Pillars of eternity, worth to look

[eissa]

surprisingly given of how popular the developer are in this forum (obsidian) no thread seems to be discussing solely for this game. can someone explain to me of how goodd is this Game? how's the story? choice n consequence? gameplay?

 

[AskWazzup]

Because there is not much to discuss, the game is great - lots of content and choices, challenging combat (playing on hard), dialogue and story is as in pretty much every obsidian game - great! I'm close to finishing it and would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good rpg.

 

[aenemic]

Most of the discussion has already happened, I guess.

I really need to pick the game back up. Got almost to the end, then got distracted by something else and never finished it. Now I've waited for the expansions and patches to play it again. But I totally loved it, it felt like the good old days in all the right ways and I was pleasantly surprised how polished and well crafted it was considering the budget. I remember having some gripes about linearity and not being offered different solutions where I felt they would have applied well, but on the whole I really enjoyed the story and all the lore. Some of it is run-of-the-mill, but I was very impressed by how fleshed out and "alive" the world felt.

I didn't care much for all the in-game backer stuff, but quickly learned to ignore it.

 

[AskWazzup]

Most of the discussion has already happened, I guess.

I really need to pick the game back up. Got almost to the end, then got distracted by something else and never finished it. Now I've waited for the expansions and patches to play it again.

I have noticed that they got a few important things fixed, like kiting mobs is now much less prone to exploitation, the interface has gotten a bit better and a few other things here and there.

B I remember having some gripes about linearity and not being offered different solutions where I felt they would have applied well, but on the whole I really enjoyed the story and all the lore. Some of it is run-of-the-mill, but I was very impressed by how fleshed out and "alive" the world felt.

It didn't really strike me as linear, as i mentioned in another thread i was actually pleasantly surprised where some characters who i thought would for certain be an instant battle, turned out to be rational to a point where you didn't have to kill anyone. I also liked the diversity of quests for such a limited budget game (like having a full blown army battle).

 

[aenemic]

I have noticed that they got a few important things fixed, like kiting mobs is now much less prone to exploitation, the interface has gotten a bit better and a few other things here and there.

Yeah, I'm really curious to see what changes have been made. When I last played it many bugs had already been hammered out and I didn't experience any major balancing issues. The game felt "complete", so to speak. Luckily it's been long enough that I doubt any big changes will make me feel uncomfortable.

It didn't really strike me as linear, as i mentioned in another thread i was actually pleasantly surprised where some characters who i thought would for certain be an instant battle, turned out to be rational to a point where you didn't have to kill anyone. I also liked the diversity of quests for such a limited budget game (like having a full blown army battle).

On a whole, I wouldn't say that it's very linear. There's a lot of freedom for exploration, and a lot of choices to be made. But there were situations where I almost expected to be able to do something a certain way, but wasn't offered a choice (or that particular choice). I can't remember every instance I felt that way, but one quest really stood out to me: http://pillarsofeternity.gamepedia.com/Built_to_Last. Considering the themes of the game, I felt that one could have been fleshed out a bit more and offered some different paths. I can't remember every word of dialogue and all that, but I remember trying to roleplay my character and deciding that I wouldn't turn the last part of the quest in because I didn't want them to have forge knights. Which basically just left me with an incompleted quest and no rewards. Sure, it gave me story and rewards along the way, but I would have loved being able to finish it by for example talking the commander into not using the forge knights, or faking the notes or whatever.

 

[AskWazzup]

On a whole, I wouldn't say that it's very linear. There's a lot of freedom for exploration, and a lot of choices to be made. But there were situations where I almost expected to be able to do something a certain way, but wasn't offered a choice (or that particular choice). I can't remember every instance I felt that way, but one quest really stood out to me: http://pillarsofeternity.gamepedia.com/Built_to_Last. Considering the themes of the game, I felt that one could have been fleshed out a bit more and offered some different paths. I can't remember every word of dialogue and all that, but I remember trying to roleplay my character and deciding that I wouldn't turn the last part of the quest in because I didn't want them to have forge knights. Which basically just left me with an incompleted quest and no rewards. Sure, it gave me story and rewards along the way, but I would have loved being able to finish it by for example talking the commander into not using the forge knights, or faking the notes or whatever.

True, but if you didn't want them to forge the knights, you could have sided with House of Doemenel or The Dozens and that way spoiled their plans to forge the knights (or tried to find a way how to counter them, can't remember exactly), because i think you get exactly that kind of mission when you do the quests for The Dozens (haven't tried out House of Doemenel). With the dozens i think you have to find a certain sword to counter the forge knights and even then you can lie about it and say that the sword is of no use. So there are choices here, but they materialize in other ways.

If someone has gone through all the 3 paths, please do chime in, as my memory is a bit misty.

 

[Ilosar]

I recommend it myself. Very solid RPG, and my favorite game of 2015. Good graphics for its style, solid Obsidian writing as usual, decent amount of choices and reactivity (albeit the core story is mostly linear, yes), and most of all a pretty fantastic combat system that, as far as I'm concerned, jettisons almost all the flaws of the IE game's combat to deliver a tough but very satisfying experience that doesn't require you to have an encyclopedic knowledge of D&D in order to enjoy. The sheer number of options when building a viable character is also pretty great; wanna build a melee battlemage, a Cipher (think psyker) with a bow, a Barbarian using rapiers and sporting intelligence as a primary stat, a tank Monk who uses a shield with their fists and heavy armor, a mercenary Paladin dual wielding axes, or a druid that uses an arquebus? Go right ahead.

It does have a few fights that can get unfairly difficult (mostly the bonus bosses, the main path is easy) and the story isn't the most captivating nor does it use its big plot twist all that well, but it wrestles with some interesting themes and some of the companion characters (Éder, Durance, Hiravias, Grieving Mother) are wonderfully written.

 

[Irwin John Finster]

It's the best "big budget" game to ever come out of Kickstarter (as in, it is the best game that was funded with over a million dollars). It was funded and delivered in a timely manner and is quite polished, which is exactly what you'd want from Kickstarter.

Wasteland 2 is my personal favorite Kickstarter game though.

Pillars is a game that is a kind of tribute to the old Infinity Engine games like Baldur's Gate, which publishers refused to make because they thought they weren't popular (meaning they weren't dumbed down enough for console casuals). Here is a good review of the game:

 

[ZigzagPX4]

I've never liked real-time-with-pause. A hassle, and not my kind of thing. Turned me off nearly every Infinity Engine game ever made.

 

[eissa]

i never play classic rpg before, well maybe i kinda play throne of darkness which diablo 2 spinoff set in feudal japan. some fun that every class you play doesnt fall into western trope of rpg class. you could have a spellcaster who is agile and not squishy.

 

[Ragemage]

I only just started seriously playing Pillars of Eternity a few days ago, and I'm in love with it. From the looks of things in game, there's a lot of replay value. I would definitely give it a try! Although I'd hold off on buying the DLCs until there's a sale, they're pretty pricey.

The only real problem I've had with the game thus far is, if you get into combat in a hallway and some of your allies are behind the door, they can't push through your other characters. This means, essentially, you'll have to move all the characters blocking the doorway one at a time in order to get everyone out in the open to fight. It's been especially annoying in the dungeons of Raedric's Castle.

 

[AskWazzup]

The only real problem I've had with the game thus far is, if you get into combat in a hallway and some of your allies are behind the door, they can't push through your other characters. This means, essentially, you'll have to move all the characters blocking the doorway one at a time in order to get everyone out in the open to fight. It's been especially annoying in the dungeons of Raedric's Castle.

That's a feature not a fault. I have used this to my advantage many times, where my tank stands in the doorway and blocks all passage, while the other party members shoot the living hell out of the enemies. I actually won the Readric fight this way with a lower level party, else it would be very hard to control your party members from running in front of your tank and fucking things up.

 

[eissa]

any idea for best party composition? so far i always get pwned right after i hit defiance bay and endless path.
my character is rogue, which i often made him as the most first to die character

party so far consist:
Fighter - sagani pet - chanter
ranger - rogue
mage - priest

 

[AskWazzup]

What difficulty settings?

 

[Ilosar]

any idea for best party composition? so far i always get pwned right after i hit defiance bay and endless path.
my character is rogue, which i often made him as the most first to die character

party so far consist:
Fighter - sagani pet - chanter
ranger - rogue
mage - priest

Might consider replacing the Chanter (who I assume to be Kana?). They only get good in later levels when they can use the powerful chants and summoning invocations. Grab a solid frontline character like a Barbarian or Paladin (hire at adventurer at an inn if you can't find an NPC). I think your party is ranged-heavy, so consider moving around in stealth and firing off ranged weapons and offensive spells before combat begins. Get Slicken on your mage, it's a godsent ability at lower levels.

Rogues are high maintenance. You absolutely need to avoid engagement with tough melee opponents or you're toast. Keep them in stealth as long as possible, have them beeline ranged enemies or casters and try to grab them a defensive ability like Smoke Bomb. Unfortunatlely, Rogues have been nerfed a bit, and now Barbarians and Monks do comparable melee damage while having more utility; the latter in particular are unholy terrors at high levels.

I'd say the DLCs for Pillars are well worth it. White March parts 1 and 2 easily add 10 hours of content each, Part 2 in particular is really damn good.

 

[eissa]

Might consider replacing the Chanter (who I assume to be Kana?). They only get good in later levels when they can use the powerful chants and summoning invocations. Grab a solid frontline character like a Barbarian or Paladin (hire at adventurer at an inn if you can't find an NPC). I think your party is ranged-heavy, so consider moving around in stealth and firing off ranged weapons and offensive spells before combat begins. Get Slicken on your mage, it's a godsent ability at lower levels.

Rogues are high maintenance. You absolutely need to avoid engagement with tough melee opponents or you're toast. Keep them in stealth as long as possible, have them beeline ranged enemies or casters and try to grab them a defensive ability like Smoke Bomb. Unfortunatlely, Rogues have been nerfed a bit, and now Barbarians and Monks do comparable melee damage while having more utility; the latter in particular are unholy terrors at high levels.

I'd say the DLCs for Pillars are well worth it. White March parts 1 and 2 easily add 10 hours of content each, Part 2 in particular is really damn good.

damn, i like kana lot. he is like a lancer to aloth

 

[aenemic]

True, but if you didn't want them to forge the knights, you could have sided with House of Doemenel or The Dozens and that way spoiled their plans to forge the knights (or tried to find a way how to counter them, can't remember exactly), because i think you get exactly that kind of mission when you do the quests for The Dozens (haven't tried out House of Doemenel). With the dozens i think you have to find a certain sword to counter the forge knights and even then you can lie about it and say that the sword is of no use. So there are choices here, but they materialize in other ways.

If someone has gone through all the 3 paths, please do chime in, as my memory is a bit misty.

Huh, either I remember the quest wrong or I missed something. I'm ususally thorough, but maybe I was locked out of something.

Finally decided to get back to the game, anyway. I haven't picked up the expansions however. I'll just focus on finishing the vanilla game for now, and let the expansions be reason to come back in the future. I'm very tempted to pick up where I left off with my chanter, but I've forgotten too much of the story and world. And I've never liked jumping in in the middle of things, I like a fresh start. So I made a rogue, since there are no rogue companions in vanilla, and I was looking at that class way back when the game released. Will be very fun to see how the class plays, especially now that there's individual stealth.

 

[AskWazzup]

Well, i have just finished the game on hard and i have to say it was quite a joy (minus the 7 hours it took me to kill endless paths boss). On hard the game forces you to familiarize yourself with the game mechanics a bit and you mostly can't just repeat the same strategy in difficult fights because you will get your ass kicked brutally. So although i felt that the combat mechanics are not perfect, the fact that different fights require different strategies mostly makes up for that.

The other part of the game, the writing and the dialogue are... Well, i just can't see myself playing a bethesda anymore, at least not in a way i play these kinds of games, where i get immersed in the story. None of the characters felt cheesy and the way the game describes stories and surroundings feels like reading a book. The scope of choices and consiquences might have been a bit wider, but it's great as it is considering the budget. the story towards the end really took an unexpected turn, i was pleasantly surprised.

All in all, the game feels very refreshing in most aspects. Now then, i will have to wait for the dlc to get a bit cheaper as i felt the game left a few questions unanswered and i'm interested if those answers are in the dlc.

 

[AlbertCole]

The other part of the game, the writing and the dialogue are... Well, i just can't see myself playing a bethesda anymore, at least not in a way i play these kinds of games, where i get immersed in the story. None of the characters felt cheesy and the way the game describes stories and surroundings feels like reading a book. The scope of choices and consiquences might have been a bit wider, but it's great as it is considering the budget. the story towards the end really took an unexpected turn, i was pleasantly surprised.

Have played Planescape: Torment yet? I felt in a similar way, when I played it for the first time a few years ago. Story, characters and setting are one of a kind. This game makes you realize, what games could be capable of in terms of storytelling and role-playing.

 

[AskWazzup]

Have played Planescape: Torment yet? I felt in a similar way, when I played it for the first time a few years ago. Story, characters and setting are one of a kind. This game makes you realize, what games could be capable of in terms of storytelling and role-playing.

Yes and no. The setting is much more interesting in Torment, maybe the most interesting of all the games i played. The story is also top notch, but what severely cripples the game is the terrible combat! It's just not adequate and if it were turn based with great mechanics, the game would probably be no.1 in my list. POE combat is so much more enjoyable and gives the game more replayability.