Wonderful, Wonderful Wonderful

[DnaCowboy]

 

I have finally sat down, having had some time with PoE and can say without a doubt this is one of the finest rpg's I have ever played. Immediately you start the game you know Pillars is going to be something special when you hear that incredible music, and oh what music it is! At once, chilling, yet eliciting wonder and mythology reflective of all the great English, Saxon and Scandanavian tomes such as Beowulf; story, characterisation, combat, PoE has it all.

 

Thank you so much Obsidian, you have given hope to an old-school gamer who had thought that the suits at EA and Ubisoft ruled unchallenged. Thank the Gods for you, Kickstarter, Bards Tale and Inxile, my gaming time looks ready to be full with the likes of PoE, Torment 2, Bards tale and Wasteland 2.

 

If there is a god he is smiling down on Irvine, ca.

Edited July 14, 2015 by DnaCowboy

[Eisenheinrich]

To be honest, I enjoyed the game more in my 2nd playthrough. During the first attempt, I estimated PoE's setting to be some sort of Forgotten Realms 2.0. Stupid, I know, but I was put off due to the strange elements I was confronted with: Soulstorms, gunpowder, shark-people, animancy ... The whole sould aspect was new to me, as was the renaissance-approach they chose for the setting. There are some weak designs, mainly First Fires and Copperlane in Defiance Bay, but most of the game looks beautiful. Congrats to the team, which designed the engwithian art style, what a thing of beauty.

Needles to say, I got acustommed to the style of the setting during my playthrough, and when I did another one, I was fully immersed in the world of the game and could appreciate all the atmosphere. Which is a bit more gloomy and daunting than BG I + II.

Enjoy the game!

Edited July 14, 2015 by Eisenheinrich

[gkathellar]

I agree with you on everything but the title screen music. It's all soft and unexciting, and makes me the opposite of stoked. Compare and contrast BG1's main title:

 

[Nakia]

I enjoy the music for PoE and feel it sets the mood of the game very well without being overwhelming.

[DnaCowboy]

Hall of The Mountain King

 

 

I think the opening theme is wonderful, evoking Greig's Peer Gynt Suite, listen here:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyM2AnA96yE

 

Now, listen to the PoE opening theme:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSRJiBd-Ktc

Edited July 14, 2015 by DnaCowboy

[Messier-31]

 Torment 2

 

Torment: Tides of Numenera is not, I repeat, IS NOT Torment 2.

[Luckmann]

I agree with you on everything but the title screen music. It's all soft and unexciting, and makes me the opposite of stoked. Compare and contrast BG1's main title:

 

dundundundumdundumdundumdundundundumdundumdundumdumDUNDUNDANANANdumDUMDUNNNNundunDUNDANANAdumDUMDANANan - DUNNNDADUNDUNDunnnDUNDUNDUN

Baldur's Gate 2 tends to get a lot of praise, but I always preferred Baldur's Gate in every way except mechanically. And this includes the music. Damn I love that tune.

 

That said, I do really like the music for PoE, for the most part, but I can agree that it doesn't exactly get you stoked.

Edited July 15, 2015 by Luckmann

[Eisenheinrich]

 

I agree with you on everything but the title screen music. It's all soft and unexciting, and makes me the opposite of stoked. Compare and contrast BG1's main title:

 

dundundundumdundumdundumdundundundumdundumdundumdumDUNDUNDANANANdumDUMDUNNNNundunDUNDANANAdumDUMDANANan - DUNNNDADUNDUNDunnnDUNDUNDUN

Baldur's Gate 2 tends to get a lot of praise, but I always preferred Baldur's Gate in every way except mechanically. And this includes the music. Damn I love that tune.

 

That said, I do really like the music for PoE, for the most part, but I can agree that it doesn't exactly get you stoked.

 

Design in BG tends to be rather bland. The City of Baldurs Gate was a inconsistend and thoughtless mess. "Hey guys, let's throw all things medieval and ancient in the mix!"

[Quantics]

I agree with you on everything but the title screen music. It's all soft and unexciting, and makes me the opposite of stoked. Compare and contrast BG1's main title:

 

dundundundumdundumdundumdundundundumdundumdundumdumDUNDUNDANANANdumDUMDUNNNNundunDUNDANANAdumDUMDANANan - DUNNNDADUNDUNDunnnDUNDUNDUN

It's all a matter of personal taste, of course.

 

I do like this theme, but I also commend Justin Bell for having the 'courage' to have tried a different route than the usual 'epic, military' themes that most RPGs tend to go for these days.

 

PoE's music, I think, suits the content of the game really well. It's a bit less 'in your face', and a bit more mysterious. Because of that I am finding it quite enjoyable to listen to repeatedly.

 

Just my 2ç

Edited July 15, 2015 by Quantics

[Eisenheinrich]

 

I agree with you on everything but the title screen music. It's all soft and unexciting, and makes me the opposite of stoked. Compare and contrast BG1's main title:

 

dundundundumdundumdundumdundundundumdundumdundumdumDUNDUNDANANANdumDUMDUNNNNundunDUNDANANAdumDUMDANANan - DUNNNDADUNDUNDunnnDUNDUNDUN

It's all a matter of personal taste, of course.

 

I do like this theme, but I also commend Justin Bell for having the 'courage' to have tried a different route than the usual 'epic, military' themes that most RPGs tend to go for these days.

 

PoE's music, I think, suits the content of the game really well. It's a bit less 'in your face', and a bit more mysterious. Because of that I am finding it quite enjoyable to listen to repeatedly.

 

Just my 2ç

 

Having heard the PoE-Soundtrack via my hi-fi system, I can only agree. Justin Bell's approach is much more somber and eerie than the epic stomp of BG and BG II. Adds a lot to the atmosphere that is quite unique to the setting of Eora. That plus the dark and sometimes washed-out colors. Due to that, Eora feels very different from the Forgotten Realms, and that's a plus in my book. When I see what an abombination the Realms have become in the recent Neverwinter-MMO, I only can applaude to most of the desing decisions made by Obsidian. 

 

Best gaming soundtrack remains to be the one of Neverwinter Nighs. That's my alltime-favourite. 

 

Edited July 15, 2015 by Eisenheinrich

[gkathellar]

 

I agree with you on everything but the title screen music. It's all soft and unexciting, and makes me the opposite of stoked. Compare and contrast BG1's main title:

 

dundundundumdundumdundumdundundundumdundumdundumdumDUNDUNDANANANdumDUMDUNNNNundunDUNDANANAdumDUMDANANan - DUNNNDADUNDUNDunnnDUNDUNDUN

It's all a matter of personal taste, of course.

 

I do like this theme, but I also commend Justin Bell for having the 'courage' to have tried a different route than the usual 'epic, military' themes that most RPGs tend to go for these days.

 

PoE's music, I think, suits the content of the game really well. It's a bit less 'in your face', and a bit more mysterious. Because of that I am finding it quite enjoyable to listen to repeatedly.

 

Just my 2ç

 

 

Oh, I quite agree with regards to literally everything other than the opening theme.

 

Which isn't bad, mind. It's quite good. I just don't like it as an opening theme, because I hear it and think, "or I could go to sleep to this."

[Eisenheinrich]

BTW, I think, the credit music of PoE shoud've been the opening theme and vice versa! 

Edited July 15, 2015 by Eisenheinrich

[Luckmann]

 

 

I agree with you on everything but the title screen music. It's all soft and unexciting, and makes me the opposite of stoked. Compare and contrast BG1's main title:

 

dundundundumdundumdundumdundundundumdundumdundumdumDUNDUNDANANANdumDUMDUNNNNundunDUNDANANAdumDUMDANANan - DUNNNDADUNDUNDunnnDUNDUNDUN

Baldur's Gate 2 tends to get a lot of praise, but I always preferred Baldur's Gate in every way except mechanically. And this includes the music. Damn I love that tune.

 

That said, I do really like the music for PoE, for the most part, but I can agree that it doesn't exactly get you stoked.

 

Design in BG tends to be rather bland. The City of Baldurs Gate was a inconsistend and thoughtless mess. "Hey guys, let's throw all things medieval and ancient in the mix!"

 

Bland, maybe, but I kinda liked that. It felt more down to earth and not so out there. I think the "mess" of Baldur's Gate was actually deliberate, a messy big city as a contrast to the very "normal" towns you'd been in previous. And it was still endlessly better than the mess that was Athkatla.

[Eisenheinrich]

 

 

 

I agree with you on everything but the title screen music. It's all soft and unexciting, and makes me the opposite of stoked. Compare and contrast BG1's main title:

 

dundundundumdundumdundumdundundundumdundumdundumdumDUNDUNDANANANdumDUMDUNNNNundunDUNDANANAdumDUMDANANan - DUNNNDADUNDUNDunnnDUNDUNDUN

Baldur's Gate 2 tends to get a lot of praise, but I always preferred Baldur's Gate in every way except mechanically. And this includes the music. Damn I love that tune.

 

That said, I do really like the music for PoE, for the most part, but I can agree that it doesn't exactly get you stoked.

 

Design in BG tends to be rather bland. The City of Baldurs Gate was a inconsistend and thoughtless mess. "Hey guys, let's throw all things medieval and ancient in the mix!"

 

Bland, maybe, but I kinda liked that. It felt more down to earth and not so out there. I think the "mess" of Baldur's Gate was actually deliberate, a messy big city as a contrast to the very "normal" towns you'd been in previous. And it was still endlessly better than the mess that was Athkatla.

 

 

Athkatla had a nice byzantine touch to it, which I dug more than your typical medieval-town share. Baldurs Gate looked inconsistent for that matter. I'd say, Trademeet in BG II is my favourite town-design in any isometric RPG, that was just a beautiful place and very different. Plus Kuldahar in IWD, 'cause I can't think of anything cooler than a town settled between the roots of a giant oak.

 

As for PoE, there're very good designs in terms of cities and towns. I dug Ondra's Gift (really caputured that feel of a slum-harbor-district). Heritage Hill was nice with that huge tower and Brackenburry had a nice feel to it (could've been bigger tho). Wasn't so fond of First Fires and Copperlane District, they both looked empty and lifeless and not well planned. Especially First Fires, which it's huge buildinds crammed in the corners. Meh.

 

 

[Gromnir]

 

 

 

I agree with you on everything but the title screen music. It's all soft and unexciting, and makes me the opposite of stoked. Compare and contrast BG1's main title:

 

dundundundumdundumdundumdundundundumdundumdundumdumDUNDUNDANANANdumDUMDUNNNNundunDUNDANANAdumDUMDANANan - DUNNNDADUNDUNDunnnDUNDUNDUN

Baldur's Gate 2 tends to get a lot of praise, but I always preferred Baldur's Gate in every way except mechanically. And this includes the music. Damn I love that tune.

 

That said, I do really like the music for PoE, for the most part, but I can agree that it doesn't exactly get you stoked.

 

Design in BG tends to be rather bland. The City of Baldurs Gate was a inconsistend and thoughtless mess. "Hey guys, let's throw all things medieval and ancient in the mix!"

 

Bland, maybe, but I kinda liked that. It felt more down to earth and not so out there. 

 

...

 

have no idea what that means.

 

in any event, like bg or bg2 is a matter o' opinion, so is tough to attach value to such choices.  however, we will note that the many differences 'tween bg and bg2 came about 'cause o' the responsiveness o' biowarians to feedback from fans.  the party companions received far more development in bg2 precisely 'cause o' fan demand for more such interaction.  largely empty wilderness maps were criticized with little opposition by bg fandom, and the biowarians listened.  grandmastery and ranged weapons were too powerful in bg, so developers made alterations to those features in bg2. following the release o' totsc, we heard appeals for more robust locales and quests such as were related to durlag's tower, and far less o' the one-room encounters as were common throughout bg city and other villages in bg.  etc.  

 

is opinions, but like or not, the biowarians listened to the opinions voiced by fans at the time bg2 were being developed.  *chuckle*  'course, listen to fans is a double-edged sword.  sure, fans managed to get portrait art changed and the dopey feralan kit dropped even after the biowarians had implemented or developed, but fans also made complete arses out o' themselves during the npc creation contest. 

 

HA! Good Fun!

[Nakia]

The BG games were the first of that type for me and I just accepted them.  I like the main city in Arcanum and I think it influenced OE when making Defiance Bay.