Divinity: Original Sin

[Tigranes 3,589]

"where suddenly lvl 3 enemies where (I was like lvl 5 by then)."

 

Which likely were a cakewalk with no challenge and got old real quick. That's why this game is linear. It's lame that they tell you the enemies' exact levels too (and you don't need the 'lore' skill for it either).

 

Agree about the levels, enemy resistances and other details are dependent on perception and level information should be too (though at a low threshold). But the only other options design-wise is to make it level-scaled (Ugh) or make the gameworld much larger, which (1) Larian is too small to do and maintain quality, and (2) means a lot more filler combat, and the game is already pretty damn long. Also, on my second playthrough I'm discovering I can do a number of things in a different order, because this is a 'low-level' adventure and everything in Silverglen for instance is 11-14, so doing things in a different order works. You can also do most of Black Cove or the Lighthouse battle very early on by making use of environment and other encounter specific tricks.

 

As for Ars Technica, random video game review has no idea which way is up or down, news at eleven.

[Monte Carlo 4,908]

Ars is pretty much my first stop for anything tech-related but games?

 

No.

[AGX-17 796]

Them, not the publishers.

But they are the publishers.

 

It's lame that they tell you the enemies' exact levels too (and you don't need the 'lore' skill for it either).

Why don't you just fight anyway? If you're using that information to avoid encounters then you're letting the lamers win. Don't metagame and run away because you know elementary maths (i.e. 12 is larger than 2.)

STOP METAGAMING YOU SCRUB

 

Edited July 17, 2014 by AGX-17

[Darji 244]

I was in hunters Edge with level 11 and was fighting level 16 enemies.  and shortly after I fought a giant level 6 spider and almost one shoted  it.   I really love no level scaling games and it is a great way to restrict the gamepath for the sake of story for a while.  Also they only tell you the level if your perception is high enough. I fought a lot of Level ??? guys for a while. The moment you hit them however you normally see their level. 

Edited July 17, 2014 by Darji

[Agiel 1,806]

Up to the Immaculate initiation now...

 

Jesus Christ, can we have a moratorium on Myst-like puzzles in games? I thought PC gaming finally got Roberta Williams and and Jane Jensen out of its system. 

[Gorgon 1,791]

There are a few that  just don't leave any room for error, either you get it, or it's hours and hours of tedious trial and error. I just looked up the answer on the net when I got bored with them. 

[HoonDing 4,247]

It's an Ultima wannabe, so...

Edited July 17, 2014 by HoonDing

[Tigranes 3,589]

Yeah some of the puzzles are too obscure for my liking, but most of them are fairly quick and you can look online if it's really frustrating. 

 

I think I'm in the final area now in my second playthrough, the same place where I terminated the first. Looks like the good old RPG disease of 'poorly designed shoddy final dungeon' is strong in this one, so I might even just restart again to try different character builds. Still good fun but I suspect that will then be it for a while, meaning about 100 hours of awesomeness. 

 

Reports are that the Editor is also very good and feels quite similar to NWN1/2's. An Ultima 7 remake with D:OS combat would be pretty cool, seeing as how U7 basically had no combat, only a 'push the left button' minigame.

[sorophx 1,015]

am I the only one who thinks puzzles shouldn't exist in CRPGs in any form? they're just a waste of time...

[Amentep 5,934]

I think it depends on the game, the setting and such.

 

But yeah, sometimes I see puzzles in games and think "What was that ancient civilization supposed to be thinking when they decided to trap every path to the holy relic...they worshiped every day."

[ArtistFormerlyKnownasKP 6,402]

am I the only one who thinks puzzles shouldn't exist in CRPGs in any form? they're just a waste of time...

No, you aren't. Minigames in RPGs are usually just bad.

[BruceVC 2,839]

I think it depends on the game, the setting and such.

 

But yeah, sometimes I see puzzles in games and think "What was that ancient civilization supposed to be thinking when they decided to trap every path to the holy relic...they worshiped every day."

 

Yeah at times it does seem illogical

[TheChris92 195]

Anybody know any legitimate places of where to get the game cheap -- possibly with a Steam key?

[Darji 244]

am I the only one who thinks puzzles shouldn't exist in CRPGs in any form? they're just a waste of time...

Puzzles like this are a part of every good or great D&D campaign. 

[sorophx 1,015]

Puzzles like this are a part of every good or great D&D campaign. 

finally, now it all makes sense. I can just ignore everything you post from this point on, thanks for clarifying that. 

[BruceVC 2,839]

 

Puzzles like this are a part of every good or great D&D campaign. 

finally, now it all makes sense. I can just ignore everything you post from this point on, thanks for clarifying that. 

 

 

Why would you ignore what he is saying? If you disagree with him then explain why....that's the purpose of debate and forums

[Hiro Protagonist II 1,437]

 

am I the only one who thinks puzzles shouldn't exist in CRPGs in any form? they're just a waste of time...

Puzzles like this are a part of every good or great D&D campaign. 

 

 

While I enjoy puzzles in pnp, they don't always translate well to a crpg. I did like the puzzles in BG2 though. Pretty much every puzzle in IWD2 I didn't like.

[HoonDing 4,247]

Puzzles are great in arrpeegees because they break the monotony of combat.

[Enoch 1,990]

So, playing most of the week in 1-hour nightly increments, I think I've gotten all I can out of wandering through Cyseal.  Probably wasn't wise of them to put so much uninterrupted looking-in-boxes and talking-to-folks content so early in the game.  The writing is okay-ish, but all the barrel-searching gets tedious.   They should've dropped a fight or two in there for variety's sake.

 

Dumb questions:

 

I have loads of crafting crap, and no clue how to use it.  I'd like to try crushing stuff with my mortar and pestle, or hitting things with a hammer, but it won't let me use them on the inventory screen.  I did find and anvil and such in town, and I think I figured out how to use them (at least enough to get an "insufficient Blacksmithing skill" message), but the recipes I'm finding seem to indicate that I can make things with just the stuff I'm carrying around. 

 

I've gathered the two henchmen in town, but I understand that there is a way to get more custom hirelings.  Does that open up later, or am I missing something?

[Hassat Hunter 1,380]

Nothing better than some good brainteasers... but of course I already know I rather disagree with everything Sorophx says.

I don't want brainless slaughtering... that's not what RPG is for...

 

 

Anybody know any legitimate places of where to get the game cheap -- possibly with a Steam key?

http://store.steampowered.com/app/230230/

 

Don't be a cheapskate, support good RPG-development. Down with modern RPG's, hail the old-school RPG!

 

EDIT: Questions posted above.

For crafting; drag and drop ingredients over each other. If they can interact, you're given the option to combine them.

Hirelings open up later, yes.

Edited July 18, 2014 by Hassat Hunter

[HoonDing 4,247]

srry just bought Elder Scrolls Online.

[Darji 244]

 

 

am I the only one who thinks puzzles shouldn't exist in CRPGs in any form? they're just a waste of time...

Puzzles like this are a part of every good or great D&D campaign. 

 

 

While I enjoy puzzles in pnp, they don't always translate well to a crpg. I did like the puzzles in BG2 though. Pretty much every puzzle in IWD2 I didn't like.

 

That is for sure they have to be good. And I think the ones in Divinity are good because you actually need to think, talk to people, or animals to get hints and even then sometimes they do not tell you the straight solution for it.  Of course it will be more difficult for new players who do not have much experience with old school design. However this was made with the pure intent to satisfy these hardcore old school player. And I think they succeeded even with the puzzles.

 

And if you really have trouble with one puzzle or generally do not like puzzles you either kill everything to solve the quest  or today with the help of the internet you get the solution in like 30 seconds. 

[pmp10 236]

So, playing most of the week in 1-hour nightly increments, I think I've gotten all I can out of wandering through Cyseal.  Probably wasn't wise of them to put so much uninterrupted looking-in-boxes and talking-to-folks content so early in the game.  The writing is okay-ish, but all the barrel-searching gets tedious.   They should've dropped a fight or two in there for variety's sake.

I have loads of crafting crap, and no clue how to use it.  I'd like to try crushing stuff with my mortar and pestle, or hitting things with a hammer, but it won't let me use them on the inventory screen.  I did find and anvil and such in town, and I think I figured out how to use them (at least enough to get an "insufficient Blacksmithing skill" message), but the recipes I'm finding seem to indicate that I can make things with just the stuff I'm carrying around.

That's pretty much the whole appeal of the game.

Unrestricted looting in Cyseal and figuring out crafting recipes with adventure game logic.

Don't rush those things as there really isn't much to the game afterwards.

[Guest Slinky]

I generally like puzzles but they tend to be so simple they feel like a waste of time. Sometimes feels like I'm playing with that toy for children where you need to fit the right shaped objects in right shaped holes.

 

The other day I saw a guy complaining how difficult the puzzles in Skyrim are, so I guess there is a reason for that.

Edited July 18, 2014 by Slinky

[BruceVC 2,839]

srry just bought Elder Scrolls Online.

 

I saw this on Steam on special and I'm thinking about buying it as well ?