Disappointed with 2.0 Respec

[Rooz]

Today I've hit the 100 hour mark in Pillars of Eternity. But out of this 100, I've spent at least 90 either without any companions, or with the custom made ones. I haven't done a single companion quest, my only knowledge of them comes from their first dialogue. I just can't have an inefficient companion when I can make the custom one and optimize its stats as I see fit. 

 

So when it was announced that 2.0 would make it possible to respec your companions, I was really hyped. I was more hyped about it than about the DLC. Finally, I thought, I might explore all the characters with their unique stories! I can finally do their quests! I can enjoy the party banter during the dialogues!

 

Boy, was I wrong.

 

When I've tried respecing my Aloth and it didn't let me change the attributes, I went to the bug report subforum!!! I haven't even thought that it could be something other than the feature not working correctly! And over there I've found out that you can only respect your main character and the custom ones. I've been so mad ever since! I did accept it during the 1.0 because there were no respec mechanic in place back then, but I'll never understand this arbitrary restriction regarding the preset companions now.

 

You may say that the game is easy enough for you to complete it with the preset companions even on PoTD, and I would agree with you.

 

But I won't ever have a 12 Might Wizard in my party.

Or 11 Might 12 Int cypher.

Or the 19 Resolve priest.

Or any other mediocre companions.

 

 

Sorry for the rant, but I'm truly disappointed.

[KDubya]

Just get the IE mod and you can change whatever you want, even their classes. Make Durance a monk or a paladin. Will have to wait a week or two for IE mod to get updated to 2.0 though.

[Fëanor]

I just tested here and it did allow to change the attributes.

[Rooz]

I just tested here and it did allow to change the attributes.

You can respec your own attributes, and you can respec the attributes of the adventurers that you've hired in the tavern, but you are not allowed to change the attributes of the preset companions (Eder, Aloth, etc)

[wanderon]

Personally I think that's the way it should be and bravo for them sticking to their guns in spite of some folks being displeased - people put a lot of time and effort into making those characters and there's no reason they should not come either as a complete package or not at all.

 

How would you feel if the game auto changed the stats you chose for your adventurers to something else 

[Fëanor]

 

I just tested here and it did allow to change the attributes.

You can respec your own attributes, and you can respec the attributes of the adventurers that you've hired in the tavern, but you are not allowed to change the attributes of the preset companions (Eder, Aloth, etc)

 

In this case, I recommend Eternity Keeper, a save editor that lets you change their attributes and more.

[Strange_Trees]

Respeccing companion attributes doesn't really make sense. From the 'role-playing' perspective, a companions stats reflect them as a character, not just as a class. The whole min/maxing with stat-dumps doesn't really reflect the spirit of that very well, so it makes sense that it's limited to the player and mercenaries, as they're basically blank-slates.

[Rooz]

Respeccing companion attributes doesn't really make sense. From the 'role-playing' perspective, a companions stats reflect them as a character, not just as a class. The whole min/maxing with stat-dumps doesn't really reflect the spirit of that very well, so it makes sense that it's limited to the player and mercenaries, as they're basically blank-slates.

 

Well, if stats reflect companions as a character, it would mean that all of them are mediocrities not worth speaking of. Not a good way of looking at it, eh?

Why not go further? Why would you select the skills and talents for the companion? If the player remains unchecked, he can ruin the character by, say, making our tank character an archer! Outrage! Oh, and while we're at it let's prohibit you to meddle with their equipment, it ruins the immersion! (DA2, I'm looking at you).

 

I do understand obsidian, they probably wanted to make sure that all of the classes are self-sufficient, so that they could be versatile. But that turned them into the jacks of all trades, masters of none. The only good enough companion I've seen was Eder, since you didn't really need stats to tank well, as long as you're fighter and you pick the talents and skills you want. But everybody else is just not that good.

[Matt516]

I mean... if it's that big a deal to you, continue to play without the companions. Or use IE mod to change their attributes. I don't really see how it's productive to throw a fit about them sticking to their guns on the companion stats though. Those stats help to define them as characters. They're not optimal, but they don't need to be, even for PotD. Not that there's a single "correct" definition of optimal anyway. Even if they had attempted to give the companions minmax stats, someone would always be displeased. It's a losing proposition.

 

I dunno. I'm not sure what you're complaining about, I guess. You can change the stats however you want with the IE mod. But I think stats are a good line to draw for ingame "lore-friendly" respeccing. I agree with the others. Stats represent a character's inherent capabilities and such. Doesn't make a whole lot of sense to allow players to respec those IMO.

[hk79v1]

Personally I think that's the way it should be and bravo for them sticking to their guns in spite of some folks being displeased - people put a lot of time and effort into making those characters and there's no reason they should not come either as a complete package or not at all.

 

How would you feel if the game auto changed the stats you chose for your adventurers to something else 

You seem like the kind of player that would allow a 5 INT, 5 MGHT Wizard into your party. At the very least, give us a chance to re-specialize the characters traits and talents!

[wanderon]

 

Personally I think that's the way it should be and bravo for them sticking to their guns in spite of some folks being displeased - people put a lot of time and effort into making those characters and there's no reason they should not come either as a complete package or not at all.

 

How would you feel if the game auto changed the stats you chose for your adventurers to something else 

You seem like the kind of player that would allow a 5 INT, 5 MGHT Wizard into your party. At the very least, give us a chance to re-specialize the characters traits and talents!

 

 

Actually I don't drop any stat below 8 myself - it's an RP thing for me - but for companions I was really hoping they would include an auto-update option for companions traits and talents that would reflect the manner in which the dev who designed the character would choose to level them up - doing so would add more life to the character to me - make them more of a companion that had their own personality and own way of doing things whether it was MY WAY or not maybe even take it a step further and have the dev prepare a default AI script for them that you could choose as an option.

 

(I would not suggest making this sort of auto update mandatory but would love to have it as an option.)

[Matt516]

 

 

Personally I think that's the way it should be and bravo for them sticking to their guns in spite of some folks being displeased - people put a lot of time and effort into making those characters and there's no reason they should not come either as a complete package or not at all.

 

How would you feel if the game auto changed the stats you chose for your adventurers to something else 

You seem like the kind of player that would allow a 5 INT, 5 MGHT Wizard into your party. At the very least, give us a chance to re-specialize the characters traits and talents!

 

 

Actually I don't drop any stat below 8 myself - it's an RP thing for me - but for companions I was really hoping they would include an auto-update option for companions traits and talents that would reflect the manner in which the dev who designed the character would choose to level them up - doing so would add more life to the character to me - make them more of a companion that had their own personality and own way of doing things whether it was MY WAY or not maybe even take it a step further and have the dev prepare a default AI script for them that you could choose as an option.

 

(I would not suggest making this sort of auto update mandatory but would love to have it as an option.)

 

 

As a sidenote, you might really enjoy the Shadowrun Returns games - particularly the latter two (Dragonfall and Hong Kong). They take this approach to companions. You get a few development choices, but for the most part they kinda do their own thing.

[Bryy]

I feel the need to ask, where do you respec?

[Cottonmouth]

If you really cannot play with suboptimal characters but profess to be deeply interested in their stories and in what they have to say, just use cheats or an editor to make their stats 'optimal'.

[wanderon]

I feel the need to ask, where do you respec?

 

At the keep for one place - each of the merchants there has a button for respec so perhaps all merchants do.

[Bryy]

So, respec'd. 

 

But whereas before I had:

16

16

11

18

10

17

 

Now I have:

16

13

11

10

10

15

 

Bug or - ?

[KDubya]

So, respec'd. 

 

But whereas before I had:

16

16

11

18

10

17

 

Now I have:

16

13

11

10

10

15

 

Bug or - ?

 

I think that your first set of stats includes resting or equipment buffs. I think when you create a new character everything is a 10 and you get to add 18 points for a total of 78. Your first set totals up to 88 which is 10 points too high.

 

The second set totals to 75, if you add the +2 for race and the +1 for culture you get to 78 total.

[Cantousent]

Since this will sadly become an issue, I will point out straight away that this thread isn't a 'spoiler' because it doesn't talk about many specifics but rather about one feature, which is the ability to change the starting player attributes, such as strength and intelligence. This is precisely the sort of general post that should be in this forum until such time that it starts delving into specifics about where to find NPCs or NPC quests or the like.

[Mygaffer]

In game companions certainly should be available to have their stats respecced. The arguments against it are very weak. Someone says something about not changing the characters that Obsidian designed, well the characters will still be the characters. The lines will be written the same, their voice actors the same, their model the same. The specs are not show in dialogue. The specs are mechanics, not character, and a part of the game systems that players should be able to change to give them more options to decide how to play the game.

 

Also, the idea that we shouldn't be "pitching a fit" or whatever said is again nonsense. This is the official forum, you really expect people not give feedback?

 

While I like the game overall l hope no one is pretending there are not some glaring design faults.

[wanderon]

In game companions certainly should be available to have their stats respecced. The arguments against it are very weak. Someone says something about not changing the characters that Obsidian designed, well the characters will still be the characters. The lines will be written the same, their voice actors the same, their model the same. The specs are not show in dialogue. The specs are mechanics, not character, and a part of the game systems that players should be able to change to give them more options to decide how to play the game.

 

Also, the idea that we shouldn't be "pitching a fit" or whatever said is again nonsense. This is the official forum, you really expect people not give feedback?

 

While I like the game overall l hope no one is pretending there are not some glaring design faults.

 

Well in that case I guess the specs of your main character are not really part of the character either so maybe we don't need the respec at all - 

[Killyox]

I'm totally fine with it. Durance with 8 resolve would be retarded from roleplaying POV.

 

I play them as they are tbh on POTD and doing great. I got only  1 merc left from when I started - barbarian.

[BicycleRepairMan]

i feel ur pain, companios really are abysmal

[Rosbjerg]

In game companions certainly should be available to have their stats respecced. The arguments against it are very weak. Someone says something about not changing the characters that Obsidian designed, well the characters will still be the characters. The lines will be written the same, their voice actors the same, their model the same. The specs are not show in dialogue. The specs are mechanics, not character, and a part of the game systems that players should be able to change to give them more options to decide how to play the game.

 

Also, the idea that we shouldn't be "pitching a fit" or whatever said is again nonsense. This is the official forum, you really expect people not give feedback?

 

While I like the game overall l hope no one is pretending there are not some glaring design faults.

You provide no "strong" counterargument? In fact your point rest on the assumption that the mechanics of the game are only there to further your particular style of play and internal and logical consitency must naturally take a backseat to this.. Which I disagree with, as do many others. So why is this argument "stronger" than prefering that the artistic integrity of the developer's original idea of the character is preserved?

[tinysalamander]

So why is this argument "stronger" than prefering the artistic integrity of the developers original idea of the character is preserved?

 

I've heard that “artistic integrity” worked so well for Mass Effect 3 :} One man's “artistic integrity” is another man's pain in the ass.

[Vorhees]

 

In game companions certainly should be available to have their stats respecced. The arguments against it are very weak. Someone says something about not changing the characters that Obsidian designed, well the characters will still be the characters. The lines will be written the same, their voice actors the same, their model the same. The specs are not show in dialogue. The specs are mechanics, not character, and a part of the game systems that players should be able to change to give them more options to decide how to play the game.

 

Also, the idea that we shouldn't be "pitching a fit" or whatever said is again nonsense. This is the official forum, you really expect people not give feedback?

 

While I like the game overall l hope no one is pretending there are not some glaring design faults.

You provide no "strong" counterargument? In fact your point rest on the assumption that the mechanics of the game are only there to further your particular style of play and internal and logical consitency must naturally take a backseat to this.. Which I disagree with, as do many others. So why is this argument "stronger" than prefering the artistic integrity of the developers original idea of the character is preserved?

 

I'm not sure I understand the problem with re speccing companions, you do realize that if the OP was able to re spec companions and chose to do so that those companions wouldn't suddenly change in your game as well right? Those changes effectively take place in a Vacuum inside that one players game and no where else, and just because the option is there doesn't mean YOU have to use it.....