What are you playing now?

[HoonDing]

Will maybe start Pillars of Divinity soon.

[Keyrock]

So, I went down to level 3 of the Paths of Od Nua, and boy oh boy do I hate that level.  The battles where you fight 1 or 2 ogres at a time are child's play, but the Zolla fight kicked my ass.  I don't know how hard it is on easier difficulties, but on hard it's pretty brutal.  To make matters worse, I came so freakin' close to winning, in fact, I beat the battle on my 3rd try but Durance got killed (there is no maimed in Expert Mode) and I don't want to lose my primary healer.  It takes so freakin' long to take ogres down unless you get super lucky with crits and once Aloth runs out of spells, I'm pretty much toast since it's so hard to damage them physically.  I got super duper salty trying to clear that level, yelling, swearing up a storm, toward the end I was so irritated that I was rushing, making mistakes, getting super pissed at the pathfinding (which frankly sucks), and just being miserable, so I knew I had to just turn the game off right then and there.  I wound up scrapping the entire (expletive-laden) LP episode I was recording and starting over from where I left off in level 2 before and heading topside.

 

From there I ventured to Readric's Hold.  I haven't completely cleared it out yet, but I get the feeling I was supposed to do this area earlier, because I am straight up MASSACRING the fool in this place.  I like how there are (at least) 3 ways to get in.  I wound up taking the

climb up the ivy

path.  I am out of camping supplies, so I may need to head back to town before completing the area if I don't find any along the way, but I still have most of my spells since I've been steamrolling fools with just basic attacks and per encounter abilities.  I do think I'll need to get Eder some damage increasing skills next time he levels up, as I've been going all defense pretty much every level since holding the line is his main job; his damage output is pathetic.  Pallegina dishes out decent damage, but my main, Beefstick the Barbarian, does insane damage output.  He's my primary damage dealer 95% of the time.  He smashes up fools like they owe him money, and I don't even use Frenzy (because I think it sucks, it takes too long to activate and you can't activate it before combat begins).  Come to think of it, since I loot them afterwards, maybe they did owe him money?

 

As an aside, how do you pay hirelings in the stronghold?  I have one hireling constantly listed as "unpaid".  I have plenty of money and would like to pay him, but I don't know how?  Is this something that just happens automatically?  If so, why isn't he getting paid when I have plenty of money?  Do I need to put money in some coffer?  I'm confused.

 

Edit: Aside #2: This game could really use a button that lets you manually go into "combat mode".

Edited April 9, 2015 by Keyrock

[Starwars]

Where did you approach the Zolla fight? There is a little hole in the wall towards the eastern part of the room where I found it great to setup. Stuff your tank(s) in there and just unload everything you have on the ogres as they clutter up. Spells like Slicken are invaluable there I think. If you have summons for Kana then those will help also.

Also, be sure to attack them from a range (while they're still green) and draw them to you.

 

Also, the hirelings thing is a bug I believe. Your hirelings are getting paid, it's just the UI text that's bugged so it lists them as unpaid.

[Gfted1]

A new patch came out the other day for D3. Been running Greater Rifts for the new gems and regular rifts for the new armor sets. Didn't find anything yet that blew me away but still fun seeing new stuff.

[Keyrock]

I tried the Zolla fight from every angle.  I'll try it again when I level up to lev 7.

 

Edit:  Do you ever get a talent that changes the "casting time" of Frenzy to instant?  If I could modify that ability to instant I might actually use it.  The ability is garbage as it is because the "casting time" is just too long.

Edited April 9, 2015 by Keyrock

[BruceVC]

Guys can you use spoilers if you are going to PoE, some of us haven't played the game yet and really don't want to know too much about it

[Labadal]

"Guys can you use spoilers if you are going to PoE, some of us haven't played the game yet and really don't want to know too much about it "

 

No.

[Hurlshort]

These aren't really spoilers.  They don't reveal anything about any plots.

[Malcador]

Man, I did not see that twist coming when you find out you are the good half of Thaos' soul.

Edited April 9, 2015 by Malcador

[ShadySands]

You were the good half?

[Malcador]

You were the good half?

Depends on your benevolent score.

[LadyCrimson]

PoE, Lvl9, impatiently steamrolled to the end of Act2, begin Act3. Getting tougher, have to creep along more.

 

I still only half-understand all the skills, stats, items, spells (and all their descriptions in-game), engagement system etc. so it can be pretty crazy at times in the harder fights trying to figure out what's "best" via combat trials. And I'm just on Normal. Plus I'm sure I haven't "built" the team all that well.

 

The summon objects are really handy occasionally. I like the 3 beetles one best so far - for some reason they seem the most durable in a fight and at the least 3 is more of a distraction than 1. Chanter's wurm summon is nice too, and if you get to his 4 chants req, probably need them. :D

 

Eder can be great tank...but yeah not much dmg if you go that way. Other Fighter is more speed/dps, but then he crumbles faster. Aloth at lvl8 starts to become more useful.

[Keyrock]

I cleared out Readric's Hold and made my choices.

killed Osrya and Readric, Nedmar is alive and Kolsc is now in charge

 I'm not sure if what I did is for the better or worse for the area, but I'll see that play out in the future, I guess.  No metagaming for me; I make a decision and I stick to it, for better or worse.  While there I also picked up another pet (I'm up to 4), a semi-dead(?) kitty.  It's sickly looking but it seems friendly enough, so I'm going to love it just the same, because that's how I roll.  Also, I picked up sooooooooo much loot while in Readric's Hold.  I had enough weapons and armor to equip an entire army; not a squadron or batallion, but an entire army.  I then stopped by my stronghold to fend off a skeleton attack.  Now I'm on the road to Dyrford.  After that, I guess it's back to Defiance Bay where, I'm assuming, I'll pick up the trail of the main story arc and work toward moving Act 2 along and eventually finish it and move on to Act 3.

Edited April 10, 2015 by Keyrock

[Nonek]

I've got to ask, does the combat in Poe get any more...fun? The ghosts and shadows were a nice touch thanks to the teleportation and needed response, but since then i'm just falling back on the same tactics, using the most efficient builds and the most efficient items, which are so far unfortunately utterly boring. There's no unexpected situations, no game changing artifacts, no crazy builds, no thrill from the fall of the dice, no immunities to overcome or anything else i'd consider fun and challenging. It's unfortunately becoming tedious and simplistic.

 

Still the narrative and world building is interesting.

[Malcador]

It gets non-mundane against Thaos

[ShadySands]

I've got to ask, does the combat in Poe get any more...fun? The ghosts and shadows were a nice touch thanks to the teleportation and needed response, but since then i'm just falling back on the same tactics, using the most efficient builds and the most efficient items, which are so far unfortunately utterly boring. There's no unexpected situations, no game changing artifacts, no crazy builds, no thrill from the fall of the dice, no immunities to overcome or anything else i'd consider fun and challenging. It's unfortunately becoming tedious and simplistic.

 

Still the narrative and world building is interesting.

I found the combat very samey for the majority of the game as well. A few fights here and there were more interesting, usually because of some scripted event so that I couldn't start with my usual volley from stealth.

[Hurlshort]

I've had some fun watching a Spider Queen and her brood burn in a wall of flame.  

[Malcador]

I think the last level should have been a vast tunnel network chock full of Xaurips while Thaos laughs as you quit from boredom.

 

I kid, but combat in most games eventually becomes tedious.

[ShadySands]

I usually end up hoarding my spells for that one big fight that never seems to come mostly because I keep using the same overpowered opening

[Hurlshort]

It might be a good idea for my next playthrough to not have everyone start off in ranged combat.  Actually I could see just having two or three PC's making combat a bit more exciting, since you would really need to utilize all the skills available to get through tough fights.

[Gfted1]

I've got to ask, does the combat in Poe get any more...fun? The ghosts and shadows were a nice touch thanks to the teleportation and needed response, but since then i'm just falling back on the same tactics, using the most efficient builds and the most efficient items, which are so far unfortunately utterly boring. There's no unexpected situations, no game changing artifacts, no crazy builds, no thrill from the fall of the dice, no immunities to overcome or anything else i'd consider fun and challenging. It's unfortunately becoming tedious and simplistic.

 

Still the narrative and world building is interesting.

 

That's the "balance" they were going to hammer into the game regardless of consequences. Its a feature.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

PoE in PotD has combat that starts off hard but devolves into using the same tactics for every fight. So far it's been a good game otherwise, but fights could use more variety.

 

And balance still sucks because Cipher > Wizard or Rogue. Paralysis then high damage attacks shreds most things I end up fighting. Also the DT system heavily favors high damage and armor penetration in most fights. Sabres are pretty poor as well.

[LadyCrimson]

I've been using the "standard" format of 2 fighters - well, 3, because of my Monk, who is still semi-useless because I really don't know what to do with her - and the ranged in back casting spells or wands. Definitely do not have an optimum or min/maxed sort of style going at all, and I'm largely going defensive with little in the way of "big" damage tactics. The combat is kinda fun/difficult at first but then gets really easy for the most part after clvl5 or 6, with a full party. There are occasional special fights/enemies (ghosts, ogres, bounties, and the dungeon) that are difficult or take a long time but most of the main quest path and side quests are a lot of rinse and repeat.

 

I think it would be more fun with a not-full party. 4 max, 3 probably more preferable.

 

Also...I always found most items in the IE games "boring." It's not like Diablo's Uniques system...Swords +2 or Boots of endurance are nice and useful and all but they've never been exciting.

My problem is I found two end. "draining" weapons very early, that my fighters use in their off-hands (they're both dual-wield), and there has been nothing worth replacing them with. The suppression system also makes it so even most good items you come across have no purpose for you by that point.

[BruceVC]

 

I've got to ask, does the combat in Poe get any more...fun? The ghosts and shadows were a nice touch thanks to the teleportation and needed response, but since then i'm just falling back on the same tactics, using the most efficient builds and the most efficient items, which are so far unfortunately utterly boring. There's no unexpected situations, no game changing artifacts, no crazy builds, no thrill from the fall of the dice, no immunities to overcome or anything else i'd consider fun and challenging. It's unfortunately becoming tedious and simplistic.

 

Still the narrative and world building is interesting.

 

That's the "balance" they were going to hammer into the game regardless of consequences. Its a feature.

 

 

Even though I haven't played PoE yet your I find your cynicism funny  

[HoonDing]

balance > fun