Josh Sawyer's tweets and teasers

[fiddlesticks]

Interesting... what exactly the Armor Rating is.

 

The replacement for DR, I would assume, given that Deadfire is moving to a penetration-based system.

[rjshae]

Josh gets very excited about 2d shadows: https://twitter.com/jesawyer/status/900537408348864512

 

I wonder, will shadows now move with the passage of time as the light source progresses across the sky?

[MaxQuest]

The replacement for DR, I would assume, given that Deadfire is moving to a penetration-based system.

Indeed it is, Josh described it partially here. 

And here is a bit more from Q&A transcripts:

 

Q: What is the reason behind penetration coefficient values of 30, 100 and 130? As players we like to have meaningful choices, but with such big difference, making sure we always have the required penetration is a no-brainer. [...] By the way, are these coefficient values additive or multiplicative?

JS: You don't know going into an encounter, necessarily, what all those penetration...I guess the thing is...I think you might be overthinking it. If you look at it from the perspective of Pillars of Eternity, creatures still had all sorts of different armor ratings on their armor, some of those would be very high, some very low. Some of them they'd be immune. And you had a lot of different options for how you want to deal with that. You can raise your own pen[etration], you can lower their armor, you can switch the weapon that you're using, or you can switch the target that you're attacking. There's a lot of different ways that you can actually address that, and that's going to be true in Pillars 2 as well.

The reason to go with those harsh values is to make it a less murky system, and something that's much more distinctive. Whether it actually winds up being 30, 100 and 130; or 50, 100 150; or 50, 100, 125; I don't know what the actual number at the end is going to be —

BN: It will change.

JS: It will probably change, but the point is that there's a very strong difference between matching pen and being below pen; whereas in Pillars sometimes if you were just above the minimum penetration it was still pretty bad up to a certain point, and then it scaled kind of oddly, and that's what we're trying to avoid. Especially against big attacks, like, "Hey, the dragon breathed on the party and it does a hundred billion points of damage". Well, the way the DR system works, it doesn't handle those large numbers very well. Which is why, for example, when I did my mod for Fallout: New Vegas I added in Damage Reduction as a percentage so it felt more valuable against those big attacks.

So, that's really the reason, to make those distinctions cleaner. But those numbers are probably going to change.

 

---

Q: Will Empower greatly increase Accuracy of crowd control abilities? How does Empower work?

JS: Empower has a number of different effects based on the type of spell. If a spell has multiple projectiles, empowering will add more projectiles to it; if it's a damaging spell it will increase damage and penetration; [...] 

 

 

I was curious if there is even more info on this. For example will some of headgear increase AR as well. What about shields? Spells? Will we have means to reduce enemy AR? (especially in AoE). Looking at the proposed % thresholds it looks like an experienced player will no longer have to choose between [low damage, high penetration] vs [high damage, low penetration] attacks, but rather will arrive to [high damage, just enough penetration] and will have x2-x3 dps (just from auto-attacks, or even more if smart usage of abilities is at hand) when compared to a new player.

Edited September 1, 2017 by MaxQuest

[CottonWolf]

That's probably close to true in PoE1 too though. Proper usage of per-encounters and the correct weapons for an enemies DR could give a giant relative boost there too if you knew what you were doing.

[DexGames]

ENJOY !

https://soundcloud.com/usgamernet/axe-of-the-blood-god-120-pillars-of-eternity-ii-deadfire-with-obsidians-josh-sawyer

 

PS : Starts around 18:40, Multiclassing, Companions Relationship, Ship Mechanics, Map (Size Hints), etc.

Edited September 2, 2017 by DexGames

[Osvir]

Transcript? Otherwise I'll just listen when I get home~

[Quillon]

Transcript? Otherwise I'll just listen when I get home~

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/obsidian-media-blitz-pillars-of-eternity-ii-and-tyranny-bastards-wound-interviews.118062/#post-5282244

 

Ha, Berserker confirmed as barb sub-class, Streetfighter as rogue subclass, Josh likes the combo

Streetfighter likes being flanked and benefits from getting bloodied, Barbs have Carnage, so it's synergistic

No restrictions on multiclassing companions, apart from starting class

Intra-party shenanigans sound cool, not designed top-down with a checklist (N romances, M friendships, E enmities...), but emerging from how the characters were written, Carrie Patel credited

Edér is your racist uncle LOL, you can attempt to steer conversations away from risky areas

Eric F. and Carrie P. mostly responsible for choice of returning characters -- Edér and Pallegina were kind of no-brainers, Aloth was a bit trickier.

Boat is "nothing revolutionary" -- idea borrowed from KOTORs and ME; the ship is something you go back to (but by the sound of it, it's pretty rad actually)

Lots of at-sea encounters -- reefs, whales, sea monsters, dilemmas with your crew and so on, play out differently depending on crew, stats, choices

There is a ship duelling system! Nice -- manoeuvring, sails, naval artillery, etc!

Crew development, multiple ships to choose from, you can switch from the Defiant to other ships you've acquired, you can customise them both cosmetically and mechanically -- which cannons to use, who mans your battle stations, you get trophies from defeating other ships

Your ship can get pretty devastating, so you can turn pirate, with reputation consequences with factions -- nothing to stop you from hunting ships all day long if you want to

Fallout 1/2/BB style main map, quest-content focused maps (references BG2); starting out "you see a very small part of a very large map," Josh wants to give the feeling of having areas with just ocean in every direction, and secret things to find, although you can just follow the crit path if you want to -- again very cool!

Focusing on encounter diversity and not having too many fights & filler content; using patrols to shake things up and provide stealth challenges, "it is actually okay if the content on the screen isn't a fight"

Lots of callbacks to choices made in P1 (e.g. meeting someone you dealt with... cites Tyranny and the way it referenced the prologue)

... and pause ...

Interesting, Josh says flat-out that he thinks the console version of P1 is a bad idea, "surprised" at the changes made to it in the process, says totally a Paradox project, with Obs only providing feedback

[smjjames]

I'd prefer a straight out transcript, but a summary is still nice.

 

No surprise Eder is 'your racist uncle', given his ignorantly racist ways. I wonder if having the orlan baby around or the watcher being orlan would change him.

[Enoch]

ENJOY !

https://soundcloud.com/usgamernet/axe-of-the-blood-god-120-pillars-of-eternity-ii-deadfire-with-obsidians-josh-sawyer

 

PS : Starts around 18:40, Multiclassing, Companions Relationship, Ship Mechanics, Map (Size Hints), etc.

The most interesting new information there is that Sawyer hasn't read Lord of Light.  (And that somebody, having been briefed on the story for Deadfire, immediately recommended it to him.)

 

Josh, you should read that book.  It's good.

Edited September 4, 2017 by Enoch

[Gromnir]

 

ENJOY !

https://soundcloud.com/usgamernet/axe-of-the-blood-god-120-pillars-of-eternity-ii-deadfire-with-obsidians-josh-sawyer

 

PS : Starts around 18:40, Multiclassing, Companions Relationship, Ship Mechanics, Map (Size Hints), etc.

The most interesting new information there is that Sawyer hasn't read Lord of Light.  (And that somebody, having been briefed on the story for Deadfire, immediately recommended it to him.)

 

Josh, you should read that book.  It's good.

 

one wonders if eothas is standing in for brahma/kali, nirriti, or perhaps even sam.

 

more than a few parallels 'tween the book and poe lore.  considering how involved josh is with the lore o' poe, am actual a bit surprised he hasn't read lord of light.

 

HA! Good Fun!

[Messier-31]

 

Streetfighter as rogue subclass

(...)

Edér is your racist uncle LOL

 

Streetfighter? Ryu or Ken? 

 

Oh, and this Edér being a racinst uncle thing... I always thought that being racist was the last thing one could say bout Edér, wtf?

[Boeroer]

Then you must've missed the parts where he speaks about orlans.

Edited September 4, 2017 by Boeroer

[smjjames]

He doesn't seem to actually hate Orlans though, and gives no reaction to the watcher being Orlan if that's the case.

 

I wonder how that'll play out in PoE2, if the watcher is Orlan.

Edited September 4, 2017 by smjjames

[JerekKruger]

Yeah, it's a sort of casual ignorant racism rather than malicious racism.

[Gromnir]

Yeah, it's a sort of casual ignorant racism rather than malicious racism.

 

so sorta robert e. lee racism v. nathan bedford forrest racism? 

 

HA! Good Fun!

[injurai]

Eder has the "You gotta admit though, those Wild Orlan stereotypes exist for a reason" type of prejudice.

[algroth]

Case in point, minute 4:58:

 

[injurai]

I'm not sure how much Eder is outright racist. More he sees divisions in how kith behave and has strong feelings on the matter. He himself is torn. On one hand his roots are in simple noble farming, but he sees how backwards the world he came from was, and further he realizes if it wasn't for for certain events his eyes would never have been opened. On the other hand he sees great immorality abroad and isn't too fond of shakers and movers for they're affairs too closely resemble that of the gods. He's got a natural guard up. In that clip he's further citing an old saying from where he came from, so you can tell he's just sort of miming something that he hasn't thought too much about. His journey with the watcher is really the first time he's embarked away from his roots, so his ignorance is fully on display.

 

Eder as a Dyrwoodian was in natural contention with the Glanfathans and would have naturally heard the stories from his own people's perspective. If you further look up the Glanfathan's virtues and vices they mostly seem in opposition to Eder's disposition. As a man who comes from a world of men shaving, he probably thought he was finding solidarity with Hiravias on civilized values. But having a clean face I believe is more genetic for Orlans, and further it's not like people choose where they come from. Clean faced Orlan's have probably just had an easier time integrating as opposed to Wild Orlans. But there is absolutely truth that the Hearth Orlans have deliberately chosen to form permanent settlements and have done more civilization building. Overall Eder made a naive faux pas, but it seems clear that Eder wants to grow past his prejudices, which is what I think actually defines Eder and his character. His fallibility and humility towards it is part of what makes him so likable. Which is a refreshing break from a lot of modern characters that have a lot of above it all writing to them.

[smjjames]

Theres even some prejudice among Orlans between the Hearth and Wild Orlans (some of it may be cultural friction), as Hiravias attests to from his own experience. Though being a runt certainly didn't help.

 

And yeah, Eder contrasts to some other figures in Defiance Bay and in Stalwart in that those seem to be downright irritated at Orlans, almost hostile. So, it'll be interesting how that all plays out in Eders character growth.

[Messier-31]

Then you must've missed the parts where he speaks about orlans.

 

"Face of hair best beware" thing? Sure that's snarky, but a looong way to be full-blown racist.

[Wormerine]

Racism is racial prejudice. Yes, it can be hateful and aggressive but essentially when someone judges other people based on their race (for good or bad) he is a racist. Eder is very racist but he is not hateful. Trying to pet Orleans also shows that he thinks of them more like of animals than kith.

[Enoch]

 

 

ENJOY !

https://soundcloud.com/usgamernet/axe-of-the-blood-god-120-pillars-of-eternity-ii-deadfire-with-obsidians-josh-sawyer

 

PS : Starts around 18:40, Multiclassing, Companions Relationship, Ship Mechanics, Map (Size Hints), etc.

The most interesting new information there is that Sawyer hasn't read Lord of Light.  (And that somebody, having been briefed on the story for Deadfire, immediately recommended it to him.)

 

Josh, you should read that book.  It's good.

 

one wonders if eothas is standing in for brahma/kali, nirriti, or perhaps even sam.

 

more than a few parallels 'tween the book and poe lore.  considering how involved josh is with the lore o' poe, am actual a bit surprised he hasn't read lord of light.

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

Eothas as Sam would work.  Member of the supernaturally 'elect' commits apostasy, is exiled, returns, then wages war to tear down the supposed "godhood" of his former cohorts? That last part could easily be the plot to Deadfire. 

 

I guess that would make the PC ... Tak?  (Well, someone who can decide to assume that role, among others.)

Edited September 5, 2017 by Enoch

[Gromnir]

 

 

 

ENJOY !

https://soundcloud.com/usgamernet/axe-of-the-blood-god-120-pillars-of-eternity-ii-deadfire-with-obsidians-josh-sawyer

 

PS : Starts around 18:40, Multiclassing, Companions Relationship, Ship Mechanics, Map (Size Hints), etc.

The most interesting new information there is that Sawyer hasn't read Lord of Light.  (And that somebody, having been briefed on the story for Deadfire, immediately recommended it to him.)

 

Josh, you should read that book.  It's good.

 

one wonders if eothas is standing in for brahma/kali, nirriti, or perhaps even sam.

 

more than a few parallels 'tween the book and poe lore.  considering how involved josh is with the lore o' poe, am actual a bit surprised he hasn't read lord of light.

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

Eothas as Sam would work.  Member of the supernaturally 'elect' commits apostasy, is exiled, returns, then wages war to tear down the supposed "godhood" of his former cohorts? That last part could easily be the plot to Deadfire. 

 

I guess that would make the PC ... Tak?  (Well, someone who can decide to assume that role, among others.)

 

tough to get specific w/o spoilers, but am admitted not yet convinced eothas is eothas.  woedica has more than a few parallels with nirriti, and it is doubtful the obsidians is done with her as The Adversary. 

 

is infinite ways to go with deadfire, particular as we do not expect obsidian to intentional borrow too much from zelazny's lord of light or simmon's ilium/olympos... and josh apparent ain't aware o' how much poe already took inspiration from the aforementioned. 

 

regardless, given how important josh thought a working knowledge o' star wars lore were for kotor2, and aliens/predator lore were for obsidian's cancelled alien game, am a tiny bit curious he ain't bothered to read lord of light. one would expect a cursory reading o' zelazny's novel if only to avoid the appearance o' over reliance on inspirational material. 

 

HA! Good Fun!

[draego]

Not sure if this was posted. From Josh on somethingawful forums

 

 

Every class has a base version and at least 3 subclasses with bonuses and penalties. Priests, paladins, and wizards have more than 3. Priests and paladins have the number needed to support the gods and orders from Pillars 1 and wizards have school specialists that are lower impact than most other subclasses.

 

I didnt realize wizards would have more than 3.

Edited September 6, 2017 by draego

[rjshae]

I wonder, will there be a shamanistic subclass? Perhaps a hedge wizard subclass?