PoE: The White March - Preview @ High-Def Digest

HiddenX

HiddenX

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Brian Hoss (High-Def Digest):
The Expansion PoE: The White March will change the whole game experience.

Even Obsidian is surprised at how the base game will change.

The idea of a proper game expansion is something of a lost art, what with forgettable, shoddily produced DLC regularly being slapped with the title of 'Expansion.' Of course, isometric RPGs were also considered a lost art not all that long ago. That was before the Kickstarter-rattling 'Pillars of Eternity' hit the market. (Review here.)

Thus, it should come as no surprise that the first expansion for 'Pillars' is most definitely ambitious in aspect and scope. It's even more ambitious than the name, 'Pillars of Eternity: The White March: Part I' suggests. It's pretty clear that with Obsidian and Paradox Entertainment actively developing for 'Pillars' (as opposed to say, ditching it and moving on to a new project), the idea of expanding the game is being fully explored. (...)

The expansion will introduce soulbound weapons whose characteristics will change depending on the class of the party member to whom the weapon is bound. These weapons will get stronger over time, so that choice is even more important.

While these are nice, juicy expansion-esque features, there are others of a greater significance. With the expansion, Obisidian is going to introduce several fan-requested changes that will fundamentally alter how the game is experienced. For example, cross-class (aka multi-class) talents will allow players to really get creative with their party members' skills. Case in point, the rogue who can frenzy like a barbarian, or summon skeletons. These talents won't be exactly like if they were primary class talents, but still, the options will be many.

Class importance and distinction is like to increase, however, what with the soulbound weapons, and the new Party AI scripting system. With class-specific party behavior options, players will gain a greater default way to control their party members, and this deeper set of orders can be toggled on or off with click of the UI or hotkey.

Even still, the way that stealth is handled is changing. In 'Pillars,' the party's stealth status was all or nothing, and at first detection, all party members and most AI enemies were drawn into battle. With the expansion, stealth will be handled on a per party member basis, and that means that players can exercise a much larger degree of tactical ability prior to combat, positioning their party members in a way to exploit detection. This may sound too powerful, especially for those players willing to infiltrate and backstab enemy positions, but there is a catch. Enemies will also behave in manner more attune to individual stealth settings.

These changes are being worked back into the main game, and as it turns out, many enemies have grown a bit wiser and a bit tougher as a result. For veteran 'Pillars' players, these features are bound to touch a nerve, but hopefully in a good way. (Party A.I. changes, Individual Stealth, and Spell Range Indicators, and Accuracy Indicators will be updates for all owners of 'Pillars of Eternity,' and not just expansion buyers.) (...)
Click to expand...
More information.
 
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If multi-classing is allowed now PoE will be a game without real class limitations.
 
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This is great! I look forward to the changes. When is this expansion being released?

Lue.
 
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HiddenX said:
If multi-classing is allowed now PoE will be a game without real class limitations.
Click to expand...

I doubt it will really be a classless system. Your primary class will still determine stamina, health, deflection, and accuracy per level. Also I'm assuming these "multiclass" abilities will be available as talents, meaning you'll only be able to gain a fraction of other classes's abilities. I'm still happy if it adds more variety. In my first playthrough I had a barbarian, chanter, cypher, fighter, ranger, and druid in the party. I think I only could have built the chanter, fighter, and ranger differently enough as to make another playthrough with those classes interesting. But I can see a cypher or barbarian could be fun again if I got take other classes's abilities as feats.
 
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I'm glad to hear about the soulbound weapons; something like that has been one of my favorite 'would be nice to have' elements since playing with Covenant items in Midnight.
 
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Multi-classing, meh. But glad to hear that party AI and better stealth mechanics are getting in. Sounds like they're finally finishing the game. Might be worth a try again, after I lost interest upon reaching the first big city (just like I lost interest in Baldur's Gate shortly after I reached that city). RTwP just isn't my thing, and the constant micro-managing in battle got especially old in PoE. Will be interesting to see how the party AI improves that aspect...
 
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From what was seen, the AI removes engagement as a strategic mattering point.

Multiclassing while players have been complaining that everything looks, feels the same? How about listening to the customer for once?

Even Obsidian is surprised at how the base game will change.
Click to expand...
That is surprising to read. It was enough to read the change logs of the various patches and play now and then to notice that the developpers have been striving to remove everything that could have set the game apart.
Nobody should be surprised of the depth of a change in this situation.
 
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ChienAboyeur said:
From what was seen, the AI removes engagement as a strategic mattering point.
Click to expand...

How? I've seen no dev mention that engagement is going away, which means the AI will still be affected by it as it is presently.

And multiclassing has been requested since the kickstarter.
 
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AI won't remove the importance of engagement.

That said, the drone-like mechanics of the combat system means there's really no strategy involved. The game forces you to have at least one member focusing on engagement, and preferably two. There's no thought involved once you realise this very basic fact.

You just engage with your tanks - and the rest of the fight is entirely predictable for almost all the encounters.

There's really no alternative for the player who doesn't want to pause every two seconds.
 
Why try small when bigger is possible?

Not only AI wont remove the importante of engagment, AI will demultiply it.

Who dares wins.
 
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It's certainly nice to be covered in rifles when making pizza.

Wins who dares.
 
I was trying my hand at Chi-english.

I thought it was pretty good for an amateur ;)
 
The positive part is that no level of english helps when the conclusion that the AI does not remove engagment as a mattering strategic element.
 
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