Pillars of Eternity vs Tyranny

[G_M]

How does this comapre to PoE. I loved every bit of PoE, I mainly played it when I was away & had no internet, so I spent around 60 or so hours on it which does not display on steam. I want to know the similarities and what this game is great for! :D

[Dorok]

Not at all a PoE like, almost everything is different, if not very different. The only relatively similar aspect is combats using party real time with pauses, but even combats have a ton of significant differences.

In my opinion this definitely hurt the game at release, those that didn't want another PoE ignored it and was wrong, many PoE fans picked it expecting something in the same vein and get disappointed.

If your only reference is PoE you'll hardly enjoy it in my opinion.

[Briggs]

Well... I bought it with my PoE2 discount coupon + Paradox store coupon for ~$20 earlier this year (May?) and was quite disappointed. The combat feels empty, the characters and writing seem flat, and the art is unimpressive. I know that PoE has enough Purple Prose to fill a book all by themselves, but that's not what I mean when I say Tyranny's writing is lacking. For example, when asking a companion about themselves they give you a very unnatural, but succinct description of themselves. I found that jarring. Much of the writing feels like that and to me it's immersion breaking. I'd rather have needless text that too read. Note that I am a very weak reader, yet I'd still rather avoid the slop that the Tyranny writers shat out. [edit] meaning PoE's unnesissary text is prefered[/edit]

I'm going to maybe give it another go however.

[Dorok]

Originally posted by Krovoc:

For example, when asking a companion about themselves they give you a very unnatural, but succinct description of themselves. I found that jarring.

Reverse problem in PoE, so many companions dialog are long boredom texts about their boring past life details nobody can care of.

PoE writting is a ton of writing filling and alas writers forgot the elementary basis of writing, every single line should be interesting to read. And common face it, the past history of most of your relatives, yourself, friends and neighbors would be a total deadly boredom to read. PoE writers was so obsessed by text quantity that they forgot this evidence.

[Briggs]

Originally posted by Dorok:

Originally posted by Krovoc:

For example, when asking a companion about themselves they give you a very unnatural, but succinct description of themselves. I found that jarring.

Reverse problem in PoE, so many companions dialog are long boredom texts about their boring past life details nobody can care of.

PoE writting is a ton of writing filling and alas writers forgot the elementary basis of writing, every single line should be interesting to read. And common face it, the past history of most of your relatives, yourself, friends and neighbors would be a total deadly boredom to read. PoE writers was so obsessed by text quantity that they forgot this evidence.

Yeah, I know. I said that myself. Purple Prose. But I find that preferable to what Tyranny offers.

As for how this happened, it was a lack of editorial oversight. They admitted to trying to get the game out the door before the text could go through a proper editor. Depending on the person, it's easier to write a lot then pare it down than flesh out something that is too sparse.

[Dorok]

Take PoE DLC companions and many PoE DLC NPC dialog, it's much better writing than plenty stuff in PoE vanilla. For me it's pretty obvious dev agree with me for PoE Vanilla.

That said, I wonder if the comment of lack of details from companions is really right. With companions Tyranny make relationship evolve along game progression and reputation build with companions. At first most if not all won't say much to foreigner that is the fatebinder. But as the relationship progress the fatebinder will get a lot more details.

In fact what's really weird is that a foreigner tell you many details on his (tedious) past life. I know people love speak about themsleves as if it interest anybody, in fact more nobody. But it's still weird.

[underhere]

Both Pillars of Eternity and Tyranny suffer from the same core issue. Fascinating worlds, interesting plots, and abysmally AWFUL ENDINGS. It's like the writers completely botched the 3rd act.

I like both of the games for different reasons, I think the artifacts and the spell system is a vast improvement in Tyranny. That being said, I liked the enemies and lore of PoE much better.

The amount of perceived choice you have in Tyranny also seems expansive except on a second or third play through, you discover it's actually quite minuscule.

The combat in both PoE and Tyranny could be improved in both games as well. With all the flaws Tyranny has, it's a big step in the right direction and I'd still give it a 7/10.

If PoE 2 nails the ending it will be the best game Obsidian has made in years.

[Dorok]

More people should read J.L. Borges and discover the pleasure to read a full viking saga written in one page or less.

I notice more and more weird comments about movies or series with people complaining about time schedule without to realize an interesting story is no way a linear list of details of every single second, a great story must have many non told details, hidden details, and huge jump in time.

It's like novels aren't anymore like they was when I read a ton of them, weird.

[Briggs]

Originally posted by Dorok:

Take PoE DLC companions and many PoE DLC NPC dialog, it's much better writing than plenty stuff in PoE vanilla. For me it's pretty obvious dev agree with me for PoE Vanilla.

That said, I wonder if the comment of lack of details from companions is really right. With companions Tyranny make relationship evolve along game progression and reputation build with companions. At first most if not all won't say much to foreigner that is the fatebinder. But as the relationship progress the fatebinder will get a lot more details.

In fact what's really weird is that a foreigner tell you many details on his (tedious) past life. I know people love speak about themsleves as if it interest anybody, in fact more nobody. But it's still weird.

Are you actually reading what I'm writing? Yes, of course they knew there was a problem. As I said. Also, I didn't say it was a lack of detail. I was talking about how it was communicated to the player/fatebinder.

Wait. You're that guy from the Torment: ToN forum that got banned for pretty much doing exactly what you are doing now. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥, stop trolling!

[Wiedźma Danaien]

I like more Tyranny than PoE, but that's only my opinion ;)

Here is a list of what I like in one and the other title:
--------Tyranny - pluses --------------

- better combat - combat is more engaging, clear and dynamic. Tyranny uses cooldown system (just as a reminder - PoE uses system of use per rest/combat). You have less companions to coordinate but combat is not hurt by that. In PoE combat was blurry, occluded by tons of VFXs and chaotic.
- Spell system - you can do hundreds of variants of spells. You can then place them on hot bar, so no useless spells occupy your slots (unlike to PoE where there was tons of spells that no one would use..)
- Experience and skill system - everything gives you experience; Skill system is a bit complicated, but you do not have to worry about it - whatever you use becomes better.
- more engaging stories than in PoE. PoE has a lot of "dry" dialogues, most of them did not add anything to conversations. Tyranny has better writing (IMO) - even fluff/filler dialogues have something in them, at least some humor :>
- humor - as mentioned above, humorous adds are everywhere. By that textes are "light" and I didn't want to skip anything. PoE's writting is more "tolkienish", grim and dry as paper..
- "colorfull" mood - it's not grim (even if there are bodies lying under your feet), not that full of pathos and ideals.
- it is a short game but you can replay it in a few ways and experience completely different point of views on the war that eats Tiers.
- New game + is quite nice balanced I think
- Companions have impact on dialogues (unless to PoE where companions randomly interfere in dialogues but never talk with anyone more than your character) and react on your decisions

--------- PoE pluses -----------------

- solid story/plot - linear plot gives an impression of solid story, with all those culminations and momentum in the right places (to which we are used to). Tyranny has more non-linear story (in some.. limited manner) that was not balanced. There is Act 1 that gives the game momentum, Act 2 with almost 90% of the game's content and which does not accelerate the story but more or less slows it down, and then there is Act 3 like a fart.
- lore - if you like to explore every level to search for notes, books and etc just to read about world and its history, this is the right choice. In Tyranny lore is hidden in conversations (as side notes), beside that there is not much to read (what does not surprise in the world in which almost everyone is illiterate).
- tragic/grim/classic-heroic mood - if you like classic, heroic stories, this is the right choice. Everyone is sad, everyone dies in a sad way, only hopless people live in there and when you read about all those stories you want to cut yourself also to relieve their pain.. after you vomit all the mud and grey dirt that lies everywhere.
- PoE lasts for hours. I finished my playthrough in ca. 120 hours.
- side quests are like "go there and grab me 4 flowers"- style in most cases
- not sure if + or -, DLCs (especially second one) are worth every penny and (IMO) are better than the main story.
- More companions and every one of them has interesting (and sad of course.. oh how sad) story. Tyranny has also great companions but I'm not satisfied with some of them

[vinzi]

Pillars has the better gameplay tyranny has the better story.

[Sarcastro]

I found Pillars to be really slow and less intially interesting universe. You feel like you're being slowly lowered into a bath tub filled with exposition. Granted it's everyting you want out of an rpg of this type, but still takes forever to get in properly.

Tyranny on the other hand really over plays the illusion of free choice and testing your morality to "do good" in an evil world. But it does have the credit of gripping you far faster into the setting, especially with the conquest of the Tiers pre-game portion. Just when it starts to wear out it's welcome it's over. Admitedly the ending is pretty cliff hanger-y.

[Briggs]

Originally posted by Sarcastro:

...You feel like you're being slowly lowered into a bath tub filled with exposition. ...

That is so well put it's embarrassing.

As for Tyranny being gripping, I actually found it to be less so, but that's just me. Again, I found the overly succinct to be immersion breaking where as the excessive exposition in PoE was merely mildly annoying.

edit: In anycase, if you are looking for a CRPG I would suggest you next try either Divinity: Original Sin for it's exception combat and decent story (fast than PoE's but less interesting, also everything is voiced which can be a pro or con) or Shadowrun: Dragonfall for being overall the best CRPG to come out in the last 10 years. Combat is nice and there is virtually no trash, great story without the over writting found in PoE, and interesting characters. Only down side is that graphically it looks like garbage. DF is aesthetically pleasing, but if you are sensitive to poor graphics, then it's not for you.

edit: Oh, by the way, SR:DF is normally priced at $15, and D:OS will be going on sale in a few days (probably) when D:OS 2 is fully released, so they are also (or will be) cheaper than Tyranny...in addition to better.