Solo (Swashbuckler or Holy Slayer) vs Party (Marauder)?

[Cyrus_Blackfeather]

Hey guys, 

 

So... I've been discussing builds a lot on these here forums, as you know. And some of the feedback I've gotten from people has more or less amounted to "Oh, it doesn't really matter what you play in a party, even on PotD. Anything works, the game's super easy." So I'm starting to wonder if I'd get a more rewarding experience playing solo, or if there are ways to make the game more challenging even with a party (Mods or something?). Some things to note...

 

I haven't played the DLC yet. There's apparently a bunch of new content for Rekke and Ydwin in there, though I'm not sure if it's enough to make them qualify as full "companions." Still, I'd like to at least see it. That said, I am getting a little sick of most of the full companions, and feel like the Sidekicks all make for much more interesting characters, except for maybe Maia and Eder in the sense that he's your buddy from the first game. I also haven't seen most of the companion quests to completion (Pallegina's, Maia's, and Aloth's)

 

Some of the perks of playing solo:

 

- Not having to rate your decisions based on what will or won't annoy your companions. 

- Enjoyment of the sheer challenge of it. 

- Getting to use unorthodox builds, like builds that actually pump Resolve for some extra Deflection

 

Disadvantages:

 

- More limited in terms of class selection and weapon/gear use (Can't exactly be a heavy hitting, thin armored Marauder)

- No companion quests. 

- Kind of quiet, with there not being any party members bantering. Though if you're getting sick of particular ones - like Xoti pining after Eder and/or wanting Pallegina to BURN AT THE STAKE, YOU FEATHERY HEATHEN, that might be a plus. 

 

Meanwhile, in a party, you're allowed more flexibility with what you might want to play, but I worry that the fact that you've got four other warm bodies to soak damage for you, heal you, help buff you, etc. takes the challenge out of it. Or at least, that's the impression I've been getting. 

 

[Metaturtle]

If you're talking about soloing in PotD+, it takes a bit of a mindset to get into since you are kind of pigeonholed to certain skillsets in order to survive some of the tough encounters and often times you will be wearing equipment/using skills that doesn't feel optimal for a build, but it really works. So if you are trying to do it for some RP style, it's not going to jive much.  Notably for a solo holy slayer, you can't rely on only the high deflection and AR to carry you all the way in some encounters and need to adjust at times.   

 

You'll appreciate a lot more what other classes would have brought in a party that allowed other builds to perform at their optimal capability, which in turn makes for better, tuned builds.  Having played solo, I'll have to agree that once you're able to clear encounters with a single character, everything seems easy in a full party.  I wouldn't do a first time solo play including BoW, that sounds like a bad time. lol

Edited August 26, 2018 by Metaturtle

[Mocker22]

Hey guys, 

 

So... I've been discussing builds a lot on these here forums, as you know. And some of the feedback I've gotten from people has more or less amounted to "Oh, it doesn't really matter what you play in a party, even on PotD. Anything works, the game's super easy." So I'm starting to wonder if I'd get a more rewarding experience playing solo, or if there are ways to make the game more challenging even with a party (Mods or something?). Some things to note...

 

I haven't played the DLC yet. There's apparently a bunch of new content for Rekke and Ydwin in there, though I'm not sure if it's enough to make them qualify as full "companions." Still, I'd like to at least see it. That said, I am getting a little sick of most of the full companions, and feel like the Sidekicks all make for much more interesting characters, except for maybe Maia and Eder in the sense that he's your buddy from the first game. I also haven't seen most of the companion quests to completion (Pallegina's, Maia's, and Aloth's)

 

Some of the perks of playing solo:

 

- Not having to rate your decisions based on what will or won't annoy your companions. 

- Enjoyment of the sheer challenge of it. 

- Getting to use unorthodox builds, like builds that actually pump Resolve for some extra Deflection

 

Disadvantages:

 

- More limited in terms of class selection and weapon/gear use (Can't exactly be a heavy hitting, thin armored Marauder)

- No companion quests. 

- Kind of quiet, with there not being any party members bantering. Though if you're getting sick of particular ones - like Xoti pining after Eder and/or wanting Pallegina to BURN AT THE STAKE, YOU FEATHERY HEATHEN, that might be a plus. 

 

Meanwhile, in a party, you're allowed more flexibility with what you might want to play, but I worry that the fact that you've got four other warm bodies to soak damage for you, heal you, help buff you, etc. takes the challenge out of it. Or at least, that's the impression I've been getting. 

Depends on what you enjoy. If you care more for the combat and challenge then this is certainly true. I kinda like seeing how companions react to the way I roleplay a particular character.

[Cyrus_Blackfeather]

 

Hey guys, 

 

So... I've been discussing builds a lot on these here forums, as you know. And some of the feedback I've gotten from people has more or less amounted to "Oh, it doesn't really matter what you play in a party, even on PotD. Anything works, the game's super easy." So I'm starting to wonder if I'd get a more rewarding experience playing solo, or if there are ways to make the game more challenging even with a party (Mods or something?). Some things to note...

 

I haven't played the DLC yet. There's apparently a bunch of new content for Rekke and Ydwin in there, though I'm not sure if it's enough to make them qualify as full "companions." Still, I'd like to at least see it. That said, I am getting a little sick of most of the full companions, and feel like the Sidekicks all make for much more interesting characters, except for maybe Maia and Eder in the sense that he's your buddy from the first game. I also haven't seen most of the companion quests to completion (Pallegina's, Maia's, and Aloth's)

 

Some of the perks of playing solo:

 

- Not having to rate your decisions based on what will or won't annoy your companions. 

- Enjoyment of the sheer challenge of it. 

- Getting to use unorthodox builds, like builds that actually pump Resolve for some extra Deflection

 

Disadvantages:

 

- More limited in terms of class selection and weapon/gear use (Can't exactly be a heavy hitting, thin armored Marauder)

- No companion quests. 

- Kind of quiet, with there not being any party members bantering. Though if you're getting sick of particular ones - like Xoti pining after Eder and/or wanting Pallegina to BURN AT THE STAKE, YOU FEATHERY HEATHEN, that might be a plus. 

 

Meanwhile, in a party, you're allowed more flexibility with what you might want to play, but I worry that the fact that you've got four other warm bodies to soak damage for you, heal you, help buff you, etc. takes the challenge out of it. Or at least, that's the impression I've been getting. 

Depends on what you enjoy. If you care more for the combat and challenge then this is certainly true. I kinda like seeing how companions react to the way I roleplay a particular character.

 

 

Hmm. That's hard to quantify. I'm mostly here for the story - I like seeing what sorts of interactions my characters can have with the world, and the people they meet. At the same time, I don't want to feel like the game is just bending over for me. I like feeling that I've /earned/ story progress, if that makes sense. Like I've figured out how to overcome a challenge. 

[Kaylon]

Of course playing solo is a bigger achievement and feels more rewarding because you're the only protagonist. However soloing using some exploits or skipping fights will also defeat the purpose...

[Cyrus_Blackfeather]

Of course playing solo is a bigger achievement and feels more rewarding because you're the only protagonist. However soloing using some exploits or skipping fights will also defeat the purpose...

 

Yeah, that's where I'm at. I can clear the digsite with a party, with some degree of challenge. But doing it solo? I'd likely either have to get really cheesy with mob-splitting, or skip the whole thing. 

[Dorftek]

Exploits defeat the purpose I agree, but I don't think skipping fights or splitpulling does. Never in any RPG do I feel like I have to kill every single enemy I lay my eyes on.

[sarcongin]

If they are red, they are dead 

Edited August 26, 2018 by sarcongin

[Mocker22]

If they are red, they are dead 

+1

[baldurs_gate_2]

Of course playing solo is a bigger achievement and feels more rewarding because you're the only protagonist. However soloing using some exploits or skipping fights will also defeat the purpose...

You can do every fight so far when you play solo.

[Cyrus_Blackfeather]

Is it even possible to split-pull the digsite encounter? Like 

 

 

Of course playing solo is a bigger achievement and feels more rewarding because you're the only protagonist. However soloing using some exploits or skipping fights will also defeat the purpose...

You can do every fight so far when you play solo.

 

 

Even as a Marauder? Is it even possible to split up the final digsite encounter with the drake and the wyrms and all into manageable groups? I think I managed to pull the panthers apart from the rest maybe once. 

[baldurs_gate_2]

Is it even possible to split-pull the digsite encounter? Like 

 

 

Of course playing solo is a bigger achievement and feels more rewarding because you're the only protagonist. However soloing using some exploits or skipping fights will also defeat the purpose...

You can do every fight so far when you play solo.

 

 

Even as a Marauder? Is it even possible to split up the final digsite encounter with the drake and the wyrms and all into manageable groups? I think I managed to pull the panthers apart from the rest maybe once. 

Äh, you know, that you have smoke veil or? Just lure them away, up the stairs and there is a narrow path, where only one can attack you. When you are out of ressources, use empower and smoke veil out. So you can beat the whole encounter one by one.

[Cyrus_Blackfeather]

 

Is it even possible to split-pull the digsite encounter? Like 

 

 

Of course playing solo is a bigger achievement and feels more rewarding because you're the only protagonist. However soloing using some exploits or skipping fights will also defeat the purpose...

You can do every fight so far when you play solo.

 

 

Even as a Marauder? Is it even possible to split up the final digsite encounter with the drake and the wyrms and all into manageable groups? I think I managed to pull the panthers apart from the rest maybe once. 

Äh, you know, that you have smoke veil or? Just lure them away, up the stairs and there is a narrow path, where only one can attack you. When you are out of ressources, use empower and smoke veil out. So you can beat the whole encounter one by one.

 

 

Oooh, okay. 

[Kaylon]

 

Of course playing solo is a bigger achievement and feels more rewarding because you're the only protagonist. However soloing using some exploits or skipping fights will also defeat the purpose...

You can do every fight so far when you play solo.

 

I never said you can't. There's at least a single class combo which can solo every encounter on the first island without splitting, pulling, summons, scrolls or potions (maybe even with all trials activated)... However there are many solo videos on youtube where people skip the hardest encounters (dig site,gorecci street, etc).

[baldurs_gate_2]

 

 

Of course playing solo is a bigger achievement and feels more rewarding because you're the only protagonist. However soloing using some exploits or skipping fights will also defeat the purpose...

You can do every fight so far when you play solo.

 

I never said you can't. There's at least a single class combo which can solo every encounter on the first island without splitting, pulling, summons, scrolls or potions (maybe even with all trials activated)... However there are many solo videos on youtube where people skip the hardest encounters (dig site,gorecci street, etc).

 

I can understand why you skip gorecci street, because human encounters don't net you any xp and the loot is just bad. If you start with BB on level 4, you definitly get level 7 +more xp when you do all encounters on the starting island.

[Theosupus]

When you say skip the encounter you mean not doing the quest I assume?

 

You can sneak right past them and solve the encounter peacefully and then the NPCs clear out the looters for you. 
Solving an encounter via roleplay isn't skipping it.
e.g. getting Mad Morena to supply food and her handing you Tarn's isn't "skipping the encounter" (of killing all the smugglers) it's just solving said encounter differently.

[Kaylon]

When you say skip the encounter you mean not doing the quest I assume?

 

You can sneak right past them and solve the encounter peacefully and then the NPCs clear out the looters for you. 

Solving an encounter via roleplay isn't skipping it.

e.g. getting Mad Morena to supply food and her handing you Tarn's isn't "skipping the encounter" (of killing all the smugglers) it's just solving said encounter differently.

Doing the quest peacefully doesn't mean stealthing and avoiding combat. It means to make a deal with the leader without killing him. You're never supposed to know the looters will attack you and stealth is never required to solve quests with diplomacy. Personally I play solo for the challenge, doing a pacist run and avoiding combat doesn't interest me. I pick diplomacy too if available, but only if it's more rewarding...