Avowed - Not for Pacifists

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According to PC Gamer Avowed will focus on combat:

Obsidian's next RPG Avowed won't have the option to do 'a pure pacifist run'

Avowed has a 'focus on combat'.

Discovering just how many pacifist choices you could make in the original Fallout was a delight, because not only were you allowed to talk or sneak your way out of problems, but the game recognized you were doing that and rewarded you for it. Subsequent RPGs and immersive sims sprinkled peaceful options in, but an entirely pacifist playthrough often ends up being a masochistic challenge that feels more like you're breaking the game than playing it. Just have a look how much of a hassle it is beating The Outer Worlds as a pacifist.

Given that Avowed is drawing inspiration from Vermintide's best-in-class first-person combat, it's no surprise that Obsidian's upcoming RPG won't let you go 100% nonviolent. Speaking to PC Gamer this week, game director Carrie Patel said, "This isn't a game where you're gonna have a pure pacifist run."

That doesn't mean spilling blood will be the only way to clear your questlog, however. You'll still be able to talk your way out of some problems, like you could in Pillars of Eternity. "Players can expect to see solutions and opportunities to use dialogue, maybe take advantage of reactivity with regards to characters they might have helped or met earlier in," Patel went on, mentioning there will be "some stealth solutions," but players should expect a "focus on combat."

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Thanks Soola!

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[JDR13]

After the videos we've seen, I have to say I'm completely shocked by this.

 

[henriquejr]

I rarely, if I ever, try to do a non-violent run. Maybe I try to skip one unnecessary combat or two, but why not try to impale the enemies and/or fireball them to death?

 

[Couchpotato]

There is a sub-class of gamers who always want to play as a pacifist just look at the various Bethseda game threads. Some RPGs even give achievements for doing this.

Personally I never got the appeal as combat is the focucs of most RPGs.

 

[soola]

I’ve never done a full pacifist run but I do like to do a paladin-like run on my first play through a game; saving people and fighting bad guys, etc.

 

[Vaelith]

People you leave alive don't drop loot.

 

[Alrik Fassbauer]

No developer does "pacifists ways". I've NEVER seen that.
(Maybe in games which I didn't play ...)

Plus, no developer EVER advertised a game as "being playable by pacifists" ! Not a single time as far as I can remember !

More cynically put, wanting to play a game "the pacifist way" is considered as "weak" and "not manly".

 

[JFarrell71]

No developer does "pacifists ways". I've NEVER seen that.


More cynically put, wanting to play a game "the pacifist way" is considered as "weak" and "not manly".

You haven't seen that because it's your brand to say that developers all think violence makes you manly and not using violence makes you weak. You see what you want to see. In reality, lots of RPGs advertise being able to solve most if not all quests in a non-violent way.

Meanwhile you play games like Genshin Impact which have as much fighting as any RPG.

 

[JFarrell71]

I’ve never done a full pacifist run but I do like to do a paladin-like run on my first play through a game; saving people and fighting bad guys, etc.

I have to really work to get myself to play an evil character. I'm almost always a do gooder. I do appreciate games that make good/evil less black and white and force you to make some genuinely tough choices.

 

[Couchpotato]

I mostly play as a good character in most RPGs nowadays, but playing evil is sometimes better. BG3 was the best game to show the pros and cons of being a villain.

Fallout 3 and New Vegas are two other examples.

It just depends on the games writing and quest's and most games fail.

 

[soola]

I play as a good character in most RPGs nowadays, but playing evil is sometimes better. BG3 was the best game to show the pros and cons of being a villain.

Fallout 3 and New Vegas are two other examples.

It just depends on the games writing and quest's and most games fail.

I agree.

Dark urge good play through (my 2nd run) had a lot of interesting nuance to it. It was a lot of fun.

I also feel like evil play throughs aren’t as well designed narratively generally speaking. Not always the case but sometimes the evil play through feels immature.

 

[bjon045]

Given the game bears many similarities to the Outer Worlds, this is not surprising. It even uses the same game engine.

 

[Carnifex]

I'm ok with a solid focus on combat for this. At least I'll know what I'm in for.

 

[Shagnak]

https://imgur.com/RVbtqnk

 

[Terry]

In my long life of gaming I don't think I've ever thought about doing a pacifist run, It just doesn't make any sense I mean the whole point of RPG gaming is to Wack things and take their loot. And I agree with others here as well, that a pacifist design Is generally not well implimited but, then again neither is playing as a total evil bastard either.

 

[daveyd]

No developer does "pacifists ways". I've NEVER seen that.
(Maybe in games which I didn't play ...)

Plus, no developer EVER advertised a game as "being playable by pacifists" ! Not a single time as far as I can remember !

More cynically put, wanting to play a game "the pacifist way" is considered as "weak" and "not manly".

You can play through the entirety of Colony Ship using only diplomacy / stealth. Likewise you can play through Age of Decadence without any fighting (certain backgrounds only).

 

[Farflame]

So this game...

- started as an MMO. Then they tried to change content for SP ARPG.
- is focused on action and combat system is heavily inspired by action game.
- there are no classes
- you can freely respecify your character anytime.

For a while I needed to check if this is Avowed or Anthem II.

I know.. it is harsh to call it Anthem 2. Its kind of a joke and I dont say it will be bad game. But this big RPG studio and details about this game... it feels like there is a bit of similar intention.

---
Also.. this is not really issue of Avowed but I dont find this FP combat as much immersive as in my youth. 10 or more years ago I would be perfectly fine with it. But my preferences somewhat changed. For example if I look at this recent 3rd person combat sequence and all these animations.. its more interesting to me. But maybe after a while I would get used to it.

 

[Couchpotato]

Yep Avowed was originally designed to be a co-op multiplayer experience. Frankly I'm glad it was rebooted a few years back, as I wouldn't have any interest otherwise.

 

[Reiga]

But but but Deus Ex games have achievements for pacifist runs, even on DLCs, where they are easier to get, playing the full game with no dead bodies is harder, the other bad guys wake them up and you enter a loop XD And you still get the loot when thy are knocked down....

 

[Redglyph]

Yep Avowed was originally designed to be a co-op multiplayer experience. Frankly I'm glad it was rebooted a few years back, as I wouldn't have any interest otherwise.

Yeah, now I can really feel everyone's interest for Avowed.
Who knows, maybe a very good story might save it.