Wasteland 2 Kickstarted

[Monte Carlo]

I followed Marceror and Grom's advice. My characters are all slightly jack-of-all trades but with biases towards certain weapons. I've got a Faceman / gadget guy, a dedicated surgeon / field medic (pistols and melee, will develop him towards energy weapons), melee goddess / toaster repair / outdoorswoman and sniper / weaponsmith.

 

This team is serving me well.

 

Also, recruiting Ace's ex-girlfriend early on has made life much easier so far.

[Hiro Protagonist II]

^ That's what I did. I made all my characters specialise in different fields. No doubt my party isn't optimised and somewhat gimped, but I'm doing okay with it.

 

Also, another great crpg gets added to my GOG wall of fame.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[IndiraLightfoot]

Compared to what we've seen in PoE, a number of non-combat skills are used extensively, even in-game, not just in dialogues. I reckon, this is one area where PoE can take a leaf out of WL2's book.

[Bryy]

My completionist run team:

 

[Hiro Protagonist II]

I've noticed quite a few people on other forums are doing The A-Team.

[Starwars]

Compared to what we've seen in PoE, a number of non-combat skills are used extensively, even in-game, not just in dialogues. I reckon, this is one area where PoE can take a leaf out of WL2's book.

 

I'm always for more skills in RPGs (and I would *love* more in PoE) but that type of gameplay wasn't really that present in the IE games so it's not really to be expected.

 

I don't really know how I'm feeling about the game. It's addictive for sure but there are so many things that annoy the heck out of me. Still finding it terribly clunky. The skill usage sorta loses its fun when you run across your millionth container. Will it be trapped?! Will it be locked?! Ooh the excitement. The combat is... well, it's good and fun when you're fighting humans I think. Snipers can put a real number on you. But WL2's "trash encounters" are just oh-so-boring to go through. Waste wolves and Frogs (good examples since I just went through Rail Nomads), so boring. And exactly the type of encounter that I would avoid putting in a turnbased system. 

 

The writing and setting is not grabbing me either. 

 

Still, what is grabbing me is definitely the scope. What is it about RPGs like these that draws you in? I guess it's that there is so much to see, the explorative aspect of it is fun. There's plenty of things to find. And the game feels accomodating towards how you play. It's great that I don't really feel like re-loading or whatever whenever I fail a skill check, or when I opt for a certain choice. It's one of those games where you just roll with what you've got and keep truckin'. The freedom part of the game is wonderful.

 

But yeah, overall I am slighty disappointed I have to say. I liked the slowness of it at first but once the repetition sets in, I kinda want to get on with it. The waiting period for using skills for example. At first I didn't care because, hey, using skills is fun! But there is so much skill-usage that it feels really slow after a while. 

I'm normally all for slower-paced gameplay but WL2 could use some speeding up in certain instances.

Edited September 21, 2014 by Starwars

[marelooke]

Hmm, I started with 4 of the premade party members, I figure I'll learn more about which skills/weapons I really dig by actually playing.

 

Anyway, my starting party members:

Cherry Bomb

Cold-Eye

Widow O'Neill

Big Bert

 

Hmm, I just realized I don't have a medic/surgeon, that might be a problem...is there one I can pick up early in?

[Hiro Protagonist II]

Inspired by so many people doing themed parties, I decided to start again and this time go with the guys from Magnum P.I. Haven't seen anyone do this party and being a huge Magnum fan, I went with this.

 

Magnum. Lock picking, Safe cracking, Computer Science

TC. Demolitions, Mechanical Repair, Toaster Repair

Rick. Alarm Disarming, Leadership

Higgins. Perception, Field Medic, Surgeon

 

Also, had a look at some other forums with creating characters and I think I have a great party this time with attributes and skills.

 

Edited September 21, 2014 by Hiro Protagonist II

[Quetzalcoatl]

Compared to what we've seen in PoE, a number of non-combat skills are used extensively, even in-game, not just in dialogues. I reckon, this is one area where PoE can take a leaf out of WL2's book.

Eh, not really. You can pick locks and disarm traps in Pillars too, it's just not spread out over half a dozen skills like in Wasteland 2. And more crucially, Pillars has stealth.

 

You can also take the same skill on multiple party members in Pillars and it will still be useful for each individual party member.

 

Edited September 21, 2014 by Quetzalcoatl

[IndiraLightfoot]

If I compare a 5h BB PoE run with 5h in WL2: in-game non-combat skill usage is like 1 to a 100. You are however right that quite afew of them are about picking locks and disarming traps being divided into more skills in WL2, but you have no toasters to repair in PoE. All I'm hoping for is that PoE seizes this chance of getting in more non-combat skills. I know that such non-combat skills weren't present in the IE games, but I personally think it would be an improvement if they were.

[Keyrock]

I used to min max characters all the time in RPGs when I was younger, and there's certainly nothing wrong with doing that, I used to enjoy doing that a lot.  For whatever reason, at some point some years ago, I started to really dislike doing that.  These days, I specifically stay away from wikis and guides when making my party.  I get my rocks off these days by playing flawed, weird, and/or unorthodox concept parties.  I won't generally do this on a first playthrough (this assumes it's a game I like enough and that's deep enough to warrant multiple playthroughs), for my first time through I generally do what seems like a sensible balanced party without fussing over how I could have maximized every character to maximum efficiency.  I run through the game with the sensible party as I get my feet under me and learn the quirks of the game.  Then when I do another playthrough in the future, I pick a concept (e.g. no magic whatsoever, no melee characters, all mages, all non-combat focused characters, a team full of dumb as rocks characters, etc) and make my party according to that concept.

[IndiraLightfoot]

Keyrock: I've developed in the same direction. I shy away from wikis, unless I'm simply looking for basic info missing - there are games out there that actually lack manuals, in-game or otherwise. In my first playthroughs, I try to build a fun and varied party that also will be quite efficient at accomplishing most tasks and overcoming most encounters, but then the real fun begins. The odd ball parties, the goofy leftfield curveball creations that sometimes transform entire games.

 

WL2, after a few more hours into it, I can tell will be one of those games too. Since I made a pretty well-balanced and efficient party the first time around, it seems, I can now look forward to some really wacky parties and hopefully fun challenges when replaying them. I have this feeling that my first party, with my slow, methodical and completionist approach, will squeeze almost all content out of the game, so any replayability hinges upon the weird party route. Most likely, though, I'll take a break from it after my first run-through, just like I did with M&M X, for instance.

[Lychnidos]

Is there any reason to have more than one character with charisma higher than 1, other than RP?

[Lexx]

Yes, some of the recruitable party members need x amount of *group* charisma.

[Gorgon]

It would feel wrong somehow.

[sorophx]

I will share my wisdom with you all: it doesn't matter much what kind of team you make, because loot is random, skill checks of levels a lot higher than what you will most likely have at that point are very rare, and you get showered with XP. instead, focus on attributes, these are a lot harder to pump up (I believe there are 5 or so attribute shrines on the first map, so you could theoretically fix a skewed character as you progress).

 

what I do usually is have each ranger specialize in one type of weapon: Assault Rifles, SMGs, Sniper Rifles, Shotguns - in that order, because in my experience ammo for the ones on the left is easier to find. so I always have two AR characters (Angela being the other one) - they always have enough ammo. one SMG character is a must, because SMG is easily the most powerful weapon in the early game, and there's a ton of 9 mm ammo in the wasteland. two bursts every round - yes, please.

 

I do tend to have one melee guy in the beginning, but as the game progresses I turn him into Energy Weapons guy/gal. snipers are kind of ****ty in the early stages of the game because they lack good weapons. this will change as soon as you get access inside Ranger Citadel. also, in my experience a sniper build is the most difficult to get right, my snipers always end up gimped (it is possible to get your sniper to shoot twice in one round and have high initiative, but figuring out the proper attribute values for that makes my head hurt, and that could've been changed since Beta)

 

but of course the amount of XP and the number of skill shrines is why you shouldn't worry too much about your skill point distribution. in the Beta I finished with Act 1 in mid-twenties. so you'll have plenty of skill points (don't forget to pump that Intelligence early).

 

just don't spent it as soon as you get it! I constantly have at least 2 (preferably 4) skill points hanging on each character just in case I come across a challenge that I just can't pass by but don't have a high enough skill to complete. 

[Lexx]

Shrines don't give attribute points anymore, only xp.

 

With the skillchecks in Arizona you are right, but in LA I've got many now where I am not even close to. had speech checks with lvl 10 already, while the highest of my folks was 7. So it does get up a little more later.

[sorophx]

hmmm, interesting. I do tend to have one ranger specialize in one skill, with a secondary skill with some (those that get more skill points per level up). but yeah, while I did have some skills at level 10 by the end of Act 1 in the Beta, I am not sure I can pull that off now

[Lexx]

Beta had faster leveling, though. I've finished Arizona approx at lvl 20. Though, I kinda rushed through everything a bit, only did the obvious dungeons, etc.

[Volourn]

"I'm always for more skills in RPGs (and I would *love* more in PoE) but that type of gameplay wasn't really that present in the IE games so it's not really to be expected."

 

WRONG.

 

Don't blame the IE games espciially when PE has added/changed things. That is such a poor excuse espciially when PE did add skills so to do a half hearted job of it is dissppointing.

 

Bottom line is PE has a lot of work to do in 3 months to be the equal of WL2.

Edited September 21, 2014 by Volourn

[Lychnidos]

Yes, some of the recruitable party members need x amount of *group* charisma.

 

Thank you  .

 

It would feel wrong somehow.

 

It would, but you have only so many points and the other attributes seem to draw me more.

Edited September 21, 2014 by Lychnidos

[Marceror]

 

Yes, some of the recruitable party members need x amount of *group* charisma.

 

Thank you  .

By the way, I'm pretty sure it's just the CHA total of your 4 created rangers that count for this. The NPCs you add don't count. At least, that's how it worked in the most recent beta version.

[Keyrock]

So

I'm in the Ag Center, I've cleared all the central complex above ground stuff, I've cleared all the mushroom caves I've been able to reach, I've done the east field, and now I'm making my way through the west field.  Every single character in my party is hurt to varying degrees.  I have only 1 med kit left.  I've used all but 1 of my pain pills, I'm wandering through the field in mortal fear of freakin' rabbits and praying to the loot gods to please drop me some med kits.  On the positive end, I'm positively bursting with trauma kits and I'm doing okay on ammo.

 

 

Man, this is great.

[Gromnir]

hmmm, interesting. I do tend to have one ranger specialize in one skill, with a secondary skill with some (those that get more skill points per level up). but yeah, while I did have some skills at level 10 by the end of Act 1 in the Beta, I am not sure I can pull that off now

am noticing slower leveling, particularly the xp gains for successful... whatever. example: our safe cracker/locksmith leveld' much faster in the beta. additionally, survival (skill) points is more expensive, so you probable got fewer.  am seeing folks planning on having each character fill out three skills and two weapons. that strikes us as an extreme optimistic plan.

 

other newness: combat armor now requires min str o' 5, not 4.  virtual all npcs has different skill packages from beta. high combat initiative is actual more valuable than it were in the beta, but is also harder to acquire high ci... folks new to wasteland 2 might not realize that ci doesn't simple determine order of attacks in a turn, but will also decide how many turns you effective get in a combat encounter-- high ci = more attack opportunities. 

 

HA! Good Fun!

[IndiraLightfoot]

So

I'm in the Ag Center, I've cleared all the central complex above ground stuff, I've cleared all the mushroom caves I've been able to reach, I've done the east field, and now I'm making my way through the west field.  Every single character in my party is hurt to varying degrees.  I have only 1 med kit left.  I've used all but 1 of my pain pills, I'm wandering through the field in mortal fear of freakin' rabbits and praying to the loot gods to please drop me some med kits.  On the positive end, I'm positively bursting with trauma kits and I'm doing okay on ammo.

 

 

Man, this is great.

 

For some reason, it made me think of this when I was playing it, especially one certain NPC had Sam written all over him: