Deciding on a starting character.

[Styger]

Played a bit with a chanter PC dismissed the BB rogue and added my own rogue and cypher which are the three main choices I am trying to decide between (chanter, cypher,rogue)

 

Chanter was of course a level above the others but taking that into effect all 3 were very close in where they could get mechanics and lore to (with 3 stealth on everyone which I have found in the BB to be adequate but do not know how that will play out in the game) After defeating the three adventurer parties and the Ogre (on hard) my guys were level 7/6/6.

 

Chanter (Moon) 8/10/8/16/20/17 - soldier focus - hammer/ lg shield & arquebus (Nightrunner leathers)

Cypher (Moon) 10/8/14/14/18/14 - adventurer focus - Estoc - War Bow (Fine BPlate)

Rogue (Fire) 10/8/14/15/16/15 - noble focus - Rapier/dagger - rod - blunderbuss (will probably take ruffian if I use as PC) (leathers)

 

Chanter was least fun - waiting for chants to add up - spell - wait for chants - open with gun then switch to hammer/shield (80 def currently) then get in close to use chants never went down - lowest damage of group

 

Cypher - better fun spells available to start - then wait to return them - open w bow or spell stay back unless targeted in melee or mopping up with Estoc. 4th in damage - went down once.

 

Rogue - also better fun - more micromanagement - highest damage done followed by BB Wizard & BB fighter - went down once (probably while I was micromanaging spell casters.) -

 

None of them could find the hidden items in the Ogre den including Chanter with 8 mechanics (BB rogue would have had 9 by then I think and she always found it)

 

Of these three I think chanter would still make the best PC for survival and RP checks in dialogues and scripted events and I think it's a toss up between the rogue & cypher which one might be most fun to play.

 

Jury still out - I don't need to make a decision until Sunday which is likely the first chance I can play 

I would say that the Chanter is still the best bet for the point you made "I think chanter would still make the best PC for survival and RP checks in dialogues and scripted events". For the first playthrough, you want to get a nice rounded experience, especially in a story driven game, and the Chanter might lend itself to unveiling the story moreso than the rogue or cipher. Of course, this is speculation, but it feels right I suppose.

 

Besides, in the end will it really matter? You know you'll play through at LEAST 3 times. Choose whichever you will enjoy the most the first time through, then hit it up again with the next choice.

[Sock]

 

 

 

I hope the release version of PoE allows for viable hybrid builds cause I would love to have more of a utility build (perform decent in multiple roles). The current beta is not nice to hybrid builds.

 

The release version will not change considerably. The best we can hope for are minor adjustments. The entire current system favours heavy specialization and greatly awards min/maxing. While I share your wishes, I say curb your enthusiasm. Nothing will change considerably in 3 days.

 

To say that the system isn't nice to hybrid builds or utility builds is probably the understatement of the century. That being said, it's also pretty hard to fail irrevocably. Even a really bad build should be able to finish the game.

 

I disagree. I found several stat options that I could reach in conversation that weren't all 18+. Further, the skil checks for conversation and scripted events were reachable by a character that was split between 3 different skills.

 

Combat, too, I am making hybrid, unoptimized characters and am taking out PotD difficulty with little struggle.

 

The game encourages all types. There will be some instances where someone with superhuman might will be necessary to do something really cool, and that's great. That's what you get for being a specialist. But they will have had to drop a lot of stats to reach that high might, and would then miss out on dozens of different events.

 

Generalist characters are absolutely viable.

"Hurr durr dur duurr durf hurf hurr hurr durr hurr"

 

 

 

Bonus points for confusing "the system" with conversation options and scripted events.

 

 

 

My emphasis in teal. 

 

I 100% disagree. I have played hybrids and I have played min-max builds. If I am able to beat the beta, at the highest difficulty, easily, without min-maxing... then no, the game does not heavily favor specializing or reward min-maxing. I'm positive that it does, but not even close to the degree that some people make it out to be.

[Dr. Hieronymous Alloy]

The blunderbuss cipher was the character I enjoyed most in beta, and that's what I'll be playing for my first playthrough. 19 might, 19 Int, 12 dex, 8 con. 

I plan on making a death godlike bleak walker paladin and a fire godlike monk, maybe a wood elf chanter, a few other characters as *adventurers* just to test out the builds, but I think they won't be as effective from first level. If I really like them I might try them as a primary, esp. the Bleak Walker because then I could go through taking all the Aggressive options.

[tinderbox]

Cipher most likely, probably with a skill focus on lore/stealth/mechanics using a war bow (and dual wieliding as a melee backup). I always role-played BG 1 & 2 and IWD as a mage/thief multiclass and this seems to kinda fit. Also have had a longstanding fascination with psionics and there's an overlap there too. Cipher is the class I've played most so far and the one that has really caught my imagination.

[TigrisW]

This is so hard.. I have tested different build in BB and I 90% sure playing my first play through with rogue. In particular if I start straight out Path of the Damnet .

This will be very damage centralize so stats are 21 Might, 18 Dex, 18 perc. and some intelligent.  Race will be Island Aumaua because I want 3 weapon slot in the easy way. Also Chanter is interesting but I think it must wait before my rogue get killed..

Edited March 25, 2015 by TigrisW