State of TB mode?

[Kordanor]

Hey there!

As soon as I heared that the game got the TB it jumped up in my "interesting games"-list again. And due to the cheap price on non-us amazon I also bought it now.

However I am wondering if it's already a good time to play it. I know that the TB mode is now out of beta, but is it working properly? Are there still necessary changes to make it enjoyable?

Like is the interface and rebalancing (as combats could feel grindy now) completed and well done or does it still need work?

I only play games once, so I rather wait, than having a sub-optimal experience. If it's more or less as good as it gets I am fine with it.

Would love to hear your feedback. Didn't find any roadmap for future changes or what's in the works.

[Boeroer]

The last patch has hit Deadfire. There will be no more changes to TB mode besides hotfixes maybe. But I don't see any severe bugs that would lead to a hotfix.

So you needn't to wait for more updates because there won't be any - at least according to Obsidian.

[Greensleeve]

Turn-based seems stable from what I can tell. Now, the systems aren't designed for it, so balance is slightly off compared to RTwP. Personally, it's off in ways that hew more to my preferences, so it isn't a big deal. In fact, turn-based is absolutely my preferred way of playing Deadfire.

[Elric Galad]

15 hours ago, Boeroer said:

The last patch has hit Deadfire. There will be no more changes to TB mode besides hotfixes maybe. But I don't see any severe bugs that would lead to a hotfix.

So you needn't to wait for more updates because there won't be any - at least according to Obsidian.

I hoped there could be an additional patch, to fix minor bugs such as Arcane Archer spell penetration scaling.

[Wormerine]

Turn-based Mode is as good as it’s gonna get. I am deep into my playthrough using it, and it is in good enough state to warrant a playthrough if you are not into RTwP. 

It’s underlying issues haven’t really been resolved - most of all, the game doesn’t properly translate action speed from RtwP meaning classes and characters who benefit from quick recovery don’t get this advantage in TB. Heavy hitting weapons are simply a flat out better choice, abilities which give more “initiative” are skippable, and some classes which rely on quick attacks (monks!) are pushovers. 

As for the pace, I think it becomes clear pretty quickly that the game wasn’t designed with TB mode in mind, but I think it is quite alright, until you get to DLCs - I am making my way through SSS and some of the fights can take a really really really long time. I mean make a coffee in a thermos and pack a launch kind of long. 

[Kordanor]

Oki, thanks guys!

Guess will start my run today then.

[DetroitNeil]

TB mode still has the bug where all the guards in town attack you when you engage a bounty subject.  Case in point:  Lord Admiral Imp bounty.

[Kordanor]

So I played a bit but it still seems kind of rough...and I am not sure if this is all related to TB mode...
In the very first cavern I basically aggroed a horde of undead through the wall.
In the Gorecci Street where you need to negotiate with one of the looters, I immediately got attacked by all looters. (I reloaded and then sneaked by).

In the Enwithan Digsite the Enemies piled up before the stairs and had big problems coming up, having some pathfinding issues.

Eders (Fighters) knockdown attack feels kind of useless. The knocked down enemy tends to just stand up again and attack.
The rogue ability to hide himself takes an action. Which means that he loses a full round of damage. And as that's pretty much the only reliable way to use the assassin bonus it feels kind of pointless. Stealth attacks already felt bad in POE1 and I hoped that's better in TB mode now. Unfortunately it really isn't.

[dave-tx]

Honestly I think most of TB's issues (at least issues as far as I see them) could be resolved by removing the "round" system and just queue tasks by initiative or task length (as casting a spell seems to be).  The round system makes some actions/items too expensive to bother with.  That seems like a change that should be relatively easy to code.

[Wormerine]

On 6/7/2019 at 12:43 AM, Kordanor said:

So I played a bit but it still seems kind of rough...and I am not sure if this is all related to TB mode...
In the very first cavern I basically aggroed a horde of undead through the wall.
In the Gorecci Street where you need to negotiate with one of the looters, I immediately got attacked by all looters. (I reloaded and then sneaked by).

In the Enwithan Digsite the Enemies piled up before the stairs and had big problems coming up, having some pathfinding issues.

Eders (Fighters) knockdown attack feels kind of useless. The knocked down enemy tends to just stand up again and attack.
The rogue ability to hide himself takes an action. Which means that he loses a full round of damage. And as that's pretty much the only reliable way to use the assassin bonus it feels kind of pointless. Stealth attacks already felt bad in POE1 and I hoped that's better in TB mode now. Unfortunately it really isn't.

Pathfinding and aggro issues are not confined to TB. Gorecci Street fight is notorious for its early game difficulty. 

Eders knockdowns are amazing. Their purpose is to interrupt. It is a cheap, and early ability. There are stuns in the game but knockdown was never that. 

I am not a rogue player but considering how powerful backstab can be, making players invest an extra round doesn’t feel too bad to me. Might not be worth it in early game, but later when healthpools are larger a singular big attack might be desirable.

[Kordanor]

Shouldn't that be the opposite for stealth and backstab? The bigger the healthpools the less does a single high damage strike do. Right now I can at least (almost) single-shot someone with my arquebus opening. I have to say though that I am playing on Path of the Damned. So likely already more HP than "usual".

Regarding the knockdown: Isn't it in RTwP mode that you are not "swinging" or on CD when you are on the floor? If I remember correctly on RTwP the knockdown can at least stop the enemy from attacking for a bit, postponing the next hit. Ofc it has other advantages, but it feels like it's weaker now in TB.

Shouldn't that be the opposite for stealth and backstab? The bigger the healthpools the less does a single high damage strike do. Right now I can at least (almost) single-shot someone with my arquebus opening. I have to say though that I am playing on Path of the Damned. So likely already more HP than "usual".

Regarding the knockdown: Isn't it in RTwP mode that you are not "swinging" or on CD when you are on the floor? If I remember correctly on RTwP the knockdown can at least stop the enemy from attacking for a bit, postponing the next hit. Ofc it has other advantages, but it feels like it's weaker now in TB.

[Wormerine]

Abilities are translated into TB mode, but it doesn't mean they do exactly the same. Knockback is a very useful distrupt and got buffed with deflection penalty as people raised the same concerns you do. Making enemy skip a turn, would mean giving the knockback the same effect as stun has. 

Again, not all things translated smoothly into TB mode.