I wonder if there wasn't a missed opportunity here.  It seems like every ability works on every enemy even when it doesn't make any sense.  I think immunities based on creature-type would have gone really well with the bestiary style xp system. 

 

Some examples off the top of my head:

slimes -> immune to prone, blind

Flying creatures -> immune to slicken, traps.

undead -> immune to fear, gas

 

You get the idea.  I think it would have made the differences between enemies more tactically interesting if you had to work around their immunities, as long as they made sense.

 

 

It was done deliberately and it's one of the things that makes combat quite boring, IMO as it pretty much ends up being one solution works for everything.

Yes exactly my problem with it.  No real need to be divergent with your strategies when one AoE CC will always do the job for you.

They probably wanted implement this and weighed it against making some encounters too difficult for new players. I wish they did though. The enemies feel samey, they dont have any traits that make you differentiate them aside from the type of damage you need to use on them. The "equalizing" everything design theme of the game makes it very middle of the road. 

I have to agree, I'm confused that I can blind enemies without eyes.

While there are no out and out immunities creatures' defenses do vary enough that the abilities you use should change depending on the enemy. Good luck hitting an ogre with anything that attacks fortitude and good luck hitting a spectre with anything that doesn't target fortitude - trying to freeze them is a bad move too.

Edited April 5, 201510 yr by MasterPrudent

Yeah it's a bit silly that I can knock a jelly prone (isn't it already lying on the ground?) or blind a creature which clearly has no eyes.

 

Perhaps they thought it would be too difficult to keep track of which monsters are immune to what effects.

I think this can be modded in

I think they should have implemented immunities at least in Expert mode (maybe on Hard / PotD).

 

If someone creates a modtool to modify stats of monsters and spells it will be easy to do - just give them +500 defense against certain attack types.

yeah special immunities would be cool

 

 

Though if you look at the Bestiary (SPOILERS!), The game does have different damage resistance for different creature groups. For example some creatures are weaker to burn damage, some resist slashing damage, etc. Thats the closest there is to unique immunities right now.

 

How granular is that though? There's a difference between being immune to blind and having a 500 will.

I did find this rather confusing and weird. On the other hand, it means I don't have to worry about learning what everything is immune to or checking it every encounter. As with any such streamlined system, it has its advantages and disadvantages.

Seems it could have been implemented if each creature immunity was listed in the beastiary. As it is now, units just have higher defenses and damage resistances vs specific spell and damage types. Maybe they'll do it for the expansion/sequel.

Edited April 5, 201510 yr by View619

I noticed this right away myself and agree. Don't know the reasons behind it, perhaps not enough time to really get into it or that particular branch has no idea about such things. I was very disappointed with obvious, such as blinding eyeless creatures or poison skeletons or back stabbing their vitals. I hope this can be reconsidered in the future.

I have to agree, I'm confused that I can blind enemies without eyes.

Or cause burn damage to Flame Blights with a fireball lol.

 

But, as stated, it was intentional. Immunities fall under the "rock-paper-scissors" game play design umbrella. And we were told by people who understand Fun better than we do, that those are the Devil -- because they "go counter to tactical gameplay", or some other logic-based paradox.

Edited April 5, 201510 yr by Stun

Lack of immunities are... disappointing. That being said I did get quite a lol when I proned my first ooze.

I'm not sure if the complete lack of immunities is the best choice, but I prefer it to the overly abundant immunities that were present in D&D. Oh what's that, you want to play a class that specializes in sneak attacks or criticals? Too bad, over half the enemies resist that ****. 

 

I have to agree, I'm confused that I can blind enemies without eyes.

Or cause burn damage to Flame Blights with a fireball lol.

 

But, as stated, it was intentional. Immunities fall under the "rock-paper-scissors" game play design umbrella. And we were told by people who understand Fun better than we do, that those are the Devil -- because they "go counter to tactical gameplay", or some other logic-based paradox.

 

Yes, there are no "hard" immunities but there are plenty of "rock-paper-scissors" options to go with. You don't have to use any particular attack against an enemy but you're going to make things really hard for yourself if you insist on trying to knock over Ogres or burn fire creatures.

Yeah, I think leaving this out was a big mistake.  I like my fictional worlds to have internal logic.

"I have to agree, I'm confused that I can blind enemies without eyes."

 

This alone illustrates how illogical and, quite frankly, how stupid the 'no immunities' thing is bull. Yeah a fire elemental - a being made out of friggin' fire - can be burned. HAHAHA!!

I'm not that far into the game, but tell me are there any "my weapon has no effect!" moments? Cause if that is missing as well then I am sorely disappointed.

Your characters yells out something to that effect when you barely do damage to enemies when using the wrong weapon.

Yea, but I mean are there enemies where you can only hit them with a "+5" sword for example, in dnd there are cases where a creature could only get hit with certain magic swords regardless of how awesome your attack rolls are.

"Because hard counters are boring".

So instead, you can blind those without eyes, trip those without legs, and fear things without emotions, and never change your tactics, never have to adapt, and never have to work on your strategy.

And thus we have... balance.

Yea, but I mean are there enemies where you can only hit them with a "+5" sword for example, in dnd there are cases where a creature could only get hit with certain magic swords regardless of how awesome your attack rolls are.

 
But this is not DnD. There is no such mechanic in PoE (thankfully, when it comes to the magic-weapons-thing, imo, since it was a blanket immunity for no sensible reason); the reason your people are yelling out is because you are failing to penetrate their Damage Resistance/Threshold, likely because you are using a "bad" weapon.

This has only happened to me at the very lowest levels, because later, the difference won't really matter that much. But it's not really associated with the topic itself, it's another mechanic entirely (a mechanic I feel isn't played up nearly enough, whether we're talking about armours or weapons).

Edited April 5, 201510 yr by Luckmann

While there are no out and out immunities creatures' defenses do vary enough that the abilities you use should change depending on the enemy. Good luck hitting an ogre with anything that attacks fortitude

???

 

There's nothing particularly unique about an Ogre's Fortitude saves. They're lower than an Adra Beetle's, lower than a garden variety Troll's, lower than an Animat's, lower than some of the Oozes/puddings and just about any non-undead of 7th level or higher.

 

It's not hard to Knock Prone anything in this game. The only real 'difference' is that enemies with unusually high fortitude saves will simply end up getting "grazed" by such attacks. But if you graze someone with prone, they're still prone. the state just won't last long.

Edited April 5, 201510 yr by Stun