READ BEFORE PURCHASE

[Johnny]

I played for about 5-6 hours on Xbox and I am seriously bummed to report that:

This game is missing:

-A skill for dialogue. So no specing into diplomacy/deciet/beguiling/etc

-Any crime system at all

-Any theft of any kind

-Any ability to interact with generic town NPCs and I mean ANY. No injuring them in any way, no dynamic quests, no response to anything you do at all NOTHING.

-Any dynamic NPC movement, all town NPCs stand in EXACTLY the same spot, forever. They are literally just non-interactive set dressing. No schedules, no immersion, no life no detail at all, might as well be animatronics at Disneyland.

-Good player dialogue. Like wow, there are genuine moments in the game where your ONLY choices are between the anguish of horridly written ERP, ex: "Are you sure about that? [Raise right eyebrow high with quizzical, vexed befuddlement]" or the soul crushingly embarrassing generic fantasy slop lines such as: "Scholar: I was looking for the brawn to my brains!" It frequently makes me want to curl into a ball and die.

-Any meaningful distinction between player origins aside from some overly archytyped flavor text that I almost never wanted to engage in.

-An option to silence companion NPCs that relentlessly bombard you with the most obvious, annoying and or boring statements you can imagine often spelling things out before you even have a chance of discovering or processing them, LOUDLY and FREQUENTLY regardless of context. You wanna soak in some environmental storytelling naturally? NOPE, Kai is going to bellow in your ear "THESE CORPSES WERE KING SO AND SO'S MEN ON THE JOURNEY TO X LOCATION." About to solve a puzzle or try to think for yourself at at all? NOPE Kai is going to pin you down and scream in your ear "THESE VINES CAN BE BURNED WITH A FIRE SPELL" before you even see them.

-Any ability to play without companions despite them being insanely obnoxious and typically not that engaging narratively.

-Any kind of internal logic at all: A friend starts a bar fight? Do you knock the people you're fighting unconscious? No. You incinerate them in front of everyone over a small verbal disagreement to not even the slightest reaction. "We're the good guys folks." The game is chalk full of these kinds of moments.

Avowed is missing nearly everything I would want or expect from an Obsidian RPG and its systems are sparsely competitive with that of TES IV Oblivion (2006). It's not """"wokeness"""" that makes this game bad. It's sheer mediocrity, laziness and under-delivery. I seriously don't think I have felt more let down by any other game and my expectations weren't even high from the preview footage.

[Videogame Jukebox]

Origineel geplaatst door Johnny:

Origineel geplaatst door Videogame Jukebox:

You are obviously obsessed with the game still or you wouldnt be here.

I'm trying to set the record straight and vent my immense frustration with the devs. I don't plan to touch it again.

It's a game. Get over it and move on with your life.

[Johnny]

Origineel geplaatst door Marik:

Origineel geplaatst door Videogame Jukebox:

You are obviously obsessed with the game still or you wouldnt be here.

Honestly, it's rough to consider yourself a fan of a studio, only for them to publish something mediocre. It makes one still talk about and think about the game, at least for a while.

My thoughts exactly, I genuinely looked forward to playing a new Obsidian game only to find it stripped of everything I liked about their other titles. Like ordering your favorite hamburger only for the chef to indicate they may no longer put a patty on it again.

[nomadpad]

Origineel geplaatst door Sugram22:

Origineel geplaatst door ShiggitySean:

While i disagree with basically everything here, you're free to your opinion. But theres some things that are just wrong. Almost every dialogue has speech checks, idk if you've noticed but thats those options with the stats next to them. Kinda hard to miss. And i'm not sure why there'd be an option for crime, stealing, or random murder in the town because, aside from the fact that you're sent as the direct envoy of the EMPEROR OF AEDYRA, the whole first part is about tensions in town, game would end if you started indiscriminately killing citizens lmao.

And the last one, while i suppose still an opinion, its weird that you have Fallout NV showcased, so i assume you like it, but you have an issue with the emotes as dialogue choices?? That's something that occurs a lot in FNV, and is arguably some of the most iconic dialogue moments.

its part of what makes RPG a RPG, so far all games like that had option to steal and murder and option to get fined or thrown in jail if caught, u can be evil envoy to just like in some games u can be evil hero, like saving the world but being evil

play crpg and let me know in which stealing is a core mechanic.
cus its not a crpg mechanic nor is it necessary. crime system isnt necessary neither.

YUo can take everything in witcher 3, and nobody ever threw a fit about it.

why it is a pointless mechanic. go play gta

[nomadpad]

in all conversations you get all type of speech checks, based on your ability scores.

[CloudKira]

Origineel geplaatst door ShiggitySean:

While i disagree with basically everything here, you're free to your opinion. But theres some things that are just wrong. Almost every dialogue has speech checks, idk if you've noticed but thats those options with the stats next to them. Kinda hard to miss. And i'm not sure why there'd be an option for crime, stealing, or random murder in the town because, aside from the fact that you're sent as the direct envoy of the EMPEROR OF AEDYRA, the whole first part is about tensions in town, game would end if you started indiscriminately killing citizens lmao.

And the last one, while i suppose still an opinion, its weird that you have Fallout NV showcased, so i assume you like it, but you have an issue with the emotes as dialogue choices?? That's something that occurs a lot in FNV, and is arguably some of the most iconic dialogue moments.

The problem with those speech checks is that they do not seem to open the door for better rewards, unique solutions or even reactions from those we talk to.

That is why they look kinda...illusory.

[nomadpad]

Origineel geplaatst door CloudKira:

Origineel geplaatst door ShiggitySean:

While i disagree with basically everything here, you're free to your opinion. But theres some things that are just wrong. Almost every dialogue has speech checks, idk if you've noticed but thats those options with the stats next to them. Kinda hard to miss. And i'm not sure why there'd be an option for crime, stealing, or random murder in the town because, aside from the fact that you're sent as the direct envoy of the EMPEROR OF AEDYRA, the whole first part is about tensions in town, game would end if you started indiscriminately killing citizens lmao.

And the last one, while i suppose still an opinion, its weird that you have Fallout NV showcased, so i assume you like it, but you have an issue with the emotes as dialogue choices?? That's something that occurs a lot in FNV, and is arguably some of the most iconic dialogue moments.

The problem with those speech checks is that they do not seem to open the door for better rewards, unique solutions or even reactions from those we talk to.

That is why they look kinda...illusory.

specch checks lead to deeper conversation points. play any crpg or table top game, and that is the main function, more information. and yes it also leads to opening to new side quest and solving quests.

[SenSx]

Some gimmick critics on PNJ behaviours and steal mechanics instead of focusing on gameplay.

You know the steal mechanic was bad in PoE too, it did not prevent people to appreciate those games.

[nomadpad]

Origineel geplaatst door SenSx:

Some gimmick critics on PNJ behaviours and steal mechanics instead of focusing on gameplay.

the game play is goo though. exploration is very rewarding, so is crafting and upgrading gear. The spell system, weapon combinations, quests, and dungeon crawling are all fun.

[Johnny]

Origineel geplaatst door SenSx:

Some gimmick critics on PNJ behaviours and steal mechanics instead of focusing on gameplay.

It's a shame that NPC behaviors and stealing are part of the gameplay? a part many enjoy specifically? which has been in RPGs made by this same studio since the mid 2000s?????

[SenSx]

Origineel geplaatst door Johnny:

Origineel geplaatst door SenSx:

Some gimmick critics on PNJ behaviours and steal mechanics instead of focusing on gameplay.

It's a shame that NPC behaviors and stealing are part of the gameplay? a part many enjoy specifically? which has been in RPGs made by this same studio since the mid 2000s?????

This is not a key element that will make a game good or bad.
It improves immersion, which is good, but that's it.
I have a hard time believing it's all that matters to you in an RPG to enjoy your experience.

Gameplay will always be the N°1 criteria.
So it would have been better with better PNJ and steal mechanic for sure, but it certainely does not ruin the game.
I don't know why you would make such a strong disclaimer like it completely destroys it.

[nomadpad]

Origineel geplaatst door Johnny:

Origineel geplaatst door SenSx:

Some gimmick critics on PNJ behaviours and steal mechanics instead of focusing on gameplay.

It's a shame that NPC behaviors and stealing are part of the gameplay? a part many enjoy specifically? which has been in RPGs made by this same studio since the mid 2000s?????

but not really. If you actually played the pillars games, you would know how pointless stealling was in that game. so it make sense that stealing sint a thing in avowed, because it isnt necessary.

A lot of rpgs are fun and dont have stealing mechanics. Borderlands, solasta, pathfinder wotr, and roguetrader.

besides, npcs do react if they see you grabiing stuff, theya re ust powerless towards you, because you are the emperor's envoy. Nobody holds authority over.

[nomadpad]

Origineel geplaatst door SenSx:

Origineel geplaatst door Johnny:

It's a shame that NPC behaviors and stealing are part of the gameplay? a part many enjoy specifically? which has been in RPGs made by this same studio since the mid 2000s?????

This is not a key element that will make a game good or bad.
It improves immersion, which is good, but that's it.
I have a hard time believing it's all that matters to you in an RPG to enjoy your experience.

Gameplay will always be the N°1 criteria.
So it would have been better with better PNJ and steal mechanic for sure, but it certainely does not ruin the game.
I don't know why you would make such a strong disclaimer like it completely destroys it.

in kingdom come Deliverance, stealing is a pain in the but, that ended up feeling fruitless. And its even worse in the sequel so i dont steal.
so if the machanic was taken out, i wouldnt mind.

[Sugram22]

Origineel geplaatst door nomadpad:

Origineel geplaatst door Sugram22:

its part of what makes RPG a RPG, so far all games like that had option to steal and murder and option to get fined or thrown in jail if caught, u can be evil envoy to just like in some games u can be evil hero, like saving the world but being evil

play crpg and let me know in which stealing is a core mechanic.
cus its not a crpg mechanic nor is it necessary. crime system isnt necessary neither.

YUo can take everything in witcher 3, and nobody ever threw a fit about it.

why it is a pointless mechanic. go play gta

Morrowind
Oblivion
Skyrim
ESO
Gothic series
Risen series though i played only first game and don't remember if there were cons for stealing, same with Gothic, though that i played 3 games


EDIT:

forgot 2, outer worlds and fallout starting from 3

[SenSx]

Ok everyone plays Elder Scroll games to steal items.
It's cool that it is there, but it would not be deal breaker without it.
You are really looking for something to complain.

[nomadpad]

Origineel geplaatst door Sugram22:

Origineel geplaatst door nomadpad:

play crpg and let me know in which stealing is a core mechanic.
cus its not a crpg mechanic nor is it necessary. crime system isnt necessary neither.

YUo can take everything in witcher 3, and nobody ever threw a fit about it.

why it is a pointless mechanic. go play gta

Morrowind
Oblivion
Skyrim
ESO
Gothic series
Risen series though i played only first game and don't remember if there were cons for stealing, same with Gothic, though that i played 3 games

ok thats 2 franchises.