beginner's concerns (quest order, weapons)

[Huiu]

The following questions have probably been answered more than once, but I could not find the answers through the searching-function.

 

I just started the game and am now at the quest 'Never Far from the Queen', I myself a Cipher. I just picked up the dwarf.

 

1. I wonder whether there is a list on the order in which the quests should be addressed. I spent too much time on quests which are apparently meant for a higher level than I am. And I do not want to miss anything in this game.

 

2. Where can I buy/find good weapons etc.? I have not bought nor enhanced anything yet, since I want to safe the money for the good stuff.

[kaiki]

1. Quest order doesn't matter too much. There are areas/quests with challenging encounters but the game is designed that you can go back and finish the content that was too challenging when you first encountered it.

 

2. You pick up better gear by doing the quests and exploring. The merchants for each of the Defiance Bay factions also have some good equipment so it's a good idea to gain access to their stores.

[Kaigen42]

1. There's not a whole lot you can miss in the game. Certain areas of Defiance Bay become closed off after the animancy hearings, so quests related to those areas will fail if you don't complete them before finishing Act II. Also, failing to finish the quest in Raedric's Hold before Act III might prevent you from doing a quest later.

 

2. It's a mix; you find a lot of great stuff exploring, but there's also quite a few very good items on sale. Money only becomes more plentiful as the game goes on, though, so don't worry that this is the sort of game where you have to penny pinch to get the best stuff.

[knownastherat]

Finish 'Never Far from the Queen' but do not finish all 3 main quests following it yet. Finish first side quests in Defiance Bay. That is the only order I can think of given your question.

 

Money will be plenty, so enchant at will, just watch upgrade spots for future/final upgrade.

 

Named Weapon Locations - http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/74340-named-weapon-locations/ If you enchant it will be sufficient without unique weapons some of them are quest rewards.

 

[Achilles]

Defiance Bay is kinda messy for your quest log (which will get punched in the face, momentarily).

 

Unfortunately, my method is little too windy to share here, but I'll try to give the highlights:

 

Pick a faction right away and do both of their quests. Personally, I always do Crucible Knights, so this advice might not be as helpful for the other factions, but I think it's sound for them.

 

There are 4 parts to the main quest in Defiance Bay. One of them is over-arching. Of the remaining three, do the one that sends you out of town last. Do the one involving the locked down section of town first. Try to wrap up everything in Ondra's Gift before proceeding to the second one. A couple of side-quests will send you out of town. Sit on these until you're returning from the third.

 

These are the broad strokes. Hopefully it's enough to be helpful.

[Manty5]

Pick a faction right away and do both of their quests. Personally, I always do Crucible Knights, so this advice might not be as helpful for the other factions, but I think it's sound for them.

 

Actually, I find it best to do the beginner quest for each faction before ACCEPTING the second quest for the faction I want to stay with.  Beginner quest opens up the vendor for the faction (though one of the vendors wants a quest of their own fulfilled).  Once you accept the second quest for the faction, your choice is sealed.

[Achilles]

Yep, well aware of that

[Huiu]

Thank you very much for your suggestions.

 

I have now access to all three merchants. However, the items are rather expensive so I wonder which ones are worth acquiring.

 

I also just found Lead Splitter, of which I have read in some thread that it is supposed to be the best weapon for a cipher. However, I cannot see why. The damage is very low compared to e.g. Forgiveness. Do I overlook somethin?

[Achilles]

Which is why I don't bother

 

Even on Hard, there isn't a significant difference between Fine and Exceptional. 

 

Regarding weapons for the Cipher, the reason you see Lead Spitter referenced so frequently is the bonus DR bypass (making it lethal against stuff in heavier armor). Keep in mind that the damage listed for shotguns is going to be per pellet (so take the damage listed and x8 to get more realistic damage potential).

[Huiu]

Here I am again!

 

I am now pretty "into the game" and like it much more than at the beginning. My group consists of myself (obviously) as a cipher, Pallegina, Eder, Aloth and Durance (whom I do not like). I kicked out Kana (who is pretty annoying) and the Ranger (who is even worse).

 

I still have not bought anything. The prices are pretty high and I do not have much money. So, which of the unique items do you deem worth purchasing?

 

And my second question concerns the enchantment function: For Lead Splitter (and probably all other weapons as well) I have to choose an enchantment while at the same time excluding other possibilities. Again: Which enchantments are recommendable?

[Kaigen42]

That party doesn't look like one that needs a lot of unique weapons, so I'd look into buying useful stat-boosting items (the Dozens merchant has several) and the extra spell rings from Lora in Copperlane once you have the cash. Once you hit Act III, there's a really good Club on sale in Twin Elms that I like to put on Eder when I'm using him.

 

The main thing with weapon enchantments is to make them Exceptional when you can and put an elemental lash on them (usually corrosive or burning). If you have enchantment space left over, you can consider making a weapon Superb (you only get the materials for one two-handed weapon or two one-handed weapons) or putting a slaying enchantment on them. Slaying enchantments are a matter of taste, really, but Spirit, Vessel, Beast, or Kith are good options.

[JONNIN]

The following questions have probably been answered more than once, but I could not find the answers through the searching-function.

 

I just started the game and am now at the quest 'Never Far from the Queen', I myself a Cipher. I just picked up the dwarf.

 

1. I wonder whether there is a list on the order in which the quests should be addressed. I spent too much time on quests which are apparently meant for a higher level than I am. And I do not want to miss anything in this game.

 

2. Where can I buy/find good weapons etc.? I have not bought nor enhanced anything yet, since I want to safe the money for the good stuff.

 

1)  The game sort of guides you to areas that are suitable for you, but if you go exploring too much you can get squished.    Roughly, do guilded city first, then defiance bay, then twin elms.  Areas "near" those towns are "mostly" on par with the levels of the town nearby with a few exceptions.  If you find yourself in an outdoor zone full of enemy you cannot defeat, leave and come back later.  An obvious example of this would be the searing / dragonlet outdoor area near defiance bay.   One word of warning: the endless paths are NOT to be done all at one "go".  You can do a couple of levels, then leave until you gain a level or two, then come back.  It increases in difficulty significantly after the ogre level.

 

 

2)  this is a three part question lol:

1) every store in the game has good rare items to buy.  Go shopping!  The stuff is expensive, and you will find tons of good stuff too, but some of the best items are bought only and well worth the coin.   Start right in the first city, hit the blacksmith and do a quest for him then see what he has to offer.... defiance bay has a TON of vendors -- a market place+ indoor vendors in many places + a few others... 

 

2) enchant your stuff when you can.  At lower levels you find plenty of the basic elemental enchants.  DO NOT enchant standard items up to FINE.  Unique items to fine or exceptional (if not already) is good to do.   Or find "fine" and better items and enchant them instead.  But don't waste the materials on standard unenchanted items (there are a couple of exceptions: some guns are hard to find and a basic may be all you can get for a long time, and there is a neat robe that has good deflection with low penalty, but most other standard quality gear is just vendor junk).

 

3) kill everyone you meet! I am only half kidding. Ok, it may break your immersion and role playing and personality so use some common sense here.  But when you have conversations, often you can avoid a fight --- lets take the basic starter town, you discover a murder and can let the murderer go free in exchange for a crappy reward or you can kill him and get the money and his gear.    And one of the most important ones, you meet some rival adventurers that are jerks at you ... you can pick their pocket and make them look stupid with a pacificst approach or you can cut their heads off and take their high quality gear...

Edited May 12, 2015 by JONNIN

[Psychevore]

Best tip I can give you is to just make a character and get a feel for the mechanics of the game.

 

Then start over.