[Level Scaling] [Difficulty] [POTD]Compilation Thread

[anathanielh]

I'm not playing on expert mode and the difficulty indicators are not showing even though I have them set to be enabled. Is there a fix for this?

[Loudriel]

Yeah, this behavior is really sad   Makes playthrough A LOT longer since you have to wait for loadings everywhere, check enemies, load again and so on...

Btw, have anyone managed to make skulls appear this way?

 

I went into the difficulty options unchecked the show difficulty rating option saved and exited the options. Then I went in turned it back  on. They still didn't show up. However the next time I booted the game and started playing I noticed immediately that those skull indicators were there.

[Insolentius]

 

Is there any way to disable level scaling via console commands (I remember doing it in the original PoE)?

This list of console commands which was posted on Reddit:

https://gist.github.com/SonicZentropy/f3711d2fa9b547a05cd2496077fda42d

 

LIsts

"ShowScalers" and "ToggleScaler(DifficultyScaler scaler)" - those look promising.

 

None of those seem to work (and they list the scalers used in the original PoE).

[Insolentius]

Eureka! It's possible to disable level scaling mid-game by switching the difficulty back to story/relaxed, and then going back to veteran (this is a bug, btw). There's no way to undo this change other than reloading a save file before you switched difficulties.

[master guardian]

SCREW THIS!!!!!

 

For those of us who played the first game we are currently finding the POTD difficulty WAYYYY TOOOOO FRICKKKKENNN EASSSSYYYYY!!!!!!

 

I have given up playing the game until its fixed can you please give an ETA for when this is happening???

 

Is it days? weeks??? months???

 

 

not happy!!!!!

[Sirrick]

OK, I stop the game until they fix it..

Very bad for game experience

[Boeroer]

I'm curious: do you constantly press shift while typing the title - or do you prefer to use capslock?

[Pyros Eien]

Hey everyone,

 

Difficulty indicators do not display when level scaling is enabled. Basically, every quest/creature/area has a predetermined level and this level is used to determine what the difficulty indicators display. When level scaling is enabled, the levels of these quests/creatures/areas are changed, but the difficulty indicator system is not set up to account for changes in difficulty scaling. Because of this, we opt to not display difficulty indicators when level scaling is enabled, rather than displaying inaccurate information. That being said, we are still tracking this issue internally and reviewing our systems. Thanks a lot for the feedback, everyone!

 

- JL

The only issue really is that when scaling only up is on, the game basically should behave the same as if no scaling was on. Stuff that's lower doesn't have a difficulty indicator and that's fine because it doesn't need one, and stuff that's up doesn't get scaled so it should display the same as normally. But I guess it has to do with scaling only up coding somehow still scaling stuff that's higher, then rechanging it back to what it was rather than leaving it.

 

It does make for a pretty poor experience when you can't tell if you're entering a lvl 15 area at lvl 5 or not, especially with the open ended system of exploration.

[Hesmah]

Doing a mouse over on different attacks at level 12 on potd with scaling on, I keep fighting enemies that only have +12 or so bonus to defences from levels. So they are just level 4.

 

Also against some monsters, they only have the +15 to defences from Potd on, but nothing from scaling. For example a level 6 sand blight that I fought at level 12 only has the defences that bestiary says it does increased by that 15.

[thelee]

As a stopgap measure here's a table of quest info I extracted from the game files. Good enough for checking the level of a specific quest or deciding on a new direction. (Spoilers, obviously.)

 

Google Drive link (searchable).

 

 

Boy now I know that Berkano's Folly is supposed to be overly brutal for a level 7 party. I kept being in utter disbelief how high enemy defenses were. "I mean, I'm glad POTD is finally challenging," I muttered to myself, "but maybe we overshot it here."

 

Second the request that we get these difficulty indicators back for "only scale up" setting.

[Nomonk]

I have the same issue, got locked down by the forced fight aswell, which i was way too low level for. 
Changed the difficulty, and a handfull of hours later, i realized it changed the scaling aswell.

Is there no way through a save-edit or something we can change this?

Console perhaps?

Thanks in advance.

[Pyros Eien]

After restarting a game to get level scaling on, I noticed it didn't seem to make much of a difference, so I decided to try to figure it out using the console.

 

I made 3 new characters, all the same stats(18 might/dex/per fighters, tanked resolve, few passives taken other than defensive stuff, 1H damage using axe, most of the other stuff is random crap that does nothing).

 

On one character, I used Berath blessing and was lvl 4. This was the non scaling character. As expected, most enemies were tough to beat solo(I left companions out of the tests) and getting to the panthers encounter in the digsite was an instant wipe in seconds.

 

On the 2 other characters, I used the console to level to 15. On one I selected scale all, on the other I selected scale all only up. I did both because when I did only up I couldn't tell if it did anything and thought maybe only up was bugged. The result is basically what you'd expect from a lvl 15 walking in a low level area, I was getting hit a lot less, with many more grazes, although I was still getting hit. I was killing stuff a decent bit faster. I could solo the panther encounter, but losing almost all my life(that's without using any skills, without optimal choices of abilities/passives and with the start mail armor+1h axe no shield setup and cleaving stance mind you, I wouldn't lose any health activating buffs and actually playing the game).

 

Monsters have the same defenses(including deflection) on the tooltip, they have the same health(60-61 health on the boar on the beach for example). The only thing that they might have more of is accuracy so they can't still hit you, but I'm not even sure of that since again, was getting hit a lot less. I made sure to check panthers during daytime on both(at night time they get +10deflection).

 

 

Is level scaling still done "by act" even though the act aren't visible. So for example I won't trigger a level scaling check until I reach act2, wherever that is(neketaka queen maybe?) so everything that's in "act 1" doesn't scale up? But how does the scaling down work then, why does that part work(I assume, but I haven't seen anyone complain about it) but not the other way? It seems to me that level scaling upwards just doesn't do anything. That's a large part of why the game is boringly easy.

[Amentep]

For clarity, are you turning level scaling on for all or for critical path only?

[Pyros Eien]

For clarity, are you turning level scaling on for all or for critical path only?

For all in all cases. I tested the panthers because I assume they're part of the critical path, since you need the notes in the digsite for the main quest, although technically I think you might be able stealth past them. I also tested the boars on the beach at the start. I increased the level in the boat, in case it checks when the island loads or whatever.

 

I also have 2 "main" saves further in the game after clearing Neketaka and both are lvl 10 in the same area(the oathbinder sanctum) as that's where I decided to reroll my first char because it was too easy, but both show the same result too, nothing seems to be scaling there(but it's side content). 1st had no scaling, 2nd has scaling on all, only up.

 

Oh and in case there's something bugged with that specifically, all tests were done with PotD difficulty.

Edited May 13, 2018 by Pyros Eien

[Jimmy]

That would explain a lot.

 

You can check an enemy's accuracy in the combat log - if you hover over one of their attacks and press shift it will show the calculations. Under their accuracy there will be a +xx modifier based on their level. Might be worth comparing that modifier to be completely sure.

[Pyros Eien]

That would explain a lot.

 

You can check an enemy's accuracy in the combat log - if you hover over one of their attacks and press shift it will show the calculations. Under their accuracy there will be a +xx modifier based on their level. Might be worth comparing that modifier to be completely sure.

Yeah I saw a reddit post about scaling issues just now and it said that but the guy was saying the same thing, their accuracy is the same.

 

Basically the option doesn't do anything so doing all quests will still outlevel you and you'll still stomp everything even more than you would usually. But eh at least you can't see if something is higher level than you anymore so you can run into a lvl 15+area at lvl 5 and get one shot, so that's different than choosing no scaling /s.

[Jimmy]

 

That would explain a lot.

 

You can check an enemy's accuracy in the combat log - if you hover over one of their attacks and press shift it will show the calculations. Under their accuracy there will be a +xx modifier based on their level. Might be worth comparing that modifier to be completely sure.

Yeah I saw a reddit post about scaling issues just now and it said that but the guy was saying the same thing, their accuracy is the same.

 

Basically the option doesn't do anything so doing all quests will still outlevel you and you'll still stomp everything even more than you would usually. But eh at least you can't see if something is higher level than you anymore so you can run into a lvl 15+area at lvl 5 and get one shot, so that's different than choosing no scaling /s.

 

 

Yeah - I'm think I'm ready to shelve this game for now and wait for some big patches. There's a lot of potential here but as usual with Obsidian this clearly needed more time in the oven.

[Hesmah]

I've been noticing the same thing. At level 12 I started paying attention to enemy deflection etc values, and they just seem to match bestiary with potd bonus, no additional scaling bonuses at all. Even human enemies have like +12 to deflection from levels, which means they are only level 4.

[Guest Jamila]

I noticed that too. While traveling on map, stats are buffed by mysterious PoTD buff.  I am appalled by sheer amount of incorrect health values the game provides:

On map, Xoti has 77/77, but tooltip says 74. In zone, she has 77/66 and tooltip says 64. That can be further complicated if a chracter has injuries, because numerical value on character portrait does not reflect that, and leaves one wondering why e.g. character with 40/40 has been insta killed by crit for 35 damage.

[morla]

As for the POTD stats bonus on the map, Obsidian has replied on this topic on the beta forums.

Looks like it's cosmetic only and will be fixed on the next full patch.

 

As for the incorrect health value I have noticed the same issue (see this topic).

 

Are you guys running the beta patch, or the "stable" one?

[Maxzero]

Why can't the diffculty just show the relative level before scaling :

1 skull 4-6

2 skull 7-9

3 skull 10-12

4 skull 13-15

5 skull 16-18

Red skulls 19+ challenge content

 

Just have a arrow next to it point up or down show which way it has been scaled (if scaled).

 

You don't need to show sub 4 because the first island is on rails and will get you level 4 before you get the boat.

 

Made it way more complicated then it needs to be.

Edited May 13, 2018 by Maxzero

[Tanred]

I made similiar observations, so yeah I'd say it is bugged.

 

(PotD, Scaling all, only up).

[Guest Jamila]

I have GOG version released on tuesday, says in-game: 1.0.1.0064 (1153).

Eder seems to be the same case, tooltip uses different formula. I seriously hope these inconsistencies will not develop into save/reload stat stacking.

[Depili]

Yes, a way of turning the scaling back on would be much appreciated, I got stuck in Dunnage by the ambush and only realized way way after that the scaling went away with the needed difficulty change.

[Dongom]

Does this issue persist in Veteran mode?

[Mercbeast]

It's also possible that the scaling is tied to the level you were the first time you entered the zone/hub.

 

So, if an area is considered a sub-area of another area, it's possible the scaling is tied to the first time you entered that hub. It would also explain why enemies on the beach don't seem to scale. You entered the beach at level 1, so all the enemies are locked to level 1.

 

This might also explain why off the beaten path encounters tend to be so much more difficult. You go to a random island, have a fight, and it's hard. You go to an area on Neketaka, and everything tends to be easy, unless it out levels you.

 

I'll keep my eye on this as I progress.