rjshae

Actually, if it becomes per encounter then I would hope the diversity of spell types will increase and become more specialized. That will give you more tactical decisions to make for a presumably decreased number of spell uses.

Anyone can disarm traps. I regularly have parties in PoE that don't include a Rogue or Cipher and I just pick someone else and pump their mechanics and, at worst, there is the occasional trap I can't disarm and am forced to trigger. What do I lose from this? Some health and a little bit of experience that I really don't need. The idea that a Rogue or Cipher is mandatory is just rubbish. Isn't trap/secret detection being switched to use Perception in PoE2? Thought I read that somewhere.

With six characters I'm usually still able to battle on when three or even four of them drop during heavy combat. I'd expect though that 5 member parties will need more do-overs.

I think higher level Rogues should be capable of being more disruptive in combat. Fighters have Knock Down, Into the Fray, Clear Out, and Charge, all of which can heavily disrupt the enemy battle line. Rogues should be able to cause trips, tumbles, unbalancing, distraction, and entanglement.

One more thing: the ability to select drag-select items in the Chest. Selling many dozens of mundane items was just a click fest.

What needs fixing: I'd like more things to spend money on than I can possibly fund. Toward the end of PoE I had a ridiculous amount of money and nothing worth buying. If the game isn't going to provide super-expensive magic item goodies, then perhaps it needed virtual assets to purchase that would improve relations, enhance prestige, subvert something, or just to feel good. &c. Why couldn't I fund a new hospital wing in the outer island colonies and get a nice thank you for it? Maybe a mention of it in NPC conversations?

Well at least it isn't four.

Yeah, but we've seen this in other cRPGS as well. It takes resources to develop NPC reactions based on race during conversations, and most times implementation of racial reaction is probably toward the bottom of the priority stack. The godlike are otherwise mostly fine as an alternative race and they provide a lot of color and variety to the setting. However, they are supposed to be rare. There were too many of them present in PoE, I think in large part because of the backer NPC selections. We may see fewer of them in PoE2. I think you missed the point. The point is that Obsidian wasn't committed to fully implement the god-like plausibly, and thus they shouldn't have implemented them at all. The godlike would've been fine as and alternative race and they would've provided a lot of color and variety to the setting, if Obsidian had been committed to implementing them properly. I didn't miss the point. Your concern just seems pretty minor to me. I've seen D&D cRPGs that allow Drow PCs. Players think that's pretty cool and go play it, even though it's completely ridiculous for a Drow to be strolling around in civilized lands. Do the NPCs respond to it? Not really, but people play them anyway. If you don't like the god-like characters, don't play them.

For a specific non-combat spell, how would you implement the invisibility spell? I don't see a way to have it not work better than a maxed out Stealth skill. Hence, it would be unbalancing unless it had some type of handicap. Maybe a 'Disoriented' Status Effect once it ends?

Yeah, but we've seen this in other cRPGS as well. It takes resources to develop NPC reactions based on race during conversations, and most times implementation of racial reaction is probably toward the bottom of the priority stack. The godlike are otherwise mostly fine as an alternative race and they provide a lot of color and variety to the setting. However, they are supposed to be rare. There were too many of them present in PoE, I think in large part because of the backer NPC selections. We may see fewer of them in PoE2.

Really? That wasn't my experience; my rogue PC kicked butt. Maybe they've been "rebalanced" since then?

It seems like that'd be easy enough to implement: just have the starting character be able to buy a "Ring of Solitude" that provides such immunities, but it only works when traveling without companions.

Yes, it's irrelevant. I was offering a compromise of limited pre-buffing, one per caster. Why summoning outside of combat, unless you plan to use them as a meat shield? I.e. a form of buffing.

How about this: while in scouting mode, if a party member has a partly red circle, any nearby character can start casting a combat-only spell. However, the casting can not be completed before combat starts. This lets you pause, get off a quick buff spell, then ready your next action before engaging the enemy.

In my case, sadly true...

As long as the encounters are balanced properly, I'm fine with not spending time casting buffs prior to combat. If you allow some players do it, then everybody ends up having to prep with buffs because the encounters will be increased in difficulty.

I'd like to see a way to implement use of a main gauche weapon with the 'one-handed weapon with no shield' style.

Mmm, I believe armor impacts your recovery speed, which would effect how often you can cast spells. A lightly-armored Wizard can thus fire off more spells in the same duration. High Dex also helps.

An axe-wielding enormous muscular barbarian called Thac0.

I'd like to see Wizards get more forces and fields spells, like the Bigby's Hands spells, telekinesis, Otiluke's Resilient Sphere, or repulsion.

For me the Pull of Eora spell has proven devastating time after time. I lay it down just behind the toughest opponents, then overlay it with a damaging wall spell. The pulled in enemy has trouble return to the front line (perhaps because of walkpathing issues?), and they get almost constantly damaged and worn down by the wall. The spell seems overpowered, even at 4th level. Have others had that experience?