Obsidian was 'surprised' that Avowed players bounced off one of the RPG's most important systems: 'That frustration came through loud and clear'

Obsidian was ‘surprised’ that Avowed players bounced off one of the RPG’s most important systems: ‘That frustration came through loud and clear’ | PC Gamer Skip to main content Open menu Close main menu PC Gamer THE GLOBAL AUTHORITY ON PC GAMES US Edition UK US Canada Australia Subscribe Sign in View Profile Sign out Search Search PC Gamer Games Hardware News Reviews Guides Video Forum More PC Gaming Show PC Gamer Clips Software Codes Coupons Movies & TV Magazine Newsletter Affiliate links Meet the team Community guidelines About PC Gamer PC Gamer Magazine SubscriptionWhy subscribe?Subscribe to the world’s #1 PC gaming magTry a single issue or save on a subscriptionIssues delivered straight to your door or device From$1Subscribe now Don’t miss these RPG ‘We lost things such as physics in games:’ The dev behind my most anticipated RPG thinks players are craving more interactive games, not just ‘moving around in a static 3D environment’ RPG The dev behind my top upcoming RPG is a Hungarian chef who thought ‘if not now, then when?’ and learned coding from scratch to make his dream ‘eurojank’ masterpiece RPG Thanks to Diablo 2, Blizzard might’ve found a way to fix Diablo 4’s loot fatigue in its next expansion RPG Todd Howard says there’s no Starfield 2.0 coming: The next big update is for people who already love Starfield, and if you don’t, ‘I don’t think this is going to change that’ Baldur’s Gate Surprise! 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When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Obsidian) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter PC Gamer Get the PC Gamer Newsletter Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Want to add more newsletters? Every Friday GamesRadar+ Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you’re going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them. 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From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we’ve got you covered. Signup + Once a month SFX Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month! Signup + An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter There are very few good examples of RPG crafting systems. I’ll make an exception for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, which makes alchemy and blacksmithing tactile and engaging. Otherwise? Get outta here with your busywork. And it looks like a lot of Avowed players feel the same way.Avowed’s upgrade system caught a lot of flak at launch, which required players to use upgrade materials to keep their favourite weapons and bits of armour viable as they explored new areas. Crafting is often treated as optional in RPGs, but not so in Avowed, where it’s a system you’re required to engage with. And that caused some problems.”We were definitely surprised by how many people consistently bounced off the upgrading experience,” gameplay director Gabe Paramo recently told RPG Site. “We were trying to create a tight gameplay loop. The player completes content, upgrades their gear, and faces harder content. But because the game is open-area, players who really wanted to explore were getting stopped in their tracks in ways we didn’t anticipate.” Related articles Avowed’s massive anniversary update adds new playable races, but they don’t get any unique dialogue because there were ‘no dedicated narrative people available’ Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2 failed to meet expectations for Obsidian, but Grounded 2 was a hit, and the future is looking positive for the Pillars of Eternity universe Huge new Avowed update adds New Game Plus, playable dwarves and Orlans, and quarterstaffs Eager player