Ardan Reddy

Yes. In my default companion play through, I made Aloth a Cipher, Kana a Barbarian, and Hiravias a ranged Rogue. I liked the party make-up much better that way.

Combat mechanics aside, I think it's the lack of variation in tactics needed that makes it too much rinse/repeat. Almost every encounter can be dealt with the exact same way. So for that reason alone, there is nothing special about the combat. It *could* be really good though if they wanted it to be - just by making different types of mobs need different strategies to get through, even mobs within the same group could need a different approach, i.e. enemy Priests immune to dominate, Barbs immune to paralyze, fighters immune to knockdown, etc.

Even though I told Calisca I was a missionary only passing through Gilded Vale, there was still a mandatory dialogue choice that needed to be clicked to end the arrival conversation, asking if the current situation affected the offer of settling there. That would be the offer that doesn't effect me and that I don't actually care about because I'm only passing through. Then when I looked in my biography it said my prospects of settling in Gilded Vale looked bleak and may be completely dashed. Which also doesn't make sense because I don't want to settle in Gilded Vale, I merely wish to pass through. So, I think it's basically an error, but it should be very easy for the Devs to just remove that line from the bio if a player clicks on the 'just passing though' dialogue choice when questioned by Calisca. Maybe they should allow another way to end the conversation with Urgeat when you arrive as well, so it makes sense if you're not settling there.

Making dwarves is quite easy. Find any portrait you like and squash it down vertically and it makes it into a dwarf - broader body, rounder face, etc. Bearded human males and most human females are particularly suitable.

I disagree to being able to enchant headgear for the simple reason it wouldn't be fair to the Godlike, who would suddenly become a less desirable Race. They already have a slight disadvantage in that area, but it's offset by their racial ability so worth giving up. Start making headgear more powerful and it could ruin the balance for that race.

There is a console workaround at least (and doesn't disable achievements for those without IE mod). Select which party member(s) you want to hide the helmet, open console and type HelmetVisibility False. To toggle back on it's HelmetVisibility True.

I'd rather just be able to cast any 2 spells per encounter throughout the game than the 4 per rest limit in early game.

Anyone found any recipes or food that give mechanics boost also?

IE mod.

I played thorough the game on PoD and apart from few moments like shades in Eotha's temple or paralysing, loud, ghostly ladies towards the end of the game I didn't encounter any other moments. I like what your point about mages and liches from BG2. I just think that pillars suffers from lack of really different opponents and more interesting encounters. In some other topic someone pointed out how many different encounters you could get in ice wind dale and BG2. Just a few examples: - mages and liches required completely different approach than standard creatures. - some enemies being very strong in a particular attack type, like poison that will kill you in a few seconds if you don't have antidote - enemies not reachable by melee characters like archers on some podiums or behind obstacles. - mini bosses having unique abilities - terrain that makes a difference during the fight like slow walking on ice or reoccurring fire bursts. There are many more and despite PoE being not such a bad game I wonder why this aspect was simplified. This has a lot to do with difficulty experienced because it requires you to change the tactics once in a while. It requires preparing different spells and changing weapons on companions. So every time when scenery changes you have to think all over again and load a few times before you win. In PoE almost 99% of encounter is the same. So once you figure the game out more or less nothing really ever changes. That's why it seems so easy. I agree, there are way too many easy encounters, even on hard or PotD. Also, definitely not enough strategy needed in most fights. Rinse, repeat. Can damage flame blights with fire! Stupid. Should be 100% immune - if anything, chucking a fireball at a fire elemental should make it stronger or heal it. All mobs need their own very high resistances and total immunities. Even Aumaua shouldn't be able to knock an ogre down. As the game stands, an Orlan can. Perhaps Ogres have weak knees. But they should be immune to even spell knock downs. Too heavy. Lowly creatures, like Xaurips, should have something that makes the player need to change strategy. Immune to stun because they're so stupid in the first place. Immune to freeze because they're cold-blooded. High DR against burn because they actually like heat. Very high DR against slash and pierce due to their scales, etc. Forcing a change in tactics to using crush weapons and only certain spells against them. Next fight with Guls, completely different again. Or are players so spoon fed and lazy these days they don't want that?

I started as Ranger and have since rerolled as Rogue, Barbarian, Fighter, Chanter, Cipher and now Paladin. Out of all of those I'm liking the Paladin the most. Probably because my replies in dialogue actually matter and a Paladin strikes me as a true crusader on a quest. Having 'visions' and speaking to dead people goes with being a Paladin too I think, who's sort of half Priest, half knight.

Yes, they can. Just need to take the Shadowing Beyond talent.

There'll probably be a multi-class mod before any expansion see the light of day. Personally, I like defined classes and wouldn't multiclass, but to each their own and the more options available to players, the better. Extends the longevity and keeps things interesting.

All classes need to be put through the grinder (by Obsidian) as a solo character to see if they can make it through the game, at least on Easy mode. I can say with certainty right now that Ranger would not make it, being gimped every time his critter (easily) dies.

Play as a weppy and shield Pally or Fighter. Combat will take ages and seem like real combat, rather than a 10 second frag fest.