Divinity: Original Sin Post-funding Update #55: New Alpha Build

Another post-funding update is available for the Divinity: Original Sin Kickstarter campaign, providing a look at the new alpha build they released for Valentine’s Day and, well, a fairly special marriage proposal. Valentine’s Day was a week ago, so my quote will focus on the cold, mechanical tidbits of the update:

Affinity and Affection:

Scarlett and Roderick (or Jane and Joe; Joe and Joe; Lady Redgrables and Dame Rothschilders; or however else you’d like to name/ engender them after today’s update) will now have opportunities to explore their like or dislike for one another via our brand new Affinity and Affection system. Certain in-game events (like levelling up, healing one another, and landing a killing blow in-battle) will occasionally trigger co-op dialogues in which your heroes can explore the trust, friendship, and affinity they, at your discretion, may share.

As the game progresses, the timbre of these dialogues will change depending on how your heroes respond to one another. They may become enemies, business associates, friends, or even lovers depending on how you develop them.

Character creation:

You are now free to customise the gender, hair colour, skin colour, and names of your starting heroes in our improved character creation system.

The options available in our current character creation system are limited, but many more features will be added soon. Before too long, you can expect to start your party with a fully-customisable pair of heroes.

History log:

Now, in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen, you’ll have a log automatically tracking which actions you’ve performed (finding items, casting spells, levelling up, etc.) as well as cataloguing any automatic dialogue you might have missed.

This history log will be very handy in understanding the rules systems that are at the game’s heart. And of course, the better you understand the rules, the better you’ll be able to exploit the game’s systems to your advantage.

Changes to rules and systems:

Action Points: The Action Points available to you at the beginning of combat now depend on your Initiative (that is, Perception and Speed). The number of Action Points available to you in subsequent rounds depends on your Speed. You can still save Action Points and shift them to the next round, but the maximum amount of Action Points you can collect is determined by your Constitution.

Intelligence no longer lowers the Action Point cost of all skills – it only lowers the Action Point cost of elemental skills.

Warrior skills get Action Point bonuses from Strength, and Ranger skills get Action Point bonuses from Dexterity.

Abilities: The ability Reflexes has been removed. If you want to have a chance to evade attacks, you need to invest in Dexterity. Intelligence no longer gives extra Ability points. Perception now also determines you Critical Chance.

Miscellaneous Enhancements:

User Interface: Tabs will help you organise your inventory by item type.

In dialogue, your clickable options will disappear after you’ve selected them, making it easier for you to organise which dialogue options you’ve already seen and which you haven’t.

Map Markers will help you navigate Cyseal, so no more barging into the Legion barracks expecting to question the Duke at the King Crab Inn.

Improved skills feedback will alert you with handy information, like where teleporting is impossible and where you might not be able to cast a certain spell, and improved tooltips will give you a better handle on your gear.

Certain missing equipment models have been added, so now your wizard can finally enjoy a real robe instead of trundling around in nothing but his/her underpants.