fig.co/campaigns/deadfire?update=281#updatesUpdate #19
PayPal is Live, Fishing, Monsters, and some fun!
We have a few special things to share with you as our campaign comes to an end. First we have a special message in video format made by Adam Brennecke, the executive producer of Deadfire - with some fun behind the scenes footage of the game. We also have a new stretch goal for $4.75 million - Sea Monsters and Fishing! We blew by the last stretch goal of $4.25 million and we will now add a Talking Intelligent Weapon to the game, and are on our way to the $4.5 million stretch goal which will add the Ship Crew feature! Amazing! Thank you and party with the developers in the final hours of the campaign on the Twitch stream which is live right now!
PayPal and the Backer Portal
For those waiting to pay by PayPal, our Backer Portal just went live! eternity.obsidian.net/backer If you aren't able to back through Fig and still want to become a backer of Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire, you now have the option to pledge via Paypal! Head on over and create an account, or log in using your existing forum credentials. Please note that if you have already pledged on Fig your pledge has not been moved over to our portal yet.
A Personal Thank You and Behind the Scenes Video
Thanks Adam! Now to the stretch goal!
Sea Monsters and Fishing - $4.75 Million
As they say, there are a million fish in the sea. And with your new boat, why not drop a hook and see what comes up at the end of the line? In Deadfire, fish will provide you with different rest bonuses and give you more recipes to cook up to help you on your adventures. Fishing will trigger scripted interactions on your boat where you can choose various baits you have collected and see what fish you can catch. Different areas on the world map will have different fish below the surface. You can be an occasional line-dropper or an expert fisherman. And who knows, maybe you'll hook some rare gear or run into sea monsters who have only been spoken of in tales...
With this stretch goal we will add fishing and new sea monsters that you may encounter while sailing on the seas around Deadfire!
- Kraken - Once believed to be a legend spread through the Eastern Reach by Aedyran explorers in the Deadfire, krakens have been proven all too real by the numerous ships they have lain to waste at the western edge of Ondra's Mortar. Like enormous, aggressive octopuses, kraken prey on the largest creatures of the sea, including great whales, and are known to smash ships to pieces and devour the entire crew in the span of minutes. Legends abound of an ancient sickly-yellow kraken that has lived since, in the words of the Huana, "Magran's Teeth last roared". According to Captain Verenti of the galleon Brascera, he was pursued by the creature and managed to put a 9 pound cannonball in its right eye, breaking the chase. Other captains have confirmed that the beast now lacks an eye, but its hatred of kith has apparently increased threefold.
- Polpovir - The folk-sized polpovir appear to be some sort of squid-like monstrosity that haunts dark coastlines across the Deadfire. Naturalists believe they operate purely on animal instinct, but sailors who have encountered them swear they are driven by some malevolent collective intelligence. The polpovir have barbed tentacles that can propel them on land with frightening speed, massive mouths capable of swallowing an orlan whole, and eerie illuminated antennae that can hypnotize even a well-trained sailor. Huana tribes share information of polpovir sightings and avoid them both of out of fear and reverence. They believe the creatures, whom they call wahēra, are servants of the goddess Ngati (Ondra, to those from the Eastern Reach).
- Helwater Crabs - So-named for their habitat, helwater crabs have adapted to life in the searing waters surrounding undersea volcanicvents. The helwater crabs vary in size based on sex, with females being about the size of folk, males the size of aumaua. The males are feared for their incredibly tough shells and powerful claws, capable of causing shocking wounds in even well-armored foes. The females possess a dangerous defensive weapon they can unleash against careless kith who assume their smaller size means they are less dangerous. While not tending to their nests, females store boiling-hot water from thermal vents in a large internal sac, where it can remain insulated for hours. They can release the water with great force, propelling them backward and fatally-scalding the poor souls caught in the blast. Though naturalists believe helwater crabs do not attack kith to eat them, they are extraordinarily defensive of their nests, which sailors and explorers unwittingly pass by.
- Maiden of the Depths - Sailors throughout the Deadfire fear the cry of the Maiden of the Depths and her "court" of handmaidens. With the rough appearance of winged women, handmaidens can be mistaken for some kind of flying kith at a distance. Proximity reveals their true, horrid form: leathery bodies, monstrous heads, talons instead of fingers, and flippers instead of feet. Unfortunately for sailors, most of them are lulled to sleep during the handmaidens' approach by their wordless songs of indescribable beauty. Entire crews have been gently carried to a watery grave by a flock of singing handmaidens. There are dozens of legends and rumors about why handmaidens prey on ships. Most of them revolve around an enigmatic figure known as the Maiden of the Depths, a being of massive power that supposedly commands the entire host.
Fulvano's Voyage Comes to an End
Fulvano's next discovery is the Splintered Reef:
"A thousand broken salutes hailed me from the rocky shoal"
The Splintered Reef is a mass of abandoned ships that doggedly cling to each other, forever trapped in the aftermath of a naval battle. None could tell from the wretched monument who fought or for what purpose, as only silence and the dead seem to have won.
After 10 discoveries of new islands, including a pirate hideout, a three level dungeon, an island of slavers, and a ship graveyard, Fulvano's journey sadly has come to an end! He encountered one of the deadly creatures of the Deadfire and is now headed to a new adventure. Thank you to everyone who participated in making Fulvano's voyage possible! And special thanks to Matt Hansen, our wonderful concept artist, who brought Fulvano's Voyage to life over the past few weeks.
fig.co/campaigns/deadfire?update=282#updatesUpdate #20
A Big Thank You for $4.4 Million!
We've reached the end of the official campaign on Fig, and it has been an amazing ride. We want to let you know how much it means to all of us on the Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire team that you supported us with your thoughts, your contributions, and your feedback throughout the campaign. Pillars II has grown and become bigger and better than we ever imagined when we first set out at the start of this journey.
$4.4 Million!
After a month-long campaign and a myriad of announcements and new additions, we were able to exceed our initial funding goal of $1.1 million by more than 400%! This makes Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire the most crowdfunded video game since 2015, and exceeds the number achieved by Pillars I. With more than 33,600 backers, Pillars II became the most popular project ever on Fig. We're so excited about what we were able to achieve together.
Slacker Backers
If you missed out on backing us (or know someone who did), have no fear! You can still back Pillars II via the Slacker Backer Pledge button on Fig, or over at obsidian.net. For 60 days after the campaign ends (about 57 of which are left), backers can continue to pledge and receive backer rewards as if they contributed during the campaign! Even better, these contributions will count toward our remaining stretch goals of $4.5, $4.75, and $5 million dollars, which are:
[h=4]When Can I Link My Pledge to the Backer Portal?[/h] Once Fig has confirmed all of the pledges, we will be migrating them over to our Backer Portal. This will take 2-3 weeks. Once that is done, we'll let you know in an update when you can link your Fig pledge to the Backer Portal. This allows you to upgrade to a different tier if you'd like, add more add-ons, confirm your pledge, and obtain any rewards we have available now (like Pillars of Eternity I, The White March expansion, the Tyranny coupon, and Cooking With Tim vol. 1).
- $4.5 M - Ship Crew: Hire and manage a crew for your ship
- $4.75 M - Sea Monsters and Fishing: Hunt gigantic monsters on the high seas, and go fishing
- $5.0 - 8th Companion: Ydwin joins the party as a full companion
Thank You
Thank you for helping us make Pillars II the best game it can possibly be. We're so excited to be bringing our game to you early next year, and to watch it grow in scope from what we'd originally planned. Thank you for all of your requests and support. Because of you, Pillars II is possible.
We will continue to update you weekly about Pillars II art, lore, design, and overall progress on the game, so stay tuned!
Until next time, fellow adventurers!
fig.co/campaigns/deadfire?update=284#updatesUpdate #21
$4.5 Million Attained! Ship Crews Unlocked!
We wanted to let all of you fans and backers know that we've hit $4.5 million and unlocked another stretch goal, the ability to find and hire crews for your ship!
Before we kick off, though, we're giving a quick shout out to one of our favorite titles: Torment: Tides of Numenera from our good friends at inXile Entertainment, which was just released yesterday! Just like Pillars II, Torment is an isometric, party-driven, cRPG, but Torment takes its inspiration directly from Planescape: Torment and the award-winning Numenera pen-and-paper RPG by Monte Cook. Having played Torment, wefeel Pillars II fans will enjoy its unique setting, beautiful art, and intricate gameplay.
Now, back to the stretch goal! If you recall, Ship Crews offer a whole new layer of interactivity for player ships: Find, hire, and manage a crew. Once hired, crew members can be assigned roles on the ship, and will play a role in the events and battles that you encounter at sea. We are also introducing crew dilemmas that will allow you to take charge and be the captain when they look to you for guidance!
This also puts in reach our next two goals: Sea Monsters and Fishing at $4.75 million and, of course, our 8th Companion, Ydwin, at $5 million. As a reminder, the Pillars II developers gave some details on how Sea Monsters and Fishing would work in a previous update.
In Deadfire, fish will provide you with different rest bonuses and give you more recipes to cook up to help you on your adventures. Fishing will trigger scripted interactions on your boat where you can choose various baits you have collected and see what fish you can catch. Different areas on the world map will have different fish below the surface. You can be an occasional line-dropper or an expert fisherman. And who knows, maybe you'll hook some rare gear or run into sea monsters who have only been spoken of in tales...
We're excited to see if we can achieve the next two goals before the 60-day slacker-backer period is up!
So check out Torment and when you're ready, spread the word about our latest stretch goal achievements. Let's get to $5 million!
That would still be the case.
It's been confirmed in the comments section over at fig.co again and again that Paradox, in their great stupidity, bestowed only vaporous keys upon Obsidian to give out to the masses.
It's been confirmed in the comments section over at fig.co again and again that Paradox, in their great stupidity, bestowed only vaporous keys upon Obsidian to give out to the masses.
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fig.co/campaigns/deadfire?update=286#updatesUpdate #22
Closing in on $4.75 M and Some News
Hello backers, investors, and fans -- we've got a quick update for you on the state of the campaign and some news on when you can start receiving your rewards.
First off, we've hit ~$4,580,000 in total funding, putting us one step closer to unlocking our penultimate stretch goal: Sea Monsters & Fishing. If you're wondering how we continue to fund, it's thanks to our slacker backer functionality available on the Fig site, or you can use Stripe or PayPal through our portal at Obsidian.net. As you're reading this, we have about 48 days remaining until slacker backer funding goes away and the stretch goals we haven't reached disappear forever, so tell a friend!
Starting tomorrow, we are including a 'guest cart' option on the backer site. Additionally, all Fig pledges will be transferred to the Backer Portal next week. We'll update you when this happens. Let us know if you have any questions about this process, we're always happy to help.
Stay tuned for another update next week, diving into more details about Pillars II development!
in progress stealth ui for #deadfire (Aloth has no stealth) https://t.co/9xMHXGej6c
— Josh Sawyer (@jesawyer) March 11, 2017
— Josh Sawyer (@jesawyer) March 11, 2017
fig.co/campaigns/deadfire?update=291#updatesUpdate #23
Creature Feature - All About Naga!
Welcome, fellow wanderers! It's been a week, but we have quite a few new tidbits to share with you. First: we wanted to let you know that we're drawing ever closer to our goal of $4.75 million - sea monsters and fishing in Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire.
How are we getting more funds to the campaign? Simple: through "slacker" backers. There are two ways you can back us:
Right here on Fig - Just click the Slacker Backer button to back us, change how you've already backed us, or add an add-on item to your order.
- Our current total earnings from Slacker Backers on Fig is right about $84,000.
Through Our Backer Portal - Head on over to the Deadfire Backer Portal to back us there. Also, you'll want to register at the backer portal in order to set up your order for fulfillment, whether you backed us via Fig or the portal. Plus, the backer portal is PayPal compatible, so if you want to use PayPal, that's where you'll want to go!
- Our current total earnings from Slacker Backers on our portal is about: $63,500.
That puts our total earnings from Slacker Backers at around $147,500, and our overall campaign total at just over $4.55 million. There are 42 days remaining until we stop accepting Slacker Backers. You have until April 25th, so spread the word to help us reach our $4.75M stretch goal, and eventually $5M for our awesome 8th companion, Ydwin!
Regarding the Backer Portal: Expect another update from us very soon with instructions for linking your pledges and claiming your Tyranny coupon! All of your rewards and add-ons will be completely transferred over to the Backer Portal very soon, so keep an eye out for that update. Tyranny coupons will be valid until May 31st.
All About Naga
Behold the intimidating and cunning naga, one of our many types of creatures in Pillars II:
Variants, Types & Abilities
There are three variants of naga with their own resistances and weaknesses:
- Naga (Poison)
- Resistances: Poison
- Weaknesses: None
- Flame Naga (Fire)
- Resistances: Dexterity Afflictions (Hobbled, Immobilize, Paralyze), Piercing Resistance
- Weaknesses: Slashing, Water
- Coral Naga (Water)
- Resistances: Dexterity Afflictions (Hobbled, Immobilize, Paralyze), Piercing Resistance
- Weaknesses: Slashing, Shock
The variants can be further broken down into types, each with their own unique abilities:
- Warriors: The least intelligent type of naga. These are brutes focused primarily on dealing melee damage.
- Skirmishers: Also known as archers. Skirmishers are the most venomous, cunning, and deadly.
- Shamans: Spiritual and political leaders. Most intelligent and Druid/Priest casters.
Abilities broken down by variants and type:
Lore
Naga are a species of intelligent, reptilian wilder. They are native to many islands in the Deadfire Archipelago, and their various subspecies have adapted to a variety of conditions present there, including jungles, coral atolls, and volcanic slopes.
Social by nature, they tend to live in large groups, often under the guidance of spiritual leaders. Most are highly religious and consider themselves more sensitive to the will of the gods than kith societies, which has led to violent confrontations between the native naga and the many newcomers to Deadfire. On the other hand, they maintain neutral relationships with most Huana tribes.
Their long-established oral tradition tells of the cataclysmic devastation of the archipelago millennia ago, and of the kith misdeeds that preceded it. Many attribute naga hostilities to these tales and to the mistrust they engender.
i.imgur.com/ba6B7B8.mp4
As development continues, we will update you with more in-game footage, animations, and information about the naga and other creatures living within Deadfire.
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for our Backer Portal update!
redbull.com/en/games/stories/1331849111609/pillars-of-eternity-2-interview-red-bull-gamesSand and sorcery in Pillars of Eternity 2
Obsidian Entertainment chief Feargus Urquhart talks taking Tolkien tropical in the new RPG.
Do you ever look around a new a place and get that feeling that something's just the tiniest bit off? You'll take the place, but still, there's that niggling sense that something isn't quite right.
Crunch. A massive stone fist punches up from under the basement, destroys the whole block and kills your neighbours. With one foot on your new car and another somewhere around where the guy next door had been trimming the hedges, a mighty and terrible rock golem stands before you, the furious visage of an ancient god wrought in stone peering down. Then the statue strides off into the sea, leaving you with nought but memories and a desire to one day hit it really hard in the face with a magical hammer.
This is, more or less, how things kick off in Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire. Without spoiling anything, by the end of the first installment, which Obsidian Kickstarted to the tune of $4,000,000 and released in 2015, you've settled into some pretty cushy digs: the stronghold of Caed Nua, which you've rid of subterranean beasties and done up as a base of operations. Then the giant god statue that's been secretly lurking underneath the castle wakes up, bursts out of the ground, and sets off towards the Deadfire Archipelago: a string of tropical islands somewhere to the south of the first game's realm of Dyrwood.
It’s Obsidian's answer to that perpetually tricky question of the RPG sequel that allows you to carry over your character from the first game: how is this game going to challenge me now that I'm basically king and can obliterate any who opposes me without getting out of my chair?
"We came up with this idea that the statue that was under your stronghold, Caed Nua, basically comes to life and bursts out," says Feargus Urquhart, Obsidian's CEO. "And as it bursts out, it's basically sucking the soul energy from everybody around. Now, you're more powerful [after the events of Pillars I] so it doesn't kill you, but for all intents and purposes it takes the power that you built up over all of Eternity I, and sucks you back down to level one. Then the statue marches off into the sea, and that's the start of the game, so you now have to follow the statue to get your power back."
As part of the school of RPGs that's filled with murky choice and consequence, there were several different ways that the first Pillars could end – some less happily than others. One of the challenges with Deadfire was how those choices – and more importantly, your character's reputation as a shining pillar of light or someone who feeds grandmas to dragons – would carry over into the game's sequel.
Urquhart won't go into details of how this will play out in practice (though he gives an example that, if your original character had a background story in which he or she hailed from the Deadfire Archipelago, it's the kind of thing an NPC might comment on), but if you want to carry your character over, you can expect some of your renown to have crossed the sea along with the giant stomping statue.
Alternatively, if you feel like ditching your past, you can always start Deadfire afresh, making up your own legend through a series of conversation trees with characters that'll flesh out the story of what you did (or rather, didn't) do during the events of the first game. This is the default starting point for players new to Pillars. But it's also there for veterans looking for a blank slate, or to try a new class.
"We know that some players may feel that they want to change what they did in the game, or they didn't play Pillars, or they played Pillars but the want to start with a new character," says Urquhart. "So you're basically going to go through, as subtly as we can make it, this sort of questioning in dialogues about what happened, and that's where you can change what you did or build what you did in Pillars if you didn't play it."
Whether you played the first Pillars or not, the most jarring change might come from the scenery. Pillars of Eternity introduced new races and lore, but still fit into the mold of the 'fantasy RPG'. It was Tolkienesque: medieval European-ish towns and races and classes that, if you didn't want to jump in horns-or-ears-first as a Godlike or an Orlan, at least looked at home in Pillars' forests, dungeons and villages. Deadfire and its archipelago, meanwhile are as Urquhart describes it, "Polynesian" – quite a jump and paddle from what a fantasy audience might expect.
"I don't think we would have done this tropical, Polynesian setting for Pillars I, because what we needed to do first was establish Pillars as a traditional, conceptualisation of medieval times in Europe, but obviously with dragons and magical swords," Urquhart says. "That's what people associate Pillars with, because that's what Pillars I was. So, it's always this thing of, how much can you make new in a sequel to keep things interesting? And not just to keep things interesting for players, but to keep things interesting for the team as well.
"There are different kinds of settings you can do: you can do an island chain, you can do ice (which we did with White March for Icewind Dale back at Black Isle Studios), you can do the desert, you can do jungles, you can do tundra. There's a lot of different things you can do. But I think the important thing we did was establish Pillars as a medieval fantasy RPG, so even though we're going somewhere else for the sequel, it already has those trappings and that feeling for people.
"On the flipside, we're very aware that we can't just go to the Deadfire and have everything just be huts and everybodybe tattooed, tanned and with loin cloths. That can start to feel weird. That was one of the first big conversations we had about Deadfire, where we said, 'Yes, it's cool if we can go to this string of islands, and yes, we should represent the culture of those islands, but we need to also represent that this is also a somewhat colonised string of islands."
Palm trees or not, though, Pillars II is still a fantasy RPG. But like Wasteland 2, it's in an interesting place for a crowdfunded franchise. Wasteland 2 brought the CRPG to Kickstarter in 2012, with all the post-apocalyptic trappings that an old-school Wasteland or Fallout fan could want: deserts, raiders, mutant rabbits and so on. Pillars did the same for fantasy. But for their sequels, both Pillars and Wasteland are moving away from what we've been trained to expect.
But when you're relying on a core fanbase to stump up the cash for you to build one of these worlds, how out-there can you get with your ideas before your backers start backing away? How many successfully crowdfunded games does it take before your fans will fund your epic accountancy RPG just because it's your studio that's making it?
"I think the question there is, are people fans of Pillars, or are they fans of Obsidian?" says Urquhart. "I think the answer is that they're both. There are certain people that enjoy the style of RPG we make no matter the setting: they enjoy how we approach companions and how we approach moral questions and how approach world-building. There are other people that love being in that Tolkienesque world. It's their getaway, their escape.
"So, ultimately the question for us is, do we do something completely different – not to go all Monty Python – but do we do something so completely different that, while people understand it's still going to be an Obsidian RPG, but, you know, it's the story of a one-celled amoeba or a plankton. Some people will get behind that. But what we also have to look at [the fact that], for our fans of Pillars or our fans of a Tolkienesque world, they may not be interested in that. They enjoy the comfortable nature of elves and dwarves.
"That's the ongoing debate: should there be elves and dwarves in every medieval fantasy RPG? And something that we've debated many, many times. Some people feel that elves and dwarves are trite. Other people love the concept of elves and dwarves so when we're looking at this – and this is going to sound really strange – if one of our jobs is entertainment and part of that entertainment is escape, and part of that escape is going to a world with elves and dwarves, then why wouldn't I create a world with elves and dwarves?
"That's not to say that every RPG should be like that. I have this weird idea for a film noir RPG. I don't know if it would work, but I can kind of picture it. We could use the Eternity engine and make this black and white, shades grey, and use the way people talk, and music. It may never work, and I also know that if we were to make that, everybody that bought Pillars would not be on the ride for that. And that's OK. But that doesn't mean we should completely turn away from Pillars, but it doesn't mean we shouldn't look into doing other stuff as well, just to try things."
I guess as an adult player I expect game elements to have some amount of significance and impact, I couldn't care less if the game has elves, dwarves and talking swords if they don't contribute to the narrative, gameplay and story. For instance in the case of Deadfire, some valid questions: will there be more penalties for wearing heavy armor in hot, humid weather? More exhaustion perhaps? Food poisoning? Are there significant cultural differences, reflected in persuasion/intimidation attempts?
Either way I think most people who actually like cRPG's are always happy to see new locales. Amn, djinnis, rakshasas, the underdark and so on made BG2 much more exciting than BG, despite the Forgotten Realms being so boring in general. PS:T went nuts with exotic D&D places and creatures and people loved it. The point is fantasy archetypes are simply instruments and introducing new ones may be cool, but what we want is to see/read/experience something fresh and creative.
A film noir RPG sounds awesome by the way. It could use a character system similar to Fallout/Wasteland.
Either way I think most people who actually like cRPG's are always happy to see new locales. Amn, djinnis, rakshasas, the underdark and so on made BG2 much more exciting than BG, despite the Forgotten Realms being so boring in general. PS:T went nuts with exotic D&D places and creatures and people loved it. The point is fantasy archetypes are simply instruments and introducing new ones may be cool, but what we want is to see/read/experience something fresh and creative.
A film noir RPG sounds awesome by the way. It could use a character system similar to Fallout/Wasteland.
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Might just be what Boyarsky and Cain are working on, since it's been confirmed as a 'brand new Intellectual Property' and not the V:TM-B sequel/successor many people hoped for.volsung;n8147940 said:
fig.co/campaigns/deadfire?update=298#updatesUpdate #24
State of the Project & Backer Portal
Welcome to another Pillars II update! We're continuing towards our 4.75M stretch goal, but we need your help to get the word out. Let's get to those sea monsters and fishing!
We are still gathering funds via Fig's Slacker Backer and our Backer Portal. Here are our current numbers:
Slacker Backers - Our current total earnings from Slacker Backers on Fig is approximately $92,700
Backer Portal - Our current earnings from the Backer Portal, including Stripe and PayPal, is $69,100
- If you still want to back via Fig, click the green 'Slacker Backer Pledge' button at the top right of this page
Our total earnings from Slacker Backers are about $161,800 and our overall campaign total is ~$4.57M. There are 35 days until we stop taking Slacker Backers, and every pledge counts. Tell your friends and share our Fig page to help us get to 4.75M!
- You can back via Stripe or PayPal on our Backer Portal and earn the same rewards as if you backed on Fig
Backer Portal, Tyranny Coupon and Updating Pledges
Expect another update in the next 2-3 days with instructions for changing your pledge and redeeming your Tyranny coupons. We are very close to having everything transferred over from Fig to the Backer Portal, and are conducting final tests to make sure everything is working correctly. Thank you for your patience!
Fig Campaign Ending Soon - Solstice Chronicles: MIA
Another Fig campaign only has two days remaining, and they're at 99% of their goal! Development studio Ironward, creators of the successfully crowdfunded Red Solstice, are back with a twin-stick shooter called Solstice Chronicles: MIA. Battle for survival against waves of Martian mutants while using the skills of your drone companion to alter the threats you face.
i.imgur.com/1qrHY0v.mp4
Check out their Fig page to learn about the awesome mechanics, skills, and upgrades that Solstice Chronicles has to offer. Let's show them our support, get some cool rewards, and help fund Solstice Chronicles!
State of the Project - Pre-Alpha
We recently began a new production milestone. With new milestones comes new areas, narrative, creatures, and much more! Without giving away critical story points or areas of our game, here is a high level overview of what some of our departments are working on:
Area Design
We began several new areas that are critical to the storyline of Pillars II, and they are coming along nicely so far. Quests, blockouts, and dialogues for areas are being developed and reviewed before being passed to the environment artists to make the area. As an example, here is a section of an area that was approved for environment art to start work on:
Environment Art
Our environment artists are hard at work completing first and second art passes of areas in Pillars II. A lot of these are areas that are critical to the storyline, so they put a lot of hard work into getting these sections to look perfect. From that blockout you saw above, the artist does a first pass, transforming the area into a playable level with no lighting or VFX. After receiving feedback from our lead artists, the environment artist does a final pass, lighting, and passes it to VFX. Here are first and final passes of that blockout from above:
First Pass
Second Pass with Lighting & VFX
We will be posting an area update in the near future. In that update, we'll go into detail about how the area designers and environment artists work together to make the levels of Pillars II.
Systems Design
The systems designers are working on finishing the design and implementing the abilities of a few creatures in Pillars II. These designs include a creature's weaknesses and strengths, what abilities they possess, and how the creature should behave. In addition to creatures, design is continuing to make improvements to the subclass and multiclassing systems.
Animation
Our animators are hard at work creating new and unique animations for creatures. Some of our animals now have attack animations and fidgets, including wolves and boars. In addition to animal animations, weapon animations are well underway. We'll post an update in the near future with more about the animation process; there are so many cool animations we want to share that we think it deserves its own post.
Character Art
The character artists have been working on base armor sets for both male and female characters, which are looking great. As an example, here are three variants of the Brigandine armor, modeled by our handsome friend Edér:
Normal Brigandine Armor
Fine Brigandine Armor
Exceptional Brigandine Armor
Narrative
The narrative designers are working on faction questlines for this milestone, and are ensuring that we provide a level of detail in quests that gives more insight into the culture and personality of each faction. Our writers are also working on dialogues for quests and further developing the history of factions.
Programming
Programming is focused on a variety of functionality for this milestone. Firstly, they are identifying key areas that can cause longer load times and fixing these so they no longer interfere. Load times have already been decreased by a great deal, and optimization will continue as we progress with development. Second, the programmers are continuing to add support for status effects and abilities. Lastly, a few systems have been refactored to allow improved functionality for animal companions and primary attacks.
VFX
VFX is continuing to work on effects passes for areas and making our levels even more beautiful than before. Glowing lights, particles, and objects swaying in the wind make a huge difference for an area. We can't wait to show you the comparison between Pillars II and the first Pillars. In addition to areas, ability VFX are looking pretty great. We'll share some of these with you in a later update.
Audio
Audio is working on adding sounds to maps. A typical audio pass for an area includes placing ambiances and emitters for the general atmosphere of the area, painting footstep maps, and ensuring that audio is implemented for doors, containers, and traps. Whether a map is supposed to feel ominous, peaceful, or anything in-between, these audio passes really bring life to an area and convey emotions that an otherwise silent area could not do.
Overall
We are making good progress on a lot of features, and still have a lot to go! The game is looking beautiful, and we're all very excited about the main story. We can't wait to share more of our progress with you. As we progress into Alpha and eventually Beta, we will release more 'State of the Project' posts like these to keep you informed of what we're working on. Is there a department you want to see more of? Let us know in the comments!
Thanks for reading!
fig.co/campaigns/deadfire?update=304#updatesUpdate #26
Commonly Asked Questions for the Backer Portal
Hi everyone! We are currently receiving a large amount of questions regarding our Backer Portal, coupons, and rewards, and are working our hardest to respond to every message received. This week's update will cover a bunch of the commonly asked questions sent to us, and some additional information for high tier backers. But first, an updated list of our totals so far:
Slacker Backers - Our current total from Slacker Backers on Fig is ~$99,086. We're almost at $100k raised from Fig Slacker Backers!
Backer Portal - Our current total from the Backer Portal (Stripe & PayPal) is ~$110,095.
- If you still want to back via Fig, click the green 'Slacker Backer Pledge' button.
That puts our Slacker Backer total at $209,181, and our total earnings at ~$4.62M. There are only 28 days remaining until we stop taking Slacker Backers! Don't you want sea monsters and fishing in Pillars II? We do! Help us reach $4.75M.
- You can back via Stripe or PayPal on our Backer Portal.
Commonly Asked Questions
Q: I pledged for the game, but the only available items are the Tyranny Coupon and "Cooking with Tim, Vol. 1". Why is that?
A: Cooking with Tim, Vol. 1 and the Tyranny coupons are the only available items at this time. These are the only things that will show up in the Products Tab of your Account Profile. When everything else releases with Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire next year, your other items will show up in your Products Tab. To see what you will be getting with your Order, you can check the order details in the Orders Tab of your Account Profile.
Q: Why do I have extra credit on my account after selecting the tiers and add-ons that I chose on Fig?
A: That's your credit to be used for shipping costs. Once you go through and put your shipping information in, shipping will be calculated and that extra money will be added to your account.
Q: Why can't I get the Deluxe Pillars of Eternity Soundtrack now?
A: We are preparing the soundtrack for download from the Backer Portal. It will become available before the end of April, and we will be sure to send out an announcement.
Q: Why can't I get the Pillars of Eternity Short Story Omnibus now?
A: We're preparing the omnibus with a new, exclusive cover. This will become available for download in May, possibly sooner. We will be sure to send out an announcement.
Q: Can I trade my Tyranny coupon for another game?
A: No.
Q: Can I use the Tyranny coupon and get the game on GOG?
A: The Tyranny coupon is valid in the Paradox Store, where you can get a Steam key. Unfortunately, GOG is not offered as an option.
Q: Can I upgrade to a higher tier after I confirm my pledge?
A: Yes, but you will need to contact support to do so. As a second option, you can wait to confirm your pledge if you haven't already, and then confirm it when you decide what tier you want.
Q: Is the "Extra Beta Access" add-on the same as adding a Beta Access key for me if I don't already get it in my tier?
A: Yep, it's the same!
Q: Can I see a sizing chart for t-shirts and hoodies?
A: We are still in the process of picking out the best types of shirts and hoodies for you, so we do not have a sizing chart yet. Please select the size you would normally wear with a cotton t-shirt and a zip-up hoodie, and once we determine the brand we'll release a sizing chart. At that time, you will be able to log in to the Backer Portal and update your t-shirt size if needed.
High Tier Backers
For those of our content creating backers at higher tiers, we will be sending a content creation questionnaire to you via email before May to get things rolling and help us best understand your vision. Please make sure you have the correct email address linked to our Backer Portal so we know where to contact you!
Slacker Backers from Fig
If you are a Slacker Backer and backed via the Fig website, your pledge should be linked to the Backer Portal some time today. If you find that it hasn't been linked yet, keep checking back. We should be caught up soon.
If your questions were not answered on the above list, feel free to send an email to support@obsidian.net and we'll respond as quickly as possible.
On an unrelated note, we'd like to share with you a couple of animations. Our animators were having a little fun with putting Aloth's animation set on a pig, and the results were... hilarious? Disturbing? We'll leave that to you to decide.
PLEASE NOTE: Don't get too excited, Pig-Aloth will not be in the final game, this is just for fun.
"Just act casual, you'll blend right in"
i.imgur.com/gkkgQ9D.mp4
i.imgur.com/vKtnWPZ.mp4
Next week, we'll return to our regularly scheduled development updates.
Thanks for stopping by!
fig.co/campaigns/deadfire?update=309#updatesUpdate #27
BEAR PARTY DLC!
We'd like to introduce something very special today, and we can bearly contain ourselves. Upon release of Pillars II, you'll also be able to purchase the Bear Party DLC! Return to Eora with a full party of bears right from the start, summon your own bears, and even have bear pets! Pre-order Bear Party DLC now for the low price of $59.99. You won't bearlieve your eyes!
Bears on ships!
Squad goals
Good ol' fashioned bear brawls
i.imgur.com/WfiNbAZ.mp4
So what are you waiting for? Our Bear Party DLC will have you roaring with laughter. Only $69.99, so pre-order yours today!
fig.co/campaigns/deadfire?update=311#updatesUpdate #28
Factions of the Deadfire, Part I
Welcome, backers and fans. We have a lot of awesome stuff to share with you this week, but first, let's get a quick funding update:
Slacker Backer Numbers
That puts us at ~$231,000 in Slacker Backer funds, and ~$4.64M in total funds. We're not at $4.75M yet and we have 21 days remaining, but don't get discouraged! Let's keep on going and get to that sea monsters and fishing stretch goal.
- Fig Slacker Backers - We're at ~$105,000. Over $100k! Thank you so much!
- Backer Portal - On our backer portal, we're at ~$126,000 in funds.
If you haven't already, be sure to confirm your pledge on our Backer Portal. You can read through our instructions for confirming your pledge in Update #25.
Bear Party DLC
If you saw our April Fool's Day update, you read about the Pillars II Bear Party DLC. While the Bear Party DLC was just a joke, the actual bear party formation will be possible in Pillars II! Thanks to our new multi-classing system, if you have a party of druid/rangers, you'll be able to summon a bear and transform into one yourself (The druid bear transformation only lasts for a limited duration, but hey, at least you'll have five bear summons too!) Bear party for everyone, no extra money required.
Fig Campaign Ending Soon - Antegods
The Fig campaign for Antegods ends in just over a day, and they're at 53% of their goal. Developed by Dutch game studio Codeglue, Antegods is an action-packed arena game in which the remnants of the Mayan civilization have taken to space. Hunt for energy and fight off opponents in a procedurally generated and highly destructible map! Whoever wins these battles climbs an intergalactic tournament ladder, ultimately becoming gods themselves.
Check out the Fig page for Antegods and consider helping them out!
Factions of the Deadfire, Part I
A major objective of the narrative and area design teams from now until the end of production is to create and further develop faction quests. A lot of time and hard work goes into deciding where a faction quest will start, what choices you are able to make, and how those choices affect how other factions feel towards you. But it's not just design that needs to focus on these aspects of factions; the environment art team needs to take factions into consideration before starting on a scene. Each faction has their own culture and particular style, and this needs to be reflected in the environments. In short: When developing a faction quest, the entire team gets involved.
You've heard about a couple of the following factions before, whether it be from the first Pillars of Eternity, a Pillars II developer interview, or a previous crowdfunding update. This time, we'll go into detail about the culture, lore, and personalities of each of the four main factions: The Príncipi, Huana, Royal Deadfire Company, and Vailian Trading Company. This week, we'll be covering two of those four factions: The Príncipi and Huana.
Please note that some of the below lore is subject to change as we progress further in development.
Príncipi
The Príncipi are largely descended from a group of refugees who fled the decline of Old Vailia (shortly before the Republics declared independence). They sailed around the Eastern Reach until they reached Deadfire, where instead of settling the islands, they continued their shipboard life. Seizing opportunities where they could, they gradually became pirates, smugglers, mercenaries, and merchants of ill repute. Over time, their ranks have swelled to include Deadfire's indigenous peoples (Huana) as well as enterprising or desperate individuals from other countries and cultures not aligned with the Republics or Rauatai (Dyrwood, Aedyr, Readceras, Ixamtl, etc.)
Religion - Religion among the Príncipi is as varied as membership. As sailors, many of them worship Ondra (as goddess of the oceans) and Hylea (for her influence over wind and weather) but others worship gods and goddesses that were more prominent in their homelands. Worship of Ondra, Woedica, and Hylea is especially common among descendants of Vailians.
Relationship with Other Factions
Geography and Location - The first families initially landed toward the warm, northern portion of the archipelago, but the Príncipi have expanded their reach since then, and their ships can be found anywhere in Deadfire. They tend to lurk near trade routes and settled areas, though their havens are necessarily more remote. While the Príncipi do not found formal cities, they have semi-permanent colonies all around the archipelago where members may safely land for repairs, R&R, or to purchase new supplies. The locations of these havens are typically known only members (or extremely close associates) of the Príncipi.
- The Príncipi have fluid relationships with most other factions, as they are in a position to plunder (or sell to) just about anybody.
- The Príncipi frequently target Vailian Trading Company ships. Remembering that the first families could not find shelter in the Republics during their voyage, the Príncipi subject even surrendering crews to (painless) humiliations, such as leaving them all stranded in their smallclothes.
- Additionally, the Príncipi have been raiding Huana villages almost as long as they've been in the Deadfire. Pirates may have a better relationship with larger towns, however, particularly when they're frequented by merchants who will buy stolen goods.
Príncipi Clothing Concepts
Huana
The Huana are the primary indigenous people of the Deadfire Archipelago. The term "Huana" is a loose association that describes a decentralized population of aumaua, and Huana culture has evolved into a pastiche of local variations with a common root. Yet this is not to say that the Huana are entirely without structure or leadership. In time, they were able to establish a central government, although its influence tends to diminish the farther one sails from the seat of power.
Religion - Favored deities of the Huana include Ondra (who controls the seas) and Hylea (who controls the winds), as well as Woedica (who ensures peace by way of justice). Galawain also has a scattered following among the more conquest-oriented Huana tribes such as the Wahaki and Kahanga, who tend to use the god's endorsement of survival of the fittest as an argument for their positions of power. Huana in search of revenge against their enemies readily pray to Skaen, though he is not widely worshipped in other circumstances.
Relationship with Other Factions
Geography and Location - The Huana are spread across most all populated islands in the archipelago. Deadfire spans the length of the entire southern hemisphere, thus climate ranges from tropical in the north to temperate and polar in the south. Its largest population centers are in the subtropical band of islands.
- The Huana are difficult to generalize because different tribes have different stances on the various influential groups in the region.
- The most visible of the tribes, the Kahanga, has made deals with trading companies from both Rauatai and the Vailian Republics, who both have outposts in their largest city, hoping that they will keep each other in check and that their mutual competition will both enrich the Kahanga and ensure their safety.
- The Príncipi have historically raided the Huana, and many Huana consider them sworn enemies. However, the increased presence of the trading companies in recent years has diverted much of the pirates' attention, and it is not unheard of nowadays for the Huana to strike up alliances with the Príncipi in hopes of staving off the companies' advances.
Huana Clothing Concepts
The Príncipi and Huana have an incredible history, culture, disposition and overall way of life. This is only the tip of the iceberg for these factions - More about them will be uncovered as you progress through Pillars II.
Thanks for reading this week's update! Next Tuesday, we'll go into detail about the Royal Deadfire Company and Vailian Trading Company.