For people who are concerned about spoilers, the Backer Beta will feature a number of areas near the middle of the game that do not have strong connections (if any) to the critical path. In addition to the characters you create, we are also likely to feature a roster of pre-made characters who are not companions. We don't have any interest in using the Backer Beta to give out story info. We'd much rather have people play it and throttle the mechanics, UI, etc. so we can make fixes and adjustments.
You will be able to go through character creation for your main character and any character you choose to make through the adventurer creator. They will all act as adventurers, not companions (meaning they don't have story content).
I think I've said it before, but just in case - after working on PoE for 4 months, I am even MORE pumped than I was before. It is shaping up to be SUCH a good game. I cannot wait to play the finished product.
Well, thanks to Liam and Bengoshi I may have spent A FEW dollars. . . and bought into this. . . :P It looks sooo good so I want in. :P Just don't tell my fiancee. :P
I'll support any game of this genre that is released. I bought Divinity Original Sin in the same day it was released and I'll buy Pillars of Eternity as well...
It would definitely be complicated. Their budget just isn't large enough to support building mod tools, unfortunately.
You probably can't say...but can't blame a guy for asking. Will there at least be the equivalent of an override folder programmed in? (so that at worst all you have to do is create this folder and then this folder can be used to override existing game files).
@elminster Given that it's a Unity game, no, I don't believe there will be.
That's disappointing. It's one thing to make a game which plays as the spiritual successor to BG, but then to leave it completely closed off to the modding community which kept its forebear alive for nearly two decades?
@terzaerian There's not a lot they can do without additional funding. If some generous person were to donate the money required, I'm sure they'd find a way to make an editor.
@LiamEsler I think I read or heard from an interview that it's going to be moddable but obviously you cannot have an editor since it has 2D backgrounds, so you cannot do something like the NwN1 toolset.
But really, every single PC game is moddable to a certain degree. Even if it's just reskining textures.
AB: Or an item pack. Adjust the rules system a little bit.
JS: Some of that stuff we’re externalizing. Weapons, some of the racial modifiers, we’re putting them in separate things so some of that stuff will be easier to modify than others."
@Archaos I'm not sure that's still accurate. That interview was from late last year - a lot has changed in that time. I could be wrong, but - for example - I don't think weapons will be externalized (I implemented almost all of them myself).
Everything is moddable to an extent, of course, but Unity isn't great with mods.
I did manage to live, I got her something of equal value. . . very VERY quickly.
Hehe but back on topic, is it really a great idea to make it harder to mod your product? From what I've seen, it can do wonders to extend a games longevity and can in some cases be great for business. . . eg. Garrys Mod originally made for Half Life 2 and now it's own stand alone.
However in the end they have to use the engine they think would be best for the product and stay within a limited budget, things to consider!
Blights are lost souls or soul fragments that have bonded with elemental substances. They are often victims of natural disasters (floods, rock slides, forest fires, etc.). They are incoherent, confused, and full of rage, an amorphous cloud that swirls endlessly and with great violence. Within the vortex, dozens of humanoid shapes materialize and vanish from moment to moment. Faces scream in silent agony while hands desperately clutch and claw at their surroundings, as though still trying to escape their tragic fates.
Bîaŵacs, storms that can rip the soul out of a person’s body, often create blights. If souls are ripped free from their bodies and caught in the center of the storm, they may become stuck together and bonded with any other elemental substances in the maelstrom. They are pure chaos and confusion, and destroying them is considered by many to be a mercy to the souls trapped within them.
Blights have been the subject of controversial research carried out by the animancers of Eora. On the one hand, attempts at vivisection have led to promising strides in treating patients who, for one reason or another, contain within their bodies two or more complete souls fused together, which has been identified as the root cause of a variety of mental and physiological disorders. On the other, however, some groups lament that there is a lack of transparency on the methods being employed in these experiments, the general concerns being that these might be somehow inhumane or present some broader risk to the surrounding populace. There are also some who accuse animancers of deliberately trying to create blights for study, but the veracity of these claims is difficult to substantiate.
This hairless humanoid is about the size of an orlan. It has an elongated snout and snake-like eyes, giving it a very reptilian appearance. Its legs end in three-toed feet, while its elongated arms end in three-fingered claws.
Xaurips adorn themselves with the bones of fallen enemies - mostly xaurips from rival tribes. They also have an affinity for large feathers, which they hang and pin to their attire. Skin tones can vary from light green, to a rustic brown. Their elongated snouts (which makes speech impossible) and overly-aggressive behavior have hindered them from communicating with the more civilized races of the world. They live in secluded, tribal territories and are known for ruthlessly attacking any foolish enough to cross their path.
Xaurips revere dragons as deities and build their communities around the lairs of these powerful creatures. It is not uncommon for a small tribe to wander until it has found a wurm to worship. Once a tribe dedicates itself to a dragon, they will defend it at all costs. Elaborate rituals, in which the dragon consumes xaurip sacrifices, are normal. As a dragon grows in age and size, these sacrifices become large religious events that cost the lives of hundreds of xaurips. The power and prestige of a xaurip tribe directly correlates with the age of its dragon. The most powerful tribes have existed for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Warriors and shamans of these large tribes typically paint their bodies to resemble their draconic overlord.
Vithrack
Extremely rare, very dangerous creatures with natural cipher powers. They are mostly humanoid in shape, slightly taller and thinner than humans, but with horrific, fanged spider-like heads. Like spiders, they are capable of spinning silk, though they use it to make their own very intricate and fine robes. Males and females are indistinguishable from each other. They are primarily spellcasters and mental manipulators, like ciphers, though they will also attack with their fangs when forced into melee combat. Despite their extreme intelligence and power, vithrack are not a major force in the world due to their extremely low birth rates.
Given their arachnid appearance, it's no surprise that vithrack have traditionally used spiders as companions and minions. Though highly intelligent and socially organized, little is known about their culture as they are both hostile to outsiders and rare.
Their psionic powers allow them to communicate mentally with one another. Like many social insectoids, their society includes a variety of specific roles, including scouts and defenders. While their low birth rates are likely responsible for their hostility toward other races, they have also made the vithrack highly altruistic when it comes to their own kind. They will defend their nests to the death.
So, Vithrack is the new name for a Mindflayer.
Looks VERY solid. I wish this game has been released already
I don't suppose you can answer it, @LiamEsler, but assuming you can: will the copy of the game that people donated to on Kickstarter be DRM-free? I noticed on the main site it says "Distribution via Steam and GOG (DRM-free)", but I have no idea from that whether Obsidian will just send me a game that I need to install via Steam or whether it will be DRM-free. I did a bit of searching and found this:
Re: requirement for Steam activation of physical copy: "...the physical copy shouldn't require Steam. We are releasing DRM-free builds, so the physical disks will probably be DRM-free or have a CD key."
Which, likewise, given that information can prove unreliable as development progresses, and a keyword "shouldn't" (which always makes me dubious, regardless of how nice the person is who is saying it) is present, I really would like to know what the status is on this if possible. Most of the information I've found pertains to the digital versions, GOG and Steam.
I actually found it out by going back to the Create New Pledge page, then trying to create a new pledge and saw "Collector's Box Version of Pillars of Eternity, DRM free for Windows, Mac, or Linux, with DVD and printed manual."
I'm quite surprised they are releasing physical copies. Seems like that money could've been better spent. That said, I do miss the days of getting a bunch of little treasures in the game box.
And now we know the names and classes of 2 first party members:
Calisca the warrior and the rogue Heodan.
Also, now we know something about the world and one of quests:
You're travelling as part of a caravan destined for Gilded Vale (Yay, the name of a location), where a local lord is giving away land to homesteaders. Of course, this trip doesn’t go smoothy and after a fallen tree and a general sense of foreboding stop the travelers for the night, Eternity introduces the concept of a Soulstorm. This mystical “weather” that rips the souls from any living thing that has the misfortune of being in its path, and when one hits the group’s campsite it scatters the travelers, forcing your character and the members of his party—Calisca the warrior and the rogue Heodan—into some nearby ruins. Interesting idea about this Soulstorms.
An insight into how we will play:
While the game occurs in real time, combat gives players the ability to pause and make use of the tactical aspects of their party. Abilities use stamina, which players need to monitor almost as closely as their health: when a character’s stamina hits zero, they’re knocked out. Health on the other hand, slowly depletes outside of combat as well, and players must rest their party periodically to restore it. However, resting in the wider world requires camping supplies and the number a party can carry is limited by the game’s difficulty setting.
In between fighting spiders and Xaurips (Eternity’s version of DnD Kobolds), it also becomes apparent that the game lacks much of the linear design players often expect from an RPG, instead relying on exploration and trial-and-error. The party, for example, discovers a hammer and chisel while exploring the ruins, which later come in handy when they’re faced with a false wall. Had the player missed the hammer and chisel (which were hidden in a dead end a ways away) they would have had to find another solution—either an alternate way to break through, or a different route.
Comments
I think I've said it before, but just in case - after working on PoE for 4 months, I am even MORE pumped than I was before. It is shaping up to be SUCH a good game. I cannot wait to play the finished product.
But really, every single PC game is moddable to a certain degree. Even if it's just reskining textures.
EDIT: Here it is, actually. Or one of the things I read. http://www.pcworld.com/article/2071423/deep-dive-with-pillars-of-eternity-project-lead-josh-sawyer-the-full-interview.html?page=3
"Is the game mod-friendly?
JS: It’s not mod-unfriendly...
AB: Or an item pack. Adjust the rules system a little bit.
JS: Some of that stuff we’re externalizing. Weapons, some of the racial modifiers, we’re putting them in separate things so some of that stuff will be easier to modify than others."
Everything is moddable to an extent, of course, but Unity isn't great with mods.
I did manage to live, I got her something of equal value. . . very VERY quickly.
Hehe but back on topic, is it really a great idea to make it harder to mod your product? From what I've seen, it can do wonders to extend a games longevity and can in some cases be great for business. . . eg. Garrys Mod originally made for Half Life 2 and now it's own stand alone.
However in the end they have to use the engine they think would be best for the product and stay within a limited budget, things to consider!
In a new update they show a few of creatures that we have heard them talk about in previous updates.
Blight
Blights are lost souls or soul fragments that have bonded with elemental substances. They are often victims of natural disasters (floods, rock slides, forest fires, etc.). They are incoherent, confused, and full of rage, an amorphous cloud that swirls endlessly and with great violence. Within the vortex, dozens of humanoid shapes materialize and vanish from moment to moment. Faces scream in silent agony while hands desperately clutch and claw at their surroundings, as though still trying to escape their tragic fates.
Bîaŵacs, storms that can rip the soul out of a person’s body, often create blights. If souls are ripped free from their bodies and caught in the center of the storm, they may become stuck together and bonded with any other elemental substances in the maelstrom. They are pure chaos and confusion, and destroying them is considered by many to be a mercy to the souls trapped within them.
Blights have been the subject of controversial research carried out by the animancers of Eora. On the one hand, attempts at vivisection have led to promising strides in treating patients who, for one reason or another, contain within their bodies two or more complete souls fused together, which has been identified as the root cause of a variety of mental and physiological disorders. On the other, however, some groups lament that there is a lack of transparency on the methods being employed in these experiments, the general concerns being that these might be somehow inhumane or present some broader risk to the surrounding populace. There are also some who accuse animancers of deliberately trying to create blights for study, but the veracity of these claims is difficult to substantiate.
Xaurip
This hairless humanoid is about the size of an orlan. It has an elongated snout and snake-like eyes, giving it a very reptilian appearance. Its legs end in three-toed feet, while its elongated arms end in three-fingered claws.
Xaurips adorn themselves with the bones of fallen enemies - mostly xaurips from rival tribes. They also have an affinity for large feathers, which they hang and pin to their attire. Skin tones can vary from light green, to a rustic brown. Their elongated snouts (which makes speech impossible) and overly-aggressive behavior have hindered them from communicating with the more civilized races of the world. They live in secluded, tribal territories and are known for ruthlessly attacking any foolish enough to cross their path.
Xaurips revere dragons as deities and build their communities around the lairs of these powerful creatures. It is not uncommon for a small tribe to wander until it has found a wurm to worship. Once a tribe dedicates itself to a dragon, they will defend it at all costs. Elaborate rituals, in which the dragon consumes xaurip sacrifices, are normal. As a dragon grows in age and size, these sacrifices become large religious events that cost the lives of hundreds of xaurips. The power and prestige of a xaurip tribe directly correlates with the age of its dragon. The most powerful tribes have existed for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Warriors and shamans of these large tribes typically paint their bodies to resemble their draconic overlord.
Vithrack
Extremely rare, very dangerous creatures with natural cipher powers. They are mostly humanoid in shape, slightly taller and thinner than humans, but with horrific, fanged spider-like heads. Like spiders, they are capable of spinning silk, though they use it to make their own very intricate and fine robes. Males and females are indistinguishable from each other. They are primarily spellcasters and mental manipulators, like ciphers, though they will also attack with their fangs when forced into melee combat. Despite their extreme intelligence and power, vithrack are not a major force in the world due to their extremely low birth rates.
Given their arachnid appearance, it's no surprise that vithrack have traditionally used spiders as companions and minions. Though highly intelligent and socially organized, little is known about their culture as they are both hostile to outsiders and rare.
Their psionic powers allow them to communicate mentally with one another. Like many social insectoids, their society includes a variety of specific roles, including scouts and defenders. While their low birth rates are likely responsible for their hostility toward other races, they have also made the vithrack highly altruistic when it comes to their own kind. They will defend their nests to the death.
So, Vithrack is the new name for a Mindflayer.
Looks VERY solid. I wish this game has been released already
http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/33099/pillars-of-eternity-and-the-merits-of-modding
I don't suppose you can answer it, @LiamEsler, but assuming you can: will the copy of the game that people donated to on Kickstarter be DRM-free? I noticed on the main site it says "Distribution via Steam and GOG (DRM-free)", but I have no idea from that whether Obsidian will just send me a game that I need to install via Steam or whether it will be DRM-free. I did a bit of searching and found this: Which, likewise, given that information can prove unreliable as development progresses, and a keyword "shouldn't" (which always makes me dubious, regardless of how nice the person is who is saying it) is present, I really would like to know what the status is on this if possible. Most of the information I've found pertains to the digital versions, GOG and Steam.
Calisca the warrior and the rogue Heodan.
Also, now we know something about the world and one of quests:
You're travelling as part of a caravan destined for Gilded Vale (Yay, the name of a location), where a local lord is giving away land to homesteaders. Of course, this trip doesn’t go smoothy and after a fallen tree and a general sense of foreboding stop the travelers for the night, Eternity introduces the concept of a Soulstorm. This mystical “weather” that rips the souls from any living thing that has the misfortune of being in its path, and when one hits the group’s campsite it scatters the travelers, forcing your character and the members of his party—Calisca the warrior and the rogue Heodan—into some nearby ruins. Interesting idea about this Soulstorms.
An insight into how we will play:
While the game occurs in real time, combat gives players the ability to pause and make use of the tactical aspects of their party. Abilities use stamina, which players need to monitor almost as closely as their health: when a character’s stamina hits zero, they’re knocked out. Health on the other hand, slowly depletes outside of combat as well, and players must rest their party periodically to restore it. However, resting in the wider world requires camping supplies and the number a party can carry is limited by the game’s difficulty setting.
In between fighting spiders and Xaurips (Eternity’s version of DnD Kobolds), it also becomes apparent that the game lacks much of the linear design players often expect from an RPG, instead relying on exploration and trial-and-error. The party, for example, discovers a hammer and chisel while exploring the ruins, which later come in handy when they’re faced with a false wall. Had the player missed the hammer and chisel (which were hidden in a dead end a ways away) they would have had to find another solution—either an alternate way to break through, or a different route.
http://www.gamegrin.com/previews/e3-2014-pillars-of-eternity-preview/
http://www.giantbomb.com/videos/quick-look-ex-pillars-of-eternity/2300-9224/
Also the first previews are hitting on IGN, GameSpot, etc.
LOOKS GOOD
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/07/24/freedom-and-fantasy-pillars-of-eternity-interview/#more-222703