High level or low level party for PoE2?

[juanval]

In case of PoE 2 being released in the future, what would you like to play? It would be nice to see in stats what the community prefers.

[MaxQuest]

Uhh. Both options are welcome if done good. Thus abstaining from voting.

Just gief us PoE2  

[DreamWayfarer]

I feel that starting at level five would be a good idea, perhaps with the max level being 18. Starting any highter than 7 seems unfeasible due to how complex PoE is, and ending any higher than 20 would push the already strained system past the critical point and explode everything like a hydrogen bomb, considering what casters can already do.

[JerekKruger]

I'd prefer a new character starting at a (relatively) low level, but as MaxQuest says, both options would be good if done well.

 

The reason for my preference: (i) I feel like the Watcher's story is complete; (ii) I feel that an import option will force Obsidian to keep the ruleset the same and, whilst it's in no way a bad ruleset, I feel it could be improved; and (iii) I feel like level 16 in PoE is pretty damn high level and I feel that continuing on from that point will reach ridiculous levels of power, epic levels are cool but I feel they'd be better done rebalanced around a new progression.

[JerekKruger]

I feel that starting at level five would be a good idea, perhaps with the max level being 18. Starting any highter than 7 seems unfeasible due to how complex PoE is, and ending any higher than 20 would push the already strained system past the critical point and explode everything like a hydrogen bomb, considering what casters can already do.

 

Yup, if they keep the same ruleset then I'd agree that this is the way to go.

[juanval]

I prefer to fight against a local goblin chief and his minions in a well written quest, rather than fighting against the lord of the gods and the god of the Dragons.

[manageri]

New char for sure, but bring back Durance.

[kmbogd]

While I believe that PoE is a success and I was thoroughly entertained by it, I think that from a game mechanics point of view some things need to be changed (on few issues quite a lot). With this kind of view, it doesn't really make much sense to start PoE2 from lvl 16. Even from a purely story-driven type of argumentation, I'm one of those guys that favor a new protagonist. This doesn't mean that I wouldn't like some cameo or even to renew the companion role for some PoE1 characters (if it would make sense and doesn't look forced).

Edited March 27, 2016 by kmbogd

[Elric Galad]

I think they have reached a too high level to just continue with these characters. Starting with characters who already have immolation, Gaze of Adragan or crazy number of Rez would be weird.

 

In BG2, you started level 7-8 (up to 10 with tales of the sword coast depending on your profession?)

 

I don't see which nice story could fit such a level ?

Fighting armies and dragons, or even dragon armies ?

Sounds more weird than epic. It worked on Throne of Bhaal because it was just a short expension, but I can't imagine this for a whole game.

 

I always loved this part where you are a peasant armed with a rusty dagger frightened because of too many goblins

 

 

However, PoE2 endgame could be a little bit higher, something like level 20.  

Edited March 27, 2016 by Elric Galad

[corrado33]

I'd vote for SOME type of character import. I LOVED character importation in the BG series. (So much so that I had one of every type of character from every game imported into the next.) I don't care if it's a full character import, or a backstory only import where your decisions in the previous game affect the dialog and lore of the next game (dragon age like/mass effect like (I think.)) 

 

Honestly I think it'd be really cool if they let you import your character, but made you dual class, so you still started at a low level, but you'd have access to skills not normal for your character once you passed level X. Remember how dual classing in BG worked? Not multi-classing (different thing.) When you dual classed you stopped advancing in your first class, and you were effectively a level 1 in your new class. You could only access the old class's abilities after you advanced past the level where you chose to dual class. (That may have to be changed.) That'd be cool, but it'd make for a very unbalanced late game (you'd be a god essentially.) 

 

So, I vote for some type of importation, but perhaps not a "high level" import, where you start at whatever level you ended at in PoE1. 

 

EDIT: Maybe even something really weird. Like they made you start at level 1, but if you imported your character you'd get to choose one skill/spell from your old class every (other) level. Perhaps up to a certain point since high level skills are OP. Basically if you were a rogue in PoE2, but were a paladin in PoE1, you could choose to have a paladin aura eventually. That'd require a lot of thought to make it not OP though. 

Edited March 27, 2016 by corrado33

[Infinitron]

Why does a "high level party" have to be level 16? Cut the imported character's level in half.

[JerekKruger]

Why does a "high level party" have to be level 16? Cut the imported character's level in half.

 

That would be fine for me except how would you decide what abilities and talents to cut? I would actually prefer a party that starts at midish level, equivalent to 5 or perhaps a bit more in PoE.

[Valsuelm]

The only way I'd even consider buying PoE2 is if they continued the story from PoE1 in some way with the same main character and at least some of the party.

 

That said, I think perhaps that they already went a bit too high in level in PoE1.

[Skirge01]

I recall doing this with the Ultima series and they always knocked you back down to a low level character when you journeyed back to the world through the moongate.  I haven't finished PoE yet, but I have to imagine that something like that isn't possible.  Also, with Ultima, time passed at an accelerated rate compared to the "real world" back on Earth.  That last part was critical because the world of Britannia needed to change since the last game in order for there to be more evil to be vanquished upon your return.  Once PoE is done (however it ends), I'm not sure I see--realistically--how something could just happen and now you have new stuff to do.  I'm thinking that time will need to have passed, cities and people will need to have changed--somewhat drastically--and something has simply transpired since the events of PoE1 which requires your attention.  In the end, I really don't see a logical way to get your old character into PoE2 with any sort of believable story.  How fun will the game be if you start out at some higher level, with advanced weaponry?  For the devs, the beginning of the game would need to be designed for two differently leveled sets of characters.

 

Something which I think could work would be to incorporate at least some of your character's choices from PoE1 into PoE2 in some fashion.  These would have to be fairly minor choices or, at least, short in reach because of all the possible outcomes available in PoE1 and how much additional reactivity would need to be added to PoE2 in order to accommodate things.

 

However, thinking about this a bit more, the Stronghold may be the best option for bringing in your old character in a meaningful way.  Your character could be imported, aged, and dying, bequeathing you the Stronghold.  Your new character could meet the old one, interact with him/her and everything before they die.  The new villain could even have some connection to why your old character is dying and the Stronghold is in disrepair once more.  For new players, there's zero connection between the current occupant of the Stronghold and your character, but the same situation applies.  Much like PoE1, your character doesn't need to start there and can stumble onto it after a little while.

 

I recall a game designer saying that one of the first things you need to ask is, "Why should the player care [about some event]?"  So, how could we get PoE1 players to really get emotionally attached to the storyline of PoE2.  First, you import your last saved game from PoE1.  Next, the game has you create a new character to play as.  You start playing the game, wondering why the hell you had to create a new character.  Through some travels and encounters, which offer a bit of back story regarding WHEN this is and a small taste of what has transpired since PoE1, you come upon what seems to resemble your old Stronghold.  You make your way to the Great Hall and your old party is there, casually talking about some of your events from PoE1.  Suddenly, the wall behind the throne explodes inwards, launching the throne across the hall, landing next to you.  The explosion sends rubble flying everywhere and part of the roof even collapses.  When the dust settles, your path forward is completely blocked by a wall of debris and you are utterly powerless as a large group of enemies enter through the hole.  Your old party rushes into combat, using all the weapons they last had and the spells they had memorized.  An epic battle unfolds, but your entire party is defeated, their weapons taken, with only your main character from PoE1 barely alive when the enemies leave, laughing maniacally.  During the battle, some debris was knocked loose and you can finally get through.  You rush to the side of your former main character and with his dying breath he utters two seemingly meaningless words.  Moments later, the Steward beckons you and she proceeds to fill you in about what you just witnessed.

[Schepel]

They could transfer the levels you got on your characters to a completely new ruleset. That way you get to keep your character, but they can do whatever is needed to make POE2 a solid game. If they make a system, with say, 64 levels, level 16 doesn't sound so scary anymore. 

[Kinowek]

I'd like Pillars 2 to be a continuation of the story for the characters from the first game, even if that means a high level campaign setting.  Obsidian should be able to develop high level content, and flesh out the rules for the various classes to around level 24-26 or so without much difficulty.

 

I would still play a sequel if it wasn't a direct continuation of Pillars 1, but that seems like it'd be a bit of a cop out.  I'm a bit surprised there is this much support for basically a complete wipe back to level 1... give Obsidian some credit; they have the design chops to extend the Pillars ruleset.

 

Lean more towards BG2 than BG1, for the sequel, Obsidian!

Edited March 28, 2016 by Kinowek

[Abel]

The poll asks about characters level. Actually i don't care much about level. The only thing i really care about is that i definitely want to continue with the same character (and party?) in PoE 2. To me, there is no point in buying PoE 2 if it's a brand new thing. I always hoped for Pillars to be in the BG way: 3 games, 1 story, 1 main character, 1 long journey. That's it. If i want a brand new one, i just start another playthrough.

[Heijoushin]

Fresh characters please. The watcher's story is complete. I've played a lot of really bad sequels this last year. If a story wasn't originally written to be a sequel, its not a good idea to artificially make it into one.

 

That's why I'm actually kind of glad they announced Tyranny instead of POE2.

[Elric Galad]

Well, the revelations about the ***s sound like good material for a sequel.

 

However, the Watcher doesn't have to be the Main Character. 

[the_dog_days]

I would like to be the Watcher again, but also start at level one. IMO, the base game had some of the best level progression I've seen in an RPG in years. It would be very difficult, if not impossible to emulate that if the PC starts at level sixteen.

[Elric Galad]

Hey I have an idea !

 

The Main Character could be the reincarnation of the watcher and start again level 1 ! (And maybe getting experience faster when he remembers some stuff, a bit like the Nameless One.)

[Skirge01]

For those wanting a high level party, how does someone who has never played PoE1 make sense of the fact that their character is starting at level 16 and already has a ton of spells/abilities?  I never played BG2, so maybe there is an easy answer for this.  Do new players to PoE2 start at level 1 and those who played PoE1 start at level 16, thereby giving them a significant advantage?  Or, is the expectation that only people who have played PoE1 will buy PoE2?  Continuing down this path, for PoE10, would we start at level 160 with 4,000 endurance and 20,000 health?

[wanderon]

I'm not much of a fan of epic levels myself. The sweet spot for high level play for me in D&D based games were levels 12-16 or so - beyond that things got too crazy.

 

For PoE 2 I'd like to see a new character and starting levels between 1 & 5 ending in the mid teens someplace again.

[anameforobsidian]

For those wanting a high level party, how does someone who has never played PoE1 make sense of the fact that their character is starting at level 16 and already has a ton of spells/abilities?  I never played BG2, so maybe there is an easy answer for this.  Do new players to PoE2 start at level 1 and those who played PoE1 start at level 16, thereby giving them a significant advantage?  Or, is the expectation that only people who have played PoE1 will buy PoE2?  Continuing down this path, for PoE10, would we start at level 160 with 4,000 endurance and 20,000 health?

 

In BG2, when you make a character, you level them up to 7 or 8 before the game starts.  Thus, characters who are ported over do have a significant advantage if they did everything, but not an overwhelming one since your character levels quickly from low levels.  Like, quickly enough that if you make a dual-classed mage, you can level up to your old level by doing two non-violent quests and reading a bunch of scrolls.

 

 

I second Infinitron's idea of some kind of soul-drain.  They've already said that Watcher's souls are valuable for epic spells.  Maybe an Irenicus like figure could steal your soul and you have to find pieces of it around the world.  They could give you a manufactured soul based on Azo's work on wichts.

Edited March 28, 2016 by anameforobsidian

[juanval]

I see that most people here rejects to start PoE2 at higher levels. I hope devs will take this into account.

 

I'd even like to start a new fresh adventure, but I suppose devs will want to continue the Watcher's story.

 

Solution: Make 2 games: a new adventure for level1 in a different setting like IWD1, and a mid-level (6 - 7) sequel of the Watcher story in the Vailian Republics like BG2

 

IWD1 and BG2 were released the same year and I know that we all enjoyed both games

Edited March 29, 2016 by juanval