Pillars of Eternity - Story Time Mode

[Aubrielle]

Josh Sawyer's Tumblr contains his plans for Pillars of Eternity's upcoming Story Time mode.

supermonkeytimeforce asked: Any details available on what Story Time mode will entail? I'm pretty excited because I love the world and characters of PoE, but I am miserably bad at the combat.

Story Time uses the encounter composition of Normal difficulty but biases the math heavily in the player’s favor. Enemies have lower stats overall. Party members Crit more often, especially when enemies are at low Endurance. Enemies have increased Recovery (attack less frequently), crit far less, have inaccurate Disengagement Attacks, do less damage overall, and do much less damage against party members who are at low Endurance. Hostile status effects on party members are reduced in duration. The party can also carry (effectively) unlimited Camping Supplies.

More information.

More information.

 

[CelticFrost]

Am I to understand he plans to make it even easier then what they have done with all their patches?

 

[Aubrielle]

Am I to understand he plans to make it even easier then what they have done with all their patches?

I think that's an optional mode, Celtic.

 

[CelticFrost]

Because the story was so deep once you got past the first third of the game?

 

[CelticFrost]

I think that's an optional mode, Celtic.

Maybe they should just pay someone to play it for me and while I watch then? Sort of like buying a recorded book????

 

[Aubrielle]

Maybe they should just pay someone to play it for me and while I watch then? Sort of like buying a recorded book????

 

[Stingray]

So, Jennifer "Hamburger" Hepler finally gets her wish, 2-3 years later.

 

[CelticFrost]

Have you played since patch 2.XX, they balanced the heck out of it. While on my first play through it was very hard with a lot of the battles. The second play through 3 months ago I wouldn't even pause most of the times in fights.

Sorry I did like the game, enough to play it twice within a year. Though you can't tell me the games story gets better as you progressed in the game. Also you can't tell me making it easier makes it a better game.

 

[Stingray]

Also you can't tell me making it easier makes it a better game.

But the type of people clamoring for this aren't even interested in playing a game. Read up on the Hepler controversy I mentioned above if you don't know about it already. The way Sawyer describes this Story Mode, it's probably not even easy enough for her sort.

 

[Aubrielle]

Agreed on all points.

I don't see anything wrong with any optional mode they want to add…as long as it's optional, I'm not forced to play it.

I love PoE, but yeah…it's a bit overbalanced. And my experience has been that my own personal story in the game has become the sidequests. I suppose it was a seamless transition from main quest to side quests, and I never noticed it until now.

But no. It doesn't need to be made any easier. Not in a compulsory way, anyway. If they want to add an easier (optional) easy mode for on-the-go spectator players, I have no problem with it. I think I might not enjoy having that forced on me though…

The last time I really played it has been more than a couple months ago. My tune might be different now.

 

[Couchpotato]

Has the latest patch and Expansion improved the game? As I downloaded the expansion with the latest patch last month, but haven't found time to play it yet.

I blame Witcher III , Fallout 4, and Skyrim for taking up all my gaming time.

 

[CelticFrost]

Agreed on all points.

I don't see anything wrong with any optional mode they want to add…as long as it's optional, I'm not forced to play it.

I love PoE, but yeah…it's a bit overbalanced. And my experience has been that my own personal story in the game has become the sidequests. I suppose it was a seamless transition from main quest to side quests, and I never noticed it until now.

But no. It doesn't need to be made any easier. Not in a compulsory way, anyway. If they want to add an easier (optional) easy mode for on-the-go spectator players, I have no problem with it. I think I might not enjoy having that forced on me though…

The last time I really played it has been more than a couple months ago. My tune might be different now.

You had posted a video a week or two ago about what made games great in the past with their imbalance. The patches to this game have gone to the DARK SIDE when it comes to balancing.

I don't have a problem with what the person wants to do, if that is what they want to do. To me to make it any more easier it would be like paying someone to read a book to me.

 

[CelticFrost]

Has the latest patch and Expansion improved the game? As I downloaded the expansion with the latest patch last month, but haven't found time to play it yet.

I blame Witcher III , Fallout 4, and Skyrim for taking up all my gaming time.

Your party follows commands now better where you don't have to pause ever second to make sure they are not staring at a wall, spells always work and you never seem to miss when attacking.

 

[Couchpotato]

Your party follows commands now better where you don't have to pause ever second to make sure they are not staring at a wall, spells always work and you never seem to miss when attacking.

How about class balance, and bugs? Those used to be my two concerns.

 

[CelticFrost]

How about class balance, and bugs? Those used to be my two concerns.

Class balance I can't speak that much too, if I say to much I might be outed. Find I will out myself I love playing a Human fighter, with two hand sword and the rest of my party is along for the ride as long as my wizard can handle a lot of the work load as well and this time I had three fighters just like me.

Bugs I didn't have a one the second play through, though most bugs that people find in games I find as something as an advantage. There are no game stoppers like I had the first play through waiting for a patch just to move forward.

 

[Saxon1974]

The mode for the "words hurt crowd"

 

[BoboTheMighty]

They should add "Grognard mode" that throws away all Sawyer's meddling and makes everything crazy unbalanced.
Sure as hell that would aggravate him.

 

[Silver]

Its official. The infinity engine spiritual successor PoE was for people who didn't like infinity engine to begin with.

 

[Saxon1974]

Its official. The infinity engine spiritual successor PoE was for people who didn't like infinity engine to begin with.

Its bizarre isn't it? Kind of reminds me of the sword coast legends game. They make a game and call it a d&d game and advertise it to d&d fans but it has no real D&D mechanics in it. Who the heck were they making it for?

 

[Couchpotato]

Its bizarre isn't it? Kind of reminds me of the sword coast legends game. They make a game and call it a d&d game and advertise it to d&d fans but it has no real D&D mechanics in it. Who the heck were they making it for?

True but I still found some enjoyment playing sword coast legends . It's just not a good D&D game, and I remember thinking' we might get another Neverwinter Nights.

Class balance I can't speak that much too, if I say to much I might be outed. Find I will out myself I love playing a Human fighter, with two hand sword and the rest of my party is along for the ride as long as my wizard can handle a lot of the work load as well and this time I had three fighters just like me.

Bugs I didn't have a one the second play through, though most bugs that people find in games I find as something as an advantage. There are no game stoppers like I had the first play through waiting for a patch just to move forward.

Thanks for the answers CelticFrost. I should probably wait for patch 3.0.