The dozen or so constructs in Galvino's lab

[PugPug]

I'm trying to get Devil of Caroc as soon as the game allows so I can have a rogue mechanic without buying one. That means my party is level 4.

 

I handled the ogres in Stalwart and every other room of Galvino's workshop, but the only way forward is through the lab.

 

I don't have enough mechanics to find secret doors. Do you think the +3 gloves in the workshop and a mechanics bonus from resting at Brightholllow would do it? Are there any other temporary ways to boost my score?

 

Do the constructs have a weakness? Is there a trick to this encounter? I thought maybe I could use the unstable constructs to blow up the others, but there are too many to survive more than a few seconds.

[mathmatics]

The constructs have a bit of defence for a level four. There are traps that need 9 mechanics and 10 mechanics down there. There is a scroll that gives you a mech boost. Thats all I know.

[PugPug]

9 or 10 mechanics. On the path to get the game's rogue companion. Right. Okay then.

[PugPug]

Finally got her. My party leveled to 5 while I was building the Artificier's Hall for the mechanics bonus, and third-level spells made all the difference.

 

I'm not sure if the southeast secret door has a hidden lever from the outside to bypass a lot of the fighting or not. An unhidden lever on Galvino's side opened it.

[Tigranes]

9 or 10 mechanics. On the path to get the game's rogue companion. Right. Okay then.

 

You're in a high difficulty area in a mid-level region, and high mechanics skill has no systemic relationship with the rogue class. Not to mention it was your choice not to create a rogue companion. 

 

I think that lever is just a convenient way back, but my memory fails me.

[JerekKruger]

You're in a high difficulty area in a mid-level region, and high mechanics skill has no systemic relationship with the rogue class. Not to mention it was your choice not to create a rogue companion. 

 

Well, to be fair Devil has +3 Mechanics which is the highest bonus possible (only rogues can get it that high). On the other hand yeah, you really don't need Mechanics that high and you can manage with, say, Kana as your Mechanics expert quite happily.

 

I think that lever is just a convenient way back, but my memory fails me.

 

 

 

That's what I remember. I've never been able to bypass the majority of Galvino's lab even with high Mechanics and gloves of manipulation.

[PugPug]

 

You're in a high difficulty area in a mid-level region, and high mechanics skill has no systemic relationship with the rogue class. Not to mention it was your choice not to create a rogue companion. 

 

Well, to be fair Devil has +3 Mechanics which is the highest bonus possible (only rogues can get it that high). On the other hand yeah, you really don't need Mechanics that high and you can manage with, say, Kana as your Mechanics expert quite happily.

 

That, and you only need one character with mechanics higher than 0, so it may as well be a rogue.

[JerekKruger]

That, and you only need one character with mechanics higher than 0, so it may as well be a rogue.

 

Well it can be anyone really. Having absolutely maxed mechanics really isn't necessary. Resting bonuses and gloves of manipulation* will allow you to find everything with no problem.

 

*These are a random drop, but I can't think of a run I haven't gotten them early. I think they appear frequently in the early random loot pools.

[Blades of Vanatar]

The point is if you are going for DoC to add to the party I would think that your party design in mind would be for DoC to be your trap springer. So to design a heavily trapped area requiring high mechanics to get her kind of sucks. I was disappointed in that regard. Love the story of Galvino and DoC though.... also love DoC as a companion. I prefer to dual Battle Axe her while choosing crit maxing talents/abilities. Blender...

[Tigranes]

I don't think the designers thought anyone would take a level 4 party all the way over there while specifically going hours without anybody in mechanics when the skill has nothing to do with the class. Neither should they. 

 

And for what, the tiniest inconsequential gain in your points spent efficiency for skills? Skill points / difficulty is so generous in this game that all you have to do is pick *anybody* for mechanics, lore for scroll users, and after a while everybody has all the skills they could ever want. 

Edited December 11, 2016 by Tigranes

[Blades of Vanatar]

Anybody for mechanics? Na...... I'm sure they were thinking most people would use the classes with starting points in Mechanics and since Rogue is the class starting with the most it is logical that it lead to a Rogue.

[Fenixp]

Which is why you can create custom characters in any inn throughout the game.

[JerekKruger]

Anybody for mechanics? Na...... I'm sure they were thinking most people would use the classes with starting points in Mechanics and since Rogue is the class starting with the most it is logical that it lead to a Rogue.

 

So what were Obsidian thinking before the White March I exactly? There was no Rogue companion so, according to your argument they were expecting players to simply not take Mechanics at all?

[Blades of Vanatar]

No, were talking about adding DoC here. This conversation has nothing to do with pre WM. If anyone wanted to add her it would be logical they want to use her as their Rogue. Not as their scroll reader.

[Blades of Vanatar]

This leads to the other issue I have with this game... lack of NPCs. I like the options of the BG games. I think we got shorted in that department. Otherwise this is still an excellent game. My personal favorite game since the BG series.

[Blades of Vanatar]

Which is why you can create custom characters in any inn throughout the game.

True enough. I am only looking at it from the in game NPC options perspective. Yes, Aloth, Kana and Grieving Mother easily can do the job, but I wouldn't want to waste points in mechanics just to then add a better thief. I know you can respec, but for me that is an option I think kills the game. I have only used it in solo and I felt cheap for doing it. But to each their own in that regard. Respec is a great option for testing builds.

[JerekKruger]

No, were talking about adding DoC here. This conversation has nothing to do with pre WM. If anyone wanted to add her it would be logical they want to use her as their Rogue. Not as their scroll reader.

 

Sure, but given that pre-White March a player who used only story companions would have to have a non-Rogue as their main mechanic it doesn't seem unreasonable to assume that the same is true before they get DoC. This is especially true given that DoC is the second hardest companion to get in the game and will thus usually be the second to last one the player picks up.

 

By the way, I reread my previous post and it came across as a bit hostile, so apologies for that.

 

This leads to the other issue I have with this game... lack of NPCs. I like the options of the BG games. I think we got shorted in that department. Otherwise this is still an excellent game. My personal favorite game since the BG series.

 

 

I have mixed feelings on this. I think SoA did a better job with NPC companions to BG. It had fewer of them, but they were all pretty well fleshed out with interparty banter and (almost) all of them had a personal quest, whereas BG felt like it was stuffed to the brim with companions, many of whom were available very late and simply worse versions of earlier ones, and there was very little party banter without the addition of mods.

 

Ideally I'd like to see PoE2 get closer to BG2: give us a relatively small selection of well fleshed out companions and add more interparty banter (bring back the actual full dialogue banters that interrupt the game so we don't miss them whilst we're looking at some other part of the map). If this is done well, then having two or more companions with the same class won't feel as redundant as they'll be bringing different personalities to the party.

[PugPug]

This is especially true given that DoC is the second hardest companion to get in the game and will thus usually be the second to last one the player picks up.

 

 

 

Second hardest? Is there some secret one not on the wiki?

 

http://pillarsofeternity.gamepedia.com/Party#List_of_Companions

 

All of the others can be picked up without any combat at all, unless I am mistaken. Once you clear Stalwart of ogres, I mean, but you have to do that for DoC as well.

[JerekKruger]

 

This is especially true given that DoC is the second hardest companion to get in the game and will thus usually be the second to last one the player picks up.

 

 

 

Second hardest? Is there some secret one not on the wiki?

 

http://pillarsofeternity.gamepedia.com/Party#List_of_Companions

 

All of the others can be picked up without any combat at all, unless I am mistaken. Once you clear Stalwart of ogres, I mean, but you have to do that for DoC as well.

 

 

To get Maneha you have to complete the White March part I, which means you have to go through Galvino's lab (amongst other things). I'd say getting Maneha is harder than getting Devil.

[SkySlam]

 

 

This is especially true given that DoC is the second hardest companion to get in the game and will thus usually be the second to last one the player picks up.

 

 

 

Second hardest? Is there some secret one not on the wiki?

 

http://pillarsofeternity.gamepedia.com/Party#List_of_Companions

 

All of the others can be picked up without any combat at all, unless I am mistaken. Once you clear Stalwart of ogres, I mean, but you have to do that for DoC as well.

 

 

To get Maneha you have to complete the White March part I, which means you have to go through Galvino's lab (amongst other things). I'd say getting Maneha is harder than getting Devil.

 

 

I'm pretty sure you can recruit Maneha as soon as you clear Stalwart from the ogres.

Maybe you remember that she appears so late because you - like me - have played the WM1 first and later on you installed part 2.

Right now, if you have both WMs installed, Maneha should be waiting in Stalwart since your first visit.

Edited December 13, 2016 by SkySlam

[PangaeaACDC]

Can confirm Zahua can be picked up in Stalwart early-ish. She was waiting around somewhere after I head cleared the ogres.

 

Speaking of traps, however, should we invest more than 10 points in mechanics? I noticed there are some traps here and there that can't be seen or disabled, and I have mechanics at 10 now. A bit annoying.

[asnjas]

maneha can be recruited as soon as you clear stalwart.exit through a white march zone and reenter stalwart.

[JerekKruger]

Huh, I never noticed that about Maneha.

 

Speaking of traps, however, should we invest more than 10 points in mechanics? I noticed there are some traps here and there that can't be seen or disabled, and I have mechanics at 10 now. A bit annoying.

 

I tend not to. You can usually rely on getting a pair of Gloves of Manipulation fairly early on in the game and 12 is enough for almost any trap. With the few exceptions I just have Eder or someone else tough run through them. You miss out on a tiny bit of experience doing this but PoE doesn't lack experience.

[PangaeaACDC]

I tend not to. You can usually rely on getting a pair of Gloves of Manipulation fairly early on in the game and 12 is enough for almost any trap. With the few exceptions I just have Eder or someone else tough run through them. You miss out on a tiny bit of experience doing this but PoE doesn't lack experience.

 

Must have been unlucky then, because we haven't got any gloves of that kind yet. But at the next level I can put another point into lore, so Hiravias can use level 2 scrolls, and thereby use the scrolls that increase mechanics. That will at least provide a temporary fix, because investing in points above 10 is horribly expensive.

[JerekKruger]

Must have been unlucky then, because we haven't got any gloves of that kind yet. But at the next level I can put another point into lore, so Hiravias can use level 2 scrolls, and thereby use the scrolls that increase mechanics. That will at least provide a temporary fix, because investing in points above 10 is horribly expensive.

 

Well, random loot isn't actually random. Basically when you open a chest for the first time the loot it will contain is completely determined by the day of the current month. There are tables detailing exactly what each chest contains on each day (though they aren't always completely accurate).

 

The reason I mention this is that, if you have a certain usual quest progression in the early game then it's reasonably likely you'll open the same contains on roughly the same day (obviously the later into the game, the more the variation here) so it might be that I often get the Gloves of Manipulation because I usually do the quests in the same order and arrive at the chest that contains them (one of the ones in Raedric's Hold for me usually) on the same day every time.