Update #99: Announcing the Expansion and Update 2.0

[Luckmann]

This is going to get me murdered...

 

Any chance we could have a Classic RPG Char creation option....

Where stats are randomly rolled(not just for the player for for monsters in game)

 

It may sound silly but spending 30 mins to roll the "perfect" char made me far more attached from the outset. It can also allow builds that currently are just not possible.

It also means you can come up against tanky mages or weak warriors in game.... make fights a little diffrent.

 

Nope, no chance.

 

And I actuallly prefer it that way. If your goal is perfect stats, you might as well use the console and just set your Attributes to whatever you want.

[rheingold]

 

This is going to get me murdered...

 

Any chance we could have a Classic RPG Char creation option....

Where stats are randomly rolled(not just for the player for for monsters in game)

 

It may sound silly but spending 30 mins to roll the "perfect" char made me far more attached from the outset. It can also allow builds that currently are just not possible.

It also means you can come up against tanky mages or weak warriors in game.... make fights a little diffrent.

 

Nope, no chance.

 

And I actuallly prefer it that way. If your goal is perfect stats, you might as well use the console and just set your Attributes to whatever you want.

 

Far be it from me to agree with Luckmann on anything!

But rerolling ad nauseum dosn't really excite me. Each to their own I suppose, but here's the thing. People create the most perfect min/maxed character and abuse the hell out of the system and then complain that the game is too easy... Is rerolling not part of that process?

[Gfted1]

I haven't looked since Beta but aren't stat points manually assigned for the PC and joinable NPC's? Why "reroll" or use the console, except for the monster stats?

[Luckmann]

I haven't looked since Beta but aren't stat points manually assigned for the PC and joinable NPC's? Why "reroll" or use the console, except for the monster stats?

 

CNPC:s have pre-assigned spreads, and the player assigns points freely. Monsters always have set stats, and I don't know any game where rolling for stats has affected enemies, anyway.

[Gfted1]

CNPC:s have pre-assigned spreads, and the player assigns points freely. Monsters always have set stats, and I don't know any game where rolling for stats has affected enemies, anyway.

Ah, I thought I had read somewhere that Obs included CNPC rerolls in one of the updates.

[Luckmann]

 

CNPC:s have pre-assigned spreads, and the player assigns points freely. Monsters always have set stats, and I don't know any game where rolling for stats has affected enemies, anyway.

Ah, I thought I had read somewhere that Obs included CNPC rerolls in one of the updates.

 

 

I understand the confusion, because the first reveal was easily misunderstood, but what it really is is an option to not have the CNPC:s auto-level. They start at level 1 and you can assign Skills, Talents, etc, according to how much experience they happen to have at that point.

 

But you can't reassign Attributes. Easily done with the console, though.

 

The only mucking with the Attributes that's been done to hte CNPC:s were to screw a bit with their characterizations because the Attribute Bonuses are broken as hell, still. Hopefully, if they fix the Attribute Bonuses in 2.0, they'll be confident enough to revert the CNPC Attribute spreads back to what it originally was, without the CNPC:s sucking horrifically.

[Kogorn733]

So it seems some of the mechanics from the main game are being touched upon in the expansion, but is any of the story content from the main game being enhanced, changed, added to, etc.? What I've seen from a couple player posts suggests that they aren't, but I can't find any dev posts/articles online confirming the same.

 

Also, are the new companions exclusive to the expansion content. I.e., can you only find and use them during the expansion content? or are they added to the main game world and usable for quests/adventuring outside the expansion campaign?

Edited July 8, 2015 by Kogorn733

[AndreaColombo]

Also, are the new companions exclusive to the expansion content. I.e., can you only find and use them during the expansion content? or are they added to the main game world and usable for quests/adventuring outside the expansion campaign?

 

You'll likely find them in the expansion areas, and they will venture with you everywhere and have interactions with the original cast of characters and reactions to original areas and events.

[Luckmann]

So it seems some of the mechanics from the main game are being touched upon in the expansion, but is any of the story content from the main game being enhanced, changed, added to, etc.? What I've seen from a couple player posts suggests that they aren't, but I can't find any dev posts/articles online confirming the same.

 

Also, are the new companions exclusive to the expansion content. I.e., can you only find and use them during the expansion content? or are they added to the main game world and usable for quests/adventuring outside the expansion campaign?

For the first question, nothing is known. I personally am hoping for a few quest passes, some added options and content, some cleaned up quests and questlines, fixed narrative issues, etc, etc. But I also realize that that is extremely unlikely, especially since the saves needs to be backwards compatible for some reason.

 

And the new companions are supposed to be two full, new companions. How well-integrated they are is completely unknown. Hopefully they'll be fully integrated, with proper interactions with old companions and eachother, interjections, area or event-specific dialogues, and not simply token main-questline one-liners. I have my doubts, though.

[AndreaColombo]

Josh:

 

The new companions have reactions in the main game areas. Also, the original companions have reactions in the expansion areas and banter with the expansion companions. The expansion companions are in the expansion areas but can be taken back to the original game areas.

[Luckmann]

Josh:

 

The new companions have reactions in the main game areas. Also, the original companions have reactions in the expansion areas and banter with the expansion companions. The expansion companions are in the expansion areas but can be taken back to the original game areas.

 

 

Alright, so not completely unknown, I guess I was a bit hyperbolic again.

 

Still, I ask myself what quests in Gilded Vale they'll comment on. That and the cross-party banter is what I'm going to pass judgement based on.

[Phoynix]

Some people remember the days of yore games from the 80s and early 90s where char reaction made your char feel a little bit special.... Wizardry 7... getting a massive stat bonus and able to actually have a Faerie start as a Ninja... was epic

 

Xcom remake has a option not created equal... rather then all squad members comming with the same stats soldiers stats varied... Aliens always stayed the same though which was annoying. POE... everyone can make the same chars instantly... you go upagainst monsters that are ALWAYS the same.... Even loot item randomization is not actually random.

 

Sure I can get some dice and roll and roll and use a char editor... but I cant change all the creatures in game, having them different each play though with different resistances would make it far more interesting.

 

 

This is going to get me murdered...

 

Any chance we could have a Classic RPG Char creation option....

Where stats are randomly rolled(not just for the player for for monsters in game)

 

It may sound silly but spending 30 mins to roll the "perfect" char made me far more attached from the outset. It can also allow builds that currently are just not possible.

It also means you can come up against tanky mages or weak warriors in game.... make fights a little diffrent.

 

Nope, no chance.

And I actuallly prefer it that way. If your goal is perfect stats, you might as well use the console and just set your Attributes to whatever you want.

 

Far be it from me to agree with Luckmann on anything!

But rerolling ad nauseum dosn't really excite me. Each to their own I suppose, but here's the thing. People create the most perfect min/maxed character and abuse the hell out of the system and then complain that the game is too easy... Is rerolling not part of that process?

 

[Varana]

And while I love Wizardry 7 very much, the part I hated were the hours (for one party!) of sitting in front of the char generation screen and hitting the reroll button.

 

Really, we don't need torches, ancient god-kings, oxcarts, and randomly rolled characters any more.

We have electric light, democracy, tractors, and point-buy systems in the 21st century.

 

That's for PCs.

As for random variation in NPCs, that's not that big a deal. Games like Skyrim do this, and I'm sure many others - a slight variation of enemy stats (and/or looks), enemy group composition, or levels.

Edited July 9, 2015 by Varana

[Aea]

I do recall those days actually, well enough to not really be that keen on wanting them back. Hammering the reroll button over and over in a desperate attempt to coax a number above 10 out of it is not terribly engaging gameplay in the long run, warm nostalgia fuzzies aside. Goodness knows I um and er long enough at PoE's character creation screen as it is anyway.

 

That being said, it could make for an interesting challenge mode if you had a Trial of Iron type of setup where your stat points got assigned at random once (no rerolls) and then you had to ironman it through the game on what the dice gave you. It's something you could set up yourself with a handful of d6s, come to think of it...hm, kinda tempted now actually.

 

That aside, I'm quite glad to hear that Forton's been brought back in, and that we're finally getting a little bit of Ixamitl into the mix. My last full playthrough was a Monk from Ixamitl and it was a little disheartening to find that that was pretty much the perfect wasteland in terms of background/class-based interactions. Going to be nice to actually see what a character from over there is like.

 

Question though, do we have any word on the price point of this/future expansions? Also, with regards to the Part 1 on the front there, does this mean we're only getting the first part of an ongoing story with this expansion or will the story of White March part 1 be self-contained, if possibly referenced/expanded upon in White March part 2? I'm definitely itching for more content, but being left on a to-be-continued always leaves a bit of a bad taste in my mouth.

[LuccA]

 

Josh:

 

The new companions have reactions in the main game areas. Also, the original companions have reactions in the expansion areas and banter with the expansion companions. The expansion companions are in the expansion areas but can be taken back to the original game areas.

 

 

 

The only thing left to know is if our character will have a motivation to go to the expansion areas while in the beggining of the main game, to get the new companions. I've heard somewhere that the party will go to the new areas after being recognized as brave adventurers for the deeds in the main game. So if we want to take the new companions to the base storyline from the beggining, it would be nice to have a motivation for roleplay stand point, at least another than the metagaming reason of getting the new companions.

 

Maybe if we end up in the White March by accident somehow, so we can get out of there with the help of the new companions (and comeback later when leveled up, for the expansin storyline) or if it's another place in which we can find answers to our state in the beggining of the game. I don't know. It's a nice challenge, and I'm curious to see what the devs will come up with. 

[Kogorn733]

I'm craving more information about the expansion....

 

Some other requests/inquiries:

 

(1) will the expansion add respawning monsters, or at least a chance of spawning monsters in between areas/during a rest in the wilderness? It would greatly enhance the overall play experience, especially given the exploration-based nature of the game. 

 

(2) Will the expansion add bad the ability to craft figurines?

Edited July 10, 2015 by Kogorn733

[Porcelyn]

Is there a release date for it yet?

[Jeff_Strix]

Porcelyn, nope. All we have now is "soon"

[Nakia]

Is there a release date for it yet?

Not as far as I know.

[rheingold]

Wish Obs would be more forthcoming really... "Soon" frankly doesn't cut it. Could mean next week, next month or in a couple of months. Way to go devs.

[Kriber22]

Given that they divided the expansion into two parts "so players wouldn't have to wait six months for an expansion", you'd think that after nearly 4 months they'd at least be close enough to release to have an approximate date. Otherwise, what was the point?

[Kefky]

I think releasing it in 2 parts is a mistake. Why would I want to play half of an expansion and then wait for months until the other half is released?

 

Sure, I could finish the game like that and see the bad epilogues for the new companions (since we won't be able to complete their quests in part 1) but I'd never do that.

 

Besides, by the time the second part is released I'd just want to restart the game.

 

I'll definitely not play this until it's complete (and bug-free).

Edited July 13, 2015 by Kefky

[Luckmann]

Given that they divided the expansion into two parts "so players wouldn't have to wait six months for an expansion", you'd think that after nearly 4 months they'd at least be close enough to release to have an approximate date. Otherwise, what was the point?

 

Profit maximization.

[View619]

That being said, it could make for an interesting challenge mode if you had a Trial of Iron type of setup where your stat points got assigned at random once (no rerolls) and then you had to ironman it through the game on what the dice gave you. It's something you could set up yourself with a handful of d6s, come to think of it...hm, kinda tempted now actually.

 

Solid idea, I'm going to try this on a future play-through. Roll an MC and some companions with a couple of d6 and play with that.

[Eisenheinrich]

 

Given that they divided the expansion into two parts "so players wouldn't have to wait six months for an expansion", you'd think that after nearly 4 months they'd at least be close enough to release to have an approximate date. Otherwise, what was the point?

 

Profit maximization.

 

 

Yo luckmann,

 

that would be the case, if they'll sell both parts as different products. But, as far as we know, it's "pay once, get both", and that's okay with me. 

 

stay fresh

 

Eisenheinrich