Josh Sawyer's tweets and teasers, part 2

[Aramintai]

I don't see why it is a surprise to anyone that people don't like playing as dwarves or support classes.

Quite often when people are playing a game they make a character that realizes their unachievable fantasies in reality - a cooler person, someone to aspire to, or simply someone with more beautiful looks. Someone who is your typical hero from movies and books - who smashes baddies with confidence and style. 

 

Short, hairy and plump races such as dwarves, halflings, orlans, etc. don't fit into those typical fantasies, neither are non-damage focused classes.

 

Of course, some people are making characters with these races or classes, but more often than not it it's just for lulz or because of some racial bonuses or other somesuch game mechanic.

 

I fully fall into that typical boring crowd as I like to play as elves, half-elves or plain humans who are mages/rogues/fighters. Though I've no preference when it comes to their gender, sometimes it's more fun and feels more natural to play as a guy in some games, sometimes as a girl.

[Madscientist]

Regarding races, I select my char because of stats and skills.

I did use a dwarf as main char ( lots of might + acc bonus against 2 enemy types ).

 

I can understand that many players want to be a char who beats the hell out of enemies instead of being a supporter for other chars. You are the main character after all.

While the NWN2 char I have posted before does support the party a lot, she was also a very powerful fighter herself. At least after a minute of buffing with persistent spells (or those who have a long duration by themselves).

[Olauron Mor-Galad]

Here are all the Companion and Sidekick multiclass options. 

 

Sweet that Pallegina gets Herald and Crusader options.

 

Edit:  Subclasses not included, with the exception of Fassina (whose Conjurer subclass is probably mentioned because he revealed that in a different post earlier today).  We already know that all the new-in-Deadfire companions have at least 1 unique subclass, but they're not mentioned here.

 

Edit2:  Seemed significant enough for its own thread, so I made one. 

So Eder can become a high-ranking Eothasian at the end of the PoE and can't multiclass as a priest of Eothas in Deadfire? Weird.

[DexGames]

Josh on Difficulty Recommendation :

https://jesawyer.tumblr.com/post/171135042801/if-someone-enjoys-poe1-most-on-potd-difficulty

[Juodas Varnas]

 

Here are all the Companion and Sidekick multiclass options. 

 

Sweet that Pallegina gets Herald and Crusader options.

 

Edit:  Subclasses not included, with the exception of Fassina (whose Conjurer subclass is probably mentioned because he revealed that in a different post earlier today).  We already know that all the new-in-Deadfire companions have at least 1 unique subclass, but they're not mentioned here.

 

Edit2:  Seemed significant enough for its own thread, so I made one. 

So Eder can become a high-ranking Eothasian at the end of the PoE and can't multiclass as a priest of Eothas in Deadfire? Weird.

 

Not every single religious person is a priest.

[CottonWolf]

 

 

Here are all the Companion and Sidekick multiclass options. 

 

Sweet that Pallegina gets Herald and Crusader options.

 

Edit:  Subclasses not included, with the exception of Fassina (whose Conjurer subclass is probably mentioned because he revealed that in a different post earlier today).  We already know that all the new-in-Deadfire companions have at least 1 unique subclass, but they're not mentioned here.

 

Edit2:  Seemed significant enough for its own thread, so I made one. 

So Eder can become a high-ranking Eothasian at the end of the PoE and can't multiclass as a priest of Eothas in Deadfire? Weird.

 

Not every single religious person is a priest.

 

Potentially even the MC, as there's a clergy background which doesn't require playing a priest.

[Wormerine]

https://mobile.twitter.com/jesawyer/status/966445724731764736

 

Orlan baby I presume. I am tempted now to corrupt my save import by distorting reality a bit.

[Nanawatzin]

https://mobile.twitter.com/jesawyer/status/966445724731764736

 

Orlan baby I presume. I am tempted now to corrupt my save import by distorting reality a bit.

 

Yeap, Vela is the orlan girl. I was kidnapping her since the beginning. xD

[Silent Winter]

I don't see why it is a surprise to anyone that people don't like playing as dwarves or support classes.

Quite often when people are playing a game they make a character that realizes their unachievable fantasies in reality - a cooler person, someone to aspire to, or simply someone with more beautiful looks. Someone who is your typical hero from movies and books - who smashes baddies with confidence and style. 

 

Short, hairy and plump races such as dwarves, halflings, orlans, etc. don't fit into those typical fantasies, neither are non-damage focused classes.

 

Of course, some people are making characters with these races or classes, but more often than not it it's just for lulz or because of some racial bonuses or other somesuch game mechanic.

Side-note, in NWN2 my 2nd character was a halfling sorceress (so halfing and female - granted sorcerer was a powerful class to play).  Not chosen for lulz or mechanics, just because that's what character popped into my head.

I must be weird.

 

First playthrough is usually human or half-elf (if available) and magic-user of some kind (except NWN2 where it was Ranger/Rogue multiclass focused on Ranger)

[Messier-31]

https://mobile.twitter.com/jesawyer/status/966445724731764736

 

Orlan baby I presume. I am tempted now to corrupt my save import by distorting reality a bit.

 

Myieesss, that was a good decision.

 

You should be able to do just that in the Deadfire beginning.

Edited February 22, 2018 by Messier-31

[DexGames]

Justin Bell's Music sneak peak :

https://twitter.com/sonic_presence/status/966525156532224001

 

EDIT : Neketaka - Temple District Song

Edited February 22, 2018 by DexGames

[Wormerine]

Confirmed:
https://twitter.com/jesawyer/status/966481109021175811

Gunpowder barrels will go BOOOOM! when shot with a gun. 

[Juodas Varnas]

 

https://mobile.twitter.com/jesawyer/status/966445724731764736

 

Orlan baby I presume. I am tempted now to corrupt my save import by distorting reality a bit.

 

Myieesss, that was a good decision.

 

You should be able to do just that in the Deadfire beginning.

 

Heck!

I might have to replay the last few hours of my playthrough and kidnap the baby!

 

I hope Grieving Mother won't be too mad.

[algroth]

 

Justin Bell's Music sneak peak :

https://twitter.com/sonic_presence/status/966525156532224001

 

EDIT : Neketaka - Temple District Song

 

 

I'd like to hear more before I can give an opinion obviously, but there's something about the timbre in the leading melody right there which to my ears sounds very artificial, more like a keyboard violin sample than an actual string section. I did get the same feeling from some of the tracks in the first Pillars and needless to say, those were on a level way beneath the actual orchestrated tracks, so here's hoping I'm just wrong and it's simply part of a WIP and/or a wrong impression caused by both the brevity of the clip and the capture device.

[Dant3]

Heck!

 

I might have to replay the last few hours of my playthrough and kidnap the baby!

 

I hope Grieving Mother won't be too mad.

 

 

IIRC I managed to kidnap the baby with her in the party without any issue, I think she gets mad only if you decide to

make a smoothie out of her for that guy that gives you the quest

 

 

Pallegina did facepalm when I said that I'd keep the baby, tho.

 

Edited February 22, 2018 by Artemis Leonhart

[Gromnir]

already noted why am not gonna play a human, but just for sake o' full disclosure, am likely gonna go orlan or dwarf for our main.  orlan appears to have intriguing dialogue options with all the prejudice and bigotry directed their way, and the resolve afflictions is quite debilitating.  hearth orlan crit chance boost will also be keen depending, but such a benefit is more build dependant. and speaking o' build dependent, if we do not play a templar for firstest run, then chances are we play a contemplative.  am much enjoying _______/helwalker contemplative. unfortunate, helwalkers will suffer damage spikes. helwalker damage increase means our contemplatives frequent suffer big damage.  last thing we want is for our contemplative to be unable to receive heals considering how managing health is so vital to a helwalker gameplay.  mountain dwarf, with resistance to sickened and weakened, is a foregone conclusion for Gromnir's contemplatives.  similar dwarf logic applies to a few o' our barbarian builds which rely 'pon frenzy.  

 

orlan or dwarf, but no human for early runs 'cause human racial is meh.

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

ps: (late edit, but too short for a new post) am also liking coastal aumaua racial trait, but am using most for our tanks.

Edited February 22, 2018 by Gromnir

[FlintlockJazz]

Regarding support characters not being popular, I find that it tends to rely upon the type of game.  If you are playing a game where you have just one character you control then they tend to be more popular I find particularly in group games or actual tabletop roleplay games where you'll have one guy be the healer because they like helping others more and may not be that interested in the actual combat, playing the more non-violent role.  In Pillars and other party based games where you control all the characters then you'll be controlling both the healers and combat characters anyway so there is no avoiding focusing on combat anyway. 

 

Also consider how formations usually puts the party leader at the front with how most players prefer to keep their custom character in the leader slot because they want to play "their" character rather than an NPC they have picked up.  In a multiplayer game you won't mind hiding at the back because you are still playing "your" character and the guys in front of you are other players anyway, in a singleplayer party game moving your character to the back kinda feels like you are no longer directly playing your character.  This kinda encourages players to build more front-line focused characters to avoid doing this.  Now also consider the effect that most of these games also require the social skills to be held by the main character if they are going to be used in conversation, this causes a lot of people to give their character social skills they wouldn't normally take as they don't like to miss stuff.  In a way, Pillars and Baldur's Gate encourages certain character types over others for the main character. 

 

This is just my observation though and I make no claims to the scientific validity of anything I have posted.

[hilfazer]

Confirmed:

https://twitter.com/jesawyer/status/966481109021175811

 

Gunpowder barrels will go BOOOOM! when shot with a gun. 

 

Nice. Now something for xbows/arbalests. For balance.

[thelee]

Regarding support characters not being popular, I find that it tends to rely upon the type of game.  If you are playing a game where you have just one character you control then they tend to be more popular I find particularly in group games or actual tabletop roleplay games where you'll have one guy be the healer because they like helping others more and may not be that interested in the actual combat, playing the more non-violent role.  In Pillars and other party based games where you control all the characters then you'll be controlling both the healers and combat characters anyway so there is no avoiding focusing on combat anyway. 

 

Also consider how formations usually puts the party leader at the front with how most players prefer to keep their custom character in the leader slot because they want to play "their" character rather than an NPC they have picked up.  In a multiplayer game you won't mind hiding at the back because you are still playing "your" character and the guys in front of you are other players anyway, in a singleplayer party game moving your character to the back kinda feels like you are no longer directly playing your character.  This kinda encourages players to build more front-line focused characters to avoid doing this.  Now also consider the effect that most of these games also require the social skills to be held by the main character if they are going to be used in conversation, this causes a lot of people to give their character social skills they wouldn't normally take as they don't like to miss stuff.  In a way, Pillars and Baldur's Gate encourages certain character types over others for the main character. 

 

This is just my observation though and I make no claims to the scientific validity of anything I have posted.

 

Kind of +1. I used to always make my CHARNAME a wizard-type (occasionally branching out to be a cipher/rogue-type), until I went back and played World of Warcraft for a while. To do something different, I rolled a support/healer shaman, and I ended up loving the experience so much I rolled a healer druid, too. Since then my CHARNAMES in poe have mostly been priests (current count of run-throughs: 2x wael, 2x berath, 1x magran, 1x skaen).

 

I think in party-games "support" take to mean "incidental" so people are reluctant to make their CHARNAME a support class. Whereas at least for me in WoW, while support role is not necessarily for everyone, it can tickle the right type of person's fancy to be critical for a fight in a way that isn't about taking down enemies or the opposing team but on saving your friends' lives.

 

EDIT: that being said, if obsidian is interested in boosting the # of people rolling support classes (not that it really matters), they could just stop providing support NPCs. I have to imagine that back in the ol' Baldur's Gate/2 days very few people rolled a thief because the game gave you like a bajillion thief-y NPCs, some of them better than you could ever hope to be (thinking of Jan and all his special items). Same thing with wizards (Edwin would just pwn a CHARNAME wizard with his extra spellcasting, both in BG and BG2).

Edited February 22, 2018 by thelee

[Enoch]

Josh had a number of Pillars 1 import/world-state tweets tonight, with some screenshots of the interface for world-state creation.  Unfortunately, he didn't thread the tweets, so I'm just going to link each individual one with comments where particularly interesting.

 

"the only save game you can import for deadfire is an endgame save. however, if you don't want to import an endgame save, you will be able to select from one of several pre-made story states or set your own variables and save them out."

 

Tweet with some screenshots of the categories in which you'll be asked to set variables if you create a bespoke world-state within Deadfire.

 

A clear statement of the options for a new game, and a tweet to the effect that saves can't be edited.  (Nothing new here, IIRC.)

 

Selection screen for the pre-created world-states.  ("Keeper of Secrets" sounds interesting.  I assume that's the anti-Animancy approach?)

 

No special rewards for save import.  Also, Josh being cheeky.

 

"Everything Bad is legitimately awful. it assumes all of your companions died, you screwed up everything that could be screwed up, and you made vows to every god + violated every one of them."

 

"reminder that if you got eder, aloth, or pallegina killed in pillars 1 (or never recruited them) and import that save, they *will not* appear in your deadfire playthrough!"

 

Edit:  something went wacky with my links.  Trying to fix.

 

Edit 2:  I think that should do it.

Edited February 23, 2018 by Enoch

[Enoch]

And one more while I was doing all that:

 

"there are a small number of variables that are not set in the manual state interface, i.e. they only come over from a save game. however, it is genuinely a small number and only for minor reactivity."

[virgi26]

i wonder if i can choose whether i've saved adra dragon's life or nor, and if it's even metter. Or other optional super bosses, like arch mages.

[Messier-31]

i wonder if i can choose whether i've saved adra dragon's life or nor, and if it's even metter. Or other optional super bosses, like arch mages.

 

I'm pretty sure that adra dragon will be there, because if saved she is seen (as Faloenred) boarding a ship in New Heomar. What better way to see consequences of this if not in the most "shipy" game yet? Or, maybe the devs are keeping her as a long term consequence for the third part (doubt that)!

[Sedrefilos]

 

i wonder if i can choose whether i've saved adra dragon's life or nor, and if it's even metter. Or other optional super bosses, like arch mages.

 

I'm pretty sure that adra dragon will be there, because if saved she is seen (as Faloenred) boarding a ship in New Heomar. What better way to see consequences of this if not in the most "shipy" game yet? Or, maybe the devs are keeping her as a long term consequence for the third part (doubt that)!

 

Of all the encounters in the first game, meeting the Adra Dragon again is what I'm mostly looking forward to.

[Wormerine]

Killed adra dragon, didn’t kidnap the baby, made Aloth repress Iselmyr. Not being able to modify imported save, means I will stick with my choices. Good. Will have a strong motivation for subsequent playthroughs.