Eh, you're talking about the "massive amount of similarities" all CRPG's share, I guess. Not really a valid complaint on a board like this.
Complaint? It's an observation.
No, I'm talking about the game looking and playing like BG rather than other RPGs. Try looking at that video again - and notice the small things like the little introduction monologue, which is EXACTLY like BG. Look at the RTwP combat system, look at the character panel, the cursor, the little circles under the characters, the bartering UI and so on. It's BG all over again.
Yes, it's inspired by Infinity in such a way that it's a MODERN Infinity game with a similar distribution between combat, NPC interaction and story. It's more like BG than Icewind Dale is.
If you think all other RPGs play and look like that, cool - but it's not reality.
It seems a bit out of focus to debate with someone who hasn't read the first thing about a game wether that game will be as good as other games. Let's start randomly… what about NWN2 is so great and unique that PoE couldn't dream of coming close, let alone surpassing it?
I know what the game is trying to do even if you're in denial about it. It's fan-service and it's BG in spirit if not in pedantic detail. Pretend otherwise as you see fit.
First, you need to remember what we're talking about. We're talking about the character system - not the entirety of the game.
Ok, what NWN2 has got in that way is a decent adaption of 3.5 Edition D&D.
For one thing, NWN2 has multiclassing, which is a very, very big deal when it comes to character diversity.
I haven't said PoE can't be better than that - I'm saying I'm doubting that it will be, because it would take an enormous amount of work and focus for something that a lot of BG fans won't even care about.
If I have to go by the second paragraph… not only didn't you read up on the game, but you didn't read my post as well. I brought up the point that i.e. all attributes will be (almost) equally useful for all classes, which is a great, great improvement on D&D. Yet you claim that your average character in games like TOEE and NWN/2 had more diversity. If you're talking about wild & random multiclassing, yeah, that won't be possible in PoE. You can't create a rogue character to abuse the skill gain on level 1 if you actually intend to use that character later on as a heavy armored fighter. What you can do is raise all but a few class specific skills on all characters - no silly, munchkinny multiclassing needed.
You got it
I'm talking about multiclassing for one thing - though I don't know what "wild and random" means in this context. I've never done random or "wild" multiclassing - as that'd be pretty stupid. I tend to think long and hard to come up with a unique and satisfying strategy.
That's where the richness and diversity comes into play.
If you want to tell yourself Pillars of Eternity can't be exploited or that having attributes effect a variety of things means more diversity and richness in the character system than 3.5 D&D, that's ok with me.
I don't really see it that way.
Watching that video of PoE - it looks like a fine BG clone and they've certainly done a decent job imitating a great old classic.
The system does seem decent and will probably be good fun. But the way they've obviously locked classes down to specific combat roles smacks of modern streamlining - and that's not really for me.
But to each his own.