The summary of ‘'Pillars of Eternity' and Proper Attribute Tuning’

00:00:00

In this part of the video, Josh Sawyer, a game director at Obsidian Entertainment, introduces his talk titled “Gods and Dumps”, presented at GDC. He focuses on attribute tuning in the game “Pillars of Eternity.” He explains that the game was a Kickstarter project inspired by classic Infinity Engine role-playing games such as Baldur’s Gate and Icewind Dale. Sawyer discusses the concepts of “viable” and “optimal” character builds, highlighting the importance of narrowing the gap between the two for better game balance. He also clarifies the terms “god stat” and “dump stat,” which refer to highly beneficial attributes and negligible ones, respectively. His goal is to balance these stats better to satisfy both casual players and min-maxers. Sawyer touches on the legacy of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons in shaping attribute systems and mentions the historical shift from random stat generation to point-buy systems for better game balance.

00:05:00

In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the evolution of attribute systems in Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) from the earlier editions to the third edition. Initially, attributes such as comeliness were included but quickly removed. In the early editions, players would roll dice for stats before choosing a character class, a process that could limit role-playing options based on the rolled numbers. The speaker highlights the redundancy of some stats and the massive dead zones where little changed between values. Examples include how a wizard with a 14 intelligence may seem high but would struggle in higher levels, and how a fighter with 15 strength would deal significantly lower damage compared to one with maxed-out stats.

The segment also covers the changes in the third edition, where explicit class requirements were removed, making character creation more flexible. The non-linear progression was replaced with a more consistent system where every even stat point increased the attribute. This change allowed for multiple viable character builds, though certain classes still required several strong stats to be effective.

00:10:00

In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the concept of “splat books” which are expansion books that introduce new classes and feats in games like Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition and Pathfinder, often resulting in complex and highly optimized character builds. They go on to explain the challenges of balancing these games due to the potential for extreme optimization, often referred to as “min-maxing.” The speaker shares examples from forum contests where players create extraordinarily powerful characters with intricate builds, highlighting the difficulty in maintaining game balance.

To address such issues in “Pillars of Eternity,” the developers aimed for various goals: implementing six attributes to influence all classes instead of tying abilities to specific stats, ensuring no “bad builds,” making unconventional characters viable though not optimal, and having stat dumping come with consequences to balance the game properly. The design choice of six attributes was based on tradition and community feedback, providing a comfortable and fitting structure for the game. Additionally, the use of three secondary defenses—fortitude, reflex, and will—ensures players must engage with all aspects of the game.

00:15:00

In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the integration of attributes in game character design, emphasizing that defensive stats should not be neglected. They explain the decision to avoid attaching class abilities to specific attributes to ensure all builds are viable. The example of a wizard in D&D compared to ‘Pillars of Eternity’ is used to illustrate the difference. The importance of each attribute impacting defenses and overall game mechanics for all character classes is highlighted, noting that the design allows for creative and effective character builds without falling into the trap of non-viable options, thus enhancing the role-playing experience. The goal was to allow players to express unique character ideas without being punished for it in gameplay.

00:20:00

In this segment of the video, the speaker discusses character creation in role-playing games and the importance of balancing ability scores with class roles. They explain that poor alignment between abilities and classes leads to frustrating gameplay and ineffective characters. For example, having low strength on a warrior or low dexterity on a rogue undermines the character’s effectiveness. The segment also highlights the importance of min/maxing, noting how failure to optimize key attributes results in suboptimal characters, especially in mid to late game. The developers aim to make “dumping” (neglecting certain stats) have tangible negative consequences to encourage players to carefully consider their choices. Despite this, the game allows for creative and unusual character builds that remain viable, providing players diverse and enjoyable gameplay experiences. Examples include unique builds like an interrupt-focused barbarian or a muscle wizard, demonstrating that varied character concepts can succeed if built thoughtfully.

00:25:00

In this segment, the speaker discusses the mechanics of character attributes in the game “Pillars of Eternity,” focusing on the trade-offs between accuracy and damage. They explain that each point of perception improves accuracy slightly, while each point of might increases damage and healing by three percent. The segment highlights the importance of these attributes for different character builds, such as crowd control wizards who prioritize accuracy over damage.

Furthermore, the speaker addresses common criticisms of the game’s attribute system, such as its lack of realism and perceived insufficient impact compared to D&D. The developers intentionally prioritized gameplay balance over realism to ensure all characters remain viable. This includes having a more constrained range for attributes to avoid creating non-playable characters. They also note differences in progression, discussing how linear scaling provides a regular increase, contrasting with third edition D&D’s approach.

00:30:00

In this segment of the video, the speaker discusses the inherent imbalances in Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) character stats, particularly strength. Strength significantly impacts attack bonuses and damage, making characters with high strength, like half-orcs, capable of immense power. The speaker explains that in designing mechanics, they aimed to balance these stats to prevent characters from becoming overly powerful. They compared D&D strength damage adjustments, which have non-linear progression, to the more linear strength progression in Pillars of Eternity to illustrate different design philosophies. The segment also touches on how player perception of value can be influenced by non-statistical factors, such as audio effects, and addresses challenges with player understanding of percentage modifiers and large numerical values in game design. Improvements in user interface transparency were made to help players better comprehend how their stats affect gameplay.

00:35:00

In this part of the video, the speaker explains the reasoning behind the design of companion attributes in a game. The companions’ stats are reflective of their character traits. For instance, a companion named Palladino is versatile with balanced attributes suitable for various roles like healing or damage. Despite some players preferring to modify these stats, the default settings are deemed adequate for the hardest difficulty levels.

The speaker provides examples of how players change companion stats using mods. One example is a paladin companion named Pala Jeana who, by default, has balanced stats, but a mod exaggerates her abilities in specific areas. The speaker notes that while modifying stats can make characters play differently, the robust attribute system allows for flexibility. Another example is a rogue named Double if Carrick, whose default stats and versatility are discussed.

The discussion then shifts to attribute changes made during the development, highlighting feedback from beta testing. Initially, attributes granted bonuses from a value of one, differing from traditional systems like Dungeons & Dragons. Players did not favor this, leading to adjustments based on the concept of perceived loss versus value.

00:40:00

In this segment of the video, the speaker discusses the adjustments and challenges in balancing character attributes for a game. They highlight the negative perception players have when attributes drop below a normalized level of ten, which felt penalizing. The speaker acknowledges the initial flaws in how perception and resolve were handled, leading to an overemphasis on certain traits by players during the beta phase. They reference specific changes made to attributes such as increasing constitution bonuses and altering how perception and intellect function. Despite the difficulty in satisfying all players, the speaker asserts that the development team aimed to create a system within the tolerance levels of their core audience, even knowing that opinions would vary widely. The emphasis is on balancing design ideology with ensuring the game remains enjoyable for players, indicating that feedback played a crucial role in the ongoing adjustment of the game’s attributes.

00:45:00

In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the time and effort required to design a game that meets set goals, acknowledging it wasn’t perfect but was well-received overall. They highlight the fun gameplay mechanics related to stats, spells, and buffs, despite personal preferences against attributes and class-based systems. The focus was on fulfilling player expectations and nostalgia rather than the designer’s personal liking. A shoutout is given to backers, beta testers, players, QA testers, and Brendan Romero for their contributions and insights. The segment transitions into a Q&A, addressing how “Pillars of Eternity” handles item-based stat effects differently than “Baldur’s Gate,” aiming for balanced gameplay by giving bonuses that stack rather than setting fixed values to avoid unfair advantages.

00:50:00

In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the process of attribute distribution and the rationale behind it, mentioning they received feedback favoring more significant bonuses. There is a shift to a Q&A session where the first question is about the initial design and prototyping process. The speaker explains they didn’t do tabletop gaming due to the complexity but used theoretical models and Excel spreadsheets to map out stats and influence from other games. The design was aimed at a CRPG format, benefiting from computerized calculations.

Next, another question addresses elements in the game that were resisted due to nostalgia. The speaker mentions the inclusion of 16th-century firearms, which some fans didn’t accept, but they included familiar races like humans, elves, and dwarves while excluding halflings and half-orcs, substituting them with new races.

The final question covers different difficulty options and how that impacts attribute design. The speaker explains they focused on changing encounter compositions rather than modifying creature stats, offering examples of how encounters differ between difficulty levels, particularly highlighting “Path of the Damned” mode.

00:55:00

In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the intense difficulty mode in their game, “Path of the Damned,” emphasizing it includes all creatures from various difficulty levels with enhanced stats, making it a challenge for players who enjoy pushing their limits. They also addressed the challenge of educating players on character stats, debunking common RPG assumptions (like wizards not needing strength). To guide players, the UI highlights important attributes with symbols, and changes in terminology (e.g., using “might” instead of “strength” and replacing “charisma” with “resolve”) to reflect their significant impact on gameplay and character effectiveness.