Backstab is not a special attack. It's just bonus damage thst applies to all attacks you do if they meet the correct preconditions. Backstab applies to all attacks that come from stealth or invisibility. If you do a full attack from stealth, let's say a Blinding Strike, during the first hit you will unstealth and be visible - Backstab damage will only apply to this first hit. If you could stay invisible you would do Backstabs all the time. This was possible with the Cloak of the Master Mystic due to a bug.

 

So tl;dr: no, just one attack.

 

An Estoc isn't the best weapon though: it's an arquebus (fired from 2m distance or less) or (even better) Firebrand. Preferably while the target suffers from 2 afflictions (sneak + deathblows), has low endurance and you crit with a finishing blow. That will kill everything.

Edited February 2, 20169 yr by Boeroer

That's sneak attack, not backstab. Backstabbing can only be done from stealth, which makes it too situation bound.

 

It's becoming so tiring watching people having to explain this over and over.

Edited February 2, 20169 yr by Spam101

Ciphers are still good you just want to get greater focus early as you'll be starved otherwise, also I wouldn't go higher then 7 in survival this gives your team the 4 Dr reduction, you can't get 20 accuracy not sure if this is a bug?

Backstab is not a special attack. It's just bonus damage thst applies to all attacks you do if they meet the correct preconditions. Backstab applies to all attacks that come from stealth or invisibility. If you do a full attack from stealth, let's say a Blinding Strike, during the first hit you will unstealth and be visible - Backstab damage will only apply to this first hit. If you could stay invisible you would do Backstabs all the time. This was possible with the Cloak of the Master Mystic due to a bug.

 

So tl;dr: no, just one attack.

 

An Estoc isn't the best weapon though: it's an arquebus (fired from 2m distance or less) or (even better) Firebrand. Preferably while the target suffers from 2 afflictions (sneak + deathblows), has low endurance and you crit with a finishing blow. That will kill everything.

 

Well you answered it then. Backstab with dual wielding probably isn't worth spending the point. It would probably still be viable with sabres.

 

lol sigh. arquebus. Sounds cheesy. The whole guns thing just doesn't do it for me. I would not really give a crap if all the guns were removed from the game.

lol sigh. arquebus. Sounds cheesy. The whole guns thing just doesn't do it for me. I would not really give a crap if all the guns were removed from the game.

The setting is late renaissance/early modern rather than medieval so guns are not inappropriate. What is wonky is the rate of fire, English Civil War/30 Years War musketeers carried sufficient ammunition for about an hour's firing: 12 rounds!

You can still use Firebrand.

Change I found just now: BInding Web has been changed to cause Stuck (which was discussed as a possible upcomming change here: https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/83196-binding-web-5-accuracy-explained/), but now targets fortitude to not let the first application of the effect make subsequent applications stronger.

Has it been mentioned anywhere if 3.0 will come out of beta before White March II hits or will they come out at the same time?

 

EDIT: Never mind, a new video showcasing the 3.0 features just went up on Obsidian's youtube page. Adam says there it'll be out at the same time as the expansion.

Edited February 4, 20169 yr by Starwars

Jumping into 3.0 beta tonight. Looking forward to finally going through the entire epic with all content/expansions spoken for.

 

Cheers!

Holy crap, did everyone see the beta update? Lots of further cipher changes.

 

Focus generation increased by 40%, and a bunch of cast time reductions, status effect duration increases, and base damage increases.

 

I like these changes paired with the nerf to initial focus. It makes the effects harder to use at the start of combat, but rewards keeping your cipher alive and generating damage.

Great, isn't it.

 

I like the cast speed buffs the most.

New changes:

 

Survival:

• Damage Reduction bonuses have been halved (was +2/+4/+6, now +1/+2/+3).
• Heal Multipliers are now +20%, +40%, +60%.

Athletics

• Athletics now heals a base of 20 + (Athletics*4) Endurance. At 1 Athletics, it will heal base 24. At 12 Athletics, it will heal base 68.

Cipher:

• Increased the base amount of Focus gain per point of damage dealt from 0.25 to 0.35.
• Whisper of Treason changed from long cast time to short cast time.
• Puppet Master changed from long cast time to an instant cast.
• Puppet Master base duration increased from 10s to 16s.
• Soul Shock radius increased from 1.25 to 1.75 (2.5m to 3.5m diameter).
• Tenuous Grasp Frightened base duration increased from 6s to 15s.
• Antipathic Field minimum damage increased from 10 to 13.
• Amplified Thrust damage increased from 30-40 to 40-55 Pierce.
• Mental Binding AoE Stuck duration increased from 4s to 6s.
• Mental Binding targeted Paralyzed duration to 8s base.
• Mind Blades base damage raised from 10-20 to 18-28. Each bounce reduces the damage range by 10% (still 5 bounces).
• Psychovampiric Shield Deflection bonus from 10 to 25.
• Soul Ignition from 17 Burn to 22 Burn damage per tick.
• Mind Lance projectile radius increased from 0.5m to 0.75m.
• Silent Scream AoE damage raised from 15-25 base to 28-40 base. Target damage raised to 35-50 base, Stunned duration 8s base.
• Disintegration from long to short cast, 5m range to 10m range.
• Disintegration Raw damage increased from 30 per tick to 40 per tick.
• Amplified Wave Prone duration to 8s base.
• Borrowed Instinct from 15s to 25s base duration.
• Detonate base damage from 30-50 Raw to 50-75 Raw. AoE base damage from 30-50 Crush to 45-60 Crush.
• Ringleader AoE Charmed duration from 8s base to 12s base.
• Tactical Meld base duration from 20s to 25s.
• Time Parasite from 5s base duration to 12s base duration.

Gameplay

• The following equipment mods have been tuned up: Preservation, Defiance, Fenwalker (resistance mods), Freedom, and Healing Bonus.

Spells and Abilities

• All Prayer Against _____ spells now have a base 20s duration (was 30s) and radius increased from 2.5m to 3m.
• Set the duration of Dichotomous Soul to base 15s.
• Arkemyr's Capricious Hex now has variable durations for each of its afflictions.

I knew the DR bonuses were going to get nerfed as soon as people started saying "wow these DR bonuses are nice!" D:<

No, they outright complained about how nice they were.

Question to the patch-bearers about Athletics: Does the bonus healing from MIG apply to the whole value of "20 + (Atheltics * 4)" or just to the base value of 20?

 

If it only applies to the base value of 20, then Athletics isn't probably worth investing in that much (I know I wouldn't bother with it.)

 

 

 

By the way, do bonuses from Survival still stack with inn/Caed Nua bonuses?

Inspiring Radiance now gives +10 accuracy to the entire party.

 

In a way this also makes Druids a bit stronger, since lack of accuracy compared to wizards was a bit of a weakness for them. Priests also now even more Barbarian friendly than they were before, given that Barbs also tend to have accuracy problems.

 

Combined with 'Prayer Against' spells giving full immunity 3.0 might not be a huge buff to priests, but as someone who's had priests as his favorite class for some time I am somewhat surprised that any buff at all was thought to be required. It's not exactly a weak class.

Edited February 8, 20169 yr by limaxophobiacq

What I really don't understand though; how were Aggrandizing Radiance and Brilliant Radiance not buffed, when the bonus for Inspiring Radiance, already a better talent, was doubled?

 

Aggrandizing Radiance is so bad I wouldn't take it even if it was free, the penalty is worse than the bonus without even considering that it costs you a talent pick.

 

Brilliant Radiance damage really needs to scale with level.

 

How was the indisputably best Radiance-improving talent the only one that was buffed?

Edited February 8, 20169 yr by limaxophobiacq

 

 

The stronghold quests are a nice addition as are the items (though some of them, like the Witch's Hat, seem to be missing textures). 

Omigod, are you saying what I think/want you to be saying?  That they have pointy hats in the game??!  Please, good doctor, tell me it is so!

 

 

 

 

http://imgur.com/HTehCL6

 

 

It doesn't have an in-game texture yet though.

 

 

Any headgear for godlike? I really wanted a hood or something, even with no stats...

The 3.00.9xx (latest one via Steam) is making a tremendous difference in the game!  Can't wait for 8 more days to pick up the PTII expansion!  OK, this game is truly going to be a contender, I hope, for the 2016 RPG awards--it seems like the game is finally homogenizing, if you know what I mean!

 

I think it's fairly important, too, to start the game over with the patch/expansion.  The game has always seemed more like a collection of disparate pieces than a unified whole, until now--I think that when the last patch for PTII is done--this game will move into legendary status!

 

I have to admit that even in combat--it was fun from the start--I do enjoy not having to micromanage every character through every turn,,,the automatic scripting seems to work really well in the latest 3.xx patch!  Very happy with it--because I can still pause the action at any time and direct individual characters! 

 

Good job, Obsidian...!  This is what comes of not walking away from a game the minute it's published--or six months later, etc.  You hang in there until you get it right--get it like you want it.  I am very happy with the game...!

The 3.00.9xx (latest one via Steam) is making a tremendous difference in the game!  Can't wait for 8 more days to pick up the PTII expansion!  OK, this game is truly going to be a contender, I hope, for the 2016 RPG awards--it seems like the game is finally homogenizing, if you know what I mean!

 

I think it's fairly important, too, to start the game over with the patch/expansion.  The game has always seemed more like a collection of disparate pieces than a unified whole, until now--I think that when the last patch for PTII is done--this game will move into legendary status!

 

I have to admit that even in combat--it was fun from the start--I do enjoy not having to micromanage every character through every turn,,,the automatic scripting seems to work really well in the latest 3.xx patch!  Very happy with it--because I can still pause the action at any time and direct individual characters! 

 

Good job, Obsidian...!  This is what comes of not walking away from a game the minute it's published--or six months later, etc.  You hang in there until you get it right--get it like you want it.  I am very happy with the game...!

Good to hear when I saw all the changes coming after release I decided to delay playing this game so I had a more complete version.  With every major addition it seems it was worth waiting for.

The end-fight of Endless Paths Level 7 is SO much harder now. Changed from 5 spectres to 3 Spectres, 3 animats, 3 adragan, and 2 adra animats.

 

It's a huge jump in difficulty now, was very suprised and wiped instantly. Seems a bit much to be honest, or at least the encounters before should scale up to it better. Everything before had been a cakewalk for this party and then this fight was like running into a brick wall.

 

What other encounters have people noticed that have been changed?

Edited February 9, 20169 yr by limaxophobiacq

Agreed limassol not even trying that fight against till everyone is level 12 plus was harder then most fights in white march

Reading this makes me happy

I agree 100%!

 

After a long hiatus and after reading this, I will definitely start over in order to check out what PoE has to offer now. Can't wait!

Unless they've bumped up the difficulty of level 8-9 though, you'll be overleveled for those by necessity now if you can get through level 7.

Edited February 9, 20169 yr by limaxophobiacq