Divinity: Original Sin II - Stretch Goals, New Tiers and PR Tour

[Myrthos]

The stretch goals for Original Sin 2 have been announced. The new tiers we already knew are discussed and there is a video of the PR Tour.

$700,000 Stretch Goal: Strategist Mode

Akin to Divinity: Original Sin- Enhanced Edition's Tactician Mode, Original Sin 2 will feature a brand new difficulty called Strategist Mode. Rest assured this difficulty tier will consist of much more than a simple numbers game. Yes, your enemies will hit harder, but that is far from all! Each and every fight in the game will be redesigned for Strategist Mode so that enemies are smarter, often come in greater numbers and use a host of skills and tactics they won't use in lower difficulty modes. If we reach this stretch goal, the fights in Original Sin 2 will receive this epic treatment from the get-go.

$850,000 Stretch Goal: Pick a Skill Tree, I

Divinity: Original Sin is rife with spectacular skills, and besides the many new ones we've already planned for Original Sin 2, we want to add even more unique skills to the repertoire. We have quite a list and will let our the backers pick a brand new skill tree, featuring at least 16 skills each, from among a host of new proposals when the campaign ends. New proposals, you say! Such as?

$1,000,000 Stretch Goal: Racial Skills

In Divinity: Original Sin 2, your unique origins will radically change the way you experience the world around you. Of course, since combat is one of the central ways in which you’ll engage with this world, it’s only sensible that your origins and your skillset should intertwine.

When we reach the $1M mark, we’ll develop a set of race-specific skills, abilities, and talents reflective of each race’s background and strengths.

Imagine: a Wood Elf able to summon an army of shambling trees; a Lizard recalling the devastating powers of his draconic ancestors; a Dwarf with the authority of the Empress; a human so good at pickpocketing, he can even catch his own party mates unawares...

$1,200,000 Stretch Goal: Undead Origins

In Original Sin 2, no longer will you have to be human all too human alone. You can be a dwarf too, an elf, yes even a proud lizard! But if we reach this stretchgoal, you'll be able to tell the tales of the dead with undead origins! That's right: at this point we will add the undead as a playable race, complete with origin stories.

$1,350,000 Stretch Goal: Pick a Skill Tree, II

With all the fantastic skills we've dreamt up, we'll need plenty of manpower to implement them. At this mark, we'll again open up a vote to let the backers decide which other of the skill trees listed at the $700,000 tier you would like to see in the game. Voting will be done by backers after the campaign ends.

$1,500,000 Stretch Goal; The Hall of Echoes

Some Rivellonians live in fear of it; some write songs of it; others still are sent there far before their time. When we reach $1,500,000, we'll send you to the Hall of Echoes, land of the dead.

More information.

 

[joxer]

LOL

Pick a Skill Tree, I is already reached.
And if this support tempo continues, they'll need some more stretches in a few days.

 

[sakichop]

In strategist mode I'm all for smarter enemies but I'd rather they not come in larger numbers. Long turn based battles can turn from fun to tedious rather quickly.

Small smart groups or even larger individual enemies would be great.

 

[CelticFrost]

In strategist mode I'm all for smarter enemies but I'd rather they not come in larger numbers. Long turn based battles can turn from fun to tedious rather quickly.

Small smart groups or even larger individual enemies would be great.

I loved the long planned out battles.

I want the option to turn off log book and harder puzzles.

 

[rjshae]

I like racial-specific features like Racial Skills. It improves the replayability of the game. Drakensang had some nice racial differences in terms of the spell types you could access, IIRC. Undead Origins might also be interesting.

 

[Zloth]

Experience has taught them well - no day/night cycle.

I want the option to turn off log book and harder puzzles.

I take it you mean you want the option to turn off log book and for the game to have harder puzzles in it, right? Not that you want an option that will turn off both the log book and the harder puzzles?

Honestly, given how few people were getting through the game, anything making it harder definitely needs to be an option.

 

[rjshae]

Experience has taught them well - no day/night cycle.

Game-play wise, I haven't seen much benefit to a day/night cycle, other than in the types of encounters you experience. Otherwise, about all it does is make it more difficult to meet certain NPCs, thereby turning the game more tedious. I suppose if they wanted you to experience a night-time environment, they could make a map area be permanently night time due to some magical factor. That might actually be entertaining…

 

[azarhal]

Picking one (or two) new skill tree(s) from the list is going to be hard. I want them all!!!

Also, they have to make the Undead origin stretch goal…pretty please (future) backers. I want to chill out with Jake.

 

[Bedwyr]

Experience has taught them well - no day/night cycle.

It is a shame not to have it. Yet...

Given the instincts of Swen in that last interview to hand designs back with many new options to potentially finish a quest, I can see that the possibility space for any given action in the game would expand geometrically if you throw in a day/night cycle. The team could be more modest about night-time effects, but then Swen wouldn't be Swen and Divinity wouldn't be Divinity without that obsessive focus on options.

 

[you]

Generally speaking i'm rather under-whelmed by these stretch goal. Would like to see some 1000 square mile (i.e, more araes/bigger game) type of stretch goals.

 

[Kylex]

Very sane stretch goals - seems that they´ve learned a lot.

But sadly the overall impression from update 2 is not as mature as their campaign was until now - i really hope for a more mature presentation in DOS2!

 

[Bedwyr]

Generally speaking i'm rather under-whelmed by these stretch goal. Would like to see some 1000 square mile (i.e, more araes/bigger game) type of stretch goals.

Given the total budget size compared to the Kickstarter, I think they're in line with the studio's plans. What you propose is likely an order of magnitude more expensive than that.

 

[TheMadGamer]

Any news on day/night cycles and NPC schedules. That's mostly what I'd like to have this time around.

 

[Myrthos]

No news. And if you want those, I don't think that no news is good news in this case.

 

[Moriendor]

I'd rather they keep it conservative and come up with "underwhelming" stretch goals than promising a bunch of stuff of which only half actually makes it into the final game.

The game's funding is secured in any case (and would have been even w/o the KS) and all that is added here just allows them to apply an extra layer of depth and polish.

It also seems like they already have a rather detailed project plan (remember that the game is already in playable alpha state) and I would guess that they do not want to risk massive delays by promising features that would require months of extra work.

So at the end of the day, I reckon the stretch goals should simply be regarded as fun goals.

I much prefer this more realistic outlook over a KS dev promising one feature after another in stretch goals where you immediately get this creeping feeling that they are biting off more than they can chew or that they made up some of those goals after they've had a few. Sober, realistic goals... I like that .

 

[Edgy]

polymorpher - as a polymorpher, your body is your oyster. Grow sharp-as-swords horns, poisonous tentacles (with the bonus of further reach) or even wings that allow you to dash and dive across the battlefield. You can even change completely into - what? Something monstrous, that's for sure…

trap master - craft mines, place them in strategic positions and lure the unwitting enemy (or "ally") into your traps! At higher levels you'll be able to toss your deathtraps into groups of foes; taunt them so that they run blindly into your snares, and even craft bombs that you can sneak into an enemy's pocket. Tick. Tock. Boom!

Bard - inspire your allies to perform even greater feats of magic and carnage, then pacify, confuse or lull to sleep your enemies with songs and music. Of course, you don't have to be the party's unwavering champion. You can also weave lies into your tales, which can influence the attitude of npcs in various ways. Sing your own praises and see them cheers you; paint your friends as cowards and see them be hailed with contempt!

Unarmed combatant - this is for the hands-on fighters that don't want to dance around their targets, but get down and dirty by going for chokeholds and body throws. Wrestle your foes with bare fists, or go for some extra piercing power with vicious knuckles and claws.

Summoning master - to be able to summon allies is a very powerful skill, but as a master you'll be able to summon more than one extra ally. Other skills will include redirecting incoming damage to your summons; sacrificing them to heal you, or blowing them up to wreak havoc among massed enemies.

Juggernaut - if you want to role play a bloodthirsty maniac that thrives on gore and pain, this is the one to get. Get stronger as your health drops; swing mighty great-swords or dual-wield axes; drown your enemies in spilled blood. You can even sacrifice your own hitpoints in return for massive, area-shattering blows. Beware of friendly fire though - if you even care, that is.

Guardian - a born protector, this sword 'n' board wielding warrior prioritizes a strong defense over offense. Your shield will become a wall behind which you -and your allies- can close in on the enemy unharmed. Your provocations will also turn your foes' attention toward you, but that's ok because other skills include becoming nigh invulnerable for brief amounts of time.

Alchemist - the powers of alchemy become as weapons in your hands! Throw potions like grenades; coat your weapons with poisons and curses; control clouds of steam, lightning, miasma and more; bask in the vastly superior effects of every potion you can get your hands on!

Some elements of the skills trees here sound like stuff that should be in the base game.
Maybe it is so, just not as extensive fully fleshed out skill trees.

 

[mercy]

Undead race? They played Antharion?

 

[azarhal]

Undead race? They played Antharion?

Undead have been self-aware since the first game. There is an Undead nation in Dragon Commander which is set in the past (8000 AR…Original Sin happens in 4 AR, Divine Divinity is in 1218 AD and the other games are all set after it).

 

[joxer]

Undead race?

Zombathalon!
http://improvaz.com/2012/10/zombathalon-zombie-race-training-flash-mob/

Saturday’s zombie race promises to give runners added adrenalin rush

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/201...s_to_give_runners_added_adrenalin_rush_1.html

 

[DarNoor]

Almost at 900,000. They are going to have to start thinking of a stretch goal for when they hit 2,000,000.