Update 100: The White March - Part I

[Katarack21]

 

 

How much does it add to the original playthrough (if anything at all)?

 

I'm trying to decide if to use my "last save" or start a new game: I'll do the latter if there is enough new stuff

 

I spent several hours this afternoon just clearing a single map which included several unique items.

 

added into the original game area?  (Or do you mean an expansion area?).

Any new content beyond items in the original areas?  (conversations / NPCs / quests (whether related to White March or not) / etc?)

 

There's a lot of stuff that links from White March to other areas--a soulbound weapon whose completion quest is visiting areas in the normal game, a companions quest which appears to include tracking down somebody in the original game, etc. I don't know about new things in the original game itself, though--I honestly don't think that's a thing. I believe your supposed to play White March area at a certain point midway in the game, as if it's just another area to explore.

[koteko]

Yep, I was interested in how much White March content was added to the original playthrough. Or said it another way: by taking my save in the Burial Isle, do I lose anything of "White March" compared to starting a new game?

 

The answer seems to be no, thanks Katarack21.

[wanderon]

 

 

How much does it add to the original playthrough (if anything at all)?

 

I'm trying to decide if to use my "last save" or start a new game: I'll do the latter if there is enough new stuff

 

I spent several hours this afternoon just clearing a single map which included several unique items.

 

added into the original game area?  (Or do you mean an expansion area?).

Any new content beyond items in the original areas?  (conversations / NPCs / quests (whether related to White March or not) / etc?)

 

 

This was a new expansion area - have not spent enough time in an original area except to note the new rest bonuses in stronghold.

[DrBrian]

Can we know if part II will be at the end of the main game or in the middle like part I?

Edited August 27, 2015 by DrBrian

[AndreaColombo]

Can we know if part II will be at the end of the main game or in the middle like part I?

 

Likely in the middle. It will deal with the consequences of part I

[AndreaColombo]

Josh has been active on SA (link). Here are some copy-pasted quotes:

 

 

• Personally, I think a 7th or 8th level party is a good fit for TWM's crit path, but the side content is meant for characters that are 11+.
• We didn't design new stronghold content for Part I, but it's been a focus for me for Part II.
• For the next patch, I've lowered some of the more eye-watering requirements [to unlock soulbound weapons' powers, n.d.a.] and BMac has made a code fix that allows a fall-through for class or race-specific damage/kill requirements at 5x the base value. E.g. if you've massacred every wizard in the game and have a weapon that requires 5 wizard kills, you can fulfill the requirement by killing 25 of anything with the weapon.
• We'd like to keep making games in the PoE world. I don't know what metrics the owners would require for us to move forward with that, though. A lot of us have talked about ideas for PoE2 but we haven't done any work beyond that.
• Most of the feedback I saw on Defender was negative, but I saw one or two people in favor of the changes. Granted, the pool of people commenting wasn't large, maybe 6-8. I'd like to see more feedback on it in play. Fighters with >10 Con have more Endurance now and Constant Recovery scales (though it starts with a lower base value). Between the changes to Defender and Wary Defender, it's a loss of 20 points of Deflection -- a lot, but D/WD shield-based fighters were incredibly far ahead of other characters in the late game. The alternative I proposed was reducing Accuracy, but for a character who's just attempting to hold a line, that may not be a meaningful drawback for the modal.
• I probably won't be tuning these [multi-class talents, n.d.a.] for the upcoming patch, but I will for the next one.
• Spiritshift armor and weapons now get more powerful every three levels. A lot of the base class abilities (e.g. Constant Recovery, Arcane Assault) scale now.

[rjshae]

Will the individual stealth feature be available to those who have not yet purchased the expansion?

[Bryy]

Soulbound weapons right now are so underwhelming.

[Katarack21]

 

Josh has been active on SA (link). Here are some copy-pasted quotes:

 

 

• Personally, I think a 7th or 8th level party is a good fit for TWM's crit path, but the side content is meant for characters that are 11+.
• We didn't design new stronghold content for Part I, but it's been a focus for me for Part II.
• For the next patch, I've lowered some of the more eye-watering requirements [to unlock soulbound weapons' powers, n.d.a.] and BMac has made a code fix that allows a fall-through for class or race-specific damage/kill requirements at 5x the base value. E.g. if you've massacred every wizard in the game and have a weapon that requires 5 wizard kills, you can fulfill the requirement by killing 25 of anything with the weapon.
• We'd like to keep making games in the PoE world. I don't know what metrics the owners would require for us to move forward with that, though. A lot of us have talked about ideas for PoE2 but we haven't done any work beyond that.
• Most of the feedback I saw on Defender was negative, but I saw one or two people in favor of the changes. Granted, the pool of people commenting wasn't large, maybe 6-8. I'd like to see more feedback on it in play. Fighters with >10 Con have more Endurance now and Constant Recovery scales (though it starts with a lower base value). Between the changes to Defender and Wary Defender, it's a loss of 20 points of Deflection -- a lot, but D/WD shield-based fighters were incredibly far ahead of other characters in the late game. The alternative I proposed was reducing Accuracy, but for a character who's just attempting to hold a line, that may not be a meaningful drawback for the modal.
• I probably won't be tuning these [multi-class talents, n.d.a.] for the upcoming patch, but I will for the next one.
• Spiritshift armor and weapons now get more powerful every three levels. A lot of the base class abilities (e.g. Constant Recovery, Arcane Assault) scale now.

 

 

Awesome. Thank you! I do have a question for the developers, though. About this line:

 

"We'd like to keep making games in the PoE world. I don't know what metrics the owners would require for us to move forward with that, though. A lot of us have talked about ideas for PoE2 but we haven't done any work beyond that."

 

Aren't the owners Obsidian? Do they not have control over this IP?

[Lychnidos]

Aren't the owners Obsidian? Do they not have control over this IP?

 

Obsidian owns the IP, but Sawyer is only an employee and is posting on his own behalf, not the company's.

[Katarack21]

 

Aren't the owners Obsidian? Do they not have control over this IP?

 

Obsidian owns the IP, but Sawyer is only an employee and is posting on his own behalf, not the company's.

 

Ah, I see. For some reason I keep thinking he was one of the co-founders.

 

Well....they need to get on that while the iron's hot. Right now there's momentum behind the PoE brand. Of course they need to take all the time they have to take to make a good game, but that's all the more reason to start early, right?

[Dark_Ansem]

No hope for engine update, right?

[LuccA]

I would also like to know if there are any plans to make the expansion 'updatable' for the physical game samehow.

[Night Stalker]

Will the individual stealth feature be available to those who have not yet purchased the expansion?

Yes.

 

The changes in stealth were part of the 2.0 patch, not a new feature of the expansion.

Edited August 28, 2015 by Night Stalker

[RonSonite]

Sorry for the question but is the "normal" new content also available without The White March Add On and just the recent update for Pillars of Eternity?

 

Add On:

• The White March - Part I takes place in the 
  . Word of Durgan's Battery and its buried treasures (including Durgan's Steel) has made its way back to the Watcher of Caed Nua.
• We have two new companions in the expansion:
  • , a scarred, drug-addicted monk who thinks pain is the true path to enlightenment.
  • The 
    , a construct with the soul of a murderer infused inside.
• The expansion adds in a special class of items called 
  . These weapons have powerful (and unique) enchantments that become more powerful as their wielder levels up.

 

Pillars of Eternity:

• You can now set your companions to use AI so you don't have to spend as much time managing their actions. Each class has special AI packages that are unique to those classes and we will be added in additional AI packages in the future. The AI for enemies has also been improved.
• Party members can now go into individual stealth. This allows some part members to be stealthed while other members are not. This is particularly useful in positioning party members for upcoming battles or sneaking by small groups of enemies.
• You may now retrain your party members to modify their attributes, skills, and abilities. Now you can try out new builds quickly and easily.

Right?!

 

Thanks for your help!

 

Edit: I was right. Found the information with some research.

Edited August 28, 2015 by RonSonite

[WorstUsernameEver]

That's correct. I believe the increased level cap and new abilities are also tied to the expansion.

[peshk]

I would really like an answer to the question some posted, when we can expect the 2.0 patch for the dvd version.

 

And even more interesting would be the information, if it will be possible to get the expansion for the dvd version, because I don't have another and that would mean I can't enjoy the fruits of your hard work

[Prezz]

Is it possible for someone to share where the new map is? I think my update might have been bugged. I see the new intro and the new game features, but my max level is still capped at 12 and I cannot see any new maps.

 

I am half way through Act 3 in level 12 so the requirement for the new content should have triggered. Any help would be much appreciated. 

[Infinitron]

March 2016 according to a German magazine, IIRC. Obsidian never Said anything official about it though.

 

Which German magazine is this, do you remember?

Edited August 29, 2015 by Infinitron

[AndreaColombo]

 

Which German magazine is this, do you remember?

 

I was referring to this post, which in turn links to this article.

 

My German's pretty rusty so I didn't try to read the article myself, but Josh said on SA (usual link in one of my posts in the previous page of this thread) that they've just started on part II. Guess it is fair to expect it to take about 6 more months.

[Messier-31]

Everything's fine ;]

 

My least favourite change is this new intro with Obsidian logo. Previous was simpler and better.

 

So yeah, first world problems all over again.

[Azmodiuz]

Will there be an update to the strategy guide for White March?

yeah i'd like to have another hardcover !

[rob2e]

So if you "won the game" before getting TWM Part I, in order to experience White March, you would need to start a new game from scratch?

[Sowlin]

Keep up the great work!

[Silent Winter]

So if you "won the game" before getting TWM Part I, in order to experience White March, you would need to start a new game from scratch?

No - you should have a 'Pre-End-Game' auto-save, right before the point of no return.

(Some people have lost theirs though - dunno if it's a bug or a careless delete)

(Also Trial of Iron players won't have theirs - but TOI is a 'no going back' mode anyway - can use the console to teleport if you feel that's unfair).