RPGWatch - Pillars of Eternity Opinion Article

P.S. Thanks SO MUCH for all the comments! You guys are the reason I write articles on this site. Love you all! :iloveyou::party:
 
Good job, you two! I unfortunately have only been able to play here and there on my days off from work, so I haven't gotten far. Oh, that and I keep starting over with new character builds… That's actually a good sign for me; shows I'm borderline obsessed.

So despite being a manly man RPG'er, I've settled on a female, dual-wielding ranger with a lion named Una. A fucking lion! (It's a way to get free drinks at the tavern.)

Anyway, I'm playing a bunch the next few days so I'm little kid excited.
 
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Great article. I'm about 6 hours into the game so far, and am really enjoying it. I agree with Aubrielle. The game has great atmosphere and mood. I love the art and the story. I don't mind the dual health system. I actually like how it makes me use my resources. I like it better than how resting worked in the i.e. games, which I found annoying. I'm not so fond of the engagement system. I like it in theory, but I find because of the pathfinding, I'm sometimes taking hits because I unintentionally leave combat. I actually like the spell casting system. I can't understand why some people complain Aloeth sucks. I actually think wizards works pretty well. Hard counters and prebuffing aren't necessary IMO.
 
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I'm not exactly a fan of Baldur's Gate references, I think the game is strong enough in its own right, but I guess it's fair enough. It's a really, really well crafted traditional fantasy RPG, and personally I feel that iteration is king in this genre, not innovation.
 
The game is strong in it's own right, but one cannot escape the Baldur's Gate and Infinity Engine influences in the game. I honestly felt that after playing Pillars for several hours, that I was playing Baldur's Gate 3, or a Baldur's Gate total overhaul mod. And I mean that in a good way.

So, while the game is definitely a great thing, the influences shine strongly in it.
 
Since BG is, among other games, a direct inspiration, the comparison is fair. It's just not BG3 - there are too many deviations from the cookie cutter Infinity Engine recipe there.
 
Great article Aubrielle & Fluent! Not sure why Aubrielle's section is in 'spoiler text' style (I had to highlight it to read it, otherwise it looked blank - I'm using the dark theme if it makes any difference).

My opinion after recently completing PoE is that its a great game. Its not better than BG2 in my opinion, but its better than BG1 was. I think the comparison to it being Baldur's Gate 1 (not 2) for 2015 is very apt.

My hope is that the upcoming expansion (and hopefully sequel) will let Obsidian improve on what they've already done, as Black Isle did with Baldur's Gate 2.

My only real hopes for improvement:
- I would like more story & depth to the characters. I liked them, but felt that I would have liked them more with 2-3 quests per companion.
- The stronghold felt rather hollow. Upgrading it was nice, but I wish there was more 'life' to it.
- End boss in the Endless Paths was really cheesy. Not 'really tough and challenging' (a la Firkragg in BG2) but just cheesy mechanics. I'll beat it eventually, but it annoyed me more than I found it an enjoyable challenge.
 
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I agree the game is awesome and very close to the spirit of BG, but the differences it has are not differences I like.
- The stat system I really don't like, like at all. I'm not saying that they should have used D&D, but at least make it more belieavable/usable.
- Initially the health/stamina system looked like a nice idea, but the implementation… meh.
- The fort thing, could have been so much more. Instead it's basically some event that you click every few hours and doesn't really change anything.
- Too much exp. I'm just starting chapter 3 (haven't even been to Twin Peaks yet) and I'm already almost level 11.

Now, don't get me wrong, I like the game, it's because I like it that I want some things to be better.
 
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Caidh said:
Not sure why Aubrielle's section is in 'spoiler text' style (I had to highlight it to read it, otherwise it looked blank - I'm using the dark theme if it makes any difference).
Click to expand...
The bottom text had the color "black" explicitly set instead of "default", so it was black on black in the dark theme. Fixed.
 
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"The genius of Pillars of Eternity, is that it's basically Baldur's Gate 2015."
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Capitalizing on easily reproducible nostalgia isn't exactly a grand feat in 2015. Nothing genius about it, but very entrepreneurial.
 
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It's certainly a strange example of genius :)

Playing it safe with a competent fan-service product is what I consider a smart way to fund your game, at best, but not exactly genius. More like predictable and slightly dull.

If only features like the Stronghold or Endless Path dungeon set the game apart, instead of acting as almost entirely pointless filler, then there could have been an inkling of genius in how to improve upon a favorite formula, but not even there does it manage to come up with something new.
 
I'd agree with that. Pillars of Eternity doesn't really bring anything new to the table - a quality that separates long-lasting classics from fairly good RPGs. It blatantly reproduced retro features, while in some respects even being outperformed by its supposed predecessors.
 
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luj1 said:
Capitalizing on easily reproducible nostalgia isn't exactly a grand feat in 2015. Nothing genius about it, but very entrepreneurial.
Click to expand...

You completely managed to ignore Fluent's quite logical counterpoint: It's not nostalgia at all when you've only just recently experienced the Infinity Engine games for the first time. Indeed, I've a couple of friends who are approaching this kind of RPG for the very first time due to PoE's presentation, which is utterly free from any kind of nostalgic attachment. Thus your concept of "capitalising on nostalgia" doesn't really capture the full story. Personally I think the game stands well on its own right, nostalgic attachment or not.

I agree however that the word "genius" is probably too loosely thrown about in the article. Asking "what is the genius of x?" is actually too much of an assumption:
It makes more sense to analyse the key components or mechanics which draw one to the game and question if they work/don't work. I'm really happy to read the piece however - its good to read such collaborative efforts on the 'Watch, particularly when the focus is on a mutual passion. :) So well done to Aubrielle and Fluent.

Unfortunately my experience with the game has been cut short due to some nasty hardware issues: My current PC has been overheating and has had some nasty RAM failures. Hopefully I'll get on top of it all soon and get back to it. In the meantime, I've got Avernum II: Crystal Souls to keep me company, which has been fun.
 
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Pessimeister said:
You completely managed to ignore Fluent's quite logical counterpoint: It's not nostalgia at all when you've only just recently experienced the Infinity Engine games for the first time. Indeed, I've a couple of friends who are approaching this kind of RPG for the very first time due to PoE's presentation, which is utterly free from any kind of nostalgic attachment. Thus your concept of "capitalising on nostalgia" doesn't really capture the full story. Personally I think the game stands well in its own right, nostalgic attachment or not.

I agree however that the word "genius" is probably too loosely thrown about in the article. Asking "what is the genius of x?" is actually too much of an assumption:
It makes more sense to analyse the key components or mechanics which draw one to the game and question if they work/don't work. I'm really happy to read the piece however - its good to read such collaborative efforts on the 'Watch, particularly when the focus is on a mutual passion. :) So well done to Aubrielle and Fluent.

Unfortunately my experience with the game has been cut short due to some nasty hardware issues: My current PC has been overheating and has had some nasty RAM failures. Hopefully I'll get on top of it all soon and get back to it. In the meantime, I've got Avernum II: Crystal Souls to keep me company, which has been fun.
Click to expand...

I don't know why you'd want to claim nostalgia isn't a factor, just because one user played BG recently.

Are you seriously suggesting they're not selling a few extra copies because of the nostalgia factor?
 
DArtagnan said:
I don't know why you'd want to claim nostalgia isn't a factor, just because one user played BG recently.

Are you seriously suggesting they're not selling a few extra copies because of the nostalgia factor?
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Uh, no. Pessimeister simply mentioned that nostalgia doesn't cover the full story and insinuated that the game is great even without a nostalgia attachment.

I guess one could clarify and say the genius is not that PoE is "basically Baldur's Gate 2015", but that BG was a great game with a more or less excellent formula and that PoE is also a great game following the same formula. A modern iteration at that. Which is "basically Baldur's Gate 2015", really. ;)
 
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Arhu said:
Uh, no, he simply mentioned that nostalgia doesn't cover the full story and insinuated that the game is great even without a nostalgia attachment.

I guess one could clarify and say the genius is not that PoE is "basically Baldur's Gate 2015", but that BG was a great game with a more or less excellent formula and that PoE is also a great game following the same formula. A modern iteration at that. Which is "basically Baldur's Gate 2015", really. ;)
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lulj said they were capitalizing on nostalgia, and I still don't see how that's not what they're doing. I certainly don't see it just because Fluent doesn't think nostalgia is what makes the game good.

I'm not saying that's ALL they're doing, but they're definitely capitalizing on it.

As you say, they're emulating a formula that's popular and completely established - without much in the way of improvements and innovation.

I think that's what lulj doesn't consider genius so much as entrepreneurial.

I think I agree with him.

None of that deals with the quality of the cloning, though. I think both lulj and I consider PoE a fine game.
 
Pessimeister said:
You completely managed to ignore Fluent's quite logical counterpoint:
It's not nostalgia at all when you've only just recently experienced the Infinity Engine games for the first time…
Click to expand...

I can agree with that. For someone who missed the IE games, or played them recently for the first time, it wouldn't be nostalgia. But it'd still be only a reproduction of what made these games so great. There isn't any meaningful innovation, apart of the stronghold mini-game and minor features whose aim was convenience e.g. unlimited party stash, fast-forward button, per-encounter abilities, custom companions etc. So Pillars of Eternity is just a way of playing an impoverished version of Baldur's Gate more smoothly.
 
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Impoverished! Aww, that's a bit harsh :)

Good writing (I LIKE VERBOSITY!), decent Icewind Dale'esue atmosphere.
Deplorable combat mechanics. Bland and practically pointless character building.

I'm still happy I pledged, but 10/10 ratings are lol-worthy
 
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luj1 said:
So Pillars of Eternity is just a way of playing an impoverished version of Baldur's Gate more smoothly.
Click to expand...
Isn't BG:EE and BG2:EE on phones "just a way of playing an impoverished version of Baldur's Gate more smoothly"?
 
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Drithius said:
Impoverished! Aww, that's a bit harsh :)
Click to expand...

Hah :). Perhaps I should've said bland Dirtius.

Drithius said:
Good writing (I LIKE VERBOSITY!), decent Icewind Dale'esue atmosphere…
Click to expand...

And music! Also I thought weapon sounds were awesome.

Drithius said:
Deplorable combat mechanics. Bland and practically pointless character building.
Click to expand...

Now that's cruel bro :D.

joxer said:
Isn't BG:EE and BG2:EE on phones "just a way of playing an impoverished version of Baldur's Gate more smoothly"?
Click to expand...

Yeah sure. But those are really the same products only adapted for a completely different platform. Can't say that's an appropriate analogy in our case.
 
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