So this just popped up on my radar, I have a couple content questions:
Is there like a player "house" or something? Something like the stronghold in BG2?
Yes. It figures prominently in the game. You have your own pocket-plane, like BG2: Throne of Bhaal. Easy to pop in and out of it (just a couple of button clicks, even in the middle of combat, although you have to "roll" to get away), and you can even drag containers into your inventory and place them in your home base for more/easier storage.
How does the toolset created content integrate with the main game? Can you just create dungeons and stuff and have them merge into the normal game space?
As far as I know, they don't really integrate with the main campaign. It's like Shadowrun Returns or Neverwinter Nights. The game does have a mod interface that allows you to add and activate mods to the main game, but none that I've seen have been part of the overall main campaign.
EDIT: To clarify, there have been no extra dungeons or anything. Folks have modified the main campaign to hack in 4-player co-op and add more recipes and shit.
Does this have an "open world" feel? When the main story is done, can I go around durdling in the world?
Not really? You can always hop back to any previous waypoint and check out the merchants, clean up really old quests that you never got around to. It doesn't lock you out of previous content, but there doesn't seem a good reason to go back to older content other than clean-up. This being said, there is a LOT to do in each of the towns that you visit (something like 20 subquests, with at least 3 "main" questlines, most of which are pretty long and involved). People quote a playtime of 60+ hours total on the main campaign, and that's not an overestimate.
It doesn't feel like Skyrim or Grand Theft Auto in terms of open world "feel" (where there's always more to explore and more to see and the main quest feels like an afterthought), at least the kind of open world that I expect when I see an "open world" game.
Basically, if you like Fallout 1/2 or Baldur's Gate or Planescape Torment or any of those kind of games, this game will feel like coming home. Especially if you have a co-op partner (I can't emphasize enough how good the co-op is in this game).
I haven't messed around with it, so I can't tell you. Maybe someone else here has? Most folks are just playing the game, right now, because the full release is fairly new (the early access portion wasn't too long). Only a couple weeks old now.
One thing regarding 'play-ability' after completing the game. Enemies don't respawn and there aren't random spawns, so once you kill everything, that's it.
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KayWhat we need...Is a little bit of PANIC.Registered Userregular
I'm still early in the game, but...
Getting new skills seems to be super expensive. Also, my Str/Con dude seems limited to Charisma and Man At Arms. Oh well!
I don't have anyone with any sneaking, lockpicking or pickpocketing, because I heard they were kinda bad.
I should probably go reroll and start over, huh?
You don't need any of those skills to be the world's greatest art thief. Just use one of your characters to distract (talk to) an NPC while your other one sneaks around stealing everything that isn't nailed down.
Getting new skills seems to be super expensive. Also, my Str/Con dude seems limited to Charisma and Man At Arms. Oh well!
You start off light on funds, but that gets fixed pretty quick even if you're not the thieving type. You just have to fight the higher level dudes to get the nice armor and such that sells for a good bit.
My friend and I are about 30 hours in, and we're almost completely finished with the first zone. The only thing I'm worried about is that this game is going to end eventually. Does anyone know if they're planning on putting out any expansions/dlc?
Also, does anyone know how to open the ornate chest in the entrance to the black cove? It's immune to damage, and is way to high level to be picked, and we couldn't find the key anywhere.
Skills seem pretty steep price-wise at the start, but they quickly become affordable. The only thing that's been fairly expensive for my friend and I are the special arrows for rangers. Crafting those arrows is a lot cheaper though.
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KayWhat we need...Is a little bit of PANIC.Registered Userregular
Right, that kind of stealing I can deal with, though I haven't really seen a place to indulge in it yet. I haven't even spoken to people about the murder.
But I've been to the End of Time, dug up most of a graveyard, and been told I have an awesome sweaty boot smell that's just awesome, wow!
I haven't put any points into sneak, pickpocket, or lockpicking. You can use gear to make up 2 points (typically a Bracer and Belt slot or Bracer and Necklace slot item) in those skills. You'll miss out on a few locked chests, but you can just pick them up and dump them on a character, then move them into Homestead for picking later (at later levels, you have plenty of ability points to burn). 2 points in Pickpocketing is good enough for about 300-500 gold value of items/gold from unwary citizens, and 2 points of Sneak is more than enough for most situations that aren't combat and Sneak is totally superseded by Invisibility spells.
I haven't put any points into sneak, pickpocket, or lockpicking.
IMO they should combine all three into one Skulduggery or Thievery skill, then it might be worth it. As it is, Sneak might be good if you max it but the other two aren't very important at all. In other games with those skills I often lament the fact I don't have them when I see potential opportunities to use them. In D:OS it just doesn't feel like they are worth the skill points.
Just hit the Phantom Forest. Jesus - talk about a difficulty spike. I guess it was needed too. I got quite complacent facerolling fights with my *Bone Squad* tactic (4x summoned skellies).
Just hit the Phantom Forest. Jesus - talk about a difficulty spike. I guess it was needed too. I got quite complacent facerolling fights with my *Bone Squad* tactic (4x summoned skellies).
really? phantom forest is about where I've hit "game no longer presents a challenge" stage, as Madora has 4000 hitpoints and is healed by everything except poison, melee attacks heal her for like 200 health each with leech and they rarely land that hard anyway
also my mage has 21 turn ap (with haste the bubbles go off of the bar) and 23 int so is pretty nuts
Boy howdy these mines are far and away the worst part of this game so far. It's rapidly reaching the point where I stop wanting to play.
If you need I can drop in and help you finish it within about 10 minutes. Once you know the paths and the routes it isn't super hard.
I'll put some advice here in spoilers.
When you first enter there is a breakable wall to the left, leading to some easily defeated enemies. You don't have to sneak all the way around the top of the map to get to them like I did
Once you've done that part you should get a password from the newly unlocked people to talk to, and then you just need to head to the east.
Sneaking to the east requires bypassing at least two death knights, but with a few quicksave/reloads shouldn't be too hard. If you do get into combat you can consider just running past them, once you get over the bridge to the west you can go north a bit to find a new waypoint that you can teleport the whole party to, so you can unlock it and then run from combat and just teleport back there at any time. After that you can head south, talk to more immaculates and then continue south to circle around the last death knight to your destination.
This is basically the only mandatory sneaking part of the game, and every other part where sneaking is a good idea you can use your pyramids so even if you get caught you just use your first round of combat to throw the pyramid past their patrol point and then flee, which lets you teleport in while sneaking.
Question regarding an NPC toward the end of the Cyseal storyline:
Zombie Jake implies he's going to be awaiting the results of your battle with Braccus Rex in his usual spot (his grave) but he doesn't appear to be there. Did I misread where he said he'd be? Or does he appear somewhere later in the story?
Question regarding an NPC toward the end of the Cyseal storyline:
Zombie Jake implies he's going to be awaiting the results of your battle with Braccus Rex in his usual spot (his grave) but he doesn't appear to be there. Did I misread where he said he'd be? Or does he appear somewhere later in the story?
I never saw him again. vOv I might have missed him.
Caved and bought this. I'm having a pretty good time, and am starting to see why people like it.
The two companions are awful though. I am really looking forward to the time when I can swap them out for literally anything
edit: I just googled this, and apparently I could have gotten henchmen ages ago. And they start at level 1. Fuuuuuck
That's a bug. You can kick the henchmen out of your party, then get them again in the hall of heroes and they will be level-scaled.
I'm actually finding Madora's little side quest thing fairly entertaining so far. I haven't run into Jahan's side quest yet. I don't quite think they are as awful as people are saying they are. Jahan makes a competent utility character, with healing (Water magic), Teleport (Air magic), and the Scientist trait for Blacksmithing/Crafting. 2 levels sunk into Crafting (for 3 points total) and two pieces of +1 Crafting gear (the most you can equip) gives you Crafting 5, which is all you need to break open the Crafting cheese in the game. Same with Blacksmithing, although Blacksmithing seems pretty gimped to me (only needed to make Madora into a massive killing machine, really, and she already is pretty much there).
In terms of their dialogue, I find their crazy viewpoints very entertaining, especially Jahan if you have Pet Pal.
In terms of effectiveness I think they are fine. I'm not enjoying the dialogue though.
I would have to think about it more to give a real why, but the gist is that I find both of their outlooks grating in their unwavering zealotry. I might find it more amusing if they didn't get the last word every time my characters disagreed. That annoys me ;p
I finally had to dump Madora because for whatever reason, she bugged out and stopped moving at all. Even if I selected her manually, I could no longer use any skills or move her at all. So I kicked her out and took a rogue. He kinda sucks too, though.
Maybe when I ultimately finish this, I'll go my next round with two lone wolves.
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KayWhat we need...Is a little bit of PANIC.Registered Userregular
Halp.
I think I'm going to restart.
Man-At-Arms/Witchcraft user with crafting stuff, and a Rogue/Ranger (mostly for the status/movement stuff) with sneak/lockpick/etc and Charisma skills.
I finally had to dump Madora because for whatever reason, she bugged out and stopped moving at all. Even if I selected her manually, I could no longer use any skills or move her at all. So I kicked her out and took a rogue. He kinda sucks too, though.
Maybe when I ultimately finish this, I'll go my next round with two lone wolves.
Just hit the Phantom Forest. Jesus - talk about a difficulty spike. I guess it was needed too. I got quite complacent facerolling fights with my *Bone Squad* tactic (4x summoned skellies).
really? phantom forest is about where I've hit "game no longer presents a challenge" stage, as Madora has 4000 hitpoints and is healed by everything except poison, melee attacks heal her for like 200 health each with leech and they rarely land that hard anyway
also my mage has 21 turn ap (with haste the bubbles go off of the bar) and 23 int so is pretty nuts
Dunno - the second fight I ran into was like a group of 10, with a dude who attempts to charm my entire group every turn, and succeeds mostly.
I assume your crazy stats come from specialization and crafting? I decided to go a different route. Hybrids with all the schools of magic and man-at-arms - no crafting whatsoever. Base attributes are 10 at most. 10 int/10 str/7ish for speed and constitution. I've been facerolling the game pretty much from the start. 4 summons and absolute adaptability magic-wise, it's hard to beat. I guess now I'm starting to see diminishing returns for my approach, since I can't equip the latest gear, and my most powerful spells are scaled back some.
How powerful is crafting really? Like 20+ for any attribute seems impossible to me, who hasn't the slightest notion of what I can do with Crafting/Blacksmithing.
Crafting isn't how you get a nice stat number. Crafting gear is pretty good early on, but falls off later with upgrading (base armor/weapon values and resists) taking over on the crafting side of things. While those are good bonuses, isn't not going to get you 10+ to your stats. It's just what you've got already, but a little better.
Being diligent about going to the Hall of Secrets every level up is a great start, as you can get an extra attribute point and 3 skill points every trip.
Mostly I've tried to keep my main stat at parity with my lvl, and only really my mage is much higher (at 20 int at lvl 16). I think maybe you just spread yourself too thin? I've got decent con on all my guys (around 10), but my mages don't have any strength or perception. They pump int and speed now, exclusively. Madora pumps strength and con, with a point here and there in speed. My rogue pumps dex and perception (I use ranged a lot, and for finding secrets and traps) with also a nice investment in speed.
If you're getting crowd controlled a lot, I wonder if maybe you haven't invested in the defensive skills like body building and such?
Steam and CFN: Enexemander
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KayWhat we need...Is a little bit of PANIC.Registered Userregular
I must find out what this Hall of Secrets thing is, and how to get those bonus stats. Mmm.
Crafting 5 allows you to use elemental Essences on weapons. That alone gives you about a 20 percent boost in weapon effectiveness (The damage boost is good, the status effect proc is better). If a weapon is magical/rare/legendary and already has a elemental damage buff, the boost from the Essence STACKS on top of the weapon's existing damage (even from a different element). Madora has always had some two-handed weapon with both Earth and Fire or Air and Water damage tacked onto it in my party since I hit crafting 5.
To improve bows, you slap two Sinew together to make a Bowstring and then combine the Bowstring with a Bow or Crossbow. You can also add a Sextant onto a Bow to add a Perception bonus.
Tormented Souls (a rare crafting item) can be added to weapons to add a +2 Strength or Dex bonus.
You can also tack a Ruby onto armor and helmets, giving you +15 or 20 percent to all resists. The helmet buff is slightly less (I think it's 10 percent, with 15 percent in later levels). Still combined with the Man-At-Arms talent that gives you a bunch of resists and the base +15% resists from full plate armor, your tank can be a walking god that takes no element damage.
The Ruby also works on other pieces of armor, like bracers and Sarongs. You can slap a Ruby on the base Source Hunter Sarong for a +5% bonus (only a level 1 item, natch) to all resists, which can be equipped by anyone (even those 5 Intelligence Fighters and Rangers).
There are a large variety of rings and necklaces you can make to fill in open jewelry slots. I like the Lucky Rabbit Foot ring, personally (bonus movement and speed). You combine Pixie Dust (the weaver sells this... craftable, too, with a Mortar and Pestle and a Skull and Stardust Herb) with a Lucky Rabbit's Foot, then combine it with a Jeweller's Kit: Ring.
You can also combine two branches to make a staff. At Crafting 5, the water staff (element is random when crafting) gives a bonus to Intelligence. The earth staff gives a bonus to Lucky Charm, if you want a staff to equip when "looting" as opposed to in combat.
Blacksmithing allows you to improve existing metal weapons and armor on Forges and Whetstones. At Blacksmithing 5, the weapon damage boost from a whetstone (permanent, by the way) is obscenely good (something like plus 20 or 25 percent). Reforging armor removes the movement penalty and grants a movement bonus. You're going to have Blacksmithing anyway because you need to repair your shit.
Improving armor/weapons also boosts the sale value. If a metal weapon is below your level, you can scrap the metal from it at a furnace, then reforge it to make a weapon of your level that sells better.
There are a lot more things you can do with crafting, like building Skillbooks instead of paying for them or tacking on Nails onto any Boot item to make them immune to slipping. It is basically a 2 level investment (3 point) on Jahan for each skill to break the game wide open (assuming you get 2 pieces of +Blacksmithing and +Crafting gear, which is pretty easy to get from my experience).
But there are so many recipes and most lists out there are so comprehensive that they are more than intimidating, and they do not direct you to the most lucrative/effective recipes right off the bat. At some point, I'll list off the recipes that are most useful to me, although you can probably get all that from the post I listed above.
Posts
EDIT: To clarify, there have been no extra dungeons or anything. Folks have modified the main campaign to hack in 4-player co-op and add more recipes and shit. Not really? You can always hop back to any previous waypoint and check out the merchants, clean up really old quests that you never got around to. It doesn't lock you out of previous content, but there doesn't seem a good reason to go back to older content other than clean-up. This being said, there is a LOT to do in each of the towns that you visit (something like 20 subquests, with at least 3 "main" questlines, most of which are pretty long and involved). People quote a playtime of 60+ hours total on the main campaign, and that's not an overestimate.
It doesn't feel like Skyrim or Grand Theft Auto in terms of open world "feel" (where there's always more to explore and more to see and the main quest feels like an afterthought), at least the kind of open world that I expect when I see an "open world" game.
Basically, if you like Fallout 1/2 or Baldur's Gate or Planescape Torment or any of those kind of games, this game will feel like coming home. Especially if you have a co-op partner (I can't emphasize enough how good the co-op is in this game).
Is the toolset as robust as SRR or NWN?
Getting new skills seems to be super expensive. Also, my Str/Con dude seems limited to Charisma and Man At Arms. Oh well!
3DS FCode: 1993-7512-8991
Sounds like you need to steal more paintings, plates and goblets! More! ALL THE PAINTINGS AND GOBLETS. ALL OF THEM. AAHAHAAHAHAHA-
Sorry.
But yeah it does get rather pricey.
I should probably go reroll and start over, huh?
3DS FCode: 1993-7512-8991
You don't need any of those skills to be the world's greatest art thief. Just use one of your characters to distract (talk to) an NPC while your other one sneaks around stealing everything that isn't nailed down.
You start off light on funds, but that gets fixed pretty quick even if you're not the thieving type. You just have to fight the higher level dudes to get the nice armor and such that sells for a good bit.
Also, does anyone know how to open the ornate chest in the entrance to the black cove? It's immune to damage, and is way to high level to be picked, and we couldn't find the key anywhere.
But I've been to the End of Time, dug up most of a graveyard, and been told I have an awesome sweaty boot smell that's just awesome, wow!
3DS FCode: 1993-7512-8991
IMO they should combine all three into one Skulduggery or Thievery skill, then it might be worth it. As it is, Sneak might be good if you max it but the other two aren't very important at all. In other games with those skills I often lament the fact I don't have them when I see potential opportunities to use them. In D:OS it just doesn't feel like they are worth the skill points.
really? phantom forest is about where I've hit "game no longer presents a challenge" stage, as Madora has 4000 hitpoints and is healed by everything except poison, melee attacks heal her for like 200 health each with leech and they rarely land that hard anyway
also my mage has 21 turn ap (with haste the bubbles go off of the bar) and 23 int so is pretty nuts
Want to play co-op games? Feel free to hit me up!
If you need I can drop in and help you finish it within about 10 minutes. Once you know the paths and the routes it isn't super hard.
I'll put some advice here in spoilers.
Once you've done that part you should get a password from the newly unlocked people to talk to, and then you just need to head to the east.
Sneaking to the east requires bypassing at least two death knights, but with a few quicksave/reloads shouldn't be too hard. If you do get into combat you can consider just running past them, once you get over the bridge to the west you can go north a bit to find a new waypoint that you can teleport the whole party to, so you can unlock it and then run from combat and just teleport back there at any time. After that you can head south, talk to more immaculates and then continue south to circle around the last death knight to your destination.
This is basically the only mandatory sneaking part of the game, and every other part where sneaking is a good idea you can use your pyramids so even if you get caught you just use your first round of combat to throw the pyramid past their patrol point and then flee, which lets you teleport in while sneaking.
The two companions are awful though. I am really looking forward to the time when I can swap them out for literally anything
edit: I just googled this, and apparently I could have gotten henchmen ages ago. And they start at level 1. Fuuuuuck
It's okay because you can call them on their shit constantly.
Want to play co-op games? Feel free to hit me up!
I'm actually finding Madora's little side quest thing fairly entertaining so far. I haven't run into Jahan's side quest yet. I don't quite think they are as awful as people are saying they are. Jahan makes a competent utility character, with healing (Water magic), Teleport (Air magic), and the Scientist trait for Blacksmithing/Crafting. 2 levels sunk into Crafting (for 3 points total) and two pieces of +1 Crafting gear (the most you can equip) gives you Crafting 5, which is all you need to break open the Crafting cheese in the game. Same with Blacksmithing, although Blacksmithing seems pretty gimped to me (only needed to make Madora into a massive killing machine, really, and she already is pretty much there).
In terms of their dialogue, I find their crazy viewpoints very entertaining, especially Jahan if you have Pet Pal.
I would have to think about it more to give a real why, but the gist is that I find both of their outlooks grating in their unwavering zealotry. I might find it more amusing if they didn't get the last word every time my characters disagreed. That annoys me ;p
Maybe when I ultimately finish this, I'll go my next round with two lone wolves.
I think I'm going to restart.
Man-At-Arms/Witchcraft user with crafting stuff, and a Rogue/Ranger (mostly for the status/movement stuff) with sneak/lockpick/etc and Charisma skills.
I need to stop this rerolling thing.
3DS FCode: 1993-7512-8991
Two lone wolves geomancers who summon wolves
This will be here until I receive an apology or Weedlordvegeta get any consequences for being a bully
Dunno - the second fight I ran into was like a group of 10, with a dude who attempts to charm my entire group every turn, and succeeds mostly.
I assume your crazy stats come from specialization and crafting? I decided to go a different route. Hybrids with all the schools of magic and man-at-arms - no crafting whatsoever. Base attributes are 10 at most. 10 int/10 str/7ish for speed and constitution. I've been facerolling the game pretty much from the start. 4 summons and absolute adaptability magic-wise, it's hard to beat. I guess now I'm starting to see diminishing returns for my approach, since I can't equip the latest gear, and my most powerful spells are scaled back some.
How powerful is crafting really? Like 20+ for any attribute seems impossible to me, who hasn't the slightest notion of what I can do with Crafting/Blacksmithing.
Being diligent about going to the Hall of Secrets every level up is a great start, as you can get an extra attribute point and 3 skill points every trip.
Mostly I've tried to keep my main stat at parity with my lvl, and only really my mage is much higher (at 20 int at lvl 16). I think maybe you just spread yourself too thin? I've got decent con on all my guys (around 10), but my mages don't have any strength or perception. They pump int and speed now, exclusively. Madora pumps strength and con, with a point here and there in speed. My rogue pumps dex and perception (I use ranged a lot, and for finding secrets and traps) with also a nice investment in speed.
If you're getting crowd controlled a lot, I wonder if maybe you haven't invested in the defensive skills like body building and such?
3DS FCode: 1993-7512-8991
3DS FCode: 1993-7512-8991
To improve bows, you slap two Sinew together to make a Bowstring and then combine the Bowstring with a Bow or Crossbow. You can also add a Sextant onto a Bow to add a Perception bonus.
Tormented Souls (a rare crafting item) can be added to weapons to add a +2 Strength or Dex bonus.
You can also tack a Ruby onto armor and helmets, giving you +15 or 20 percent to all resists. The helmet buff is slightly less (I think it's 10 percent, with 15 percent in later levels). Still combined with the Man-At-Arms talent that gives you a bunch of resists and the base +15% resists from full plate armor, your tank can be a walking god that takes no element damage.
The Ruby also works on other pieces of armor, like bracers and Sarongs. You can slap a Ruby on the base Source Hunter Sarong for a +5% bonus (only a level 1 item, natch) to all resists, which can be equipped by anyone (even those 5 Intelligence Fighters and Rangers).
There are a large variety of rings and necklaces you can make to fill in open jewelry slots. I like the Lucky Rabbit Foot ring, personally (bonus movement and speed). You combine Pixie Dust (the weaver sells this... craftable, too, with a Mortar and Pestle and a Skull and Stardust Herb) with a Lucky Rabbit's Foot, then combine it with a Jeweller's Kit: Ring.
You can also combine two branches to make a staff. At Crafting 5, the water staff (element is random when crafting) gives a bonus to Intelligence. The earth staff gives a bonus to Lucky Charm, if you want a staff to equip when "looting" as opposed to in combat.
Blacksmithing allows you to improve existing metal weapons and armor on Forges and Whetstones. At Blacksmithing 5, the weapon damage boost from a whetstone (permanent, by the way) is obscenely good (something like plus 20 or 25 percent). Reforging armor removes the movement penalty and grants a movement bonus. You're going to have Blacksmithing anyway because you need to repair your shit.
Improving armor/weapons also boosts the sale value. If a metal weapon is below your level, you can scrap the metal from it at a furnace, then reforge it to make a weapon of your level that sells better.
There are a lot more things you can do with crafting, like building Skillbooks instead of paying for them or tacking on Nails onto any Boot item to make them immune to slipping. It is basically a 2 level investment (3 point) on Jahan for each skill to break the game wide open (assuming you get 2 pieces of +Blacksmithing and +Crafting gear, which is pretty easy to get from my experience).
http://www.larian.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=516251#Post516251
But there are so many recipes and most lists out there are so comprehensive that they are more than intimidating, and they do not direct you to the most lucrative/effective recipes right off the bat. At some point, I'll list off the recipes that are most useful to me, although you can probably get all that from the post I listed above.