Naniad
1921
You really should do epic. The extra skill points, new gear and such really make a difference. There’s nothing like finding that one weapon or piece of armor which puts your guy up to the next level of deadliness. :)
If nothing else heep killing Hades until you can do the secret passage.
I find the best part about completing a character in TQ (+IT now) is starting a brand new character with different mastery combos. I’ve yet to play the same class combos twice and am really loving the diversity of the gameplay. I’m on my fourth character since IT came out alone (this one is a Juggernaut, since my other three all had Dream as one of the mastery choices). I have characters throughout Epic and Legendary, but I find the early levels such a draw that only occasionally move those higher level characters forward through the game (usually only to the next rebirth shrine).
So, Kareem, I’d certainly recommend trying out a different style. Go for a range character, a bow or magic user, to get a very different feel than with your Conqueror.
Kareem
1923
I was thinking of going with a new mastery combo. But the problem was that I really enjoy melee oriented characters, and I can’t imagine having a melee character that doesn’t have defense for some mitigation in hand-to-hand boss fights. I haven’t really tried ranged combat in most of the RPGs I play.
Another thing was that I don’t find that I enjoy going through the same content with different play styles. For instance I don’t really enjoy in World of Warcraft leveling an alt character like a mage when my main is a warrior because it’s a repetition of the content (unless I switch factions) even though the way you play the character is so different. Which kills a lot of RPG replayability for me.
How is it that casters get along in TQ? Most bosses would be hitting them too hard for hand to hand combat right? Is having pets the solution to the “squishiness” of caster classes?
While Defense is obviously geared towards helping in those toe-to-toe boss battles, as you say, the masteries aren’t your main focus when it comes to defense. That’s the purpose of all your items carrying armour and resistance bonuses. You should get all the defense you really need from them and you don’t have to rely on Defense itself to give you that. Besides, other masteries do have some skills that help out in your defense, like slowing your enemies within a certain range.
Another thing was that I don’t find that I enjoy going through the same content with different play styles. For instance I don’t really enjoy in World of Warcraft leveling an alt character like a mage when my main is a warrior because it’s a repetition of the content (unless I switch factions) even though the way you play the character is so different. Which kills a lot of RPG replayability for me.
Ah, well that’s the case with action-RPGs of the Diablo-clone sort. They are made specifically for repeat playing, designing different builds, and finding and using new loot. Repetition of the content is a major feature of these types of games.
How is it that casters get along in TQ? Most bosses would be hitting them too hard for hand to hand combat right? Is having pets the solution to the “squishiness” of caster classes?
The object for most casters is to kill your enemy as quickly as possible and stay out of reach. While summons are useful, I don’t always use them when I use a mastery that allows it. It depends on the build I create. It’s true that summons offer some additional fire power and distraction (which is key) for the caster, but only with some character builds do I find the summons necessary. For instance, I was one-shotting hoardes of enemies with my Diviner (Spirit/Dream) with a good Ternion attack even before my Liche King could get in more than a single zap. My Oracle was devastating with her Ice Shard boosted by Torrent, which had much the same effect as Ternion in that it takes out hordes rapidly. It’s also easier to kill bosses when you spam from afar. You’ll notice that most caster Masteries have a number of protection skills that will serve you well, working entirely in the background all the time or after activation.
That’s not to say that casters are limited to those styles of play. It’s just a matter of designing a character to focus on a very particular style and not trying to do too many different things. Just remember, if you are playing a “caster class”, you won’t be in hand-to-hand combat anyway. You can use a Mastery that seems “casterish” (like Earth) with a melee centered Mastery (like Defense) and come out with a melee-focused Juggernaut (that’s what I’m playing right now). I simply don’t use any of the caster-related functions of the Earth mastery (nor the Core Dweller) and focus on those skills that are either protection or boost melee effectiveness.
Not that I’m trying to convince you to replay or anything (there’s probably something else you could be doing!), but a game like TQ is designed so pointedly towards replay that I’m surprised that someone who enjoyed the game wouldn’t want to build a new character.
Jab
1925
I think I’m going to shelve TQ for abit, after playing thru epic to see the new content and going relic farming for artifacts I’m abit burnt out on the game. The problem is that having to go thru the exact same enviroments starts to wear me down after awhile. Maybe in a few months I’ll do what I did again, and create a brand new character and run thru it again.
Raife
1926
Yeah. I’m mowing through everything so far on Epic, and if the only real challenge is some nearly unbeatable boss fights, it’s going to be disappointing. Part of the reason I’m doing so well is that I found a purple sword, Griefmaker, early in Chapter I that jacked my DPS up by over 300, and I had a pretty good weapon at the time. I went back to that damned albino spider, and with Epic scrollls and some other new gear, finally killed her. She got me, but bled out right afterwards. Hey, I’ll take it.
I’m also getting kind of sick of relics and charms. Managing what I had from Normal was already a hassle, and now I get Epic ones? Man.
The first playthrough was awesome, though, and I have a few other characters at various stages in the game. I’ll play them for awhile.
Kalle
1927
Heh, I found Griefmaker in act two Epic. I also found Phorkos’ Trident which is quite possibly the most awesome weapon ever, along with a few other less impressive legendary items.
A shame I can’t use them properly with my bow Brigand. She’s still running around in blues and greens.
Kalle
1928
I’ve got some questions about some item mods. First up is %damage resistance. Is that an extra resistance to all damage or does it just cover “normal” weapon damage that isn’t piercing/elemental/vitality/etc…
Second, % reduction of an enemy’s health, is that counted from their total life bar or their current life bar? Assuming I have a weapon that hits for a 10% reduction (and ignoring all other damage the weapon does) and the enemy I’m hitting has 600 hp left and his hp total was originally at 1000 will I hurt him for 60hp or 100hp?
The game is rather unclear about these things but I think “damage” only refers to normal physical damage. If all damage types are included the description says “all damage”.
I never got that enemy health reduction to work, ever. Seemed to have no effect whatsoever, especially on bosses where you’d need it.
Kareem
1930
I don’t know if it’s THAT weird. I played World of Warcraft religiously from summer 2005 until around April 2007 and I only leveled one character to the max level cap, and only leveled a second character to level 60 towards the end of 2006.
I have about 6 different characters right now, and I switch between them depending on mood. TQ is perfect for this. It really does play radically differently with different masteries.
The only trouble I’m running into is choosing between masteries. At the low levels, it’s sorta hard to get a feel for some of them and I just don’t want to waste a lot of time playing one I’m going to hate. I’ve got a Warfare/Dream guy right now at 26 and he’s a lot of fun, but I ended up spending a while on a Defense/Nature guy and he just dies a lot. I had assumed that would’ve been one of the more hardy classes and he does last a long time before dying, but he just doesn’t have nearly the damage output at this level to outlast some bosses.
Kalle
1933
I just went and used TQ defiler and switched masteries on my lvl 32 Defense/Storm char to Defense/Dream. Much more enjoyable. It also helped that my lvl 49 Brigand could pass him weapons as she coasted through Epic. The green weapons you see in the shops in Epic have surprisingly low level requirements.
Raife
1934
Even the Epic yellows are better than a lot of the gear in Normal. My Battlemage just started Act III, and was using a green katana that was better than anything else I had found. It was totally outclassed by a yellow machaera I picked up in the first shop in Epic Helos. The requirements were only 25 L/235 S/196 D.
Raife
1935
I’ve never seen it work either, or the % energy drain for that matter. I also have a Frozen Buckler that’s supposed to have a 20% chance of Freeze for 2-4 seconds. It never fires.
I can definitely state that I’ve seen the % energy drain working, as well as the freeze effect on items like the Frozen Buckler working. In fact, I had a weapon called Frostbite that I was using for a while that was awesome with it’s freezing and shattering and melting ice cubes, then I gave that up for a better weapon only to find the buckler that did the same thing. Although I’ve moved on from both, now, the effect was kind of cool. I’ve often used energy draining weapons because they are great in shutting down enemy skills and a certain amount will end up doing damage (or so it says). The problem with determining the health drain effect is that you are already doing damage due to your attack, so it’s hard to tell if your attack or the effect is doing the work.
Raife
1937
It’s never fired for me, and I’ve used that buckler quite a bit. It may just be a problem with that particular item, but I would have noticed the effect. On the drain, I wasn’t talking about set amount energy drain items, which do work. I was talking about items that drain a percentage of enemy energy. My main used an Icthian Whomper for several levels (actually, my Wanderer is using it now), and I never saw the 10% chance of 23% energy drain fire. It may have worked on normal enemies and I didn’t notice, but it definitely didn’t work on tougher, longer fights. The 10% chance of stun fired all of the time, and was great on bosses and hero monsters.
On another tangent, I love the music in TQ. The Temple of Marduk tune with the chimes especially, which really creeped me out. I also like how dead enemies can fall off of cliffs, although I’m pretty sure I’ve lost some loot that way.
Phred
1938
I just use TQ Defiler to up newly created characters to around 21 or so and then spec them, play with them a bit to see whether I like the mastery combos and then delete them and make another now. Having played through the game a couple of times already without a cheat I dont feel the slightest twinge for using defiler on this. I also tweaked up the drop rate on rares a bit. My first try resulted in way too many so I cut it in half then half again and now it’s just a tiny bit over the top, imo.
Yeah, the physics in TQ is amazing. It really adds to the immersion. I like the sound/music too, especially the starting music, actually. I think designers could learn a lot from TQ. They get the little things right, and it really adds to the game.
Yeah, sounds like an issue with that item. You’d definitely notice the effect, as it’s interesting to see your shattered opponent melt away. ;)
On the drain, I wasn’t talking about set amount energy drain items, which do work. I was talking about items that drain a percentage of enemy energy.
I was speaking of the % energy drain, too. It’s awesome to see your opponent’s energy vanish like that. I don’t think I keep any items that drain a set amount of energy as they are usually pretty mundane, but I often hang on to the % energy drain items.
On another tangent, I love the music in TQ. The Temple of Marduk tune with the chimes especially, which really creeped me out. I also like how dead enemies can fall off of cliffs, although I’m pretty sure I’ve lost some loot that way.
It’s a little more difficult to lose loot with the expansion (and/or patches for the original game). They made some changes so that you are mostly able to get to the name tag and click on it to grab loot even if the loot is inaccessible. I still come across the occasional one that I can’t get, but it’s pretty rare nowadays.
