PILLARS OF ETERNITY 2 confirmed

[EtherGun]

Please consider using a separate launcher to manage updates, similar to how MMORPGs use a patcher/launcher program to update their clients. My reasoning for this is so that critical updates could be deployed faster, while non-critical updates could be worked on and deployed much later.

[Baron Pampa]

 

I can't really tell if NegativeEdge is trolling, but I'll bite.

 

I liked that it gently rebuked us all for refusing to let go. A sequel feels like it dilutes the point.

I never got the sense the fanbase was rebuked at all by Pillars - which I presume you mean it missed the mark of our collective expectations.

 

In some sense yes I would say the game did not live up to expectations, it never could of course, but that isn't to denigrate its quality but instead acknowledge its own message to us about the nature of expectations, especially those born out of nostalgia and memory.

 

The whole game is suffused with melancholy and many of the characters and quests involve people in some ways trapped in the past to their detriment. The soul reading mechanic seems to exist only to reinforce the idea of the cyclical nature of violence through cultural memory, the dozens misappropriate the collective memory of others to justify themselves, you literally enter GMs memory, Saganis vision quest involves her village memory and she frets about whether her own husband will remember her in her absence.

The game explicitly says 'hey you shouldn't live in the past because it's the past and it's not like you remember it anyway. Don't let your memory of the past dictate your future, things change and it's unhealthy to try and pervert that process'.

Is it a coincidence that a game that was made by strapping our memory of the infinity engine to a table and forcing 4 million dollars into its lifeless husk has so many Frankenstein references in it?

 

The whole world of Eora is on the cusp of change. The gods are dead, boomsticks obsolete the arcane, people are weary of religious conflict and so modernism is approaching fast. Our heroes solving problems with swords and chivalry are an anachronism. A bunch of people who can't adjust to the changing times, every one an exile in some way, six outsiders marching gamely in lockstep to the next area who can't accept that everything around them has changed. Therein lies the rebuke.

A sequel just begs the question: Is it desirable or right to brute force into existence a facsimile of something that expired not due to evil publisher machinations but simply because it's time had come and gone? to which PoE already answers a resounding no and again no.

 

As far as whether it makes financial sense because profitable ip or whatever I just find that kind of talk weridly mercenary. I'd expect Obsidians accountant to use that justification sure, but as a customer I can't get excited about the words 'profitable', 'intellectual property' (lol) or any of that nonsense.

 

 

Great analysis, but I just can't resist: Haven't you overdosed The Witcher :> ?

[Karkarov]

 

Hi guys, 

We don’t want to be too intrusive with self-promotion, so I don’t want to create a new thread. As we've promised in the news about Pillars of Eternity II, here is our full interview with Feargus. Enjoy!

http://www.gamepressure.com/e.asp?ID=720

 

I was a great interview, thanks for the share!

[Jimithybee]

 

 

The Vailian Republics are to the south and therefore colder than the Dyrwood.

I thought Dyrwood was in the North Hemisphere.

 

 

Dyrwood is in the southern hepishpere.

 

Actually, the earth is flat guys

[Jimithybee]

 

He/she didn't elaborate overly much what they meant to begin with, but no they don't seem to be trolling at all.

 

I'm not a troll in that I say things to be provocative but I will admit it did occur to me yesterday that appearing to argue against a games sequel on that games own forum is a bit...odd. But I like this forum and generally much prefer reading the thoughts of others than espousing my own but I'll try and summarize better my thoughts and will always read any response in good faith.

 

 

I think most of these ideas are somewhat (and this is entirely my wild conjecture) born from work on the Fallout franchise

 

As you brought up Fallout I'll use it to illustrate my point and I agree PoE is much closer in tone than any of the IE games to Fallout 1 which was partly inspired by A Canticle for Leibowitz, a book about the how even nuclear holocaust won't put an end to human blundering.

In it the monks of surviving organised religion covet the remnants of historical knowledge and dogmatically misinterpret them and in doing so ensure a continued cycle of assured annihilation.

Basic message from the book and which Fallout 1 captured beautifully is that the real wisdom in pre-apocalypse knowledge is that it's from a world that destroyed itself, any attempt to re-create it is doomed to fail. New Vegas has a lot of this going on and are the best parts of it but are unnecessary because Fallout 1 doesn't need repeating.

 

It's a cruel irony that Fallout itself was delivered into the careless hands of people who did not understand it and grossly and with great ignorance took all the wrong lessons from it. Seeing Vaults, Plasma rifles and ultra violence as the important things in Fallout has lead us from something that was original, intelligent and hermetically sealed to what is now simply a juggernaut commercial franchise. An empty power armor shell hoisted into an upright position and held aloft by the shackles of financial expediency.

 

Bethesda are perhaps better (or worse) than their counterparts from Canticle because they appear to know exactly what they are doing.

 

So unnecessary sequels make me cautious and the least persuasive arguments for them are that it's commercially compelling to do them.

Overall I think PoE advances a beautiful and subtle argument that to everything should come an ending and not because Josh Sawyer says it or the developers even intended it. The game just makes that argument to me in a thousand ways large and small that belong in another thread entitled 'NegativeEdges sophomoric reading of PoE" and not here. This quote from Julian Barnes:

 

“History is that certainty produced at the point where the imperfections of memory meet the inadequacies of documentation”

 

For me sums up the games sub text if you like as a passion project for 70,000 people who could stand to be reminded of that, myself included of course.

 

What does a crowd funded sequel, another appeal to nostalgia wait to tell us? the same? anything?

 

I think it could also be argued that the theme had something to do with reincarnation, and the fact that what one person may perceive as an ending, could also be interpreted as the start of something new

[WorstUsernameEver]

 

Hi guys, 

We don’t want to be too intrusive with self-promotion, so I don’t want to create a new thread. As we've promised in the news about Pillars of Eternity II, here is our full interview with Feargus. Enjoy!

http://www.gamepressure.com/e.asp?ID=720

Thank god you didn't create a new thread because there was about 10 words relevant to POE 2 in that interview.

 

It's a very good interview, though. Props to verminus and their colleagues!

[Polyformist]

Very Good news

I will do my best to be part of the Crowd Funding if it surfaces!

[Voodoo]

I can't find the info about when the crowdfunding campain will start. Come on, take my money while I still have it :D

[demeisen]

I recently popped back onto the forums after a longish absence, and found some threads about PoE2.  This is just bloody fantastic news.  Borderline absurd really.

​

Provided the same deal holds: I can buy it on GOG with no DRM, then I will happily back a KS for 2 or 3 times the amount that I backed PoE1, which was more of an unknown quantity then.  I feel that while PoE1 was not a perfect game, Obsidian delivered solidly and exceeded what I hoped for as a fan of the genre.  The market for complex, character driven, dialog-heavy, tactical RTwP, 3rd person classic RPGs is quite niche, and after the early 2000's I thought we'd never see another one.  Everyone wants "action RPGs" without much to read.  I'm really happy we're getting new games in this style.  There are some other nicely done modern re-takes on this genre from other companies too, but PoE is the cream of the crop, IMHO.

​

​I also really have to throw my hat in with Glenjones130486's comment earlier in the thread: I'm REALLY happy with PoE1's art direction.  The art and graphics folks nailed it.  It's prettier than most games having massively larger budgets and art departments.  While obviously I want to explore new areas that feel like different parts of the world, I wouldn't at all mind strategic re-use of art assets to save development costs.  As a player I don't feel the need for new barrels, butterflies, wagon wheels, and pieces of cheese, let alone any major style overhaul.  It's about the prettiest game I can remember.  Just carry on, and it's all good .

​

​Anyway, thanks Obsidian peoples.  Sometimes internet forums get a little... infuriated by minutia.  Hopefully it's nice to hear there are a lot of us appreciate what you're doing.

​

Edited July 27, 2016 by demeisen

[Karkarov]

I wouldn't at all mind strategic re-use of art assets to save development costs.  As a player I don't feel the need for new barrels, butterflies, wagon wheels, and pieces of cheese, let alone any major style overhaul. 

Agreed.  You would be shocked how many art assets get reused in games which much bigger budgets too.  For example off the top of my head... in Dark Souls 2 many of the breakable objects pots, vases, barrels, etc actually used the same texture that was used in Dark Souls 1.

[anameforobsidian]

Jeff Vogel has a great post on this.  Basically reusing objects allowed his team to make 10 amazing RPGs (and a couple so-so ones).

[VahnXIII]

Jeff Vogel has a great post on this.  Basically reusing objects allowed his team to make 10 amazing RPGs (and a couple so-so ones).

Excellent read and I 100% agree with Jeff -- especially for the RPG genre. Once you've mastered an engine, don't change! Just make fantastic games with engaging stories and RP elements! 

 

It seems Obsidian is following that strategy with the Unity engine for Tyranny and POE2. Good for them.

 

Larian is doing the same thing with their engine as well for D:OS 2. 

 

It's good to be an iso RPG gamer these days.

[Karkarov]

Jeff Vogel has a great post on this.  Basically reusing objects allowed his team to make 10 amazing RPGs (and a couple so-so ones).

While I agree in spirit Vogel could REALLY use an engine upgrade.  He has been making games based on the same engine since before the infinity engine existed and it has not aged anything resembling well.

[bonarbill]

Jeff Vogel has a great post on this.  Basically reusing objects allowed his team to make 10 amazing RPGs (and a couple so-so ones).

 

In those 10 years, you think he could have at least learn how to improve the art style in addiction to using the same assets.  

 

Anyway, I don't mind Obsidian using the same assets for PoE.  Baldur's Gate 2 used a lot of enviromental assets from BG1 like caves, temples, and houses.  Obsidian can certainly do the same thing for Pillars 2 to save time and money.

Edited July 29, 2016 by bonarbill

[demeisen]

He has been making games based on the same engine since before the infinity engine existed and it has not aged anything resembling well.

 

 

I bought most of his games and have played through two.  Yeah... you don't really play Spiderweb's games for the visuals .  The first one I tried was pretty good for story, dialog, and writing, and OK for combat.  Graphics straight out of the early 90's.

[anameforobsidian]

 

Jeff Vogel has a great post on this.  Basically reusing objects allowed his team to make 10 amazing RPGs (and a couple so-so ones).

While I agree in spirit Vogel could REALLY use an engine upgrade.  He has been making games based on the same engine since before the infinity engine existed and it has not aged anything resembling well.

 

 

They're changing engines for the next game (after Avernum 3 remake).  (And they're 2 years younger than IE.)  But for many companies, the choice is between making beautiful new graphic games or expansive & well-written games.  I'm glad someone decided on the expansive & well-written side.

 

Anyway, back to topic.  I wouldn't mind games looking like this for 7 years.  Using an upgraded Unity for upgraded mods (and loading?) would be nice, and maybe they'll have to change to 4k eventually.  But for now I would rather see PE 2 with more in-game content than upgraded graphics.

Edited July 31, 2016 by anameforobsidian

[SkySlam]

Any news on PoE 2 development or release date? How much time are we talking about? Can we expect PoE one year from now or is it too soon?

I know Tyranny bosses the show lately, but I'd love to hear something about our beloved series.

Just starting my n-th playthrough of PoE and I realized that nothing has even come closer in the last decade of videogames.

I agree on the art direction being outstanding and the engine not needing any kind of upgrade.

 

I've read some disturbing ideas like "turning PoE into a Skyrym clone" or other aberration!

Please keep PoE like the first title: isometric, serious but with humor, atmospheric, 6-party-based with banter.

In one word, a masterpiece!

[Suen]

Weeell, they still need to officially announce Pillars of Eternity 2 - so in the meanwhile they can avoid all those pesky questions about the release.
You don't have to worry the game to be too much like Skyrim, Obsidian CEO Fergous Urquarth already clarified the main inspiration will be The Witcher 3.

Just kidding, nothing of the sort is planned for PoE2.

[Skie Nightfall]

Working on PoE2 isn't surprising news.

The fact it's going to go to crowdfunding is interesting though. Especially after Tyranny didn't. I don't mind though.

 

Going to hurt my pocket, since it's a title I'd probably want to go physical tier rewards, compared to my move to mostly owning digital nowadays

 

All I want it to be is in the same style and spirit of the first game. PoE is an amazing RPG ^^

Edited August 30, 2016 by Skie Nightfall

[FlintlockJazz]

Well, if they are going Kickstarter again then I hope they learned the important lessons: don't commit to things like 16-level dungeons and strongholds and don't listen to the demands of the backers (including me).