Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

Post by Blackhawk »

Anonymous Bosch wrote: Fri Feb 15, 2019 10:51 pm Alas, there are quite a few unspoken rules and tactical concepts that aren't necessarily immediately obvious that one needs to be aware of to avoid frustration. I found this Pillars of Eternity beginner's guide to combat helped take the edge off when I first began playing.
I actually read that earlier. It's what made me realize that it just isn't the game I want right now. I want some depth and challenge, but I don't want a simulator! Pausing every three seconds to manually set out orders for every party member is a bit more micromanaging than I like.
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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

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Blackhawk wrote: Sat Feb 16, 2019 12:14 am
Anonymous Bosch wrote: Fri Feb 15, 2019 10:51 pm Alas, there are quite a few unspoken rules and tactical concepts that aren't necessarily immediately obvious that one needs to be aware of to avoid frustration. I found this Pillars of Eternity beginner's guide to combat helped take the edge off when I first began playing.
I actually read that earlier. It's what made me realize that it just isn't the game I want right now. I want some depth and challenge, but I don't want a simulator! Pausing every three seconds to manually set out orders for every party member is a bit more micromanaging than I like.
It is designed as a fairly challenging game, so do NOT be afraid to dial back the difficulty level if you're not in the mood for wrapping your head around what can be an enormously-involved combat system while playing the game on normal difficulty or above. If intricate combat is the aspect that's putting you off from enjoying a truly well-written, story-led RPG, there's no shame in switching to the easy mode. Because that's exactly what it's there for. Doing so won't let you completely off the hook, but will mean most fights require a fairly minimal amount of issuing commands, and you should be able to play out the simplest fights with auto-attacks. If you take the time to read everything and invest in the world and its setting, the game really shines -- it definitely revels in its writing.
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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

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Concur.
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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

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Anonymous Bosch wrote: Sat Feb 16, 2019 2:18 am
and you should be able to play out the simplest fights with auto-attacks.
See, that's not what I want either. I don't want super-easy. I want the decision making and tactics, I just don't want to need a degree to understand the decisions.

And to clarify, I'm not skipping the game. It just isn't what my mind needs right now. I'll come back to it when things settle down and I have the time to pursue PoE as a field of study.
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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

Post by $iljanus »

Blackhawk wrote:
Anonymous Bosch wrote: Sat Feb 16, 2019 2:18 am
and you should be able to play out the simplest fights with auto-attacks.
See, that's not what I want either. I don't want super-easy. I want the decision making and tactics, I just don't want to need a degree to understand the decisions.

And to clarify, I'm not skipping the game. It just isn't what my mind needs right now. I'll come back to it when things settle down and I have the time to pursue PoE as a field of study.
I hope you get back to it. There's a point in the game when you'll finally grok the system and it really takes off from there. And to echo others it's worth dialing back the difficulty in the beginning till you start to get things.
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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

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Blackhawk wrote: Sat Feb 16, 2019 2:32 pm
Anonymous Bosch wrote: Sat Feb 16, 2019 2:18 am
and you should be able to play out the simplest fights with auto-attacks.
See, that's not what I want either. I don't want super-easy. I want the decision making and tactics, I just don't want to need a degree to understand the decisions.

And to clarify, I'm not skipping the game. It just isn't what my mind needs right now. I'll come back to it when things settle down and I have the time to pursue PoE as a field of study.
Just to clarify, 'Story Time' would be more akin to playing super-easy. Easy has mobs that are just as tough as Normal and Hard, but the game reduces the number of enemies during encounters and alters the placements and types of some to lower the difficulty. As I said, playing on Easy doesn't let you completely off the hook and there will be moments where even playing on Easy still proves to be a challenge.

The point being, while there's a lot going on in the combat of PoE, one of the best things about the way it's designed is in how willing it is to allow you to decide just how much of it you want to take on. So you don't have to dive in at the deep end and take it up as "a field of study" if that's not what you're in the mood for. Rest assured, that's far from being the only way to play and enjoy the game. The game doesn't even award any experience for defeating enemies in combat (I think you get a wee bit for unveiling enemy stats that are added to your bestiary, but you don't receive any experience for the battle itself).
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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

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Anonymous Bosch wrote: Sat Feb 16, 2019 2:18 am
It is designed as a fairly challenging game, so do NOT be afraid to dial back the difficulty level if you're not in the mood for wrapping your head around what can be an enormously-involved combat system while playing the game on normal difficulty or above. If intricate combat is the aspect that's putting you off from enjoying a truly well-written, story-led RPG, there's no shame in switching to the easy mode. Because that's exactly what it's there for. Doing so won't let you completely off the hook, but will mean most fights require a fairly minimal amount of issuing commands, and you should be able to play out the simplest fights with auto-attacks. If you take the time to read everything and invest in the world and its setting, the game really shines -- it definitely revels in its writing.
Easy mode is my default difficulty, and I can confirm that even that level isn’t just “auto attack only” by any means.

Like BH, I also had a hell of a time figuring out the combat system. Even at easy, there were a number of battles (especially early on), that absolutely require you to engage in the mechanics or you’ll get your ass kicked in short order. I ended up quitting about 10 hours in because there was a fight I simply could not get past, even on Easy.

I really liked the world and story, but the complexity and difficulty of the combat ultimately did me in.
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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

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About the npc AI. Is it wise or unwise to turn it on and use it? I just left the first town and I have me a warrior and 3 npcs..another warrior, a priest and a mage. For me of course and the other warrior I dont need AI on as we run in and tank stuff. But the casters are not using spells...just whatever weapon they have. One has a staff of fire and the other is a wand that barely does any damage. Im guessing if I turn on their Ai scripts they will cast and such and heal I suppose.

But Im wondering if I do that will they blow through their spells? Is it one of those games where they cast a spell and its used up and will need to rest to recharge it? If so Ill just leave it all off. I dont want to micro manage their spell casting and stuff.
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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

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I don't remember the specifics. But I also don't remember resting between fights. By the end I was using the same spells in every fight.

I also never messed with the AI. I was playing with a friend. We each played our character and one NPC. Personally, I don't think I'd recommend letting the AI handle things. Especially if you have a melee character. I wouldn't put it past the AI to throw a lighting storm while your character is standing in water. Sure, it'll hit the enemies, but it'll knock you for a loop. Without testing, I wouldn't trust an AI to handle friendly fire very well.

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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

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Kinda what I was afraid of . Thanks.

Regarding skins like wolves and trolls and anything else it seems...do I just sell them? I dont need them to craft with right?

No one is auto lvl'n. I get sick of lvl'n companions in games. A lvl is ready but is not using it. I clicked it but it wants me to lvl them stuff. I exited without bothering.

One thing Ill say nice is that I can scroll across a map and click for them to go there and even if its a maze of a map they will always get there easy. Nice pathfinding!
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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

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Sometimes you make me shake my head.... :D

You played through the Baldur's Gate games multiple times, with a larger party, and character management, but you won't take an extra few seconds to level these characters? Or control their actions? Honestly, if all you want to do is melee, you probably should find another game. A huge part of the appeal/joy of PoE is setting up the combos - lighting and water, oil and fire, ice and... well, ice. And others.

On a serious note, you can probably get through the game with minimal crafting. You'll need enough to attach nails to boots, and I think for heavy melee you'll want some blacksmithing to make the armor fit. But the rest is probably pointless.

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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

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Or just look up a build guide for each character and follow those. No decision making, just clicking a few times.
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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

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I used to enjoy games a lot more. BG was what....22 years ago? I really enjoyed the depth and stuff. Now days though I no longer have the patience for it all. I let my guys lvl as they want in many rpgs these days. I dont recall them offhand other than the Mass Effect series...but I know i do it in more traditional rpgs without trouble. I just want to build myself and let them be who they are.

As for doing the lightning in water or fire on ice kinda thing. I once thought that would be fun but I found it tedious and never used it after the first try in whatever game allowed that.....think I remember the first Dragon Age being big on that. Got by fine without it.

And this one seems to require a lot of reading. Not like a Planescape game but enough that Im skipping a lot and hitting continue. I do miss the stories and such but my eyes cannot do it. I have to lean over in my chair to near the screen and squint to see the writing enough to read. Hurts both my eyes and my back. Its why Ill never replay PST 1 and didn't care for the newer one.

Anyways all three npcs are ready to lvl up but they are not doing it on their own. The setting is turned on. Ive turned it off and on. Ive camped. Ive restarted the game. Nothing.

Also got tired of healing the mage and priest so gave them bow hahah...thats right a priest and mage using bows. Like the way that was best to start the original BG.
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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

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I ask this honestly and with good intentions: Have you ever considered changing hobbies? You genuinely don't seem to enjoy video games anymore. Your posts all seem to show that you dislike gaming, but spend all your time trying to chase the fun you had 20 years ago and not finding it. I occasionally catch myself doing the same, then realize that it isn't the game from 20 years ago I want, it is the life I was living when I first played it, younger, healthier, and in a better situation. You can't catch that. You could be chasing an untamed ornithoid without cause. </Cmdr. Data>

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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

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Its all I got. Nothing else for me.
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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

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Daehawk wrote: Fri Oct 02, 2020 10:47 am Its all I got. Nothing else for me.
Image
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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

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Anonymous Bosch wrote: Fri Oct 02, 2020 12:41 pm
Daehawk wrote: Fri Oct 02, 2020 10:47 am Its all I got. Nothing else for me.
Image
Interesting, or maybe not fact, Einstein didn't say that.

12. "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." — not Albert Einstein

Different versions of this quote appear everywhere (doing the same thing twice, expecting the same result, etc.), and we owe none of them to Einstein.

After Michael Becker, an editor at the Bozeman Daily Chronicle (a local paper in Montana), let the wrong version slide into an editorial, he did some research on his personal blog.

Becker traced the original back to Rita Mae Brown, the mystery novelist. In her 1983 book "Sudden Death," she attributes the quote to a fictional "Jane Fulton," writing, "Unfortunately, Susan didn’t remember what Jane Fulton once said. 'Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.'"
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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

Post by Daehawk »

Stupid damn design decisions. Im in a house in town and have a big fight but one guy is hurt. I have a full party and not a single one can heal. I cant drink potions. I cant camp in the house I cant camp outside the house and if I fight then my one guy always dies. So shitty.
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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

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I think that one is all on you. Blaming game design for your poor decisions isn't fair. Why don't you have a healer? Pretty much every RPG for the last... forever... expects you to have a healer in your party. This goes back to you not wanting to bother with leveling. So you don't have a balanced party.

Though I'm not sure what's up with potions. I don't recall how they work. On a timer? Can you just wait where you are?

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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

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What really confuses me is that you have literally all day. You spend a good chunk of time browsing the internet anyway. Just do some reading on the game.

https://googlethatforyou.com?q=pillars% ... g%20guides

Also, FYI:
Just started the game. From what I've gathered, the Auto-Level Companions option only does it once to catch up a new companion to your current level. It doesn't continue to level them up in your party, so you always have to make their skill/talent decisions yourself.

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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

Post by Anonymous Bosch »

Indeed, Daehawk you seem to desire a game that largely plays itself, and Pillars of Eternity definitely ain't it. The best way to enjoy it is akin to a session of D&D, i.e. Prepare your team. Strategize and try new tactics, because it's a game that encourages you to take things slow and think it out. If one tactic doesn’t work, reload and try another. Save early, save often. Read everything because it's one of those games that revels in its writing. Invest in the world and its setting. Take your time, read through every conversation and book. Suffice to say, it's a much better game when you take the time to smell the roses. Have protection spells and potions ready. Keep an eye on health during combat. Move weaker characters to the back. Take advantage of choke points. Use bows. Summon monsters if you can. And when party members get low on health and you're out of camping supplies, it's time to leave and recuperate at an inn.

That is not a bug or design flaw, it's a specific feature of the type of game you have chosen to play. It's an homage to Infinity Engine titles. Among its primary features is the fact that it's party-based with real-time-with-pause tactical gameplay and combat. You're not playing Doom, so you cannot realistically expect to be able to grab one of these or sit in a corner for a few seconds and return to fight at full strength:

Image

If it's not your cuppa, consider a more casual dungeon crawler instead.
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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

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I remember when there was a lot of controversy when PC Gamer (or CGW?) awarded Baldur's Gate the strategy game of the year award the year it came out. But that's what this type of game is - a strategy game, not an action game. It's got more in common with XCom than it does with Diablo.

If you want to swing swords and not mess with the complexity, look at Diablo, Torchlight, Grim Dawn, Path of Exile, etc. If you want a challenging game requiring thought and planning, go with what you have. If you want something in between with a party, Dragon Age, and I believe some of the Dungeon Siege titles gave you a party.
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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

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I call it an RPG. I got over the health shit. Its a silly thing having health and endurance to fool with but I just look at it all as health. Death and life are all there is.

The elf wizard and the dwarf eskimo keep me laughing.

elf - can ipet him? (talking about her fox pet)
dwarf - i wouldn't
elf - Im gonna pet him

Then after 4 or 5 zones and hours and hours later I hear...

dwarf - hows the hand?
elf - purple. I think Ill have to cut it off.
dwarf I warned you not to pet him
elf - If im not supposed to pet then why is he so fluffy??

EDIT: and reading hurts my eyes. Seriously hurts then I ge ta headache. Games should all have full speech these days. I mean Mass Effect is 12 years or more old and is full speech. This talks some but then leaves large chunks to read. I grab a few words here and there and just keep going.
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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

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Daehawk wrote: Mon Oct 05, 2020 1:01 am EDIT: and reading hurts my eyes. Seriously hurts then I ge ta headache. Games should all have full speech these days. I mean Mass Effect is 12 years or more old and is full speech. This talks some but then leaves large chunks to read. I grab a few words here and there and just keep going.
Mass Effect cost $40 million to make. PoE cost $4 million.

/edit - did you try the font size slider in the graphics options?
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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

Post by Anonymous Bosch »

Blackhawk wrote: Mon Oct 05, 2020 1:08 am
Daehawk wrote: Mon Oct 05, 2020 1:01 am EDIT: and reading hurts my eyes. Seriously hurts then I ge ta headache. Games should all have full speech these days. I mean Mass Effect is 12 years or more old and is full speech. This talks some but then leaves large chunks to read. I grab a few words here and there and just keep going.
/edit - did you try the font size slider in the graphics options?
Yeah, from what I recall, Pillars of Eternity did a decent job of allowing you to scale fonts up to a fairly large size if needs be. Disabling font ligatures under the graphics options menu can also help make the text more readable if you're having difficulty with it, e.g.

Image

I remember finding the st ligature used in the game somewhat distracting, which was why I disabled them.
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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

Post by Daehawk »

Didn't see that setting...yet.
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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

Post by Anonymous Bosch »

Daehawk wrote: Mon Oct 05, 2020 10:40 am Didn't see that setting...yet.
Look for the 'Font Ligatures' box under the Graphics settings and keep it unchecked, as shown below (click to embiggen):
Enlarge Image
You should also be able to increase the 'Font Scale' slider there too, as Blackhawk suggested above.
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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

Post by Daehawk »

Are there any must have companions? Ive traveled with the ones I encountered on my journey but Ive found two new ones Im testing. I replaced the bard guy with grieving mother as she seemed interesting and replaced Durance with the druid guy with an eyepatch. I worry Ill miss out on stories though switching. My plan is to use and switch as I go. If I come to a place where a companion story is Ill switch back to that one.
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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

Post by TheMix »

I don't think so. I think it just depends on your party composition.

When I played through it with my friend, we wanted ranged/casters. I was ranged, so I took an NPC caster. He was a caster, so he took the ranged NPC. Since you are playing more melee, you might want the melee characters. Or maybe the ranged one for backup. If you aren't going to take the time to level the casters, then I'd suggest staying away from them.

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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

Post by Daehawk »

Oh Ive leveled them up I just have them using bows and xbows instead of casting. I dont feel like picking what spell to cast unless its a tough combat and they dont seem to cast anything on their own.
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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

Post by gbasden »

That's definitely an interesting strategic choice.
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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

Post by Daehawk »

This game went from fun and normal to insane difficulty and death and no fun at all. Ive had fun with it . I have it on the easiest setting because I mainly wanted the story. Ive had a good ride and the battle have been just right. It seems harder than the settings show. Im a huge RPG player and finished most all the old ones. But this one has ruined it for me. Im gotten to the only area I can go forward to and its the one with the adra arch. All I do it die. I died so much that I simply walked away about 3 weeks or more ago. Thought a break would help.

but tonight Im only able to beat one group of bad things. The rest killed my party. Ive ran into 3 different types here and all three get me. Theres no going around either. So basically this game is done for me. I was hoping to finish it this time. Guess not.
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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

Post by Anonymous Bosch »

Daehawk wrote: Tue Nov 10, 2020 10:22 pm This game went from fun and normal to insane difficulty and death and no fun at all. Ive had fun with it . I have it on the easiest setting because I mainly wanted the story. Ive had a good ride and the battle have been just right. It seems harder than the settings show. Im a huge RPG player and finished most all the old ones. But this one has ruined it for me. Im gotten to the only area I can go forward to and its the one with the adra arch. All I do it die. I died so much that I simply walked away about 3 weeks or more ago. Thought a break would help.

but tonight Im only able to beat one group of bad things. The rest killed my party. Ive ran into 3 different types here and all three get me. Theres no going around either. So basically this game is done for me. I was hoping to finish it this time. Guess not.
That was pretty much inevitable, and really doesn't surprise me at all. I suggest you revisit Blackhawk's advice above, because strategy and tactics are such a crucial aspect of what makes PoE enjoyable (even on the easiest levels of difficulty) that it seemed like a poor choice from your perspective from the get-go.

If combat strategy and tactics are evidently not your bailiwick and you're more interested in a choice-driven role-playing adventure, try playing something like Disco Elysium instead. Because it has no combat to impede story progression at all.
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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

Post by Daehawk »

Ive adapted my tactics. The casters and the ranger all have the best ranged weapons I can find. Then my two melee guys and the rangers fox all rush in and attack and keep everything off the casters who shoot fro ma good ways back. During the fights I pause and cast spells with the casters. Its just not helping. The party wipes in 40 seconds and they are equipped as best as possible. One troll or 2 maybe 3 would be fine but 5 and 6 at a time or 6 bugs that burrow and 1 ethereal caster and I cant do a thing. And theres multiple groups of them on a map.

As I said it went from normal combat to almost insta death.
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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

Post by NickAragua »

Which part are you at?
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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

Post by Daehawk »

After the big town I met the troll or ogre and recruited him and Im in the map with the Adra Arch from my dream.
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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

Post by Blackhawk »

Did you ever do any research on the effective ways to build characters and/or party composition? Have you read up on combat strategies?

This type of game is generally intended either for those who are adept at studying the mechanics and devising effective strategies, or those who are lazy (like me) and just read the guides that the first type of people write. They're generally very punishing if you just try to wing it without a plan.

That doesn't mean you have to follow the advice as written, building the exact characters they recommend, but it does mean that you need to be aware of why they did it that way, why one approach is effective and another is not.
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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

Post by TheMix »

The only time I can recall (vaguely) getting in over my head was when I took my relatively low level characters into the dungeons below my keep. That was a mistake. Apparently that area is level set. But I thought (again, vaguely) that everywhere else leveled appropriately to match your party level.

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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

Post by Anonymous Bosch »

Also, keep in mind even on easy, difficulty is not even across the maps. It's not like other games where all enemies are made to scale to your level and keep the same degree of challenge. Some fights will always be harder than others, so you may need to level up, find more companions, or find other classes. So if you're running into enemies or a specific quest you cannot currently handle, consider skipping it and returning later when you have a better party.

If you're completely stumped, try to get a full party (6 characters) as soon as possible, preferably including a priest and an additional tank similar to Eder. If you have a priest, use Blessing at the start of every fight. Hire additional adventurers in a tavern if you cannot find enough companions.
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Re: Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian

Post by The Meal »

I recently watched a set of videos that spoiled the big picture story of PoE (maybe Fextralife?). At the end, I was gratified that I did not try to slog my way through the (what I found to be unenjoyable) game because I wanted the payoff. Even watching story elements played out over the span of an hour, it seemed confusing and unsatisfying. Obviously many sharp gamers would disagree (and that's cool).
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