PotD power-gaming and min-maxing

[TheDogProfessor]

Having beaten my first playthrough (hard difficulty) with the stock companions and relatively little power-gaming, I'm planning a PotD run with a party of mostly created adventures when the White March part II comes out. 

Having looked through a lot of the builds shared, I'm noticing a lot of stats dumped to 3 or similar. And while I understand why you'd do it mechanically, it frustrates me from a roleplaying perspective. I guess my question to collective forum intelligence is: 

Is PotD doable and enjoyable without such intense min-maxing or is that kind of the point of setting?

Cheers.

[Raven Darkholme]

Playing with a party you could reverse min max and still beat the game with ease.

[TheDogProfessor]

Playing with a party you could reverse min max and still beat the game with ease.

So all those full-on min max shenanigans are more for PotD solo? 

[PrimeJunta]

I minmax and I don't solo (much). If you do it right, it does make things a little easier. OTOH if done wrong it can make things a lot harder! It's by no means crucial though, so if you have an aesthetic aversion to it then by all means go with a somewhat more even stat distribution. It's not necessarily even any weaker, you might just want to play it a little differently.

 

(I've only played solo builds very little, but my limited experience with it is actually the opposite -- I've had more luck with well-rounded builds because there are no other party members to compensate for the holes dumping something leaves.)

[Boeroer]

You don't even need to dump stats to 3 for a solo game.

 

Sometimes it's just fun to squeeze out all you can.

[Raven Darkholme]

 

Playing with a party you could reverse min max and still beat the game with ease.

So all those full-on min max shenanigans are more for PotD solo? 

 

This game is only hard if you solo.

("hard")

But if I party I still min max, why make the game harder for no purpose.

Still hoping for a SCS like mod, it's the games job to make my life hard, not my own job. ;P

[TheDogProfessor]

Thanks gang!! You folks are awesome.

[knownastherat]

It was debated before but let me point out that from role-playing perspective INT of 12 is INT of Gul or RES of 13 is RES of Shade. In this sense there is no role-playing perspective when it comes to Attributes. They serve only to game mechanics. 

 

Min-maxing is pushing the limits, of game mechanics, which by itself can be "role-playing".

Edited January 21, 2016 by knownastherat

[Blades of Vanatar]

Butt post!

Edited January 22, 2016 by Blades of Vanatar

[Boeroer]

You nailed it!

[TheDogProfessor]

It was debated before but let me point out that from role-playing perspective INT of 12 is INT of Gul or RES of 13 is RES of Shade. In this sense there is no role-playing perspective when it comes to Attributes. They serve only to game mechanics. 

 

Min-maxing is pushing the limits, of game mechanics, which by itself can be "role-playing".

huh... Does low int or res affect dialogue options much?

[delfador]

 

It was debated before but let me point out that from role-playing perspective INT of 12 is INT of Gul or RES of 13 is RES of Shade. In this sense there is no role-playing perspective when it comes to Attributes. They serve only to game mechanics. 

 

Min-maxing is pushing the limits, of game mechanics, which by itself can be "role-playing".

huh... Does low int or res affect dialogue options much?

 

 

It doesn't. You won't get the special Int or Res options but those require 12+, typically more like 15+.

 

That said, if your int/res is 10, you can get it substantially higher with equipment+buffs, and still make some checks. If you start a 3, you'll never be making any dialogue check.

 

Personally, I don't like either of those that low. 3 res is just asking to be interrupted, 3 int and you give up pretty much all duration based abilities. It's not worth it, IMHO.

[knownastherat]

 

It was debated before but let me point out that from role-playing perspective INT of 12 is INT of Gul or RES of 13 is RES of Shade. In this sense there is no role-playing perspective when it comes to Attributes. They serve only to game mechanics. 

 

Min-maxing is pushing the limits, of game mechanics, which by itself can be "role-playing".

huh... Does low int or res affect dialogue options much?

 

 

What do you mean "huh"? We are talking about "role-playing perspective". So if character is assigned, from role-playing perspective, INT of 12 its like if the character had INT of Gul, which is not much or? I am saying that there is no role-perspective in this game when it comes to Attributes - it does not make sense  - saying, for example, I do not want to lower INT to 3 because it would, from role-playing perspective, make my character stupid. 

[Boeroer]

What I liked about the IE games (and yes, it's the first time I even use a reference to that games) was the fact that your dialogue options changed when your INT was too low. You would sound like a dump ogre. Hilarious!

[knownastherat]

D&D mechanics are different. Here we have MIG, for example, as source of power be it for fighter or wizard. Its fine with me but there been debates how this is "not right" from role-playing perspective. 

[Boeroer]

I know it's different since I played PoE a little bit from time to time.

I just think it was funny that there was an option to sound like a nitwit in the IE games.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 22, 2016 by Boeroer

[knownastherat]

I was not implying your ignorance, rather pointing out the obvious. It was funny and it made sense, from role-playing perspective, despite sticking to certain stereotypes (fighter is strong but not clever and mage is clever but not strong).

[gogocactus]

Two weeks ago: (Boeroer's voice): I am going to take a break from PoE until WM2.

 

One week ago: (Boeroer's voice): I am going to take a break from PoE until WM2.

 

Last night: (Boeroer's voice): I am going to take a break from PoE until WM2.

 

This morning: (Boeroer's voice): I am going to take a break from PoE until WM2.

 

(Screenshot): last played: today.

 

xD

[knownastherat]

Its a good game

 

From role-playing perspective, maybe making "not intelligent" choices could serve better than Attributes. Just like in the so-called real life. There are people with high (Mensa) IQ without really having anything to show for.  

[Raven Darkholme]

Two weeks ago: (Boeroer's voice): I am going to take a break from PoE until WM2.

 

One week ago: (Boeroer's voice): I am going to take a break from PoE until WM2.

 

Last night: (Boeroer's voice): I am going to take a break from PoE until WM2.

 

This morning: (Boeroer's voice): I am going to take a break from PoE until WM2.

 

(Screenshot): last played: today.

 

xD

Did he have the nitwit voice of low INT you have in BG, or did he rather sound like a fallout character, that just took psycho?

[gogocactus]

 

 

Two weeks ago: (Boeroer's voice): I am going to take a break from PoE until WM2.

 

One week ago: (Boeroer's voice): I am going to take a break from PoE until WM2.

 

Last night: (Boeroer's voice): I am going to take a break from PoE until WM2.

 

This morning: (Boeroer's voice): I am going to take a break from PoE until WM2.

 

(Screenshot): last played: today.

 

xD

Did he have the nitwit voice of low INT you have in BG, or did he rather sound like a fallout character, that just took psycho?

An enthusiastic voice that starts to sound more sleepy (due to the long nights playing) the more you scroll down =P.

[Raven Darkholme]

 

 

Two weeks ago: (Boeroer's voice): I am going to take a break from PoE until WM2.

 

One week ago: (Boeroer's voice): I am going to take a break from PoE until WM2.

 

Last night: (Boeroer's voice): I am going to take a break from PoE until WM2.

 

This morning: (Boeroer's voice): I am going to take a break from PoE until WM2.

 

(Screenshot): last played: today.

 

xD

Did he have the nitwit voice of low INT you have in BG, or did he rather sound like a fallout character, that just took psycho?

An enthusiastic voice that starts to sound more sleepy (due to the long nights playing) the more you scroll down =P.

 

Psycho it is, then.

He jsut doesn't cry "****ING KILL", because he is a well mannered, reserved, german drug abuser.

[Boeroer]

Haha - you guys... XD

 

At least I'm not doing a playthrough at the moment - that's something.

 

But I still find myself firing up PoE too often in order to test and tinker around because of stuff I read in the forum. So it's all your fault.

 

And I managed to go to bed before 11:00 pm twice in a row! Whoot-whoot!

 

Ah, and @knownastherat: sorry if that post of mine sounded ****y. I meant no (real) offense.

Edited January 22, 2016 by Boeroer

[knownastherat]

Dont worry about it, it did not. Your posts are most insightful. 

 

Part of D&D role playing was alignment, which for me was perhaps most important characteristics. Stats are ... just numbers to be .. crunched.