omgFIREBALLS

Hiravias' table manners.

Right. But what if I were to convince the duc that... well, that the Dozens crybaby is correct. What happens then? 'cause as far as I can tell, it can't get worse than it does when he's merely undecided about it.

A high level party, especially one with a self-hasting wizard, requires extreme amounts of pausing to fully optimize. I have explored the various auto-pause settings, but that doesn't bring flow back to the battles and I eventually find myself thinking "just fire at whatever". I think that between slow mode, hotkeys and multiplayer (each player = one character) there could be some very satisfying battles even on a hypothetical difficulty above PotD. I would enjoy controlling one toon there, with no need to be the Watcher. Actually a cautious dream of mine is to have a game like PoE or an IE game where you can view a replay of your battles. But not with the pausing, not with the clicking, just a hidden HUD (okay perhaps party frames could be visible) and watching everyone duke it out in real-time. All the pausing to optimize your toons brings my mind to chess. Certainly a game of skill, but not one of speed. With multiplayer, it could be both. As inefficient as it might be to spend resources on MP, I'm just voicing my thoughts

As is standard for my five-ranged party, I left those five way back and had my tank step up and do the talking. While they were grazing and missing him, I buffed those guys up and sent them in to slaughter. It still wasn't an easy victory as some slipped past the tank and caused a lot of trouble for my glass cannons. PotD, level 10. Still better than the first time I beat him. Only the tank was alive then and basically just survived while Raedric killed his minions, then himself, with fireballs.

(RIDDLED WITH SPOILERS) The first time I did this, I probably spent a good ten to fifteen minutes weighing my answers. Then I was rather saddened because it seemed they didn't matter; all witnesses died. Then it turned out that obviously wasn't the case because riots... Aaanyway, I've been there a few times since, always supporting animancy. The duc has always given some diplomatic opening (there are good arguments both ways blah blah) before getting killed, but this time he actually sounded to be in favor of animancy. And then I encountered a Dozens fanatic who had been swayed by the arguments as well and was actually saving two animancers. I thought that was pretty awesome! So I'm just wondering how many outcomes there are. I'm guessing I can make him judge against animancy - what's the extra effect then? Also, are there more nuances? Could I make him feel BY ALL THAT IS HOLY THE ANSWER IS CLEAR AS DAY about it as well?

I don't think that sword is random loot. OP: There's a trapped piece of the treasury containing... nothing too exciting for killing a dragon. But very close to it there's a hidden container with an awesome sword in it. I'm not sure what mechanics skill you need to find it, so if you can't, come back later (and remember search mode obviously). The reason you need a high mechanics skill to find a sword in a giant pile of money is that your party wouldn't dream of simply looting all the money and discovering the weapon in the process. (edited out pointless spoiler)

Hmm. I've only ever seen turn off and overload. Absorbing them hasn't even been redded out.

How?

I actually just want one. Included in the tutorial, which trades immersion for understanding anyway.

I hate on them because nothing in the game tells me they are not important to the plot. The first few backers I met, I read their stories thinking I might need to know this sometime. Then I noticed just how many backers there were and I was like, fk it. I'm not sure if the loading screen tip was there at launch or got patched in, but it's inadequate either way, because it still doesn't tell me they're not plot relevant. Furthermore, even if it did, how long before I saw that message? It might not appear, I might tab out... I agree they're great flavor (unlike many uninspired epitaphs, saw one with an XD and decided never to look at them again) but it needs to be clear when I click the first one that their stories are optional reads.

Actually it's what happens when there are no clothes for sale

Interesting catch, but they actually had 5% penalty. Upon checking the vendor to whom I had sold them, I noticed I'd also unloaded a dozen sets of simple clothing on her. Now to figure out where I got that to avoid this problem in the future :z

Thanks. Two more backers added to the regular kill list, and my party's decency score has skyrocketed. A good day.

Normally I incite the drunks to attack Aloth and get three sets of clothes that way. Not really for the sake of the clothes, but I feel like I missed out on diamonds or something now that I didn't do it. I'm running unarmored glass cannon DPS but I just can't find any clothes for them to wear, if not for the sake of enchantments then at least for decency. I'm sure I could get them easily by killing peasants but I don't want to antagonize anyone over them. I'll happily slay backers though, but surely there's somewhere I can buy them. Surely. RIGHT?

AFAIK the quality enchantments can be overwritten. Nothing else though, but that will work for you.

It occurred to me that in the very last dungeon (there is no consequential spoiler here, read on) where you can leap over some place, your party is actually stacked on the same spot after the jump. So much for the technical limitation argument.

Yes you can hotkey spells here. I gave the game some flak for not having them, but I just didn't know how it was done. Just mouse over an ability and press the desired hotkey. If the key isn't assigned to anything else, voila. You can't use modifier keys (CTRL alone works as a hotkey though, but not shift) but if you free up some useful keys by rebinding them (like A being bound to attack is a great bind wasted so change that) and take into account that the binds are per character (unlike BG2) you can make the game so much more comfortable.

At first I was a little disgusted by the minmaxing builds, 18 here 3 there blah blah. I have come to realize their efficiency, but they still don't sit right with me. I named my latest party after their statistical shortcomings. Not quite the point of the thread though so I'm spoiler tagging them. What I was thinking was there should be conversation penalties for having ridiculously low stats too. I'm going to fire up some random scenarios, but I would love to see replies where these are used in real interactions. And if there already is a thread like this, link it to me and I will read with fervor while this one quietly disappears. 18 mig/3 dex Watcher: Give me the rest of the copper or your face gets it. NPC: You fell eight times walking up to me. Watcher: You had your chance. [Attack] NPC: *stands still, but you still trip trying to grab his collar* 3 int archer Party member: Why'd you stop shooting the wizard?! Watcher: Uh? Party member: The sparkly guy. Watcher: New sparkly! Party member: No, same sparkly. Watcher: New sparkly. Old sparkly go away. Party member: No he didn't go anywhere. Party member: At best he was briefly obscured by the warrior. Watcher: He go away. Party member: FFS ACQUIRE OBJECT PERMANENCE ALREADY! 18 dex/3 per NPC: Ah, you want THIS necklace? NPC: *flaunts very desirable amulet hanging around her neck* Watcher: (Dexterity: 18) (Snatch the necklace) You firmly grope yourself.

The lack of a "not" in this sentence communicates a flagrant lack of faith in this endeavor.

I had this too, but I kept heading east, encountering two more packs of stelgaer, and when I had lain them low as well, combat ended.

Was that for me? If so, I'm not arguing against the spell's existence, just the idea that the intended purpose of the spell is to create impassable, invulnerable walls.

I'm 99% certain it's intentional, otherwise the spell is useless because the fight is over before the character is healed. I'm 99% certain it's only here because devs didn't want to start poking around with letting characters walk straight through each other due to technical implications. Also I've had plenty of battles last long enough for that spell to end, but I never use it like this, it feels so dirty.

Aside from their bad builds, there's so much fighting to do (unless you want to miss out on loot) that their dialogues feel few and far between.

For example Venombloom and Infestation of Maggots. They don't appear in the combat log, as I imagine that would get too messy. And yet, well, see the topic.

PotD ToI (nearly anyway), over 200k at the end. Very limited enchanting and somewhat limited shopping. I find it hard to equip casters.