Pillars of eternity thread? I know this isn't a popular game with all the sjw bullshit, and the fact its a kick starter. But I have a backlog to clear damn it.
Should I play it? I'm really liking the looks of the cipher.
I just haven't played an isometric RPG in years. I miss it.
I have the complete geneforge saga in my library. I played every single spiderweb software demo. I enjoyed almost all of them
Should I play the geneforge games instead?
Or how about wasteland 2?
>>332608402
If you don't mind reading sheets and sheets of text to then read some more sheets and sometimes load because you didn't time your control skills right in a fight - then yeah play it.
For me it's one of the best - if not the best - games in last few years. With absolute crazy story and lore, old-school approach to reputation (no more "companion_name approves", "companion_name will remember" bullshit).
The only thing I found a bit disappointing is lack of interaction with characters, which makes you think they lack depth and story behind them. They did very well with Durance, but that';s about it really
Game is fantastic. Amazing characters, amazing lore, amazing plot, decent gameplay. Just ignore the two female characters, theyre fucking shit.
It seems like there was a lot of bullshit with pillars
>no combat xp
>Chris avellone companions getting cut.
>the transgender guys tombstone got cut
Did I miss anything?
>>332608402
the game has some flaws, but despite them it's quite enjoyable, especially with the White March expansion. And ciphers have always been a good class
>>332609358
the fact that it's not Baldur's Gate 3 is kind of a huge deal for a lot of people
>>332609358
The plot being a mish-mash of multiple different storylines because they couldn't decide on a single pitch and had no strong creative direction.
The writing only receiving one pass and no iteration because they didn't have time to properly edit.
>>332609870
I agree, I found it very enjoyable
>>332609273
So long as the writing's good, I can sit through it.
I made a thread about how I'm a "burnout" gamer. I played lots of RPGs as a kid. Hundreds of hours into neverwinter nights 2. But then in 2013 I played through mass effect trilogy, and I got really invested, and then the ending to 3 broke me. I generally don't enjoy story driven anymore, I prefer good gameplay and generating my own stories, kinda like dark souls. I also enjoy loot, dressing up my characters (I really like dress up, but I only use male characters. Am I gay?)
I tried torchlight 2 because I played fate as a kid, but disliked it pretty much instantly.
Any good arpgs? How I would I go about playing diablo 1&2 in 2016?
>>332609870
But it's literally bg3 in everything but the world. I cried tears of nostalgia just opening the map.
And honestly, you cant really expect a new serious, mature plot (like in pol) in forgotten realms setting. Not anymore
>>332609870
I started a olaythrough on ranger. That kinda killed my desire for a bit.
>>332608726
Geneforge was cool, you should do what you want.
solid 8/10 game
fuck rpg codex tho
The game is overall pretty decent but it simply does come off as incredibly shitty when compared to the games it is actually trying to emulate. It really doesn't live up to any of the IE games in a single respect.
>>332610247
Diablo 2 is shallow as fuck with no interesting quests. The game is designed as a loot treadmill. Just play some RPGs that aren't story heavy.
>>332610479
>It really doesn't live up to any of the IE games in a single respect.
>d&d alignments
>good
>>332610247
have you tried Divinity: Original Sin? If you're more of a 'systems' guy now, you might like it. It's not an action game - it's turn based, actually, but gameplay is very well designed.
it also has a diablo-like loot system
>>332610247
Man, if you want an opinion on pol - you should totally play it yourself, it's really good. And it's not that much about personal storyline, but rather about the world's story, they really did a good job there.
And that plot twist nearing the end.. aaaw shit
more like pillars of READING amirite
i've never played a game like this before, it was ok. i got bored after about 20 hours. the only interesting part of the story or lore was the childbirth stuff. the combat was tedious.
>>332610629
there is really nothing wrong with dnd alignment, it is only a part of the character building tools assuming you are not a retard or are stuck with a DM who is a retard
>>332610796
>there is really nothing wrong with dnd alignment
that's your problem drone
>>332610740
Also you can talk to chickens, wear a wooden bucket for helmet and win fights not using your weapon.
Great game as well
>>332610740
It doesn't have to be action, but "system" sounds pleasing to me.
>>332610917
>drone
>for simply understanding the alignment system isn't as rigid as the average player seems to think it is
i don't even like dnd, its a terrible ruleset, but the alignment system is the least of its problems
Combat is shit
Rest is fine for the most part
>>332611183
we are talking about d&d video games adaptations, both bg and bg2 suffered from teribble shallow black and white morality system
you said ie did everything better than poe which is false
fuck christianity
Diablo 1 is a better game then this in every way
It's "I forced myself to finish the last chapter" bad. The entire appeal is old school rpg nostalgia. Everything else is shit.
>>332611545
It's the best part
Especially planning how to take down 2 of the most powerful dragons and a master wizard with mobs that can petrify your ass
The other good fight was that giant spore with its rock flinging tentacles controlling vithrak
I had to plan shit out
>>332608402
Play it, it has nice aesthetics and a pretty neat world. Some good characters(Eder, Aloth, GM) and Durance is the amazing Uncle /pol/. It really feels like there should have been two games however, the end reveals dont really have the impact they should because of the huge amount of information and world building that goes on in the game.
Just a word of advice, look up good builds for whichever class you fancy(cipher is really fun and has a bunch of extra dialogue options). The way stats work are somewhat counter intuitive where you will end up with muscle wizards and genius barbarians.
>>332614640
I bet most scrubs who bitch about pillars combat didn't even played on potd or at least the 3.0 version
>>332615394
the best way to play is to make 18 might,dex,int,per cipher glass cannon
>>332615681
That sounds pretty close to what I did with mine, from what I remember as it has been a long ass time since Ive played. Stick the heaviest set of armor on and use something with a fast attack rate to build up your psychic wizard points. Spam debuffs and antipathic field. Unfortunately they nerfed mind blades for some dumb fucking reason.
>>332616384
>That sounds pretty close to what I did with mine, from what I remember as it has been a long ass time since Ive played
everything changed since 3.0
>antipathic field
nerfed into oblivion for a reason
try playing white march expansion
This is one of the few games I have been bouncing between for awhile. I always come back to it. I enjoy the hard difficulty, isometric art, companions, and storyline. One of the things I praise the most is how the game describes and shows you the exact calculations that go into every mechanic.
The game delivers and satisfies. The only areas where it could have improved are:
-The Stronghold Base, (specifically the npc imprisonment).
-Getting rid of the stupid kickstarter NPCs and posters that ruin immersion.
-More recipes that aren't just copies of spells.
-More character portraits!
-More quests, more levels, more expansion packs.
>>332616620
>nerfed mind blades
>nerfed antipathic field
What the fuck? Why nerf my favorite stuff into the ground when its a single player game? What else did they fuck up?
>>332619210
>What else did they fuck up?
buffed everything else, also the mind blades are back
they reduced the antipathic field aoe but the damage is the same
if you want more details watch this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv0g7g05XkM
overall ciphers are one of the most op classes right now if you know how to use them
>>332610247
the writing wasn't good though.
>story was boring as fuck
>characters were uninteresting
>lore was stuffed into encyclopedia entries
>every non-quest npcs was some backer donut steel shit
there's literally nothing good about this game
>>332620462
you dont make sense. i venture to say the appeal of this game and its intricate storyline is not meant for someone of your low intelligence and poor taste.
>>332620462
>there's literally nothing good about this game
that's just silly
>>332614640
I should say:
shit compared to BG/IWD, but better than PST
>>332619498
Oh sweet deal. I really only cared about the damage for antipathic so aoe reduction doesnt rustle me. Thanks for the heads up.
>>332620693
the storyline is the opposite of intricate. it's barely there for most of the game.
>>332620863
the combat is shit, the story is shit, the characters are shit, the stronghold is shit, and they even tried to make the excuse that the stronghold was halfassed because they wanted to spend more time on the rest of the game. what a joke. if I had backed the project I'd feel ripped off.
>>332621168
>shit compared to BG/IWD
funny because with a little luck you can kill almost anything with a single spell
when played bg1 for the first time i managed to turn a black dragon into a fucking squirrel
I never bothered to buy the expansion to play it again. And I was hyped enough to actually preorder the game for 30 bucks or something.
Funny how Obsidian's "dream" kickstarter game came out to be their most just-play-it-safe game ever. Avellone quit after it released due to his crushed hopes & dreams.
In an old game they wouldn't have an actual punishment mechanic at play to make you feel the NEED to stop Thaos. Fallout had a fail state if you took too long--Baldur's Gate 2 had you turning into the Slayer after resting--the fucking Curse of the Azure Bonds had the cursed player party DIE if they didn't solve the mystery. PoE had a 'uhh you'll go crazy but we never actually show anything bad happening to you to legitimize this threat'...unless the threat was the implication at some point you'd never be able to see the world as anything but Gold Plated Backer dialogues, which might be a terrible fate from a certain point of view.
I liked that the quests never seem to have just one or two ways to solve them. There's always multiple options to choose from and in many cases there is no black and white moral standard to apply to them. When I play rpgs I just choose 'the good option' because I'm a moral fag but in this game there is no neon sign that indicates the good option so I get divided often. eg the choice at the white forge, it took me several hours to make a decision.
>>332621325
>the combat is shit, the story is shit, the characters are shit, the stronghold is shit, and they even tried to make the excuse that the stronghold was halfassed because they wanted to spend more time on the rest of the game
but what about the visuals and music anon:^)
joking aside, I think that you're just too jaded to enjoy anything besides ie games anymore
I bet you expected perfection in every single way so it's no surprise you are disappointed
on the other hand, siege of dragonspear is almost out so keep your chin up anon!
>>332608402
the pause combat bullshit ruined the entire game for me. I just cant not be an autist when pause is available like that. Combat is just a slide show and after a while it just gets tedious.
when you liked games like iwd and bg you are in for a treat
the game is actually very good when you compare it with the games it was inspired from
>>332621981
>eg the choice at the white forge, it took me several hours to make a decision.
elaborate
>>332620462
>the writing wasn't good though.
I don't know how to explain it. I think you're just stupid. The dialogue with Durance in particular is on par with some of the best writing I've seen from a CRPG.
>>332622175
he's a christian, a d&d loving christian
please keep in mind
>>332608402
I hated it when I first played it but it eventually grew on me. Character creation is probably the most unituitive I've ever seen in a game (for new players) but you can respec for next to nothing at any inn.
The problem I had is that there's absolutely no way to know how the stats work until you've played the game for a bit. Like for example that Barbarians should max intelligence because of how their class mechanic works or that damn near fucking everything should stack might.
Aside from that minor sticking point (which you may not mind at all) the game is excellent and worth playing. As for your second question, cipher is fun and you get some interesting story bits out of it.
>>332621168
I liked PS:T's setting, story and companions better. Combat in PoE is definitely better, though.
>>332622175
>durance so into his faith I start believing his shit
Go with a full party of rangers.
Watch the hilarity.
>>332621548
Difficulty isn't the prime requisite for good gameplay; I quivering palmed Draconis, for example in TOB, and that doesn't take from that battle. Just absurd luck.
Albeit, BG/IWD did have difficult fights; some outright impossible the first time through
>>332608402
Great game, i really enjoyed it.
But that's thanks to the gameplay, not the story.
Plot is mostly boring and NPCs too.
For my second playthrough i just have a harem of qt custom adventurers.
>>332621325
>the storyline is the opposite of intricate. it's barely there for most of the game.
How is it "barely there"? There are plenty of side quests, but I don't remember a time when the main quest-line ventured too far from the premise established in the first 10 minutes of the game.
>the combat is shit, the story is shit, the characters are shit,
Citations needed on all three of these.
>the stronghold is shit
The Endless Paths of Od Nua? I mean, what the fuck do you like? Do you want to play Divinity? Do you want to talk to a clam?
>>332622493
Well i should say SOME npcs are great, like durance and zahua.
But overall they're kind of... whatever.
>>332622474
>Difficulty isn't the prime requisite for good gameplay
so what is? demigod mages?
>Albeit, BG/IWD did have difficult fights
lol
I enjoyed very much. I need White March Part 2 but I can't afford it.
>>332608402
The game's pros and cons have been depated to death by now. You'll like it or you'll hate it but best to make your own mind by just playing it. I certainly got my money's worth.
>>332620462
>>332620462
>every non-quest npcs was some backer donut steel shit
This was the biggest problem I had with the game because none of the kickstarter characters were connected to the world in any meaningful way. They collectively felt like an interactive gallery of generic fantasy short story tidbits.
But at the same time there are plenty of regular NPCs so it didn't hurt the presentation too much.
I really wish there was a more noticeable way to distinguish them aside from their nameplate. I'm yellow-brown colorblind and had to figure it out by talking to everybody to sort things out.
I disagree with you on your other points though.
>>332622389
PoE to me:
better story than IWD1 and 2. Better than BG1. But not BG1 and 2. Not better than PS:T.
So, middle of the road, really.
Combat is above PS:T, but below the others to me.
>tfw llengrath fight in white march part 2
>>332622640
>lol
Right, so the Beholders didn't petrify your party the first time; Kangaxx didn't wipe you out. Most of the dragons didn't force you to reload. The end fight in TOB didn't make you reload several times.
If you have to reload several times, it's difficult.
I can only recall one fight in PoE that made me do such, and that was the Adra Dragon.
>>332622493
Yeah, the plot is... pointless. But the environment and general atmosphrere is amazing.
>>332622570
yeah, Zahua was alright
>>332622493
Maybe I'm jaded, but I enjoyed the fact that NPCs in PoE weren't over-the-top or exaggerated caricatures of fantasy stereotypes. I guess some people find it boring, but I think it's a nice addition to a fantasy universe when the party isn't as unpredictable as the world.
Objectively objective companion tiers
God tier
Durance, Zahua
High tier
Sagani, Pallegina
You're kind of cool i guess tier
Hiravias, Eder, Aloth, Kana, Devil of Caroc
Why are you even here tier
Grieving mother, Maneha
>>332608402
Poor man's IE game
>>332623043
>>332622961
great fight
fights in White March were overall so much better than in the regular game.Concelhaut, the Alpine Dragon, the infected vithracks and the temple monkswere great fights, too
>>332608402
I liked it. Druid is OP as fuck when you get the firebug spell.
>>332623436
The alpine dragon was fucking gay, how was i supposed to know it ignored deflection
Agree about everything else though.
>>332623031
>so the Beholders didn't petrify your party the first time; Kangaxx didn't wipe you out. Most of the dragons didn't force you to reload
well no since i had two mages in my party plus cleric
also why are you posting stuff from bg2, you said BG/IWD but not bg2
bg2 is is a different story
you filthy casual
>>332623330
>>332623104
>but I enjoyed the fact that NPCs in PoE weren't over-the-top or exaggerated caricatures of fantasy stereotypes
>Maybe I'm jaded
you're the opposite, the jaded ones cannot stand anything else than fantasy stereotypes
>>332623093
Have you done his quest in white march part 2?
It's pretty good.
Zahua's backstory is basically mesoamerican wars with kung fu.
>>332611183
>the alignemnt system isn't rigid
>saving the world by killing the bad guy is evil if you use poison.
You can DM fiat it and make it much less constraining but as is it is completely rigid.
>>332623330
>>332623754
Don't cut yourself on that edge, anonnice looking character
>>332623754
>>332623330
>>332623043
I also liked the seafront areas like Ondra's gift or the Compass with those little seaweeds in the ocean. Looked so peaceful.
>>332623802
>>332623093
Many people expect the experience of first playing those games as a kid. Of course it's different.Not to say pillars is actually better than BG2 or PS:T but it's very enjoyable nonetheless
>>332623436
>temple monks
those fuckers are real nightmare on potd
I really wanted to like it.
I can't seem to enjoy the pause-and-assign-tasks-and-keep-track-of-126234647-status-conditions combat.
>>332624117
as a lsd enthusiasts i found Zahua quest very amusing
they kinda failed with the balancing but they don't seem to care and only go back to patch bugs and change mechanics around
the only thing they did is you get a prompt when you are overleveled for a zone and can choose to fight harder monsters but fuck no they didn't even know how to balance the initial game so I pressed no
I was right, the zone was challenging at least and making it even harder would have kicked my ass while everything before was a cakewalk
not talking about white march only the base game, hard mode and doing all of the side quests, I'm disappoint a little bit
>>332624117
This screenshot should be named "MMO hoppers"
>>332623978
Can't say I see this edge you mention but here have some more if it.
>>332608726
Eschalon: Book 1-3 are pretty good too.
>>332625807
Not an isometric RPG, but TBS also has decent art and writing, if you're patient enough to bear with its convoluted combat system.
>>332608726
if you like isometric rpgs poe should be a no brainer desu
the game sure has its lows but overall it is a great game.
