Advice requested: Advanced RPG player, but new to PoE.

[SweetMagooMagoodle]

Howdy!  I have 15 years of RPGs behind me -- it's virtually the only kind of game I play .  From Infinity Engine, to Bioware games, to Betheseda... and I am just starting to explore the "new classics."  I just played D:OS twice, and I want to start on POE.

 

I did play a few hours of POE when it first came out, and then gave up, as I wanted to wait for the many patches that would change the game.  Now I am back, and I feel like the newbiest noob.  I am looking for a recommended starter's guide for the most recent version of the game. The first time I tried to play i relied heavily on guides to figure out the mechanics, classes, and attributes.  I remember none of what I once new about this game. I have been looking around the interwebs for guides but most of them seem a few patches behind. And it seems like the recent patches made serious changes.  So, help!  Where do I start to nail down the basics....

 

Anyone have a great go-to for an experienced RPG player who is new to POE?

 

Many thanks!

 

K

[evilcat]

• "Normal" difficulty is normal for ppl without previous experience with infinity-like cRPG. If you played anything from BG to tabletop DnD you can start on hard.
• PoE is forgiving. You can retrain your companions, make a new ones, So there is not much to worry about.

My general advice is: Ignore internet. On first run just go with whatever sounds good for you. Seek help only when you are stuck. On second walkthough read guides to discover that you did everything wrong. Have fun.

 

If you really need guides: https://forums.obsidian.net/forum/91-pillars-of-eternity-characters-builds-strategies-the-unity-engine-spoiler-warning/

+ search like "ranger build" "Boss x fight" that should cover your needs.

Edited September 18, 2016 by evilcat

[Tigranes]

I second that. There's no point reading a million guides and worrying the ranger is slightly worse off than a rogue fifteen hours into the game or that you are screwed because you picked 14 resolve and not 16. Across 6 members in the party, the wealth of XP and loot handed out after early game, and the retraining options, you will easily be able to address any totally useless characters - and the chances aren't that high anyway, since there's ways to make many different kinds of characters work competently. 

 

It's subjective, but I find it's a lot more fun to just dive in once I know the basics, and then figure out the details as I go. To put it extremely, why am I wasting time playing if I'm using someone else's build guide, I make no choices, I just press the buttons, and then I fret that my character's not as powerful as it could be?

[Ink Blot]

I didn't get the impression he was looking for guides on how to build the best character or anything like that. I think he's just looking for some explanation of the game mechanics, classes, and abilities.

[Pus-in-Boots]

For one I would recomend you to set mental stats of your main character (perception, intellect, resolve) at least to 16, to enjoy the most of dialogue options that the game has to offer. 

[Baron Pampa]

One of the game design goals was to make any class, race and attributes combination playable and fun, and I feel that the goal has been reached. So, unless you want to maximize your battle effectiveness, pick whatever you feel like.

[SweetMagooMagoodle]

Thanks, all.

 

Indeed, I am not looking for min maxed uber tanks or anything -- just trying to figure out how much resolve is really needed for instance (I do like dialogue -- so thanks for that advice), and is survival really needed,  etc.

 

But I do really appreciate everyone's advice to just dive in a mess around and learn by doing.   D:OS was not all that forgiving for noobs and so I felt like I needed to do my homework.  It was a great game but needed a bit too much homework.  Sounds like POE is easier to to just dive in and experiment. Anyway, thanks.

 

 

in the meantime -- if anyone has additional guides for 3.03 or thereabouts, please keep responding.

 

I am toying with a monk or a paladin to start, if it matters....  

 

 

[Baron Pampa]

Background dialogue summary:
https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/78795-i-explored-all-character-backgrounds-so-you-dont-have-to/

Resolve seems to be the most frequently demanded and impactful attribute, Might is often used for threatening. Ciphers get the most class-specific interactions in maingame. White March does way better than the base campaing in terms of acknowledging your attributes, class and race.

Also, don't expect much from priest of Eothas - IMHO the class shouldn't be possible to play, as game quite often joyfully ignores that you are a priest of that god.

[Pus-in-Boots]

Thanks, all.

 

Indeed, I am not looking for min maxed uber tanks or anything -- just trying to figure out how much resolve is really needed for instance (I do like dialogue -- so thanks for that advice), and is survival really needed,  etc.

 

But I do really appreciate everyone's advice to just dive in a mess around and learn by doing.   D:OS was not all that forgiving for noobs and so I felt like I needed to do my homework.  It was a great game but needed a bit too much homework.  Sounds like POE is easier to to just dive in and experiment. Anyway, thanks.

 

 

in the meantime -- if anyone has additional guides for 3.03 or thereabouts, please keep responding.

 

I am toying with a monk or a paladin to start, if it matters....  

As the poster above pointed out, resolve is the most frequently used attribute in conversations. If my memory serves, the hardest resolve check in the game is 21. You can boost your resolve with items (max bonus is 4 from certain gauntlets), food and rests to pretty high levels so 16 would be enough. Perhaps even less but the lower you get, the more management it requires. Although most checks don't go above 18.

[Ink Blot]

Thanks, all.

 

Indeed, I am not looking for min maxed uber tanks or anything -- just trying to figure out how much resolve is really needed for instance (I do like dialogue -- so thanks for that advice), and is survival really needed,  etc.

 

But I do really appreciate everyone's advice to just dive in a mess around and learn by doing.   D:OS was not all that forgiving for noobs and so I felt like I needed to do my homework.  It was a great game but needed a bit too much homework.  Sounds like POE is easier to to just dive in and experiment. Anyway, thanks.

 

 

in the meantime -- if anyone has additional guides for 3.03 or thereabouts, please keep responding.

 

I am toying with a monk or a paladin to start, if it matters....  

There's a beginner's guide Here. Not specific to 3.03, but it should be a decent starting point, if you've not seen it yet.

Edited September 18, 2016 by Ink Blot

[KDubya]

Just remember that the dialogues are perfectly handable without high stats of any sort, don't feel that you need to have certain high stats or else you miss the game.

 

My advice is to pick the character you like and build him as you see them. If that gets you additional dialogue options great.

 

Resolve gets you dialogue based on you force of conviction, you're the guy that does the right thing because it is the right thing, a strong willed character.

 

Intellect gets you clever responses where you are like a rules lawyer manipulating the facts to trick the subject into giving up the information.

 

I find it hard to roleplay a guy who can do both high Resolve and Intellect dialogue, since if you have the force of will to do it the right way why would you need to be clever about it? But YMMV.

 

Another recommendation is to turn off the dialogue choice descriptions, it feels more natural choosing what you would say without being influenced by [Aggressive] or the others. This makes playing a Paladin more rewarding but more risky as you will need to work at staying in character instead of blindly clicking the two favored response types. 

 

Both Monks and Paladins are great, a Paladin will probably have better dialogue options as a Monk does really good with just Might and Constitution with everything else at ten.

[AstroCat]

I know this is an old thread, sorry. But I am in a similar situation and had a quick stat question. I like to mix RP with my mechanics so I usually don't hardcore min/max. I want to be a more damage orientated Pally so I'm going for a Pale elf, Paladin (Kind Wayfarers), The White that Wends - Explorer and was thinking these stats:

 

Mig 14 Dex 10 Con 10 Per 14 Int 14 Res 16 <-- Leaning towards this one.

Mig 14 Dex 10 Con 10 Per 15 Int 14 Res 15 <-- Is +stat gear common enough to get 16s out of those 15s for dialog?

Mig 14 Dex 10 Con 10 Per 15 Int 13 Res 16 <- Int at 13, is that ok?

Mig 16 Dex 10 Con 10 Per 14 Int 12 Res 16

 

I am a little concerned I'll miss some of the dialog options with the 14s.

 

Also should I turn off companion auto-level? Or should I just let them be leveled up when we meet? I'm leaning toward turning auto-level off.

 

Any suggestions? Thanks!

Edited December 16, 2016 by AstroCat

[Gromnir]

virtual every Gromnir main character, regardless of class, has similar attribute spreads... with two-to-three points of variation.

 

m 10

d 10

c 10

p 16

i 16

r 16

 

for paladins we typical drop dex, con and/or per by 1 and add the points to intelligence to try and get an 18-19, but that is unnecessary. the above attribute spread will result in a highly effective potd character for any class, because the poe attributes, unlike in other crpgs, is not determinative of success.  sure, attributes matter and have value in poe, but talents and abilities is just as (more) important as attributes, particularly as you level and get further away from level 1. 

 

if you know the dialogue thresholds for npcs, you can use food and resting bonuses to bolster anemic attributes, but the above attribute spread is gonna be extreme forgiving and will have you largely avoiding the need to run to a guide to figure out best spreads or similar such nonsense.

 

again, do not sweat the attributes if your concern is combat efficacy.  talents, abilities and smarty gameplay will be far more determinative o' combat success than your initial attribute spread.  however, we highly recommend the above attribute spread for those wishing to have access to most o' the cerebral dialogue options w/o needing to game the game-- no running to guides or fora to figure out npc dialog check numbers.

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

ps regardless of changes made to the game via patches, you can see our advice has remained the same since the game were released.  

 

http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/84838-optimal-starting-stats-and-late-game-signifficance-for-wizard/?p=1782213

 

and from just after release

 

http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/72352-might-universal-required-stat/?p=1603924

 

do not listen too close to those folks telling you what attributes you need to be an effective  _________ in poe.  they are wrong.  chose attributes for rp or dialogue reasons and you will be fine.

Edited December 16, 2016 by Gromnir

[Gromnir]

ps

 

http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/85343-post-30-paladins/?p=1789337

 

highly recommend the linked thread if you are gonna play a post 3.0 paladin.  'bout three pages into the thread you start seeing suggested builds along with detailed explanations as to why such builds work.  

 

HA! Good Fun!

[AstroCat]

Thanks for the replies. Lot's of good info!