PrimeJunta

It is and it does. I don't see the problem of just doing it the D&D way and granting more slots for lower-rank spells as you level up. You still get moar strategic spellcasting capability but not in those sudden jumps from 4 to (effectively) unlimited.

I'd even make it so that Fine, Exceptional, Superb determines the number of enchantment slots on the item. And so that it'd be possible to forge them from scratch. You'd still be able to make that Suberb Estoc of Murder you want, but you'd have to start by finding the ore, the soul, and an animancer-metallurgist willing to sacrifice it to make the skein steel.

@Nakia yeah. I dunno how much artistic license those Greek vases took when depicting hoplites fighting naked, but even they had their helmets on (and the shield ofc).

Complexity and effort is the key. That's what I mean by "restrictive." The suggestions I had earlier would be small steps in that direction, but something that could be done easily without overhauling the whole thing.

What I like about restricted crafting is that it turns into a gameplay driver in its own right. The most fun I've had with crafting is playing a gunslinger/technomancer in Arcanum. Hunting for schematics and components and building up my character so I can make the things I want became as important as doing quests and unraveling mysteries. It added a whole new dimension to it. To pick an example that's closer to home, I also liked NWN2 OC's crafting system a lot. The recipes, components, and requirements were tough enough that getting something really cool took planning and effort, and the rewards were big enough to make it worth it. With Pillars, crafting is just another subsystem, but nothing more. It's never motivated me to change anything about the way I play.

If I have to choose between playing dress-up and a subsystem that drives interesting gameplay, I'll pick the latter. YMMV

IMO the enchantment system is too permissive already. I'd rather make it so that Fine, Exceptional, and Superb can't be bestowed at all, all enchantments are final, and you have to go to a blacksmith's shop to have them done. That way you'd have to think about it a bit rather than just going herp derp corrosive lash.

@Gromnir with different AI that would be true. With the current one, engagement does (usually) effectively block an enemy. That makes it useful primarily as a defensive feat, to stop them from reaching your squishies.

With no über-tank, you need to do more CC. I find that more interesting actually.

@Nobear Status effects like prone, stunned, paralysed etc mean that you can't engage. Flanked is a separate status effect, which happens when you're targeted by multiple enemies. Dunno how it affects the AI, but those statuses are kind of bad news as you're not only unable to engage, but also suffer from some fairly serious debuffs. So Hold the Line won't do anything if you're prone (or doing something else that's not attacking), since you won't be able to engage. It's only useful if you park yourself somewhere and use it to block enemies.

@Zmiy Dojdey you do not need to have a super-tank. Been playing PotD with a barbarian PC and Edér/Pallegina built for attack rather than defense. Works well.

In that case, wolf > bear >> any of the others. Just don't forget to use the abilities.

None of them are much good. They're marginally useful in the early game, but any of them will get splattered over the landscape pretty quickly. IMO the wolf is the most useful as it has Knockdown which lets you disengage so you can use it to get out of trouble. The bear's terrifying roar is somewhat useful debuff though.

Max INT and MIG. DEX isn't so important for druids and wizards as you won't/shouldn't be chaincasting (much). MIG on the other hand makes your damage spells bite harder, and since you have limited spells, it makes a difference.

I'm pretty sure there's an autosave just before you jump down the rabbit hole. Can keep playing from that point on.

This is not a troll question, I'm genuinely curious. Why are achievements a big deal?

Amentep yes it would. Path of the Damned clearly demonstrates this: the higher Accuracy and generally higher stats mean that, for example, status effects like Poison or Deep Wounds become potent threats rather than something you can just ignore until it wears off. Also, during the BB there were several builds where the numbers were way up from where they ended up, which completely changed the way the encounters played out. Right now the game has a serious difficulty problem -- Easy is too hard for casuals while Hard is a snore once you've figured out how the mechanics work. Path of the Damned occasionally reaches the sweet spot in difficulty, but it gets a bit monotonous because the mobs are always so big. (And yes, before you start snorting about filthy casuals, Obs does need to care about them too -- in this sorry excuse of an economic system we live in, the game has to sell. Besides, an Easy mode that nerfed the enemies to half-strength would be no skin off anyone else's nose.) Twiddling stats for different difficulties can be done badly or well, just like level scaling. If it's done badly it turns into mindless bloat; if it's done well, it gives different types of players what they want.

Yeh wizards don't suck. The trick is to pick the right spell to attack the enemy's weakest defence, or hit them with one-two punches. Gishing is also fun. Summon a weapon, self-buff with some defences, and mow your way through the opposition. Just be sure to bail out before the buffs run out.

You don't even need to heap them much. Getting Lore up to 6 doesn't cost much if you pick a background which gives you a bonus, and that'll let you use level 3 scrolls. I always have 4 lore on my frontliners (minimum) just for this purpose. It helps a lot in some of the harder fights on PotD.

no

Sounds like you're looking for a cipher. Pick the weapon talents and the ones that boost Soul Whip damage, and Powers which enhance your front-line survivability and you're good to go. Ciphers have a relatively small number of Powers so they're fine as a 'starter' class.

If you want to make firearms useful through the entire encounter, there's really only one way -- Gunner talent for all your gunners, Sure-Handed Ila chant on your chanter. With three gunners you can keep up a fairly withering rate of fire. Having the gunners wear little or no armor and have high DEX also helps. Edit: OK, you can also rack up four weapon slots and the quick switch talent, but that's extremely fiddly without party AI.

As are some of the people who collaborated on my review. And no, it doesn't have anything to do with it, nor does it stop me from collaborating with them. The irony is that Sensuki and many of the people back-slapping him are also Gamergate supporters -- yet when the rubber meets the road, this is their idea of ethics in journalism.

Going by what I know of Bubbles, I'm pretty sure this is exactly what ze intended.

Doesn't matter. What I care about is the betrayal of trust and that it was considered OK by everyone concerned, even those who wanted the review published. Edit: and by "OK" I mean "at most worth a finger-wag." In retrospect, what I should've done is this: "Either that thread is retardoed and Sensuki gets a tag, or I'm pulling the plug. You have one hour." More fool me. Getting rid of the thread would have initiated a Streisand effect of massive proportions and you know it. The Codex can't do that, we cannot declare a topic of discussion out of bounds once it's out there. As for the tag, we'll see about that. Don't care about the Streisand effect. Don't care about the discussion. Do care that a clear signal is sent that posting a draft without permission is not OK and will not be tolerated.