Pus-in-Boots

I played it on PotD (without level scaling) and it was the hardest fight for me in the game with current and previous patch. I managed to win this fight in first try, but I used 3 scrolls of withdraw for few characters (I didn't have any means to resurect fallen heroes so I tried to keep them alive), run from Oracle to destroy those machines. Other hard fight was with Maura/Weyc for me. Problem is that player don't know exactly what such boss can do, how Oracle's attacks works and what is doing the stuff around the battleground (those machines and flesh bubbles). The first thing I do is to destroy those machines. I noticed they healed the oracle. But the moment I bring the goddamned boss to almost-death a barrage of explosions annihilates my party. It is just absurd.

Is it just me or the difficulty level of that fight is beyond ridiculous? I play on normal setting so fights aren't too frustrating and also provide some semblance of challenge but I haven't had this much trouble in all fights, even playing PoE 1 on PotD. Is there some kind of gimmick to this encounter?

Misread your post, sorry.

Another question: how can I gain access to the rest of the island? When I sail to Crookspur I don't get the option to go on foot further onto the island and it automatically loads the fort's location.

But they'll probably all turn hostile the moment I free the slaves?

Hello! A simple, quick question: is there some kind of dialogue-heavy deceptive or diplomatic way to resolve slavers dilemma or am I supposed to enter their fort pistols blazing and kill everyone without subtlety?

Does the game inform you that completing this quest is the path of no return and you will be married to a faction as a result?

Okay, I've played 20 hours more and was able to afford the best hull and sails upgrades, switch to a dhow and replace my cannons with double bronzers. Naval battles are sort of fun now.

So enchanting is the way to go spending-wise?

Hello there. I've been playing for around 40 hours already and I've got a feeling that I'm earning very little from quests and looting, considering the outlandish prices of ships and ship upgrades. I'm very reluctant to buy equipment for my party for this very reason and because of the cost of exploration (food and drinks to keep the crew happy). Am I doing something wrong? Are my finanses supposed to be so strained or have I simply not played long enough to be rich?

If I'm not mistaken, the companion's endings are influenced by: 1. How you complete their personal quests. 2. Your interactions/conversations with them. So, if you want the best endings, you'll have to bring them with on the relevant quests and choose certain dialogue options. On the other hand, the whole approval system is more for the romance aspect of the game. If you want to "date" a certain companion, then you have to butter up to them during dialogue. Otherwise, you don't need to knock yourself out to please everyone. Thank you very much!

And what about the approval of my companions? Should I exercise myself trying to please everyone because it will guarantee more satisfying endings for them or are such attempts futile?

Elaborate, please.

Do I risk a significant loss in good content by not bringing certain companions to certain places? If so, who should be brought where? Also, are there any strong consequences of not getting high positive relations with a companion, e.g. a "bad" ending for them? Should I maneuver to milk as much approval from them as I can?

Hello there! In PoE 1 Resolve was the stat king regarding dialogue options. How is it in PoE 2? Are stats relevant still or only skills are important now? If so, which passive skill is the most frequently used?

can't give an answer 'til am knowing what you want out of your paladin or paladin + _________. wanna be a top-tier damage dealer who is able able to take a punch or two? wanna be an immortal tank who also buffs when needed? heck, can limit discussion to only play a votary and depending on your playstyle you are able to tank with the best or deal serious damage or find some kinda nice balance 'tween tank and dps. so, what do you want from your character, 'cause chances are there is gonna be a dozen paladin multiclass combos which will come close to achieving what you want. particular in an rpg such as deadfire, "best" is not an objective value when discussing relative class merits. on the positive side, deadfire is flexible enough such that if you wanna play a paladin + (to be determined,) chances are you will be able to find a multiclass combo which suits your needs/desires. so, what do you want? HA! Good Fun! I'd like to enhance paladin's tank/support qualities. Alternatively, I may go for additional dps.

Why trickster and not, say, streetfighter? Because triggering streetfighter's bonuses isn't that easy. So perhaps a pure rogue would be more efficient? I'm not a fan of illusion spells.

Why trickster and not, say, streetfighter?

Hello there! So, I used to play as a Gold Pact Paladin in PoE 1. I'd like to continue like this in PoE 2 but since the character development system has changed and I can now multiclass I have a question. Should I multiclass as a paladin and if so which class is the best choice as a second one? Also, which weapon proficiency do you recommend for a paladin?

No, you must fire one of that 8 you hired.

You must build barracks to be able to recruit hirelings.

As the poster above pointed out, resolve is the most frequently used attribute in conversations. If my memory serves, the hardest resolve check in the game is 21. You can boost your resolve with items (max bonus is 4 from certain gauntlets), food and rests to pretty high levels so 16 would be enough. Perhaps even less but the lower you get, the more management it requires. Although most checks don't go above 18.

For one I would recomend you to set mental stats of your main character (perception, intellect, resolve) at least to 16, to enjoy the most of dialogue options that the game has to offer.

Well, I pretty much agree with Chris Avellone that elves and dwarves are terribly tired cliches. I never pick them during character creation in fear it may induce nausea. Sorry, elves and dwarves lovers, just a personal opinion.

Yes, I think that mixture is somewhat contradictory. The honest options usually offer you a blunt truth, not coated with soft words. I would rather opt for diplomatic + benevolent. You are careful not to offend anyone and are genuinely interested in the well-being of others. On the other hand, you might consider the effect that the honest reputation has on people you encounter. It is really useful for someone who wants to resolve a situation peacefully to have other people trust your word. So the combination of diplomatic + honest might not be so bizzare after all.