Can I Ignore Caed Nua?

[BelgarathMTH]

Hi, this is pretty much what the thread title says.

 

The last time I tried to get into PoE, I got bogged down in the whole Caed Nua stronghold storyline. Not the deep dungeon diving underneath it, but just the keep maintenance storyline itself.

 

It seemed like every time I got to a new map or spent one or two game days trying to do the main storyline, I got some "urgent" message from the keep that I should go back there "immediately."

 

I wound up in some kind of crazy tactical strategy battle that was very hard, that I couldn't win at the level I was, and that frankly, I wasn't all that interested in winning. 

 

I wound up getting disconnected from the main storyline, and eventually losing interest in Pillars of Eternity completely.

 

So, I'm currently trying to give it another chance. 

 

My question, bottom line, is, can I completely ignore the Caed Nua stronghold after completing the early storyline quests that send me there, without ruining the game? Can I refuse "ownership" of it altogether, or at least ignore it after picking up the chanter and doing the early Watcher quest that forces me to go there?

[XEternalXDreamsX]

After picking up the chanter and doing the early watcher quest, you turn in the quest then accept (purchase) to build the eastern barbican which upgrades instantly to had towards Defiance Bay.

 

To add, this is the part of the game that I generally quit my character because I get so bogged down by it. Not because it is bad system, I just couldn't understand it and just was a BIG investment from the main story.

 

I just cheese it nowadays. I just slowly take out all of Raedric's Hold to fund the building of the keep. I rest-scum (boring part, 0cp at Inn or once your Inn is built, I do it there) the time to build so when I head into Act 2, the keep is complete and a lot of money to spare as well.

 

At that point, you get visitors that you go back to meet if you want. Some supplicants that you can pay off or have escort by a companion once you have more than five (both ways from menu, not returning to keep). Adventures for sidelined companions from your menu as well.

 

So actually, you don't have to return to the keep really, even battles have auto resolve if something attacks your keep.

 

I'm not saying you should do that but that's how I enjoy having a complete Keep with little reason to go back and forth before Act 2 even starts.

 

I completely understand how you feel.

Edited July 30, 2018 by XEternalXDreamsX

[Messier-31]

Still, there is quite a good story-arc that leads to the Yenwood Field battle.

[Heijoushin]

Still, there is quite a good story-arc that leads to the Yenwood Field battle.

 

But maybe that's the "crazy tactical strategy battle" he's talking about?

 

I sympathize, though. It's annoying to have to come back to fight some rabble when you're in the middle of something else.

[BelgarathMTH]

Yes, it is that Yenfield Field battle that left a bad taste in my mouth. I didn't know the name of it. It seemed to me like a real time strategy fight more than an isometric CRPG Baldur's Gate style fight. Or maybe it was sort of like a complicated puzzle - figuring out which units to send in at which times, against which other enemy units, in which sequence, to avoid disaster. I just didn't enjoy it. 

 

I think this time I want to see the main storyline through to its conclusion without all the distractions, or else I'm never going to beat the base game, much less see either of the two expansions.

 

I've been enjoying the early game very much so far. 

[dreamrider]

The problem with the Yenwood Field quest is that the opportunity to try it comes quite early, less than half-way through Act 2, maybe only about a quarter way through.

 

However, the sensible & appropriate time to do it is between Act 2 & 3, or even later, and certainly after you have done several of the White March quests.

 

This seems to be one of those cases where the developers didn't really expect any/many players to leap right in to PotD, or, especially ToI.  A player in that position, who hasn't read a little bit of meta info in the wiki or elsewhere, is going to get REALLY hacked off about what that quest is (though I do believe it is called The Battle of Yenwood Field in the Quest list), and how hard (or impossible) it is to get through with a Lvl 4-5 party.  Or Solo.  Players beginning with an easier level of the game will get spanked a little, realize they can't tackle that yet, load an earlier save, and avoid it for quite a while.

 

There is NO penalty for postponing The Battle of Yenwood Field.

IMHO, the party should be AT LEAST Lvl 10 across the board before they go there, and they should line up every mercenary and allied force they can. 

 

Allies.  That is why you want to be at least near the end of Act II, and complete portions of WM, before commiting to Yenwood.

There are some major forces that may ally with you when you call, depending on some White March events.

In addition, the faction (not always the same one; one of several possible) that you are more or less forced to ally with along the main story line in Defiance Bay can be convinced to send some troops to help.

Finally, the rather massive money you can make by near completion of Act II (at least) can be used to hire more mercenaries.  The Marshal guy can help with this; that is why he hangs around at the Stronghold for days and days. 

(Oh - be sure to sell off all your collected excess weapons, armor, and mundane clothing, etc, to one or more of the vendors.  Maybe some excess ingredients (who needs 80 xaurip tongues?)  This can net you many thousands more cp.)

 

Those forces can do preliminary, scripted battle that whittles the opposition down a bit.  Then you take your party of Heroes All, and the remaining forces assembled, to do the one thing that most fantasy RPGs weave into their histories but never show - a big murherin' field fight.

 

But I'm not sure you EVER are really forced to do it.  I think that if you avoid it via adventuring an scripted choices, you just end up losing Caed Nua at the end of the game.

 

Which, of course, makes the start of PoE II: DF problematical, story-wise … but you can probably rationalize that away pretty easily.

 

 

In the meantime, by holding Caed Nua, with at least Brighthold restored (and maybe the Barracks), you can score some very significant money & xp awards & items out of the side Adventures of currently unemployed Companions.  I'm currently at Lvl 10 of this run (mostly solo), and I believe that I have received something like 6-7,000 xp (out of ~50,000+ so far) from Companions sidebar adventures, a couple of pretty OK items, one of them a limited use summons, and one Absolutely Extraordinary Item !

 

Also, the Resting bonuses from Brighthollow, for various completed Caed Nua features, are better than the resting bonuses anywhere else.  They last through 3 Rests, and generally involve at least +3 attribute bumps, or the equivalent.

 

So, as others have said, by using the Stronghold scripts mostly, you can avoid most of the Stronghold management parts of gameplay.  But some of them can have worthwhile impacts on your characters story/abilities.

 

 

BTW.  VERY IMPORTANT if you don't want to be disappointed again. 

White March I & II are designed to occur BEFORE the conclusion of the main story line.  They are somewhat massive side quest areas.  If you finish the original content (and it IS possible) before going off to those areas, you will never get the chance to go to the White March.

 

Opinions differ as to the best time to do White March content.  Some folks say as soon as you are offered the opportunity, for the challenge.  (The town of Stalwart will send you a message via the Steward after you have started Act II.)  Others say do about half of Act II, then some bounties (careful; they are tough), then White March stuff.  Others like to near finish Act II before going to White March - though a number of folks say this runs the risk of over leveling for that area.  In fact, the White March content gives you the option to upscale the difficulty of the opposition in White March if you find yourself in that position.  Finally, opinions are also pretty evenly divided over whether to do all WM content in one push, or do it in two pieces, with more Act II, maybe some early Act III, in between.

 

There are a number of discussions of this in the forums.  I recommend you review some of the discussions.

Edited July 31, 2018 by dreamrider

[BelgarathMTH]

@dreamrider, Thank you very much. That is all very helpful information.

[claudius]

For the field fight I remember there was sort of a choose your own adventure (text) and I believe I got rid of some battlemages and another unit type (archer? cavalry?) but I couldn't get rid of their knights.

 

Then my team (had reloaded and) crafted some fleet foot potions so they could move fast and disengage with less risk if needed.  This is helpful for both casters to get to the right spot and for my damage dealers to run to their target.  Eder and my Monk charged around eliminating big threats.  Sagani shot arrows at big targets (mages etc), and at times engaged in melee when needed to block someone.   Those three of course used their abilities like stun or knockdown or wounding arrow (or use items eg summoning items or scrolls such as entangle if at opportune time).  I had the companion Paladin but she neither gave or received serious damage I think she engaged some knights.  Durance just spammed AOE Buffs/Debuffs all the fight helping allies around and managed to avoid drawing attacks.  Aloth used the Confusion spell mostly probably cast it 4 times.  This was key to preventing their DPS while my own DPS shortly eliminated their threat and my DPS was not disabled by Confusion etc..   

Edited August 1, 2018 by claudius