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Well this is quite a surprise isn't it? Obsidian Entertainment have announced a new patch is coming and now in Beta on Steam for their 2015 RPG the Pillars of Eternity.

Posted in their official forum last week, this surprise update to the game focuses on an update to the Unity game engine along with fixing up lots of issues reported over the last few years to keep it hopefully running nicely. Always great to see developers go back to their older titles like this!

Full patch notes:

General:

  • We have updated to Unity Version 2019.4.11.

Navigation:

  • Fixed areas that could not be navigated in numerous scenes.
  • The lake in Cayron's Scar should no longer be unintentionally traversable when submerged.


Visual and Audio:

  • Fixed multiple cases where characters might T-Pose briefly at the beginning of a cutscene.
  • Fixed an issue where paperdolls in character creation and inventory screens might appear blurry.
  • Overwhelming Wave should more reliably play its visual effects.
  • Fixed VFX issues with the Woodskin spell rotating or attaching incorrectly.
  • Symbols western chamber of Lle a Rhemen should now properly light up when expected.
  • Fixed redundant horn audio playing after the battle of Yenwood.
  • Fixed an issue where attempting to open locked containers could play multiple voice lines at once.
  • Fixed a handful of cases where dialogue audio wouldn’t play when certain nodes were re-triggered.

Quests and Dialogue:

  • Ready the Cannons side quest should now properly update its objectives.
  • Dialogue from Buried Secrets quest should no longer allow the player to demand their payment more than once.
  • Fixed an issue where multiple barked lines in Gilded Vale could overlap excessively.
  • Fixed an issue where Eder’s bark lines in the Temple of Eothas may end abruptly.
  • Fixed a case where Calisca could trigger the wrong bark line near the camp inside Cilant Lîs.

Combat and Mechanics:

  • Earth Blights should no longer sometimes detach from their selection circles when dominated.
  • Scroll of Ray of Fire should now appear correctly and more accurately match the behavior of the Ray of Fire spell.
  • Fixed a case where manually resolving stronghold combat could sometimes yield no rewards.
  • Fixed a case where prone characters might try to move while prone, resulting in sliding behavior.
  • Concelhaut’s Draining Missiles should no longer occasionally show 0.0 damage in the combat log.
  • Weapon Specialization: Peasant should now reliably add its damage to unarmed attacks.
  • Fixed some cases where the Halt spell might confuse enemy AI, causing them to repeatedly interrupt and re-attempt their own actions.
  • Removed errant untargetable Xaurip that could sometimes appear in Dyrford Crossing.
  • Fixed a case where Sleafhota might teleport to an alternate location mid-dialogue before attacking the player.
  • Attacking Osrya directly will now reliably engage with her revenant and skeleton minions.
  • Fixed a case where all survival camping bonuses might appear after spending only a single skill rank on Survival.

User Interface and Interaction:

  • Fixed a UI issue where chants could sometimes clip beyond their scrolling frame.
  • Fixed a case where the damage type icon on the character sheet might not position correctly.
  • Fixed some cases where assigning companions to multiple stronghold missions at once might cause UI issues.
  • Quick loading with the crafting or enchanting UI open should no longer result in a permanent black screen.
  • Fixed a typo in the description of Animal Companions.
  • Fixed an issue where highlighting certain parts of a defeated enemy would not allow you to loot them.
  • Doors in some scenes that were difficult to interact with have had their collision revised and should now be more reliable.
  • Fixed a case where the final pressure plate in the Temple of Woedica would not appear.
  • Examining the wall trophy inside of Elm’s Reach should now be possible.
  • Skipping intros when first starting the client should now be more responsive.

Pillars of Eternity has Native Linux support and is rated Steam Deck Playable.

You can buy Pillars of Eternity from:

GOG

Steam

Obsidian are currently working on Avowed, a first-person fantasy RPG that should be due out this year.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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20 comments

Jarmer Jan 9
Pillars 2 is probably my favorite rpg I've played in the past 5 years. And I've played a LOT of rpg's. It was just sooooooooooo good. I am very excited to see how Avowed turns out. And I never did play Pillars 1, I just can't stand real time combat, so without the turn based mode implemented in PoE2, I just can't do it. Too bad because updates like this make me want to go back and try it, but ......... nope.
such Jan 9
Pillars 2 is probably my favorite rpg I've played in the past 5 years. And I've played a LOT of rpg's. It was just sooooooooooo good. I am very excited to see how Avowed turns out. And I never did play Pillars 1, I just can't stand real time combat, so without the turn based mode implemented in PoE2, I just can't do it. Too bad because updates like this make me want to go back and try it, but ......... nope.
It's been a while, but I think you can set the game to pause if certain conditions are met. Obviously not TB, but it's something.

Unless I'm misremembering and mixing it up with BG.


Last edited by such on 9 January 2024 at 5:30 pm UTC
jams3223 Jan 9
An update is also coming for Baldur's Gate 1 and 2, and it might also get full Steam Deck compatibility.
such Jan 9
An update is also coming for Baldur's Gate 1 and 2, and it might also get full Steam Deck compatibility.
I much prefer just mapping the m+k controls instead of their controller setup for consoles if that's indeed what they're planning. It does the job, but it's not something I want or need on a device with touchpads.

I still get cold shivers remembering that time I tried BG on a Switch...
kaiman Jan 9
And I never did play Pillars 1, I just can't stand real time combat, so without the turn based mode implemented in PoE2, I just can't do it.
While the turn based mode in PoE 2 was a more than welcome addition, I did play and complete the first one just fine (sans the add-ons). So you might want to give it a try, if you haven't already.

I think one thing that made it bearable for me was that it did not feel as if there were lots of trash mobs. And the game was actually easy enough to not require lighting-quick reflexes or excessive micro-management.
pb Jan 9
I wholly enjoyed PoE up until the point where there was some massive battle and I haven't secured enough allies so I kept losing and apparently it was necessary to progress so I just dumped it. Maybe I'll revisit with this new patch.
hardpenguin Jan 10
You owe it to yourself to play it. It is a masterpiece, a shining, polished gem of an RPG 😍
Arehandoro Jan 10
I've been meaning to replay it, so I could get the saves before starting PoE2.

Silly question, what's the best way to use the Deck or the Steam Controller for games purchased in GOG? Is it just a matter of installing them with heroic and then adding them as a non-steam game?
based Jan 10
Does anyone know if update also applies for the Epic Games version of the game?
Raaben Jan 10
I got so excited for a moment seeing the headline. The things I would give for them to mash PoE 2's combat and multiclass system with the original game.. Had so much fun with the systems in 2 but not so much the setting and plot, the exact opposite with the first.

Nice to see them going back and keeping things updated though, would be nice to see a PoE3. Or Tyranny finished.
junibegood Jan 10
I got so excited for a moment seeing the headline. The things I would give for them to mash PoE 2's combat and multiclass system with the original game.. Had so much fun with the systems in 2 but not so much the setting and plot, the exact opposite with the first.

I agree 100%.

That was also true with Baldur's Gate 1 & 2 (although in that case number 2 had superior mechanics and writing), and Beamdog improved BG1 significantly by including class kits from BG2 in BG1 Enhanced Edition. If we wait 10+ years, maybe they will do a PoE1 Enhanced Edition and make our dream come true.
Salvatos Jan 10
Oh, oh, I hope they do the same thing for PoE 2, I just started it after *finally* completing The White March expansions during the holidays. I dig the system changes they implemented there, though I fear some of them will make an eventual solo run extremely challenging (i.e. skill checks use the whole party’s combined skill bonuses, which is pretty nice, but I assume most will be impossible to beat with a single character past the first few levels).

I wholly enjoyed PoE up until the point where there was some massive battle and I haven't secured enough allies so I kept losing and apparently it was necessary to progress so I just dumped it. Maybe I'll revisit with this new patch.
If you mean the battle for Caed Nua, I finished the game without doing it, then started the expansions and only went back to dealing with Caed Nua missions well into the White March P. I, so you really don’t have to bother with it (unless you painted yourself into a corner with no saves prior to starting the event).
whizse Jan 10
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I still think of this game as The Power over Ethernet RPG.
such Jan 10
I got so excited for a moment seeing the headline. The things I would give for them to mash PoE 2's combat and multiclass system with the original game.. Had so much fun with the systems in 2 but not so much the setting and plot, the exact opposite with the first.

I agree 100%.

That was also true with Baldur's Gate 1 & 2 (although in that case number 2 had superior mechanics and writing), and Beamdog improved BG1 significantly by including class kits from BG2 in BG1 Enhanced Edition. If we wait 10+ years, maybe they will do a PoE1 Enhanced Edition and make our dream come true.
EE is how I play them these days (well, EET, because why not at that point?), but I have to interject that BG1EE has very little to do with the feel, design, and any sort balance BG1 tried to maintain. EE has no design to it, no cohesion, just stuff thrown in pretty much at random, because it seems cool - and that's not even going into the new story/character content (which I can't stand - it's awful in its own right as well as ill-fitting). In that way, I wouldn't call EE an improvement. I think that's probably why people call it inferior to BG2(EE), because when judging it on those terms it has to be, yeah.

I very much recommend playing vanilla, unmodded BG1 at least once - it recreates the feel of low-level, low stakes D&D adventuring impeccably. When judged on those terms even BG3 can't possibly match it (nor should it try - it's unashamedly maximalist, right down to the way things are in its source - 5e).
beko Jan 10
Wow. Impressive.

…alas still no capes on Linux? xD
tgurr Jan 10
But we still have no cloaks on the Linux version as the middleware "Shroud" that got used for the cloth simulation obviously still wasn't ported in the new patch right?

https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/72520-cloaks-are-not-shown-on-characterlinux/

https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/82896-update-102-the-small-harvest-the-white-march-part-ii-and-update-203/page/2/#comment-1744504

A bummer as the kickstarter stated Linux from the go after/when hitting the 1,6M stretch goal which it did.

Edit: Took me to long to write as @beko above was 5minutes faster than me


Last edited by tgurr on 10 January 2024 at 6:47 pm UTC
beko Jan 10
Hihihi - didn't feel like digging out all the sources though
pb Jan 11
If you mean the battle for Caed Nua, I finished the game without doing it, then started the expansions and only went back to dealing with Caed Nua missions well into the White March P. I, so you really don’t have to bother with it (unless you painted yourself into a corner with no saves prior to starting the event).

Ah, thanks! I was under the impression the battle has to be fought before progressing, but maybe I missed something, now I'm even more motivated to revisit the game. I'm sure I have a few saves from before the battle, so I should be alright. I just hope it won't be too hard to jump back in after... 6 years?! Oh dear...
14 Jan 13
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I was supposed to love PoE. Maybe I chose a bad class or missed some really helpful things in the beginning... it was the annoying and frustrating type of hard and not the "oh, I got this next time" kind of hard. I gave up on it and never bought the 2nd game since I didn't finish the first.

I have a mental list of single-player games I won't buy even though I want to play them because I just don't finish them quickly enough. I'm a co-op guy.
tuubi Jan 13
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I didn't find PoE particularly hard, but I didn't enjoy the fights. The optional turn-based battles in the sequel are more my thing. I wonder if I'll ever get around to playing it at this rate...
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