Party experience gaining rate

[wcares]

It's my first playthrough, but I have a lingering suspicion, that I gain experience too fast and afraid to be over-leveled soon. I'm still at the beginning of Act II (reached Defiance Bay, but haven't done any quests there yet) and my party is already level 8. I hate playing god mode - it takes away all the challenge and fun along with it and that's the reason I haven't finished playing many RPGs before. I don't want this to happen with this otherwise wonderful game. So is it normal or am I doing something wrong? Maybe there's some mod/settings to reduce experience gains?

 

More information about my game:

- hard difficulty

- both expansions installed, but not started yet

- standard party (except 1 custom barbar instead of Aloth) with main character as a wizard

- So far, I've took over Caed Nua, cleared Endless Paths of Od Nua up to level 8 and killed Raedric VII

 

 

[draego]

Well you are technically already over leveled a bit. Without cheats the only things you can do is skip quests (which i do regularly now but i have beat the game and now try to role play what my character will and will not do so this helps) or when you get enough experience dont actually level up. You can stock pile levels and level up at the pace you want. One piece of good new coming up is that when you go to White March and Act 3 the game will ask you if you want to upscale the enemies because you are higher level already so you can say yes to that which should help with the combat. White march has some of the hardest combat and more of it, if you dont know what to expect. The expansion has more of a dungeon crawl feel in several places. Also stop clearing out Od Nua for now and dont do any bounties from Od Nua for now. 

 

There is an IE mod to lower experience gain and lots of other stuff but dont know its state and could have unforeseen side effects not sure. For instance i think it broke one of my weapons specials after installing it one time but i can't say it just totally busted my game or anything.

Edited June 22, 2017 by draego

[wcares]

you can do is skip quests.

 

Not gonna happen!! I'm going to suck this game dry of every quest possible!

 

 

<...> skip quests or when you get enough experience dont actually level up. You can stock pile levels and level up at the pace you want.

 

 

Good idea. What are recommended levels for each acts/areas? (no major spoilers please)

 

 

White March and Act 3 the game will ask you if you want to upscale the enemies

 

 

How does upscale work? Does it add more mobs, boosts their stats, replace with higher level counterparts etc.?

[draego]

I dont remember the exact scale but from looking around the forum a Dev mentioned that 

 

 

Pillars of Eternity has 4 possible spots to activate 'High Level Scaling';

- Entering The White March Pt. 1

- Entering The White March Pt. 2

- Beginning Act 3

- Jumping into the pit in Burial Isle

 

Each of these require different levels for the prompt to appear. You can answer 'Yes, I would like high level scaling' or 'No, I do not want high level scaling'.

 

With high level scaling 'ON', selected encounters throughout the area it has been engaged will be increased in level difficulty by 33%. For example: a level 3 enemy will be increased to level 4.

 

I got your backs

-Sking 

 

 

Not sure if this is still accurate but there may be players that know the exact scaling. Also at if you enter white march at level 9 and maybe level 10 for act 3 the game will prompt you to see if you want to upscale. So i guess level 9 is considered over leveled for the beginning of the white march.

Edited June 22, 2017 by draego

[draego]

 

Heya Panda Baby!

 

The console command for turning scalers on/off is ToggleScaler. Note that this is not considered a cheat command, so you can freely use it without activating cheats.

 

So in your scenario, to toggle high level scaling on for PX1, you would enter "ToggleScaler PX1_HIGH_LEVEL" into the console whenever you head back.

 

And there is actually a scaler for act 3 now! You will be prompted about it when entering Elmshore for the first time, or you can activate it via console like above =)

 

Hope that helps!

 

 

There is a console command to level scale. Dont know if it applies to the whole game. Didnt actually know about this

 

http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/82857-300-patch-teased-by-josh-on-sa/page-20 some more info

Edited June 22, 2017 by draego

[wcares]

Thank you, I'll try that.

[draego]

If you do want to be a lower level you can also do this. You can go to an inn and retrain and then stop before you reach level 8. That would be tough giving back levels but its one way to go

Edited June 22, 2017 by draego

[dam]

 

you can do is skip quests.

 

Not gonna happen!! I'm going to suck this game dry of every quest possible!

 

 

Actually, if I might weight in here.

 

You want to skip quests, on your first playthrough.

 

Do you know why ?

 

Added replay value with another main character \o/

[wcares]

You want to skip quests, on your first playthrough.

 

Do you know why ?

 

Added replay value with another main character \o/

 

I had done all the quests on Icewind Dale on my first playthrough, but that didn't stop me replaying it 3 more times. You can still do the same quests differently (i.e. role playing as good vs evil char), choose different party, factions, ending etc. I like playing PC RPGs as neutral good, rational character during my first playthrough, then as homicidal maniac, who kills anything that moves, on the next one.

[JFutral]

IDK. I feel like we over think this. Unless you are so good that you don't ever restart any battles your first playthrough (I'm not that good, so YMMV), the hard battles will be hard enough and the easy battles should be easy. Xaurips and skeletons should get easier to kill as you progress.

 

Tell me you are too high a level when you kill one of the major dragons your first time through.

 

Another possibility is to drop a couple of your party members. I've found the point that makes the biggest difference is dropping to two.

 

Joe

 

PS, This is to say, you won't advance more slowly, but the battles will be considerably more challenging. And I have to say I certainly feel like I use my party's talents and skills more fully. I rarely walk away from an encounter thinking I had too many potions, spells, talents, or skills left on the table!

Joe

Edited June 26, 2017 by JFutral