Divinity: Original Sin

[Enoch]

I enjoyed the goofiness in D:OS.  I sort of wish they had gone further with it-- the overall storyline still seemed to be trying to get me to take it seriously, when it would probably have been better if given the pure camp/farce treatment. 

 

The inventory management and NPC interactions, though, were a joyless chore.  Once you get to a point where you've mastered the combat system and have enough tools in your bag to handle each of the threat-flavors the game throws at you, the tiresome elements of the game begin to outweigh the entertaining ones. 

[Volourn]

"Rock-paper-scissors is neither old school nor modern. It's its own little quirk."

\

It's trash and it's new age. It's certainly not old skool. Neither is DOS. It take more than being TB to be old skool. There is NOTHING about DOS that makes it old skool. I mean you start with ressurection scrolls in your inventory. HOW IS THAT OLD SKOOL!?!

Edited September 17, 2014 by Volourn

[HoonDing]

All Larian games generally fall apart about halfway through (except maybe Beyond Divinity which was terrible from the beginning) and divulge into inane combat slugfests. I didn't play Dragon Commander.

[Volourn]

BD was solid like the others. Not worse not better.

[Stun]

It's trash and it's new age. It's certainly not old skool.

How exactly are you concluding that it's a 'generational' thing in the first place? Is there a recent influx of games that use the Rock Paper Scissors dialogue minigame?

 

Neither is DOS. It take more than being TB to be old skool. There is NOTHING about DOS that makes it old skool. I mean you start with ressurection scrolls in your inventory. HOW IS THAT OLD SKOOL!?!

And in planescape torment, your toon is immortal, and you end the prologue with the ability to cast resurrection 3x per day.

 

There's a ton of things that are 'old skool' about D:OS.

 

1)There's no level scaling mobs.

2)The fact that your party members can *die* in the first place.

3) Health doesn't regenerate on its own.

4) None of that quest marker BS.

5) Spells and Abilities have to actually be found in the world. You don't just automatically get them on level up.

Edited September 17, 2014 by Stun

[Volourn]

There's NOTHING old skool about DOS. get over it.

 

 

RPS RPS RPS RPS RPS

[Hurlshort]

There's NOTHING old skool about DOS. get over it.

 

 

RPS RPS RPS RPS RPS

 

Rock paper scissors dates back to the Han Dynasty, over 2,000 years ago, so I think it is ok to call it old skool.

[Volourn]

L0L

[melkathi]

 I didn't play Dragon Commander.

 

Fascinating at first, with the various votes and interactions on the ship, but the combat is so forgetable, you start slugging through it just to see how different choices in the inbetween bits on the ship work out. The little flavour bits become more interesting than the game proper.

[Erez]

 

It's trash and it's new age. It's certainly not old skool.

How exactly are you concluding that it's a 'generational' thing in the first place? Is there a recent influx of games that use the Rock Paper Scissors dialogue minigame?

 

Neither is DOS. It take more than being TB to be old skool. There is NOTHING about DOS that makes it old skool. I mean you start with ressurection scrolls in your inventory. HOW IS THAT OLD SKOOL!?!

And in planescape torment, your toon is immortal, and you end the prologue with the ability to cast resurrection 3x per day.

 

There's a ton of things that are 'old skool' about D:OS.

 

1)There's no level scaling mobs.

2)The fact that your party members can *die* in the first place.

3) Health doesn't regenerate on its own.

4) None of that quest marker BS.

5) Spells and Abilities have to actually be found in the world. You don't just automatically get them on level up.

 

- Mob arent leveled in elder scrolls sense of the world, but its far from free roam, you are guided in a linear path through mobs with level that matches your own in the same style of diablo 1&2. The game is very much like divine divinity in that aspect.  games like the elderscrolls might be leveled but at least they are truly free roam. (There are very few games where leveling was done right - Possibly only baldurs gate 2. because levels in ad&d mattered a lot less after 8/9) 

- Dying doesnt matter when the game auto save or enables you to save at any point you want.

- You can find res scrolls at every corner in original sin. but if you exploit the game mechanism well you should never be close to death.(on normal)

- there is an abundance of potions and heal spells which do regenerate

- No quest markers because the world is small and easy to manuver in, just kill all of the mobs and you will end up finishing the quest you were after.

-  Insta learning a complicated skill book is better than gaining a new ability upon leveling up?

[Bos_hybrid]

See, the problem you're having is that you're expecting Larian to produce something they traditionally don't do. Immersion has never been a great selling points in their games.

 

Dragon Commander had it. It's just that the RTS stuff is pretty poor. I also felt the Dragon Knight saga had it too. D:OS, not so much.

[bussinrounds]

 games like the elderscrolls might be leveled but at least they are truly free roam. 

 

  Why would I even want to free roam with all that horrible level scaling and bad gameplay/combat anyway ?  (post Morrowind ES games, that is)

Edited September 18, 2014 by bussinrounds

[BruceVC]

 

It's trash and it's new age. It's certainly not old skool.

How exactly are you concluding that it's a 'generational' thing in the first place? Is there a recent influx of games that use the Rock Paper Scissors dialogue minigame?

 

Neither is DOS. It take more than being TB to be old skool. There is NOTHING about DOS that makes it old skool. I mean you start with ressurection scrolls in your inventory. HOW IS THAT OLD SKOOL!?!

And in planescape torment, your toon is immortal, and you end the prologue with the ability to cast resurrection 3x per day.

 

There's a ton of things that are 'old skool' about D:OS.

 

1)There's no level scaling mobs.

2)The fact that your party members can *die* in the first place.

3) Health doesn't regenerate on its own.

4) None of that quest marker BS.

5) Spells and Abilities have to actually be found in the world. You don't just automatically get them on level up.

 

 

Just the fact the game doesn't have quest markers makes it pretty old school for me

[pmp10]

 

games like the elderscrolls might be leveled but at least they are truly free roam.

  Why would I even want to free roam with all that horrible level scaling and bad gameplay/combat anyway ?  (post Morrowind ES games, that is)

 

To have replayability.

Every game of Original Sin is meant to follow the same path.

With the nonsensical hit-chance/damage scaling it's stupidly hard to combat any mob two levels higher.

[Guest Slinky]

 

 games like the elderscrolls might be leveled but at least they are truly free roam. 

 

  Why would I even want to free roam with all that horrible level scaling and bad gameplay/combat anyway ?  (post Morrowind ES games, that is)

 

 

I agree with the level scaling, but are you seriously saying Morrowind had good combat?

[melkathi]

I realized how I truly hate it when games take control away from me.

My first impression of D:OS was very positive. So I went into the city and started "investigating" the murder. Walked into the crime scene and woosh...

*cringe*

I was in the middle of something? Best way of getting me to not care about a story: ripping me out of something I actually am interested in.

[Stun]

- Mob arent leveled in elder scrolls sense of the world, but its far from free roam,

I wasn't commenting on the game's open endedness, was I. I was commenting on the fact that enemies don't scale to your level. There's really no way around this point. The game lets you take on Braccus Rex (for example) as soon as you find him, even if you're only, like, 2nd level, and it will not alter his stats/abilities AT ALL if you do. The game will let you get clobbered in miliseconds. That's right, the vile, modern day hand-holding blight of level scaling in RPGs does not exist in D:OS. This alone elevates this game above 95% of everything coming out today.

 

 

you are guided in a linear path through mobs with level that matches your own in the same style of diablo 1&2.

You, apparently haven't played the game, or your definition of linearity is whacked, or you're just being dishonest. The game is not Elder Scrolls. It doesn't HAVE to be an open sandbox to be non linear. It can go the traditional bioware route instead. ie. Central hub ----> + maps in all directions ----->Next central hub ------>Maps in all directions. etc.

 

 

- Dying doesnt matter when the game auto save or enables you to save at any point you want.

Excuse me, Modern Gamer, but you're stating an opinion as fact. Some of us aren't save scummers. We value the roleplaying inherent in Death having an in-game consequence.

 

 

- there is an abundance of potions and heal spells which do regenerate

I wasn't talking about healing. I was talking about instant regeneration outside of combat. It doesn't happen in D:OS, period.

 

- No quest markers because the world is small and easy to manuver in, just kill all of the mobs and you will end up finishing the quest you were after.

Really? So you found the Cat's fancy missing collar by 'easily maneuvering' right to it in Cyseal, killing everything in your path? Right. Can you give it a rest, already? We cannot have a meaningful debate when one side insists on lying his sorry ass through the discussion. Edited September 18, 2014 by Stun

[Namutree]

 

- Mob arent leveled in elder scrolls sense of the world, but its far from free roam,

I wasn't commenting on the game's open endedness, was I. I was commenting on the fact that enemies don't scale to your level. There's really no way around this point. The game lets you take on Braccus Rex (for example) as soon as you find him, even if you're only, like, 2nd level, and it will not alter his stats/abilities AT ALL if you do. The game will let you get clobbered in miliseconds. That's right, the vile, modern day hand-holding blight of level scaling in RPGs does not exist in D:OS. This alone elevates this game above 95% of everything coming out today.

 

 

No level scaling? NO LEVEL SCALING!? That's it! I'm buying D:OS!

[Stun]

None, and frankly, It's *refreshing*. And make no mistake about it, the so-called "guided narrative path" is an illusion. There's nothing stopping a level 2 party from leaving the starting city, taking the Silverglen road to the next town, and then entering the forest where they'll face Level 13 Orcs. Nothing at all. The game allows it. It doesn't cater to you. It caters to itself, then dares you to explore it. <----- THERE'S your 'old skool'.

[BruceVC]

None, and frankly, It's *refreshing*. And make no mistake about it, the so-called "guided narrative path" is an illusion. There's nothing stopping a level 2 party from leaving the starting city, taking the Silverglen road to the next town, and then entering the forest where they'll face Level 13 Orcs. Nothing at all. The game allows it. It doesn't cater to you. It caters to itself, then dares you to explore it. <----- THERE'S your 'old skool'.

 

I haven't played this game yet but I am liking what you are saying about it

[Namutree]

None, and frankly, It's *refreshing*. And make no mistake about it, the so-called "guided narrative path" is an illusion. There's nothing stopping a level 2 party from leaving the starting city, taking the Silverglen road to the next town, and then entering the forest where they'll face Level 13 Orcs. Nothing at all. The game allows it. It doesn't cater to you. It caters to itself, then dares you to explore it. <----- THERE'S your 'old skool'.

[Volourn]

"THERE'S your 'old skool'."

 

RPS

[Erez]

 

- Mob arent leveled in elder scrolls sense of the world, but its far from free roam,

I wasn't commenting on the game's open endedness, was I. I was commenting on the fact that enemies don't scale to your level. There's really no way around this point. The game lets you take on Braccus Rex (for example) as soon as you find him, even if you're only, like, 2nd level, and it will not alter his stats/abilities AT ALL if you do. The game will let you get clobbered in miliseconds. That's right, the vile, modern day hand-holding blight of level scaling in RPGs does not exist in D:OS. This alone elevates this game above 95% of everything coming out today.

 

 

you are guided in a linear path through mobs with level that matches your own in the same style of diablo 1&2.

You, apparently haven't played the game, or your definition of linearity is whacked, or you're just being dishonest. The game is not Elder Scrolls. It doesn't HAVE to be an open sandbox to be non linear. It can go the traditional bioware route instead. ie. Central hub ----> + maps in all directions ----->Next central hub ------>Maps in all directions. etc.

 

 

- Dying doesnt matter when the game auto save or enables you to save at any point you want.

Excuse me, Modern Gamer, but you're stating an opinion as fact. Some of us aren't save scummers. We value the roleplaying inherent in Death having an in-game consequence.

 

 

- there is an abundance of potions and heal spells which do regenerate

I wasn't talking about healing. I was talking about instant regeneration outside of combat. It doesn't happen in D:OS, period.

 

- No quest markers because the world is small and easy to manuver in, just kill all of the mobs and you will end up finishing the quest you were after.

Really? So you found the Cat's fancy missing collar by 'easily maneuvering' right to it in Cyseal, killing everything in your path? Right. Can you give it a rest, already? We cannot have a meaningful debate when one side insists on lying his sorry ass through the discussion.

 

So when you die, you restart the game?

trying to imply I havent played the game in order to reduce my credibility is a fallacy - I most likely have more hours in it than you(160 hours so far) 

I dont die on my original sin game - Resurrection in original sin doesn't support in game lore, I would go as far as to saythe various healing skills are also problematic -   There is a troubling difference between the gameplay and the lore in original sin. When I play games with a difference between what I can do in game and the story, it breaks immersion for me.

 

Calling me a liar doesnt change the fact that if you go on orc hunting and open every door there, you will find stinky sam collar all the same. It matches the spirit of old adventure games where you picked anything you  could, well knowing it would serve you later.

 

 

Nothing stops you from going toe to toe from attacking 13 leveled orcs, but you wont get very far unless you exploit the game mechanism(Oil + Fire)

 

There is also no way you will face barracus rex at level 2 unike what stun tried to imply since in order to get to him you will have to face various monsters which will force you to level up(you need a certain item before he opens to you)

Barracus rex is artificially set to level 9 like the rest of the monsters in the game - They all have artificial levels set to them without any regard to immersion or common sense. its in order to encourage you to follow the same linear path everytime or you will be penalized for it in having a harder game. If thats not hand holding then i don't know what is. They have their levels floated on top of their heads and the game practically tells you where you should go first... 

Edited September 19, 2014 by Erez

[Stun]

So when you die, you restart the game?

If it's a total party wipe, I reload. But if a single source hunter in my party lives, I resurrect everyone. if I have no resurrection scrolls, I hike back to town to find some.

 

 

 

 

Nothing stops you from going toe to toe from attacking 13 leveled orcs, but you wont get very far unless you exploit the game mechanism(Oil + Fire)

Er... they specifically designed things to interact with another (also water + electricity.... and... Ooze + fire etc) How in the world is that an exploit? The enemies in this game also take advantage of terrains, and barrels and spell interactions.

 

 

 

There is also no way you will face barracus rex at level 2 unike what stun tried to imply since in order to get to him you will have to face various monsters which will force you to level up(you need a certain item before he opens to you)

Load up your game (if you even own it), then look for that little button on the right hand side of your screen when combat starts. That's the 'flee' button. You're free to use it. Also, effective sneaking is available to those who put points in it.

 

 

Barracus rex is artificially set to level 9 like the rest of the monsters in the game - They all have artificial levels set to them without any regard to immersion or common sense. its in order to encourage you to follow the same linear path everytime or you will be penalized for it in having a harder game. If thats not hand holding then i don't know what is. They have their levels floated on top of their heads and the game practically tells you where you should go first...

You keep using that word, "immersion", I don't think it means what you think it means. Also, what's this 'artificial" gibberish? He's set to level 9. Period. Is there a difference between a natural level 9 and an artificial level 9?

Edited September 19, 2014 by Stun

[melkathi]

 Is there a difference between a natural level 9 and an artificial level 9?

 

 

 

I have this image of npcs sitting around a tiny livingroom, sports or something on the tv. They each hold a can of their drink of choice and one, extremly bitter and angry, is ranting about "Those artificials stealing our jobs. I had this sweet gig with that new game in the Divinity series. Good pay, good hours. And then those bastards went and replaced us all with artificals."

"Bastards..." agrees one of the others.

"As if an artificial level 9 could ever do the job of a natural."

"Cheap npcs... it is ruining the industry," says another.

"You know what we should do?" says npc 2, "we should form a union."

"Cut that $#!7 out," npc 3 growls "what do you think we are? Communists?"

"What's that got to do..." npc 2 tries to ask puzzled.

"It's all that artificer's fault." muses npc 1 "You know the one who lives just past from Config.sys in that old rundown dir/ ?"

"Someone should do something about him," npc 3 says gravely "about that whole dir/ actually."

Npc 2 starts to open his mouth but doesn't even manage to make a sound before npc 3 rants on "It used to be that you didn't even have to encrypt your access. But today? A natural npc isn't safe to walk the code alone with all those artificals out there. And they multiply like... like mallware. That's what they are, mallware!"