Features that were scrapped.

[Veynn]

I found out that the devs scrapped the feature where crafting must be done on specific locations like crafting weapons on forges, creating scrolls on tables, cooking food on kitchens and campfire. I kinda liked the idea since it feels role-playing-ish.

 

It seems like these were scrapped for the sake of convenience. It's also the same reason why some people hate going through 2-3 maps just to rest in the player house.

 

I really don't mind travelling to areas to do something like crafting or resting. It's just the loading times are so goddamned long.

[Gorbag]

Those ideas were a kind of NWN2 relict. I don't mind their removal, crafting is something I rarely find interesting in games anyway (with Arcanum being a notable exception), so if there's some additional chore attached to it, it's 99% certain I'll skip it altogether.
There was also an idea to have resting only available at specific places (camps) outside of inns, but Obs. ultimately went with the resting supply mechanic. It would have been interesting to see how the initial idea would have affected the game.

[FlintlockJazz]

Durability was also going to be a thing, but that got shouted down by people screaming that durability sucks and that it would cause children to die horribly.  It was clear that many of the people complaining hadn't read the actual proposal, as it did not do any of the stuff they claimed and was quite minor (they complained that having weapons break would be awful despite the fact that the proposed system did not have any weapons breaking ever, just a very very minor penalty to weapons when they reached zero and weapons and armour getting a 'worn-out' look to them below a certain point which would've been cool to represent your characters getting worn out from all the adventuring). 

[VahnXIII]

I don't mind the crafting. To be honest, I would have preferred having an NPC that could take found pieces and artifacts and use them to craft unique weapons a la BG2.

 

To be honest, I prefer the camping tools system more than having camp sites spread out. 

 

I agree with the load times. It's 2015. Why are we plagued with loading screens in a game that uses 2D backgrounds and plain 3D sprites? 

[illathid]

I don't mind the crafting. To be honest, I would have preferred having an NPC that could take found pieces and artifacts and use them to craft unique weapons a la BG2.

 

You mean like the NPC in the Crucible Knights HQ?

[mystang89]

Those ideas were a kind of NWN2 relict. I don't mind their removal, crafting is something I rarely find interesting in games anyway (with Arcanum being a notable exception), so if there's some additional chore attached to it, it's 99% certain I'll skip it altogether.

There was also an idea to have resting only available at specific places (camps) outside of inns, but Obs. ultimately went with the resting supply mechanic. It would have been interesting to see how the initial idea would have affected the game.

Do you mean having to go to a specific place to craft is a relic? This is how it is in DO:S And I think it works out really well although at the same time the loading screens were much faster.

[Junker]

This really isn't a role playing game. More like a point and click adventure with combat. There are many games out there that do the role playing thing much better, if that's what you're looking for. Divinity: OS being the most recent.

[gkathellar]

This really isn't a role playing game. More like a point and click adventure with combat. There are many games out there that do the role playing thing much better, if that's what you're looking for. Divinity: OS being the most recent.

 

I'm trying to figure out what your definition of role-playing is, but I'm coming up empty.

[Ink Blot]

 

This really isn't a role playing game. More like a point and click adventure with combat. There are many games out there that do the role playing thing much better, if that's what you're looking for. Divinity: OS being the most recent.

 

I'm trying to figure out what your definition of role-playing is, but I'm coming up empty.

 

Yeah, I'm left scratching my head on that one as well.

[Gorbag]

 

Those ideas were a kind of NWN2 relict. I don't mind their removal, crafting is something I rarely find interesting in games anyway (with Arcanum being a notable exception), so if there's some additional chore attached to it, it's 99% certain I'll skip it altogether.

There was also an idea to have resting only available at specific places (camps) outside of inns, but Obs. ultimately went with the resting supply mechanic. It would have been interesting to see how the initial idea would have affected the game.

Do you mean having to go to a specific place to craft is a relic? This is how it is in DO:S And I think it works out really well although at the same time the loading screens were much faster.

I mean the idea probably came around by inertia from NWN2, not so much as a feature that was considered for the game specifically. They made several revisions of the crafting system, mostly aiming to make it simpler. They also removed the dedicated crafting skills they had at the beginning (also returning from D&D/NWN2)

[Junker]

I'm trying to figure out what your definition of role-playing is, but I'm coming up empty.

 

 

My definition has refined over the years. When I was 12 it would have been any game that allowed me to level up and distribute stat points. Today, my expectations are much higher.

 

At it's most basic state, a role playing game has to let me do what I want when I want. It has to provide a living, interactive world that lets me define my character through my actions.

 

Don't get me wrong, I can still appreciate an old school RPG and I still consider them as such. I'll fire up a JRPG or CRPG and have a good time, but they are shallow, story-driven experiences. They, like this game, toss you into a rail car and give you a shove with a "HAVE FUN!". I do, but it's not the grand RPG experience I've come to appreciate.

[gkathellar]

 

I'm trying to figure out what your definition of role-playing is, but I'm coming up empty.

 

 

My definition has refined over the years. When I was 12 it would have been any game that allowed me to level up and distribute stat points. Today, my expectations are much higher.

 

At it's most basic state, a role playing game has to let me do what I want when I want. It has to provide a living, interactive world that lets me define my character through my actions.

 

Don't get me wrong, I can still appreciate an old school RPG and I still consider them as such. I'll fire up a JRPG or CRPG and have a good time, but they are shallow, story-driven experiences. They, like this game, toss you into a rail car and give you a shove with a "HAVE FUN!". I do, but it's not the grand RPG experience I've come to appreciate.

 

Okay, cause see, I thought a roleplaying game was a game where you play a role.

[Dadalama]

 

I'm trying to figure out what your definition of role-playing is, but I'm coming up empty.

 

 

My definition has refined over the years. When I was 12 it would have been any game that allowed me to level up and distribute stat points. Today, my expectations are much higher.

 

At it's most basic state, a role playing game has to let me do what I want when I want. It has to provide a living, interactive world that lets me define my character through my actions.

 

Don't get me wrong, I can still appreciate an old school RPG and I still consider them as such. I'll fire up a JRPG or CRPG and have a good time, but they are shallow, story-driven experiences. They, like this game, toss you into a rail car and give you a shove with a "HAVE FUN!". I do, but it's not the grand RPG experience I've come to appreciate.

 

That's a completely separate genre of RPG (sandbox rpg), and even then, outside of a few bad dialogue options, POE is a sandbox. You can piss around just as much as skyrim. Does it not feel that way because of area map set up and the small map sizes?

[Varana]

Durability: But if it's only "a very very minor penalty to weapons when they reached zero", why include that, at all?
If you have such a thing as durability, you use it
a) because it's supposed to matter in gameplay, and/or
b) because of simulation.
In both cases, you want significant consequences.
 

 

Do you mean having to go to a specific place to craft is a relic? This is how it is in DO:S And I think it works out really well although at the same time the loading screens were much faster.

In D:OS, only partially. Some crafting can only be done at specific places, some everywhere. Esp. improving gear, which comes closest to PoE's enchanting, can be done anywhere. Have an Essence of Flame and a Tormented Soul? Put it on your axe to make it better and hotter. D:OS's alchemy is completely done in that horrible, horrible inventory screen of theirs.
Now, you can't actually craft weapons or armour in PoE, only improve them in rather arcane ways which sound awfully witchcrafty to me. (Or how am I supposed to imagine using some flowers, a sapphire, and a Vithrack brain* to make my sword sharper?). In this, it's much closer to D:OS's enchantment system than their crafting stuff.
The major difference is in food - in D:OS you need a cooking station (can't roast your steak just on any of the many fires around or conjured up), in PoE you don't. I just fail to see how that makes it that much better.

* Actual recipe may differ, don't remember.

Edited April 30, 2015 by Varana

[mystang89]

Durability: But if it's only "a very very minor penalty to weapons when they reached zero", why include that, at all?

If you have such a thing as durability, you use it

a) because it's supposed to matter in gameplay, and/or

b) because of simulation.

In both cases, you want significant consequences.

 

 

 

Do you mean having to go to a specific place to craft is a relic? This is how it is in DO:S And I think it works out really well although at the same time the loading screens were much faster.

In D:OS, only partially. Some crafting can only be done at specific places, some everywhere. Esp. improving gear, which comes closest to PoE's enchanting, can be done anywhere. Have an Essence of Flame and a Tormented Soul? Put it on your axe to make it better and hotter. D:OS's alchemy is completely done in that horrible, horrible inventory screen of theirs.

Now, you can't actually craft weapons or armour in PoE, only improve them in rather arcane ways which sound awfully witchcrafty to me. (Or how am I supposed to imagine using some flowers, a sapphire, and a Vithrack brain* to make my sword sharper?). In this, it's much closer to D:OS's enchantment system than their crafting stuff.

The major difference is in food - in D:OS you need a cooking station (can't roast your steak just on any of the many fires around or conjured up), in PoE you don't. I just fail to see how that makes it that much better.

 

* Actual recipe may differ, don't remember.

I thought I had to go to an anvil I'd I wanted to make a weapon or enchant but it's been a bit since I played it. Guess I can just fire it up again and check real quick though lol

[Varana]

As I said - for making a weapon, yes. (Most of them. Bows and Crossbows, for instance, don't need an anvil.) But as you can't craft new weapons out of stuff in PoE, that doesn't really matter.

Enchanting works purely from the inventory screen.

[Carados]

I think we could find some kind of middle ground here. What if crafting items in proper locations would give a slight edge compared to if you crafted them in the wilderness.

 

Like food items would be more powerfull if you crafted them in inns/stronghold/camps (somewhere near fireplace)

 

And to make really powerfull potions would require lab equipment. Less powerfull potions could be crafted anywhere.

 

Weapons and armor quality could be only upgraded near forge while less powerfull upgrades (such as elemental damage upgrade) could be done anywhere where party can rest.

 

Scrolls could be crafted anywhere, because I can't think of any sensible reason why to limit this. But maybe crafting a scroll would cause fatigue. More powerfull scroll more tiring crafting it would be.

Edited May 1, 2015 by Carados

[Volourn]

"Okay, cause see, I thought a roleplaying game was a game where you play a role."

 

Super Mario.

[b0rsuk]

I found out that the devs scrapped the feature where crafting must be done on specific locations like crafting weapons on forges, creating scrolls on tables, cooking food on kitchens and campfire. I kinda liked the idea since it feels role-playing-ish.

 

It seems like these were scrapped for the sake of convenience. It's also the same reason why some people hate going through 2-3 maps just to rest in the player house.

 

I really don't mind travelling to areas to do something like crafting or resting. It's just the loading times are so goddamned long.

 

It explains why you can build Laboratory and Hearth in the Stronghold. They used to do something.

 

 

FlintlockJazz, on 30 Apr 2015 - 3:17 PM, said:

    Durability was also going to be a thing, but that got shouted down by people screaming that durability sucks and that it would cause children to die horribly.  It was clear that many of the people complaining hadn't read the actual proposal, as it did not do any of the stuff they claimed and was quite minor (they complained that having weapons break would be awful despite the fact that the proposed system did not have any weapons breaking ever, just a very very minor penalty to weapons when they reached zero and weapons and armour getting a 'worn-out' look to them below a certain point which would've been cool to represent your characters getting worn out from all the adventuring).

 

Was it fixable with enough gold ?

Edited May 1, 2015 by b0rsuk

[zombo]

This really isn't a role playing game. More like a point and click adventure with combat. There are many games out there that do the role playing thing much better, if that's what you're looking for. Divinity: OS being the most recent.

Divinity OS is so drawn out though. The game should have ended a while before it actually did. I like long games, but if it's going to be long the quests need to be interesting.

[Sannom]

To be honest, I would have preferred having an NPC that could take found pieces and artifacts and use them to craft unique weapons a la BG2.

That's not crafting.

[communard]

I don't mind the crafting. To be honest, I would have preferred having an NPC that could take found pieces and artifacts and use them to craft unique weapons a la BG2.

There are a couple of those in the game, like

 

The Blade of the Endless Paths

 

and

 

The Engwithan scepter parts you can find around Ondra's Gift

 

 

It would be great if there were more though...

Edited May 1, 2015 by communard

[barakav]

Durability sucks and so is crafting at specific places ,those options create useless backtracking that make you waste time returning to a previous merchant/crafting table instead of fighting and enjoying the gameplay itself.

 

Scrapping those features is a great decision.

[Tuckey]

I think we could find some kind of middle ground here. What if crafting items in proper locations would give a slight edge compared to if you crafted them in the wilderness.

 

Like food items would be more powerfull if you crafted them in inns/stronghold/camps (somewhere near fireplace)

 

And to make really powerfull potions would require lab equipment. Less powerfull potions could be crafted anywhere.

 

Weapons and armor quality could be only upgraded near forge while less powerfull upgrades (such as elemental damage upgrade) could be done anywhere where party can rest.

 

Scrolls could be crafted anywhere, because I can't think of any sensible reason why to limit this. But maybe crafting a scroll would cause fatigue. More powerfull scroll more tiring crafting it would be.

I like this idea the most. There should be sensible restrictions on parties, I don't want to craft the most epic blade in the game just outside the door before encountering the end boss.

[barakav]

I like this idea the most. There should be sensible restrictions on parties, I don't want to craft the most epic blade in the game just outside the door before encountering the end boss.

 

 

So you prefer to waste time returning all the way to your keep before fighting him and then all the way back instead of making the weapon immediately and enjoy the fight?

 

you are weird...

 

IMO convenience >> immersion in this case.

Edited May 1, 2015 by barakav