JFutral

I know I am still influenced by the AD&D concept of a thief, but I find it difficult to conceive a rogue that I would consider, say, a second story thief. To me, such a character class would have good athletics, stealth, and mechanics by necessity. But with only 1 point to divvy between those skills, I am afraid this is a pipe dream. It also seems to me that, along with career, or whatever the background RPG attribute is called, Dexterity and Perception attributes would have some affect on those things. Of course by definition rogue does not equal thief. But I could build something I would consider a thief much easier in PoE I than in II. I miss that. And just because this is my holy cause, really, either get rid of traps or improve traps. Maybe a higher mech level can also increase damage potential, not just accuracy. Or does it do this and I just don't see it? I still feel like (I say feel because I haven't really checked the stats) traps are lethal to my PCs and merely a nuisance, at best, for the enemy. Are there details that I just haven't noticed yet? It could be likely since I am not really a math player. Joe

I'm still good launching through Steam, although I still have the PoE II alias on my desktop. @UrielAO, have you tried going directly to the game app and bypassing Steam? Joe

I can report that at least on my Mac, the Steam issue I was having seems resolved. Joe

It is quite frustrating, too. I used this icon in PoE I to know when an action was complete. I've wasted more than one spell thinking I was finished and moving on to the next action. Or worse, not noticing my guy is done and he is just standing there doing nothing. Joe

I didn't see the examples from history of shields necessarily about historical accuracy. I saw them more about expanding our ideas of what shields could be. I found it interesting in the first video the demonstrator started using the term "weapon" for the shield, that the shield is as much an offensive device as a defensive device. Which makes sense. When one is fighting for their life, one uses everything at their disposal. Why not? Even swords are used defensively. Joe

I still can't get PoE Deadfire to work within Steam. Works fine launched on its own. I would love to move my key to GoG if at all possible. How do I officially request that? Joe

I just wish Obsidian made it more apparent. Your gun analogy is an interesting one. I don't shoot, but I know people who do. I thought it odd when they would say they are a better shooter than some guns, that shooting with certain other guns would make the shoot poorer. Maybe you understand this better than I do. Joe

I would agree with you except for my original point of befuddlement that a non-proficient weapon can have better ACC and DAM over one's proficiency, and mundane upgrades like Fine and Exceptional are still considered "Enchantments", not simply enhancements. I'm okay with the answer being magical or supernatural sources of proficiency. Otherwise it makes no sense for my fighter to be able to wield a Fine club better than his proficient dagger, or my ranger who I selected Hunting Bow over War bow yet some how, when I finally bought a war bow could shoot with better ACC and DAM. If proficiency is simply training, then this has to change in my mind. Joe

Very cool video. Joe

I don't have a problem with potential damage rates since each weapon type has its inherent advantages and disadvantages regarding damage type. Axes only offer slash damage, but estocs do pierce, etc. A few do two types, but none to my knowledge do all three types. What seems unbalanced, even unlikely, to me is that when dual wielding each weapon has an equal opportunity each round of damaging. Not to invoke reality, but at least some measure of balance (since everyone here is all bent on that), it seems more likely that the second weapon would be used in a defensive manner at least as, if not more, often than an offensive manner. Of course, that is now offered as a mode for certain weapons. And there is already an ACC penalty for dual wielding. Maybe the offhand weapon only gets a chance to hit every other round, or something along those lines but marginally adds to deflection or disruption depending on weapon type. Not to make the mode moot, so maybe the mode contributes more to that FX. This would supplement some of the shield discussion in another thread. Joe

But the question still remains, does the modal come from a supernatural ("essence") source or as a result of training? Joe

I never understood the ACC penalty. Maybe attack speed, but not ACC. Or at least not for a fighter. Joe

I've always thought the penalties for using shields were too great and the extra deflection provided was barely nominal. Like traps, either improve them or eliminate them since there is currently no use for them. Joe

Sorry to be redundant. I've been reluctant to post anything since I seem to be late to this compared to many others. And I did try to research, but it isn't always productive if one doesn't search for the right words. Re-entering passive mode. Joe

I agree, madscientist. It is tough, though, because this is for a computer and everything involves math with no way to subjectively weight attempts or outcomes. This is, currently, why a computer can't really replace PnP RPG with a human DM/GM However, ultimately what overrides the math is the story. PoE I and hopefully Deadfire, too, does an admirable job at that, even without the drive of an epic hero and with a fairly fungible goal for the endgame. One of the things that made NWN I so great wasn't just the official campaigns, but the community generated campaigns. And what made the best of those were always their story. Just some thoughts, Joe

I loved Autumn's Decay when I did a solo druid run in PoE I. It is extremely difficult to use many of the offensive spells when they affect friendly characters and have limited range, though. Form of the delemgan: What is it with you guys an wanting nerfs of the few advantages we get? Gaahh! If it is too powerful for you, just don't use it! Joe

Yeah, it doesn't seem like a whole lot of thought went into the spell schools concept to begin with in PoE I (nor did they need to). Now they are trying to slice them up for subclasses and the depth of concept just isn't there. I would even accept prohibited schools at two if my chosen school conferred better benefits and a deeper spell selection. Joe eta. Oh, and the grimoires, Oi!

One of the things I was wondering about is the role of Devoted related to Soulbounds. Soulbounds (at least used to) confer proficiency to the user as if they were proficient. How does that affect a Devoted? If they aren't proficient, can they bind and get the proficiency? If they are already proficient, is there added benefit? Or is it as if they weren't Devoted? I'll have to check this out now. Dang. I try to be lazy, but then curiosity steps in and mucks it all up. Joe

Are all upgraded weapons essentially magical? One of the things that puzzle me is when any of my characters equip a non-proficient weapon and it is more accurate and does more damage than a proficient weapon. So I was trying to justify this in my head. Okay, maybe it is because one is Fine and the other is basic. So I equip a Fine version of my proficient and the non-proficient is still more accurate and does more damage. I first noticed this with the Fine Club from that wayward lagufaeth just southwest of the initial port town. Then I realized that in PoE I even Fine and Exceptional enhancements were categorized as enchantments. I admit that I am amused by players who are willing to give up an advantage for the sake of some arbitrary notion of balance. And I know, once one is in the thick of a fight there are other likely more important factors than ACC and DAM of proficient or non-proficient weapons. But I can't for the life of me figure out why any non-magical weapon should ever offer higher ACC and/or DAM over a non-magical, non-proficient weapon. Of course I am thinking in terms of proficiency=training. Maybe that is not the case in this universe. Also, I still contend that (at the very least) any fighter type should not suffer recovery from a proficient weapon. Any training would incorporate an attack to end either in a defensive position or set-up for the next strike. Meh. Yeah, its all fantasy. This is the kind of stuff I think of when playing an RPG. I am less enamored by the math, although I know with a computer playing DM, math, ultimately, is the only arbiter that matters. Joe

Thx! It was the "Player" string I couldn't get straight. And everything I could find about LevelUpSoulbind had (Clone) at the end and I couldn't figure for the life of me what that had to do with anything. Joe

Okay, you have to share the command line. I can't get it to work to save my life. Joe

As far as the UI is concerned it already is "5/5" or whatever regarding both these action points and spells, the differentiator being they are color coded and class appropriate icon. I get your point, though. But it is no more confusing by simply saying "Rogue action points/Ranger action points". That would actually be less confusing and less cumbersome by removing the one-degree of separation of power-pool from the class the 'rage/guile/etc" introduces. I get the attempt at a role-playing nomenclature, but they breeched that already with the generic "Empower" mode. And any depth provided by this class specific naming of the pool count is at best inferred, barely implied. But then, it took reading through this forum to finally understand what Empower actually does. After two play-throughs, there was nothing intuitive within the game UI/UX. Joe

If every class is going to have essentially the some form of metaphysical power pool to draw from, all this "guile/bond/rage/etc" stuff has to go. Just go with some generic "Mana-esque" thing. When it was just Monks with wounds or Chanters with phrases, it seemed more deliberate and appropriate. Now it just sounds trite and forced. IMHO. Rogues. I still want a Trap subclass either here or under Ranger, maybe part of a hunter or bounty hunter type. Otherwise just ditch the whole thing. Make traps important or just get rid of them. One trap per character. Whatever. I mostly agree with the Rogue critique, but an Empowered Final Blow has been quite the boon! Rogue is still my favourite. Some of his offense does seem a bit nerfed now. The guile thing. Whatever. One skill point to divvy between stealth or mechanics? WTF? Joe

"I'm sorry but no one is going to pick "chilling grasp" sunless touch. " This. Joe

AndreaColombo is absolutely correct, there's no reason to this yell being a cone effect. Well, also, try shouting at the top of your lungs immediately after you've just yelled your lungs out. Some recovery is needed 0.5-1s. I guess that depends on if Yell is a natural ability or a supernatural ability. I prefer a supernatural ability, but an argument can be made for a natural ability. I agree that cone is an unnecessary nerf. Joe