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Pillars of Eternity Beta - Torment: Tides of the Beetles

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I just read on the wiki, I guess it's kind of a spoiler.
So theres no rogue companion? Whos gonna be picking my locks, detecting traps and scouting out areas?

Oh man I never realised that.
Needing a rogue on the team is always such a hangup in D&D-style games, particularly in the campaigns. Tomi Undergallows is the only one for me and I hate it. *shakes fist*

This is either going to be fantastic or terrible
 
I appreciate a good UI more than most, and seeing that they've bothered to include such customisation to the UI to a level that most decade old established MMO's fail to even deliver makes me a happy man. Yet another indication that this is the real deal and built with passion.

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Credit goes to the modder Grotesque from the Obsidian forums.

source:

http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/70...id-ui-mock-up-for-pillars-of-eternity/page-10

The mods will be amazing.
 
I wonder if it's possible to mod in something like the NWN2 quickcast overlay. It was my favourite interface for casting spells in any party-based CRPG.
 
Really it doesn't matter, pick what interests you. This game is a party based game, and seeing as there is no companion AI you're going to be controlling the entire party on everything. So you won't just be playing as your Player Character: Sir Wiggles the Fighter; but also as the 5 other party members who you'll have to direct to do everything. From where to move to, to who to attack and to what abilities to use. Your PC is just 1 of 6 participants in combat. So on the grand scale it doesn't really matter what class you pick.

3 of the classes aren't represented by companions though. Said three classes are Rogues, Barbarians and Monks. So any of those three are solid options since none of them will be represented by a companion, allowing you to experience the most of what the game has to offer class wise and make more diverse parties. But that might not matter to you at all. As well the way you approach combat might make it more advantageous to choose another class and even double up on a class a companion also shares like a Fighter or Paladin or Chanter.

So basically just choose whatever class interests you and you think will be fun to roleplay as.

Semi spoilerish stuff....
Of all the companions you get none of them will be a barbarian, rogue, or monk. So I would pick one of those classes. As for cipher, the one you get is named Grieving Mother and is written by Chris Avellone. I'd totally rather have her.

Thanks guys, I'll definitely pick one of those 3 classes then. I doubt that I have more than one playthrough in me, so I'd like to see as much as possible on my first one.
Rouges are the ones that can find and disable traps and stuff, right?
 
Ergh

Big no to that dude that wants 3D.

I think I'm keen to make a character that can get a lot of the unique dialog option and wrap up quests in an interesting way.

perhaps a smart and charismatic rogue or such
 
As much as I like the 2D backgrounds, I also wouldn't mind going to full 3D for a sequel, assuming POE did well in sales and they could afford to do 3D justice.

This will never happen because it makes no sense given the scale of the projects. Here's one reason why: http://jesawyer.tumblr.com/post/108465687591/hello-i-remember-reading-probably-way-back-in

theovf22stuff asked: Hello. I remember reading, probably way back in 2012 (I can't find the source) that the technique that was used in PoE for the graphics (2d images) would allow for a higher volume of content to be developed more quickly. In practice was that really the case? Do you feel that this particular technique that you and your team chose to employ proved more effective than whatever you could otherwise do in 3d? Have you learned ways to further optimize the process? Forgive my lack of technical knowledge

Very much so. For most of the project we’ve had 4 environment artists. There is no way we could have made a game of PoE’s size and detail in 3D from scratch with those resources in the same amount of time. Even so, we learned a lot over the course of development (about Maya and Mental Ray) and our environment building and render times are now much, much faster. When we are able to start working on the expansion, I think the artists are going to produce some really amazing environments.
 
After having just cleared the 5 floor Watchers Keep about 15 minutes ago, I can't even god damn imagine how involved the 15 floor Caed Nua dungeon is going to be. Jeez.
 
Thanks guys, I'll definitely pick one of those 3 classes then. I doubt that I have more than one playthrough in me, so I'd like to see as much as possible on my first one.
Rouges are the ones that can find and disable traps and stuff, right?

Taps and locks work off the mechanics skill which any class can take, Rogues get a small bonus at level 1 but it's not that important. Same is true for stealth. In general they've tried to make it so that each skill is useful to have on multiple party members, e.g you can have a whole party full of stealthy people if you want to use it to sneak past encounters completely.
 
and seeing that they've bothered to include such customisation to the UI.

Obsidian actually included no customization to the UI. This was all modded in by a guy named Bester, who also developed the unofficial mod tools for the game using Mono.Cecil
 
This will never happen because it makes no sense given the scale of the projects. Here's one reason why: http://jesawyer.tumblr.com/post/108465687591/hello-i-remember-reading-probably-way-back-in

Hmmm, yeah I can see how it would be very difficult to achieve the same level of detial in somehtign that's meant to be in engine, vs a model in maya and where they know it's going to get flattenned into 2D. Probably a lot of shortcuts can be used, and a level of detail can be achieved that would be hard to optimize in game.

Well, Like I said I love the 2D backgrounds, so either way I'm happy.
 
Taps and locks work off the mechanics skill which any class can take, Rogues get a small bonus at level 1 but it's not that important. Same is true for stealth. In general they've tried to make it so that each skill is useful to have on multiple party members, e.g you can have a whole party full of stealthy people if you want to use it to sneak past encounters completely.

I'm actually surprised I haven't seen much outrage by people that PoE doesn't have a plethora of non-combat skills to dump points into. Where is my prestidigitation skill? A great deal of the mechanics in the game are quite streamlined. The most obvious of those is how open they've been about balancing the attributes and not wanting to punish people for putting points into "dump stats" for certain classes, but they've done a lot beyond that like no weapon and armor restrictions to allow people to play unconventional class combos like the idiot muscle wizard who wears plate armor and wields a war axe.

Though I guess that makes sense since the IE games, especially BG, were not all that deep when it came to out of combat skills.

I actually don't mind and kind of like a bunch of different skills to dump stats into. FO is probably my favorite implementation of this because of how they were utilized; allowing the player to use some of their skills in really unorthodox and inventive ways that just made you feel cool.
 
FYI Scott Lufkin has finished up his short, but pretty decent and informative, video demos of all 11 classes. They're all a good 10+ minutes going over the first few level-up options and then a few combat demos that don't spoil anything. I found them to be the most informative across all the classes. So it's probably good resource for anyone still undecided on what class they'll go with or just want a better idea of what each class is capable of in practice.

https://www.youtube.com/user/sdlufkin/videos
 
FYI Scott Lufkin has finished up his short, but pretty decent and informative, video demos of all 11 classes. They're all a good 10+ minutes going over the first few level-up options and then a few combat demos that don't spoil anything. I found them to be the most informative across all the classes. So it's probably good resource for anyone still undecided on what class they'll go with or just want a better idea of what each class is capable of in practice.

https://www.youtube.com/user/sdlufkin/videos

oh that's great, I will definitely watch those before release
 
Just think! A month from now we'll be playing!

Actually, that just makes the wait worse.

It does. Especially since I've been waiting for a game like this since the Black Isle studio days. I have tried my best to avoid gameplay and spoilers so I can delve into this game as blind as possible. It has not been easy.
 
The backer beta is only 3.37 GB on my disk, but I'm assuming most of the assets (for the full game) aren't present in the installation folder.

Haven't a clue, have no idea how to check things through Steam, or what is kept on their side due to DRM.

I see.
Beta client seems small enough.

I think the full game will be around 20-25GB.

I hope it'll be around 15GB-ish. 20GB is okay though.

FYI Scott Lufkin has finished up his short, but pretty decent and informative, video demos of all 11 classes. They're all a good 10+ minutes going over the first few level-up options and then a few combat demos that don't spoil anything. I found them to be the most informative across all the classes. So it's probably good resource for anyone still undecided on what class they'll go with or just want a better idea of what each class is capable of in practice.

https://www.youtube.com/user/sdlufkin/videos

Awesome. This is what I need.
I'll download and watch them later.
 
Wait what? Expansion? This is news to me. I am already glad I will get more of this. I was wondering if they would do another game like this after this one. I hope they will continue with it. While I have not played it yet every thing I have seen looks grat.
Yeah, there will be an expansion, it was already part of the KS campaign.
 
Crap :( I saw some enemy with 1 pistol, I assumed you can dual wield them :<

Yeah these are super basic firearms. Smooth bore, wheellock, muzzle loading guns that are slow to reload and not super accurate.

While there are pistols, the two handed rationale is likely that you'll need the second to then reload.
 
How does the game rank against Divinity or too soon to say yet being beta and all?
I don't think you should even attempt to rank an RPG before putting at least 20 hours in its final version.

There are a few general things which will very likely be true though, e.g. there will certainly be less environmental interactivity in PoE than D:OS, and conversely I very much expect the party NPCs and overall story to be more fleshed out in PoE.
 
Ya you're probably right. BTW, what are you playing first...Bloodborne or Pillars lol...have you decided?
Considering that I don't own a PS4, I think that should be pretty clear :P

But seriously, (i) isometric RTwP CRPGs are my favourite (sub)genre of all time, and (ii) this particular one was created by some of my favourite developers in the industry, so absolutely regardless of what else released on any platforms at the same time, PoE would always be my first choice.

Honestly, Pillars of Eternity has been sitting at 11/10 on my hype scale ever since I read "There is no sleep for the Watcher" in the original teaser campaign for the kickstarter. That was a glorious thread by the way. Just reading this sends shivers down my spine again:
Day 4
"What do the words mean?"
"Nothing. The Dirge of Eir Glanfath is found without form, a lone voice crying out in mourning because it must."

Source code
"To tenderness, fellowship. To fellowship, vigilance. So bring we all to the Night Market. I am the Spindle of Esenath. Know me by my light and stand with me in darkness."

Day 3
"The book unread is unwritten. The reason we don't explain it is the reason we use it. Its power is in its mystery. That is the Leaden Key, in part, in whole. Is it clear?"
"Digging for truth buries the seeker."

Source code
"Two centuries ago, your divine champion told the people of Dyrwood to grovel at his feet. If you've come on pilgrimage to the blasted crater that was our reply, Godhammer Citadel is that way."

Day 2
"I recognize your pain. Your kind must learn it comes from straining against the turning of the world. It spins thus. You cannot stop it. One day, you will wake up. You will stop pulling. The pain will be gone. Until then, all your waking hours are suffering."

Source code
"In time, waves washing against the fingers of Geiran's Grasp will call them back into the sea. The difference between you and the sea is that the sea does not stop."

Day 1
"This world wants to drag us down, it does. It made you a Watcher. No one asks for that. And the weight, that guilt they want to hang around my neck, you don't have to carry it one more step. You think they won't let you rest, but it's not up to them. It never was."

Source code
"There is no sleep for the Watcher."
 
Considering that I don't own a PS4, I think that should be pretty clear :P

But seriously, (i) isometric RTwP CRPGs are my favourite (sub)genre of all time, and (ii) this particular one was created by some of my favourite developers in the industry, so absolutely regardless of what else released on any platforms at the same time, PoE would always be my first choice.

Honestly, Pillars of Eternity has been sitting at 11/10 on my hype scale ever since I read "There is no sleep for the Watcher" in the original teaser campaign for the kickstarter. That was a glorious thread by the way. Just reading this sends shivers down my spine again:

Fucking lol at all the Dungeon Seige 4 predictions.
 
Considering that I don't own a PS4, I think that should be pretty clear :P

But seriously, (i) isometric RTwP CRPGs are my favourite (sub)genre of all time, and (ii) this particular one was created by some of my favourite developers in the industry, so absolutely regardless of what else released on any platforms at the same time, PoE would always be my first choice.

Honestly, Pillars of Eternity has been sitting at 11/10 on my hype scale ever since I read "There is no sleep for the Watcher" in the original teaser campaign for the kickstarter. That was a glorious thread by the way. Just reading this sends shivers down my spine again:

God damn that thread. Wish I would have been there for that.
 
Does anyone have a list (with spoiler tags) of which party members/classes have been written by Chris Avellone?

/fanboy

None. Really though two were,
Durance the Priest and Grieving Mother the Cipher, but they were rewritten by other writers as his original versions weren't doable in the game, so Chris has said they're really no longer his characters anymore since they've been altered a great deal.
 
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