, you can either import your Hero of Fereldin (Origins) to become the Warden Commander (Awakening), or you can create a whole new character to become the Warden Commander who is explained to have been brought in from a different area.

 

If you import, there can be some minor changes to reflect that your character has history with the events that have happened in the past, though most of these changes are just dialoge. 

[Luckmann]

I would hope for something like the Dragon Age: Awakening expansion.  In that, you can either import your Hero of Fereldin (Origins) to become the Warden Commander (Awakening), or you can create a whole new character to become the Warden Commander who is explained to have been brought in from a different area.

 

If you import, there can be some minor changes to reflect that your character has history with the events that have happened in the past, though most of these changes are just dialoge.

 

Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening is probably the worst example of an expansion I can think of, that I've ever played. It's self-contained, adds nothing to the main game, expands upon character development only at high levels (and again, only for Awakening itself). It's for all intents and purposes it's own module, completely separate from the main game. The level of disconnect is far worse than even any DLC gripes anyone could've had with FO:NV or even DE:HR.

Edited March 17, 2015 by Luckmann

[Verenti]

I'd rather it happens afterwards, with a new hero and companions, but makes reference to the previous playthrough, when appropriate. I don't want this turning into an epic where you have to save the world, which would seem more inevitable the higher the player's level rises.

 

Saving the world is the most tired and boring plot one can write. Why? The stakes are too high. Therefore, the heroes can't lose, otherwise the world ends. So the player knows from the start how the story will play out from the beginning and any tension created by high stakes is immediately dissipated. Which is why, despite the flaws, Dragon Age II actually had a quite compelling plot: the goals were small scale and often personal. Ignoring that in DA2 failure isn't actually an option, in interactive narrative, the ability to arrive at an end state that results in "failure" is an important key in ensuring the stakes matter. The player needs to feel invested in the situation, and if they realise they can't affect the outcome, then that scream sister plot hook just becomes "Ugh, shut up already" and they player struggles vainly against the narrative flow, just to spite the machine. They've lost any connection to the story because we need failure to create a well rounded game. Because we can fail in real life. We shouldn't fear failure as a design hook, because unless we're on a power fantasy, failure isn't something that just ruins people's days. Sometimes we can walk out of a village after painting the houses with a fine red mist and say "Well, damn. I didn't see that coming" and not reload. Sometimes we get to the end of the game and have the villain successfully assassinate the viscount and plunge the region into chaos and just accept that as a valid ending.

 

I mean, is this a tactical battle simulator or an RPG? Do we really need progressively harder fights thrown at our increasingly powerful characters until the only suitible challenge are gods? Or is it enough to have an engrossing, reactive story that is rewarding to play and replay? If the latter, then I say again, Self-contained (with reference to past events).

[Trius]

The only worry I have with the story continuing in the sequel would be how it deals with the variance in possible endings from the first. In BG there wasn't any choice in how the game ended and any choices you made along the way were of no consequence to the sequel (since it took place in a different area). I think that the in that respect the BG series isn't really a good example to follow from what I gather that Obsidian is trying to do with POE story wise (I see going story wise more in the direction of Torment, I could be wrong though). If the story does continue into the sequel then I could see that hampering the real impact of the choices you made in the first. I really enjoy when the choices I make are actually important and it really kills my suspension of disbelief when I find out they really didn't matter in the end. 

[Valmy]

 

I would hope for something like the Dragon Age: Awakening expansion.  In that, you can either import your Hero of Fereldin (Origins) to become the Warden Commander (Awakening), or you can create a whole new character to become the Warden Commander who is explained to have been brought in from a different area.

 

If you import, there can be some minor changes to reflect that your character has history with the events that have happened in the past, though most of these changes are just dialoge.

 

Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening is probably the worst example of an expansion I can think of, that I've ever played. It's self-contained, adds nothing to the main game, expands upon character development only at high levels (and again, only for Awakening itself). It's for all intents and purposes it's own module, completely separate from the main game. The level of disconnect is far worse than even any DLC gripes anyone could've had with FO:NV or even DE:HR.

 

 

Oh god I hated it. That was pretty much it for me for the Dragon Age series. There was just so much wrong with it I hardly know where to being and I really liked DA:O.

 

Now granted if people had said good things about DA2 I probably would have been won back over.

[apolloooo]

that's true about level, it will be awesome to play with high level magics like in BG 2. maybe the third game will be as long as PoE 1 and 2 combined XD if they sell really well, obsidian will have twice the budget PoE has without even kickstarting. we will start aat level 1 and end at lvl 30, the game will be 200 hours long

 

XD

 

a man can dream

[mtroman85]

 

 

I would hope for something like the Dragon Age: Awakening expansion.  In that, you can either import your Hero of Fereldin (Origins) to become the Warden Commander (Awakening), or you can create a whole new character to become the Warden Commander who is explained to have been brought in from a different area.

 

If you import, there can be some minor changes to reflect that your character has history with the events that have happened in the past, though most of these changes are just dialoge.

 

Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening is probably the worst example of an expansion I can think of, that I've ever played. It's self-contained, adds nothing to the main game, expands upon character development only at high levels (and again, only for Awakening itself). It's for all intents and purposes it's own module, completely separate from the main game. The level of disconnect is far worse than even any DLC gripes anyone could've had with FO:NV or even DE:HR.

 

 

Oh god I hated it. That was pretty much it for me for the Dragon Age series. There was just so much wrong with it I hardly know where to being and I really liked DA:O.

 

Now granted if people had said good things about DA2 I probably would have been won back over.

 

 

I wasn't referring to how the expansion itself worked (I agree, it was terrible).  I was merely referring to it's import or starting a new character mechanic. How it allowed you to import, but if you chose not to the game didn't treat your character as if it was from the original game.  A prime example of this being Mask of the Betrayer, which makes you the Shard-Bearer even if you import a character who never touched the NWN2 main campaign.  Obviously being the Shard-Bearer was important to the story of MoTB, but again, this is just an example.