Larian Studios Forums Divinity II The Dragon Knight Saga / Flames of Vengeance (English) Divinity II - The Dragon Knight Saga DKS - great RPG, pirated then bought

To start with, I loved Divinity 1, that was a great time for CRPGs.
So I heard about this, and pirated it. Don't think less of me for it, I just don't like to support developers that don't deserve it, I try first, then support the games worth supporting.
So I loved DKS, there were a few things I thought weren't great, like the platforming sections, and the combat mechanics and UIs could have been improved, but it's just great fun overall, and the writing is very fun and engaging. It just works as a CRPG, and the story is 'generic' fantasy, but it's written very well and the humour is great. Somehow it just works really well.
So of course I supported larian, bought it three times on steam (sale on now), once for myself and gifted it twice. Especially seeing as bethesda, bioware and all the other big 'players' seem to have forgotten how to make an RPG. There are very few actual RPGs being made anymore, let alone RPGs with good story, choices and consequences and roleplaying. Well done!
Hope to see more games like this made!

I can't agree with you on Bethesda and Bioware but great to hear you enjoyed DKS.

See, that's interesting - back when I copied games, even when I liked them, the thought never occured to me that I should buy them afterwards, mostly because I just didn't have the money. I now feel really guilty and am considering buying a shitload of back-catalogue to make up for my sins

Penance is good for the soul! Or something.

I used to do similar things with music back in the day: I'd get a cassette of "try before you buy" stuff from one friend or another; if it was good enough to want to listen to again I'd then buy the album legitimately. There was something nice about owning the authentic version, especially back in the days of LPs where you got the cover art in super-size format...

Although part of me feels it was a bit naughty, I own a number of albums where the song you'd hear on the radio was the only decent one there, so it was prudent if nothing else.

+1
I've just bought Divine Divinity and Beyond Divinity from GOG.
Like the OP I still copy games nowadays. Due to state of PC gaming, I've to carefully place my gaming investments. Some of them I even only buy the originals after finishing them.
That wasn't the case with DKS. I've only needed 10 hours of play to know that this was a sure investment.

I'm more like the original submitter. If I have an option to 'try full copy before I buy', (legal or not), I'll usually make use of it, but definitely, will buy it if I want it for the updates, and support and official media. It's just stupid NOT to pay for good titles since they are in the small minority -- it's really smart to reward those who put out something worth playing.

Note - I complain alot but I do try to compliment when I can as well since, as a dev. I know it sucks to hear neg. feedback and not the positive, especially from less than gentle users (I hope you have enough experience under your belt not to take it personally; it's harder for new developers, but w/more experience you get more perspective). However, complimenting is harder because I think less about things that "don't bother me" (speaking about self, apply generally, as needed; ); only when I see clear "pluses" over something else, can i really give compliment on them, OR when something is clearly above the norm (I think I've mentioned, I thought the graphics were very well done -- I'm running in 2560x1600, and the detail and clarity are GREAT!!! Many Kudos for not slacking here!). But on the complaining -- I don't know about others, but with me, it's a good thing, since if I didn't *CARE*, I wouldn't be saying anything.

I.e. (and I know I'm not typical in this regard), but I don't waste energy on spite (Spite is a sign of mental illness/imbalance, imo) -- If I'm posting it's because I care enough to say something in hopes that it will be *feedback* (I really do sometimes hope for feedback to make it into a patch or new version, but that's rare, since I'm rarely a bleeding-edge gamer, but at the least for some future version.

All I can do is try to say what I didn't like or liked (more not-likes, unfortunately, due to above). I usually try to give alternates -- some type of constructive feedback. I really hope that it doesn't just go off into the wind and that someone reads them and, at least (cuz many are long/involved) summarizes them...

If I don't think devs care, then I stop caring as well. But when I like something, I turn on friends who turn on their friends. Just 2 levels deep from me, I know I'm responsible for about 10 copies of another game that several people liked and turned on other friends to. Don't know if it went on beyond that.

But I really hope people and devs realize that caring and support go along way toward cultivating loyalty and people who pay for games, extensions, and even revamps.

But distributors/pubs need to stop looking at pirating as lost sales, because many pirated games wouldn't have been sales in the first place. They are question marks. I've tried lots of software (most with try-before-buy, minority not (I'm not patient enough to crack myself, and not very trusting of others' pre-cracked exe's running on my machine (i.e. may just be 'trojans'))), and MOST I remove and never use again -- they aren't worth it.

Legal or not, "tried"-apps that didn't become sales weren't lost due to 'mis-use', but lost due to bad S/W. The *majority* of stuff out is junk. Think of how many movies are hits at the box-office -- there they can't blame digital copying; but the percentages are about the same w/games, but w/games, the pubs always blame copying and add in tons of DRM. They are just being STUPID! They aren't getting the message!!! If it doesn't sell, maybe it's because it's a bad APP (being general, not just about games). Movies Bomb! Most movies are NOT block busters, many don't break even. Games, unfortunately, are similar. Except in rare instances, it's hard to predict a winner.

Blaming things on piracy is them burying their head in the sand, since they'll find that DRM doesn't solve anything -- and only will add as a deterrent to real users. (Still haven't bought Assassins Creed II, since the deterrent of an always on Internet connection was a killer for me!)

Astara

Now that many companies don't make a demo, how are we to choose what game to buy most times ?
Reading a review from some unknown guy ain't enough for me.

Every little helps but I don't see the Dreamcast coming back into the shops because of kind actions.

If it was Playstation then you did the gaming community a service and I salute you because I hate SONY.

I once met someone who liked Sony. I think he was actually being serious, too.

Some of them are serious and can't be helped. Then they wonder why Divinity II isn't out on PS3.

I actually laughed when I read this!! Naughty, naughty, Lar! Pirating games... I mean... trying them before buying them. At least you feel guilty now. Question is, how do you feel about people doing that with Larian games? Not only are they pirating, but then they're coming to the forums to tell you! What a fan base you've got! *lol* I'm not sure what kind of fan base. . . perhaps your comeuppance?

As soon as I saw Ego Draconis in the store I bought it-- no reviews read, nothing. Just plopped down the money because I had played Divine Divinity and LOVED it, not so keen on the Beyond Divinity. Had considered a competitor's game of dragon type thingy-- passed it up because of the original Divinity. Haven't looked back.

It was only after purchasing Ego Draconis that I learned about these forums, and was very surprised to see that-- in general-- post people use manners and courtesy here, which I hadn't seen on other game forums (okay, fine, I think I've visited only one other game forum, that I can recall). Then I was even more surprised to see each of the Larian people actually interact with the players here on the forum!! What? You mean.... they're not too busy to pay attention to their fan base?

Because of the quality of games (aside from crashes and glitches) from Larian, and I am a fully loyal customer-- I haven't pirated any of their games, and have bought MULTIPLE copies for our household (there's four of us gamers here), and recommended the games to other friends who are gamers. I think I've been told more than once to 'shut up' about Ego Draconis.

I'm so bad, that I had just finished playing Ego Draconis when a friend 'made' me watch the movie Avatar on their hi-definition t.v.. I was like, "this is it? This is what all the hype was about?" My friend wasn't happy that I was just so-so about the movie, with the explanation: "You know, I have flown as a dragon in at least as fantastic graphics as what was offered in the movie. I got to 'be' the hero, so really?" Oops.

Totally went off topic, right? Maybe not. I was not impressed with Avatar because I had just played Ego Draconis-- thus, the movie couldn't hold a candle to the cRPG!! Rock on, Larian! We'll do our best to keep you in business-- legally! :p

All best,
~~CierraShore
*ponders the color brown*

I think there's a reason that the videogame industry is said to now take in more money than the film industry... I admit I'm biased since I was never a big fan of films, but I do feel like the gulf in terms of quality and value of entertainment of either has never been wider.

I actually did this after I got my first job.

I went and bought every single game I ever finished as a pirate - more than 80 games!

And now I own around 400 games, steam sales make it so easy...sigh

Not judging anyone, but I just had to play the demo and knew the game was worth the money, that's just me though.

I think you must be born in the Dark Forest, somewhere in the Elven Village a couple of hundred years ago, so you're just an Elvenchild now and have still many many, many many ... hundred years to live ... ... so you have the TIME to play all these 400 games !

As much as many hate steam, it is a very good place where to buy games and support dev studios by buying (don't really know how much percentage studios get from steam but I guess it will be kind of fair...), and you get good offers sooner or later. I got this one from steam just based on a review and never ever regreted doing so, I paid 39€ and I would do it again and again. Waiting on Divinity 3 or something like it, dragon form flashy eyes, etc etc!! go for it!!

I also usually do what the original submitter does.I first play the game and if i like it i buy it.Usually this comes from luck of funds.I don't have the ability to buy games I don't know if I like just out of curiosity.No money for that.Although with DSK it wasn't the case.I was such a fan of the first game i couldn't see myself not buying it anyway.And the DKS pricing on Steam helped a lot also....

Good thing the game delivered far beyond my expectations....