Pillars Of Eternity: The White March Part I Now Available

The first expansion to the engrossing Pillars of Eternity has now launched alongside a massive patch. This is the first part of two planned expansions for the already content-rich RPG.

Pillars of Eternity is one of my favorite RPG experience in quite some time and I loved diving into the rich backstory that the developers created for it. With the new expansion, players can expect hours more of content in a new area of the world map. Snowy mountains and ancient ruins are among the places the party will go and I can't wait to see what new things they've added.

Alongside the new content, a massive update has been released. Some of the highlights include proper companion AI, better creature AI and retraining of your characters and their skills. The companion AI addresses the complaints people had about micromanaging their parties. You can see the massive list of changes for yourself here.

Official About
Pillars of Eternity: The White March - Part I is a large sprawling expansion pack with hours of gameplay integrated into the main adventure. Along with the new quests and area content, the team at Obsidian continues to support and make improvements to the entire game, including the additions of Player Party AI and Enhanced Enemy AI. Even if you haven't played Pillars of Eternity, now is a great time to jump in and experience the hardcore classic RPG with The White March - Part I.

Main features

• Village of Stalwart: The adventure begins in Stalwart, a quaint fishing village, which located in the snowy mountains of the White March, and acts as the main quest hub for the expansion. It sits at the base of Durgan's Battery, an ancient dwarven fortress.
• A New Companion, Zahua: Zahua, a monk from Ixamitl, is one of the two new companions that the player will meet in Part I. He believes in suffering as the path to enlightenment, and nearly every inch of his body is covered in scars - mostly self-inflicted. While some might see that as a grim or depressing viewpoint, from Zahua's perspective, suffering is a thing of beauty, to be admired and revered, and he is often able to appreciate situations that would dishearten most others.
• Respec: At any inn or tavern the player can re-level their party members. It gives flexibility for the player to experiment with the RPG systems and try out builds with the newly added multi-class talents. If you aren't completely satisfied with your character, you can now do a rebuild and start over fresh.
• Battle of Crägholdt: The fortress in Crägholdt Bluffs is under attack by a militia, and the player is sent to investigate the threat. This quest is a high level area for max-level parties, and is offered as a challenge to experienced players. The expansion is not just snow covered mountains, but has other new diverse environments and content to explore.
• Enhanced Enemy AI: Enemies and monsters are now smarter than ever. The new AI makes the entire game more of a challenge, and spell casters will use a wider variety of their spells in more devastating ways.

Between this and Shadowrun: Hong Kong, my gaming schedule for the next few days still looks incredibly busy.

You can get Pillars of Eternity: The White March Part I on Steam or DRM-Free from GOG. Note that there's also an “Expansion Pass” available that includes the future second part to the story. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.