New vegas was good and all, but I'm not really sure how I feel about everyone going after those phat skyrimz dollaz. DA3 and witcher 3 are both citing it as one of their main inspirations
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surrealitychecklonely, but not unloveddreaming of faulty keys and latchesRegistered Userregular
i want them to make a game that is entirely about lasers
New vegas was good and all, but I'm not really sure how I feel about everyone going after those phat skyrimz dollaz. DA3 and witcher 3 are both citing it as one of their main inspirations
Because Skyrim is the new buzzword. No other reason. And nothing to think about too much.
New vegas was good and all, but I'm not really sure how I feel about everyone going after those phat skyrimz dollaz. DA3 and witcher 3 are both citing it as one of their main inspirations
New vegas was good and all, but I'm not really sure how I feel about everyone going after those phat skyrimz dollaz. DA3 and witcher 3 are both citing it as one of their main inspirations
Skyrim’s kind of an obvious comparison that everyone draws. As designers, what game would you like The Witcher 3 to be compared to? I mean any games or television programs…
To be honest, itself. Because we don’t create properties to be compared and to be based on other values. It should be good on its own. We are iterating, basically, the feedback we got on The Witcher 1 and 2. We want to make it comfortable and accessible and efficient for you guys. So it’s your game. That’s why it’s not like it’s better than Skyrim or better than something. It’s good for you and you like it, and that’s it.
We've had this conversation more than once, Spoit
You keep repeating this line so often you can't help believing it out of reflex
Edit: Nevermind that the headline of your article can't actually be derived from the quote in it
But anyway, my point is that the main strength of obsidian and bioware are developing around a core linear narrative, and the C&C that can effect it. Which I am skeptical they would be able to do as effectively if they are focusing on building an open world game with lots of non-linear exploration
I like the idea of an episodic RPG, if they can produce content quickly enough. The prospect of playing 5 10-15h campaigns over a year is more enticing than having 50-75 show up at one go. Not in the least because I often fall for the 'do so many sidestuff that I burn out on a game before completing the main line' pitfall.
And the iterations means they have a lot of time to work on details. Which sidekicks are popular, how many enemies should be on a map, what proves memorable and what is a slog.
Wow after seeing the gameplay trailers, I see that this game looks really high in the graphics department, which means I probably won't have a PC that can play it. Excuse me while I go off and cry.
Wow after seeing the gameplay trailers, I see that this game looks really high in the graphics department, which means I probably won't have a PC that can play it. Excuse me while I go off and cry.
At the risk of getting us closer to the 99 page precipice from which there is no safe return, most of the "really high" look that this game has is because it has fancy painted 2d backgrounds which are not graphically intensive at all (for instance, I'm sure your computer can handle a really nice looking desktop wallpaper). Shitty PCs should be able to run it fine.
Wow after seeing the gameplay trailers, I see that this game looks really high in the graphics department, which means I probably won't have a PC that can play it. Excuse me while I go off and cry.
Aren't the only things that are actual 3D objects the character models? There are some nice looking magic and lighting effects, too, but I can't imagine they would be too taxing. All the backgrounds are pre-rendered.
Xbox Live, PSN & Origin: Vacorsis 3DS: 2638-0037-166
Wow after seeing the gameplay trailers, I see that this game looks really high in the graphics department, which means I probably won't have a PC that can play it. Excuse me while I go off and cry.
Aren't the only things that are actual 3D objects the character models? There are some nice looking magic and lighting effects, too, but I can't imagine they would be too taxing. All the backgrounds are pre-rendered.
I'd imagine they'd have to have geometry for the lighting stuff to work properly
+1
jeffinvaKooglercoming this summerRegistered Userregular
Attempts to increase my pledge have been generating errors. Guess I'll try again tomorrow. Very excited now, I want to lock in that early beta access.
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BrocksMulletInto the sunrise, on a jet-ski. Natch.Registered Userregular
I'm dumb, where do we verify our pledge? Looking at the Kickstarter page, doesn't seem to be the reward list.
Obsidian is looking to fill some positions for MMO work.
Skyforge, that russian MMO. I posted about it before.
Also regarding System Requirements be aware that PE will probably hold its own against modern games in terms of size (those maps take space) and memory could be a factor as well for the best experience.
I'd expect very moderate GPU reqs based on other Unity releases, but a decent chunk of ram and cpu will probably greatly improve experience, the engine gets a bit grumpy with loadtimes if things get large.
my computers are pretty bad, honestly, to the point where I need a rather big update. Might have to make that a priority over new consoles, what with this game coming out. Hmmm...
You'll probably get more bang for you buck by upgrading your computer, since most games are multiplatform.
+2
Grudgeblessed is the mind too small for doubtRegistered Userregular
C2B, I must say that you're doing a great job with this thread. I generally find it a big waste of time to hang around a game's official forums, and this thread allows me to do avoid it and still get all the interesting info nicely compiled in one place. Thanks!
Items:
* Please, if it's at all possible, consider making something that is not a sword. I think we say this in the survey, but I'd like to repeat it here. There are no junk weapon types in Pillars of Eternity. Even daggers and clubs are good weapons. The same applies to armor and shields. Every type has trade-offs, so if you want to make a suit of awesome padded armor, someone will wear it.
* Many D&Dish effects can go on weapons, armor, and shields. That said, there are also many abilities that are unique to PoE and we will suggest them if the idea of your item seems to fit. At a basic level, all weapons and armor can have a quality modifier of Fine, Exceptional, and Superior that roughly correlate to +1, +2, and +3 (not quite, but close enough). This game is equivalent to a low- to mid-level D&D campaign, so Sun Blades and +5s are too macho.
* Materials like drake/dragon bone can be used in items, but whatever material you specify, try to make it fit with the idea of the weapon. A dragon bone club, spear, or stiletto is more fitting than a dragon bone battle axe or mace. Mithril and adamantine are not materials in PoE. Steel is overwhelmingly used for most metal weapons and armor, with five grades of interest: Wyflan (good steel), March (great steel, more damage, protects better), Ymyran (great steel that is "blackened", faster/lighter), Durgan (super steel from the lost forges of Durgan's Battery) and Skein (like Durgan steel, but very new technology, made with really horrible soul magic).
* Copper and living adra (an abalone shell-like material) are often used to bind souls and magical energy into items.
* The timeline of the civilized world is not "Realmsian". The Dyrwood and the Vailian Republics have only been colonized for a few centuries. The Glanfathans have lived in Eir Glanfath for two millennia. Before them, it was occupied by a relatively unknown civilization known as the Engwithans (who built most of the monuments and holy sites that the Glanfathans now guard). The Aedyr Empire is about 600 years old (well, Aedyr as a nation is that old). Old Valia as an empire was about 1500 years old but has collapsed by the current day. The main point is that more than 4,000 years ago, civilization was extremely modest, not advanced.
Characters:
* Any NPCs you make could be from the following local/directly involved places...
- The Dyrwood - Focus of the game, colonial area full of once-Aedyran humans and elves. Hardworking, surly pioneers in the country, animancers in the city. More-or-less blew up a god in the Saint's War which (in the new timeline) happened about 10-15 years ago. Dyrwoodan virtues: independence, perseverance, sacrifice, communal hospitality, and vigilantism/feuding. Dyrwoodan vices: servility, shirking (responsibilities), selfishness, lingering (near Engwithan ruins), "facepainting" (pejorative term for sympathizing with/acting like a Glanfathan).
- Eir Glanfath - Deeper forest to the east of the Dyrwood. Once in conflict with the Dyrwood, now (mostly) at peace. Less tech advanced, more communal. Protect the Engwithan ruins. Orlans, elves, some dwarves. Glanfathan virtues: cleverness, subterfuge, frugality, communality, mathematic aptitude. Glanfathan vices: selfishness, cowardice, vanity, social intoxication, token gestures (as opposed to meaningful action).
- Vailian Republics - The most successful offshoot of Old Valia, these colonies sit to the southeast of the Dyrwood and south of Eir Glanfath, past a mountain range. They are a group of allied city states who mostly wield economic power. Mostly humans and dwarves. Vailian virtues: success, shrewdness, restraint, wit, polymathism. Vailian vices: failure, bad style (i.e. doing something not in the "Vailian way"), bluntness, dullness, mercilessness.
- Aedyr Empire - The source of the colonists who settled the Dyrwood and Readceras. Lost both to revolutions, though the Dyrwoodan revolution was far bloodier than the Readceran one that followed. Much younger than Old Valia, but still in existence, which is worth something. Overwhelmingly human and elven. Aedyran virtues: duty, efficiency, loyalty, modesty (not of dress, but of character), purity. Aedyran vices: inconstancy, sloth, sloppiness, impunctuality, mixing work/leisure.
- Penitential Regency of Readceras - Quasi-theocratic state ruled by priests for their patron, St. Waidwen, and their god, Eothas, both of whom seem to have disappeared at the end of the Saint's War (which they started and the Dyrwood ended). The prevailing attitude is that they failed Eothas and Waidwen and must do penance to regain their favor. Readceran virtues: optimism, faith, propriety (proper behavior for your age, sex, and social class), vigilance, discipline. Readceran vices: pessimism, doubt, deviance, rebelliousness, aimlessness.
... or these remote regions, which are relatively far away:
- Deadfire Archipelago - Quite a ways south of the Dyrwood, a wide archipelago of small volcanic island nations. Naasitaq, home of many boreal dwarves and aumaua, is the biggest and most stable nation around. Various nations and empires fight over the islands, to the east of which are sea monsters that invariably annihilate any ships that attempt to go exploring (many of them dwarven).
- Ixamitl Plains - Northeast of Eir Glanfath, the Ixamitl Plains are large expanses of fertile savannas. Mostly occupied by humans and orlans, though the orlans have a bad history with the humans. The Ixamitl culture is one of the oldest continuous cultures in the world, going back a little earlier than Old Vailia. However, they are the least imperalistic large nation around, having only expanded their borders slightly in centuries. Among other things, they are known for their contributions to philosophy.
- The Living Lands - A frontier island area in the far north, a land of wild weather, strange beasts, and hundreds of difficult to reach valleys containing oddities never before seen (according to the people who find them) by mortals. It's a lawless land where communities band together, fall apart, and fight petty wars with each other constantly. Has a reputation for breeding oddballs and madmen. The racial mix in the area is extremely diverse but not necessarily harmonious. Dwarves, propelled by their desire to explore, are very common here, even among the mix.
- Old Vailia - Once the crown jewel of the southern seas, the crumbling island nations of Old Vailia sit thousands of miles to the southwest of their offshoot, the Vailian Republics. Humans and dwarves are common. They are renowned for their great culture and history of accomplishments, though the rest of the world considers them to be far past their prime. The nations that once made up the empire are engaged in a continuous war for dominance that has been going on (and off, and on again) for over two hundred years.
- Rauatai Gulf - Dominated by the aumaua of Rauatai, the gulf to the north of Ixamitl Plains is the trade center for several nations of aumaua, orlans, and dwarves. The land is rich with resources, but hotly contested. And in all matters, Rauatai and its powerful navy almost always gain the upper hand. The whole region is also relentlessly pummeled by storms for half the year.
- The White that Wends - A huge southern expanse of polar ice occupied only by pale elves, some boreal dwarves, and a few really brave individuals from other lands. It is considered mythic -- or at least inhospitable -- by most people from "civilized" areas. Virtually no plant life grows in the White, but somehow its residents manage to survive from year to year.
Class combat foci:
Barbarians have great group-fighting abilities (both melee offense and personal defense).
Chanters have cycling lists of low power, high AoE passive buffs and debuffs and they can periodically use invocations, which are pretty powerful spells.
Ciphers are offensively-oriented psionicists/soulknives (more or less) who build Focus (their resource) through conventional weapon attacks.
Druids are crowd control kings and their beast modes give them nice single-target strikes + various special powers.
Fighters can withstand a freight train, hold a line against charging enemies (are "sticky"), knock down enemies, passively regenerate Stamina in combat, and have reliable attacks + weapon specialization.
Monks convert temporary damage-over-time stacks (Wounds, their resource) into magical abilities. They are melee-focused but have a pretty wide variety of single-target and group attacks. They can use their bare hands (which get more powerful as they level) but can use most of their powers with standard melee weapons.
Paladins have modal auras, powerful single-target support abilities, high defenses, and a Smite analogue in Flames of Devotion.
Priests have better support abilities, worse defenses, and some crowd control abilities that paladins completely lack. Also a few single-target strike spells.
Rangers and rogues both lack crowd control capabilities, but rangers have the edge defensively due to range and the interference their animal companions can run. Animal companions share Stamina and Health with the ranger, but they are very durable, DT-wise.
Rogues have the highest single-hit damage potential and they have a lot of ways to qualify for Sneak Attacks. There are no creature type restrictions on Sneak Attack and it's automatically triggered by a lot of different conditions on the target. Additionally, rogues gain more and more ways to cause those conditions!
Wizards can learn a huge array of spells with a variety of effects, mostly focused on group offense, single-target strikes, and personal defense. They cast directly from grimoires that hold a limited number of their total spells.
Let me know if you have any more questions.
With names, generally try to avoid anything that sounds contemporary -- but I think most people avoid that anyway. Also, please don't use recognizable names from other settings (e.g. Westeros, Middle-Earth, Faerûn, the Young Kingdoms, Lankhmar, etc.). No Eddards, Tinúviels, Jarlaxles, Elrics, or Fafhrds -- or close derivatives -- please.
Aedyrans, Readcerans, and Dyrwoodans used to speak a language called Eld Aedyran that is an analogue for Old English/Anglo-Saxon, Old Frisian, bits of Icelandic, and Scots (for Hylspeak, a more contemporary version). j, q, v, and z do not appear in their words and names, though the /v/ sound is found in medial and terminal f. E.g. "Wyflan" is pronounced "WEE-vlan". Male names: Aldwyn, Beacwof, Ethelmoer, Furly, Hafmacg, Unfric. Female names: Battixa, Bricanta, Esmy, Grimda, Iselmyr, Yngfrith.
Vailian Republicans speak Vailian, which borrows from a mix of Italian, Occitan, Catalan, and French roots, but is Italian in overall flavor. "Romance-y", you could say. j, y, and x are extremely rare in their words and names. Male name: Cendo, Giandele, Liano, Randatu, Verzano. Female names: Ancelle, Laudira, Malita, Pallegina, Salgiatte.
Glanfathans speak Glanfathan, which borrows elements of Cornish, Welsh, and a bit of Irish. q, u, x, y, and z are all unused in Glanfathan. w is both a consonant and a vowel ("uh" or "oo" if it has a circumflex). It has the Irish-style "si" ("shih" or "shee" when there's a circumflex over the i), the Welsh "ll" (hard to explain, like an aspirated l sound), and distinguishes between an unvoiced th (like "thought") and a voiced dh (like "the"). Male names: Arthwn, Brân, Enfws, Simoc, Thristwn. Female names: Bledha, Iswld, Onŵen, Sîdha, Tamra
Those are the major definitions. Broadly speaking, the natives of Deadfire Archipelago use a language with some Inuit/Greenlandic roots. People in Rauatai (especially the nation of Rauatai itself) use a language with Maori roots. People from Ixamitl speak a language with Nahuatl roots. I have not done significant work on those, though.
The differences between Meadow Folk, Ocean Folk, and Savannah Folk (from Aedyr/Dyrwood, Old Valia/Vailian Republics, and Ixamitl) could be simplified as Euro/African/Central American, but those are just broad and superficial physical similarities. The real differences come down to culture. E.g. while the Vailian Republics are overwhelmingly populated by "Calbandrans" (Ocean Folk), there are Meadow Folk, Savannah Folk, and other races/ethnicities in the republics.
Animancy has flourished in the last hundred years or so. It's been legal to research and practice in the Dyrwood (through omission from the law) since the revolution a few centuries ago, but it's only lately that it has received more official legal recognition and benefits from extensive interactions with the Vailian Republics. The Dyrwood and Vailian Republics are the two leading nations in animancy research. Notably, the Aedyr Empire and Readceras view it poorly and have legal prohibitions against it
And a whole lot about attributes n' stuff with the big takeaway that strength doesn't govern damage.Intelligence does.
Strength affects your Health and number of inventory slots. Constitution affects Stamina. Dexterity affects Accuracy. Perception affects Critical Damage. Intellect affects Damage and Healing. Resolve affects Durations and AoE size. We may slightly shift these, but this is what we will be working with in the foreseeable future.
Each defense (other than Deflection) is equally influenced by two stats. Aside from level, the attributes that contribute to each defense are the primary determining factors of that defense. Class (now) rarely has a large influence on a character's defenses.
Fortitude - Strength and Constitution
Reflexes - Dexterity and Perception
Willpower - Intellect and Resolve
Deflection is the exception to this. While Fort/Ref/Will share roughly equal time in defending characters, Deflection is the most commonly-attacked defense. It is not influenced by any attribute and is mostly determined by level and class. Characters like fighters and paladins have great base Deflection. Characters like priests and wizards do not.
That would be a great rogue build, but so would Dexterity (Accuracy) and Perception (Critical Damage). Hitting more often means more damage on average and more Critical Damage is great for a class that naturally converts some of its ordinary Hits to Crits (through Dirty Fighting). That sort of a build emphasizes attributes that influence Reflexes, which is very rogue-like (but not... Roguelike). If you want to build a burly thug, Strength and Constitution will help a rogue gain ground where they typically stink: taking hits. This would give them a great Fortitude. Of course, you can also mix them up in different ways, like a high Con / Int rogue that has great Stamina and does a lot of damage, but isn't necessarily super accurate or durable in the long run. Or you could build a high Res / Str rogue that is very durable from fight to fight and relies on his or her long-duration status effects to keep an offensive edge.
The goal is not necessarily perfect balance, but attributes producing broad and general effects that make players go, "I wonder if a high <ATTRIBUTE_NAME> <CLASS_NAME> would be cool..." and the answer is "you bet". I'm positive that some builds will play more to the strengths of individual classes, but I think if we continue to tune these well, people will be able to make a really diverse number of fun characters -- from traditional to wacky.
It's only basic physics if you think about weapons like swords and maces. Crossbows, guns, wands, and spells don't seem like they would intuitively gain damage bonuses from increased Strength. That's where you get A/D&D's quasi-simulationist damage bonus breakdown and dramatically variable weight to the Strength stat based on class and weapon type.
In conclusion
(Ahhh, I can already see this leading to some fun discussions. 100 pages here we come!)
(Regarding strength and inventory. Please be aware that this is referring to your top-of-the-pack. Meaning items you activly use during journying/combat. You have an unlimited inventory for everything else.)
I'll start off with a mind dumb before I've had time to rethink any of it!
"Strength affects your Health and number of inventory slots. Constitution affects Stamina. Dexterity affects Accuracy. Perception affects Critical Damage. Intellect affects Damage and Healing. Resolve affects Durations and AoE size"
Some of these make no sense. Do they just not want to have melee modifiers versus range and magic modifiers for damage? Does this mean that all high damage dealers need to be wicked smart? "I'm not strong but I understand the principles behind physics and how to apply force, I should be able to use this two handed great-sword effectively" I don't really know what the stat points are going to be like for players. Is it DnD style where you're looking at between 10 and 20 at the start or is it like DA where we get points per level we invest?
When those stats are tied to defense don't people intend to pick one stat that works for them and buffs a defense and ignore the other? In 4e making a high Dex and high Int class means you're HP, Fort, and Will will all suck while your REF and AC are only as good as your highest. In this case you have to balance Dex vs Perception. How often do I want to actually hit versus how often those hits crit? Not a bad balance, I guess, but weird
"I'm not strong but I understand the principles behind physics and how to apply force, I should be able to use this two handed great-sword effectively"
So I'm going to play Devil's Advocate here instead of bitch about something, which is cool for me.
Learning to be a swordsman means hands-on practice, memorization, and preferably a good teacher. Just like learning anything, it takes mental focus. So it definitely makes sense for a well-rounded fighter, a guy who's not the strongest (but strong enough to swing around a longsword for a while without getting tired) to be a more savvy fighter than somebody who just has brute strength.
Though I'd think that would be somewhat weapon dependent. A monstrous dude with max strength and, say, a sledgehammer doesn't really need learnin' to know "heavy end goes on squishy thing".
If they're gonna go with longswords and rapiers and the like as realistic portrayals of those weapons, strength isn't terribly important beyond a decent general fitness. Mastering the technique(and subsequent muscle memory etc.) are far more important, as with any martial art.
Strength only comes into play with very heavy weapons, as @jdarksun says.
If they're gonna go with longswords and rapiers and the like as realistic portrayals of those weapons, strength isn't terribly important beyond a decent general fitness. Mastering the technique(and subsequent muscle memory etc.) are far more important, as with any martial art.
Strength only comes into play with very heavy weapons, as @jdarksun says.
Well I don't know. Baseball is a sport where you'd be tempted to say that "strength isn't terribly important beyond a decent general fitness" but look at what happened in the steroid era. Which isn't to say that technique not to mention courage and a certain bloody mindedness aren't crucial, but I'd bet that for any kind of hand to hand fighting that is in earnest, strength would be pretty important. Oh and another thing that's probably underemphasized in games would be endurance. Just think of how fit boxers have to be and how much more tiring fighting with weapons, armor and no confined to a ring would be.
But none of that matters. All RPG combat is so inaccurate/unrealistic that there is no reason to suspect that adding this or that bit of realism would actually improve a game instead of just satisfying some nerd's talking point.
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
Posts
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I'm going to make my wizard a Golden God of Destruction™, game limitations and mechanics be damned!
Because Skyrim is the new buzzword. No other reason. And nothing to think about too much.
One of the first articles after the reveal: http://www.vg247.com/2013/02/18/witcher-3-dev-looks-to-skyrim-for-inspiration/
From September: http://gamingbolt.com/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt-interview-comparison-with-skyrim-random-encounters-and-customisation
We've had this conversation more than once, Spoit
You keep repeating this line so often you can't help believing it out of reflex
Edit: Nevermind that the headline of your article can't actually be derived from the quote in it
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
Sorry guys, didn't mean to start that
Also, verified my pledge, and sad I can't afford to raise it to include expansion as well.
Excited to be ready for the expansion when it lands
I'm avoiding almost all the updates and media on this so it's going to be a super big surprise when I play it
Yes
This way you also can be sure everythings in order. If not you can contact them.
And the iterations means they have a lot of time to work on details. Which sidekicks are popular, how many enemies should be on a map, what proves memorable and what is a slog.
post it from tha slamma f the coppers
XBL: GamingFreak5514
PSN: GamingFreak1234
Aren't the only things that are actual 3D objects the character models? There are some nice looking magic and lighting effects, too, but I can't imagine they would be too taxing. All the backgrounds are pre-rendered.
XBL: GamingFreak5514
PSN: GamingFreak1234
I'd imagine they'd have to have geometry for the lighting stuff to work properly
Steam: BrocksMullet http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197972421669/
"We have years of struggle ahead, mostly within ourselves." - Made in USA
On the Pillars of Eternity website itself.
http://eternity.obsidian.net/backer/index
Skyforge, that russian MMO. I posted about it before.
Also regarding System Requirements be aware that PE will probably hold its own against modern games in terms of size (those maps take space) and memory could be a factor as well for the best experience.
XBL: GamingFreak5514
PSN: GamingFreak1234
Some good stuff in that twitter account.
"We have years of struggle ahead, mostly within ourselves." - Made in USA
And a whole lot about attributes n' stuff with the big takeaway that strength doesn't govern damage.Intelligence does.
In conclusion
(Ahhh, I can already see this leading to some fun discussions. 100 pages here we come!)
(Regarding strength and inventory. Please be aware that this is referring to your top-of-the-pack. Meaning items you activly use during journying/combat. You have an unlimited inventory for everything else.)
"Strength affects your Health and number of inventory slots. Constitution affects Stamina. Dexterity affects Accuracy. Perception affects Critical Damage. Intellect affects Damage and Healing. Resolve affects Durations and AoE size"
Some of these make no sense. Do they just not want to have melee modifiers versus range and magic modifiers for damage? Does this mean that all high damage dealers need to be wicked smart? "I'm not strong but I understand the principles behind physics and how to apply force, I should be able to use this two handed great-sword effectively" I don't really know what the stat points are going to be like for players. Is it DnD style where you're looking at between 10 and 20 at the start or is it like DA where we get points per level we invest?
When those stats are tied to defense don't people intend to pick one stat that works for them and buffs a defense and ignore the other? In 4e making a high Dex and high Int class means you're HP, Fort, and Will will all suck while your REF and AC are only as good as your highest. In this case you have to balance Dex vs Perception. How often do I want to actually hit versus how often those hits crit? Not a bad balance, I guess, but weird
3DS FC: 5086-1134-6451
Shiny Code: 3837
At charachter creation. Attributes are not increasing much while leveling.
Learning to be a swordsman means hands-on practice, memorization, and preferably a good teacher. Just like learning anything, it takes mental focus. So it definitely makes sense for a well-rounded fighter, a guy who's not the strongest (but strong enough to swing around a longsword for a while without getting tired) to be a more savvy fighter than somebody who just has brute strength.
Though I'd think that would be somewhat weapon dependent. A monstrous dude with max strength and, say, a sledgehammer doesn't really need learnin' to know "heavy end goes on squishy thing".
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
Strength only comes into play with very heavy weapons, as @jdarksun says.
Well I don't know. Baseball is a sport where you'd be tempted to say that "strength isn't terribly important beyond a decent general fitness" but look at what happened in the steroid era. Which isn't to say that technique not to mention courage and a certain bloody mindedness aren't crucial, but I'd bet that for any kind of hand to hand fighting that is in earnest, strength would be pretty important. Oh and another thing that's probably underemphasized in games would be endurance. Just think of how fit boxers have to be and how much more tiring fighting with weapons, armor and no confined to a ring would be.
But none of that matters. All RPG combat is so inaccurate/unrealistic that there is no reason to suspect that adding this or that bit of realism would actually improve a game instead of just satisfying some nerd's talking point.
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)