Skills

[Myrten]

I think skill distribution across the party is pretty imporant topic, so let me start with a few questions:

 

1) Which skills are used in conversations? This is most important as only main char's skills count.

2) Which skills are used in scripted interactions?

3) Are there any particular skills which are useful for everyone?

4) Does it make sense to focus on more then 1 skill in single character?

 

I'm planning to go with a following setup:

 

Cipher (main char, ranged dps) - max lore

Fighter (main tank) - max athletics

Chanter (main tank\support) - max athletics

Priest (ranged dps\support) - max survival

Rogue (ranged dps) - max stealth

Wizard (ranged dps) - max mechanics

 

Any suggestions?

[Baleros]

JUST AS LONG AS U TAKE IT TO THE MAX !

[Sock]

All skills, potentially. Although mechanics and stealth might be the less common two, IMO. I can see fewer situations for using those skills conversationally than compared to athletics, lore, and survival. That's pure conjecture on my part, though.

 

Survival benefits anyone who would use a potion (and eat food? I don't recall), so it might be worth spreading around, and I doubt it would be useful at all maxed out on one character. Lore is worth being maxed out on someone for scroll purposes, but using it on your main character (unless you plan for that as being part of their combat strategy) might be a waste.

 

Athletics can keep you going longer before needing to rest due to fatigue, and is worth having a little of on most characters. You can substitute this with gear for a few people (like if you want to max mechanics), but it's unknown at this stage if you'll have enough useful +athletics gear to provide for everyone.

 

I am playing through with my main character taking equal levels of lore/survival and athletics/stealth in a 2:1 ratio (ie: if i have 4 ranks in lore/survival then i have 2 ranks in athletics/stealth). I'll eventually be able to use some scrolls, potions will be of greater benefit, I can position somewhat, and won't be tired too early. I will have my wizard maxing lore, and my priest maxing mechanics (using companions, and Durance apparently starts with 3 in mechanics). Everyone else will take a divide between stealth/athletics/survival.

[Myrten]

All skills, potentially. Although mechanics and stealth might be the less common two, IMO. I can see fewer situations for using those skills conversationally than compared to athletics, lore, and survival. That's pure conjecture on my part, though.

 

Survival benefits anyone who would use a potion (and eat food? I don't recall), so it might be worth spreading around, and I doubt it would be useful at all maxed out on one character. Lore is worth being maxed out on someone for scroll purposes, but using it on your main character (unless you plan for that as being part of their combat strategy) might be a waste.

 

Athletics can keep you going longer before needing to rest due to fatigue, and is worth having a little of on most characters. You can substitute this with gear for a few people (like if you want to max mechanics), but it's unknown at this stage if you'll have enough useful +athletics gear to provide for everyone.

 

I am playing through with my main character taking equal levels of lore/survival and athletics/stealth in a 2:1 ratio (ie: if i have 4 ranks in lore/survival then i have 2 ranks in athletics/stealth). I'll eventually be able to use some scrolls, potions will be of greater benefit, I can position somewhat, and won't be tired too early. I will have my wizard maxing lore, and my priest maxing mechanics (using companions, and Durance apparently starts with 3 in mechanics). Everyone else will take a divide between stealth/athletics/survival.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, thing is I'm not really into consumables as I always want to save them for later and usually I end up don' using them at all

 

Lore at main character is solely for the conversations. It seems I'll have to accommodate for athletics in every character.

[Sock]

I am the same way, I never use consumables. I usually just sell them for money. Same with traps.

 

But I am planning to start this game on PotD, and I really want to beat it using everything I have on hand. I am even considering iron man mode, but am really hesitant to try that before the game has been out for a few months and is then stable and more officially balanced.

 

So, for me, that survival will likely have more use than it has in past games. I haven't used potions in the BB because I know what to expect from the BB, and plan accordingly. I never *need* consumables, or food, or anything else. I barely even need buffs or healing anymore. But I'm not going to know the full game, and every combat, and power up, and level up, etc. I am going to run into situations where I am going to need a potion.

Edited March 25, 2015 by Sock

[Achilles]

1) Which skills are used in conversations? This is most important as only main char's skills count.

 

Stealth is the only one that doesn't specifically mention dialogues or scripted interactions in the description, so I don't know how it will get used. I've seen a mix of all the others (as well as attributes and backgrounds). Side note: only the PCs count in dialog, however the party is sometimes checked in scripted interactions.

 

 

2) Which skills are used in scripted interactions?

 

See above.

 

 

3) Are there any particular skills which are useful for everyone?

 

Athletics. Your party will get tired over time and take penalties. Have a few points in Athletics won't negate this entirely, but it will help to delay the inevitable.

 

 

4) Does it make sense to focus on more then 1 skill in single character?

 

Not sure I understand the question. If you're asking does it make sense to have a distribution of points over several skills, then yes, as most are useful. Also, the answer to questions 1 and 2.

[Myrten]

I am the same way, I never use consumables. I usually just sell them for money. Same with traps.

 

But I am planning to start this game on PotD, and I really want to beat it using everything I have on hand. I am even considering iron man mode, but am really hesitant to try that before the game has been out for a few months and is then stable and more officially balanced.

 

So, for me, that survival will likely have more use than it has in past games. I haven't used potions in the BB because I know what to expect from the BB, and plan accordingly. I never *need* consumables, or food, or anything else. I barely even need buffs or healing anymore. But I'm not going to know the full game, and every combat, and power up, and level up, etc. I am going to run into situations where I am going to need a potion.

 

I'd advise against using iron man mode for a very simple reason - you never know if you will not encounter game-breaking bug and in that case if you don't have multiple saves you are simply screwed. Europa Universalis IV (grand strategy game from Paradox Interactive) has similar system and despite game being out for like 2 years such game-breaking bugs still happen so people who play ironman can be screwed.

 

I'm going to play on hard so I think I can pretty much ignore consumables, I'm not sure if survival would make the difference on PotD which would justify taking it.

[Nortar]

 

1) Which skills are used in conversations? This is most important as only main char's skills count

 

So the manual is wrong?

 

[Ganrich]

 

1) Which skills are used in conversations? This is most important as only main char's skills count

 

 

So the manual is wrong?

 

Not sure, in this case, but it definitely isn't gospel. It has a lot of mistakes.

1). Damage Threshold is no longer in the game.

2). The bonuses for Intellect and Resolve are wrong.

3). Chanters do not get Aefyllath Ues Mith Fyr as a level one phrase. It is now level 3.

 

Just things that have been mentioned that are incorrect in a few threads. So it won't be surprising if this is number 4.

[Bazy]

So the manual is wrong?

http://eternity.obsidian.net/manual/errata

[Nortar]

 

So the manual is wrong?

http://eternity.obsidian.net/manual/errata

 

 

Currently there are no corrections to the part I quoted.

 

Manual (with no corrections in errata) says that the highest among party members skill is used, opinion on the forums is that only main character's skill counts.

 

So how is it in the game?

[isms]

 

 

1) Which skills are used in conversations? This is most important as only main char's skills count

 

So the manual is wrong?

 

 

 

I would imagine this is referring to scripted events as opposed to dialogue events. For example, an unknown berry is found in a strange bush, the party member with the highest survival will be used to attempt to identify it.