Project Eternity, Obsidian's Isometric Fantasy RPG

[YoThatLimp]

Really enjoying the polish on this, the music is great.

[castorp]

Gosh, my PC will so not be able to handle it, far too old and slow, but it's nice that there is a game for which a care enough that it bothers me. I'm excited (and try to run it anyway, maybe they have ultra-low settings). In some minutes I should know more.

[feelthedarkness]

Man, I can't wait to start this. All the Obsidian 2s are my favorites, BG2, much more than 1, NWN2, much more than 1 (especially the NWN2 expansions). 

[Pepyri]

It's really something when you can barely be 90 minutes into a game and already think it's got some of the best writing you've seen in years.

 

I love how easy it makes playing it. How much it really does immerse you, yet all with the written word. It's a remarkable thing.

[castorp]

Okay, so basically no options for me to set to 'super low'. Small bummer, but not a big surprise. Anyway, looked great and very much like a Baldur's Gate, even in all its stutteryness.

[lobotomy42]

  On 3/26/2015 at 6:18 PM, feelthedarkness said:

Man, I can't wait to start this. All the Obsidian 2s are my favorites, BG2, much more than 1, NWN2, much more than 1 (especially the NWN2 expansions). 

 

Nitpick: Although some Black Isle folks may have been involved, Obsidian didn't even exist at the time of Baldur's Gate 2.  It was Bioware's baby.

But I agree: Kotor 2, Neverwinter Nights 2 (and especially the expansions) and even New Vegas ("Fallout3 2") were significant departures and improvements from their predecessors once you ignore the bugs.

[Pepyri]

  On 3/26/2015 at 7:28 PM, lobotomy42 said:

Nitpick: Although some Black Isle folks may have been involved, Obsidian didn't even exist at the time of Baldur's Gate 2.  It was Bioware's baby.

But I agree: Kotor 2, Neverwinter Nights 2 (and especially the expansions) and even New Vegas ("Fallout3 2") were significant departures and improvements from their predecessors once you ignore the bugs.

 

Isn't most of Obsidian's founding team and management ex-Black Isle folks? That's as BG2 as it gets.

[Schazzwozzer]

RPS's review ends with: "It’s a triumph. A wonderful, enormous and spellbinding RPG, gloriously created in the image of BioWare’s Infinity classics, but distinctly its own. A classic in every sense." All the other reviews I've skimmed have been similarly enthusiastic. Bet there are some happy people at Obsidian today.

 

I won't be starting for a few days at least, but I'm eager to see how I feel about this game. I was never actually a huge fan of the Infinity engine gameplay—I preferred the discrete turn-based decisions of Fallout at the time—but perhaps absence makes the heart grow fonder. Regardless, what I really backed this game for is to see Obsidian's writing and world-crafting run free.

 

Now I just gotta figure out what my character will be. Anyone better versed with PoE's ruleset know what the equivalent of a D&D cleric is? Their priest class sounded a little squishy...

 

  On 3/26/2015 at 8:51 PM, Pepyri said:

Isn't most of Obsidian's founding team and management ex-Black Isle folks? That's as BG2 as it gets.

 

My recollection is that Baldur's Gate 2 was developed wholly in Edmonton (by Bioware), but published under Black Isle, since they were Interplay's RPG division. At the time, Black Isle was developing Planescape: Torment and Icewind Dale, using the same engine.

[Gormongous]

  On 3/26/2015 at 9:44 PM, Schazzwozzer said:

Anyone better versed with PoE's ruleset know what the equivalent of a D&D cleric is? Their priest class sounded a little squishy...

 

From what I've read about the classes, there are really no "squishy" classes. Stats determine a character's role, and classes seem more like thematic groupings of strategies for implementing that role. There's that one interview about how a high-intelligence barbarian and a high-strength wizard both work, which makes it really seem like they've turned the idea of "trap" builds on its head.

[Merus]

I remember going into the Kickstarter that there was a question over Obsidian's games. Were they a studio that had great ideas that were constantly let down by incompetent execution, or had they been screwed by publisher after publisher not supporting their developer adequately?

 

I guess now we know. Remove the publisher, and Obsidian makes an amazing, and stable, RPG.

[Bjorn]

  On 3/26/2015 at 9:46 PM, Gormongous said:

There's that one interview about how a high-intelligence barbarian and a high-strength wizard both work, which makes it really seem like they've turned the idea of "trap" builds on its head.

 

Oh man, you just more to get me interested in this with that sentence than anything else I've seen about this (to be fair, I haven't actually followed PoE much).  My favorite DnD character was a Dwarf fighter who had a high wisdom, and over the course of that campaign (it lasted decades in world), he gradually transitioned from a savage barbarian, to a holy warrior, to the moral leader of the group, more priest than warrior.  I doubt an arc like that is possible, but a system giving you a reason to have interesting stat placement is something I would love. 

[YoThatLimp]

  On 3/26/2015 at 6:39 PM, Pepyri said:

It's really something when you can barely be 90 minutes into a game and already think it's got some of the best writing you've seen in years.

 

I love how easy it makes playing it. How much it really does immerse you, yet all with the written word. It's a remarkable thing.

 

The writing is actually pretty interesting hollow kids? creepy. 

[Jutranjo]

This game isn't easy on normal. Normal is making me reload 2-3 times for some fights. I don't understand everything that's happening yet though.

 

The 2 health bars work great, it actually makes your party get worn down after several fights. Per encounter/per rest abilities add some more as well. There's little point in resting after every single fight like in the old IE games.

[Dr Wookie]

  On 3/26/2015 at 11:11 PM, Bjorn said:

Oh man, you just more to get me interested in this with that sentence than anything else I've seen about this (to be fair, I haven't actually followed PoE much).  

There is a very interesting Polygon article discussing efforts to avoid trap builds here: http://www.polygon.com/2015/3/25/8284763/how-pillars-of-eternity-rewrites-the-rules-for-role-playing

 

In addition to generalising stats so Might affects damage output, Intellect governs duration and AoE for effects etc., you can simply hire any type of person you want (starting one level below you). If you choose the option to hire help at the inn (the only example I have found so far), you get to create the whole character.

 

I am playing as a Moon Godlike ginormous female Monk. Monks have a cool system where special abilities are sourced from the  wounds that you sustain. As well as spending wounds per attack, I have a passive effect that buffs my attacks by an amount proportional to the number of wounds I have. Chosing armour (if any) is a balancing act between survivability in a particular fight, and getting sufficient wounds to unleash your potential. When I do have wounds, do I spend them on a single powerful attack, or use them to strengthen my normal hits? And of course, taking wounds means losing health that can only really be regenarated via resting. 

 

I had a very tense time in the first real dungeon where I didn't have any camping materials, and as went deeper in, the health bars of everyone in the party were in the red, meaning I might actually have got them killed (maybe? I don't know). This was especially intense since my main character works best when she's being hit!

 

I am really enjoying the writing, and look forward to getting to know how this world works. I have some sort of guide book as part of my Kickstarter reward, but I won't really look at it until I finish the game.

[Gormongous]

I got briefly stuck in the first dungeon myself. I found all the hints for the main puzzle before I found the puzzle itself, and didn't realize that the non-permanent hints would be recorded in my journal, so I wandered in circles until I gave up and looked online. Note to self: read your journal if you're stuck.

 

And then the second level was so brutal on Normal that I had to cheese it a bit, for which I feel bad. Clearly, in hindsight, I was supposed to advance the main quest immediately after becoming able, which would have given me another NPC in my party, but I'm stubborn and hate to leave dungeons mid-crawl, so instead I ran around kiting ghosts. Shaaame, shaaame.

[Pepyri]

Does this forum have spoiler-handling text?

 

Since I can't find it:

 

THIS IS A LIGHT SPOILER FOR EARLY GAME DO NOT READ UNLESS FURTHER THAN 3 HOURS IN

 

 

So uh, I got Kana, the Enchanter, and went to help him meet Maerwad or whatever his name is, and the ghosts are kickin' my booty, and the previous area was not. What is going on hi. I have 5 people in my group.

[Jutranjo]

  On 3/27/2015 at 9:14 AM, Pepyri said:

Does this forum have spoiler-handling text?

 

Since I can't find it:

 

THIS IS A LIGHT SPOILER FOR EARLY GAME DO NOT READ UNLESS FURTHER THAN 3 HOURS IN

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

So uh, I got Kana, the Enchanter, and went to help him meet Maerwad or whatever his name is, and the ghosts are kickin' my booty, and the previous area was not. What is going on hi. I have 5 people in my group.

The tag is

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

CLICK ME NO SPOILERS IN HERE

  Reveal hidden contents

Good job

 

Actual spoiler

  Reveal hidden contents

You got wizard/fighter/priest besides Kana then? If you're already using a lot of abilities, your guys might just be tired? A little eye will show up next to their portrait so you need to rest.

[Dr Wookie]

Without the gaps, type [ spoiler ] text [ /spoiler ]

By the way, I am playing on Easy this first time round... That is what is recommended for people who are new to CRPGS, or haven't played them in a while. I find it fairly challenging already, but there's plenty of scope to make it more so. I might bump it up later in the play through when I get used to it

[YoThatLimp]

  On 3/27/2015 at 7:15 AM, Gormongous said:

I got briefly stuck in the first dungeon myself. I found all the hints for the main puzzle before I found the puzzle itself, and didn't realize that the non-permanent hints would be recorded in my journal, so I wandered in circles until I gave up and looked online. Note to self: read your journal if you're stuck.

 

And then the second level was so brutal on Normal that I had to cheese it a bit, for which I feel bad. Clearly, in hindsight, I was supposed to advance the main quest immediately after becoming able, which would have given me another NPC in my party, but I'm stubborn and hate to leave dungeons mid-crawl, so instead I ran around kiting ghosts. Shaaame, shaaame.

 

oof that second level of the temple was hard, I actually skipped it to do easier side quests and will come back, was sick of bashing my head on it. 

[Jutranjo]

I tried the temple first alone, then with a second character, didn't get far. With 3 I finished it, on normal. Lots of reloading though. I don't know how the ghosts teleport exactly but I saw some get stuck on scenery after deciding to jump on my wizard because he ran through a door way.

[BusbyBerkeley]

Only had enough time to make it to the first town with the tree last night. Setting is pretty interesting so far. What kind of characters are you all running? I made a nature godlike ranger with a bear summon. Need to recruit some wizards and a rogue asap.

[mikemariano]

  On 3/27/2015 at 3:48 PM, BusbyBerkeley said:

What kind of characters are you all running? I made a nature godlike ranger with a bear summon. Need to recruit some wizards and a rogue asap.

 

I am a "chanter" lady that basically looks like somebody from Avatar.  I can't tell if my chanting has done anything yet, though.

 

So far I basically only fought a wolf.  I think Chris Avallone took too much inspiration from his YouTube playthrough of Arcanum!

[elvaq]

I am also a blue chanter lady. Seems like a popular choice but it's too bad that Kana has the exact same chants that I chose :/ Really wish I went monk now

 

Adding a second created-character in the Gilded Vale inn was an extremely good idea just to have another damage sponge

[Pepyri]

Thank youuu for the spoiler info everyone!

 

  On 3/27/2015 at 12:05 PM, Jutranjo said:

Actual spoiler

  Reveal hidden contents

You got wizard/fighter/priest besides Kana then? If you're already using a lot of abilities, your guys might just be tired? A little eye will show up next to their portrait so you need to rest.

 

  Reveal hidden contents

No, those ghosts just hit like huge trucks.

Otherwise, I just need to be okay that not everyone is going to 'survive' every fight- people are going to reach 0 Endurance, and that is okay. The trick, is reducing it enough that you don't have to rest so often that you're also not using your per-rest abilities up, and if that is the case, you might even not be using them enough.

 

I really love the way they designed the combat system in this. They basically removed my biggest issues with D&D style combat, and then made it so much better.

[Dr Wookie]

I've nudged it up to normal now... as the description says, this affects the number and type of enemies that show up rather than the stats. I'm rolling with 6 people now, including the made-to-measure rogue I hired from the tavern. I've finished Act I, but it looks like all of the related side quests are open for collection later. There's certainly plenty to do! I think I might have a go at some of those before pressing on with the main quest. I'm still really enjoying everything ~8 hours in .