Once you defeat the champion, you're gonna be in top form when it comes to maadoran. But there's probably still some things that can trip you up later, depending on how you've built. If you're pure combat, you probably won't find the rest of the game as challenging, except maybe a few encounters.
You can try raiding temples with 'demons'.
You can't. Antidas won't listen to reason until he's cornered like a rat and you can't corner him while working for him.
I experienced the same problem with not being able to travel to al-Akia as a loremaster Commercium member, even though as far as the story is concerned that should be the next thing Meru wants to do. And reported it as a bug almost three years ago.
It's really frustrating. I did this walkthrough to explore the biggest amount of lore with no fights and I did very well in every quest just up until this point. Looks like I won't be able to witness any Balzaar content and be forced with Agathoth ending again. But good thing I was still able to ascend although it wasn't what i was planning forI experienced the same problem with not being able to travel to al-Akia as a loremaster Commercium member, even though as far as the story is concerned that should be the next thing Meru wants to do. And reported it as a bug almost three years ago.
After encountering this problem during my second playthrough (Loremaster, Commercium, no combat), I went back to a save late in my first playthrough (House Daratan, loyalist to House Daratan, no combat), where I was able to accompany Meru to al-Akia, and through judicious editing of scripts.aod --> data --> text --> dialogues --> english --> ALK_HC_02.xml (plus ZGT_End_Balzaar.xml and possibly ZGT_Reactor.xml), I was able to view all the Balzaar endings.It's really frustrating. I did this walkthrough to explore the biggest amount of lore with no fights and I did very well in every quest just up until this point. Looks like I won't be able to witness any Balzaar content and be forced with Agathoth ending again. But good thing I was still able to ascend although it wasn't what i was planning for
If you use a zip/unzip program on scripts.aod, you can access data\text\dialogues\english\ALK_HC_02.xml or any other .xml file. This allows you to edit the numbers for any skill/attribute checks (e.g. aod.lore >= 5) to whatever you need and then save the file (create a backup first!). As I said, I only used this to view the Balzaar endings via a save from my first playthrough, after a bug resulted in my not being able to conduct the ritual in al-Akia with Meru during my second playthrough as a loremaster.
I'm replaying it right now and instead of doing the usual 1-weapon specialization, I wondered about how a 1H hammer + hand crossbow mix could fare... just knockdown guys with the hammer (has a ridiculous success rate) and then poison + arterial strike with the crossbow when they're lying on the floor... it's an incredibly OP combination. You don't even need to put that many points to crossbow (only have 2 ranks so far, mid-maadoran) because you'll always get a 100% THC when they're knocked down, so any leftover points goes to critical strike. My character right now is an hybrid, which I've always found kind of underpowered in this game but with the hammer+crossbow combo I'm moping the floor with everyone. I can't wait to get the bolter
You'll get rekt anytime there are more than 1 enemy using long-range weapons., specially Xbows. I tried something similar once and some battles were asinine, endless reloading to see if the RNG could smile at me... in fact some were downright impossible (the last battle in the ganezzar fort comes to mind). I don't know how that guy who made the widowmaker did it other than evading those same fights, but his bodycount was awfully high and way above what you could make by "legal" means. I don't rule out the possibility that he cheated.
Lol, why even have the option to go there then?
The game in unfinished. The third city is practically barebones.
They added those schematics later to a bow trader in Maadoran IIRC.
