Feedback on the stronghold

[zazei]

It doesn't seem to serve much of a purpose beyond being there because of the strechgoals. It's not tied in to the main storyline, the visiting lords doesn't come from any place we might have visited and we can't even talk to the visitors who do come. As someone else said it feels like we have our own little town, only it's completely dead and filled with silent guards. The endless path is great but the keep itself is so very weak I found it made me enjoy the game less when I tried to use it. Building all the buildings didn't seem to do all that much and the only quests I ever got from it beyond the endless path was the bounties from the warden's place. 

Honestly in it's current form I personally think the game would been better without the stronghold. I do love Pillars of Eternity outside of this one thing though what makes the Stronghold even more frustrating to deal with.

[phimseto]

My feedback on stronghold:

 

1. Each building should have its own little story. Perhaps a choose your own adventure pathway for the hedge maze, a series of conversations that you can have at the odeon, a special quest from the various store proprietors, etc. 

 

2. Prisoners should have more interactivity - that if you sell them to slavers or for research, depending on who it is, there might be a follow-up (similar to how there was with a certain character regarding the Raedric's Hold situation). 

 

3. There should be some kind of memorial to display your conquest of the Endless Paths, should you achieve it. 

 

4. You should be able to dump off your excess pets in your home and have them wandering about. 

 

I'm sure there's more - I would love to see some of this built into the expansion. I love that I've been able to recruit some quest-related characters to work for me, too. That's another thing I'd like to see more of. 

 

Some eighty hours into the game and loving it.

[Merina]

LOL ... this is just crap! Auto-resolve? It doesn't tell me anything about what I've done wrong or how I could improve. Lost the two walls in a single attack by Leaden Key agents... no numbers on that attack given to me. Number of attackers? No idea.

 

 

Status messages are not sorted. Bugs in the stronghold.

 

14 Tarprima, 2823 about a brutish warrior that arrived

15 Tarprima, 2823 brutish warrior left already - 23 hours only!!!

16 Tarprima, 2823 payday

17 Tarprima, 2823 west wall completed

17 Tarprima, 2823 agents attack in 3 days

15 Tarprima, 2823 attack!!! lost two walls

16 Tarprima, 2823 agents attack in 5 days

 

Those agents used a time machine ... or what?

[Duchess of Kvetch]

Has anyone just skipped the stronghold entirely? Other than just "passing through" when heading back and forth to the Endless Paths?

[HozzM]

LOL ... this is just crap! Auto-resolve? It doesn't tell me anything about what I've done wrong or how I could improve. Lost the two walls in a single attack by Leaden Key agents... no numbers on that attack given to me. Number of attackers? No idea.

 

 

The crazy thing is...how do you even lose buildings?  I have never lost a building in a manual resolve.  Auto-resolve?  Always lose a building, or 3!  And it would make a little sense if you lost the battle or something but I have had fights where I only lost 2 hirelings but then lost 3 buildings.  And got that stupid 100cp debt.  WTF is that?  Seems like a leftover concept.

[Sabin Stargem]

The only time buildings should be lost is for quest battles - the kind where giants are besieging the keep, or cannons brought to bear.  I can understand looting, but complete destruction?

[Nerdwing]

Fleshing out the Stronghold attack/defense mechanics and somehow consolidating the inn into an accessible-via-menu sleeping spot would work wonder I think.  Make it like the party-swap, in that you need to be there at the Keep to use it.

[cirdanx]

That is something i agree with most people, the stronghold wasn´t well done. It´s ****ing pretty i give you that. But even sleeping in a whore-house gives me more bonus than my own keep does, nor does it do anything else. Also....i´m sick of constantly rebuilding my walls because a bunch of bandits attacked me and i chose auto resolve..because i´m on the other end of this world fighting with gods...are you telling me that this bandits now have rambocks and trebuchets?

 

I also feel that there should be more to the stronghold, and i don´t think the EP counts, you took over a fortress, show it! Have me employ troops...it needs to have consequenses. :>

 

Seriously you are restoring a complete fortress and no one in THIS world cares? Not believeable.

 

Ugh i feel dirty when i criticse a game i love

[Sabin Stargem]

I feel that each hireling should be called a band, company, or similar title in which you receive a bunch of troops to protect the keep.  About 10 per group?   Basically, this allows for the simulation of small-scale warfare, since the number of allies and enemies involved in a battle could over a hundred.  That would require smarter AI, but it may be possible to add quests and assignments that better reflect the ownership of a stronghold.

[Macro]

Well,same discussion goes on here:

 

https://steamcommunity.com/app/291650/discussions/0/618458030685637831/

 

and i am not the only one who thinks the stronghold needs a rework.its a shame

[Hiro Protagonist II]

Can anyone explain how taxes are worked out and when you receive them. It comes across as random. Some days you get them, other days you don't.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can imagine my accountant (if there is one) at the Stronghold being a bit like this.

 

Edited April 12, 2015 by Hiro Protagonist II

[Sabin Stargem]

Can anyone explain how taxes are worked out and when you receive them. It comes across as random. Some days you get them, other days you don't.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can imagine my accountant (if there is one) at the Stronghold being a bit like this.

 

 

Looks to be every 5 turns.  That means that it is 5 quests to receive taxes, with no relation to actual time.  I suspect that your accountant is justified in her bewilderment.

Edited April 12, 2015 by Sabin Stargem

[PitchBlackYeti]

I agree with all your suggestions except the "rest anywhere" feature. While it is a hassle to wade through 2 loading screens, this issue should be resolved by eliminating that 10-second wait per loading screen.

 

 

Agreed, reaching the bed is only frustrating because of the long 2x loading time on the way.

 

As I said in another topic, my main problem with the stronghold is the turn-based tax. I understand that it was introduced so players can't farm gold/reputation just by sleeping but it makes no sense when your hirelings cost you money daily and taxes are not coming in because you're not doing enough quests. If you want to keep the dumb turn system at least make the hireling's pay tied to it too!.

[Yokoshima]

I agree with the OP. I love this game so far but I wait a good 5 - 6 months between each replay, so the first time I like it to be the best it can be. That being said looks like I will take a break from the game with the somewhat forlorn hope of it getting improved. Keeps/shops/etc. are one of the main things that I love in an RPG. I like having a worthwhile home/sanctuary. 

[VanishedOne]

Nyry the Deft Hand has just turned up a fourth time. Despite the fact that I ran out of patience and killed him last time.

 

He hasn't spawned where I found him in the stronghold last time, so I've reluctantly despatched an escort for a corpse. I feel like one of those crazy animancers in Brackenbury. (At least it seems I'm not alone.)

[jackjack]

The stronghold needs a lot of work. It definitely feels like a tacked-on placation. Personally, I'm confident it will get it, but only time will tell. A thing worth doing is worth doing well.

[mystang89]

I agree with most, if not all the OPs marks but do we have to wait on obsidian to do this Or is this something that modders can take care of? I don't mood so I know nothing of the answer. I do know it's not the modders responsibilities but you know what they say, "if you want something done right then you have to do it yourself. "