Kind of disappointed how mechanics dominates the skills

[Nerdwing]

Regarding mechanics and searching to find hidden objects: I believe mechanics only determines how close you need to be while stealthed to find it.  I don't know how that applies to finding traps, though.

Given the huge exp you get from traps, dont forget those as well.  I think you'd need over 10 to get some of those.

[Luckmann]

Regarding mechanics and searching to find hidden objects: I believe mechanics only determines how close you need to be while stealthed to find it.  I don't know how that applies to finding traps, though.

 

No. Again, Mechanics determines everything.

[tinderbox]

 

I'm confused now...do you need Perception, Mechanics, or both to detect secrets? Is it different for traps vs non-traps? If you need both do they have to be on the same character? I was under the impresion that Perception was the only thing that mattered for finding secrets. I even made a rogue at the first inn with max Perception just for that, but I was not maxing mechanics (I was putting points in, just not maxing it). I noticed that even with a 22 Perception I missed seeing a couple traps, but my mechanics is low enough that I would think I would have missed more traps than just those two if it's based purely on mechanics.

 

Anyway, now I'm totally confused.

This was answered like 6 times in this thread. It's only mechanics

 

 

And mechanics dominates because it has, by far, the best combat and non-combat benefits of the all the skills. 

 

 

I'm investing in Lore for the dialogue options. Being able to talk my way out of things is part of my character. And stealth because I like to scout a scenario as much as I can before committing to something that might rebound and bite me on the arse.

[Jasta11]

I agree stealth should help detect hidden objects, not mechanics.

 

I'm also somewhat annoyed that the only way to make mechanics worthwhile is to put basically all a character's points in it, otherwise the locks start to outlevel them.

 

And remember to put at least 2 points in Athlethics for every character unless you want them to be fatigued after every single map transition or 5-6 battles. That's really annoying.

[Mungri]

Put 5-6 athletics on all your characters, but keep it the same on all or its pointless, and enjoy not having to rest as much.

 

I have 6 athletics and the rest in lore on 5 characters, and 6 ath, rest in mechanics on 1.

 

With a custom party though, merchant x 5 and laborer x 1.

Edited April 1, 2015 by Mungri

[archangel979]

And Lore should be used to identify magic items with better ones needing more lore. You should still be able to equip them without identify but game should hide any bonuses from you until you do.

[Felius]

Some preliminary random thoughts on balancing skills:

• Remove the scaling costs, or at least highly reduce them. The benefit of more points gets lower and lower, there doesn't need really need to be scaling costs to the level there are at the moment.
• Making some of the benefits party wide instead of just for the character could be interesting. Sure, it'd highly incentive specialization, but at least there's a point now after the mechanics monkey and a few points around.
• Allow companion's skills be used in dialogue in place of yours. That really should already been in the game really. Hell, it's not even that innovative of an idea, Storm of Zehir, the last expansion for NWN2 did it pretty well already, even if it was a overall mediocre but tolerable expansion for a tolerable but a rather mediocre game.
• More uses for skills outside conversation and scripted events. Not really something that would be mandatory for a party to have, but say:
  • Survival interacting with camping, possibly allowing more camping, a chance of your camping supplies not getting used when camping or you getting free extra supplies when traveling the world map. Also, maybe decreasing traveling time and/or traveling fatigue.
  • Athletics: Maybe a very slight bonus to move speed?
  • Stealth: Would be fine if stealth mechanics got properly balanced and handled.
  • Lore: Maybe having "significant archeological items" that would give a little bit of bonus XP if a character with Lore interacted with them? We are in a country full of ruins, old and more recent, it could be interesting to be able to get a bit of fluff coupled with XP if you have someone who'd know about its history?
  • Mechanics: I would really like if it there were some kind of tool to help with disarming traps like there's lock picks for locks. Not strictly necessary but might help alleviate the feeling of needing a character with this as high as they possibly can get away with.
• Clearer indication of how certain skills interact and how much they benefit the character, specially stealth and mechanics. Or rather, giving some implied in game hints for what would be a somewhat "sweet spot" for the character, even if only saying  that "a normal city's locksmith non-special order best locks will generally have a difficulty 8 to unlock". Something to let us know what skill would be considered in universe "he's really good at it" instead of just "he's competent but hardly a master" or "he dabbles a bit I guess".

 

Put 5-6 athletics on all your characters, but keep it the same on all or its pointless, and enjoy not having to rest as much.

I have 6 athletics and the rest in lore on 5 characters, and 6 ath, rest in mechanics on 1.

With a custom party though, merchant x 5 and laborer x 1.

Why so much athletics? After 3 ranks, combat fatigue reduction stops increasing and the benefit of spending more there is highly marginal, specially for the increasing costs they incur.

Edited April 1, 2015 by Felius

[Elerond]

 

oh, I have never found a hidden item before...makes me want to go back and check~

 

Is there a full list of hidden items by area?

 

All hidden item locations are listed in the game official strategy guide

 

 

I have found lots of hidden objects that aren't listed in strategy guide, although they seem to have all major objects like hidden doors and switches etc..

[Elerond]

I would hope that they will implement system which they spoke during development where in skill checks all members of party that have said skill give you benefits for the check. Like for example you could get +1/4 or maybe +1/6 party members skill to the check (rounded down), to show that they help you or that they have taught you trick or two during your travels. Such system would make party that advances all skill work nearly as good as one with min maxed skills.