Pillars of Eternity

Was released last night, available from Steam, GoG or Paradox.

To quote RPS:
"Obsidian’s Pillars Of Eternity is here, and it’s just stunning.

This is the RPG I’ve been craving since Planescape: Torment, the first to win my absolute love since Dragon Age: Origin. It’s a vast, deep and wonderfully written game, malleable to how you want to approach the genre, replete with companions, side-quests, an enormously involved combat system, and lasts a solid 60 hours."

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015...ernity-review/

And my first impressions are.. that's spot on! If you are looking for the successor to games like Baldur's Gate, this is it. Just like the RPGs of that era, it's a little slow at the start, but it's wonderful. The start of Divinity:Original Sin just pips it for me, but I can already tell the story and characterisation of PoE is better.

I was reading reviews on the train this morning. I want it!

Don't know if I can justify it just yet but I have a couple weeks up north in April where something like this will come in handy when all I have is my laptop :)

Yeah it makes an excellent laptop game - playing it on a desktop you don't notice it being low-fi or anything, but the system specs are absolutely minimal because of the pre-rendered backdrops. It's probably less demanding than ye-olde Morrowind.

and there's a little penguin on the Steam page from day one. Take my money!

Hero Edition £17.85 @ CDKeys SOLD!

£16.95 if you can be bothered to unlike and like them on FB for a code.

Edit: 5% Code: 211414DFBC

After this one myself but with moving house just over a week ago every penny counts

Somehow I've already sunk 25 hours into this game... and it just gets better and better. The pacing is superb. The story is better than most of the old infinity engine games and not far off Torment (though missing the latter's surrealist setting). The roleplay is much more open in general too - many ways of responding to things, including through actions rather than just a conversation choice. My character's views on some of the main themes have already been shifted a few times - and that's a very clever feat to have carried out. The combat mechanisms etc. are better than most RPGs in general, let alone the IE games.

For those in the dark, the setting is similar to most western fantasy games - quasi medieval europe - but there are a couple of differences to the norm: technology is one step further on, so while there are swords/bows etc. there are also rudimentary firearms like flintlock pistols. These are very well balanced and have their own place in the game. And many of the main themes of the game revolve around what looks like science vs magic/faith - but this is done in a way I've not seen before, ie it's NOT steampunk or technology vs magic. It is very well done indeed.

The graphics are beautiful and will run on anything (2d pre-rendered backgrounds, 3d character models).

The only negative so far is the volume of kickstarter backer content - there are many NPCs who basically have a short story written by or on behalf of backers who pledged above a certain amount. These stories are fine by themselves, they just get a bit tiresome with the sheer volume and lack of any meaning in the game. Thankfully all such NPCs have specifically coloured names so can be avoided. Likewise there are lots of grave stones around which have backer names and short epitaphs - this is something that's been done in many games (including Baldur's Gate) before, but again it's just the volume and very obviously not in game setting-ness which takes away from things. Again, you just learn not to click on them after a bit.

So I'm 6? hours in and have barely made it past the tutorial area.... I CAN'T STOP REROLLING!

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Originally Posted by Dooms

So I'm 6? hours in and have barely made it past the tutorial area.... I CAN'T STOP REROLLING!

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Ha I had to severely resist that temptation, there are so many interesting characters you can make, with quite a lot of variation in options/conversations etc. depending on what you choose.

Mechanically all builds are viable, so there's no need to reroll because you want more powah - also you can make up the rest of your party to your exact specification to cover any options.

Perception and resolve seem to be used slightly more than other attributes in conversation checks so far, but as with most, they're not necessary. Backgrounds, class choice etc. make at least as much difference.

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Originally Posted by kalniel

Perception and resolve seem to be used slightly more than other attributes in conversation checks so far, but as with most, they're not necessary. Backgrounds, class choice etc. make at least as much difference.

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Yeah its the min/maxer and RP'r in me fighting. I want to min/max, I can't help myself but then I want ALL OF THE OPTIONS!! :'( :\'(

I think I may have to go with my 8/10/6/20/14/20 deflection Paladin to fill both requirements

Ah, then you\'ll have to roleplay the characteristics that your Paladin\'s deity promotes to get the most benefits! Min/max and RP combine!

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Originally Posted by kalniel

Ah, then you'll have to roleplay the characteristics that your Paladin's deity promotes to get the most benefits! Min/max and RP combine!

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I generally do that anyway. Honest Paladin, bitter Rogue, evil warlock etc. ;)

Some quick screenies
http://i.imgur.com/E7mS1hR.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/6WKvVcZ.jpg

Have been a bit tied up with Minecraft and World of Tanks lately, but had a bit of a play with this last week. I have only played a few hours, with two different characters, one a Hunter with a bear pet and the other a Warrior type, with a sword and board.

I can get past the "tutorial" area fine, but then when I get to the next zone, I keep getting my backside handed to me by a bear in a cave and 3 outlaws standing around a fire. I guess I could avoid them, but why is it so hard so early on?

I think I need to try again. What's the easiest class to start off with do you think?

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Originally Posted by Dooms

... its the min/maxer and RP'r in me fighting. ...

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Then I strongly suggest you never get involved in a pen and paper D&D 4e campaign. So many ways to break the system... ;)

Anyway, I'm a huge Neverwinter Nights fan - so much so that no matter what other cRPGs I pickup I always end up going back to it and starting another campaign; just one more run through (honest! ;) ). Is this the game to finally break my addiction? Sounds like it might be a decent replacement so far....

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Originally Posted by kalniel

The only negative so far is the volume of kickstarter backer content - there are many NPCs who basically have a short story written by or on behalf of backers who pledged above a certain amount. These stories are fine by themselves, they just get a bit tiresome with the sheer volume and lack of any meaning in the game. Thankfully all such NPCs have specifically coloured names so can be avoided. Likewise there are lots of grave stones around which have backer names and short epitaphs - this is something that's been done in many games (including Baldur's Gate) before, but again it's just the volume and very obviously not in game setting-ness which takes away from things. Again, you just learn not to click on them after a bit.

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Should be interested in this thread: http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/740...get-some-gold/

"Apparently, killing backers (the NPCs with yellow textbox) have no negative consequences, except when other legitimate NPCs are inside the line of sight. They grant some decent loot early on, and you get the pleasure of defiling the avatars of someone else. I personally think that all these colorful Marty Stus and Mary Sues are distracting and feel completely out of place, and until a mod that removes them appears, I will just pretend I am polishing the game through purges."

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Originally Posted by Allen

Have been a bit tied up with Minecraft and World of Tanks lately, but had a bit of a play with this last week. I have only played a few hours, with two different characters, one a Hunter with a bear pet and the other a Warrior type, with a sword and board.

I can get past the "tutorial" area fine, but then when I get to the next zone, I keep getting my backside handed to me by a bear in a cave and 3 outlaws standing around a fire. I guess I could avoid them, but why is it so hard so early on?

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It's not too hard - you're meant to avoid the bear, there are plenty of warning signs of danger if you go that way. The game doesn't have auto-scaling, so as a fresh faced adventurer you're not all and mighty. Learn some humility and make sure you're playing on easy ;)

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I think I need to try again. What's the easiest class to start off with do you think?

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They're all much of a muchness since there are no class restrictions on weapons/armour etc. It may be that you're dragging along some preconceptions from other rpgs that makes you think that warriors should wear bulky armour and mages should be in rags or something. A ranger is one of the easier starters simply because they get a companion straight away. Chanters can likewise summon skeletons, so that all takes some flak off you or allows for flanking bonuses.

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Originally Posted by scaryjim

Anyway, I'm a huge Neverwinter Nights fan - so much so that no matter what other cRPGs I pickup I always end up going back to it and starting another campaign; just one more run through (honest! ;) ). Is this the game to finally break my addiction? Sounds like it might be a decent replacement so far....

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No, wait for Storm Coast Legends.

This is a BG/IWD/PS:T replacement, not so much NWN.

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Originally Posted by kalniel

... wait for Storm Coast Legends. ...

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Just looked at website. CAN. NOT. WAIT!

oh, hang on - based on the screenshots it's Forgotten Realms, but not D20. Perhaps I can wait after all. ;)

Neverwinter (online) took a decent pop at stripping down 4e to make it more suitable for cRPG usage, so I guess non-D20 isn't a deal-breaker, but I do miss being able to cross-pollinate cRPG and pen and paper characters. Or perhaps I should just prod some of my friends and get a 4e game going again.... ;)

We try to forget 4th Ed exists. 5th ed is so much better.

So I started my paladin last night. The first zone after the opening bit where you are now alone...

Started a fight with the 3 bandits, killed the rogue and archer then started hitting the sword & board guy - it was taking a while so I went and made dinner while they were hacking at each other. 30min later still hacking at each other.

Bit of a stalemate :(

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Originally Posted by kalniel

We try to forget 4th Ed exists. 5th ed is so much better.

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I like 4th, but it ain't D&D. Nice skirmish wargame though ;) 5th feels like the game that 3rd was the playtest for. Loving it to bits so far (but then I played pretty much every playtest pack too, so it feels like I've been playing 5th for about 3 years :) ).

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Originally Posted by Dooms

... started hitting the sword & board guy ... 30min later still hacking at each other. ...

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Ah, so it is based on 4th ed after all ;) Definitely not for me if that's typical though: can't stand long lasting fights. If it takes more than 3 hits to kill and its not a boss, I'm obviously not powerful enough ;)

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Originally Posted by scaryjim

Ah, so it is based on 4th ed after all ;) Definitely not for me if that's typical though: can't stand long lasting fights. If it takes more than 3 hits to kill and its not a boss, I'm obviously not powerful enough ;)

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Problem is my main is 100% tank. 8 might and 6 dex = barely scratching him. If I had a single other character with me I would of been fine... when I do that start area again on another character I'll just skip that zone, get a couple recruits in the next area and then come back and kill everything :P

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Originally Posted by Dooms

Problem is my main is 100% tank. 8 might and 6 dex = barely scratching him.

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I have a mate who always plays characters like that; his opinion is that he can kill anything you put in front of him as long as he has time!

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Originally Posted by scaryjim

Ah, so it is based on 4th ed after all ;) Definitely not for me if that's typical though: can't stand long lasting fights. If it takes more than 3 hits to kill and its not a boss, I'm obviously not powerful enough ;)

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My battles are very short - and in general PoE is much quicker in combat than Divinity Original Sin, and somewhat quicker then the old IE games and NWN. Even better is that harder difficulties don't have just harder stats for the bad guys - there are more of them/different types instead. Only the very hardest mode also tweaks the stats. They're so quick that there's even an option to slow down time in combat (in addition to the pause at any time).

On the otherhand, if you're a tank, you can speed up time too ;) Though that stalemate is pretty funny :p

Enjoying the game greatly and I'm only a handful of hours into it. I have restarted a couple times for different classes, think I've done the intro bit four times now. :)

I've not had anything jump out at me as a unique feature or 'wow why don't all games do that'. Everything is very smooth and refined though and I think they've done an excellent job.

While it is a similar style of game to Divinity Original Sin, I don't think they should be compared directly. Eternity feels to me as a modern Baldur's Gate, a traditional RPG party game. D:OS felt original with new ideas such as the magic interaction with the environment . The two player Co-op was also amazing. Both are great, but play and feel very different.

Now available for under a tenner on cdkeys - http://www.cdkeys.com/pc/games/pilla...tion-pc-cd-key

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Originally Posted by Bagnaj97

Now available for under a tenner on cdkeys - http://www.cdkeys.com/pc/games/pilla...tion-pc-cd-key

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Avoid them,as after I made a purchase through paypal,they asking to ring my phone number for "security purposes" before they send the code??

WTF??

There are no address details let alone even a UK contact number.

Luckily I could use a secondary number which is not important.

For example,simplycdkeys which is supposedly UK based,never needed to do that!;)

Odd, have used cdkeys.com plenty, never had an issue, key delivery has always been instant.

However, Shattered Crystal used to call you to confirm your location, they would ask you about nearby locations. Didn't bother me, it's nice that they add a little bit of security IMO.

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Originally Posted by Allen

Odd, have used cdkeys.com plenty, never had an issue, key delivery has always been instant.

However, Shattered Crystal used to call you to confirm your location, they would ask you about nearby locations. Didn't bother me, it's nice that they add a little bit of security IMO.

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For all you know it could be run from someones shed in China or Russia...

You have no clue what they do with the numbers and they are not covered by any UK laws or if international neither are they big enough either to have some sort of ability to harrang them.

FUNNY,that Valve(Steam) have never needed to call have they? ;)

Some fringe seller does.

Ignorance can be bliss.

Edit!

I have read about some of the ways they have tried to get information from people - examples including asking for people for pictures of documents which prove their address and even picture IDs like passports!! So I assume they destroy all that info after they have done with it then? Oh,wait you don't even know what part of the world they are located in outside an e-mail yet they know more about you and where you are located....

What for a digital code sent via e-mail.

Probably explains why they are cheap.

Second Edit!!

Saw this on reddit,and its not the first time people have complained about them.

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Avoid them like a plague!!!

I payed for a game with my working PayPal account, I use it all the time for buying and selling. It was supposed to be instand delivery.

First they told me they won't send me the game until I confirm some code via SMS. Ok, whatever, I did it. But no. Apparently that wasn't enough. They told me they won't send me the game unless I send them a scan od my ID or passport AND a scan of my bank statement AND a handwritten note. Which, of course, they never got and I got a refund.

Never again, CJS!

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Its not the first time it appears they tried that trick and its legit requests from them.

Yet,where is THEIR address and phone numbers??

No where on the site.

Will they send me a copy of their relevant business licenses so I can verify they are legit??

I guess not.

Wow man, calm down... And calling people ignorant for using a site based on previous positive reviews isn't exactly helping your statement.

Maybe they have changed management? Maybe the site has been hacked? I'm not a huge user of cdkeys.com (5 orders, last in March), but have never experienced any of the issues you mention. Normally I do not purchase from sites that don't give out an address or phone number, but they were recommended by some reputable members of this very forum. If they are doing what you say they are now doing, it will be unlikely I purchase from them again. But I do vote with my feet if a company pisses me off (for example Scan, I haven't given them a penny since the Reevoo debacle).

Also, that second quote looks like it is about CJS Keys. Although I have never had an issue with them either (one purchase). They were also recommended by reputable members of Hexus.

I was rather annoyed about that day - sorry if I was Mr Angry,but luckily I had another phone number which I could use.

Also,Pillars of Eternity pissd me off too. Played for two hours,made a few saves and then I manage to die. Then the game deleted all my save files,so I need to start again.

Not sure I want to play this game now,if my progress randomly vanishes and I end up at the start again.

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Originally Posted by CAT-THE-FIFTH

I was rather annoyed about that day - sorry if I was Mr Angry,but luckily I had another phone number which I could use.

Also,Pillars of Eternity pissd me off too. Played for two hours,made a few saves and then I manage to die. Then the game deleted all my save files,so I need to start again.

Not sure I want to play this game now,if my progress randomly vanishes and I end up at the start again.

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I've never had that issue - sure it's not steam cloud problems rather than the game?

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Originally Posted by kalniel

I've never had that issue - sure it's not steam cloud problems rather than the game?

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the game overwrites autosaves if that's what you mean?

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Originally Posted by kalniel

I've never had that issue - sure it's not steam cloud problems rather than the game?

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Originally Posted by Splash

the game overwrites autosaves if that's what you mean?

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It's more the Steam cloud sync overwriting local saves. If the upload to steam doesn't go well then you can end up with sync problems. I turn cloud saves off because they're more trouble than they're worth (I don't share accounts across multiple computers either).

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Originally Posted by kalniel

It's more the Steam cloud sync overwriting local saves. If the upload to steam doesn't go well then you can end up with sync problems. I turn cloud saves off because they're more trouble than they're worth (I don't share accounts across multiple computers either).

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Manual saves that I've made are fine, but every time an autosave is created it overwrites the previous autosave. This seems to be fine (except when you get into a position like I did today where I put in 3 hours on a new playthrough, then stumbled into a fight I have no chance to win: autosave happened after I entered the room :()

That's normal behaviour for most games, there's one autosave slot that's overwritten. You should be in the habit of quick saving if you want easy saving in another slot ;)

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Originally Posted by kalniel

That's normal behaviour for most games, there's one autosave slot that's overwritten. You should be in the habit of quick saving if you want easy saving in another slot ;)

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It's not a grumble on my behalf, just trying to understand (and possibly explain) Cat's situation. I'm more than happy with a single quicksave slot :) (though I wish I'd manually save earlier...)

No the game bugged out and deleted all the saves - the folder was empty. It happened when I died for the first time in game,and I could not continue and had to restart again. I started the game again and then I realised the game must have glitched out previously,as it would only make one save in my previous playthrough,which I thought was weird.

:( That's a bummer. Seems like it's happened to a few guys on the PoE forums, though mostly the problem seem to be corruptions of save files rather than outright deletions. eg https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/72.../#entry1615352

definitely turn off steam cloud sync though.

Yeah,did that now. Other than that is fun if difficult game. Combat is a tad clunky for me,but I might need to get used to it.

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Originally Posted by CAT-THE-FIFTH

Yeah,did that now. Other than that is fun if difficult game. Combat is a tad clunky for me,but I might need to get used to it.

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Did you play any of the old IE games? They had similar (if not even more) clunky combat, as in fact many pnp conversions do. This isn't a PnP conversion, but was designed to feel like one, which is both good and bad! You will get used to it if you persevere - the main thing is having a bit of humility - use potions/food lots. Run away. Load after dying (if you have a save game!) and try something different and/or come back later - it's not an auto scaling game.

The different character classes seem like they should be familiar, but many don't play quite like they do in other games so it does take a while to get used to using the party members most efficiently, though there is quite a bit of flexibility. Engagement is a key factor - taking the agro/tanking role a bit further. Once the mobs are tied up the rest of your party can focus on buff/debuff and DPS.