White March scaling and new campaigns

[Sword Coast Strategist]

Anyone else planning on starting a new campaign when White March Pt. 1 drops? If so, do you plan on doing the expansion content first, or scaling it up to end-game level and saving it for last? (In an E3 interview, Sawyer mentioned that it would be an either-or, determined by an in-game prompt that kicks in if you enter the new zone at a high enough level. Literally something like "you are probably going to breeze through this content, level-12 Watcher, want to scale it up?")

 

I know with the 2.0 changes I'll want to start a new run, and I'm tempted to save the expansion content for last, because I've already had enough issues leveling too fast during the main campaign. (Thanks for resolving those, IE mod!) Still, I'm hoping it's possible to enter PoE snow zone right after Act 1, grab the two new characters, take them along for all that Watcher vs. masked dude business, and then return to finish off the expansion content and have it still scale up to 12-14.

 

So I guess what I'm saying is in an ideal world, you could start off with unscaled White March content, and still choose to scale it up if you come back later at high level.

[AndreaColombo]

I will likely start a new game and play through the expansion content at around level 5-7, which IIRC is around the time you are "meant" to (as in, the expansion is designed around characters of about that level, if memory serves.) I will be taking the new companions with me and I don't want to wait too much before they join my travels (and I want to see how they react to most original content.)

[manageri]

Yeah, they should really just add the companions to Dyrwood. The annoying thing about companions is that even if you want to use them instead of custom ones, many are only obtainable after hours of (non-rushed) play. Like ok, according to the plot Hiravias is just wandering randomly, so why the hell couldn't you just have him randomly wander around Gilded Vale? Same thing with GM.

[Elzarath]

Would seem a bit silly that the only people willing to join up and form a party with you all happen to be from the same town lol

[Zekram Bogg]

Would seem a bit silly that the only people willing to join up and form a party with you all happen to be from the same town lol

True. But you know what would be cool?

 

There are three "wandering" companions in the game who are just sort of not specifically caring about where they currently are in the game when you run into them - Aloth, Grieving Mother, and Hiravias (I mean, they have stuff they want to do and all, but the place where you meet them isn't nearly as critical to their stories as far as I can tell unlike say Durance, who pretty much needs to be standing by that statue of Magran, or Eder who needs to be by the hanging tree).

 

A cool little feature would be that these three characters are seeded to spawn in each other's spots differently every time you start the game.

 

So if you start a new game you might find Hiravias in Gilded Vale getting harassed by townies, Aloth in Dyrwood Village, and Grieving mother out on the road in Stormwall Gorge, or Grieving mother in Gilded Vale getting harassed, Aloth in Dyrwood Village and Hiravias in Stormwall Gorge, or any of the combinations of these instances.

 

Considering they're all to some degree or another, offensive casters, they kind of all fulfill a similar party role. And since the game keeps companion characters roughly near the player's level, it really doesn't matter (gameplay progression/balance wise) what order you run into them.

 

I dunno, something like this could be a neat little mix-up thing for players playing the game again. Obviously not critical at all or anything, but a neat little touch.

[Luckmann]

 

Would seem a bit silly that the only people willing to join up and form a party with you all happen to be from the same town lol

True. But you know what would be cool?

 

There are three "wandering" companions in the game who are just sort of not specifically caring about where they currently are in the game when you run into them - Aloth, Grieving Mother, and Hiravias (I mean, they have stuff they want to do and all, but the place where you meet them isn't nearly as critical to their stories as far as I can tell unlike say Durance, who pretty much needs to be standing by that statue of Magran, or Eder who needs to be by the hanging tree).

 

A cool little feature would be that these three characters are seeded to spawn in each other's spots differently every time you start the game.

 

So if you start a new game you might find Hiravias in Gilded Vale getting harassed by townies, Aloth in Dyrwood Village, and Grieving mother out on the road in Stormwall Gorge, or Grieving mother in Gilded Vale getting harassed, Aloth in Dyrwood Village and Hiravias in Stormwall Gorge, or any of the combinations of these instances.

 

Considering they're all to some degree or another, offensive casters, they kind of all fulfill a similar party role. And since the game keeps companion characters roughly near the player's level, it really doesn't matter (gameplay progression/balance wise) what order you run into them.

 

I dunno, something like this could be a neat little mix-up thing for players playing the game again. Obviously not critical at all or anything, but a neat little touch.

 

I would take that another step, actually - I don't see the reason why they need to be in eachother's spots. For example, while Grieving Mother might make sense to be in Aloth's spot and maybe vice-versa (although Aloth's dialogue would have to be a bit rewritten, nothing major) doing so with Hiravias might not make as much sense.

 

Honestly, create a number of seed points for all/most of the characters, some which are shared, and if they both happen to get seeded to the same spot, have one of them just re-seed.

 

Even "set" characters like Edér or Pallegina could have a small number of spots they could be in, in roughly the same area. Sure, in Edér's or Durance's case, it might involve moving him 5-10 meters in any direction, but it would still be cool.

[Gs11]

Is it possible to start off with unscaled White March content,recruit some companions, back to the main plot  and  still choose to scale WM up if you come back later at high level?

[Flix]

Is it possible to start off with unscaled White March content,recruit some companions, back to the main plot  and  still choose to scale WM up if you come back later at high level?

 

I had the same idea.  I wanted to grab Zahua as quickly as possible then come back and do White March later on.  I know the scaling is a one-time offer though. I would guess that you wouldn't get the offer at all if you've already been to the White March.

[Gs11]

Ok subject  of choice  to go   or not  to White March is back.

 

POTD difficulty

 

I'm on   act 2 before the  finish and travel to Dyrford  I guess  , doing every side quests,2 bounties, 9 floor's Od Nua, playing with 50% exp increase and  nearly 8 lvl complete. Honestly even with this 50% exp mod, fight in main plot is  somewhat easy  like for POTD. I can't imagine to  not doing side quest , wanne   enjoy every aspect and content of RPG.

 

 

My main question   and  dilemma is  to  go  to Stalwart just now, or wait to lvl 9  and use scale up option( as far I know it's  available  min. at 9 lvl)? Which's is better option? What will be more challenging and satisfying, going on lvl 7 and try to complete White March or   do it with scaled up version? Somebody says that this scale up option don't improve  significantly level of difficulty.

 

So what to do ? 

 

-wait until same end and than go to WM, which give the best  and the most balanced/ hard  available  way of complete main story  and than with scaled version also  hard, challenging extra content

-go on lvl 7/9, but if in this case after compliting WM would  main plot be  definitely  too much easy? or maybe don't  care about it?From what I red so far, one way or another main plot would be easy , as  projected for   the most common walkthrough.

Variations are a lot, 50% exp increase , square progression exp. which give even more exp needed to lvl, delevel characters  or decrease number of party members. POTD just mention.

 

What were Your choices and most satisfying/challenging walkthrough on POTD  with White March extension?

Edited October 10, 2015 by Gs11

[KDubya]

I liked doing the main quest until level nine, going to White March and upscaling the level there. Then I can grab Zahua and do whatever I want. Do some White March, go back and do some of Act III. Its harder to get to Devil but Zahua is easy.

 

 

I'd say if you go to White March at level five or six its one thing, I can't see the reason to go there at level 8 and be over-leveled for both White March and the main game.

 

I've never used an experience reducer mod so I don't know how it will affect your game.

[sapientNode]

Ok subject  of choice  to go   or not  to White March is back.

 

POTD difficulty

 

I'm on   act 2 before the  finish and travel to Dyrford  I guess  , doing every side quests,2 bounties, 9 floor's Od Nua, playing with 50% exp increase and  nearly 8 lvl complete. Honestly even with this 50% exp mod, fight in main plot is  somewhat easy  like for POTD. I can't imagine to  not doing side quest , wanne   enjoy every aspect and content of RPG.

 

 

My main question   and  dilemma is  to  go  to Stalwart just now, or wait to lvl 9  and use scale up option( as far I know it's  available  min. at 9 lvl)? Which's is better option? What will be more challenging and satisfying, going on lvl 7 and try to complete White March or   do it with scaled up version? Somebody says that this scale up option don't improve  significantly level of difficulty.

 

So what to do ? 

 

-wait until same end and than go to WM, which give the best  and the most balanced/ hard  available  way of complete main story  and than with scaled version also  hard, challenging extra content

-go on lvl 7/9, but if in this case after compliting WM would  main plot be  definitely  too much easy? or maybe don't  care about it?From what I red so far, one way or another main plot would be easy , as  projected for   the most common walkthrough.

Variations are a lot, 50% exp increase , square progression exp. which give even more exp needed to lvl, delevel characters  or decrease number of party members. POTD just mention.

 

What were Your choices and most satisfying/challenging walkthrough on POTD  with White March extension?

 

I chose to go to WM at 6 so I could get on the weapons and have them for a period of time as well as the new companions.  Of course I am not to into the Devil companion but Zahua is awesome.

At 8 you will not face much challenge but then again like you stated much of everything is so easy even on PoTD anyway.

There are a few encounters that will be rough with a lot of CC in WM but other than that its the same.

I think the upscaling is pretty much just adding enemies as well not sure about stats.  Either way I doubt there is much of anything that is extraordinarily challenging except a Dragon.

 

If your going for challenge then wait and upscale it.

If you want to play with the new equipment for a good amount of time go there and bounce back and forth between main campaign and WM

 

I am getting really exhausted with all this thinking on how to approach all this stuff and experience it fully.

 

Also at 50% exp nerf you will not hit cap at all by end game.  I had 50% until 6 and then bumped it to 25% so I could get to cap.

[Ymarsakar]

Planning on artificially leveling to 9, going to white march and enable high level content, grab the npcs, then run back and de level back to normal and play the regular campaign with White march npcs, then later finish the high level content.

 

I've used the console addxp command to add negative xp, which reduces it. Can also just manually de level by not taking any more levels with respec option.

Edited October 11, 2015 by Ymarsakar

[gabrielarantest]

So I guess that my lvl 13 party will be overpower in the WM. It will be better if I scale the game right? But if I do so, the game scale in the same lvl as my party or it scale to a  pre determined value? o.O

[sapientNode]

Planning on artificially leveling to 9, going to white march and enable high level content, grab the npcs, then run back and de level back to normal and play the regular campaign with White march npcs, then later finish the high level content.

 

I've used the console addxp command to add negative xp, which reduces it. Can also just manually de level by not taking any more levels with respec option.

 

Hmmm...

this is an idea I had not thought of.

thanks.

This is a rare game I find myself having to overthink things just to make sure I can play through it in a challenging manner.

[Ymarsakar]

So I guess that my lvl 13 party will be overpower in the WM. It will be better if I scale the game right? But if I do so, the game scale in the same lvl as my party or it scale to a  pre determined value? o.O

 

Predetermined higher levels for enemies after/during level 9, I would think.

 

It won't be as OP as in other rpgs doing lower level content, but will be easier since you have higher accuracy and endurance pools.

Edited October 26, 2015 by Ymarsakar

[Gs11]

Hi again.
 
Finally I'm back to the game and reached Twin Elms. I was also in Stalawart,grab Zahua, do some quests, clear some maps, not entering dwarfs fortress.
 
I'm on level 9,PotD and wondering if level 9 is good for challenging (not easy kill without managing party members) game in Twin Elms? What is estimated level of enemies in Twin Elms?In Stalwart and surrounding areas I had problem only with Lagufats.
 
Maybe I should delevel my party as @Ymarsakar  mentioned? If I really need to go down with my level , what precise level would be good for PoTD in Twin Elms?
 

Planning on artificially leveling to 9, going to white march and enable high level content, grab the npcs, then run back and de level back to normal and play the regular campaign with White march npcs, then later finish the high level content.
 
I've used the console addxp command to add negative xp, which reduces it. Can also just manually de level by not taking any more levels with respec option.

Edited February 6, 2016 by Gs11

[WorstUsernameEver]

Is it possible to start off with unscaled White March content,recruit some companions, back to the main plot  and  still choose to scale WM up if you come back later at high level?

As far as I know there's a console command to do that. You could probably find it by searching on these forums.