Dealing with the sense of urgency

[p0larius]

Hey guys,

 

so, this will probably be more of a personal therapy session than a criticism/discussion of the game.  :D

 

I am having problems dealing with the sense of urgency in PoE. Let me first say that in most CRPGs, I try to roleplay my characters to a certain degree. I try to make choices that fit my character and choose activities/quests that fit with their made-up personality/way of living.

 

Now, in PoE the dilemma is that after encountering Maerwald, the PC can be sure that he/she is going to loose his/her mind sooner or later. I would imagine that this is a problem the PC would try solve as quickly as possible. At the same time though, the PC is pretty much required to do side quests and travel around the dyrwood/white march for months on end with the threat of loosing their marbles looming above you at all times.

 

Actually, I had the same problem when playing Baldur's Gate 2 ages ago. I think I never finished it because I felt rushed. Especially when playing a "good" character, I found it very difficult to travel all around the countryside while your childhood friend (Imoen) is taken hostage and, for all your character knows, tortured.

 

Am I alone in this (please tell me I'm not :D)? Any tips on dealing with the feeling of being rushed?

 

Best regards,

Polarius

[HawkSoft]

Maerwald remained sane long enough to rebuild Caed Nua and uncover some of the Endless Paths, based on historical castle building rates that probably means decades.

 

I'd like the game to include some kind of optional/configurable timer but from a personal sanity perspective I think the Watcher has a year or two in hand to prepare for the final showdown. What might be much more of a push for a benevolent character is the Hollowborn plague, once you find out the real cause you would feel compelled to end it as soon as possible.

[DreamWayfarer]

Truth to be told, I have the same problem with most RPGs.

 

What helps with PoE is that there are many reasons for your character to believe their problem is not as grave as Maerwald's. The old Watcher was his own son by rape and burned down his village as revenge for burning down his village. Plus, he lived in Caed Nua, while the player only stops there once in a while, so the influence of the Master Below was much stronger.

 

If you roleplay your Watcher as someone who sees their power as more of a blessing than a curse, or who thinks insanity is still many years down the lane, there is little reason to follow the Leaden Key in a rush, instead of investigating in a steady pace.

 

EDIT: ninja-ed

Edited February 5, 2016 by DreamWayfarer

[p0larius]

Good points.

 

Thinking about it from a writing perspective, having the PC seek a cure for his illness is probably a good device for driving the plot forward. Additionally, it permits less-than-good characters to be motivated to follow the main quest at all, even if they don't feel like helping the dyrwood and stopping the legacy.

 

A game that managed to not make me feel rushed was Morrowind, actually (although it might be a bad comparison as it is much less narrative-driven anyways). Between solving mysteries, the PC's mentor often sent the PC off to do unrelated quests to build up a reputation and gain experience and gear.

[Heijoushin]

Agree with DreamWayFarer.
Maerwald's situation was pretty unique. Sure, your character has done things in their past lives that they're not proud of, but you probably have some time yet.

 

Can't say I particularly felt rushed there. In my opinion, it's one of the weakest parts of the POE story. From "you might go mad" --> "go investigate the Leaden Key" felt like a bit of a leap. 

Edited February 5, 2016 by Heijoushin

[HawkSoft]

There are a number of places where it says the protagonist/watcher can't sleep well but this is not reflected in the game mechanics at all, I agree with Heijoushin that it's one of the weakest parts of the story.

[Harry Easter]

Hmm, well maybe if you think like your class. For example, my dwarven paladin HAS to help everybody and will always suffer, if he can something good. In Twin Elms later you can woork against the urgency, because it could be good to choose your god wisely. In Defiance Bay, because maybe you find something useful in the archives (that's why I'm helping everybody) and in Gilded Vale, because people suffer, so I have to stop the feud between Raedric and the rebels.