Beta's up, I get it for free at my level but I can't use it because it's Steam, otherwise you need to pay $25 I think to add beta testing to your game account. Can't see why anyone would do this though, I mean fine to play the beta as a demo, but paying for the courtesy of being a free QA tester, fuck that.
I think inXile handled the whole beta testing better than Obsidian. But in the end I would also not want to spoil my first playthrough by trying out an unfinished version.
I know people have complained about this game lacking "innovation" (a trendy word nowadays) but we're getting what we payed for: Baldur's Dale Torment. I do think there is some progress in redefining some cRPG mechanics and in bringing back the intricate gameplay that somehow got lost under layers of action and cutscenes in the last 12 or so years.
I know people have complained about this game lacking "innovation" (a trendy word nowadays) but we're getting what we payed for: Baldur's Dale Torment. I do think there is some progress in redefining some cRPG mechanics and in bringing back the intricate gameplay that somehow got lost under layers of action and cutscenes in the last 12 or so years.
By having the same key for beta and full version, irreversibly binding your copy to Steam, taking away the choice of going DRM free for everyone in the Backer Beta? :huh:
What's wrong with how Obsidian handles it? How did inXile do it better?
Watched me nephew playing beta from key I gave him, got to say it looked like the game should be turn based, and that as real time it was a bit of a fucking mess. Our kid said I were bang on and that all problems he'd had would be solved in a turn based system, must be obvious if a blind bastard like me can spot that.
Yeah but it looks like with all the abilities every class gets (and needs to use) in combat, that it's even more of a cluster fuck than the IE games, where only your spellcasters really needs micromanaging.
Hmm you're right, I must have mixed them up.
All I really care about beta phase is reading about the game's progress anyway.
Absolutely. That's the exciting part about the whole Kickstarter thing for me. Being somewhat close to development. Getting glimpses of what's going on, how the game progresses and a bit of insight into game development. Some of the more technical updates and following the development process step-by-step have been really interesting so far.
Wouldn't mind to just have it sitting on the library shelf mocking me with 'Soon' neither.
GoG's pre-order trailer for PoE somehow turned out way too blurry (even for 720p), the one uploaded on Paradox's YT channel is somewhat sharper:
GoG's pre-order trailer for PoE somehow turned out way too blurry (even for 720p), the one uploaded on Paradox's YT channel is somewhat sharper:
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I think they've got the looks nailed down tight, reminds me of Icewind Dale which had some of the prettiest scenery of the IE games, and thank Thor the environments look diverse and interesting. Music sounds cock on. Few too many lights on the screen for my liking. Still not sure about the combat, but they've got til next year to polish and refine, with Cain and Sawyer i'm fairly sure they'll thrash something good out. Monster and character models looked good an all.
All told i'm cautiously confident that me money was well spent, see in March or whenever.
All told i'm cautiously confident that me money was well spent, see in March or whenever.
That last video looks really fine. I'm glad to be a KS supporter 
The middle part of 2015 is going to be rather busy...
The middle part of 2015 is going to be rather busy...
That would be in roughly 1 hour and 45 minutes, if I'm not mixing up my time zones here.
Very looking forward to this, but I have to admit, this stilted turn-based combat is boring me. I liked Shadowrun Returns, probably because of the cyber, but both Divinity and Wasteland 2 combats have been a real chore. Slow, uninvolved, (everything freezes on my turn for some reason) and just often tedious.
I find I'm forcing myself to choke down the gameplay in order to get to the story. Not a good sign. Perhaps by Pillars and/or Torment I'll be refreshed again.
I find I'm forcing myself to choke down the gameplay in order to get to the story. Not a good sign. Perhaps by Pillars and/or Torment I'll be refreshed again.
Funny, I think for me it's going to be the other way around and I'll probably have a bit of a hard time to re-adjust to PoE's real-time with pause system after all these recent turn-based affairs combat wise.
Breaking out and going for a spin in the Baldur's Gates or Icewind Dales a few weeks before release (March 2015 or so I heard) should do the trick, I reckon.
Breaking out and going for a spin in the Baldur's Gates or Icewind Dales a few weeks before release (March 2015 or so I heard) should do the trick, I reckon.
You might find yourself in a similar 'choking down' situation with TToN then, since that's going to have turn-based combat as well. Hopefully vastly improved upon and more intricate than the iteration used in Wasteland 2, but presumably with the same resp. even more 'tedium' and 'chore', or as I rather call it, 'tactical depth' and 'challenge' to it.
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Well, that's just it. I play these on hardest and, frankly, they aren't very challenging. Which isn't to say I don't perish - I do - but it's from pretty obvious, I was watching TV kind of errors or, let's see how this works experiments. Turn-based I can stare at the puzzle for an hour until I figure out the best option. As for tactics...figure out which weapons or spells work best, ( or combo for D:OS) and then apply them at not-very-bright opponents. Wasteland 2 tactical depth has so far consisted of find-cover-shoot-enemy-with-assault-rifle. D:OS consists of make-mages-destroy-world.
That's really pretty much it.
XCom had more depth, as an example, but it was always a variation on the challenge. Enemy is under or near cover, is floating or is a Muton, soften up and then eliminate with snipers.
These aren't wargames, and they aren't that tactically deep. And it is boring to watch as the eight enemies you are absolutely going to destroy in five or less turns from now, hustle towards you and their doom.