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Game News Pillars of Eternity II Fig Update #24: State of the Project

Infinitron

I post news
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Codex Year of the Donut Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
Tags: Obsidian Entertainment; Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

Pillars of Eternity II recently began a new pre-alpha production milestone. Accordingly, today's weekly Fig update is a Harebrained Schemes-style status report on the current state of the game across all aspects of its development:

Area Design


We began several new areas that are critical to the storyline of Pillars II, and they are coming along nicely so far. Quests, blockouts, and dialogues for areas are being developed and reviewed before being passed to the environment artists to make the area.

Environment Art


Our environment artists are hard at work completing first and second art passes of areas in Pillars II. A lot of these are areas that are critical to the storyline, so they put a lot of hard work into getting these sections to look perfect. From that blockout you saw above, the artist does a first pass, transforming the area into a playable level with no lighting or VFX. After receiving feedback from our lead artists, the environment artist does a final pass, lighting, and passes it to VFX.

We will be posting an area update in the near future. In that update, we'll go into detail about how the area designers and environment artists work together to make the levels of Pillars II.

Systems Design


The systems designers are working on finishing the design and implementing the abilities of a few creatures in Pillars II. These designs include a creature's weaknesses and strengths, what abilities they possess, and how the creature should behave. In addition to creatures, design is continuing to make improvements to the subclass and multiclassing systems.

Animation


Our animators are hard at work creating new and unique animations for creatures. Some of our animals now have attack animations and fidgets, including wolves and boars. In addition to animal animations, weapon animations are well underway. We'll post an update in the near future with more about the animation process; there are so many cool animations we want to share that we think it deserves its own post.

Character Art


The character artists have been working on base armor sets for both male and female characters, which are looking great.

Narrative


The narrative designers are working on faction questlines for this milestone, and are ensuring that we provide a level of detail in quests that gives more insight into the culture and personality of each faction. Our writers are also working on dialogues for quests and further developing the history of factions.

Programming


Programming is focused on a variety of functionality for this milestone. Firstly, they are identifying key areas that can cause longer load times and fixing these so they no longer interfere. Load times have already been decreased by a great deal, and optimization will continue as we progress with development. Second, the programmers are continuing to add support for status effects and abilities. Lastly, a few systems have been refactored to allow improved functionality for animal companions and primary attacks.

VFX


VFX is continuing to work on effects passes for areas and making our levels even more beautiful than before. Glowing lights, particles, and objects swaying in the wind make a huge difference for an area. We can't wait to show you the comparison between Pillars II and the first Pillars. In addition to areas, ability VFX are looking pretty great. We'll share some of these with you in a later update.

Audio


Audio is working on adding sounds to maps. A typical audio pass for an area includes placing ambiances and emitters for the general atmosphere of the area, painting footstep maps, and ensuring that audio is implemented for doors, containers, and traps. Whether a map is supposed to feel ominous, peaceful, or anything in-between, these audio passes really bring life to an area and convey emotions that an otherwise silent area could not do.
As of today, Deadfire has gathered $4.57M, with 35 days left on the extended crowdfunding period. The update says the backer portal will be up in the next 2-3 days, but I think they're going to need to show something impressive to have a chance of hitting any more stretch goals.
 

oldmanpaco

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When is this supposed to be released? Thought I heard beginning of 2018 but that seems too soon.
 

Ruzen

Savant
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Well, this time they won't bother building an engine from ground. Even delay happens, I don't believe the game can be delayed to 2019. Late 2018 tops.
 

J_C

One Bit Studio
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Project: Eternity Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath
They were working on it for a year now, and they have the tech in place, the setting figured out, that's why they are confident in a 2018 release. Unlike in PoE, where they had to build everything from scratch.
 

agris

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The first and second art passes look like the release vs alpha shots of tworment... wat

First Pass

https%3A%2F%2Fd3pylr1apgoxnh.cloudfront.net%2Fcampaign_body_images%2Fimages%2F2ec82ee1393f70bc52f57152089d09061eea18a7%2Foriginal.jpg%3F1490057609



Second Pass with Lighting & VFX

https%3A%2F%2Fd3pylr1apgoxnh.cloudfront.net%2Fcampaign_body_images%2Fimages%2F058fd9369387e170459f19fde187d39dfdb5ba51%2Foriginal.jpg%3F1490057609
If someone posted those bloom images, it would be the reverse of the above.
 

Bohrain

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My team has the sexiest and deadliest waifus you can recruit.
inXile programmers were holding the cheat sheet Obs gave them upside down

Clearly it was Obsidian's fault for giving them poorly commented documents that didn't spell out which way you are supposed to read it.
 

aratuk

Cipher
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With the IP to PoE having been transferred to Dark Rock Industries Limited in January 2015, I wonder what relationship, if any, it bears to Chris Avellone's departure from Obsidian (and DRIL?) about six months later.

I wonder if Avellone was part of DRIL when it was formed, and if he's still a part of it, or if the other owners bought him out of both Obsidian and DRIL. Maybe they knew he was leaving when they formed DRIL, and it was part of the reason they wanted to safeguard their IP from the vicissitudes of Obsidian's business or potential changes to ownership structure. Could be he was excluded from DRIL and it's part of the reason he left.

Odd, too, that JE Sawyer apparently has no stake in the shell company that exists for the sole reason of holding the IP he largely created. But he got a promotion! That's business, I guess.
 

oldmanpaco

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Could be he was excluded from DRIL and it's part of the reason he left.

It would be a bold move to exclude one of the owners from a shell corporation holding the companies IPs. If they had tried excluded him you would almost think it would have ended up in court.
 

Grauken

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Maybe Avellone is too nice even for that, and they knew
 
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With the IP to PoE having been transferred to Dark Rock Industries Limited in January 2015, I wonder what relationship, if any, it bears to Chris Avellone's departure from Obsidian (and DRIL?) about six months later.

I wonder if Avellone was part of DRIL when it was formed, and if he's still a part of it, or if the other owners bought him out of both Obsidian and DRIL. Maybe they knew he was leaving when they formed DRIL, and it was part of the reason they wanted to safeguard their IP from the vicissitudes of Obsidian's business or potential changes to ownership structure. Could be he was excluded from DRIL and it's part of the reason he left.

Odd, too, that JE Sawyer apparently has no stake in the shell company that exists for the sole reason of holding the IP he largely created. But he got a promotion! That's business, I guess.

WAT? Sawyer's masterplan can't have a flaw, I know that based on conclusive forum evidence.
 

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