Scott I hope you continue with the videos. I aim to try some new mixed (dual) class out as well soon.
So veteran difficulty is actually sorta hard now? Downloading the new dlc now.
Btw you see that Pathfinder: Wildcards dropped? I still haven’t gotten far over there…
Also and I can look on steam I guess … is this the last dlc for Pillars 2? I think it might be.
Well, I have 6 videos recorded, and only 2 posted - I’ll post part three tomorrow, I think. I will keep recording them for as long as I have an interest in it, which is helped by people watching them for sure. Otherwise I’m just… talking to myself while I play like a crazy person.
I haven’t had a chance to play since I discovered Veteran difficulty might be more balanced when you have a full party, but I’m eager to! I’ll try to record a few more episodes yet tonight.
As for Pathfinder, I did see that! And a new patch, too. I’m looking forward to that game being much more polished than when I last played it, it was really fun.
And yeah, taking your comments/questions in order, this is the final DLC for PoE2. Hopefully the next thing is a PoE 3! :)
You know I like bounties I think… ship or specific bounties on monsters/characters.
But In the overall scheme of things they tend to SEEM like they give to large an award (items or experience or gold).
I might not do bounties this time through. I dunno anyone else with an opinion? Last game bounties tended to do the same thing.
(Scott as for me Ill watch all of your videos just to see how someone else plays. Plus you have a lovely voice!)
I’ve come to the realization that I don’t think I like Pillars.
I basically can’t get out of character creation and every character I end up making is just… disappointing to me.
I make a dude that sounds neat. End up hating it. Make a new guy… hate that too. Eventually it’s been like 5 hours and I’m debating something else and I’m so sick of the prologue that I end up doing something else. A week later I probably uninstall the game.
Disappointing in what way?
Thanks for the kind words!
I remember thinking this in the first game, and in my first play through of the second game I think I still believed this. I doubt it’s changed too much, so skipping bounty hunts could well be a great way to slow down progress and instead, let the new DLC areas be how you gain your XP and items. I like the idea, and may try skipping (at least some) bounties as well. Maybe not the early ones that let me level up to try and tackle the DLC though, it looks like at least Seeker and the new one are level 16+.
I’m not sure how to articulate it.
I make a guy and they’re just… not great at whatever it is I want them to do? Or it isn’t fun? Or maybe both?
I feel like about half the classes aren’t much fun to play. Fighters are… really boring. And not that great at fighting for that matter. Paladins are hard to kill, but otherwise pretty lame in the final analysis. Rangers aren’t really any better at being ranged guys than anyone else. Sharpshooters are actually one of the worst classes to make into a gun user.
All the casters feel meh to me. Between power levels and getting like… a single spell, it’s just confusing and never satisfying when I actually start playing them.
So I end up with like Rogues and Monks as classes that feel remotely fun and I already did that.
How high a level are you taking them? I kind of feel like you need to be level 5 or 6 at least to really get a feel for a class and how it really operates, and by then you have built it up and had a lot of input on how that character plays. Plus the equipment comes into play around then (and beyond). I remember when I was testing the classes and multi-classing I did level 9 characters for a reason.
You may also be holding onto D&D a little too hard, I know I also prefer my classes to have a more distinct feel (you’re right about Rangers being not really better than other classes at using bows, for example, and I wish being proficient in a weapon meant more than it does right now, for sure). I actually get what you mean, honestly, but it doesn’t to me detract from the tactical fun the combat provides, and the deeper I go the more engaging it becomes. I’m really enjoying my Rogue/Cipher and I have an Arcane Archer I really like, as well.
As for spell casters, you had that complaint in PoE 1 and I didn’t really click with it then and I super don’t know, spells in this game are freaking crazy. But, I don’t mean to belittle your opinion - if it feels like mush to you it just does, after all. I am bummed you won’t get into this again while I am though! :(
Well the problem there is, by the time I realize I don’t like something I’ve spent forever playing it and then having to do the beginning parts yet again with a new one… bleh.
The spells are fine, but you get so few of them that it makes me not enjoy most of the casters. They might be fine by the time I’m level 5, but they also might not be which means another ton of hours going through Starter Island again with something I hope I enjoy and blah.
Like I really like the idea of a Elemental Druid or a Evil Priest playthrough. But Priests are buff bots at the end of the day. I had a playthrough with like 20 hours on it where I tried that and I was healing and buffing not doing the stuff I wanted to.
I have a Fury Druid and… he’s okayish. It also hurts my interest knowing that a lot of the things I want to play are done better in every way by Companions. Maybe, I want a sniper character… only the NPC has a better setup for that, so why make that the main character? She basically comes with a unique Ranger class that’s all positives and no negatives. Ciphers are fun, but I played a pure Cipher last time with an NPC (who at least wasn’t better than I could be, but I saw most of the Cipher stuff). The Companion Druid is pretty much just a better Druid, to the point that looking up builds for Druids people are like “why would you make one unless it’s Tanaka” or whatever his name is.
Mage/Warrior is a neat concept, but with the way Power Levels work they’re basically pointless unless you just use them to buff themselves with all the buff spells and then cast the Lance thing and melee with it. Which is interesting, but doesn’t seem like it will be fun long term. Plus I want to use the cool weapons I find, not instantly replace them with a summoned weapon every fight.
Well, I don’t disagree with anything you wrote. That’s for sure. Yeah, games like this, non-open world RPG’s, aren’t as good for trying out new builds as something like Fallout New Vegas for example, that’s a certainty. The bit about having to play same content all over again strikes true for me - this is the first RPG that, once I wrapped it, I made the conscious choice to put it away for 6-9 months even though I really wanted to play it again, and for the first time, that’s finally working out. Makes me think that’s the way to do it going forward, with stuff like Outer Worlds and the like.
So, I don’t have any real advice, but this will cheer you up - it’s some awesome lady doing a drum cover for Vicarious.
I had a similar reaction to Pathfinder, that and my complete ambivalence towards any of the companions.
I had dig up my old post about to interpret the number mess above an enemy’s head.
32% chance for a standard hit (your Accuracy vs. their Deflection). The cute little shield icon to the left of the 32% means your attack will go against their Deflection.
2 penetration above their armor (your penetration with your current weapon and vs. their armor rating against the attack type – in this case, piercing). If your penetration is below their armor (and it so often will be) the number will be negative.
100% damage done (could be 0, 25, 50, 75 or 130 depending on the penetration).
The sword with the two skulls means it’s two levels above you, I guess.
Gah, Neketaka’s a draaag. So big and boring. These guys are terrible at creating cities that keep you awake.
I am not sure I totally agree with you Bal but … I do agree that RPG cities are sorta tough to do right. They are mostly just unfun generally.
You know I actually loved a few RPG towns. I’d love to here from anyone else.
Drakensang: River of Time – the central city was pretty great.
Cities can be good. But Nekataka isn’t. In BG2, behind every other door was a mercenary company or a lich. Plus the ambushes when moving between districts. It wasn’t much, but at least it kept me awake.
Anyway, I’m giving up for tonight and going to play some AC:O. This is too boring.
I agree. I tried to plow through that part to be done with it but I think I should have split it up with traveling elsewhere.
To me, it looks fine that Veteran requires you to use more game systems - consumables, hired help and so on. PotD is the difficulty that requires you to master all of this, to make good characters with the right equipment. Even Normal should still be somewhat challenging because we have 2 difficulty levels below that.
You know, Neketaka actually has this. But it’s rare to fire.
Neketaka has a lot of high level quests and bounties. You’re supposed to return later again and again.
I feel part of the problem with ‘cities’ is that they aren’t big enough nor have enough people to make them feel more than small towns, no matter how hard they try. The trick to Neketaka, I think, is to zip around in fast mode unless you are new to an area or are meeting someone or managing some encounter along the way. I like that they give you the option of going straight to particular parts of a district instead of always to the edge and having to run through the area to get to your destination. Fortunately, you’ll find that it’s possible to do much less of the ‘boring’ once you visit important areas and complete whatever quests/tasks that you want.
I hope I’m alive the day that an RPG has a city that can be populated with thousands of NPCs with jobs and lives that aren’t determined just by your interaction with them.
I wonder if that new Cyberpunk game will solve the “city rpg problem” – I mean it is one big city.
I mean, compared to other aspects of an RPG (like exploring sprawling caves, dilapitated ruins, or ancient dungeons) a city is just inherently going to be less interesting. I feel like Pillars and Pillars 2 does a pretty good job of things.