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[Vamphuntr]

About the criticism posted on the other page, I really don't get the one about loading times. Sure, I'm playing on a SSD but loading were never longer than 2-3 seconds to me. I'm fine with the crafting system too.

I do agree about the encounter designs and I raised that point early on in the thread. It has encounters similar to IWD where you fight huge groups of monsters instead of interesting finely-tuned groups of enemies. Agree with the overall disappointing dungeons designs. The best dungeon in the game was probably

Spoiler

Raedric's stronghold

for me because of all the possibilities you had in completing the task and it felt like a small adventure in itself. The others felt just there, like

Spoiler

the one with the Skaen cultist under Dryford Village

. It felt like in each room you would fight the same group of mob again and again until you reached the boss

Spoiler

Cultist tank, cultist priest, cultist fighter

without much else you could do.

Really excited for the expansion and sequels. Now that they have money and success they can probably make an even better game.

 

[Durante]

So far... it seems like a string of encounters with just a massive amount of enemies. Some of the floors seem to have "bosses" which make for some better fights... but it seems like there's a huge clump of enemies around every corner. I'm actually finding it a little annoying. I wish they could have thrown in a few more puzzles or something interesting to do. I'm only on floor 9 though, so maybe it gets better.

There are some puzzles, but it's true that it's mostly battles. The thing is, I love strategic RTwP battles, and these are some of the best ever, so I couldn't be happier.

It also helps that the individual floors aren't all that huge, and that there's a lot of variety across them both graphically and in terms of enemy types. And then you have some NPC encounters, quests and lore material to read (e.g. the journal pages on the upper floor or the description texts of unique weapons you find) mixing it up.

Overall, I guess everything in the game just feels all the better to me because the basic gameplay is simply my favorite.

 

[Mr. Tibbs]

I'm done for the day, sitting at 59 hours in Steam now (though ~9 of those were idling). Still in act 2.

I just spent the past 4 hours or so in the endless paths. Such a great dungeon.

I'm 43 hours in, just at the start of act 3, and my parties between level 9-10. Just finished The Endless Path this morning. Some of the fights took me half a dozen tries, but I'm way, way better at the game now.

I love this game so much! Awesome to hear that the first expansion isn't too far off.

So, with the Kickstarter we announced that we were going to do an expansion, and so how we're approaching that is to actually do the expansion in two parts, and have one part out sooner than the other part. The idea being that people are really enjoying Pillars right now and they're going to get finished their first or second playthrough within in the next two weeks, a month, something like that. And so, we definitely want there to be content for them to enjoy and I think we're going to be talking about that pretty soon.

http://www.pcgamer.com/pillars-of-eternity-tabletop-rpg-and-card-game-in-the-works/

 

[Blizzard]

does anyone know how long the special Inn rest bonuses last?? I don't see any time duration when hovering over tooltip next to portrait

It's a little more complicated since the laborer bonus always loses the mechanics part for me first, then the other part. I'm guessing it's 1-3 rests to lose the mechanics, then another rest to lose the other part. With travel time figured in it could be around 24 hours to lose it all.

 

[Xiraiya]

Yeah the loading times have been fine for me, I'm playing on 8 year old HDDs at this point.

The only issue I have is fairly regularly (And only in Gilded Vale so far) the game crashes at loading screens during transitions, usually going in or out of a building, Black Hound Inn seems to be the biggest culprit of this.
I see the Patch takes care of some crashes people experienced so with any luck it'll be fixed, we'll see.

 

[epmode]

I love this game so much! Awesome to hear that the first expansion isn't too far off.

http://www.pcgamer.com/pillars-of-eternity-tabletop-rpg-and-card-game-in-the-works/

Have they commented on whether or not both parts of the expansion will be included for backers that backed at a high enough level?

 

[KePoW]

There are some puzzles, but it's true that it's mostly battles. The thing is, I love strategic RTwP battles, and these are some of the best ever, so I couldn't be happier.

It also helps that the individual floors aren't all that huge, and that there's a lot of variety across them both graphically and in terms of enemy types. And then you have some NPC encounters, quests and lore material to read (e.g. the journal pages on the upper floor or the description texts of unique weapons you find) mixing it up.

Overall, I guess everything in the game just feels all the better to me because the basic gameplay is simply my favorite.

agree with Durante on this

I love the RTWP combat system in this game (no surprise because I love BGs & IWDs). so I'd much rather have more fights and less puzzles in dungeons

I hate puzzles in RPGs. well maybe not hate but I certainly don't like them

 

[petghost]

Can't believe obsidian is talking bout a tabletop and card version of pillars. Sounds kinda rad but idno if the rule set would transfer well. It seems very video gamey. But if it results in a more fleshed out world and more shit to read about that world I'm psyched.

 

[Kinthalis]

Collective Criticism

Briliant and detailed critisicm. I love this game to death, but I agree 100% with eveyrhting said here.

Definite room for improvement in the expansions, and hopefully the sequel!

 

[Blizzard]

agree with Durante on this

I love the RTWP combat system in this game (no surprise because I love BGs & IWDs). so I'd much rather have more fights and less puzzles in dungeons

I hate puzzles in RPGs. well maybe not hate but I certainly don't like them

I'd rather have more puzzles, conversations, and avoidable combat through stealth/influence/cleverness, etc. so I guess I'm the opposite.

 

[Nohar]

I find loading times to be a bit long too to be honest (mainly because of their frequency). I wonder if they could improve those.

felipepepe does raise a few good points in his criticism (namely the enchanting system and the lack of encounter design).

 

[Lactose_Intolerant]

I find loading times to be a bit long too to be honest (mainly because of their frequency). I wonder if they could improve those.

felipepepe does raise a few good points in his criticism (namely the enchanting system and the lack of encounter design).

If you use the mod that turns off autosaving, load times are drastically cut down.

 

[Nohar]

If you use the mod that turns off autosaving, load times are drastically cut down.

Oh, the auto-save function is responsible then? Can you link me to the mod please (assuming the mod is safe to use)? I don't really use Auto-save, I mainly use regular and quick saves.

 

[Lactose_Intolerant]

Oh, the auto-save function is responsible then? Can you link me to the mod please (assuming the mod is safe to use)? I don't really use Auto-save, I mainly use regular and quick saves.

http://www.nexusmods.com/pillarsofeternity/mods/14/?

make a backup of the original file, I believe you need it for patching your game.

 

[Sober]

Collective Criticism

just don't read past the first post lol

 

[Spookie]

That Act 3 fight where you fight

Spoiler

Raderic again

is fucking stupid. Who thought it would be a good idea to let the mobs mind control your entire party for 10 seconds at a time?

 

[Clott]

I am installing, did anyone make a great post on some of the key things to keep in mind while playing this, One of things I hate is throwing points away on a starting build, is there any guide to give me an idea?

 

[jim2point0]

I'd rather have more puzzles, conversations, and avoidable combat through stealth/influence/cleverness, etc. so I guess I'm the opposite.

Heh. We all like different things I suppose. Usually I like dungeons for SOME combat, but I also like rewards. Either through quests that take place in said dungeon, or just from enemy drops. But.... yeah, so far the loot in this game has been pretty drab and you get very little experience from combat (sometimes none). I never look forward to opening chests or looting enemies. The best item I've found so far was purchased from a vendor (rings that add additional spell casts).

The combat is great though, and that's what keeps me going. That, and the quests are all so interesting.

I definitely haven't been reading the in-game books very much (there's just so many of them). I'm sure they're well-done and all, but I find I'm much more interested in reading about lore if it's done via conversations. At least then I can interact somewhat with characters. Which is odd, because I did like learning about various things via item descriptions in Dark Souls.

For those who've played Divinity Original Sin, how does this game stack up in terms of story and quests (I already know the combat is great)? I feel like I'm going to be itching for more when I finish this, so I might go and play that game. Or replay Neverwinter Nights 2 + Mask of the Betrayer. I really loved those games.

 

[KePoW]

I'd rather have more puzzles, conversations, and avoidable combat through stealth/influence/cleverness, etc. so I guess I'm the opposite.

haha sounds like it, just personal preferences. In fact right now I'm in PoE (dual monitor borderless window) and just met the Cipher party member. I started the personal conversation after they joined me, and I could only make it through maybe 4 or 5 branches before I started just skipping all the reading. That character has way too many dialog choices

sounds like u might like that upcoming Torment game more??

I did play the original Planescape Torment when it came out and liked it, but I loved BG2 much more

 

[Xiraiya]

I wasn't really sure how much I was going to care about Pillars in the long run when I started playing, I knew at the very least it was going to be a solid experience from Obsidian and I thoroughly missed those old RPGs, only the Souls series kept that feeling alive for me.

I never really got into BG or BG2 as they just didn't connect with me and Diablo 2 wore out it's welcome on me pretty quickly, not for any real reason. I suppose I'm just picky about the kind of fantasy setting I play in. Which is why I love Arcanum to death even now, I've been playing it on and off for years since it came out.

Anyway, I have been having a good time with Pillars and I really feel like it's the start of something special in this genre and I truly truly cannot express how much I appreciate the fact Obsidian care about RPGs as much as they do even today, it's one of those things I don't really see so much anymore with developers who started out with a passion over a decade ago and now seem to consistently make watered down and less ambitious/interesting versions of great things they made a long time ago.

It gives me a lot of hope for the genre and I hope others learn from Obsidian's passion, if even in small ways.

 

[LurkerPrime]

I am installing, did anyone make a great post on some of the key things to keep in mind while playing this, One of things I hate is throwing points away on a starting build, is there any guide to give me an idea?

Y'know, the plethora of posts in this vein this make me think Obsidian really wasted their time streamlining the stats. (I'm looking at you, Might.) If they had included an easy way to respec, I feel the questions about builds would be roughly the same.

 

[water_wendi]

Y'know, the plethora of posts in this vein this make me think Obsidian really wasted their time streamlining the stats. (I'm looking at you, Might.) If they had included an easy way to respec, I feel the questions about builds would be roughly the same.

i didnt think it was so much streamlining the stats but making every stat useful to every class. How AD&D did it was very dumb. The only IE where dump stats were useful was Planescape because there were actual dialogue checks for stats.

 

[Burt]

I am installing, did anyone make a great post on some of the key things to keep in mind while playing this, One of things I hate is throwing points away on a starting build, is there any guide to give me an idea?

There's really only one thing you need to keep in mind: whatever you do, don't skip the bear. You'll know it when you see it. If you leave after seeing it, there are serious long term repercussions in your playthrough. So whatever you do, make sure you kill it the first time you see it.

 

[Xiraiya]

There's really only one thing you need to keep in mind: whatever you do, don't skip the bear. You'll know it when you see it. If you leave after seeing it, there are serious long term repercussions in your playthrough. So whatever you do, make sure you kill it the first time you see it.

That's cruel.

I am installing, did anyone make a great post on some of the key things to keep in mind while playing this, One of things I hate is throwing points away on a starting build, is there any guide to give me an idea?

Listen to Burt.

But in all seriousness, try to build towards extremes, if you try to stay too "middle of the road", you'll end up severely underwhelmed by your character's performance.
The game highlights stats as Recommended or Highly recommended to give you an idea, it's not absolute, but it's definitely good enough.

 

[kamineko]

I keep forgetting to go back and curbstomp that bear's ass

actually, since I'm taking a break from the EP, now seems like a good time

 

[Shake Appeal]

Collective Criticism

I agree with quite a bit of this, and I'm especially disappointed by the lack of responses to race, class, background, etc. The recent Shadowrun games are far superior to Pillars in this regard, even if their smaller scale (and tighter, episodic design) makes it easier to account for and write the permutations.

I think Obsidian probably should have pared back the number of classes, races, etc. available and written more deeply and intensely for a handful instead. I think the Godlike in particular are a missed opportunity: You meet very few, their existence is barely discussed (at least so far, at the start of Act III), and they just seem like an afterthought in terms of writing and responsiveness.

Also agree about the encounter design. The combat system and its depth is great, but there's not enough breadth: It's a shame they didn't devise more various and complicated encounters that push you out of your comfort zone. So many of the game's fights play out mostly the same. I love it and I'm not even close to sick of it after 50 hours, but there's a lot of room to mix things up and throw the player into new situations where they're forced to adapt.

The lack of choice and consequence matters less to me, because I feel ownership over my choices in this game and that's all I care about; the world feels responsive, even if it's playing out in a linear and directed way. That sense of ownership of my decisions is far more important to me than designers churning out a wide range of possibilities that are thin and uninteresting. But people's mileage varies on this point, and we'll see how I feel about it on a second playthrough.

Talking about all of this just makes me even more excited for expansions and sequels, of course. Pillars rules.

 

[HK-47]

I agree with quite a bit of this, and I'm especially disappointed by the lack of responses to race, class, background, etc. The recent Shadowrun games are far superior to Pillars in this regard, even if their smaller scale (and tighter, episodic design) makes it easier to account for and write the permutations.

I think Obsidian probably should have pared back the number of classes, races, etc. available and written more deeply and intensely for a handful instead. I think the Godlike in particular are a missed opportunity: You meet very few, their existence is barely discussed (at least so far, at the start of Act III), and they just seem like an afterthought in terms of writing and responsiveness.

Also agree about the encounter design. The combat system and its depth is great, but there's not enough breadth: It's a shame they didn't devise more various and complicated encounters that push you out of your comfort zone. So many of the game's fights play out mostly the same. I love it, I'm not sick of it after 50 hours, but there's a lot of room to mix things up and throw the player into new situations where they're forced to adapt.

The lack of choice and consequence matters less to me, because I feel ownership over my choices in this game and that's all I care about; the world feels responsive, even if it's playing out in a linear and directed way. That sense of ownership of my decisions is far more important to me than designers churning out a wide range of possibilities that are thin and uninteresting. But people's mileage varies on this point, and we'll see how I feel about it on a second playthrough.

Talking about all of this just makes me even more excited for expansions and sequels, of course. Pillars rules.

I always for restrained design like this. And you are very right about Godlike. They should really be a bigger deal than they are (or at least as big a deal as they are made out to be in their race descriptions.)

 

[Remmy2112]

Act 3

Spoiler

Is there a way to kill the dwarf in Blood Sands without having the entire place try to kill me?

Repeating this question since it didn't get answered and I am curious about this too.

 

[Xiraiya]

I agree about Godlike, even though I don't really care to play as them, especially since there is a bit of mismatch between them and their portraits in some cases, which is baffling when they only have 3 head options.

 

[Anoregon]

Repeating this question since it didn't get answered and I am curious about this too.

I don't think so.

 

[SpacePirate Ridley]

Ugh, the optional fight in the lighthouse against

Spoiler

lilth

is a complete clusterfuck of game design, how the fuck can you make that type of fight when the game clearly isnt intended for that type of encounters.

Spoiler

14 fucking spectres and ghosts including the boss, throwing shit that stop your characters fom attacking before even having the chance to defend, and even cheating clipping into other characters with the teletransportation hability so they can hit you where other enemies couldnt have enter...

im sorry but fuck that noise.
Thank god is optional.

 

[Burt]

I am installing, did anyone make a great post on some of the key things to keep in mind while playing this, One of things I hate is throwing points away on a starting build, is there any guide to give me an idea?

Okay I feel bad now. Don't worry about the bear. Stats aren't a tremendous issue in the end and following the recommended ones are a good enough guide. All stats are useful to characters to some degree, so even if you mess up it isn't the end of the world. What class are you starting with?

 

[Uriah]

Can you buy camping supplies so you can rest more?

 

[Volodja]

Ugh, the optional fight in the lighthouse against

Spoiler

lilth

is a complete clusterfuck of game design, how the fuck can you make that type of fight when the game clearly isnt intended for that type of encounters.

Spoiler

14 fucking spectres and ghosts including the boss, throwing shit that stop your characters fom attacking before even having the chance to defend, and even cheating clipping into other characters with the teletransportation hability so they can hit you where other enemies couldnt have enter...

im sorry but fuck that noise.
Thank god is optional.

I wasn't even gonna try a fight that I imagined would've been worse than the one on the ground floor.

 

[Serrato]

Spoiler

I like the fact that since I helped both the Crucible Knight and the Dozens, none of them want me to go at the audience. House Doemanel? well... let's say I killed more than enough.

I don't know what to do hahaha.

 

[Altazor]

Can you buy camping supplies so you can rest more?

if you're out of them, sure. If you already have the max amount allowed per difficulty, you'll have to make do.

 

[water_wendi]

Can you buy camping supplies so you can rest more?

Yes. The number of supplies is limited by the difficulty. 2 for Hard/Path of the Damned, 4 for Normal, and 6 for EZ.

 

[SpacePirate Ridley]

I wasn't even gonna try a fight that I imagined would've been worse than the one on the ground floor.

I saved and tried only to see how it was. I will add that my first try went better than the other ones. After 5 or 6 i dessisted and continued with the quest with the other option. I only wanted to see what you gained if you beat her through a fight.

 

[Dresden]

Ugh, the optional fight in the lighthouse against

Spoiler

lilth

is a complete clusterfuck of game design, how the fuck can you make that type of fight when the game clearly isnt intended for that type of encounters.

Spoiler

14 fucking spectres and ghosts including the boss, throwing shit that stop your characters fom attacking before even having the chance to defend, and even cheating clipping into other characters with the teletransportation hability so they can hit you where other enemies couldnt have enter...

im sorry but fuck that noise.
Thank god is optional.

I wasn't even gonna try a fight that I imagined would've been worse than the one on the ground floor.

You can stack up on the southern portion of the map to protect your casters, and just grind it out. Gotta kill

Spoiler

Lilith

fast though, it wrecks with aoe terrors and damage.

 

[Volodja]

You can stack up on the southern portion of the map to protect your casters, and just grind it out. Gotta kill

Spoiler

Lilith

fast though, it wrecks with aoe terrors and damage.

I mean there's always a spot to place yourself to make a fight easier, but fights against spectres are usually pretty awful already, so I don't wanna grind trough them any more than necessary let alone with a boss on top.

Thankfully now I instakill them.

 

[Brojito]

I agree with quite a bit of this, and I'm especially disappointed by the lack of responses to race, class, background, etc. The recent Shadowrun games are far superior to Pillars in this regard, even if their smaller scale (and tighter, episodic design) makes it easier to account for and write the permutations.

I think Obsidian probably should have pared back the number of classes, races, etc. available and written more deeply and intensely for a handful instead. I think the Godlike in particular are a missed opportunity: You meet very few, their existence is barely discussed (at least so far, at the start of Act III), and they just seem like an afterthought in terms of writing and responsiveness.

Also agree about the encounter design. The combat system and its depth is great, but there's not enough breadth: It's a shame they didn't devise more various and complicated encounters that push you out of your comfort zone. So many of the game's fights play out mostly the same. I love it and I'm not even close to sick of it after 50 hours, but there's a lot of room to mix things up and throw the player into new situations where they're forced to adapt.

The lack of choice and consequence matters less to me, because I feel ownership over my choices in this game and that's all I care about; the world feels responsive, even if it's playing out in a linear and directed way. That sense of ownership of my decisions is far more important to me than designers churning out a wide range of possibilities that are thin and uninteresting. But people's mileage varies on this point, and we'll see how I feel about it on a second playthrough.

Talking about all of this just makes me even more excited for expansions and sequels, of course. Pillars rules.

I honestly thought Pillars did have an exceptional amount of reactivity, considering how many class/reputation/skill checks there were in all the dialogue. Unless you were talking strictly about NPCs reacting to specific character traits.

Personally though, I'd rather have more freedom to tailor my characters to my likin than less freedom and more reactivity. Yea it would be cool if the innkeeper freaks out when my moon godlike barbarian walks in or treats my orlan rogue like crap, but that's probably a lot more work. If I had to choose between 10 classes and less reactivity or 5 classes and more, I'd choose 10 classes every time. The freedom those class choices offer me is going o affect my overall experience much more than the some dude going "hey, you're a (whatever)" to me in conversation.

But obviously it would be nice to have both. I'm also really excited to see what they can do in a sequel/expansion.

 

[water_wendi]

The keep is the weakest part of the game. i love the idea of having a home base but heres to hoping the idea is revisited in the style of Baldurs Gate 2 where different classes get different "keeps." Fighters get a stronghold, Paladins found a new chapter or order, Ciphers get a detective agency, Chanters build a library, etc

 

[Dresden]

I'd like to see a Pillars title focusing exclusively on the different paladin orders, with the writing tailored to match and respond to your order of choice, and on how you live up to - or against - said role.

Not that you'd be forced to be a paladin - it's a banner you fly, basically, a part of the order but not necessarily a knight yourself. Or perhaps you're part of a paladin's retinue, and responding to said paladin's foibles is part of the story. Take the role of protagonist/savior away from the player and thrust them into the shoes of the squire, the attendant.

I like their lore, so it's kind of a bummer that you don't run up against them more.

 

[SpacePirate Ridley]

You can stack up on the southern portion of the map to protect your casters, and just grind it out. Gotta kill

Spoiler

Lilith

fast though, it wrecks with aoe terrors and damage.

I positioned my group into a tight wall that I thought it was impossible for spectres to get there, still they clipped through things. They also were away from my tank, but still sensed the other characters and came after them. Fuckers!
Its true that my first time went better because in nearly killed lilith before the other spectres.

 

[Volodja]

On another note, I think that Relentless storm and Returning storm are 2 of my favourite spells.

The wait for Relentless Storm to start is exciting and the first salvo is just satisfying as hell and it feels like it's wrecking shit up and it mostly does; the stuns are amazing.

 

[Altazor]

The keep is the weakest part of the game. i love the idea of having a home base but heres to hoping the idea is revisited in the style of Baldurs Gate 2 where different classes get different "keeps." Fighters get a stronghold, Paladins found a new chapter or order, Ciphers get a detective agency, Chanters build a library, etc

oh, I'd love that.

To be honest, now that I'm playing (and enjoying) PoE, I'm excited about the expansions and potential sequels. I can't wait for them, really. I know it's a tall order, but if they somehow end up making a leap forward comparable to BG -> BG2... *drools*

For now, I'll "only" have PoE to enjoy. I don't mind

 

[Xiraiya]

I'd like to see a Pillars title focusing exclusively on the different paladin orders, with the writing tailored to match and respond to your order of choice, and on how you live up to - or against - said role.

Not that you'd be forced to be a paladin - it's a banner you fly, basically, a part of the order but not necessarily a knight yourself. Or perhaps you're part of a paladin's retinue, and responding to said paladin's foibles is part of the story. Take the role of protagonist/savior away from the player and thrust them into the shoes of the squire, the attendant.

I like their lore, so it's kind of a bummer that you don't run up against them more.

I love that idea.
The Paladin orders are really awesome to read about, I just wish Paladins themselves were a bit better.

 

[LurkerPrime]

I'd just like more dialog in general. A lot of it feels very brief and disposable, with very little companion interaction whatsoever. I feel like NWN2/MotB had a better balance, but maybe that's just due to how much smaller it was overall.

I also wish the world design lined up with the encounter design a bit more. You'll have a village surrounded by legions of monsters, lone wanders ten paces away from a pack of creatures far stronger than them, and all sorts of other weirdness that seems out of place to me.

 

[hemtae]

For a melee rogue something like this is probably the result of a bug right?

 

[LurkerPrime]

For a melee rogue something like this is probably the result of a bug right?

Probably.