Setting traps seems like a waste of time; am I doing something wrong?

[xzar_monty]

So, my rogue character had amassed a nice selection of traps into her inventory. I had never used any of them myself. But then I came across an encounter perfectly suited for that: in the catacombs, a room at the end of a corridor is full of mercenaries, and the door to that room is closed. I didn't deal with the baddies on my first attempt, so I decided to set the corridor full of traps, leave the rest of my guys behind, open the door with my fast monk and the run back to the rest of my group with the mercenaries behind me, setting off the traps.

 

It was a good enough plan, I thought. There was only drawback: the traps didn't go off. I tried multiple saves, but no. The mercenaries just ran through them as if they weren't there.

 

So, how does this part of the game work, if it does?

[Luckmann]

The trap triggers are terrible, and often fail to go off unless the opponent walks right on top of them, so you have to be meticulous with placement, which is hard.

Also, use those lower-level traps that you find, on lower levels. On higher levels, they're pretty much useless. I've started to place traps with Durance just to get rid of them. But the fact that you can't use Seals at the same time and you're limited to 1 trap per person (and how many people have multiple machinists in the party?) makes traps very meh.

They should:

• Fix trap triggers, because they're terrible and often fail to go off unless stepped right upon.
• Allow you to place 1 trap per 4 points of Mechanics (1 at 0, 2 at 4, 3 at 8, 4 at 12).
• Fix Seals. Seals should not count as Traps and not benefit from Mechanics.
• De-value Mechanics by moving Detection to Stealth and allow the detection of secrets (but not Traps) outside of Scout Mode.

[xzar_monty]

Oh, you're limited to placing just one trap at a time. I never knew that. I don't think I'll ever even try again; that just made the whole thing seem like a complete waste of time. Oh dear.

 

But thanks for the info!

[Rosveen]

It seems that your traps literally weren't there. :D Every party member can place one trap for a maximum of six per encounter. If they try to place more, their previous trap disappears.

[Sabin Stargem]

I don't think there should be a limit on how many traps can be placed.  Rather, I think there should be two checks:  A mechanics or lore check to set up the trap, and a stealth check that conceals it from enemy sight.    Magic traps should use Lore for setting up, on account that magic isn't the same thing as mechanical knowledge.

 

Identifying and disarming a trap requires Lore or Mechanics, depending on the trap type.   When hovering the cursor over a trap, a character sufficiently knowledgeable about the trap can understand the effects of the trap.   EG:  A Magic Trap that has the Animate Dead property, with an area of effect that covers several corpses in the room.   Identifying traps is easier than disarming - this allows players to decide whether or not they ought to risk tampering with the trap.

[Captain Shrek]

Don't invest in traps. Pretty effing useless. use priest seals instead. 

[b0rsuk]

Mechanics skill gives Accuracy bonus to traps. Also, you can sell poor traps and buy better ones.

Edited April 28, 2015 by b0rsuk

[xzar_monty]

Indeed. Even the damage they do amounts to about one reasonable attack, which is not much. But hey, thanks for the info.

 

And yes, the traps weren't there...

 

The game also seems to have very poor intelligence in some senses. I opened that door, ran away and had one of the mercenaries run after me. I dealt with him. Fine. But, I couldn't save the game, even though there was no active encounter going on. I could only save the game after going back to that room, luring the mercenaries out one by one and dealing with each one. I thought that was pretty badly done, in terms of game mechanics.

[Xosmi]

Trap setting really needs to be fixed, both the trap limit and their triggers.

Since i disarm pretty much every trap i come across, i end up with  a load of them in my inventory, but they all inevitably get put into my stash and sold, since there's no use for them as they are now.

No way am i going to invest into mechanics on all my characters just so they are all able to set 1 trap that won't majorly affect the outcome of the battle.

 

I understand that being able to set any amount of traps you wish can be overpowered, but it seems to me that having a global maximum would be better then the 1 per companion system there is now, i.e : be able to set 6 traps maximum, but have any character in the party be able to set those 6 traps.

[b0rsuk]

That's just not true. There are traps like Malignant Cloud which can deal considerable damage and weaken enemies at the start of a fight. Then they get -20 fortitude or something like that and are easier to knock down or target with spells. There's also Gaze of the Adragan trap. I wonder how strong Death Ring traps are - I've never been able to disarm one.

Edited April 28, 2015 by b0rsuk

[dododad]

Trap aren't useless at all. You just need high mechanic skill to see their true power. Anything around 10 will be enough for them to consistently do critical damage, and then you quickly find them very useful. Anything below 5 and they'll be dealing no damage at all.

[xzar_monty]

Ok. My rogue is at level 4, so that might explain some of it. I suppose I'll try the traps later on.

 

I have also found them just piling up in my stash, uselessly...

[Xosmi]

Trap aren't useless at all. You just need high mechanic skill to see their true power. Anything around 10 will be enough for them to consistently do critical damage, and then you quickly find them very useful. Anything below 5 and they'll be dealing no damage at all.

 

Still, the fact remains that no way am i going to raise my mechanics to 10 on all 6 of my characters.

[Khalid the bear]

problem is trap trigger.
first, the trap area you set is tiny compared to trap areas encountered in the game
second. i used traps in a dragon fight. dragon wallked over (or rather his circle did) ower 3 traps, none of them activated

[Luckmann]

problem is trap trigger.

first, the trap area you set is tiny compared to trap areas encountered in the game

second. i used traps in a dragon fight. dragon wallked over (or rather his circle did) ower 3 traps, none of them activated

 

Yeah, the trap trigger does not match the graphical representation. I think they actually have to touch the centre pixel of the circle or something.

[Khalid the bear]

well   since the dragons circle went over entire trap i would say tht enemy has to stand on trap with its centre of body

[Nakia]

I just gave up and sell the lower level traps.  This one time I am in full agreement with the "this needs to be fixed" group.  

[Guest]

Traps: pretty goddamn life-saving on higher difficulties, easily over-looked on the lower ones.

[Khalid the bear]

Traps: pretty goddamn life-saving on higher difficulties

would be if i could get them to work

as i said i used them on certain dragon(PotD), whose circle went over them but they didint trigger

fortunately, food,pots and scrols were enough

[Guest]

Yeah, some part of their body has to pass over the trap to trigger it. Selection circle isn't enough.

[Khalid the bear]

there still remains that if my char withmechanich 12 sets the trap,the trap area is ridiculosly small compared to traps found in game

[dododad]

 

Trap aren't useless at all. You just need high mechanic skill to see their true power. Anything around 10 will be enough for them to consistently do critical damage, and then you quickly find them very useful. Anything below 5 and they'll be dealing no damage at all.

 

Still, the fact remains that no way am i going to raise my mechanics to 10 on all 6 of my characters.

 

 

Why would you be raising mech to all characters? Priest and rogue are obvious choices, maybe one other, you certainly don't need whole team on it.

[Rosveen]

 

 

 

 

Trap aren't useless at all. You just need high mechanic skill to see their true power. Anything around 10 will be enough for them to consistently do critical damage, and then you quickly find them very useful. Anything below 5 and they'll be dealing no damage at all.

Still, the fact remains that no way am i going to raise my mechanics to 10 on all 6 of my characters.

Why would you be raising mech to all characters? Priest and rogue are obvious choices, maybe one other, you certainly don't need whole team on it.

Because we can't have a trap guy in the current system, so if you want to specialize in traps, you have to invest in it with all your characters. Sure, it isn't necessary for normal gameplay, but if you want to use a lot of traps...

[Ohioastro]

You only need one to place the (good) traps in advance of a major battle.  It can put the enemy in a world of hurt if you pull them across a nasty trap with an archer scout.

[Captain Shrek]

 

 

Trap aren't useless at all. You just need high mechanic skill to see their true power. Anything around 10 will be enough for them to consistently do critical damage, and then you quickly find them very useful. Anything below 5 and they'll be dealing no damage at all.

 

Still, the fact remains that no way am i going to raise my mechanics to 10 on all 6 of my characters.

 

 

Why would you be raising mech to all characters? Priest and rogue are obvious choices, maybe one other, you certainly don't need whole team on it.

 

 

 

Because one guy can put JUST ONE TRAP. idiotic, I know.