Magrusaod

But this is a party-based game. Almost nobody plays just one class, and folks with a general interest in the game's mechanics aren't going to want to keep tabs on 11 separate sub-forums. (Or even the 6 that are relevant for the party they're presently playing.) Good point. But I think it needs something besides class builds, strategy and unity engine all bunched up together. That, can be agreed upon. "Class Builds", "Mechanics & Strategy", "Game Engine" being broken up into 3 forums makes sense. Making 1 for each class, another for strategy, and another for the game engine is crazy though to do to a board with this limited amount of members and traffic.

Unnecessary, but I've seen forums that are *much* better organized than this one. That being said, it's 1 game within this sub-forum. Not a terrible amount of chaos. A pinned thread that describes the preferred method of how to post would be easy to do with no changes. For example, title sorting. "Please use the following format:" Race/ Class/ Topic of interest; Thread Name/Description IE: Orlan Monk: Guidebook; Dwarf Barbarians: How do I max DPS with survival?, etc, etc Creating an instant view of Subject; Description in each thread name.

Yeah, you are playing with the derpy pre-made companions. Fix that, and you'll see a significant change.

Yeah, one can skip all options and just barrel through. Still have to run through the maps, deal with creeps, and the dialogue you are forced to deal with. My mistake for attempting a new game when the patch hit to see the changes. Silly me for thinking it was worth it. Oh well. If folks are just trucking through all of the dialogue and ignoring everything, it boils down to, why bother territory. Which would be my point. Part of my time sink is just lol, everything else going on in my life that distracts me and requires me to do this in 2-5 minute intervals between tasks. So the 15 minutes for someone who can just do it all at once with no distractions is fine. For me, I need to pause, get up, and do something else for 20 minutes, then get a few moments to sit down and play again. It becomes a true chore to do that same intro repeatedly. Showing a friend how it starts for the first time, it's nice to have there after my 3rd time. Outside of that, it's unnecessary. Def mod territory sounding yeah.

Yeah, that'd be fine. It's just something else that's holding me back. I keep trying to make characters that I think I might enjoy with the premade companions, new ones to try. Then I realize, they don't mesh together in a way I like. So I start over. Dumping 2-3 hours to start over, and collect a few of them over and over again is just a time sink that makes me want to shelve the game entirely between the companions issues and the startup. It's just BLAH. Being able to skip that, say I'm level 2, and just GO on my adventures, hire some companions of my own would prevent me from having to cheat to just bypass the whole nonsense. I don't want to have to cheat to enjoy this game. Unfortunately, after 2 and a half years of waiting on it, its just looking like I must. Which is sad. I shouldn't have to, but just not happy with what I am dealing with playing it the way it was meant to be played. Causing me to restart and blah.

I haven't played through the entire game, no. However, when I decide I want a new character and to test something out, it's just a hassle. I need to devote my entire play time spread across 2 days worth of allotted time. Just to get to Gilded Vale and move through the necessary stuff. I can tolerate three times. After that, it's *yawn* and I want to fast forward to the point I have an actual choice in what I do.

I want to mention something, which I feel is important. The intro to the game is awesome to experience, the first time. It can be fun the 2nd time, and it can be entertaining changing up how you do things a third time. However, After this, it becomes a chore. Is there a way for the Obsidian team to create a toggle feature like Expert/Iron Man Mode that skips you to the Black Dog Tavern? Avoiding the whole run around the camp, ruins, cut scene, and discussion with the redneck locals which wastes an hour or two upon creating a new game? I've enjoyed it, but after the 3rd time. I'm tapped out. Done, and maybe I can enjoy it again a year from now if I revisit in late 2016. However, it's just something I feel that once you've experienced it several times, the whole things screams "Tutorial Experience", and sometimes you just want to ditch the tutorial and get on with the meat and bones of the game. Just a thought.

Personally, all of them. However, Sagani first. Then Aloth, then Kana, Then Durance, then Eder, in order of effectiveness.

Yeah, no. In a party based game where you are being threatened by hostiles everywhere you go. Combat viability is important for each member of the group. Tactical aspects must be considered here, as it's a tactical combat system inherent in the game. Those companions only really work for 1 type of main PC, a DPS carry type PC. If you go any other route, you are really in for a long, exhausting play through that is just frustrating. Why? The way their attributes and talents are setup. In a party based RPG with a high tactical element to the combat system, having the ability to simply create each member of your team to perform in a way you wish them to perform will give you enjoyment, control, and confidence in your party in order to succeed. A group that functions well together, with each member filling a role within the party. With the companions, they offer dialogue, and a body to soak damage, while your PC does stuff. Which is sad, they don't offer much else.

I think people are so focused on the Invocation aspect of Chanters, they are ignoring the fact you can just build a tank chanter, and grant aura's to the party while holding the lane up front. Which is super useful and expends no daily resources. In the event a fight doesn't end up a stomp in your favor and it lasts longer than expended, you have a perk, BAM invocation gets dropped. I will agree though, the increase in amount of Chant counts needed to use higher level Invocations, coupled with the duration of the higher level chants is just detrimental to later game play with this class. If you want to use a 3rd tier Chant and then a 3rd tier Invocation, it's a 40 second wait IIRC? Which is silly.

Yeah, I have come to the conclusion the only way I can enjoy their stories is to open the console and grant them the Attributes, skills, talents/abilities I would prefer them to have before playing with them.

No wonder, you made a monk with Might 2. Monks are fun as DPS strikers. They require to be hit in order to use their abilities, building a full tank monk with no Might means you can't use your abilities, and do no damage regardless of the situation. >.<

Right, looking like my concept is getting the response of what I expected. The idea isn't a tank wizard, but merely a wizard who can survive the front line, and spray and pray essentially. Key difference between building a tank, and simply surviving the initial several rounds of combat to nuke the field as the enemy comes to you IMO. That being said, I'd agree with the Chanter/Cipher responses. I've played both in this game, and tank chanter works great. Cipher is just better than Wizard due to the lack of need for resource management as it stands in this state of the system. Side note: If this game goes anime style, I'm deleting it and moving on with my life. >.< Eww.

It's not worth it. I wasted 2 hours today to find out that I still want to kill their useless bodies and loot them for their unique items and sell the rest for decent level 1 companions. It's truly sad. Waiting 2.5 years after dumping $100 for companions that are just BLAH or the alternative, not hearing the story the developers put so much time and effort into? It's depressing. Truly.

Yeah, Fan of Flames looks like my best option. High damage AOE vs an encounter based Health/Endurance system is just the strongest method. Burst someone down, you win. However, with limited spells per day, I am torn. Ideally, the spell which grants me accuracy paired with Parasitic Staff would be ideal for this build. However, I won't be able to do that every encounter until I reach level 9. Which is a bummer. That would rock. It would eat into combat rounds, but I could with tactical timing and movement, boost my accuracy, and then summon the staff as my initial volley from the rest of the party is on its way. Then have my tank engage the bulk of the enemy and just swing at whatever comes my way. CC whatever is needed from the front, and if the enemy is stupid enough to dog pile me, fan of flames and nuke everything in my path. I put together a simplistic 21 Might, 17 Int, 10 across the board Amaua, the type that gets bonus vs Prone/Stun? That +2 to Might and the ability to resist being just shut down was too hard to pass up for me. Went against what I intended, but was curious to try it out. Unfortunately, too tired to get through the intro. >.< I think I will need a custom party to make this work, but sold my backer ring and the horrid gun you find early on. Have about 2000 copper before the battle where the caravan is wiped out, so should be rich by the time I sell things at the Black Dog. I can pick up some companions there. I am thinking, if I take Aloths armor, Kana's Headband, and Durance's Staff and dump it on my wizard it will give me a reach weapon to work from just behind the tank and extra AOE ranged. Curious if folks have any further input. I might change up this build, as I haven't even grabbed the waterskin and set into motion the chain of events that it unfolds. Simple test run tonight. Easy enough to start over and all and scrap this plan/build.