knownastherat

Not for me, I do not play with 4 bots called companions.

The answers to your questions lies here I believe: "reduce the gulf between viability and the optimal end" or "primary goal no bad builds". I found the vid very interesting as I do not follow the devs on social media but this video made few things clear to me. The consequence of the philosophy presented in the vid is the current state of the game - "normalize" classes and builds and introduce items and mechanics to support further "normalization". So anyone can take the helmet and be the lightning god or alchemy and be I dunno what .. ****ing arsenic god.

Why do you want them to be removed? Don't like them do not use them. I want figurines and I want to control them (why it was changed from PoE is beyond me). Remove figurines from your game, or rather keep them in your backpack.

The reason I like this build is that it does not seem to be item - especially with ability - reliant. Can you confirm? I do not like the helm to be honest. Also, have you actually played it solo from level 4 or leveled up and went to the Crypt? I do not really care how strong a character is at max. level as when max. its end of game for me, I care for the journey to max. level so to say. Lastly, you say Arcana is not essential, yet you have it high. Care to comment?

Indeed, the logic that since its possible to stealth through the whole game there is no point to builds is not logic at all, but I am giving up my hopes that some people will ever get it. Same with the idiotic concept of "cheese" as some people will repeat it and no amount of reason can make them reconsider. Well, I think I do not really care. Have 400 hours clocked in-game, will not ever play it with bots, this is not BG2 I played extensively for 3 years and we are in 2k18. So I guess, I will just move on. It's just too bad that someone takes on "the beloved Infinity Engine games", gets financed by backers and releases Deadfire 1.0

Alright, let's test. Iroll20s from level 10 Mara with stuff I had on me. Thanks to, others for enlighting me about Alchemy and ... hello Josh, we know its coming

Have not tried this combo but tried quite a few monks and rogues and so if I may. Since the character is in a party, and I assume micromanaged, it has kind of freedom to focus on intended purpose: deadly rogue, while forfeiting defensive treats, which will be provided by the party members. Thus talents like Clarity of Agony or even Duality of Mortal Presence could be substituted by Escape tree for example. Rooting Pain is not burst damage so it could also be skipped for Finishing Blow for example. Thunderous Blows, for PEN, is also amazing ability. Soul Mirror, possibly Blade Turning, for defense against range and as a panic button. Flagellant's Path is a great full mobile attack but its costs Mortification Swift Flurry and Stunning Surge uses and cannot be upgraded. If Escape tree is taken, mobility will not suffer and Backstab will profit too. Dichotomous Soul did not work for me well. Not sure about Dance of Death, synergy with Rogue. Not sure about Torment tree, but that's personal bias. Rogue and Monk have so many good actives and passives to choose, and not all can be taken, that I believe a player can tailor this multi according to playstyle so what I suggested is just one of many. Race Heart Orlan, for the Crits.

Picking up gear, ran into this fight I usually just stealth through. Nothing epic but they went down quite fast.

There are 2 PL at play. Evoker and Nature Godlike. So answer to the question, how much difference... ?, is: Not too much, especially considering the trade-offs and other means to gain PL in game. To be able to deal appropriate damage type is in my opinion worth more than 2 PL.

Since Evoker will not be able to cast around half spells from Grimoire of Vaporous Wizardry, I would forfeit Evoker and pick No Subclass, and use extra points for passives (very poor selection for Wizards yes) and extra spells for more versatility (let's say 2 per level to have 4 per level with grimoire). Along with this line of thought, I would not multi-class and focus on a powerful and versatile wizard.

How games should be designed is where we, all of us, differ. In other words, there is no law of nature governing how they should be designed. There are some principles drawing from behavioral psychology perhaps but at the end there is no clear and simple recipe for how to make let's say a piece of interactive art appealing to the target audience. Let's assume we all have our opinions, priorities, dis/likes, tastes and there is indeed no truth to be found about how a game should be designed, especially with regards to balance. How to reach a compromise, how to satisfy as many of the target audience as possible? From where I sit, give them tools and mechanics so they can tailor their own experiences with such piece of art. Because how else? Why would anyone roll for hours to get a bonus or why would anyone use "an axe which one-shots everything" could be an interesting psychological question, but it's not an argument for certain game design. The developers, and perhaps they've done it, should know what kind of audience they target but should not, at least in my opinion, try to let's say moralize and normalize such audience through the game design. I realize developers have very difficult calls to make in this regard and their ideas how something should work are always confronted with an economic point of view. I could even understand if the developers were stubborn and wanted to make a piece of art according to their, not their audience, liking. What I cannot understand is why some in the audience make demands on the game design which will restrict others. If something in-game is OP, broken, cheese, but it's not mandatory and it's not a bug, well .. live and let live.

More like in this game even with the Scroll on one would get Grazed, well, unless one would stack Deflection .. oh wait wtf?!

Fully modded game with SCS had lots of tough fights. Maybe I'm a bad player, but some of them took me very long, or at least felt like they did. A fight that I remember that was part of the original game was of course Kangaxx. That took always very long and I had to reload a lot. That's because there's one item in the game that makes it really easy to survive for some time (Scroll of Protection from Magic), and only 2 or three weapons that could hit him. Without the Scroll, it was possible, but highly unlikely to defeat Kangaxx. With the Scroll, the fight was over in < 30s. No, it was very possible and consistent by multiple means - http://www.baldurdash.org/kangaxx.html - my favorite being enraging and hasting berserker. Personally, I have never used Scroll of Protection, on Kangaxx or anyone else simply because it was too easy. In this game, Scroll of Protection would not live to see patch 1.1 because of .. balance.

Yes, it's changed. All it does though is to make the player to use longer route.

Actually, level 5. I'll give you a hint. Large shield + modal on. And if you know the game enough, you'll be able to craft 3 additional sparkcrackers. This alone should be very helpful to you if you are gonna go the solo route. Instead of giving hints, post a video of the fight like mant2si with cipher/ranger. As long as I remember, and remember longer than Josh Sawyer, "screenshot or it never happened". If you for whatever reason fail to provide support for your claims, they are rightfully called bull****. -- Now a little bit on "cheese", because I am Equal Gameplay Opportunity Justice Warrior (EGOJW) and I have every right to be triggered and am entitled to demands. The concept of "cheese" with regards to the use of in-game mechanics is incoherent, inconsistent, and insulting. It does not stand the scrutiny of rational thinking nor rigor of logic. This meme been around for quite some time, and how it happens to be with memes, masses mindlessly repeat them and pretend to have some meaning. There are several possibilities why would anyone use the term describing use of in-game mechanics: - laziness to think and use more precise and descriptive vocabulary - intent to inflame others, in other words to troll - to declare superiority over others - ignorance all of which are despicable. Thus I demand for the term "cheese" to be moderated in similar fashion personal attacks are. oktxbai --- edit: btw Large Shield with Modal is .. CHEESE! ****ing cheese.

And the good thing about my builds are they involve 0 cheesing or abuse of game mechanics whatsoever. I like to have straight up slugging fights with no stealth cheese, no choke point cheese, no op arcana scrolls, no op alchemy potions. Just a clean build + the right equipments.How do you beat the double Boars, the tigers + Drake fight, and the hordes of skeleton archer/mage in the beginning of the game? I just don't see how one character, regardless of build, with starting equipment and missing item slots tanks four higher level creatures with no strategic use of fight mechanics on PotD By abusing this games silly AI. I cleared them with a lvl 4 ghostheart/Ascendant by using a barrel next to the stairs as a chokepoint where I summoned my bear. Then I focused on charming their heavy hitters while shooting at the wurms. Drake and one wurm was pulled separately by using sparkcrackers from the south edge near the gunpowder barrel, one shot with the Arqeubus on the barrel hurt them badly and they came at me up the stairs. But yeah, without any kind of cheesy tactic I very much doubt that it's even possible. It's possible if you know how to build solo character. I beat it solo at level 2 but I cant post the build nor show vid of the fight because it would get nerfed. /sarcasm off

You'll be surprised because not a lot of people dont know how to make a solo build that works in potd. Just look at this thread for example. One said to me, "How many blessings do you use and how often do you abuse choke points?" ^ indicating that he can't believe a build can solo the game without some form of cheese One said to me, "I am really looking forward to such builds and in particular screenshots/videos of them in action." ^ indicating that they don't know how to make a build than can solo the game And you have to add the fact that we are in the character builds subforum of this forum. Boeror has also made a build compilation list. So the knowledge of the people in this subforum regarding solo builds should be high right. And yet I still got question and statement like that indicating that yes not a lot of people don't know how to make a solo viable build for potd 1.1. Do note I'm playing with level scaling mod from Nexus too and I've tested all the marked (solo potd: yes) builds from Boeror's compilation list. Let's just say only a tiny amount of builds that were marked (solo potd: yes) were able to solo the game with the level scaling mod installed. But all I can say is arcana based alchemy based builds are so bonkers that they make the game a cakewalk even with level scaling mod installed. Hope it gets heavily nerfed. lol

Cleanly unkillable.

I am really looking forward to such builds and in particular screenshots/videos of them in action. Let me just note, because why not, that it always triggers me when I read "this or that technique is cheese" but my unkillable build is legit. If a solo character can walk somewhere and kill everything just like that, its the pinnacle of cheese from where I sit because its God-mode.

It's only my opinion. You think seem like I have more opportunities to change something? It's not like that at all. P.S: This mod written specially for those of you who find POE2 too easy. In general, I would assume that those who are vocal have a higher probability to influence (whatever they want to influence) than those who are not. Of course, you are entitled to your opinion and of course, others have the same opportunity to be vocal. I am just constantly baffled by opinions who express their will to impose on others. I do not understand why would anyone want to remove an optional feature. Since it does not compute to me, perhaps naively, I think that your suggestion comes from omission and/or flawed reasoning. I have used this parallel on this board before, but to me its like if there was a hill to climb, there was a medal for reaching the top, and there also was a cable-car leading to the top. Then someone, who like to get to the top on foot, would suggest .. remove the cable-car. It just makes no sense to me. If I want to get to the top on foot, the fact that cable-car exists is irrelevant to me so is whether others use the cable-car or helicopter to get to the top. To ask for cable-car removal is nothing else but imposing on others for no rational reason. If someone explains it to me, why to impose on others without rational reason, perhaps I will stop asking about it.

Buffs and debuffs.

Not for me. I do not play in full party and I have to make choices with consequences. If it is indeed just "a nice little bonus" intended by developers, then I have no argument. It is their game after all.

I tried to explain why .. because in context 20 Intimidate is a heavy investment, unlike 1 in Weapon and Shield. If you think about it along the line .. since its free it's a decent bonus .. , then I would agree. However, it's not free for all players/playstyles as something else has to be given up, and if it was free indeed than it's not a good design because where are the choice and consequence? I can quote Mr. Sawyer talking about the significance of choice and consequence at GDC if needed. I do not comment whether 20 is ludicrous or not. I comment on the notion that "balance" means that for 20 points in Intimidate the player gets +6 Deflection and react to comments about "balance" which try to appear to be rational despite they are not.

It's pointless "to build" around +6 deflection armor with regards to Intimidate. If someone, someone diverging from normal (in a statistical sense) greatly, wanted "to build" character around stacking Deflection, that someone would have to sacrifice much more than 20 Intimidate. This someone, Braven, already posted in here and explained how it's done including +40 Deflection from Wizard's Double or not resting. In comparison, +6 Deflection for 20 Intimidate is just a bad deal. Weapon and shield style is +6 Deflection for one invested ability point. It just does not compute. The problem here, and other threads about "balance", is concern that someone could stack Deflection to become immortal. I say .. who cares? 20 points in Intimidate ought to be, in my opinion, worth more than 1 ability point.

'Berath Blessings' broke balance. It would be better if they were did not exist. But if they are, then it would be good to weaken them in ~ 2 times. Yellow is very strong abilities, i do not know why they are available to PotD. And the green skills just to reduce the gold by ~2 times. Orange is serious imbalance. Need rework? The remaining skills are more or less, i think. P.S: Can all these blessings be unavailable to PotD? Why should they be unavailable? It's not mandatory to take them. In other words, what is your motive for setting any baseline for others? You can set your own baseline and what others do is not your concern in my opinion.