Bought the game this past Steam sale...

[higo]

Hello friends,

 

Long time CRPG fanboy here (I've played BG, BG2, IWD, and NWN1,2)

 

Holy **** I'm literally at work just browsing the forums and watching PoE videos on youtube. Needless to say, I'm having a ton of fun with the game and can't wait to get home to my wizard. I love the game and I feel like I started playing it at a really good time (new patch and expansions available  )

 

When I was younger I would obsess way more over good builds(min/maxing), exploring EVERYTHING, grabbing the best items/party members, reading guides like a madman, etc. and to be honest it kind of ruined these games for me... It felt more like a chore than a game. Now at the tender age of 27 I've definitely gotten over this (I have mild OCD but it's gotten easier to control with age) and I'm just going in balls deep, no guides; picking and choosing spells that I think just sound awesome and fun and not necessarily the "best" in that level and I gotta say it's been really fun so far. I'm barely like 5 hours into the game and I can't wait to see what else it will hold for me. 

 

I've always loved this style of game mainly because of the immersion factor (life sucked as a kid) and so far this game doesn't feel any less immersive than the other games I mentioned. I remember playing these games as a kid and I swear I could feel my IQ and vocabulary getting bigger because of all the reading!   The worst part for me is that I really enjoy many different play styles. My first time through is almost always a wizard/sorcerer type but man I'm already hyped for the next character I'll make which would be a................... ****, I DON'T KNOW YET EVERYTHING SEEMS FUN! 

 

TL;DR: HELLO, I LOVE PoE 

[hrwd]

Don't get too excited. It often leads down a dark path. To disappointment and worse.

 

Otherwise, welcome and have fun.

[DreamWayfarer]

Be welcome! After a couple playthroughs, consider checking the Builds and Strategies subforum. While there is the risk of raising your inner minmaxer from the grave, knowing your way through the byzanthine and needlessly convoluted mechanics of this game adds a lot of replay value even for roleplayers, as you will have the chance of experimenting with character concepts that few know that the game supports like gunner paladins, scroll-using rogues or melee rangers.

[hrwd]

Be welcome! After a couple playthroughs, consider checking the Builds and Strategies subforum. While there is the risk of raising your inner minmaxer from the grave, knowing your way through the byzanthine and needlessly convoluted mechanics of this game adds a lot of replay value even for roleplayers, as you will have the chance of experimenting with character concepts that few know that the game supports like gunner paladins, scroll-using rogues or melee rangers.

 

Yes, their next games should either make it obvious you can do it safely or eliminate the possibility to do it completely. I am more for option a, but the option b has its perks as well. Ultra strong class recognition and what not.

[evilcat]

Welcome,

 

You have benefit of having game after patches, always better experience. Even better with expansion.

I understand the urge to have perfect walkthough, but games are so much better when you just walk in, set things on fire, and see what happens. At least on first run.

Have fun.

Edited September 10, 2016 by evilcat

[demeisen]

Welcome - the game is indeed great fun!  While it has flaws, it's one of the best RPGs in ages.

​

​About the expansions: I'd recommend installing WM1/2 before playing.  WM is great - in some ways better than the base game - but it sort of attaches into the middle of the game, so it's awkward to play if you've already finished.  Either you need to start a fresh game or load up an older save.  If you install before you start, though, you'll encounter it naturally as you play through.

​

​Another new player tip: you can change the difficulty setting after you start, but only among the lower ones.  You can't move it up to PoTD (the highest setting) after starting.  All the difficulties are, IMHO, misnamed by about one step, so I'd recommend considering normal to be easy, hard to be normal, and PotD to be hard.  Then you can pick to suit your preferences.  Since you are an experienced player of BG/IWD/NWN, I'd be inclined to recommend PotD, which makes the combat much more fun in Pillars.  Otherwise it becomes rather easy after the first few levels, even if you're not power-gaming it.  Hard is more suited for people who skip a lot of the optional quests, but you seem like the sort to play a high % of the game's content.

 

No matter the level you pick, difficulty tends to be spiky: lots of not very hard battles, interspersed with some much harder ones.

​

Enjoy!

​

Edited September 11, 2016 by demeisen

[higo]

Thanks for the warm welcome, friends. Yea, chances are I'll finish one playthrough without any help then we'll see how my second playthrough goes.

(It's already so hard to play with limited free time. Finishing an epic game like this just one time is already such a great accomplishment for me so I really don't know how realistic a second play through is. Not any time soon, anyway)

 

As for the expansions? I regret not buying them with this recent steam sale

I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy pillars so I didn't buy the expansions. Big mistake. I like that you can experience the expansions halfway through the main campaign. I assumed it would all be end game stuff so I figured I wouldn't even get to expansion content for a while. I guess I should have read up on it sooner rather than later. Oh well. I just finished Raedric's quest line so I'm really not that deep into the game. If I buy the expansions now and keep going with my current file, will it be a problem?

 

Normal's been OKAY so far. I've been 4 manning it for a while and have to be pretty tactical for some of the harder fights. I'd like another tanky party member but I refuse to make my own adventurer. I want to run into other party members organically. We'll see how the next few areas go. If I feel like I really need another tank then I'll just go ahead and make a custom one.

 

Damn, I really should have bought the expansions too. I'm loving the game. Feels just like the old infinite engine games with just enough changes to keep it interesting and fresh feeling. 

[Suen]

As for the expansions? I regret not buying them with this recent steam sale

Tip

To avoid a bug affecting the expansion-less game: in Options->Difficulty disable auto level companions.

[higo]

 

As for the expansions? I regret not buying them with this recent steam sale

Tip

To avoid a bug affecting the expansion-less game: in Options->Difficulty disable auto level companions.

 

Hmm.. my companions have already leveled about two times and it wasn't done automatically so I think it's already disabled. However, I'll check it again when I get on later tonight just in case.

[Suen]

It does something a bit different: it's for the levels your companions already have when you recruit them.

For example, when auto level up is disabled instead of a companion level 4 you get a companion with the xp to immediately reach level 4, with your input.

[higo]

It does something a bit different: it's for the levels your companions already have when you recruit them.

For example, when auto level up is disabled instead of a companion level 4 you get a companion with the xp to immediately reach level 4, with your input.

Ohhhhhhh that makes a huge difference. I bet when I recruited Durance he was automatically leveled up already. Damn. Oh well. I'll definitely turn it off next time I get on to play. Thanks for the tip!

[evilcat]

As for 4th companion:

You will get Kana (Chanter) early enought, outside walls of Cuad Nua, no need to do anything inside, he will be humming at walls.

Try him out, maybe will be useful for something.

Edited September 12, 2016 by evilcat

[higo]

As for 4th companion:

You will get Kana (Chanter) early enought, outside walls of Cuad Nua, no need to do anything inside, he will be humming at walls.

Try him out, maybe will be useful for something.

The last thing I did was recruit him before closing the game. I haven't really messed around with the chanter class so I'm excited to try it out. Any tips?

[Ink Blot]

Don't be afraid to create your own companion(s) if you feel you need to. You can always dump them if you run into another NPC you want in your party.

[evilcat]

 

As for 4th companion:

You will get Kana (Chanter) early enought, outside walls of Cuad Nua, no need to do anything inside, he will be humming at walls.

Try him out, maybe will be useful for something.

The last thing I did was recruit him before closing the game. I haven't really messed around with the chanter class so I'm excited to try it out. Any tips?

 

You can retrain in tavern anybody PC or companion, so if you make a mistake at build a hand full of gold will fix you.

Chanters song work no matter recovery (armour) so you can strap in the heaviest you have and still sing a song.

From same reason you may go for all heavy shield and tanky talents, but it could be more fun to wield a rusty greatweapon.

[higo]

Don't be afraid to create your own companion(s) if you feel you need to. You can always dump them if you run into another NPC you want in your party.

I don't really want to create my own party members just yet... definitely on my next play through though!

 

 

 

As for 4th companion:

You will get Kana (Chanter) early enought, outside walls of Cuad Nua, no need to do anything inside, he will be humming at walls.

Try him out, maybe will be useful for something.

The last thing I did was recruit him before closing the game. I haven't really messed around with the chanter class so I'm excited to try it out. Any tips?

 

You can retrain in tavern anybody PC or companion, so if you make a mistake at build a hand full of gold will fix you.

Chanters song work no matter recovery (armour) so you can strap in the heaviest you have and still sing a song.

From same reason you may go for all heavy shield and tanky talents, but it could be more fun to wield a rusty greatweapon.

 

I'll try heavy armor/2h wep with him and see how it goes 

[Ink Blot]

I don't really want to create my own party members just yet... definitely on my next play through though!

 

 

 

I don't see the issue though. Even the way you go about it is 'in character', as you go to a tavern to 'hire' a mercenary (yeah, you have to pay for them). So create one if you're finding you need to round your party out, then just drop him off at your stronghold when you find another companion that you want to keep in the party. There's no effect on the game, other than the XP effect (slightly less XPs per character with bigger parties), but you don't strike me as someone that worries about that - and you have to deal with that when you add NPCs to your party anyway.

 

Sorry, not trying to be argumentative, I just wanted to point out that it's a viable option if you're having troubles with the combat difficulty, and there's no real reason to not do it if needed.

[higo]

 

I don't really want to create my own party members just yet... definitely on my next play through though!

 

 

 

I don't see the issue though. Even the way you go about it is 'in character', as you go to a tavern to 'hire' a mercenary (yeah, you have to pay for them). So create one if you're finding you need to round your party out, then just drop him off at your stronghold when you find another companion that you want to keep in the party. There's no effect on the game, other than the XP effect (slightly less XPs per character with bigger parties), but you don't strike me as someone that worries about that - and you have to deal with that when you add NPCs to your party anyway.

 

Sorry, not trying to be argumentative, I just wanted to point out that it's a viable option if you're having troubles with the combat difficulty, and there's no real reason to not do it if needed.

 

But I'm not having combat difficulties

 

If anything, I'm afraid it will become too easy if I build an "ideal" party. Also I want to save my copper coins because it's my first play through and I don't know if I'll need an absurd amount of money for something cool later on. (Don't answer that question please. I will learn the hard way, ha)

I enjoy running into people in the world and being pleasantly surprised when he/she turns out to be a potential companion... And I know I can just get rid of my generic companions if this happens but combat is just not that difficult at the moment so as I mentioned earlier, I don't feel a need to spend my copper.

I will definitely hire adventurers if I ever play it on hard/PoTD and build a better party because I'm assuming it will be necessary to have an actual proper party. Right now I'm at 2 wizards, a 2h wep fighter, a priest, and a chanter that I don't know what to do with just yet. It feels more authentic at the moment because I'm just a rag tag group of random adventurers that are just traveling together because it's convenient and safe. 

 

I'll definitely hire my own adventurers on my next play through though! I'm barely getting through act 1 and I'm already planning my next play through       

[Ink Blot]

But I'm not having combat difficulties

 

If anything, I'm afraid it will become too easy if I build an "ideal" party. Also I want to save my copper coins because it's my first play through and I don't know if I'll need an absurd amount of money for something cool later on. (Don't answer that question please. I will learn the hard way, ha)

I enjoy running into people in the world and being pleasantly surprised when he/she turns out to be a potential companion... And I know I can just get rid of my generic companions if this happens but combat is just not that difficult at the moment so as I mentioned earlier, I don't feel a need to spend my copper.

I will definitely hire adventurers if I ever play it on hard/PoTD and build a better party because I'm assuming it will be necessary to have an actual proper party. Right now I'm at 2 wizards, a 2h wep fighter, a priest, and a chanter that I don't know what to do with just yet. It feels more authentic at the moment because I'm just a rag tag group of random adventurers that are just traveling together because it's convenient and safe. 

 

I'll definitely hire my own adventurers on my next play through though! I'm barely getting through act 1 and I'm already planning my next play through       

 

Oh, okay, I completely misunderstood. Carry on, then. You're doing exactly what you should. And your party seems just fine as is.

[higo]

 

But I'm not having combat difficulties

 

If anything, I'm afraid it will become too easy if I build an "ideal" party. Also I want to save my copper coins because it's my first play through and I don't know if I'll need an absurd amount of money for something cool later on. (Don't answer that question please. I will learn the hard way, ha)

I enjoy running into people in the world and being pleasantly surprised when he/she turns out to be a potential companion... And I know I can just get rid of my generic companions if this happens but combat is just not that difficult at the moment so as I mentioned earlier, I don't feel a need to spend my copper.

I will definitely hire adventurers if I ever play it on hard/PoTD and build a better party because I'm assuming it will be necessary to have an actual proper party. Right now I'm at 2 wizards, a 2h wep fighter, a priest, and a chanter that I don't know what to do with just yet. It feels more authentic at the moment because I'm just a rag tag group of random adventurers that are just traveling together because it's convenient and safe. 

 

I'll definitely hire my own adventurers on my next play through though! I'm barely getting through act 1 and I'm already planning my next play through       

 

Oh, okay, I completely misunderstood. Carry on, then. You're doing exactly what you should. And your party seems just fine as is.

 

Man, work and life has really been getting in the way of playing. It's been a while since I've even fired it up. Maybe I'll just start over when I get back into it. Kinda regretting wizard mostly cause that's what I usually go for. I think I want to try something new. A melee class with some spells possibly? Not sure yet

Edited September 29, 2016 by higo

[Dr <3]

Just go on playing, until at least half act 2 ( good luck to understand when you are at half act on your First game