Good advice with the auto-pause options. This may help me, too.
Never really used the auto-pause settings, but I sure pause a lot in these games.
No always to change anything, just to check if it looks like something might be going wrong.
The only auto-pause setting I had to change was to pause on detecting something hidden. Got tired of seeing a trap get detected and have my party walk right on top of it because they kept on walking to where I had directed.
I'm in!
So after being stuck over a year ago early on at hard difficulty, I decided to restart on normal playing a godlike cipher.....WOW! I thought divinity original sin 1 and 2 were my favorite, but this is now King in the "Inifinty Engine Wars" not since Baldur's Gate 2 have I enjoyed an RPG this much. One of the most unexpected and exciting things I've done, is slaughter everyone in the goose and fox, because I wanted to kill that drug dealer for the house...D-Something, and accidentally aggro'd everyone.
The best part is that when this game is done, the sequel is ready to go.
Sunk a little more time in this evening, and I finished out Raedric's hold and the blacksmith quest. Barring the bridge north of Defiance Bay -- the one that you can't access from inside the Bay, because it's crumbled -- I've now gone back and wrapped up all of my loose ends from Act 1.
I'm knocking on the door of Level 6 -- my main character is literally 50 XP away. And I think I have a lead on the beginning of the White March ...
A few play sessions ago, back in Defiance Bay, I found some burglars who were plotting a hit on a noble house. A note in their possession made reference to the White March. I haven't totally followed up on this, though.
Nice!
I liked the main game fine (better than most, I think?), but I'm still really impressed with the White March content and characters. Feels like Obsidian at its best.
So I decided to drop my Con and Might and buff my Resolve for role playing reasons. There are a number of late level quests where it seems like the only way to avoid a fight is to have like 20 resolve. I will let you guys know how it goes.
Also, I just finished up the Court of Penitents and am about to hit 11. Am I close enough that I can finish up in 10 hours or less? I have some extra time this week due to vacation but hitting that point where I just need to finish and move on to the games I bought in the steam sale.
No idea on your question, as I'm behind you: I hit level 6 at the beginning of my session today, and am maybe 1/3 to 1/2 of the way to level 7.
In terms of story, I made my way back to Defiance Bay, completed a few more side quests (the Lighthouse, the first part of the dispute over Caed Nua, the Heart of the White March, the dispute between the woman at the brothel and the guy from her hometown), and then thought I'd get back to the main quests. I just entered the catacombs, fought through a handful of trolls and angry plants, and decided to take a break.
So guys, I’m level 7 with most of my party and playing normal difficulty. The game has now gotten to a point where it is not too difficult. For example I just completed the Roderick’s hold quest and when I was battling in the throne room it was not too hard, my priest ended up getting knocked out, but it was becausing of my miscast fireball really. With the main quest line, I just defeated the possessed spirits in the asylum, (The man who waits.)
My question is should I change some of the difficulty, or will the game get harder?
No, it won't. Game is hardest early on, then gets easier - until the very last boss at least + some of the optional end bosses. Definitely think it's worth it to try a harder difficulty. But then I consider the game to be much better at higher difficulty, probably not true for everyone.
Also, I just finished up the Court of Penitents and am about to hit 11. Am I close enough that I can finish up in 10 hours or less? I have some extra time this week due to vacation but hitting that point where I just need to finish and move on to the games I bought in the steam sale.
Almost certainly yes, unless you want to do the White March expansion stuff first.
So I decided to drop my Con and Might and buff my Resolve for role playing reasons. There are a number of late level quests where it seems like the only way to avoid a fight is to have like 20 resolve. I will let you guys know how it goes.
Also, I just finished up the Court of Penitents and am about to hit 11. Am I close enough that I can finish up in 10 hours or less? I have some extra time this week due to vacation but hitting that point where I just need to finish and move on to the games I bought in the steam sale.
You are pretty much at the point of no return to be honest. You could be done in the space of an hour if you really wanted to
So guys, I’m level 7 with most of my party and playing normal difficulty. The game has now gotten to a point where it is not too difficult. For example I just completed the Roderick’s hold quest and when I was battling in the throne room it was not too hard, my priest ended up getting knocked out, but it was becausing of my miscast fireball really. With the main quest line, I just defeated the possessed spirits in the asylum, (The man who waits.)
My question is should I change some of the difficulty, or will the game get harder?
Well guys I jinxed myself. After this post I went into the dungeon under Caed Nua, sure enough I go-to level 7, and am floored by these ancient animats. I finally beat them after five tries. Think I'll keep the game on normal difficulty
I think that is not so much the game getting harder as it is entering areas way above your level. Caed Nua dungeon is meant to last into end game.
jdzappa wrote:So I decided to drop my Con and Might and buff my Resolve for role playing reasons. There are a number of late level quests where it seems like the only way to avoid a fight is to have like 20 resolve. I will let you guys know how it goes.
Also, I just finished up the Court of Penitents and am about to hit 11. Am I close enough that I can finish up in 10 hours or less? I have some extra time this week due to vacation but hitting that point where I just need to finish and move on to the games I bought in the steam sale.
You are pretty much at the point of no return to be honest. You could be done in the space of an hour if you really wanted to
Good to know. I haven’t finished the Endless Paths or started White March, but I’m now officially 11 after doing more Elmshore quests. I’m just trying to figure out how to get to 14 since it sounds like that’s pretty necessary to survive the final run. Or can I do it at 12 on normal difficulty?
Speaking of the final quest:
After doing Galawain, Rymrgand and Hylea, I’m at a loss to decide what to do with the souls. Curious to know what others chose.
Depends on whether you picked scaling or no scaling when you entered act 3. If not 12 is fine, but if scaled up maybe not.
Speaking of the final quest:
Spoiler:After doing Galawain, Rymrgand and Hylea, I’m at a loss to decide what to do with the souls. Curious to know what others chose.
It doesn't really make that much difference to be honest beyond some of the end credit post game epilogue text that you get. It does also impact what happens to a very minor degree in Pillars of Eternity: Deadfire as well, especially if you double cross your chosen deity and change your mind. First time through I think I dispersed the souls to strengthen those already in the Dyrwood, the second time I sided with Hylea and returned the souls to those who should have had them in the first place. But all in all do whatever you feel is right.
jdzappa wrote:Speaking of the final quest:
Spoiler:After doing Galawain, Rymrgand and Hylea, I’m at a loss to decide what to do with the souls. Curious to know what others chose.
Spoiler:It doesn't really make that much difference to be honest beyond some of the end credit post game epilogue text that you get. It does also impact what happens to a very minor degree in Pillars of Eternity: Deadfire as well, especially if you double cross your chosen deity and change your mind. First time through I think I dispersed the souls to strengthen those already in the Dyrwood, the second time I sided with Hylea and returned the souls to those who should have had them in the first place. But all in all do whatever you feel is right.
I went the Hylea route both times I've done the end game. Something in me can't stomach not returning the souls to their intended bodies... Might be the parent in me, but I just can't abide knowing I could've given parents' children back to them (those that kept their "hollow" children) and not done so.
Those spoilers are so tempting!
After my last post, over the weekend, I finished the Temple of Woedica and then made progress on a couple of side quests. I also got an invitation to go back to Caed Nua and begin what is, explicitly, the first part of White March Part 1.
I'm at level 6 right now and still have yet to start on any of the main quests after the Temple of Woedica. I think I remember seeing that the beginning of White March Part 1 is appropriate for characters of at least level 7. Is that about right? If so I'll stay in Defiance Bay for a little while longer, before heading back to Caed Nua and starting that quest.
I'm on hard, without level scaling.
And I'm done. Finished all the quests, even the never-ending bounty hunts.
Maybe I would have loved this game when I was younger, but declining free time has rendered me impatient over the years. I need a game to either be fairly short or completely engrossing. Unfortunately, PoE's plot and characters didn't really pull me in enough. That said, things sure did pick up and become interesting at the very end. The White March was also an improvement.
The gameplay itself was engrossing during the harder fights, but 95% of the fights seemed to barely require my input on normal. I could have bumped up the difficulty, yes. But then we're looking at even more playtime, which I just couldn't justify.
I found myself constantly comparing the game to other, similar, games that I preferred:
I preferred the combat of Divinity: Original Sin
The companions, plot and world-building of Dragon Age: Origins
The plot, setting and total originality of Planescape: Torment
Probably the game I've played that seems closest to this one is Baldur's Gate 2, which I loved enough to play through fully, twice. This has me wondering. Is my love for it mainly due to nostalgia or is it really a superior game?
I think their stated goal was to make a Baldurs Gate-style game, so I guess it is somewhat positive if that is the game it is closest to.
World-building in Baldurs Gate is probably better imo. Though I find the PoE world interesting, it has a harder time introducing you to a completely new world and having a focused main story at the same time. I agree Dragon Age Origins did that quite good.
For me though, combat in PoE is endlessly better than in Baldurs Gate. Didn't really like that combat at all. Also liked it much better than in Divinity: Original Sin (D:OS2 is another matter, but the two combat systems are so extremely different from each other, making it hard to really compare, I liked both).
Thought companions were mostly on par with BG's (though nostalgia sure is strong for those), but certainly not on par with the stuff Bioware use to do.
Both BG2 and PoE (and DA:Origins) to me represents a complete package - trying to be decent in everything, without necessarily excelling at anything. Sure, Planescape is better in some areas, but nearly a complete disaster in others (combat), or D:OS1 having interesting gameplay, but weak story and characters etc. (though again D:OS2 greatly improved on all its weaknesses).
The gameplay itself was engrossing during the harder fights, but 95% of the fights seemed to barely require my input on normal. I could have bumped up the difficulty, yes. But then we're looking at even more playtime, which I just couldn't justify.
Yeah, that is at least VERY different on highest difficulty, where not hand-holding for a second or two could spell disaster. Sure does take a lot more time for the same reason.
I'd agree that I think Baldur's gate 2 is probably just about better than PoE in terms of world building and plot, but the mechanics of PoE are so much better - retains all the complexity but makes it all so much easier to understand. All that said though I do like the combat system in Original Sin more - it just allows for much more innovative approaches to different situations.
When I first played Dragon Age: Origins I actually found all the world building nearly overwhelming the experience in many places - there was just so much of it and it was near impossible to keep track of it all. I found it quite noticeable in Dragon Age 2 and Inquisition that it mostly just boiled down to The Chantry v the Mages, and most of everything else (especailly the Dwarven nobility and caste system stuff) ended up being completely ignored.
However, if you've played the Tresspassers DLC for Inquisition (which sets up DA 4 nicely) then they've actually dealt with all that lore in really quite innovative way - by telling you so much of it is actually wrong. That might seem like a bit of a "Bobby Ewing in the shower" moment, but actually there is enough in the lore of both DA:O and DA2 to suggest it was actually part of their plan all a long. No idea if that's right I admit, but if it is and Bioware can prove it then I would take my hat off to them for having to courage to do what they have done to be honest.
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