Newbie can’t initiate combat, UI problem

[Physwizard]

I’m brand new to complex RPGs such as PofE. When I enter combat, I cannot figure out how to order my character to attack the bad guy. If I wait till he hits me then my guy hits back. My second character just stands there. I click on my second character, bring him right up next to the target, then click on the bad guy, but my guy still just stands there. If I equip a bow and try to fire it from a short distance, my guy just stands there. I assume there is some combination of buttons or clicks that does what I want but I have not found it. I am using the track pad on a MacBook Pro as my input device instead of a mouse.

[Boeroer]

For starters, you should be able to select all party members (check the buttons on the lower middle of the screen - one of them is "select all") and just click on the enemy afterwards - and all party members should attack that enemy. If that works then it's most likely no bug that prevents you from attacking.

 

You can also activate/deactivate and alter the AI of your party members. You can give them a more aggressive scriopt so that they (for example) seek and attack enemies all by themselves. Or you can make them more passive so that they only attack if they get attacked. If you switch off the AI you have to micromanage the party members all by yourself. Like - every step they do. 

 

Do you have a right mouse button equivalent on that trackpad? Or is it a single button?

Edited April 3, 2019 by Boeroer

[Physwizard]

My trackpad does have a right click option, but I have not found any use for it in this game so I have not tested it to see if it works in this game.

 

I found the AI button on the lower left of my screen. It allows me to turn AI on and off but I can't see how to modify it (more or less aggressive). How do I find this control option?

 

With AI turned on, if one of my characters is attacked, my guy attacks back. If another of my guys is not attacked, he just stands there.

 

 I turned off AI so I could learn to micro control my characters.   I found a single wolf and it approached my two characters and started attacking one of them. I moved my other character up next to the wolf so the green arcs from both my characters flowed to the wolf (visible in Pause).  I did a Select All and moved my cursor onto the wolf circle and clicked it. The wolf kept attacking and my characters did nothing. I tried the Select All, then the Attack button, then moved my cursor onto the wolf circle and clicked.  I tried this both unPaused (during combat) and also while Paused (and then unPaused to let combat continue).  Still no luck.

 

Am I supposed to be able to issue an Attack command and then click on the wolf if I am not next to the wolf, say if I equipped a bow?   I don't have a bow yet but I get one in the next combat.

 

With AI turned off, both my guys just stand there while the wolf attacks. I assume I am missing some obvious command?

[Boeroer]

It sounds more like a bug to be honest. You shouldn't have any problems. Normally if you have a character selected (or several) you just have to click on the enemy and all selected chars will move and/or attack automatically. You don't have to explicitly command an attack - usually. 

[Physwizard]

I figured out how to change the AI to maximum aggressive and did so. Now, if I click on an enemy, all my guys attack. So I guess I can play the game this way. I am disappointed that I will need to use the AI since, without it, I can't get all my guys to attack.

 

You say this might be a bug. Do I need to report?

[Boeroer]

Don't know if that helps. Game is old and will most likely not get patched anymore.

[Physwizard]

I now have a companion who is a Wizard. When I get into combat, he uses his main attack OK but I can't get him to use any of his other spells AoE or what ever. He just continues to use his main attack. If I turn off UI for him, he just stands there and I can't figure out how to attack with spells.

 

I have searched the forums for others with this problem but can't find anyone. So, either I am missing some key steps due to my inexperience, OR, no one else is using a Mac to play this game, at least using the 2019 versions of PofE and Mac OS. 

 

This pretty much breaks the game for me.  Is there anyone out there using 2019 versions of PofE and Mac OS ???

[Boeroer]

Are you using Steam? You could then verify the integrety of the game files - because the issues you are talking about are very strange and I never heard about them. May be there is some file corruption which causes this.

[Physwizard]

All files successfully validated.

[Boeroer]

Then I'm stumped.