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Eternity Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire Pre-Release Thread [BETA RELEASED, GO TO NEW THREAD]

Prime Junta

Guest
Bible_beat2.jpg
 

Lacrymas

Arcane
Joined
Sep 23, 2015
Messages
17,949
Pathfinder: Wrath
Cool SFX actually, I hope they don't go overboard and turn them into a JRPG color vomit that obscures everything and feels overcompensatory. It's already starting to look like a neon lights fest. Or at least have the option to tone them down.
 

Maculo

Arcane
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Messages
2,533
Strap Yourselves In Pathfinder: Wrath
I can't believe this thread is already nearly 300 pages; after the travesty that was PoE how can people still be vested in this?? Esp as Sawyer is again involved???
The answer is the White March expansion. It was what the base game should have been in my opinion. It actually had a narrative that utilized the Watcher abilities and the changes allowed for more character builds and styles.

Granted, the game still has plenty of flaws, but the recent interviews from Obsidian make me hopeful. Now, compare that with InXile and TToN.
 

Andhaira

Arcane
Joined
Nov 25, 2007
Messages
1,868,966
I can't believe this thread is already nearly 300 pages; after the travesty that was PoE how can people still be vested in this?? Esp as Sawyer is again involved???
The answer is the White March expansion. It was what the base game should have been in my opinion. It actually had a narrative that utilized the Watcher abilities and the changes allowed for more character builds and styles.

Granted, the game still has plenty of flaws, but the recent interviews from Obsidian make me hopeful. Now, compare that with InXile and TToN.

Ok I keep hearing this but no one can actually explain why an expanion that adds a couple of hours somehow suddenly changes the entire game for the better.

Does it get rid of lore dumps, retarded backer prose, fix the combat system, etc? Does Strength still add to magic spell damage?
 

Merlkir

Arcane
Developer
Joined
Oct 12, 2008
Messages
1,216
I can't believe this thread is already nearly 300 pages; after the travesty that was PoE how can people still be vested in this?? Esp as Sawyer is again involved???

Does it get rid of lore dumps, retarded backer prose, fix the combat system, etc? Does Strength still add to magic spell damage?

Somewhat, yes, mostly. There's no "strength", but Might still increases spell damage.
 

Rev

Arcane
Joined
Feb 13, 2016
Messages
1,180
Ok I keep hearing this but no one can actually explain why an expanion that adds a couple of hours somehow suddenly changes the entire game for the better.

Does it get rid of lore dumps, retarded backer prose, fix the combat system, etc? Does Strength still add to magic spell damage?
Because the expansion has a way better area design, with more "open" maps in which you can choose your approach to the quests, encounter design is better too, there are some more challenging enemies (mostly optional), there's some variety between fights, enemy composition also changes a lot from base game where you mostly fought groups of fighters, rogue and wizards, while in the exp you also have to face chanters, monks and other builds more often.
White March Part 2 also has a nice story, with some interesting new pieces of lore, some good dialogues and characters.
And there's more reactivity in the expansions compared to the OC, what you do can have a consequence on the other main quests later and also effects the new Fortress quest introduced with 3.0 patch.
 

GloomFrost

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993
Location
Northern wastes
I can't believe this thread is already nearly 300 pages; after the travesty that was PoE how can people still be vested in this?? Esp as Sawyer is again involved???
The answer is the White March expansion. It was what the base game should have been in my opinion. It actually had a narrative that utilized the Watcher abilities and the changes allowed for more character builds and styles.

Granted, the game still has plenty of flaws, but the recent interviews from Obsidian make me hopeful. Now, compare that with InXile and TToN.

Ok I keep hearing this but no one can actually explain why an expanion that adds a couple of hours somehow suddenly changes the entire game for the better.

Does it get rid of lore dumps, retarded backer prose, fix the combat system, etc? Does Strength still add to magic spell damage?
-It doesnt add just "couple of hours". More like couple of dozens of hours. Ads 3 new companions, extra content for the Stronghold and increases the level cup by 4 including new spells, feats, abilities etc.
-It expands the lore.
-There are no "backer NPC.s" ( OMG I cant believe that years after the release someone still doesn't know that its not necessary to even click on them)
-The combat system is a lot better then then it was in the initial release. MW also ads some nicely designed dungeons, quite challenging encounters, new enemies, weapons areas etc.
Also no one ever said that it "changes the entire game". It just adds a lot more content and makes a bit more polished.
 
Joined
Jan 17, 2015
Messages
781
I can't believe this thread is already nearly 300 pages; after the travesty that was PoE how can people still be vested in this?? Esp as Sawyer is again involved???

Sensuki Talk some sense into these 'tards

Even though I didn't like PoE much when I first played it, the more I did the more I liked it and now I am sort of expecting some good to great things from Deadfire.

This must be some kind of Stockholm syndrome.
 

Prime Junta

Guest
FWIW I'm prepared to hate the changes Josh has made to the systems. By 3.0 they were really good, and not just good in a designery kind of way, but in the "fun" way. Some things were broken, in cool, accidental, and exploitable ways, but not so much it totally ruined everything.

From the sound of it, this sounds like going from an Alfa Romeo to a Camry. Which would be nice if all I cared about was reliable, reasonably comfortable transport at a moderate price, but that's not why I play games damnit. It's not even how I chose my car FFS.
 

Andhaira

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-The combat system is a lot better then then it was in the initial release. MW also ads some nicely designed dungeons, quite challenging encounters, new enemies, weapons areas etc.
Also no one ever said that it "changes the entire game". It just adds a lot more content and makes a bit more polished.

Ok could you go into this? How does it change the combat system for the better, because I really don't see an expansion overhauling the entire combat system for the entire game and that's the only way to make it better. The base flaw of the system, IMO is that Obsidian never really seemed to understand why characters could never run in the IE games; running straight into the enemy during melee is one of the main things that breaks the PoE system and makes it unfun.

edit: Also doesn't the expansion with it's new levels make your party over-leveled for the main questline?
 

Sannom

Augur
Joined
Apr 11, 2010
Messages
944
The base flaw of the system, IMO is that Obsidian never really seemed to understand why characters could never run in the IE games; running straight into the enemy during melee is one of the main things that breaks the PoE system and makes it unfun.
They can't run in PoE either.
 

Lacrymas

Arcane
Joined
Sep 23, 2015
Messages
17,949
Pathfinder: Wrath
Yeah, because haste didn't exist in the IE games. Not to mention the lack of AoOs. The ridiculous engagement mechanic prevents blindly beelining the enemy's backline anyway.
 

Sizzle

Arcane
Joined
Feb 17, 2012
Messages
2,471
edit: Also doesn't the expansion with it's new levels make your party over-leveled for the main questline?

Yes. But then again - if you did all the quests in the base game, you would also invariably be over leveled at the end of the game no matter what, so it's not like they messed this up with TWM :D
 

Lacrymas

Arcane
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Messages
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Pathfinder: Wrath
PoE's endgame is fucked either way. All its problems culminated there even in 1.0.
 

Quillon

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Joined
Dec 15, 2016
Messages
5,214
edit: Also doesn't the expansion with it's new levels make your party over-leveled for the main questline?

Yes. But then again - if you did all the quests in the base game, you would also invariably be over leveled at the end of the game no matter what, so it's not like they messed this up with TWM :D

There is also optional level scaling if you're high level.

I'm replaying the whole game to put aside a save atm; played through act 1&2 and am currently in WM & I wanna go back in the game and play it more which I haven't felt during act1&2. Deadfire being at least WM level good should be enough, but with all the improvements, engine/graphs/sublasses/multiclassing etc etc. it should be even better. Deadfire will be GOTY 2018 :P
 

Maculo

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Messages
2,533
Strap Yourselves In Pathfinder: Wrath
Ok I keep hearing this but no one can actually explain why an expanion that adds a couple of hours somehow suddenly changes the entire game for the better.

Does it get rid of lore dumps, retarded backer prose, fix the combat system, etc? Does Strength still add to magic spell damage?
I can understand, but it is hard to account for all of the differences. In my mind, the White March brought three (3) things: a better story; better encounter design; and gameplay improvements.

1. Narrative-wise, you have a decent hook relative to the main story (although I did come to like Thaos). There is an abandoned dwarven fortress with prized steel and secrets that you have to crack open (either to save the town, or for your own reasons). Unlike the base game, being a Watcher is critical, because you have to use your Watcher abilities to find someone who lived in the fortress in a past life. Moreover, the ability to see ghosts helps to piece together what happened to the dwarves. You get to see their frantic last stand against an unknown enemy. Later in the story, you have choices and faction interactions that actually effect something (abilities, weapons).

It is just better, and I do not know how to articulate it much more than that.

2. Encounter design is simply better. In the base game, you repetitively grind through the same set of mobs over and over again. In the White March, the enemies have more key abilities and unique fights. Take the Spore Mind fight as an example. The main enemy is a giant, mind-controlling spore with 4-6 tendrils that each throw a boulder at your group. In addition, there is a line of Sporemen with confuse and Vithrak with teleportation, AoE paralyze, and dominate. If you fail to prepare against confusion, mind domination, paralyze, and teleporting melee fighters, your party can get eaten alive quite easily. Meanwhile, the tendrils will continue to throw boulders that can KO squishy party members and whittle down your party. Another example is the twin dragon fight (at least, what I call it since I cannot remember the mage). You have to fight an archmage, two (2) dragons, and a host of lizardmen (Xaurips?). The mage casts a spell where you cannot tell how damaged your party is, alongside whatever high level abilities she has. Each dragon fights differently if I remember correctly, and the Xaurips will flank your party from nearly all sides.

These fights were far more exciting than anything in the base game, especially on PotD.

3. The White March brought more talents, abilities, soul bound weapons (a special class of weapon that gets stronger when you fulfill certain objectives), and some class improvements. In contrast, the base game itemization was dull, and the White March brought a much needed boost to the items. I had a Priest of Eothas wielding the Hammer of Abydon (two handed soulbound hammer that provides magic abilities, +4 might, chance to instant kill vessels), a skull as a helmet, the Ogre horn (summons 2 Ogres), plus more ( max might and intellect priest can melt most encounters). PrimeJunta probably has a better grasp on this point than I.

In sum, I enjoyed the White March, and if the White March is the base from which Obsidian creates PoE 2, then I can see myself enjoying PoE 2.
 
Last edited:

Sizzle

Arcane
Joined
Feb 17, 2012
Messages
2,471
Also, I'd like to add that TWM has many encounters that are comparable (i.e. - they actually had some thought put into them) to the bounties from the base game.

PoE has a pretty interesting and versatile character and combat system, that allows for many different builds. What generally brought the game down were trash mobs that all played out the same, but like Maculo said, TWM is a lot more fun and varied in that regard. And, like he mentioned, they brought a lot of much-needed improvements to items and character abilities.

Playing a mage is still more fun in BG2 (because of a greater selection of various OP spells) than it is in PoE, but apart from that - almost any other class in PoE is more unique, plays differently and is more customizable than their counterparts from the IE games.
 

Prime Junta

Guest
Playing a mage is still more fun in BG2 (because of a greater selection of various OP spells) than it is in PoE

For me the thing about BG2 mages isn't the OP spells, but the sheer range of effects you can do with them. Applies to BG2 casters in general. Finding synergies and abusing them is fun.

The Pillars magic system is pretty flat by comparison -- you combine status effects and hit vulnerable defences, but that's about it. There's nothing comparable to Wizard Eye, Glitterdust, or even Invisibility there.
 

FreeKaner

Prophet of the Dumpsterfire
Joined
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Messages
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Devlet-i ʿAlīye-i ʿErdogānīye
Playing a mage is still more fun in BG2 (because of a greater selection of various OP spells) than it is in PoE

For me the thing about BG2 mages isn't the OP spells, but the sheer range of effects you can do with them. Applies to BG2 casters in general. Finding synergies and abusing them is fun.

The Pillars magic system is pretty flat by comparison -- you combine status effects and hit vulnerable defences, but that's about it. There's nothing comparable to Wizard Eye, Glitterdust, or even Invisibility there.

Pull of Eora leads to interesting combos, actually.
 

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