Request for next PoE game...

[Aron Times]

Hello there...

 

It's been a while since I last played PoE, and I haven't found the motivation to start another run. Basically, I was doing a Let's Play with post commentary, but my hard drive had to be reformatted and I lost all of my gameplay footage. I don't want to slog through the linear grind that is Act 1 all over again. Actually, that's what I came here to talk about. The thing I really, really dislike about PoE is the bottleneck at the Stronghold. Basically, you have to go through the Stronghold and complete its main quest in order to unlock the rest of the game, which then gives you a lot more freedom to explore.

 

The fact that you are forced to go through the tutorial (with no way to skip cutscenes), and then go through Gilded Vale (with no way to skip cutscenes), and then go through the Stronghold (with no way to skip or delay this quest) really kills a lot of the replay value of PoE. I love the game but the initial slog through Act 1 is so boring. I've played it numerous times because I've tried several Triple Crown runs (Trial of Iron, Expert Mode, Path of the Damned, but not solo), and I died quite a few times to random hiccups in the game.

 

Now, I'd be okay with such bottlenecks as the tutorial and the Stronghold if the next game had a checkpoint system that allowed you to create a new character and start from that chapter. It'd be similar to how Neverwinter Nights 1 Acts were actually separate modules, and you could start in a later act by loading the specific module (you'd need a character creator to get a character of the right level, but the ability to skip the beginning was a big deal).

 

This would also be similar to how Baldur's Gate was three games: BG1, SoA, and ToB. You could start with the first game, or the second game, or the third game, and you could create a level-appropriate character to play with. You'd get locked out of a lot of long-running quests like the pantaloons quest, but the sheer convenience made the game a lot less tedious.

 

Thank you for your time.

[Tigranes]

BG2 modders later created Dungeon-Be-Gone to skip Irenicus' Dungeon. It would be nice to have something similar for POE to reach Gilded Vale, while leaving the Bear intact and such. 

 

I don't think it's reasonable to get rid of the Stronghold bottleneck. After Act 1 basically 1/3 or 1/4 of the game is done, and you get such a huge jump in XP, loot, available items, etc. in Defiance Bay that all games would devolve into a beeline for non-combat quests in the city. Just like you can't go straight to Underdark at start of BG2, or Baldur's Gate at the start of BG1. It would just break game balance a lot. 

 

At a personal level, you could keep a save just after Act 1, and then use IE Mod's console commands to reclass & relevel your protagonist, creating a new party each time.

 

(By the way, Baldur's Gate was three games shortened to two and a half, and no quests spanned BG1/2 except for the Pantaloons gimmick.)

[SkySlam]

Dungeon-be-gone was my favorite mod in BG2, I still have it on my desktop just in case.

 

I do agree that Act 1 was a bit too linear, considering that serial restarters like me will play through it - or part of it - dozens of times.

 

What I would really love to see in PoE2 are different beginnings (should I say it? ORIGINS!) depending on your race/culture.

They don't have to be too long, nor too many, but I think they would add greatly to game immersion and would save us from the first hour(s) of autism.

[Aron Times]

Against my better judgment, I started a new run. Triple Crown. I just lost my entire fourth session because PoE went FUBAR, and now I have a huge chunk of gameplay missing. If this game had a checkpoint system, I could've salvaged my run. Good thing it happened in the last quarter of Act 1. Good thing it happened early so I don't have to waste my time on this game.

 

Seriously, Obsidian, you guys are awesome at storytelling, but your programming and gameplay and quality of life features leave much to be desired. I'm going to be blunt here: the only reason I play PoE (or any Obsidian game) is because of its superb storytelling and roleplaying. Its combat system is very clunky and its optimization is terrible. It seems to me that every Obsidian game I play makes me smile and laugh and cry at the storytelling, but also makes me rage at the technical issues.

 

I'm going to uninstall the game and come back within a few months. I know you guys can do better. I believe in you. Just not right now.

[Inspector Switchblade]

You know the concept of Iron Man runs right? Also try the party one before trying the solo one.

 

Haven´t noticed technical issues in combat, just that I have to micromanage almost every battle, but that´s how the challenge has to be. Otherwise it becomes boring

[Fenixp]

You know the concept of Iron Man runs right?

Well even on Iron Man runs it's a pretty good idea for the game to overwrite the last save it's made every now and again in case it crashed

[Aron Times]

You know the concept of Iron Man runs right? Also try the party one before trying the solo one.

 

Haven´t noticed technical issues in combat, just that I have to micromanage almost every battle, but that´s how the challenge has to be. Otherwise it becomes boring

I didn't go for Triple Crown Solo. I went for Triple Crown (not solo).

 

Triple Crown = Path of the Damned, Expert Mode, Trial of Iron

Triple Crown Solo = Path of the Damned, Expert Mode, Trial of Iron, Solo

 

I have no problem with micromanagement. In fact, my favorite hero in DotA 2 is Chen, the most micro-heavy hero. I have a problem with how swingy the combat in PoE is, especially how rough the flow of battle goes. I actually didn't die in combat, because I'm pretty good at PoE combat. My game was also still active when I uninstalled. I just lost 1/4 of my current gameplay due to technical issues.

 

 

You know the concept of Iron Man runs right?

Well even on Iron Man runs it's a pretty good idea for the game to overwrite the last save it's made every now and again in case it crashed

 

Thank you. I have no problem getting TPK'd because of my stupidity or random chance, as long as it's within the game. I have a big problem with losing hours of my time because of technical issues. Besides, backing up one's ToI save is basically like having a checkpoint system, except that it goes far beyond that and actually goes against the spirit of ToI (since you have restore at will, instead of just at major points within the game).

[paasi]

 

You know the concept of Iron Man runs right? Also try the party one before trying the solo one.

 

Haven´t noticed technical issues in combat, just that I have to micromanage almost every battle, but that´s how the challenge has to be. Otherwise it becomes boring

I didn't go for Triple Crown Solo. I went for Triple Crown (not solo).

 

Triple Crown = Path of the Damned, Expert Mode, Trial of Iron

Triple Crown Solo = Path of the Damned, Expert Mode, Trial of Iron, Solo

 

I have no problem with micromanagement. In fact, my favorite hero in DotA 2 is Chen, the most micro-heavy hero. I have a problem with how swingy the combat in PoE is, especially how rough the flow of battle goes. I actually didn't die in combat, because I'm pretty good at PoE combat. My game was also still active when I uninstalled. I just lost 1/4 of my current gameplay due to technical issues.

 

 

I took to trying out the Triple Crown Solo, which was nightmarish at first. Then i encountered the drain-bug in 2.0 and it felt kinda like cheating (3-10 swings -> a minutes worth of +90% atk speed) but it got my character on his feet and now i'm through defiance bay and the white march add-on.