Belts of dexterity, strength issue and others

[znajoma]

I'm having issues with the Belt of Incredible Dexterity and Belt of Giant Strength. When they are added to ranged/melee combat checks they do not count ranged/melee bonus. For example, if Harsk reveals a crossbow 1d8+1 his total modifier is +8 (dexterity+4,ranged+3); after he reveals the Belt of Dexterity the modifier changes to 6. Same thing with Giant Strength.

 

Same issue occurs when I play Black Arrow Ranger ally on a ranged combat check— modifier changes to 6 instead of 9.

 

Headband of inspired wisdom and Robe of runes work just fine in similar situations.

 

Another issue is with Teleport spell. When I tried to move Esren and Valeros who were at the same location (Treacherous Cave), only Ezren moved and the spell returned to his hand, instead of Recharge/Discard

[aznxknight]

The items should count to your raw check except that the game switches around the checks so you may have to switch it back by tapping the upper part of the screen.

[_Harwin_]

For belt of dexterity, etc, see also:

 

https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/89767-belt-of-incredible-dexterity-bug/?do=findComment&comment=1851521

https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/89772-snakeskin-armor-changes-check-type-incorrectly-ranged-combat-for-harsk/

[Ethics Gradient]

You just need to tap on combat check type in the top middle of the screen and change it back to Combat:Ranged or Combat:Melee as appropriate.  

 

Sometimes playing items or allies will inadvertently switch you to Combat:Dexterity or Combat:Strength, which don't have all your bonuses.  Minor annoyance, yes, but at least it can be overcome.

[StormbringerGT]

Yeah the issue here is we change the check to help you out, but we don't communicate the switch. We'll work on making this less confusing.

[_Harwin_]

Yeah the issue here is we change the check to help you out, but we don't communicate the switch. We'll work on making this less confusing.

 

Except... you changed the check and made it worse?

[Ethics Gradient]

 

Yeah the issue here is we change the check to help you out, but we don't communicate the switch. We'll work on making this less confusing.

 

Except... you changed the check and made it worse?

Heh.  I was thinking that too.  Reveal a Longsword, and the card scripting is smart enough to select Melee over Strength if you have it.

 

Reveal a Belt of Giant Strength, and it seems to go out of its way to downgrade a Melee check into a Strength check without caring that a Melee check is a Strength check.

[StormbringerGT]

 

 

Yeah the issue here is we change the check to help you out, but we don't communicate the switch. We'll work on making this less confusing.

 

Except... you changed the check and made it worse?

Heh.  I was thinking that too.  Reveal a Longsword, and the card scripting is smart enough to select Melee over Strength if you have it.

 

Reveal a Belt of Giant Strength, and it seems to go out of its way to downgrade a Melee check into a Strength check without caring that a Melee check is a Strength check.

 

Well then that is a bug, the game should always try and math out the best possible roll. Which in this case it is not. I'll file it up.

[mccrispy]

Isn't the check type switch a generalised issue with applying bonuses to checks (rather than just with Belts)? It's very common with Blessings for me to have to go and change the check type once I've added a Blessing. I'd love to know the logic that's used in setting the check type when a bonus effect is applied, it would help me understand the selections that get made (personally, I think it should be determined by the average result, rather than by the number of dice - or, even better, the probability that the check will succeed). I regularly get switched from a 2D8 to a 3D4 when I add a Blessing that matches a Skill. Generally, I'd prefer the 2D8 as it has a higher average - though it is less likely to roll the average.

[Hannibal_PJV]

Only if you want to get result 3 or better 3d4 is better than 2d8. But hearistic in using the right (tool) dice in all possible situations is not easy. I would allmost prefer that you see a list of all possible dice combinations and just chose from those the most suitable. But it would make the game longer, so not sure about that either.

[Ethics Gradient]

Only if you want to get result 3 or better 3d4 is better than 2d8. But hearistic in using the right (tool) dice in all possible situations is not easy. I would allmost prefer that you see a list of all possible dice combinations and just chose from those the most suitable. But it would make the game longer, so not sure about that either.

Improving visibility would be a nice change.  Replacing the vague "Combat" at the top of the screen with "Combat:Dex" or "Ranged" etc... would let users know how the game is calculating bonuses without having to tap around and explore which check it picked.

 

Not only is it hard to notice when the game optimizes your roll and inadvertently changes the check type, but looking at the forums or reddit, a lot of users don't even know that you have the ability to change the check type.  It can be confusing when you play a card that should provide a bonus, and it is not clear how it turned into a net negative.

 

What would be really nice (in a wishlist sort of way) was if you tapped on the bonus box, a popup would show how that number was calculated.  That way when you see Harsk has a +7, you can easily see it was comprised of [+3 Ranged, +3 Dex, +1 Longbow+1].

 

Character bonuses (as well as modifiers working against you) can get very opaque and difficult for the user to track.

[mccrispy]

 

Only if you want to get result 3 or better 3d4 is better than 2d8. But hearistic in using the right (tool) dice in all possible situations is not easy. I would allmost prefer that you see a list of all possible dice combinations and just chose from those the most suitable. But it would make the game longer, so not sure about that either.

Improving visibility would be a nice change.  Replacing the vague "Combat" at the top of the screen with "Combat:Dex" or "Ranged" etc... would let users know how the game is calculating bonuses without having to tap around and explore which check it picked.

 

Not only is it hard to notice when the game optimizes your roll and inadvertently changes the check type, but looking at the forums or reddit, a lot of users don't even know that you have the ability to change the check type.  It can be confusing when you play a card that should provide a bonus, and it is not clear how it turned into a net negative.

 

What would be really nice (in a wishlist sort of way) was if you tapped on the bonus box, a popup would show how that number was calculated.  That way when you see Harsk has a +7, you can easily see it was comprised of [+3 Ranged, +3 Dex, +1 Longbow+1].

 

Character bonuses (as well as modifiers working against you) can get very opaque and difficult for the user to track.

 

I wholeheartedly agree with this!

 

As a minimum, the Skill Check indicator should have a highlight that persists until the Skill Check indicator is opened or the next effect is applied - just as a visual indicator that your skill die has changed.

 

It should be possible to provide a "hover over" that shows a breakdown of the current bonus and it would be nice if the Skill Check indicator showed where the Skill Die selection came from.

 

But really, IMO it should be possible to show ​all the effects that are applied to the current check by displaying them in the current effects​​ panel (not that that panel works properly currently - I've had a +6 and a +8 for defeated henchmen showing at the same time - nor does it show all the skill checks' modifiers). I know that all modifiers are + modifiers (either + difficulty, or + to the check) but a simple colour code by Bane/Character should suffice.

[Hannibal_PJV]

Yes, if you just not happen to know the rules in and out very well. New player can be totally lost with these modifiers.

You suggestion would definitely be usefull.

+1 str, + 1 melee, -4 not proficient with weapons = -2 would help a lot new player wondering why Kyra would be so bad after getting new fine Sword instead of old wooden staff...

[Ethics Gradient]

Yes, if you just not happen to know the rules in and out very well. New player can be totally lost with these modifiers.

You suggestion would definitely be usefull.

+1 str, + 1 melee, -4 not proficient with weapons = -2 would help a lot new player wondering why Kyra would be so bad after getting new fine Sword instead of old wooden staff...

In the earlier days of the app (and occasionally still), I see posts like "I rolled a 12 and was unable to defeat a 9, what the heck?!?"  

 

Characters don't receive a Power feat until Trouble to Sandpoint.  I find it extremely plausible that inexperienced users could play through six scenarios without knowing that Weapon Proficiency is even a thing.

 

The tutorial is a reasonable crash-course in Pathfinder ACG, but the UI could easily help and fill the gaps.  The learning curve doesn't need to be harder than necessary.