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[Durante]

So it's more like Demon's Souls or Dark Souls then where you pick what you want to know early on and go with that? Or more like a hybrid of Fallout and the Souls games in that you can pick some unique quirks for characters (haven't poked TOO heavily in the starting customization) but can mostly do whatever else beyond your starting template?

You can think of the "classes" like in DS, yeah. They just determine your starting character build.

Edit: Damn!

 

[Decado]

There are pre-made classes, but at character creation you can completely alter them to whatever you want.

 

[Sir Garbageman]

I was planning on rolling mage/warrior but it will be mage/ranger with the news.

I will be playing solo so I was hoping to get AI choices similar to D&D alignments which would give some personality to one of the main characters. I guess i will go with no AI at first and see how that feels.

 

[LurkerPrime]

So it's more like Demon's Souls or Dark Souls then where you pick what you want to know early on and go with that? Or more like a hybrid of Fallout and the Souls games in that you can pick some unique quirks for characters (haven't poked TOO heavily in the starting customization) but can mostly do whatever else beyond your starting template?

It's like Fallout. Character creation is entirely open, and character development is further defined through the selection of traits that can (sometimes drastically) alter how effective they are at certain things - both positively and negatively. No matter what build you begin with, there is always the option of developing the character in a different path down the road. (This is not to say that every build is viable or effective, merely that it is possible.)

The only restrictions are sensible ones. For example, opposite traits cannot both be chosen by the same character. There are also level or stat requirements for certain traits, abilities, or items.

SuperNinjaEdit: Looks like I rolled a 1 - I was critically beaten to the post.

Genuine Edit: I just took a look at those achievements... they're great!!!1

 

[Allnamestakenlol]

I've been following the game for a while now, even been playing the early access for several months, and I didn't realize there were supposed to be more than the early two followers, so the recent news doesn't faze me even a little. I have no doubt it will be a great game, with or without them at launch. Besides, it's not like I'll only do one play through.

 

[LurkerPrime]

Divinity: Original Sin is in the next batch of Steam's flash sale potentials and it looks like the 20% discount will return if it wins. The vote goes on for the next 8 or so hours, at which point it will transition over to the new deal - hopefully DOS among them.

Any and all who missed the last sale, now's your chance to correct that mistake.

(p.s. this is the original sin Divinity is talking about - Larian lied about there being no sale after the first day. Unless the voting is rigged, then no problem.)

 

[Antiwhippy]

Divinity Original Sins is up on community vote, btw.

So for people who missed out on the sale, vote!

 

[Sentenza]

On a side note if you're looking to kill some time until release, there's this little thing released a couple of days ago.
I'm not starting a thread about it already (which would be largely ignored, of course) simply because I first need to play and test it a bit to know if it deserves a proper endorsement.

 

[shiroryu]

Companions being limited to two is a bit of a disappointment, because few games recently have done it thus far, but I agree with Swen's logic that it's better to polish what they have than just push in features to check off feature lists. Hopefully they'll release some down the line, even if as DLC.

Looking forward to the mods on this one.

 

[pix]

Divinity Original Sins is up on community vote, btw.

So for people who missed out on the sale, vote!

VOTE PLEASE!

 

[UrAvgGuy]

VOTE PLEASE!

I voted for it! Now hopefully it wins.

 

[nbthedude]

Companions being limited to two is a bit of a disappointment, because few games recently have done it thus far, but I agree with Swen's logic that it's better to polish what they have than just push in features to check off feature lists. Hopefully they'll release some down the line, even if as DLC.

Looking forward to the mods on this one.

I'm still a bit confused about the coop. I see this is up for potential vote again for discount and I may bite depending on hwo the coop works.

I have 2 friends I want to play with. Will I be able to play this 3 players upon release or not?

 

[Sothpaw]

Just cast my vote.

On a side note if you're looking to kill some time until release, there's this little thing released a couple of days ago.
I'm not starting a thread about it already (which would be largely ignored, of course) simply because I first need to play and test it a bit to know if it deserves a proper endorsement.

Saw an article on Gamebanshee about that yesterday. For sure going to give that a go.

 

[LurkerPrime]

I'm still a bit confused about the coop. I see this is up for potential vote again for discount and I may bite depending on hwo the coop works.

I have 2 friends I want to play with. Will I be able to play this 3 players upon release or not?

The base game is designed for singleplayer or two-player co-op, no more than that.

I think there's a mod (or, at least, it's theoretically possible to create such a mod right now) that allows up to four players; the added players can play the game just fine except the they are not able to interact with the plot or other characters in dialogue, because no such dialogue or scripting exists for them. They'd basically be henchmen, solely there for combat.

 

[Eusis]

It's exactly like Dark Souls, in the sense that the initial class decides just your initial distribution of skills and stats, but then you can go anywhere from there.
Of course, like in Dark Souls, that doesn't mean that in terms of min-maxing you are advised to make your pick randomly.

You can think of the "classes" like in DS, yeah. They just determine your starting character build.

Edit: Damn!

It's like Fallout. Character creation is entirely open, and character development is further defined through the selection of traits that can (sometimes drastically) alter how effective they are at certain things - both positively and negatively. No matter what build you begin with, there is always the option of developing the character in a different path down the road. (This is not to say that every build is viable or effective, merely that it is possible.)

The only restrictions are sensible ones. For example, opposite traits cannot both be chosen by the same character. There are also level or stat requirements for certain traits, abilities, or items.

SuperNinjaEdit: Looks like I rolled a 1 - I was critically beaten to the post.

Genuine Edit: I just took a look at those achievements... they're great!!!1

Ah, right, thanks!

And yeah, with two characters it seems sort of crazy to go for just randomly upgrading or a general purpose build, there's reasons for going down that path in Souls games especially on first runs, but when you can make one character make up for the weaknesses of the other (nevermind companions/henchmen) that seems kind of crazy to do.

And I threw my vote in for it. Give people another chance, and you can buy the DLC and keep it as a gift copy if you don't want any funny business from the key deactivating upon release.

 

[Durante]

I voted for it. Good group really, Blackguards and Expeditions are pretty good tactical RPGs.

 

[terrdactycalsrock]

Would I be able to enjoy this game if I played it by myself. I saw where a guy was having to have a conversation with himself because he was playing solo

 

[LurkerPrime]

And I threw my vote in for it. Give people another chance, and you can buy the DLC and keep it as a gift copy if you don't want any funny business from the key deactivating upon release.

What? It's DLC tied to your account, it isn't going to be randomly taken away or deactivated when the game releases.

While it's true that the DLC and other stuff isn't in the game yet, that in no way means it won't be released at launch with the rest of the game.

Edit

Would I be able to enjoy this game if I played it by myself. I saw where a guy was having to have a conversation with himself because he was playing solo

From how I understand it, co-op dialog (i.e. choosing both character's dialog) will only occur if you give your characters no personality during character creation. With a personality, they will choose dialog on their own for the entire game - basically the same as a traditional NPC companion. Without a personality, you're basically role-playing with yourself.

I think it's actually a really unique and innovative idea. The only other game I've seen anything like that in (co-op roleplaying dialog) was Star Wars: The Old Republic, an MMO, and it was terrible compared to what Divinity: Original Sin has demonstrated in its introduction sequence.

One drawback is that most personalities are not going to make it in for launch, so if you want that it may be a while before it's implemented.

Basically, if you enjoy RPGs already then I see no reason why you wouldn't enjoy the diaog implementation in DOS, especially with the personality system. I certainly will.

 

[Sentenza]

I voted for it. Good group really, Blackguards and Expeditions are pretty good tactical RPGs.

Honestly I didn't like the Black guard demo at all, so I never tried the full game.

 

[Durante]

Honestly I didn't like the Black guard demo at all, so I never tried the full game.

What exactly did you dislike about it? Maybe I could tell you if that is better/different in the full game (or if you should stay away).

 

[Terra_Ex]

Would I be able to enjoy this game if I played it by myself. I saw where a guy was having to have a conversation with himself because he was playing solo

Yes, you can also assign a personality to your companion character (which is what a lot of people in this thread are planning on doing if playing solo), so they respond to your conversation choices with something fitting to that personality type, that way you won't be RPing two characters in dialogue at once. Larian haven't made that very clear to potential players, imo and it's probably seemed to be more co-op centric than it actually is.

 

[Eusis]

What? It's DLC tied to your account, it isn't going to be randomly taken away or deactivated when the game releases.

While it's true that the DLC and other stuff isn't in the game yet, that in no way means it won't be released at launch with the rest of the game.

I'm probably just paranoid because of how Steam expects you to own the base game for DLC. If it were like XBL or PSN where it doesn't really give a damn I wouldn't have hesitated, but as is I'd rather save a headache, at worst a gift copy's just a few extra clicks to properly put it into my account.

 

[syko de4d]

Again no editor? What the hell are you doing Valve? Just push the button oO

 

[Taruranto]

From the sounds of things, only 2 in at launch and more patched in later. There will be henchmen you can hire too, though.

What the? Lameeee. Can anyone confirm it?

 

[OmegaDL50]

I voted for it. Good group really, Blackguards and Expeditions are pretty good tactical RPGs.

Yup, voted for it as well.

I mean. I already own the game but just for the people who are on the fence. Got to give them that extra nudge to grab this game.

The more people to enjoy this gem, the better.

 

[terrdactycalsrock]

Thanks guys, that puts my mind at ease for the launch! I was surprised by how many playable classes there were. I haven't really looked at this game since it was in alpha

 

[Sentenza]

What exactly did you dislike about it? Maybe I could tell you if that is better/different in the full game (or if you should stay away).

Well, I got the impression the game was extremely poor in terms of environmental interaction, it let virtually no freedom to the player as it seemed a bunch of linear consecutive scenarios, the battle system didn't impress me positively (and in fact impressed me negatively, as dull) and on top of that I really didn't like the general art style and production value... Which it may be something I can overlook when I'm loving the rest, but that wasn't the case here.

 

[Decado]

What exactly did you dislike about it? Maybe I could tell you if that is better/different in the full game (or if you should stay away).

Have the major bugs been squashed?

 

[Serra]

What the? Lameeee. Can anyone confirm it?

At launch, yes, its confirmed.

 

[Messofanego]

It's exactly like Dark Souls, in the sense that the initial class decides just your initial distribution of skills and stats, but then you can go anywhere from there.
Of course, like in Dark Souls, that doesn't mean that in terms of min-maxing you are advised to make your pick randomly.

Tangent: is min-maxing different from mid-maxing?

 

[Sentenza]

Tangent: is min-maxing different from mid-maxing?

I have honestly no idea of what "mid-maxing" is; "min-maxing" on the other hand is... well, this.

 

[LurkerPrime]

"Unless we missed something, this really is the last update before we release!" Larian exclaimed, shortly before patching the game several times.

You're so adorable, Larian! Keep up the good work.

 

[RK9039]

My game just updated again.

 

[Durante]

Well, I got the impression the game was extremely poor in terms of environmental interaction, it let virtually no freedom to the player as it seemed a bunch of linear consecutive scenarios, the battle system didn't impress me positively (and in fact impressed me negatively, as dull) and on top of that I really didn't like the general art style and production value... Which it may be something I can overlook when I'm loving the rest, but that wasn't the case here.

Well, it really is more of an SRPG than a CRPG in terms of overall gameplay -- that is, there are more or less only combat scenarios, story sequences and towns as the major elements, no exploration. You get quite a few sidequests, but those always seem to be separate branches off a largely linear main story flow. The battle system is the main draw of the game, so if you disliked that it's probably not for you. Personally, I like it a lot, probably one of my favourite turn-based systems over the past few years. However, I don't know if the demo is the start of the game or later during it - like most systems, it gets more interesting when you have more options.

Have the major bugs been squashed?

I didn't experience any bugs in the game.

 

[Santiako]

Voted the game to give it more exposure.

 

[Remachinate]

Well, it really is more of an SRPG than a CRPG in terms of overall gameplay -- that is, there are more or less only combat scenarios, story sequences and towns as the major elements, no exploration. You get quite a few sidequests, but those always seem to be separate branches off a largely linear main story flow. The battle system is the main draw of the game, so if you disliked that it's probably not for you. Personally, I like it a lot, probably one of my favourite turn-based systems over the past few years. However, I don't know if the demo is the start of the game or later during it - like most systems, it gets more interesting when you have more options.

What about the combat made it particularly compelling to you? I also tried the demo and found the game wanting; it would take a fairly interesting mechanic or tactical ruleset to overlook the shortcomings.

 

[Jag]

On a side note if you're looking to kill some time until release, there's this little thing released a couple of days ago.
I'm not starting a thread about it already (which would be largely ignored, of course) simply because I first need to play and test it a bit to know if it deserves a proper endorsement.

Very nice. I could always play more TOEE.

 

[Durante]

What about the combat made it particularly compelling to you? I also tried the demo and found the game wanting; it would take a fairly interesting mechanic or tactical ruleset to overlook the shortcomings.

- The depth of the underlying ruleset.
- The variety in the battles (in terms of environmental interactions, encounter types, terrain and goals).
- Hexes. If you have to do a spatial discretization, at least chose the better one.

The most major one of these is really the second point. It's what makes Blackguards really different for me compared to, say, Expedition: Conquistador. After the first few hours I played that one more in spite of its battles than because of them, since they all played out so very similarly. So far, in Blackguards, I don't get that feeling at all. And variety in encounter design might be the single most important thing in a SRPG for me.

 

[Corsick]

So I was planning to trade 10 keys for a copy of Divinity to save money, but because I had to turn steam guard back on I won't be able to for about 8 days after the game launches on Monday. Should I just buy the game now if it goes on discount again or do you think I should wait and try to buy it for cheaper using keys? I'm not exactly sure if it will stay at 10 keys after it releases is the point.

 

[Ceebs]

- The depth of the underlying ruleset.
- The variety in the battles (in terms of environmental interactions, encounter types, terrain and goals).
- Hexes. If you have to do a spatial discretization, at least chose the better one.

The most major one of these is really the second point. It's what makes Blackguards really different for me compared to, say, Expedition: Conquistador. After the first few hours I played that one more in spite of its battles than because of them, since they all played out so very similarly. So far, in Blackguards, I don't get that feeling at all. And variety in encounter design might be the single most important thing in a SRPG for me.

DING DING DING

I want my CRPGs to feel like playing against a DM with a giant stack of monster manuals.

Like my favorite encounters are ones where you have several of the common enemy types you have been facing in the dungeon, but have a more "elite" commander or monster with unique abilities you have never seen before.

 

[Allnamestakenlol]

On a side note if you're looking to kill some time until release, there's this little thing released a couple of days ago.
I'm not starting a thread about it already (which would be largely ignored, of course) simply because I first need to play and test it a bit to know if it deserves a proper endorsement.

Oh wow! Thanks for this. I think I still have my ToEE discs laying around here somewhere.

Also, made sure to vote on the Steam flash sale on both my account and my fiancée's. We both already have it paid for, but we want to help make sure the love gets spread!

 

[Messofanego]

I have honestly no idea of what "mid-maxing" is; "min-maxing" on the other hand is... well, this.

Ah, I've been hearing it wrong all these years, then!

 

[~Kinggi~]

I always wonder why TOEE doesnt get talked about more. I never played the game but i have heard good things. Recently decided to download its soundtrack from my GOG purchase and its hella good. Done by the same guy that did the Arkham Asylum music. Really great ambient soundtrack.

 

[Chance Hale]

The most major one of these is really the second point. It's what makes Blackguards really different for me compared to, say, Expedition: Conquistador. After the first few hours I played that one more in spite of its battles than because of them, since they all played out so very similarly. So far, in Blackguards, I don't get that feeling at all. And variety in encounter design might be the single most important thing in a SRPG for me.

Unrelated to Divinity but your mentioning of Expedition made me want to ask whether it is worth playing through it despite the combat.

I always wonder why TOEE doesnt get talked about more. I never played the game but i have heard good things. Recently decided to download its soundtrack from my GOG purchase and its hella good. Done by the same guy that did the Arkham Asylum music. Really great ambient soundtrack.

That is the one game in that giant gog pack that I never played as a youngling because my mother wouldn't let me during the height of the "Oh no DD is evil phrase" At least she realized it was silly eventually, but it was too late and I had moved on.

 

[Sothpaw]

I always wonder why TOEE doesnt get talked about more. I never played the game but i have heard good things. Recently decided to download its soundtrack from my GOG purchase and its hella good. Done by the same guy that did the Arkham Asylum music. Really great ambient soundtrack.

I think it was buggy/broken on release.

 

[Sinatar]

So has there been any clarification on the product key issue?

IE are backers getting a separate key from the alpha that we have to activate on steam, or will the early access version turn into the full game.

Not look for conjecture here, does someone have a statement from Larian themselves about how this is being handled?

 

[Sentenza]

I always wonder why TOEE doesnt get talked about more. I never played the game but i have heard good things. Recently decided to download its soundtrack from my GOG purchase and its hella good. Done by the same guy that did the Arkham Asylum music. Really great ambient soundtrack.

Well, the game was a mix of hit and miss.
For a start, is a bit light on the content side. There is just what's essentially one big, extremely detailed dungeon and few very simple and small optional areas around it. EDIT: also extremely buggy, as Sothpaw pointed.
Beside, I'm a fan and even I would describe the starting town one of the most boring, slow-paced intros in RPG history.
Then you move out of it, the true action starts and the game delivers what's one of the best turn-based tactical combats in existence.

 

[Sinatar]

TOEE is the best combat system ever, wrapped around a fairly mediocre RPG. Everything that isn't combat is pretty bad. God the first hour when your running around Noblet or whatever the fuck that town is called is like pulling teeth.

 

[Casimir]

For anyone with the Beta installed, can you check and see if the inventory backpacks are working? The last update seems to have introduced a bug into my game at least.

 

[Terra_Ex]

For anyone with the Beta installed, can you check and see if the inventory backpacks are working? The last update seems to have introduced a bug into my game at least.

Working for me, did you download the most recent patch (within the last few hours)?