Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire – Turn-based Mode Officially Revealed

Last month, we learned that Obsidian Entertainment was experimenting with a turn-based combat mode for Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire. Back then, it was all just a bunch of unconfirmed rumors and speculation. However, now we know for sure that the pirate-themed RPG will be going turn-based, and pretty soon at that.

Come January 24, 2019, when the game receives its free 4.1 update, a beta version of the turn-based mode will be up and running, and you’ll be able to give it a go. This Shacknews article brings us a video where Obsidian’s Josh Sawyer tells us all about this new way of playing Deadfire and shows off some turn-based gameplay. Check it out:

Additionally, you can read this PCGamesN interview with Sawyer where he discusses the ins and outs of the turn-based mode. An excerpt:

“Not a lot of players slow down and look at all the armour ratings on enemies in real-time,” Sawyer says. “But in turn-based, if you’re a ninth-level wizard and have every element to cast from and the time to look around the battlefield, there’s a lot more deliberation.”

Turn-based combat, then, is an opportunity to see Pillars through new eyes, and perhaps unlock some of its less penetrable systems. But most pertinently, it utterly alters the rhythm of Deadfire. In a game intended to stay in your life for weeks or months, that’s no less significant than a tempo change in a favourite album.

“One thing that RPG designers can get caught up in is the idea of a design on paper, but what really matters at the end is how it changes the feel of the game,” Sawyer says. “There are certain battles in Deadfire that were intentionally fatigue wave fights, and in turn-based mode you just see a long queue of skeletons, so that’s a slight negative. For us it’s about finding a pace that we know the players who enjoy the slower-paced combat are going to appreciate.”

And then, there’s this hands-on preview from TechRaptor. Have a look:

The player character and the companions still move in real-time, and you can still pause. You can also inflict stealth attacks in real-time right before you go into turn-based combat mode. In that sense, it resembles my experience with Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden, where I can set up my characters in advance before the actual turn-based battle. The difference is that there are no tiles. Movement is handled in in-game meters, with every character being able to move exactly 10.2 meters. There is currently no menu option to change it. Even if you run out of meters you can still execute an action. A melee attack requires close engagement with an enemy, obviously.

You can only do one Standard or Cast action per turn, alongside your movement. Clearly, you execute Standard actions instantly. Cast actions, you guessed it, involve spellcasting, and some of them take up two turns. It’s awkward to watch magic users spellcasting with flailing arms waiting for the turn to release it, though it suits the feel of a classic RPG. There are also Free actions, mostly buffs or special skills, and apparently, there’s no cap on them. The general impression is that the spells and skills feel more essential in turn-based. If you can use a spell or skill to knock out an enemy, it’s one less nuisance to worry about.