Blades of Vanatar

Yeah, I tend to agree. There are two pretty good swords that are available late into the game (Cat's Claw and Last Blade of the White Forge) but because the selection of swords before this point is fairly poor, I pretty much never use swords. It's one thing I really hope they improve in Deadfire: make sure that all weapon types have a fairly even progression i.e. whatever weapon I want to use, make sure there's a decent early, mid and late game option. I'd say that's another thing that works in Bittercut's favour: it's available pretty early on. Depending on what your main character is, I'd even argue that it's easier to get than Resolution, and certainly long before Purgatory. Totally agree about swords. Obs has had some serious sword hate going on. Whispers was really only good for that one encounter in Caed Nua. I guess it was only added because the deb's couldn't get past that encounter when playtesting. The +2 Con was good for health stacking on a Dwarf until it was realized that Con wasn't much of a factor in game. Shame or Glory was maybe the only good option but that sword dictates play style. I loved the idea of Clad, hopefully they add a build your own sword in Deadfire. Or a Staff. I hated that only Tal's Staff had Fireballs. I want spell slinging staves! That is my vision of the battle wizard.

I was a big fan of them to be honest. Stormcaller, Gyrd and Nightshroud were my faves. Nightshroud looked cool as hell, especially when paired with Ravenwing on my Redheaded Mohawked Dwarf wearing Muncara Arret or whatever it's callled. Gyrd was awesome on Mages and Stormcaller was the end all battle winner.... probably overpowered.

Gameplay complexity has nothing to do with the players' age. Complexity has something to do with willingness to invest time and effort into understanding something. A lot of people here got into IE games when they were younger and had much more free time. Now they are older, have a job, kids maybe ; but they play PoE for the nostalgia factor, and since they beat Baldu'rs Gate a million times, playing something like PoE doesn't require the same amount of intellectual investment and "risk taking" (as in, putting money in a game you might not like) as the average player. But the very same BG Veterans demographic probably wouldn't play other complex games they're less familiar with (say, Guilty Gear). Because they don't have anymore the amount of free time they had when they knew every single spell from the DnD rulebooks. That's the niche game curse. You just don't suddenly become invested in a demanding genre at 40. It takes decades of investment and passion to build such a demographic. I agree. Its very time related. I used to have be able to have an amazing time with large complex games when I was a teenager. Now I always have the feeling that i am negletiing some sort of responsibility when i play them, The only games I play right now are short and action oriented, specially if i can play with friends. Games that require minimal time investment and provide some simple escapism or the opportunity to share time with people i like. I still played this game and will play the sequel simply because baldurs gate 2 (and an obscure pretty bad game called "azure dreams") were basically my childhood. But even the way I play the game has changed. No more long playing sessions. Am I the only one who plays PoE because it's a good game and I enjoy it, and not because it's similar to a game I played 20 years ago? You are not alone. I thought PoE killed it. Great game. Will be replaying it years from now.

Yes. I'll bet you that 29% of people who play video games are under the age of 18, in fact. Now, a higher percentage of 15 year olds are gamers than 30 year olds, but that's a different statistic entirely. The people who where born in the late 70's through early 90's make up the majority of video game players today. Sheer math makes it so. Many of us remember playing the text only Infocom games. I couldn't wait for the next Zork game to come out. Planetfall rocked as did Wishbringer. You youngs pup don't know **** about what gaming really is.... now pull up your pants, they call it 'Under'wear for a reason!

Croaker would be very disappointed in you.

Fired me up some original Quest for the Avatar. Brings back memories when I bought it at Electronics Boutique many years ago.

Many prefer six as it is the tried and tested party balance in a ton of CRPGs going all the way back to the SSI gold box games, the Wizardry series and of course what PoE was supposed to the.... heir apparent to the BG series for starters. For Fantasy CRPGs look at most of the 'greatest of all time list' and see how many six man party games are in it. It's a lot. It is was people want. Has there been a poll on this forum about this topic? "A lot of good games had X, so clearly X is great, and changing it to Y sucks." Sorry, there's no logic there, just cliches. What if you started calling healing potions wunderbenders, and made skeletons high level enemies instead of low level fodder? Is that suddenly going to kill the game because it changed stuff? 6 in a Wizardry game (or actually, 8 for Wizardry 8 ), or 4 in M&M 6, or 3-4 in a Final Fantasy game, or 2 in Divinity: Original Sin... all of that works or doesn't work to the extent that it's designed together with the rest of combat pacing, active abilities, encounter design, etc. If you don't bother thinking about any of that and just mouth "six six six" it's hardly much of an argument. First off.. be nice will ya? It's just a backer preference for crying out loud. Don't take it so seriously. Seriously, don't take it so seriously. I am not stating that automatically 6 is best. The old school Darksun games are some of my faves for example. As are the original Ultima games and ToEE. Hell I use the Co8 mod to bring my party up to 8 characters or I solo it. As I solo PoE and BG. Get the point? I'm merely pointing out 6 is a tried and tested number so it shouldn't be surprising that many want it. It is a 'feel good' number for many fellow gamers, especially those of us who have been gaming for 35+ years. So if this forum allows me to voice opinion on want I want or prefer considering they want players to back it with cash I will state my preferences. But I can live with a five man team. So remember... be nice.

Many prefer six as it is the tried and tested party balance in a ton of CRPGs going all the way back to the SSI gold box games, the Wizardry series and of course what PoE was supposed to the.... heir apparent to the BG series for starters. For Fantasy CRPGs look at most of the 'greatest of all time list' and see how many six man party games are in it. It's a lot. It is was people want. Has there been a poll on this forum about this topic?

M-15, C-21, D-8, P-8, I-14, R-10 Coordinating attacks, S or G/Cladhaliath and Shield. Make sure he is tag teaming his attacks. You're good to go. And choose Darcozzi obviously.

Or the challenge and overcoming the challenge is the reward for some. Everyone plays a CRPG for their own reasons. To assume otherwise is an exercise in incompetence.

I would think a game is balanced for a standard/ mid level difficulty setting. By the time your playing PotD you know the mechanics inside out. By then it is easy to min/max experience gain to be a overpowered character(s) at most points in the game. I would prefer added content to NOT be a side quest but a continuation so as not to fall into that OP party trap again when taking on the expansions.

You mean we'll have to eat it raw More seriously, if that's your criterion then, but all accounts, your decision has already been made for you. It's probably better broiled anyway....

There was an alchemist Druid in the Shannara story lines. Friend of Walker Boh. Had that big mere cat pet.

He pretty much is a developer. To the good fortune of the rest of us.

An NPC who knew pulls the ritual suicide event with wakishazi if the party fails in something would be awesome. Part of the fun is making the right calls in order to keep him alive.

A support Pally is the first thing that comes to mind.

I will bring my first end game PC with who was a Stag Druid. Makes me wonder.... will end game saves from pre patch versions carry over?

I thought it was narrowing to a five man party? ..... which I am not a fan of but seems will have to live with. I thought they would realize the mistakes of tweaking a great thing from Peter Jackson...

Swords. The +2 Con spirit slaying sword in Caed Nua and the Sword rec'd as reward from siding with the Knights in Def Bay. Stillettos. There are a bunch of good ones throughout the game with 3 of them available in the early game... Azureith's in the Gilded Vale, Oinderacht in the early levels of the Caed Nua and Misery's End as reward for joining with the Doemenals. Spears. Cladhaliath and the Vile Loners Lance. Flails. Guan's Share and Forgiveness are easy to get in the early game. I like Ravenwing in the early game for Maces as it comes with Damaging 3. It's a great early game weapon for a high Might character. Plus it looks pretty badass. Who doesn't like badass weapons? Am I right? Huh?

Cutlasses. Will they be Added as a weapon type since the location is turning to the high seas.? Water/Aquatic Godlikes.... will we encounter them in game? Will there be a whore ship like the Salty Mast? Amazonian pirate whores with guns and cutlasses? Oh my....... Will there be a weapon maker who makes/improves more weapons like Cromwell? Who really is Josh Sawyer? Will there be a Clue-like murder mystery to solve as a side quest? Will there be any stuck up Valian guards who fart in our general direction? Seriously... will there be? Last but not least..... will there be a wizarding school of magic?

You know it!

^This. And I'll go even further and say that for me AD&D 2e is a horrible system in every way. D&D 3e, 5e and other similar systems such as PoE1 and PoE2 are superior to 2e in every way. Thank God WotC won't allow the use of 2e in any future games. It was designed for pnp not powergamey crpg players. The system is fine, its application in CRPGs is atrocious: I don't bring my vintage Schwann to a Dirt Bike race. But my Vintage Schwann still is sweet. BUT BG2 was still a great game.

I even tried with a 19 Con Dwarven Rogue. Still went down a lot.

But dragons aren't real. So, so naive..... don't turn around!

Stack damage bonuses. I would use high Might/Dex, dump Res. Other stats as you wish except maybe pump Int depending on if you choose a 2hander that applies Status effects. Or not. Or pump Per and side with the Doemenals for crit central. Go Hearth Orlan and flank constantly for even better crit central. Wear any items that also pump crits if they stack. I like Tidefall, but who doesn't right?! Hours is nice as is the Temperwhatever sold early on in the Dirty Whore Inn. I have used a Staff Monk with Scion of Flame and Taluntain's Staff with a Fire Lash. Drop Fireballs on yourself then swing away. (Long Live SP!) Same can be done with the White Spire, Cold Lash and Secrets of Rime.