knownastherat

Just trying, or rather testing, it out as a potential solo PotD character. I am not sure whether INT is all that important for Warlock, for Evoker/Berserker Nature Godlike respectively. Went to the extreme to see limits with INT 4, during Frenzy having 1 INT (4-5) . Took Fan of Flames and its a mini-cone! Nevertheless, Frenzy + 5 MIG and 2 PEN, MMMs to open with - > mini-cone when enemies at melee -> 71.6 damage at level 1 (not a Crit). Full MIG, CON, PER, dumped INT and RES. The idea is not to pick spells/abilities where INT is essential, there are quite a few in Evoker (Enchanter)/Berserker trees, open up with Infuse With Vital Essence -> buff -> Frenzy, alternatively open up with Frenzy -> soften up with spells (not the mini-cone!) -> mop up with melee carnage from Berserker passives.

As a racer, you race against other humans. Soon, AI will be so advanced that humans will not beat it in a virtual environment (see OpenAI or Aphla Go). So, race while you can. If one wants to have a challenge, one does not cross a river on a bridge. It's simple, and logical, as that.

The game (mechanics) can be subject to criticism, however, Why should I force myself to put points in different attributes or use different abilities? To be forced and challenged into intellectual analysis and actual thinking. if one wants to be challenged there are means to do so.

What is the point of difficulties? Indeed, a very good question. Ability to balance an environment derives from the level of control over such environment. If, for example, is possible to know what kind of maximum damage and HP player has available during a particular encounter, it's relatively easy to "balance" such encounter, at least for certain level of difficulty. To control all variables in PoE is quite complex simply due to the complexity of the game. PoE difficulty primarily comes from knowledge, unlike hand-eye coordination in Dark Souls for example. Knowledge of game mechanics, item locations, quests, synergies, etc. Essentially, as it was mentioned, developers try to "balance" the game against players knowledge in evolving manner. I have heard several people saying they gave up on PoE because it was "too hard", which only means they lacked the knowledge needed, and will to gain it, the level of knowledge assumed by developers. If one wanted to make the game more accessible to a greater variety of players, the best shot at doing this without dumbing the complexity (Dragon Age anyone?) would be to allow for powerful and fun stuff players can do in the game. To complain that the game is too easy when one uses a fully optimized party, starting bonuses, best items, .. reload, is to be saying: This is not Dark Souls! No, it is not. This game is actually a role-playing game. Baldur's Gate 2 .. EZ Really? Beat it solo with melee Druid. But I want to play in a party! No, you want to lower difficulty.

Personally, I am not concerned with overpowered abilities if I am not forced to use them, and multi-classing - the best addition to the game - offers a large number of ways to avoid them. And if I want to use the "broken" mechanics - hello BG2 indeed! - I can compensate by a number of companions for example. That someone min-maxes and abuses overpowered mechanics? Choice - consequence and freedom. Freedom some cannot resist. Freedom that becomes futile. IIRC the devs do not share my view. They were constantly trying to "balance" PoE despite such "balance" most players of PoE could not experience as by the time it was "balanced" most were done with the game already, based on player's feedback and own ideas of what freedom in the game should entitle. So I would not worry. The game is very playable btw.

Currently, I am looking at Trickster. max Per, max Int, Dex, (Mig). One handed. Hearth Orlan (there are figurines, right?) Avoid everything possible and what is not avoidable either Backstab or Confuse or DoT. Console level up revealed that at max level Confuse lasts over 60sec, Mirror Image over 120s and Gaze of Adragan over 12 sec. 3 means of becoming invisible up to 37 sec , 2 means of Confusion, prolonging Confusion via Enfeebled and Lasting Empower, not taking many other abilities but taking many passives boosting critical hit conversion and critical damage, utility and escape mechanism. Riposte? Just "dreamed" this up and am level 4 at the moment. Are there many groups that have to be fought or could I kind of pacifist like in PoE?

Let Eder talk to her. Apparently, he is romantic

Developers commentary in the first area of POE said something like .. game about choices and consequences .. and this is how I see balance.

1.3 + 0.3 -> 60% @ Power Level VII* *can(?) be boosted

Illusionist/Streetfighter Living on the edge: https://photos.app.goo.gl/s3TexYSgBzJtMdFx2 Reflexive Mirror on the first hit, possibly triggering Heating up, Wizard Double for 87 Deflection on 4 Res, at least for now. For comparison backstab: https://photos.app.goo.gl/oQxAZYnytVXvQ3tx1 Just started so cant comment more.

Yes, I am aware, thanks for suggestions. However, as I said I do not mind having weakness(es). If I was able to walk anywhere and kill anything without much problem/effort, it would be boring to me. Challenge, overcoming weaknesses is part of fun for me. My playstyle for this melee Wiz is based on ability to deal lots of damage and heal lots of damage received. Hence stat distribution and talents. Some people do not like "cheese" playstyle. There is nothing more cheese to me than being able to kill anything easily. Since I do get interrupted a lot, I have to come up with approaches I would not have to come up with if I was not interrupted. Think of it as .. role playing

Yup, I have read all the recent Wiz threads and the build thread before deciding. Good stuff there. The stat distribution is possibly not optimal but I do not mind having weaknesses and strengths, to avoid/capitalise on. It kind of defines playstyle for me. I see WILL as the least useful save hence dumped RES while dumped DEX and relatively high PER keeps Reflex in check. Cant have it all, -21% action speed a Wiz can mitigate, while Accuracy is always useful. Interrupts are indeed a problem, hence my remark about re-roll. Not sure yet. Trying to compensate with Llengrath's Displaced Image and large shield to cast buffs, last long enough in tough encounters, while trying to avoid Weapon and Shield style. Its still too early into the game to tell though I feel. Probably will not be able to do all content but at least will see what the limits are like. /shrugs

IIRC I only breezed through this part with high Fortitude Monk Torment-Reaching the spirits to death. For consistency, reliability I would sneak.

No explanation is necessary There is not one, let alone correct, way to play the game imo. As mentioned, I run with Coastal Aumaua with very high healing bonuses and INT so VR works well for me. btw I love Act 2. Its the part of the game I replay the most. Also I found Firebrand, from Forgemaster gloves, quite useful as it hits consistently for ~40-50 damage, with 21 MIG as base + bonuses. Though per/rest it saves the, excellent, parasitic staff for Eldritch Aim/Spirit Shield. Still in Act 2 as I re-rolled, have mental issues with respeccing druning run, for dumped RES in favour of PER. Not too happy with it though, very bad for Concentration even with Spirit Shield on, so might re-roll again. It works out that I take about half as damage as I do, which speaks for itself I think.

Indeed, it was posted before. Actually I thought it was standard. With figurine, even without increased move speed, its possible to do it without killing anything. Handy for, rogue, pacifist runs. As developer commentary suggest this fight was made to be hard, and possibly interesting, as it serves as gate opening story further. Also as mentioned in linked thread, it was game stopper for many solo runs as it was not easy to consistently win it. --- actually, +1 Speed is probably essential as I recall now. Food ..

These kind of games are about know-how, unlike lets say Dark Souls which are about hand-eye coordination. This is also why these kind of games are much harder to balance than to compute reaction time. What else to say? Want challenging AI? At the moment, AlphaGo is the top dog Never played BG/2 with mods but soloed it with every class. Soloed DA:O with every class, solo PoE the same way. Its indeed like a puzzle, once figured it seems easy. Then again, when AI will become too good, puzzles will become unsolvable. I find PoE sufficient, that is why I still play it.

Thanks for the write-up. Playing solo meele Wiz myself at the moment, I find it curious there is no Veteran's Recovery and Apprentice Sneak Attack or Second Skin in melee build. I have Res 10 base, do not have Arcane Veil and do not usually use Deflection boosting spells, and still am able to do all content without much problems, usually first try. With max Mig and 16 Con base, Coastal Aumaua, + 25% healing item and high DR, I recover most what I get hit for usually through VR , CC Siphon and Shod-in-Faith. That's running around with Kana estoc and Durance staff, because I am cheap, till level 8. This said, while melee Wiz is now more viable than a year ago for example, its still far from most powerful Wiz build my opinion. Good job on sticking with it.

Arcane Veil is great BUT its per rest. Wizards have enough mitigation to invest 2 talents in to per rest mitigation. Especially with spell mastery as per ver 3.0 There are several kind of Wizards, or rather I tried melee, elemental (with elemental talents), sorcerer (with rings of wizardry and bonus spells), some mix and all worked for me. However I play them solo thus I am biased, for example not taking Blast or Veil. Weapon and Shield, ever present bonus Deflection and Reflex, hatchet and small shield + spells improving Deflection gives good protection. Other than that, for team character, depending on whether damage or CC is preferred elemental talents or bonus spells. There is never enough of spells improving aim, casting speed or/and deflection. Wizard is versatile.

Quest Cape of the Cheat, neck Grants Escape (1 per encounter) 10% of incoming Grazes converted to Misses

Not sure if it belongs here but have not seen it before. Via Stronghold quest Cape of the Cheat, neck Grants Escape (1 per encounter) 10% of incoming Grazes converted to Misses --- edit: oh there is thread. ..

Nor does Osyra grants a rest.

Grats! Since it has 145? parts .. care for highlights? Few comments on lets say interesting parts. Tips, tricks, what to avoid, how to approach difficult encounters, level up, items etc. Paladin is unknown to me and for some reason I hesitate to try it.

lol The Second "Hanging": Tuco was also "wanted in 15 counties of this state, the condemned standing before us - sitting before us - Tuco Benedicto Pacifico Juan Maria Ramirez has been for guilty by the Third District Circuit Court of the following crimes: murder; assaulting a Justice of the Peace; raping a virgin of the White race, and statuatory rape of a minor of the Black race; of derailing of trains in order to rob the passengers; ... (again portions are inaudible due to other characters talking) ... robbery; highway robbery; robbing an unknown number of post offices; breaking out of a ... and the condemned is associated ... ... marked cards and loaded dice ... ... catching and selling fugitive slaves ... thereby ... in a high place of authority ... in the Sheriff's Office in Sonora ... setting fire to a wagon train; ... statement in advance ... a hundred rounds to a Souix Indian ... the condemnded is also guilty of ... supplying Indians ... and mis-representing himself as a Mexican general ... salary and allowance from the Union Army. Of all these crimes the accused made made a full, spontaneous confession. Therefore we condemn him to be hung (sic) by the neck until dead. May the Lord have mercy on his soul. Proceed." "Tuco Benedicto Pacifico Juan Maria Ramirez", known as 'The Rat' - http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0002057/bio More like Wasteland 2 character

I think its random drop, Acc 2, I tend to get them from Raedric's Hold. Rodriguez.

Vithrack brain can be bought in Ondra's Gift.