This is no troll & this is the response I always get…
Ok, its just that sometimes your argumentation feels quite ... demanding? ... aggressive? Dunno, perhaps Im just too sensitive, but you also say its usual reaction to you, so maye its not just me.
Which is it? Is it a game I'm supposed to take on it's own merits as a unique and individual product that I should carry no expectations with beyond whether I like Obsidian games or not? Or is it a game that ignores the Obsidian heritage and delivers a game that mostly delivers a glorious homage to the IE games?
I was really amazed by first impression the game made on me when I started to play. I loved visuals, I loved art, I loved when game first time suddnely opened book page with situation description on me and my party had to go through skill-checks. It all felt as great new IE game to me.
Unfortunately, from the great beginning the game went down-hill for me.
From beginning I didnt much like the basic stats. For example, having artificial Might to serve as basis for calculation of both physical and spell power. Why? Dunno.
Most of the abilities gained through leveling are useless. Many spells were similar, just different damage. 8 damage types: 3 physical types, 4 elemental types and the raw type. Mostly pointless as you are in most cases able to damage anyone with most damage types, its just not as effective. The system is artificial and bulky for RtWP. So combat is messy and I never really enjoyed it. Later in game I was able to tolerate it.
Game gives you option to create companions as well as to recruit pre-made companions with background and story. All are stored in inns. As much as I try I cannot recall details of story of any of them. Stories of many BG1 and BG2 companions I remember till today.
In BG2 you could get your own headquarters for some of the classes. It didnt have real use to you, but at least it didnt pretend anything and stories and quests hidden behind it were some of the best in game (loved planar sphere). Here you get your own hold and you can 1/delve in deep dungeon beneath with its own story and 2/ develop the hold by investing in building reconstruction. 1/ was bit too long but at least had the only real boss fight of vanilla game. 2/ was artificial and utterly boring money sink.
Game opens in larger chunks in similar way like BG1 or BG2. But non linearity is mostly pretended and artificial. Game uses some form of level scaling ... dont remember details anymore. Just that it wasnt one of main problems I had with it.
Writing and story of PoE1 also disappointed me. You are chosen one, dealing with omnipotent adversaries, dealing with gods themself. Dealing with secrets that shake foundation of the world itself. Meh ... give me a break. This is chosen one on steroids if you ask me.
Its necessary to mention that White March expansion was good compared to vanilla game and probably main reason why I managed to finished it. It has its own story and some nice encounters.
This all sounds quite negative, but lets say it, at time of release this was the best thing that appeared in department of party based, isometric cRPGs, for quite long time.
Considering what I know today, I would skip first game, read the plot on Wiki and start second game in TB mode. Of course, shitty main stats remain, but everything else is much improved. But I guess I ran off my word limit for one thread, so Im not going into detail with second game.
By the way, above is just my own impression of the game, Im sure others saw it with different eyes...