JFutral

I don't use auto-pause for much, but I kind of agree in the conflict between manual pausing and auto-pausing and some of the auto-pausing being a bit confusing. I kind of wish manually pausing had some sort of overriding function. Even when I trim auto-pause down to "Combat start" and "Action compete" auto pauses, my manual pausing sometimes tends to hit just after the auto-pause and I end up not pausing at all. That is very frustrating. So then I get into double tapping my space bar and everything goes sideways quickly. I do not like the current method of inspiration AND afflictions titling. I hated in PoE1 that there were 15 different ways to get stuck and each way needed its own remedy. This is worse. Now I don't even know what each inspiration does or which affliction I can cast affects what attribute of the enemy. The signifiers don't directly match the signifieds. They are all (at least) one step removed. Joe

It's doable. You have to figure out a strategy that works, though. It may take a few attempts. You have to look at what is killing you quickly and find a strategy to either minimize that or that takes it out of the equation asap. As for the thugs, you can sneak by if you can figure out how to get in at the bottom SE corner of the map and not the top. If you can only come in at the top of the map, there will be blood. Joe

Not saying this isn't the case, but that's what I thought for the first couple of attempts to launch the patch. I let it run once and discovered it takes over 2 minutes to get past the splash screen to the menu screen. Again, that was just on my computer, and I was already trying to figure out how to uninstall the patch until something (past experience with computers?) said "Just wait". Not that I know this is what is happening with you. Just a suggestion. Joe

Sure, but the bear cave was always difficult, even on "Normal". But I don't remember ever, even in PotD, needing more than one other PC. Or maybe by that time I was just a better player. I was willing to pass on this until I was stronger, and 4 at 4 should be strong enough at this point in the game, imho. Meh. At least in the stream of the game, it isn't an important confrontation and is easily skipped entirely. Other fights I was more interested in refighting for some reason, like at the Ruins. This one I didn't care as much about. So maybe that played a part. I'm still not sure how I came in at the bottom of the screen. Joe

See, that's the kind of creative solution you are forced to try when the fights are really hard! Fun! Hmmm. I don't agree with that. But obviously fun for you. Joe

I thought that was fun. That's what you want out of PotD, overtuned fights. It is an optional fight -- you can move on and then come back and do it later if you need to. That's the kind of fight I like to see overtuned -- your progress isn't gated by it, so why not make it super hard? I dunno it makes the bear cave look like a joke - when are you supposed to come back to it? The engwithan site to pick up Aloth is full of a massive ****block as well. Seems like being able to hit level 4 is pretty important off those quests to progress I agree. But I did stumble upon a non-combative solution that I am not entirely sure how I hit it. There is a way to come into the map from below and sneak to the gang leader. I do enjoy a tactical work out. But when I went in with a 4 party group at 4th level and kept having party members getting one shotted, I stopped trying. I was ready to pass on this task until I found this bypass. Joe

I read a long time ago that over 80% of our thoughts are negative. I don't know how one measures something like that. But I think this makes it clear that the easy path is to be negative. It takes effort, awareness, and deliberateness to be positive, never mind constructive. I used to tell my daughter she didn't get to say she didn't like some food until she tasted it first. If she hated it after that, I wouldn't make her eat it ever again. Play the game. Have fun. Or don't. Joe

Well the faster load of the game itself is gone. I am hoping it is because beta. It took 1'50" to get to the Obsidian logo screen, then another 30 seconds to start playing. Loading saves, other areas/maps, and saving games is still as fast as it was. This is just launching the game. Even my computer thinks the game sin't responding it takes so long to launch. I hope this is temporary. Two and a half minutes is half a pot of drip coffee... searing one side of a steak... over easy eggs for goodness sake! I'm not sure what it means that I think of time in terms of food. Joe

I clicked on the title expecting some sort of new idea for pet storage. I'm embarrassed now. Joe

I put up with the fights in both to get their sweet armor and weapons! Joe

I say get it and give it a go and find out for yourself. If nothing else run a game to get used to how things are different, especially spell casting, with a throw away party and not your PC you want to import. It is not in bad shape at the moment in terms of the two concerns you mentioned. In terms of difficulty, if you are a Veteran or PotD player, there are several who have said it isn't too bad at the beginning but gets more noticeable once you get up to level 10-ish. I would think that should bide your time until the next patch easily. Opinions are all over the place. Find out for yourself. YMMV. Joe

I don't know about others, but PoE2 is easily half the load time at the beginning and between areas. In PoE 1 I was easily 45 seconds +/- once I got deep into a game. It was always faster toward the early stages. Saves took forever. In PoE 2 I average between 15 and 20 seconds for area loads. Saves are all instant, or at least unmeasurable by me. There is also a slight difference between my Intel integrated gpu in my MacBook and the new egpu, but only a second or two. And that is just testing right now after I read your post, so not prolonged gaming, just testing load times. That said, PoE 1 is faster now than it used to be. I don't know what caused that—PoE 1 or Steam update, deleting old saves and games (I heard that helps), or my new graphics set-up (which I doubt, but I don't know, really). I have 8 gigs RAM and an SSD. The load times were miserable in PoE1 for me. Let's hope the future DLCs don't adversely affect that. Joe

My first party I went with the backstory of "everything that could go wrong but still win in the end" so I had none of the PoE NPCs. It was just me (melee rogue/ranger), Serafen (Barbarian) and Xoti (Priest) for the longest time. I found out about the wizard sidekick and got her on board, but she was a subclass, which I am not a fan of the wizard subclass (just not the spell depth to pull it off yet). Then I got the watershaper druid and I finally felt like I had something to make my first playthrough more traditional. Then I picked up Maia and dropped Serafen. Joe

What I appreciate this time round—faster loads and reloads, faster saves, the ability to, at least in certain cities, jump right to a building instead of constantly watching my characters run through the streets just to reload yet another area. Plus I got an external GPU for my Macbook Pro and running full graphics and speed. VERY smooth double speed running and sneaking and very nice. That alone was worth the price. Joe

I'm still trying to figure out when I sailed through 3 or 4 of the main storyline quests. I don't even remember them coming up. Then, poof, they were completed. Although, I feel like turning some quests into time sensitive quests would be a good way to make a different PotD than just more, bigger, or badder baddies. Joe

Never mind the companions. I can't keep my pirates at bay. I've had three ship's crew burst into my quarters and think we are going to have mad, ravenous sex. Joe

That's awesome! Although I still think the Wild Step bonus is more appropriate. Great job. Joe

Was he an albino? Never read the stories. Joe He's a Dark Elf from Forgotten realms D@D settings, Pale Elf is really the only thing that allows you to get close to the same look. In Particular, the Icewind Dale and Dark Elf Trilogies by R.A. Salvatore. Right, but that's my point. He was Drow. Pale elves are, well, pale. Seems wood elf gets closer in complexion and you can still get the white hair I see him often illustrated with. Joe

Was he an albino? Never read the stories. Joe

Why pale elf? Joe

Pale elves definitely look cool. But wouldn't the wily step bonus of wood elves be more appropriate? I also don't think he is particularly strong, so maybe you could repurpose a point or two there. Joe

This. That the OP was allowed to begin with defies explanation. Joe

Well, my initial post was deleted, it seems, but not before at least 9 people saw it and liked it. But I am going to say it again, if you are that ultra-sensitive, you shouldn't play this game or hang out in these forums. Because reality doesn't really matter at that point. You will be unhappy and see what you want to see. Find another game and another forum. Why the mod decided the OP was worth saving but not my response is beyond me. It is unfortunate a troll gets to speak but simple sarcastic hyperbole does not. Joe

Certainly not an attempt to dismiss anything, except my own emotions. My apologies if you read it differently. Mostly just myself not wanting to get worked up about something that is just a game. Joe

I suppose. I stopped playing full party style fairly early in the my playing, so I didn't mind hitting max level so early. It is kind of necessary for survival for solo/small party. Then you have to figure out best strategies as you progress through the story, even if you are max level. There are so many ways to make the game challenging without needing harder baddies. Trial of Iron (PoE1), for instance. Expert mode. Solo the game. Everyone here seems to hates rangers. Play a ranger. Solo a ranger. Meh. Just some thoughts. The developers will do what the developers will do. People gonna gripe. It is what we do, I guess. Since the game is so non-linear (which doesn't help the complainers) I do wish I could set Scale Up in Veteran mode. I ran the Tikara (sp) quests way late in the game. I was burned out on it from the beta. Joe