Well, it's pretty bvious who the villain of PoE 2 will be (spoilers naturally)

[Heijoushin]

It's going to be Aloth!

 

In his post game scene, it basically says that he sympathizes with Thaos's goals, if not his methods. He takes up Thaos's mantle and sets out to finish his "mission" of stopping animancy so people won't discover the truth about the Gods. And well, he was a Leaden Key member.

 

I think he'll make a great villain.

 

Aloth: Please, do not hinder me! Or I'll shove tha blade up yer arse, ya cothfixer!

Edited April 21, 2015 by Heijoushin

[sparklecat]

My Aloth dedicated himself to dismantling the remains of the Leaden Key, so no, I don't think so.  How you handle his talks changes his outcome.

[Heijoushin]

My Aloth dedicated himself to dismantling the remains of the Leaden Key, so no, I don't think so.  How you handle his talks changes his outcome.

 

Really! That's quite interesting! I assumed that if you did his quest, it would turn out the same way. Props to Obsidian!

[Climhazzard]

Given his dual personality, it's not hard to imagine him going off the deep end regardless of what his ending was, but, because it is relatively weak (his personality), I don't think he'd make a very memorable antagonist.

[Heijoushin]

Given his dual personality, it's not hard to imagine him going off the deep end regardless of what his ending was, but, because it is relatively weak (his personality), I don't think he'd make a very memorable antagonist.

 

Well, it's true that he's not as mentally strong or driven as Thaos. But his other half makes up for that:) And surely he grew magically powerful while adventuring with the player character?

 

I think "Wizard beaten by this father with split personality" screams villain material.

[RedSocialKnight]

I don't really understand how he's supposed to be qualified to take over the Leaden Key anyway. He's just one of their lackeys and dupes who found out the truth about the organization by chance -- why would they accept him as their new boss?

[Veynn]

I dunno. Aloth has weak personality, imo. Even his other personality was just plain naughty/trickster-ish and not a homicidal maniac.

 

My bet:

 

1. Another Engwithan

2. Another Watcher (lol Bhaalspawn)

3. An Assassin Avatar sent by Woedica

4. An Adra-based monster

5. Return of Waidwen

[Veynn]

I don't really understand how he's supposed to be qualified to take over the Leaden Key anyway. He's just one of their lackeys and dupes who found out the truth about the organization by chance -- why would they accept him as their new boss?

 

*Aloth walks inside Leaden Key's HQ*

 

Aloth: "I'm your new leader."

Leaden Key people: "Wut? No. lel!"

[Climhazzard]

Considering their organizational structure, like a cell based terrorist organization, most of them probably don't know who the leader is anyways.  The person who knows the most about the organization is the most likely to be able to assume its leadership, Aloth may qualify.

 

I personally don't think the Leaden Key will be a part of POE 2.  Maybe it'll be the Gods, some, all, or one of them.

[Luckmann]

I'm hoping for a completely stand-alone adventure, not a direct sequel.

[Manart]

Didn't the devs said that the next expansion was going to be in the style of Watcher's Keep of BG2 i.e. a new and separate dungeon with its own story?

[Veynn]

I'm hoping for a completely stand-alone adventure, not a direct sequel.

 

I'm open to this idea, but right now Obsidian is banking on nostalgia.

 

PoE is a brand new IP for them. They made this for people who love Infinity Engine games. What made the Baldur's Gate series more memorable was the continuity of the storyline, character imports included.  This is a chance for Obsidian to make a saga which could rival the Baldur's Gate greatness. 

 

There's a reason why games like Icewind Dale and Planescape: Torment were made. They're basically in the same world/lore Baldur's Gate (Forgotten Realms/Abeir-Toril) but  also disconnected to the Bhaalspawn saga.

 

Deviating from the original story of PoE 1 at this very early stage of the IP would create another Dragon Age 2.

 

I really don't mind having a different storyline for thew future PoE games, but like I said, Obsidian needs to create a new epic saga of their own.

[Veynn]

Didn't the devs said that the next expansion was going to be in the style of Watcher's Keep of BG2 i.e. a new and separate dungeon with its own story?

 

Actually more of a "Tales of the Sword Coast" expansion.

[gkathellar]

That would require Aloth adventuring with the Watcher and not being sacrificed to the Blood Pool of Skaen to be canon.

[Climhazzard]

That would require Aloth adventuring with the Watcher and not being sacrificed to the Blood Pool of Skaen to be canon.

 

RIP

[Heijoushin]

That would require Aloth adventuring with the Watcher and not being sacrificed to the Blood Pool of Skaen to be canon.

 

Can you actually do that? Sacrifice a party member to the blood pool in game?

 

Well, canon is what the writers say it is. If it's a direct sequel, then it will probably be assumed that you recruited all party members and that they survived.

[Luckmann]

 

I'm hoping for a completely stand-alone adventure, not a direct sequel.

 

I'm open to this idea, but right now Obsidian is banking on nostalgia.

 

PoE is a brand new IP for them. They made this for people who love Infinity Engine games. What made the Baldur's Gate series more memorable was the continuity of the storyline, character imports included.  This is a chance for Obsidian to make a saga which could rival the Baldur's Gate greatness. 

 

There's a reason why games like Icewind Dale and Planescape: Torment were made. They're basically in the same world/lore Baldur's Gate (Forgotten Realms/Abeir-Toril) but  also disconnected to the Bhaalspawn saga.

 

Deviating from the original story of PoE 1 at this very early stage of the IP would create another Dragon Age 2.

 

I really don't mind having a different storyline for thew future PoE games, but like I said, Obsidian needs to create a new epic saga of their own.

 

 

I disagree on the note that Icewind Dale and Planescape: Torment were created for that purpose. Especially Planescape: Torment wasn't "just" disconnected from the Bhaalspawn saga, and the Icewind Dale games were created for their own sake, because of the popularity of the IE.

 

Saying that deviating from the original story of PoE would create another Dragon Age 2 is ridiculous. Having standalone adventures in the same setting and universe has nothing to do with the trainwreck that was Dragon Age 2. Dragon Age 2 was criticized far more for dumbing everything down to another Mass Effect game than for the fact that it was disconnected from Dragon Age: Origins, never mind the fact that it was advertised from the beginning as a direct sequel, which it was evidently not.

 

A stand-alone adventure for "PoE 2" shouldn't be called Pillars of Eternity 2, imo, just to make it clear.

 

But more importantly and to the point, I would love it if the stories weren't disconnected at all. The best thing would be if it's stand-alone adventures, but with a deeply connected storyline.

[LadyCrimson]

 

My Aloth dedicated himself to dismantling the remains of the Leaden Key, so no, I don't think so.  How you handle his talks changes his outcome.

 

Really! That's quite interesting! I assumed that if you did his quest, it would turn out the same way. Props to Obsidian!

 

If you keep him in your party all the way through there's non-quest convos that pop up with him (and other companions) at certain late points, that I assume influence the ending slide you will see/can create more ending slide potentials. If you do their quest then dump them in the Stronghold forever after, there's probably a few end-slide options based on personal quest outcome alone, but no other chance to influence.

 

Just my guess tho, based on the way Obsidian often likes to do companions.

[Rosveen]

 

 

That would require Aloth adventuring with the Watcher and not being sacrificed to the Blood Pool of Skaen to be canon.

Can you actually do that? Sacrifice a party member to the blood pool in game?

 

Well, canon is what the writers say it is. If it's a direct sequel, then it will probably be assumed that you recruited all party members and that they survived.

God, please no. It utterly destroys the feeling of telling my own story. If you're not going to take my decisions into account, don't pretend like they matter, don't give me ending slides you're going to ignore. BG2's beginning made no sense to me whatsoever because Khalid died long before and I never traveled with Minsc. I hope Obsidian doesn't go this way and imports our decisions from the first game - or if not, then simply doesn't show people with uncertain fate.

[Luckmann]

 

 

That would require Aloth adventuring with the Watcher and not being sacrificed to the Blood Pool of Skaen to be canon.

Can you actually do that? Sacrifice a party member to the blood pool in game?

 

Well, canon is what the writers say it is. If it's a direct sequel, then it will probably be assumed that you recruited all party members and that they survived.

 

God, please no. It utterly destroys the feeling of telling my own story. If you're not going to take my decisions into account, don't pretend like they matter, don't give me ending slides you're going to ignore. BG2's beginning made no sense to me whatsoever because Khalid died long before and I never traveled with Minsc. I hope Obsidian doesn't go this way and imports our decisions from the first game - or if not, then simply doesn't show people with uncertain fate.

 

This is part of why I'd like PoE2 to be stand-alone. I really, really hated BG2 for just assuming that Minsc, Jaheira and Imoen were in my core group, and that I had even met Viconia (Who was extremely easy to miss, as opposed to, say, Xan, or Kivan, or practically anyone else) and others.

 

I never even *liked* Minsc, Jaheira, or Khalid.

 

I really liked BG2, make no mistake, but stuff like that is part of why I still put the storyline and storytelling well below Baldur's Gate.

[WebShaman]

Most will be disappointed, I believe.

 

The XP will be like TotSC and not a BG2.

 

It is a question of, as usual, time and money (i.e. "zots").

 

Many resources from PoE will be re-used, of course, with a little extra thrown in.

 

And I probably will not be purchasing it (and that is a bad thing).

[Luckmann]

Most will be disappointed, I believe.

 

The XP will be like TotSC and not a BG2.

 

[...]

 

...what are you talking about? Of course the XP will be like TotSC and not a BG2; BG2 is a sequel, TotSC was an expansion. And TotSC-like expansions are always better than glued-on DLC-like expansions that are short sequels that add nothing to the main game.

[dukefx]

Title says PoE 2, not PoE expansion, so it could be either. I myself doubt that there will be a huge increase in level cap like BG2. I guess level 20 tops.

 

As for the villain: Aloth can't be it. OE clearly stated that they want you to continue where you left off and that makes it impossible for Aloth to be the villain for various reasons.

[Luckmann]

Title says PoE 2, not PoE expansion, so it could be either. I myself doubt that there will be a huge increase in level cap like BG2. I guess level 20 tops.

 

As for the villain: Aloth can't be it. OE clearly stated that they want you to continue where you left off and that makes it impossible for Aloth to be the villain for various reasons.

 

Source.

[InsaneCommander]

I'm hoping for a sequel in the Vailian Republics. It can't be in the Dyrwood because they'd have to choose a canon ending. But if it is in another place, they can have npcs commenting on what happened there.