Difficulty - a graph of my PotD playthrough

[tdphys]

If you keep the xp level progression higher, then you can generally balance for completionists, since once they go up a level, all the subplots they pass do less relative XP at that level.  It just lets you fit things in.   I totally agree with you about hard levels and meta-gaming,  but the design should be like this:

 

to pass a level on easy takes 2 encounters at that level.

 

to pass a level on hard/POTD takes 3-4 encounters at that level ( requiring sidequest xp, bestiary etc)

 

But when you don't increase the required XP per level fast enough,  then those encounters 3 levels ago on easy/hard/whatever  count for nearly the same as the ones designed for your level,  and you can get on the trivial treadmill by milking those all the way to the end of the game -> this is the current problem in Pillars.  It's why I played very carefully both times, not to get overleveled and be able to appreciate most parts of the game.

[Gs11]

lvl 9 in Twim Elms is too high if I'm looking for  challenging game in PotD?

[Raven Darkholme]

lvl 9 in Twim Elms is too high if I'm looking for  challenging game in PotD?

Twin Elms is generally easy and so is Defiance Bay.

Crägholdt is harder.

[Kilburn]

 

 

 Actually, all the pacing problems can be ascribed to the level progression in pillars. Each level requires 1000 xp more then the previous. This is a very slowly growing level progression.

 

 

No they can't. You aren't overlevelled by the time you leave Defiance Bay. Look at the diagram in the TO. I was about level 7/8 when I completed Def Bay, which I consider intentional, due to chapter 3 and 4 being rather short.

Also, I didn't finish the game much later than when I hit max level.

 

The XP is properly balanced now. The encounters are not.

 

 

This is completely false, at least when I played the game.

 

I used the IE mod to increase the exp required to level by 50% (on POTD) and the game felt totally fine and a lot better. Even still a bit too easy for my tastes. If you're a completionist the game just hands you buckets full of exp and gold.

 

And you also realize that you can do dyrford right out of the gate right? I was doing those quests at level 4.

 

Im really disappointed that they chose to let the bar slide to the left for "story time" crap or whatever it's called instead of allowing the bar to slide to the right for "nightmare get rekt mode".

 

Oh well.

[Kilburn]

I've noticed that most RPG's follow this pattern and I've come to accept it as normal. I think the game designers want you to feel powerful by end game. It's nice being able to defeat a final end game boss the first time you attempt it, especially if you're trying your hardest.

 

Do I mind if the difficult increases more so? Not at all, but as long as each fight has the potential to be won without meta gaming on Trial of Iron.

 

Unfortunately. Said pattern needs to be taken out back and shot. Its so boring and played out in this day and age.

[Kilburn]

 

There's always solo for people finding the difficulty "too easy". I'm running solo and it seems fine, I guess this is all a matter of perspective.

 

So by your logic we should play with a full party until halfway through the game and then suddenly run around solo for the rest... sounds like a great idea! Totally not up to the game designers to make a challenging and fun game, no - we must handicap ourselves to varying degrees to create the right level of challenge.

 

 

 

Yes, this is what everyone always parrots. Player agency, its your own fault if it gets too easy, blah blah blah.

 

Hey can the devs just email me a list of all the ways I need to gimp myself so I can enjoy a challenging game?

 

Just lazy developers IMO and the fan boys that cover their tracks.

 

(I am not trying to just pick on pillars here, it happens in lots of games)

[Gs11]

dont wanne interrupt but can You tell btw. what's the best lvl party   to set before entering Twin elms for hard satysfying game on PotD?