LadyCrimson

You realize you could also say "you're not forced to do bounties or pick every lock" or whatever else, too? Or perhaps the bounty xp was designed for people who didn't want to do "everything" and could gain a couple levels for the end game just doing some of those instead? At any rate, I guess I don't care about reaching max level early, because gaining levels isn't my main motivation to keep playing. That all said...if they wanted to add an optional "less XP" mode or something, nothing wrong with that.

^ Some battles do feel like "gear checks." Because of the toughness of the Ogre bounty quest, I certainly decided I wasn't going to try the (just received) Raedric one quite yet. I still haven't done much of the Paths, working on those as well as some of the regular sidequests.

I need at least 3-4 (if we're talking a longer term basis, not just a one-off) to feel ok and function "all day", but 6 if I'm to function moderately well. As I get older the line starts to extend a little, where I probably function best with 7 or 8 hours but I just get up anyway. If no alarm set, I pretty much "wake up" after 6-7 hours automatically. Meaning I usually get up, because once awake I'm awake. But sometimes I ignore that for whatever reason and will roll over and try to sleep another hour or two. I can't take "naps" (more than a 20 minute eyes-closed rest, I mean) because once I fall asleep, I am asleep and it's at least 2-3 hours before I'll wake. Sleeping only an hour I will feel much worse (the whole rest of the day) than if I didn't nap at all. I think it's something to do with the "stages" of sleep and how I cycle through and/or react to being disturbed while within any of them. Waking during REM (a dream) is fine, Stage 1 and 2 is tolerable, but waking up at Stage 3 is a no-go. Sirens could be going off outside my bedroom window and I would not be aware.

I haven't done the other two yet but the Ogre bounty was definitely tough for me (also at lvl9), because of the troll druid in the back which I didn't see until everyone was otherwise engaged. Wiped. Once I reloaded, ate some chicken, used a couple summons and focused on the druid in back it went a lot better. I didn't do any fancy positioning tactics and none of my guys are high dps either, but I did use some spells I never used before. I think one issue is getting used to using certain attack thingies most of the time, because they've "always worked so far" and then running into a situation where those aren't any good...and then not having enough to time between realizing this isn't working to almost-dead, to save the fight.

I do like the letters you find along the way, like bits of diaries of adventurer's who's luck ran out.

Now watching 3rd Hobbit movie. It's ok so far. Maybe the big battle will be exciting. Edit1 - still hate the CGI orc leader guy. Just don't like total-CGI faces, bits make me think I'm watching a game trailer. Edit2: haha, having a hug and convo in the middle of a busy battlefield. Edit3: Legolas is still totally badass Edit4: Well the last half hour was entertaining enough. The trilogy as a whole is "meh" but the 3rd movie was, for me anyway, the most watchable.

It stopped being funny to me after about the 5th time I had to listen to it. Not that I don't think it's a classic line. And I did like Boo. :D

I don't like FF either. By that I mean, I have no issue with it being in the game per se, but means more micromanagement than I prefer - even without FF the darn collision/pathing AI + engagement system makes me have to babysit party members in tiny movement increments at times, pausing every single second. I don't need more to do, at least not when playing blind and thus not knowing what's coming. I'm fine with just using the Foe-AoE's and CC spells vs. high dps spells. I can get my dps elsewhere. Early on it's limiting but once your guys are higher level the spells available become more varied/versatile to more playstyles (imo) and you can live just fine using non-FF stuff.

Aloth's personal quest + Eder (and maybe Kana/others) is hilarious. Of course, this depends on what type of humor one likes - but I lol'd twice (I reloaded to replay the whole sequence). Also, their "banter." Overall however, as the others have said, it's not really what I'd call a quirky/humorous environment/game. There's dry/sarcastic wit here and there but mostly nothing outlandish.

Yeah, I agree re: a fire/delete button or something. I can understand not wanting to allow people to make 30 chrs. per playthrough to switch in and out all the time or something, but shouldn't have to force/intentionally "kill" them just to be able to free up a creation slot.

The more I see of the series Spartacus, the more it reminds me of Braveheart set in Rome. Kind of. Only with weirder 300 style blood flinging combat camera work. And not as good. Caught up a bit on Showtimes Shameless. I mostly watch it now and then because of William H. Macy. He's so detestable/manipulative in it, and it's awesome.

"These aren't the droid's you're looking for." ...still classic.

There is no "hard" limit but in order to be able to create any new ones once you reach 8, you have to get one perm-dead, either via enemies or attacking them yourself.

Whatever happened to Kaftan anyway? I'm not quite to the point of l33t speak type shorthand yet, but I may get there eventually.

Oh I open all books and click all chat options, I just don't ... read them with super concentration, since I just forget it all after the next combat or two. There was a couple of lore tomes that had stories I liked enough to focus on them enough to remember I liked them, but not enough to quote them or their titles even.

Me too. There's a PoE limerick in there somewhere but I don't have time to write one.

@Woldan - occasionally you remind me of my hubby when he early 20's, always working on/rebuilding car engines. All that little busywork like that, taking things apart/putting them together again. He loved it. I wouldn't see him for days. Today ... yardwork and having more "fun" making silly portraits for PoE than actually playing PoE. I could make an Avengers party next...or maybe CSI. Or Sherlock. Or...hm.

Just showing what silly I'm working on...my Supernatural party. Dean=Fighter, Castiel=Priest, Charlie=Rogue, Sam will be Barbarian ("Moose"). Not sure about the other two. Bobby as the Wizard? Lucifier as another Fighter? Crowley as....? Hmm.... ..PITA getting DVD screencaps that work + fiddling with them a little bit. Maybe I should add hats.

I only skim such dialogues, unless something about it is of big interest to me, like it's a companion I like. For me tho it's more about ... well, it's not actually like reading a book, in games. I read info, then do lots of quests/combats, then some npc starts babbling and making references to stuff that I suppose other npc's have told me of, but that I've already forgotten about.

I tried the 3 in front 3 in back routine, but the collision/chokepoints in many encounters drove me nuts with that one. There was always one that couldn't hit something and would just stutter around. I wanted a circular formation with the mage in the center, but 6 in the party doesn't work out too well for that, plus the formation never really feels like how I envision such should be. In the end I usually stick with the 3 rows of two and just use Stealth so I can get closer and pause to command each to do specific opening salvo things before they notice me. I don't tend to keep super tight formations once comabt actually commences anyway.

Yes, I said I did bounties that were available to me. There were 3 or 4, at least one of which Edit: maybe that's a tiny bit of a sort of spoiler, tag added 2nd Edit: my question was related to idea that people were reaching lvl12 before Act3.

ToI is the die-once mode? If so, I have the feeling that setting wasn't really meant to be done the first time through the game - well, unless you don't mind starting over a lot of course. You could try a not-ToI game on EZ, to blow through and check out fights, then go start a ToI etc. Although I realize that takes the not knowing an encounter beforehand out of the equation, which is more than half the fun. :/ Other than that, building chrs. with high durb. so they can survive more mistakes and disengagements (no min/max squishies) would be the only thing I can think of. Maybe even higher CON tanks, vs. the usual "CON is a dump stat" route.

I know nothing of the math of things, but I reached the start of Act3 at clvl9. This was with a full 6 party, clearing all areas + doing most sidequests (I'm sure I missed a few, and didn't pick up all companions) and the available bounties to that point. What I did not do is much of the Endless Paths. Are people reaching Act3 at clvl 12 with full parties, or just smaller ones? I can see it with smaller parties, definitely, but I can't imagine getting to 12 before then otherwise - is it just because I didn't do Endless Paths yet? Edit: oh...I haven't unlocked every chest in the game. Some, but probably not even close to "most." That could be part of it too I guess.

I'm pretty sure the KS/backer/pre-order bonus things like the pets isn't to be had anymore. Current Royal editions listed on Steam/GoG now just have the digital book/soundtrack etc. No pets. Bonuses/rewards are one time deal thingies.

(both of you) Home telemarketing work? (your wife) Registered to all temp-agencies in the hope that at least occasionally they'll have a couple weeks of some type of menial office work or something available that can help build experience? ...my sympathies. Sounds like a tough situation and metro-Calif. is definitely a difficult place for such. :/