#i can now casually encounter them in baldurs gate

[biohazard-inevitable]

We’re back at it again boys, round 2 of being terrible and evil, this time, dark urge edition!!!!

[noroamenial]

I wrote some more Raphael x Tav!!!

spoilers for story stuff in Act 3, its there to set the scene.

uhhhhhh cw: a pretty suggestive start (it's just paragraph.)

basically it starts at the end of a sex scene between Raphael and Tav. After that its just a bunch of sweet. And the main plot is a date between raph and tav.

....“Take me, Raphael.” and oh did he. Passion and lust coupled into a starburst of an orgasm, the stroke of his cock drove you insane. Through a mix of biting, scratching, gentle words, wandering hands, and three orgasms you were laid sated and bare on your bedroll. 

Raphael sat beside you, stroking hair from your face. He sighed, leaning over to kiss you briefly.

“Will I see you again?” your voice and thoughts had returned, albeit hoarse. 

He looked at you, contemplating for a few moments. Something swirled behind his amber eyes that you couldn’t quite place.

“Yes.” he stayed close to your face to speak softly. “Once you arrive in Baldur’s Gate, meet me in Sharess Caress…try not to let your companions tag along.” he glanced at the bedrolls around camp. “Then we can discuss over dinner.” he smiled, looking down at you once again. 

You smile back, coaxing him down to kiss his cheek. Raphael obliges.

“Good, now take care to remember our plans. And do try not to die, my dove.” he scolds lightly, pulling the bedroll’s blanket around you. 

~~~

Your exhaustion had turned to excitement as soon as your party had made it to Baldur’s gate. You reserved the rooms above the Elfsong tavern for your companions before heading out. You were meant to meet Kithrak Voss at Sharess Caress along with your other…confidant. So hopefully your party wouldn’t connect the dots too easily. 

The morning you had woken up after your last encounter with Raphael, you were greeted with your whole party and their deep concern for the bite marks, scratching, and not to mention the infernal lettering hastily scrawled up your arm. You honestly couldn’t even give a half assed excuse. And thank the hells no one could read infernal—you couldn’t either but that's besides the point. You assumed it was just a reminder from Raphael.

In Sharess caress Kithrak Voss spouted nonsense about the devil Raphael and freeing someone before scampering off to the lower level of the city and telling you to meet him there after meeting with Raphael. You sighed, you had thought that this meeting would be something more…casual, rather than some new contract business. 

Begrudgingly you let your companions—Astarion, Gale, and Karlach—come with you. Now that they knew it was Raphael, they insisted. With how much you left out of disclosing your rendezvous, and Raphael’s charm and seeming inability to feel shame, your party might end up learning a little too much today. 

Pushing open an oak door you briefly glanced at the sign beside it. “Devil’s den” was this a usual arrangement? Seeing as it was a room inside a brothel, you didn’t particularly want to know if Raphael was an employee or a patron. 

The quick light up of his eyes as you led your party into the room was all that you needed to confirm what this was going to be. It was only for a second, the gentle amber of his true irises, before it faded back to a washed out rich brown for his human form. It's not as if his human form wasn’t attractive—it was. It was just that you had been longing for that form bathed in the soft camplight glow.

“My dove and her flock have finally come to my nest,” Raphael clasped his hands together in front of him, his easy smirk lazily sprawled across his lips. 

“Though I believe I asked just for you,” he mutters, taking your arm suddenly as you got close. His free hand pulling up your sleeve, thumb rubbing across the infernal writing in ink still clear on your arm. 

Karlach fidgeted at your side, you could tell she had to double take as not to strike the devil. 

“Anything you have to say to them, you can say with us around too.” She growls, leaning forward. The teifling makes a motion with her hands for him to brush off and he does. 

“Oh it’s fine by me, but it might not be fine by her.” Raphael shrugs, backing up. 

“And why would that be?” You ask hesitantly, meeting his gaze.

“You know why,” he shrugs again, “anyways, to business.” Raphael explained his deal to you, he’d offer the Orphic hammer to release the Githyanki prince from the empower and the astral prism and in return he wanted the netheres crown.

“…After a century long rage, I decided that my time would come.” He smiled, “and here it is, the dead three’s little representatives stole it right from under Mephistopheles nose, and I may regain it.” 

“Do not agree to this.” Gale warns from behind you. “Netheres magic is wild and untamed, it must be studied and understood.” 

You hesitate here, you had promised Gale this artifact, but centuries of disappointment and even wrath could come from turning Raphael down.

The devil must have noticed: “I won’t make you decide now, after all, you have other things to do before then.” He let out a sigh, gazing out the window as his expression fell.

“Thank you,” You sigh. And suddenly you’re both standing in silence. You can tell your party is shifting uncomfortably behind you, they don’t want to be here longer than they need to.

Raphael clears his throat, 

“One last thing, then I will let you go.” You watch as his gaze looks you up and down. “I promised you dinner. If you’re still interested, come back at sunset. Just you this time, my dove.” And his smile returns with the name. 

~~~

Your heart was beating so fast as you and your party left to go back to the Elfsong Tavern. Truth be told, all you could think about was what do you possibly have that would be suitable to wear on a date?

Your companions were less giddy. 

“Dinner? For what? When did he promise you that?” Karlach was talking into the air, hot steam rolling off of her shoulders as her infernal engine worked inside her. “Promised you? You better not be making some sort of deal with him. You can’t. I know firsthand the consequences of making a deal with a devil.” 

“Don’t go.” It was Gale’s voice this time, “I know you think you can handle everything, after you’ve handled—“ he waves his hands up, “—all this. But don’t. Please.” He places a hand on your shoulder. And at this point you can’t tell if he’s more afraid of losing you, or the potential to study that artifact. 

You shrug his hand off as you see the Elfsong in sight. 

“Well Astarion, any opinions?” You sigh, looking over at the pale elf. 

He shrugs, “If you do this, do it out of your own benefit. And If you end up in harm’s way, we’ll come running.”

That was one of the most caring answers the vampire could have come up with. Maybe he was seeing part of himself in you, or maybe he really did just care. 

“Thank you.” 

~~~

You had already spotted your companions across the tavern eyeing you. After confessing you had a ‘date’ and that’s why you were sneaking away from the tavern so late, they had followed you. At first you laughed at how they tried to be sneaky, but now it was just annoying. 

You were sitting near the back in a reserved booth, it was in a corner with a little alcove above it, and a single candle in the middle of the table. You had dressed up, some black outfit that had caught your eye the day previous. It had little silver embellishments and white trim lace, it cost a pretty penny, but you felt as though you deserved at least one nice thing. 

Tracing the smudging infernal on the inside of your arm, you sighed. You shouldn’t get your hopes up for anything. It was more likely that Raphael wanted a contract out of this encounter and was just nice enough to save you from embarrassment directly in front of your party. You suddenly felt really stupid with that last thought. Why would someone desire your company in such a way? Nevertheless a devil of all beings. It seemed that all you had been doing lately is giving. Giving to your companions, whether that was emotional or physical. Giving to the damn parasite in your head. Giving to the emperor. Being the conduit to the end of something greater than yourself. Every action, every consequence hangs over your head every day, every second of your journey. You are a beginning and an end. A tool for greater purpose. 

You swallowed hard, looking at the small flickering candle inside of a half mason jar. This wasn’t good, you were holding back the urge to burst into tears. 

“Usually I am nothing less than punctual.” A deep sigh and the creak of wood, and Raphael was sitting beside you in the booth. He had that sharp tang of sulfur with him, meaning he must have rushed in not long ago. “But I was taking my time, apologies.” Raphael was one for attention, but his usual outfit was gone in place of something more neutral, dark grays and maroons, accented with gold. It was a change from the vibrant blue. Stray burning cinders floated from his hair as he combed a hand through it. The human glamor was probably rushed too. 

He flashed you a grin that faltered when your eyes met. 

“It's okay.” You murmured, dabbing at your eyes. It was more embarrassing than anything to be caught so emotionally. 

“And, I'll admit, I’m glad to be a bit more casual with you.” He teased, taking your hand in his as soon as you finished. “As my favorite entertainment of course." And as you meet his gaze, that uneasy feeling returns.

"It actually...was really exciting to be asked out to dinner." you admit, "And I'm excited it was you who asked me."

That had left him quiet, no quip or remark. He angled his head to look at you. Perhaps he was taking in the genuine tone of your words, or maybe he was just content with the fact that you wanted what he wanted.

“Your companions are here.” He says after a moment of silence. 

“I know.”

“They are glaring.” 

“I know.” 

“I take it they don't approve.” He chuckles. 

“Nope.” You can’t help the smile that comes from you. “I’m allowed to go on a date and not disclose the who, what, and where.” 

“So they followed you?” 

“Probably.” You shrug, leaning your head on his shoulder. “Let’s make this night as long and enjoyable as possible, because I know I’m getting a stern lecture the moment I leave.” 

“Why don’t we go somewhere more private then?” He proposes, kissing the top of your head. 

“In a moment, we’ve got one of these reserved booths. I want to makeout with you openly.” 

For some reason, that perked him up exponentially. Perhaps his desire for performance and attention. “Whatever you wish, my dove.” He purrs, hand leaving yours to instead gently squeeze your thigh. “I would give you the world if you asked.”

“Why is that?” You ask, moving to face him. 

“I am fond of you.” He chuckles, “I don’t like things like I like you. If you weren’t in the middle of a life or death situation—I would court you slower. But you’re mortal, I have to be quicker lest you slip from my grasp all too quickly.” 

There was a slip of worry in his tone, perhaps love all too soon lost. Or maybe just the nagging worry of losing you. But it didn’t dwell long as he leaned in to kiss your cheek. And finally, there was that warmth you had been missing. 

~~~

If this is well received I could make a part two! or even a smutty prologue but here is what I have to offer.

[blackjackkent]

Was debating whether to metagame Rakha's second encounter with Orin like I did with the first, but the truth is I don't think any of the other places she can show up (that I'm aware of, at least) have the same level of emotional impact that the dryad one does, so from here I think I can pick more or less at random.

Given that the crew is hanging around in the refugee camp area, that seems like the most likely next encounter is the same Flaming Fist that Hector talked to, hanging around by the donations warehouse.

"Hail, friend! Fine day, isn't it?" The guard lounging against the warehouse wall grins and salutes cheerfully at Rakha as she goes by, tipping his head forward so the sun glints off his helmet. "Forgive me," he adds with a laugh as she turns towards him. "You're in no mood to talk about the weather. Your journey here was a hard one, no doubt."

He seems utterly unpreturbed by Rakha's terrifying visage and unblinking gaze, but bounces on the balls of his feet, evidently eager for conversation. "Is this your first time in Baldur's Gate?"

Rakha isn't really familiar with the concept of small talk, and so this question gives her some pause and she thinks about it for almost a full minute before answering as the guard watches her expectantly. "I think... I think I have been here," she finally says cautiously. "Although I don't remember it much."

(And indeed, there are flickers of familiarity, looking at the walls, the glint of the sun off the river. She shies away from that familiarity, though. She knows now that anything she remembers of her past is a memory of the monster that her father made her. She understands why trying to remember things back in Moonrise led to her strangling a cat with her bare hands.)

The man cocks his head, idly curious. "Is that so?" he says casually. "Engimatic soul, aren't you?"

He leans forward, folding his arms across his chest. "A word of advice, then. You might not get as warm a welcome as in days gone by. Used to be you'd arrive knowing you'd a full belly and a warm bed waiting for you. Not any more." His eyes harden beneath the shadow of his helmet guard. "These days, there's barely enough to go around. Add the refugees on top and... well, folk aren't feeling too generous."

Rakha mimics his head tilt, unsure how she's expected to respond to this. She's seen the refugees, of course, and the need they're in, and has heard Wyll and Jaheira express dismay about their condition - but she's also heard the locals angrily complaining to the Fist about the "interlopers". The beast urge in her head is very aware of the possibility of violence...

"I'm not surprised," she says slowly. "Tensions seem high around here."

"Tensions?" The guard laughs. "That's putting it mildly. Some well-to-do's in the city donated enough to see the newcomers right for the time being. Only they didn't bother helping everyone else." His lip curls; there's a sudden dark anger in him that clashes oddly with his initial jovial greeting. "Locals going without while strangers feast - it's stoked the fire all right. Some Baldurians are kicking up a fuss round the front of the barn as we speak."

His eyes narrow and his voice drops to a threatening mutter. "If I wasn't wearing this uniform, I'd walk round there and teach them a lesson they'd never forget."

(A/N: This is another one of the scenarios where none of the available options really fit Rakha's outlook or speech pattern - there's a couple of "hell yeah give 'em what for" options and a couple of "what the fuck" options, but nothing in the way of "who are you and why are you telling me this", which I think is Rakha's overall reaction to this whole conversation. So, despite this technically all being Rakha dialogue in game, I'm gonna make an executive decision that Wyll steps in here - because to be honest, why wouldn't he?)

Rakha blinks several times rapidly, trying to understand what exactly the man is trying to say. Does he object to the refugees? Or the protestors? He seems to be threatening violence, and the dark part of Rakha's mind stirs eagerly at the thought (yes, yes, go round the corner and beat them, shred them, spill their blood and show them there is no kindness to be had), but it doesn't make sense. Wyll has spoken of the Flaming Fist, people his father leads, the city's guard corps - and has made no mention of such vindictive anger.

Indeed, Wyll steps forward suddenly at her side, and his eyes are wide, his hand on his rapier. "You're supposed to keep the peace," he says sharply, "not stoke the fire!"

The guard's harsh smile widens. He ignores Wyll completely, his eyes not leaving Rakha's. "What peace?" he says. "If no one steps in, there'll be bodies piled high in the streets before long. Those refugees have been leeching on our city for too long. If we don't show them we mean business, they'll bleed us dry."

He steps closer, his face drawing close to Rakha's now despite their difference in height. His voice lowers, each word coming out sharp like a dagger. "We need to march round the front," he says, slowly and deliberately, "and kill every last one of them. Let's see them eat our food with their guts on the floor. What do you say?"

Rakha's breath catches and her eyes go wide. The beast in her head is awake now, awake and hungry, and these words seem calculated to prod it from drowsy interest to violent fury. Her vision starts to go white at the edges and she can feel herself on the precipice, the ground slipping from under her feet.

No-- no, I won't-- I won't kill them, I won't listen, I won't do it, I won't, I won't--

-----

"Rakha..." Wyll mutters, alarmed; she feels his fingers grip her forearm.

"Be steady, t'rac'shka," Lae'zel adds from her other side, sharp, commanding.

And from behind her, low and steady-- "Breathe, cub," Jaheira murmurs. "He tries your strength. He will not be the last. You are equal to it."

Minthara, notably, says nothing, but watches the tense line of Rakha's shoulders with attentive interest, a muscle working in her jaw.

-----

The voices cut through the beast's eagerness, and Rakha draws a sudden harsh inhale, steadying herself. Her vision clears and she squeezes her eyes shut, struggling to swallow in a throat suddenly dry and tight. She has not slipped. There is no blood on her hands, not yet, not today...

"I will do better than mindless slaughter," she whispers unsteadily. "It is... not the answer."

The man is still there, watching her with that angry smile, but the words aren't really spoken to him but to herself, and perhaps to Wyll, whose fingers gently loosen again from their tight grip on her arm.

The man's eyes roll back in his head and his lips curl up, his smile widening - unsettlingly, impossibly wide. "Mindless slaughter," he hisses, "is the only answer."

A chill runs up Rakha's back and she realizes what is happening just as the man's head cracks violently to one side. His body spasms, twists in a hundred unnatural directions... and then settles again, smaller and lither and cloaked in shining red flesh.

"I see how you slip-slither closer," Orin hisses, "belly dragging in the filth. Father is laughing at you..."

She is standing so close still; Rakha can feel the heat of her breath, and it smells of blood. Pain spasms through her skull and she whimpers softly before she can hold back the sound.

Orin giggles, lifts a hand and traces a fingertip playfully along the collar of Rakha's robes. "Have you lost your nerve, my blood-starved sibling?" she asks, lips pouted out with exaggerated dismay. "Did I mangle your skull too terribly?"

Rakha tries to answer, but she can't. Her tongue feels frozen in her mouth, her limbs stiff and heavy. The pain deepens, an icepick behind her right eye. The worm squirms in answer to it and the beast howls and it feels as if her head might split apart. She wants to respond, she wants answers, she wants to kill and rip and tear, she wants to die, she wants the pain to stop...(*)

(Behind her, everyone has their weapons out - including Minthara, now, whose black-on-black eyes have shifted from fascination to wide-eyed terror in the space of a moment. Jaheira's gaze is hard as a rock and Wyll and Lae'zel are vibrating with barely concealed fury. In another moment everything would explode-- but Orin doesn't give them the chance.)

"Do not worry, slaughter-kin," she purrs. "My blades are still sharp and sweet. They will greet you soon enough..."

And she's gone in a burst of magic that ripples the Weave around them like an explosion.

-----

Rakha realizes she's on her knees in the mud, her fingers clutching at her head - not at the place where the tadpole sits, but behind it, over one of the long scars that lines her head just where the shaved portion of her head ends. The beast is screaming - for revenge, for destruction, for blood - and it's a long time before she can draw a breath in steadiness.

Wyll's hand is on her shoulder, a lifeline, a balm through the pain.

She shudders violently, squeezing her eyes shut. She still only remembers flashes - the pod below Moonrise, the blood flowing into her eyes, the autopsy table where Kressa cut her open again and again and again... but not whatever came before. Not whatever emptied her mind of its memories and set her adrift and helpless before the tortures that followed.

But now those words from Orin. Did I mangle your skull too terribly?

"It was her," she whispers, when she finally feels able to speak. "The one who attacked me... before the Myrkulite cut me open."

Wyll doesn't answer; none of them do. No one seems to know what to say, but she's sure they're thinking the same thing she is.

I must have faced her once before and failed.

-----

(*) I'm absolutely exaggerating the Durge PC's response to Orin's presence. I decided for no particular reason that Rakha got a headache looking at her all the way back in the Moonrise fleshpit and have just decided to commit to the bit at this point. XD

[cy-cyborg]

Maybe I just didn't see it because I was trying to avoid spoilers, but I'm kind of shocked at how much disability rep is in Baldur's Gate 3. Both in the way of the main cast and just casually in the NPC's and background characters - and I've only just gotten to that party scene in act one (I keep restarting because there's so many things I want to try with different characters lol)

So far I've encountered Wyll (prosthetic eye - and he actually refers to it as such which is personally a big deal to me, fantasy settings almost never use the word prosthetic unless it has a negative connotation), Karlach (heavy scarring and maybe her heart, depending on how you want to interpret that, she also seems to stim a lot in her idle animation/is very blunt and could possibly be read as either autistic or ADHD), and the two little teifling kids, Mol (missing one of her eyes/scarring on her face) and Donnie (non-verbal and probably autistic, based on the narrator's description of how he seems to find eye-contact painful/won't look at you). Very early and minor spoiler, but tav can also loose their eye, which you and wyll can bond over lol.

Not to mention the character's who are coded as disabled like Gale (who's curse seems to function enough like a disability/chronic illness that I'd consider him disabled within the context of the world, and it seems other characters do too).

Like I said, I'm not very far into the game and that's already 5, possibly 6 depending on player choices. I also considered adding Shadowheart to the list for chronic pain, but I haven't progressed her story enough to see where that's going yet, so for now I'm not including her. Are they all good rep? honestly, it's not bad. not great, but overall, not bad as far as games go. There's a few issues I've noticed (outside of gale and karlach, they don't seem to impact the main characters much, and tav instantly gets a magic cure-type prosthetic - though ironically mine seems to be bugged and isn't working, so I'm not getting the buff its supposed to give you lol) but it's leagues ahead of other fantasy rpg's I've played which mostly relegates any disabled folks to npc beggars.

Honestly, just the number alone, combined with the fact that none of them have been turned into sob-stories or even feel forced is a big plus in my book. They just exist like every other character, playable or otherwise. That on it's own is just refreshing.

[sol-consort]

How far have you gotten in Mass Effect 2? Also have you gotten any other pets or just your fish?

I'm doing Legion's loyalty mission, and then I will go to the omega 4 mass relay. I've done all other loyalties

Just fish for now, I did get Kelly to feed them tho, the scene was very disappointing.

I got the varen to follow me on Tuchanka after I fed him some meat but he never on ship.

Oh and a space hamster! Is he the reference to Boo and Baldur's Gate? Foshkdjsw I loved Kelly's comment about him and the cute little squeek he does when you interact with his box.

I did the admiral Hackett arrival mission by accident because I didn't realise it was the one- I was underleveled with like two snipers and 5 upgrades but eh I managed.

I have several n7 assignments left but I read that I should do them after the game ends.

I'm thinking of ng+ but apparently doing that disconnects your ME1 import or something and your choices get ereased? Or is that just a rumour, Idk.

I think imma go with Thane's romance, the siha was the final nail in the coffin that sealed by fate. I'm very disappointed by how surface level they made Jacob when he has so much potential, his loyality mission was the third on the list of the most horrifically and emotionally scarring ones to do and yet we get very little in the aftermath or from Jacob himself during it.

The overlord takes the first spot no doubt, my god.

It just felt unfullfilling and like Shepard is the one gunning for a relationship when Jacob doesn't want it, only something casual and that's after a lot of time convincing him. I miss how Kaidan or Ashley would flirt with you by themselves without having to initiate it and you can reject them or encourage them.

Here I think they did this for the player's comfort, like in that Halsin scene where he asks if you're sure multiple times. But that was bear sex! We're talking about normal smooching here or holding hands.

Instead, it butchered the romance, and it feels like Shepard is making them uncomfortable and insisting on a relationship, pressuring subordinates at that too.

Maybe it's different with maleShepard? Maybe other romances would've been different. But Garrus and Jacob fully felt like they would rather be at another room. Garrus himself says he doesn't have a fetish for humans but will try for us. That's after he tells us to go sleep with another human instead since it's closer to home.

With Garrus, I don't want someone to fix it. I don't want a rapid dog to pull the leash of every time he wants to bite. It feels like I'm just here to make sure he doesn't murder others, he seems more emotionally immature than before. Hesitant and lost, I don't want to be the one to figure who he is for him, he should do that himself.

Thane so far feels the most romantically available funny enough despite how much he simps for his dead wife. There are still some few throw away lines flirting with Shep that are subtle enough to miss.

Calling you "siha" an angel, one of the messenger of his gods, a protective angel that helps and aids people. Before you two have any commited relationship.

Describing how he remembers everything in great details even the smallest kiss and lets the comment be, if you say it made you uncomfortable then he apologises.

And he loves his son, that's always the biggest green flag. While Jacob buries his emotion and is defensive when talking about his father, meanwhile Garrus changed so much, where did my polite kind turian go?

It also fits, he still loves his wife, my Shepard still loves Kaidan, and he doesn't have much time left to live. I see Shepard and him finding solace in each other's arms before one has to eventually leave. Shepard comforts him during his last years of life while he helps them mend their freshly broken heart. A win win. A mutual agreement.

The good cop bad cop roleplay also was the closest thing to playful I have ever encountered in a loyalty mission.

I tried flirting with Samara, man that stung.

Liara came to my room but didn't make a move?

Pov: You're Liara seconds after blueballing my Shepard and actually only coming over for wine.

I hate my romance options. I liked Tali's mission tho it was super fun and I don't get a lot of chances to yell and play the loudest human in the room.

Anderson betrayed us and knew about Horizon, you can go to confront him and say how he was your only friend left. He doesn't apologise and says it was a necessary risk, that made me lose respect for him a bit. Shepard does not have a single soul on their side in this lifetime.

I did some DLC by accident? That's kinda why I wanna restart with ng+ and do everything in the recommended order. Plus, the widow sniper is amazing, and I don't wanna part with it just yet :(

I liked taking Legion everywhere, but it's already end game. I had put off recruiting him because I didn't know the FF mission was his, I thought it was the last mission before the endgame missions, so I must do it last.

He looks so...ominous in every screenshot, like it's taken moments away before disaster. Ik it's just his headlights but man he looks ready to jump me. It made me realise how scary the Geth can be when you're not viewing them from a sniper's lens behind a crate miles away.

I thought the last empty space was for Liara but she left.

The game is 10/10, steps on your heart a lot and more angsty than the first game, Also everything is so expensive and I am so broke. The Alliance used to pay me per fucking kill, Cerberus are so stingy.

Gonna either start with a ng+, re-import my ME1 character or just move on to ME3.

[murmoruno]

"I don't trust you, but I can use you"

PAIRINGS: Astarion x fem!Tav

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I had an idea/headcanon or whatever this is called for my own Tav and I want to try to write about it for a bit. Please note that this is my first time writing fanfic in English since It is not my native language. Bear with me if it sounds strange since I use a lot of Google Translate haha.

------------------------------ What if Tav is a true vampire?

------------------------------

In the shadowy realm of Faerûn, a most peculiar encounter unfolded. Tav, a true vampire, had embarked upon a path of redemption, now residing in solitude amidst the ancient woods. She is harboring no intentions of causing harm or extending a helping hand. All she sought was a peaceful existence in her eternal life.

Unfortunately, while revisiting her long-abandoned hometown of Baldur's Gate, she found herself ensnared by the sinister tendrils of the mindflayer's grasp.

On that day, destiny took a fateful turn as she crossed paths with Astarion. The vampire within her recognized his vampiric nature instantly. Despite this realization, she kept her silence, knowing the plight of being a spawn all too well, as she had once walked that same path. She empathized with his desire to conceal his secret, for she had harbored the same intentions.

Having spent centuries secluded in the woods, Tav had mastered the art of concealing her vampiric urges from others.

She marveled at her newfound abilities—to bask in the sun, to cleanse herself in the flowing waters, to enter another's abode unbidden. She realized she had never experienced such joy, and she believed Astarion would feel it too. Yet, she maintained her composure despite this revelation.

Astarion did question the crimson hue of her eyes, but she dismissed it as a family trait, shared by most of her kin.

On the night when Astarion attempted to sink his fangs into her and confessed his vampiric nature, Tav felt compelled to disclose her own past. She yearned for his trust as ardently as he yearned for hers.

A heavy silence hung between them, with Astarion's expression shifting from surprise to utter disgust. His facade, the mask he wore in front of all others, crumbled away. His anger and loathing were laid bare before her.

Desperately, she tried to convince him that she was not the vampire lord he believed her to be, or at least not the kind he dreaded. She pled for his trust, vowing never to harm him, never even to entertain the thought. She promised to shield him, just as she had always done. She uttered every word she could conjure in her quest to earn his trust, for as much as she knew she could continue this journey alone, she couldn't bear to lose him. She didn't want him to leave. She wanted him to remain safe. With her.

But regardless of her words and the earnestness with which she spoke, his perception of her remained unchanged. He uttered no words and silently departed from the camp, leaving her engulfed in the consuming embrace of guilt.

She believed he had left for good, and she blamed herself for it. A heavy weight of remorse twisted in her stomach, leaving her utterly helpless. This marked the first time she had experienced such profound anguish as if her cold, lifeless heart could rupture from her chest at any moment. The intensity of her emotions caught her off guard; she had never realized she could feel so deeply, or even feel at all. These overwhelming emotions frightened her, an unfamiliar sensation after so many years.

Throughout the night, she sat alone, gazing at the stars, yearning for a reality where whatever had just transpired had never come to pass.

The following morning, she spotted Astarion returning from the forest, his mask firmly in place, greeting others casually as if nothing had happened.

Their eyes met as he passed by her.

In a hushed tone, Astarion murmured, "Don't misunderstand, my dear. I don't trust you, not in the slightest. But I can certainly make use of you."

Shock flickered across Tav's face as she glanced back at him, noticing a sly grin. She had never fathomed he could muster such bravery to tell a true vampire that he could manipulate her.

Yet, the truth lay bare when she saw the tremor in his shoulders. In that moment, she realized that this spawn had already been consumed by fear, pushed to the brink of desperation, with nothing left to lose but his choice to trust her, to trust her assurances of non-harm and protection from whatever perils pursued him.

With a subtle nod, she replied, "If allowing you to use me earns your trust, then with honor, I shall allow it."

The words hung in the air, a punctuation to her inner musings. A glimmer of hope flickered in her eyes, a whisper of belief that perhaps this gesture could mend the divide between them. And in that moment, she dared to envision a future where trust might bloom anew.

[lairofsentinel]

Talking about the smidgens we saw of Gale, the wizard of Waterdeep.

[Baldur’s Gate 3 Early Access Spoilers]

Updated, AGAIN, because the hell of new aspects we saw when some bugs were sorted out. Warning:  all this analysis was done for game versions 4.1.83 and 4.1.84

Well, I had to rewrite all this because the explorations of dialogue options and the bugs being, somehow, solved, allowed me to see small details from Gale that stand out or end up being more than curious to me. I'll list his main features to make things short (hopefully), and useful for... eventual fics:

Gale is a char who approves any good treatment to animals (and creatures in general). He has a cat, a Library, and writes poetry sometimes.

He doesn't like gratuitous murdering which is implied in the anecdote he told us about how he stopped a massacre in a Waterdeep city inn just by buying a round to everyone. It is also implied in his approval in most situations; even in the one with the ogres having sex.

He gives you disapproval most of the time if you use violence and intimidation as your first approach in solving a situation. He prefers eloquence, diplomacy, and negotiation. However, he is flexible enough to approve a performance-intimidation in front of goblins to avoid bloodshed. Point (2) is primary. So... he truly is a pragmatic char. It's not white and black: “never use intimidation/lie” or that kind of over-simplistic view.

He likes logical and reasonable conversations. An action that earned his disapproval can be undone if the main char (MC) talks to him and explains their reasons. You can disagree with him without having approval penalties most of the time. You can question many situations and, as long as it remains a mental exercise, there are no penalties. That surprised me a lot. Most characters disapprove you if you wonder about a potential situation, but Gale no. He is the scholar, he will allow a safe space to think around things without being too judgemental. We will see if this attitude lasts in the full game. No wonder some players see in him “the Teacher” archetype. Quite so.

He was an Arch wizard while being Mystra's Chosen One, and fell from grace when she put him aside. What is hard for me to grasp is if he remained Chosen One and therefore able to cast silver-fire during that intermediate period when he stopped having Mystra's whispers and his folly with the netherese taint. We know that in that moment Mystra removed herself from his life completely. But before, she has only stopped whispering and sleeping with him. So far I understand, being her Chosen One doesn't imply sleeping with her, most of the time.

He was a teacher (not surprising, since his over-explanation vices and details such as the pronunciation of “Trashj” make us suspect it), and had some students that he could not keep longer since their ineptitudes irked him. 

Unlike the stereotypical “scholar” type, he knows how to cook, since he has been doing stews for the party in the camp. He also loves baths. A bit siding with the stereotypical “scholar” type, but a nice change for a “standard adventurer” type, in which most of the time it is implied that they are stinky with “animalistic” scents and uglier descriptors. No, Gale likes his lavender-scented baths. Good. 

He is an over-thinker strategist. And also a char who takes responsibility for his own mistakes to the point that, when he dies for the first time, a programmed image is activated to help anyone to revive him. Despite the fact that he is dead and can give a shit about that, he is still responsible of the catastrophe that may happen if that weird magic orb stuck in his chest erupts.

He is also forcing me to check the dictionary like no other game has done in a while... the fucker uses uncommon words a lot of the time. Smidges? really? Gale is a hard char for a non native English speaker.

We can assume that during his teenage time, he was a pretty prideful peacock to the point to be blind at the reality (well, yeah, he romanced a goddess; if that doesn't give you a hell of a ego boost...) He remembers his young self's pride with a thick level of regret. He is now a mature scholar that, for a change, does not patronise you or thinks of himself better than anyone. Sure, he over-explains a lot, but that's something that most scholars/teachers do when they are worried that, maybe, they won't be understood.

He is confident in his years of study (for that reason he is a capable wizard despite having lost Mystra's favours), but he acknowledges his limits. Which is a nice change to see in the “scholar” archetype, the typical know-it-all. He knows a lot, he knows that he knows (it would be ridiculous to hide his knowledge), but he is human, and like he says: “humans are fallible”. However, it’s more than obvious that he has a big ego for everything he does, which makes sense since he follows a motto in his life: “try to excel at everything”. High accomplished scholar lifestyle, indeed.

If you don't share the Weave with him, he will state that nights are lonesome. It seems he truly is looking for some connection with a keen fellow mind. Probably it's this loneliness which triggers his urge to see Mystra's face during the night. We also know he, in general, lives in constant fear due to the Netherese taint in his chest. So, very lonely, and very scared. 

I don't know if this is his poet side unable to be switched-off or it's another implication of how he sees sexual encounters: he never says sex (at least in my many runs, he never did it). He always gets around the word: love-making, art of the body, intimacy. For a scholar who is so prone to use the technical word for everything, and has already stated he is not coy at all, the use of these metaphors make me wonder if it's because he always conceives sex as something more than mere physical pleasure. For him, it seems to come with a more emotional connection (which makes sense if we think he will only sleep with those who connected to him through the Weave). Another small detail that may confirm this is when he asks the MC if the “other night” was wonderful. If MC claims it was “fun”, Gale shows a certain degree of uneasiness by that word choice, making us infer that he certainly doesn’t see sex as “fun” but as something else, deeper. 

His tadpole dreams are about Mystra (rather obvious). His most desperate desire is forgiveness. Mystra's forgiveness.

Mystra was his first love. The affair did not last long. And since soon after her abandonment he looked for the Primal Weave book and was infested by it; one could assume he has been focused on solving his problem for the rest of his life than putting some energy in romance, especially if we think about (13). It's hard to say with certainty (especially with banters like these), but since he is a char that you can only sleep with if you share a mind-connection through the Weave, it seems less plausible that he could encourage into casual relationships during all this period of his life looking for a solution to the Netherese orb. If he got previous relationships, they may have been meaningful, but clearly not enough to win over the goddess’ and his urges to see her, lol.

He did not mind Mystra having many other lovers besides him. It seems to be the same with the MC, since he will insist in sleeping with them even after the party and even after the MC slept with someone else (however, that only occurs if the romantic connection through the Weave happened.) This fact combined with (13) and (15) make me wonder if he certainly wants to be with the MC too badly, even in an open relationship. We need to see the rest of his romance to be sure.

Since he looks for forgiveness so desperately, he is a char who will forgive most mistakes made by the MC if they acknowledge them.

He is a char who knows how grey and complex situations can be. This is inferred by the way he speaks of the tiefling girl who tried to steal the idol in the Grove: “She is not innocent, but that doesn't mean she is guilty.” (of course there is a lot of self projection there). This is also implied in his (surprising) approval of raising Mayrina's husband and giving her the control wand to search for a solution in Neverwinter. That shows that he can accept the fuckest weirdest situations, recognising that “sometimes we can’t choose situations but we can try to do our best, not always having the best results”. Also self-projection.

He appreciates his privacy to the point to leave the MC if the abuse of the tadpole power continues. However, and honouring (4), you can abuse of these powers and convince him with reasons: if you don't lie to him and explain that you have a responsibility with the group to know what happens with his secret, he will understand, and despite disapproving the MC actions, will remain without major troubles.

Certainly, as long as you give him reasons and logical concepts, he can almost understand everything with no disapproval or at least little one.

Consent and negotiation are vital to him, apparently. However, this aspect reaches a flaw. He was too angry with Nettie when she almost killed the MC, and he made a short speech about how nobody has the right to decide your options for you. Yet, in his romance scene, we see that he deliberately hid his true relationship with Mystra and his bomb-condition in order to sleep with the MC. In fact, during the party, if the MC tells him that doubts if he is the one they want, Gale will drop a curious argument: “That’s because you’ve yet to find out what your’re missing” (implying that he himself is what you need), followed by his most curious “Doubt is a spoilsport. Cast it aside”. That coming from a scholar is rotten, lol. He tries every convincing argument to sleep with the MC (if they shared the moment of the Weave, of course)

This happens in every variation of the path: whether the MC sleeps with him in the party, or afterwards, Gale will always wait for sharing a night with the MC before speaking the truth. It's hard to read this aspect since, he is a char who, apparently, needs a mind-connection with his partner for intimacy (see (12) and (13)); so this terrible strategy is like his way of trying to guarantee that the MC will not abandon him. I guess there is something along those line, specially if we keep in mind the book he explained: a book which is not only about the art of the body and the night and sex, but of other things such as conversation, exploration, and acceptance of oneself and the other. He is expecting with this night to reach the MC to a certain degree of intimacy in which, despite the raw truth, the acceptance will prevail. Remembering (16), he truly wants to sleep with the MC, baaaadly. And somehow everything feels like he wants to push things in a subtle way to a certain degree of commitment. Following the concept in (12), I think he has been alone for too long, and desperately needs someone in his lonesome nights and in helping him to deal with his burden. Finding someone who connected to him through the Weave (such a personal experience for him as it is) made him a bit desperate or eager. We know his emotion for the MC may have grown over those days since the connection with the Weave. In two occasions he or the MC can ask if both of them think about that moment. Gale says yes with such enthusiasm, that it may imply...that maybe, he has been thinking about that more times than he truly wants to tell the MC. The Weave moment had such a strong effect on Gale that, if the MC spent the night with another companion and rejects Gale’s proposition later, he will trail off a sentence that implies he was convinced that the MC and he were heading into something serious and deep.

Of course, once he sleeps with the MC, he confesses the truth right afterwards, accepting--without approval penalties--the harshest responses that the MC can give. He clearly knows that such manoeuvre was truly disloyal, especially contrasting it with all his speech of consent and rights to know about the true situation one is in. In the next morning, he acknowledges it was a rotten thing to do and apologies. But this shows that his principles can be bend and even be broken when it comes to emotions. I'm still a bit wary of his emotional stability, what can I say.

Mystra is more than an ex-lover for him, it’s magic. And Magic is everything for him, even more than life. I wonder if, given the opportunity, Mystra forgives him and asks him to return to her side, would he accept it without second thoughts leaving the romanced MC? It's true he also acknowledges that all that fascination he had with the goddess was a product of his youth; he knows he was a plaything in her hands. But I don't see he got over with it. He still idealises her, as such a good poet does. Idealisation, especially when a Goddess is involved, is a terrible thing to fight against for the next partner. No matter what speech of loyalties and consent he states during the whole game, the MC knows that magic and Mystra are Gale's Achilles’ heel, and factors in which they  can’t predict his behaviour.

We also know that, because his bomb-condition, he tries to take all the opportunities to enjoy the little things of life that make him human.

Gale is a straightforward and honest (mostly, let's say) char. But we can see that he prefers to be honest in most situations, except in his Achille’s heel. Even when he wanted to hide all the stuff about the bomb in his chest, he did it by explicitly warning us that he was hiding something he did not want to talk about. Which is an honest approach considering the hardcore burden he carries and the immediate rejection it can mean if the truth unfolds too quickly among strangers.

When it comes to concepts, Gale has the symbol of the storm attached to him. So far, we see he talks comparing things with storms or storm elements: his lack of knowledge to explain why they are not Mind Flayers yet: the silence before the storm; the fear that rushes into his body when the Weave orb asks him for magic to consume: the thunder of a storm reverberating in his soul, the day it will erupt: the lightning striking, the consumption of magic: water running through a sore throat, Life itself: a tempest. When he asked the player if they were a wizard, he explains that he needs an Arch wizard and compares them with a Tempest. If we see the main image of Baldur's gate 3, it's clear that his main element is electricity/storm... so... full witch-bolt-guy here.

[updated later] The Weave moment is important to romance Gale. Leaving the moment in ambiguity will give the MC another opportunity to make their intentions clear during the scene of the Loss. However, remaining vague will lock Gale into a friendship path. What happens during this scene may suggest that the ambiguity in the Weave was enough to keep Gale thinking about the romantic possibility, but he will not engage into it by his own, which confirms (15). Unless the opportunity presents itself clearly before him, he will not pursue the MC. Further details [here].

Last moment detail: Gale says “I cherish you” when he explains he will await death alone if the Netherese orb goes out of control. I was not sure if that meant something more or less than love or like (I can’t not overlook the subtle meaning of the words coming from Gale’s mouth, he is a poet and his word choices matter). Checking the dictionary I found that “cherish” (in a relationship) is defined as to hold or to treat as dear, to feel love for and to care for someone deeply and tenderly. This man went straight into a commitment relationship without thinking it twice, and without (I believe) the MC knowing it either xD. 

Let's see how these characteristics shift or develop deeper once the full game is out there. Now we have to wait a lot :(

To see videos where all this stuff is inferred or explicitly said, you can check [here]

More videos added later [here] and [here]

More content of bg3 in general [here]

[aurelliocheek]

Book of Heroes: Making a new The Dark Eye game

A new Finnish studio is bringing the tabletop feeling to the screen.

The Dark Eye (original: Das Schwarze Auge) is a true classic. The roleplaying game was developed 36 years ago by the German Ulrich Kiesow and laid the foundation for hundreds of novels, board games – and video games of course. Since the last one, The Dark Eye: Blackguards 2 by Daedalic, five years have passed.

This summer a new game brings the players back into the fantasy world Aventuria. Like in the original Pen&Paper game, The Dark Eye: Book of Heroes is about role-playing together with your friends. Four players combine the specialities of the different species and professions to overcome enemies, puzzles and challenges in the myriad of procedurally generated maps. Twelve different professions and eight individual storylines should provide long-lasting gaming fun. Book of Heroes is the first game of new Finnish developer Random Potion in collaboration with publisher Wild River Games and DSA rights holder Ulisses.  We talk with Creative Director Arto ­Koistinen and CEO Kirsi Rossi about the development of The Dark Eye: Book of ­Heroes.

What kind of game is Book of Heroes? Arto Koistinen: BoH is an RPG for busy people. There are plenty of ­action games with similarly easy ways of dropping in and out, but no real roleplaying games like this. Kirsi Rossi: Book of Heroes is a game that consists of several shorter adventures that form longer stories. All the RPG elements are there but compared to the epic RPGs that require hundreds of hours playing, BoH gives you an easy way to play when you have time, or your friends are online and you’d like to play a couple of hours with them. It also doesn’t require a long time to get yourself familiar with the system, so it’s easy to start playing it but of course for the ones who’d like to immerse themselves into an epic RPG the experience is not that deep.

Only part of the Random Potion team is enjoying a summer day in Tampere, Finland, before working on Book of Heroes.

Please tell us briefly about your career in the gaming industry. And how it all started with Random Potion? Kirsi: I haven’t worked with games before. It’s been something that I have thought about earlier but because I don’t have a developer background there are less opportunities, though the situation has changed a lot recently when there are more big studios. I joined Random Potion when Arto asked if I’d be interested in to take care of the business side of the company three years ago. Entrepreneurship is something that I have wanted to try, so it was a perfect opportunity for me. Arto: I started in the industry in 2007 as a game designer for mobile games, the company worked solely on licensed games, so I did small games for big brands such as Star Wars and Pixar. After that, I founded my first company Dicework Games, where I did programming, design, writing and business, so pretty much everything else than art or music. I’ve also worked at Kyy Games, another local company, in multiple positions. We started Random Potion with a group of friends from the industry, mainly because we wanted to work together on new projects. Book of Heroes was an idea I’d had in one form or another for several years, and finally, the pieces for the design started coming together. In retrospect, it was probably too big a project for a new company, but fortunately, everything turned out well!

How big is your team at the moment? Do you hire? Kirsi: We have ten people at the moment in the company and in our team. We don’t hire at the moment.

How did the collaboration with Ulisses and Wild River come about? Kirsi: We met Wild River a couple of times at game events like gamescom where we showed our game demo and later how it as progressed. Later on, we started to talk about the collaboration with Wild River and got introduced also with Ulisses.

Arto: I also attended a convention hosted by Ulisses where I met both the Ulisses people and the fans, and it was a great experience, and especially awesome to meet all these people very enthusiastic about The Dark Eye.

How close do you work together? Kirsi: We have weekly meetings with Wild River’s producer, and we also use Slack, where we can chat when there’s anything to ask, comment etc. If we have questions of the Dark Eye universe, we can also talk with Ulisses, and they have provided us with a lot of material and also checked the stories that are in the game so that they don’t conflict with the DSA universe.

Unity is the main development tool. If for beasts, items, or entire portions of the maps — it will end up in Unity.

What are your sources of inspiration? Kirsi: Overall, for me, I love old-school RPG games. I remember when I was a kid and got often stuck to Mario or other similar games because I wasn’t that good and patient enough to practise. When I found RPGs, it felt like coming home because I didn’t get that frustrating feeling of playing the same setting over and over again (or asking someone else to play it for me so that I could continue the game).

Arto: Baldur’s Gate was a big inspiration in the beginning, especially for the core gameplay, visuals and controls. We opted for a different approach in meta though, having bite-sized adventures connected by personal stories instead of a big epic campaign. Of course, there is also a lot of influence from roguelikes, of which my favourite is probably ADOM.

Are you fans of The Dark Eye? Kirsi: The Dark Eye is not that well known in Finland. I like to play tabletop RPGs and also try different games, and it’s been great to get to know also The Dark Eye. I am a big fan of monsters, and there are many that I like in the Dark Eye. I also like lizardfolk, and it would be great to have them somewhere in the game… (smiles) Arto: We are now! (smiles)

Did you play previous TDE games? Arto: I had played Chains of Satinav before the project and when we started also played Memoria and both the Blackguards games.

How did you get the game design process, what was your approach? Arto: We already had a vertical slice of the game that used a different system when we started working with The Dark Eye. In the pre-TDE project, we had a pretty ad hoc process where we knew the high-level design and where we wanted to go but did the concrete design as the project progressed, seeing what worked and what didn’t. When we started converting that base to The Dark Eye, we first took the rules and decided what would work for our game and how and what we had to drop out. I’m happy to say we got a lot of the core rules in and even some additional ones from the other sourcebooks! There was a lot of back and forth with Ulisses for the storylines so everything is canon for the setting. We’ve also tested the game with fans of The Dark Eye and integrated that feedback into the finished game.

Kirsi: I am not involved in game design as I am more of taking care of the company and project itself, e.g. schedules and communication with the publisher. However, because we are a small studio, I have tested the game a lot (over 100 hours of gameplay…). I also like to join the game design meetings and encourage everyone in a team to be involved because I think it’s important that everyone has a feeling of ownership of the project.

Even though Book of Heroes is a co-op game by heart, you can embark solo on the adventures and hire some henchmen for the quest. For a price.

TDE is known for it’s unique system of dicing samples. How did you implement this system to the game as algorithm for the gameplay? Arto: We have the skill system in the game pretty much as-is, the game handles the skill rolls when need and shows the results of the rolls to the player, along with all the three dice rolls and the final Quality Level. Some rolls are automated by the game (e.g. Perception), and some are initiated by the player (e.g. Picklocks).

In which area will the game take place? Arto: In the Middenrealm, mostly concentrating on the west, Kosh and Northmarches areas.

Book of Heroes is a Coop-RPG. Why is the multiplayer approach important to you, and how challenging is the implementation? Kirsi: We chose co-op because we wanted to make a game with a similar feeling of playing together like in tabletop RPGs. In tabletop RPGs I can still remember some game sessions many years ago, and I think that it’s players who bring the game alive. Multiplayer itself is absolutely more challenging technically compared to the solo game and also for a new team like us many people advised not to make a first game multiplayer.

How important is the story in Book of ­Heroes for you? Kirsi: There are several different stories, and also the players with whom you play have their own stories. I think the story is important, but for me, it’s also important to have fun instead of just advancing my own story. I hope that game can give a nice setting to meet friends or completely new people.

Arto: Theirs is actually more story in the game than readily apparent to the casual observer. We’re especially invested in ­player-driven stories, and the character creation takes a story-first approach, where every choice you make tells you a bit more about the character’s background. The personal storylines are also a very important part of the game, and while you can mostly skip them if you want, they contain a lot of lore and world-building.

Talking about the development process: What problems did you encounter in ­g­eneral, and how did you deal with them? Kirsi: In game development team the fascinating but also challenging part is that teams are multi-disciplinary where there are programmers, artists, business people etc. and everyone has their own way of working. It’s important to bring devs together because making games is teamwork and it’s important to understand how my work is affecting to somebody else’s.

Arto: One of the biggest challenges is making everything work together in a game that has as many moving pieces as we do – and in multiplayer too! Getting a feature or a piece of content to work is one thing; getting it to work in a multiplayer environment is a completely another. We’re also balancing between meeting the expectations of a multiplayer RPG and a TDE game, which can be tricky because those expectations can at times be ­conflicting.

The combat feels a lot like the tabletop original. Hence the dice symbols and the numbers.

Which aspects are the most difficult to ­i­mplement. Do you also have to leave something out? Kirsi: We had to leave a lot of things out, and I think it’s an on-going conversation because time is limited, but there would be so many ideas to bring alive.

Arto: Pathfinding in a multiplayer game with procedurally generated levels has proven to be a hurdle, but fortunately one that’s now behind us. Then there’s the adventure generation where we want to have maps that are interesting enough but should never be incompletable.

Which engine do you use? What advantages does it offer you? Arto: We use Unity. Personally, I’ve been using it for over eleven years, and it’s a fine engine that gives us most of what we need out of the box and also has great support in the form of community and available ­plug-ins.

How do you feel about crunchtime? What experiences have you had with crunchtime in recent years? Kirsi: I haven’t worked before in-game ­studio so I have only read about the crunching. We don’t crunch, and if a dev asks can s/he do work e.g. on the weekend, it’s always temporary solution and extra hours can be used later to have an extra day off. Personally, I am a bit of a workaholic, and it’s been tough to learn to take time off because being an entrepreneur work basically never ends, but I have also noticed that it affects to the quality of the work if I do long time work in the evenings and weekends.

How hard is it for you to deal with the corona crisis? Does it influence the completion and release date? Kirsi: We have been working completely remote one month now, and we have short daily meetings online every workday. When the crises started, one challenge was to get the computers to everyone because we have tabletop computers (gaming laptops are more expensive compared to the tabletop ones). Crisis doesn’t seem to influence to the completion of the project, but I keep my finger’s crossed that nobody catches corona.

Kirsi Rossi CEO

Kirsi is the CEO and Business Developer at Random Potion. Being a free spirit, she has travelled around the globe and lived on three continents. Professionally, she has worked in B2B marketing and events taking care of administrative tasks. She has a MBA in Knowledge Management and she about to graduate in MTech majoring in entrepreneurship.

Arto Koistinen Creative Director

Arto is a game developer who has been a game designer, programmer, CEO, writer and some other things in his 13 years in the industry. He has worked on small mobile games for big brands such as Star Wars and Pixar, made an award winning RPG Rimelands: Hammer of Thor, and written very punny jokes for Knights of Pen and Paper 2

The post Book of Heroes: Making a new The Dark Eye game appeared first on Making Games.

Book of Heroes: Making a new The Dark Eye game published first on https://leolarsonblog.tumblr.com/

[nazih-fares]

Going into this review, I have to clarify that I’m not really a fan of what you’d call ‘story-driven games’. I like a good story and it helps immerse me, but if I’m spending all my time on the story, it feels a bit slow. This was tricky for me, but I decided to be patient and try and see what Deadfire is about.

First of all, Deadfire is the sequel to Pillars of Eternity, a story-driven RPG from Obsidian. As I mentioned in my preview, Obsidian knows their stuff when it comes to RPGs, and they have an impressive list of credits to their name. Pillars of Eternity was a cRPG (computer RPG) for the modern age, and it actually landed well. The isometric RPG took players into the chaotic fantasy world of Eora, a vast world with a multitude of creatures and races. In this game, you travel to the far reaches of Eora, specifically the deadfire archipelago, which is basically at the edge of it. What prompted the trip?

Welp, you’re what they call a watcher, a superbeing who can see into souls. You’re chilling, minding your own business one day when the big statue near your pad starts shaking, and out emerges Eothas, the god of light, death, destruction, and a bunch of other things that spell trouble for you. Eothas tears through your spot, leaving you for dead. And so, you need to put on your swim trunks and go find the deity to settle a score.

Of course, Pillars II is so much more than a simple revenge quest. It’s the story of Deadfire, a tropical paradise filled with volcanoes, monsters, loyal tribal warriors, and a mysterious glowing rock that big businesses wanna harvest. Like many fantasy stories, Deadfire uses its outlandish world to discuss our own world, specifically colonialism. Neketaka, the capital city of Deadfire, is a sprawling paradise, and you immediately witness the push and pull of colonizers and natives. The game offers a ton of character dialogue options, and you can choose to side with the natives Avatar style or exploit them (also Avatar style I guess) or quite possibly just do your own thing.

I think Pillars II deserves a round of applause for finally bringing something new to the table. It boasts a world which is totally different for anyone who is used to the usual fantasy fare; it’s an island setting with a strong Polynesian/Samoan aesthetic. You first encounter the indigenous Huana people, and when you arrive they’re in the midst of a struggle due to lack of resources. The Huana are incredibly well-designed, and I feel like they manage to have their own identity and presence without devolving into a Pocahontas caricature.

However, the characters you spend way more time with are the companions. There are seven total, and in true RPG fashion they have their own personalities and traits. My favorite two were Eder (the fighty dude) and the paladin Pallegina. They all have their own unique strengths, however, and you need to mix and match to get the right fighting force. Besides that there’s sailing (of course there is) and there is ship management, which was a fun little aspect of the game. But of course, most of your gameplay is still gonna be in combat.

That brings us to combat. For those of you who are unfamiliar, cRPGs take a ton of cues from a tabletop in terms of their structure. The beauty of tabletop in my opinion has always been the insane customizability. Rpgs have trained us (falsely) that you can either swing a sword or wave a wand, but a true RPG really lets you spread your wings

The first thing to note is that Pillars is super customizable. This is par for the course with cRPGs; pretty much every little thing can be changed around and tinkered with. You choose from 6 different races with their own attributes, choose your place of origin, choose your class (you can multi-class if you want) and you can also choose how the enemies will scale up as you level. So far, so cRPG. Now, the game makes every effort to explain to you how all these systems work, but the long story short is that unless you’re a fan already, you’re gonna need to do a little reading to work out what each one does. I ended up putting together my rogue godlike character after shopping around a bit, and I was ready to jump in.

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Like many other new age Kickstarter cRPG revivals, Pillars II has tried to keep the combat fresh without simply remaking Baldur’s Gate or whatever. As such, your combat mixes in turn-based combat with rapid action. It’s most reminiscent of the first Dragon Age for me. You have combat in real-time, but you can pause and line up attacks in the midst of things. Of course, attacks have cooldowns and special waiting periods, so you get used to timing it. The companion AI is pretty clever (as is the enemy AI, much to my chagrin), so you can take a backseat and just remind them to heal or get out of the fray when they need to.

The game starts off slogging you right in the stomach, I feel. You need to focus a ton and you’re probably gonna take a few L’s before you really get a sense of the system. The benefit of this was that I was much more prepared by the midgame, and I had customized my team really efficiently. The game scales amazingly, of course, so you’ll get less soft but you won’t ever be overpowered.

As with Pillars I, however, I feel like the combat took a bit of a backseat to the story. However, I was fine with that. Pillars II really learned from its predecessor in terms of pacing, and I really feel like they resisted a lot of the classic urges that plague fantasy RPGs. What I really liked was seeing the factions really take on their own defined roles mid-game. I won’t spoil what happened, but suffice to say, I feel like there was a real character arc.

Pillars II manages to deliver a satisfying RPG experience that refines its predecessor’s formula and makes something a good deal more immersive.

Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire was reviewed using a PC downloadable code of the full game provided by Obsidian Entertainment. The game was tested on a PC running Windows 10, with an 8GB NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1070 fitted on a 4th Generation Intel i7 4790 3.6Ghz CPU and topped with 16GB of RAM. Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is also set to release at a later time in the year on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. We don’t discuss review scores with publishers or developers prior to the review being published (click here for more information about our review policy).

Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire manages to tell an exciting tale in a totally new setting, and it takes some fun new chances with the fantasy genre. It learns many lessons from its predecessors, and it’s more accessible to casual fans, but this is still very much a cRPG, so expect to bust out your reading glasses. Going into this review, I have to clarify that I’m not really a fan of what you’d call ‘story-driven games’.