Eschalon: Book II - Peek # 2 @ RPG Vault

RPGVault takes their second look at Basilisk Games' cRPG in development, Eschalon:Book II, focusing on improvements in the gameplay and engine since Book I:

While returning players will feel familiar with the mechanics of the game, nearly everything underneath the hood has been updated to reflect the requests made by fans of the first edition. Features such as an auto-stacking inventory, a ring for maintaining acquired keys, an improved alchemy mixer and spell journal are just a few of the dozens of enhancements made to the engine..

There are various enhancements to the gameplay as well. For starters, the upper level limit of character development has been raised to 30, allowing for deeper builds and a greater range of customization than before. Two new skills have been added (Repair and Foraging) bringing the total number in Book II to 26. In addition, the existing set has been rebalanced, making many of the original ones more functional, and therefore more useful. Since the Eschalon series is skill-based, any class can experiment with any choice without limitations; however new in-game Challenges will reward players who utilize those aligned with specific classes, archetypes or goals.

The arcane arts of Magick and Alchemy have been updated for Book II as well. The total number of available spells has expanded to 45, with new possibilities like Milo's Cell of Holding (entrap a group of enemies within an energy field) and Draw Water (pull humidity from the air to fill your Water Skins) joining revamped ones such as Dense Nimbus (formally Air Shield). For would-be alchemists, the addition of new reagents to the game means a larger range of potions can be crafted, not to mention fresh imbuing mixtures that can applied to weapons and armor, improving their abilities.