Obsidian Entertainment has been enjoying soaring success with its Fig crowdfunding campaign at a staggering 273% of their total goal. With a little over 4 days left at the time this article was written, they are still planning to roll out a lot of new features and game elements that promise to make their sequel title a huge success. With the release of a new Pillars of Eternity 2 Deadfire backer update, some of those features are now being detailed!

The first video, as seen above, features the city of Neketaka. The sprawling metropolis looks to be loaded with NPCs. The video also features a beautifully hand painted map and much more that Pillars of Eternity 2 Deadfire backer update details.

A feature that both developers and fans are excited about is a new weather system that will directly affect both NPCs and players. Though not shown in the Pillars of Eternity 2 Deadfire backer update, Lead Programmer Adam Brennecke spoke with MMORPG.com about the system. He noted the difference between the first and second game and how they had designed this new weather system from the ground up.

In Pillars 1, we had a few areas with rain, but that was fairly limited to only a few outdoor areas because it was scripted. Our goal for the sequel is to make the world grounded and a real place by adding moving and dynamic elements with wind, rain, clouds, and storms that can change at any time.

When you first get to an area, it might start out as a sunny day, but as time progresses clouds will form, the sky will become overcast, and rain will start to fall. Wind will pick up—weather vanes, capes, torches, trees will move and react to the wind condition and direction. When it rains harder, townspeople can react. They may comment that it’s raining, cover their head, and go indoors.

This is definitely a big change from the first game and an option not always seen in RPGs. The weather effects go beyond simply causing NPCs to do something particular or creating changes in the scenery, players may also experience changes due to the weather, as well. Brennecke had this to say about those changes:

Right now we have the ability to add status effects to characters during different weather conditions, and we’ve been experimenting with what we want to do with it. It will allow the system designers to vary up combat encounters with an additional challenge or twist. NPCs can change their daily behaviors during different weather conditions.
For example, if it starts to pour, a farmer might consider going to the bar for an early drink instead of getting wet in the rain. It’s not a long term impact on the NPCs—meaning that if it doesn’t rain for days, the farmers are not going to change their harvest schedule or anything like that.”

Pillars of Eternity 2 is also expected to feature companion relationships. This feature would allow characters to react depending on their behaviors and traits. In a second backer update, Obsidian treats fans to a lovely picnic with Josh Sawyer. Backed with sensual music, viewers get a breakdown of the “companion relationship” system that sounds as comprehensive as it is organic.

Though there is no launch date yet set for Pillars of Eternity 2, the campaign estimates that the game will be ready to launch during the first half of next year. With already amazing features set for the game, and likely more on the way there is a lot to be excited about. There are still 4 days to back the game and loads of rewards yet to be had if you’re interested in getting on board!

What do you think of the new features shown in the Pillars of Eternity 2 Deadfire backer update? Do you like the idea of status effects due to in-game weather? Join in on the conversation in the comment section below or start your own on our Disqus! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter for live gaming and entertainment news 24/7!