Decline Nerd Commando Guide Channel (ex-funbuilding & stuff)

[Pope Amole II]

Since codex has taken my first video quite warmly, I guess it won't mind if I'll create my own thread here. Basically, the whole concept of the funbuilding is trying to teach new rpg players proper character building while also trying to game, erm, the game for the maximum fun possible. Looking at builds not only from the point of efficiency, but also from the point of entertainment value. I guess my first two reviewed games (underrail & kotor I) are bad examples, as you don't really have to squeeze fun from underrail (it was born this way) and while kotor has solid rpg system, it's bereft of decently crafted encounters so it's all about killing enemies as fast as possible. Anyhow, here's this week's video:

 

[Hobo Elf]

I liked your Underrail video. This is pretty good, too, but honestly KotOR is so easy that you can get by with any kind of shit build you want.

 

[Pope Amole II]

but honestly KotOR is so easy that you can get by with any kind of shit build you want.

TBH, I'd argue with that. It's absolutely true for the kotor 2 (unfortunately), but in 1 there are some encounters (like the battle with two terentateks or the yavin trandoshan encounter or the whole final rush) where combat gets more or less hard. And if you go for shit like two-handed blaster build or dark consular, the game will become even less pleasant for you.

Or if you'll simply miss the final yavin shop - I remember how long ago, when I was still a dumb kid, I went straight for the star forge planet after finding the final map (missing those uber-saber crystals), and I was also dark sided, so no solari mega-crystal for me. And I even managed to miss star forge robes (which isn't that hard, tbh, those seemingly endless waves of opponents in star forge don't exactly reward exploration), so my lightsaber dealt shit damage and enemies in this game are tougher than you'd like them to be. Sure, I still managed to finish the game somehow, but there were lots of reloads & suffering. And, looking at the online hints & manuals, I wasn't the only dumb kid on the planet.

Besides, even if the combat is easy or, rather, if the combat is easy and unchallenging, the more reasons is to make an overpowered build so you'll just skip through it quicker - I'm making kotor II video next week and that's gonna be the motto for it.

 

[SuicideBunny]

sure but it's not like kotor is likely to see many players who don't know that already and are in need of your video, unlike underrail.

 

[Pope Amole II]

sure but it's not like kotor is likely to see many players who don't know that already and are in need of your video, unlike underrail.

Can't argue with that, but it's not like I try to become a professional youtuber with that or anything. I like underrail - I did it first. Then I've replayed kotor recently II, so I thought - well, maybe I should also replay the first one and make two videos about them. They're not as marketable, but that's what on my mind at the moment. After that it'll probably be either fallout 1 or 2 or the later M&M trilogy - also of questionable value, but hey, at least they'll make fine propaganda pieces.


BTW, I would appreciate if someone posted the link to the second video on the biowarian forums, in the appropriate thread (they should still have some kind of kotor subforum, right?) I don't have the account there but I know that, like, half of the codex does.

 

[Pope Amole II]

Issue 3 is up, this week's theme is predictably Kotor 2. Would've appreciated if somebody posted this on the obsidian forums, would still appreciate if somebody posted the previous one on biowarian forums.

 

[NotAGolfer]

also of questionable value, but hey, at least they'll make fine propaganda pieces.

You shouldn't overdo the praising and concentrate on the purpose of your tutorial videos though if you ask me. There might be people out there who need to be guided because they couldn't form an educated opinion on their own even if they tried but for everyone who can that "propaganda part" would be just annoying and distracting so it would be great if you keep it as short as possible imo.
In short title=message please.

Thanks for the Underrail vid btw, that one was a great help even though I also didn't like the first minutes of it.

 

[Pope Amole II]

so it would be great if you keep it as short as possible imo.

But that's what I'm doing atm, I think. Apart from the intro of my first video where I ramble about the purpose of them all, I try to spend all the time on discussing nothing but game mechanics and builds. By propaganda I meant that, for example, if you have a friend who is too lazy/busy to learn an rpg system, you can try to indoctrinate him by showing the video and, eventually, forcing him into playing the game. That sounds idealistic, but hey, who knows.

 

[Pope Amole II]

Eh, kinda stupid doublepost, but whatever - this week I'm doing an extra video (i.e., there will be one more this friday or saturday), dedicated to the Heroine's Quest. The game is probably not hardcore enough to merit an actual tutorial, but you never know. Besides, it deserves all word of mouth it can get.

 

[Grinolf]

Issue 3 is up, this week's theme is predictably Kotor 2. Would've appreciated if somebody posted this on the obsidian forums, would still appreciate if somebody posted the previous one on biowarian forums.

How the hell Kreia gain some light side points? Lightsided HK also looks funny, but that one should be at least doable and I, if I not mistaken, did that, even if it didn't affected his character at all. But Kreia should be immune to player influence.

 

[Pope Amole II]

It's the jedi master's "light side enlightenment" feat in action. It can drag even Kreia into the light side, though, IIRC, she resets occasionally into her neutral state.

 

[Grinolf]

Interesting thing to know, since I never picked jedi master. Even if this particular case unsurprisingly looks more like a bug.

Also you said, that Consular is preferable because he could easily clear the rooms full of enemies with his AoE. But that is true only in the first part of the game. In the middle of the game with force regeneration feat I already had almost unlimited force as Sentiniel and could constantly cast lighting storms. Not sure why someone would need even more force than game already give player for free. But Consular definitely could make begining less tedious.

 

[Pope Amole II]

It's not about force points - it's about DC class and unique consular force stances. Consular has his force focus feat, eventually giving +4 to DC, also, as a light sided consular/jedi master you gain +6 wisdom when achieving mastery (whereas, say, sentinel/watchman will gain +6 constitution). Summed up, that's a flat +35% increase in your powers succeeding - your enemies won't resist those force storms often. Also, IIRC, only the consular learns two strongest force forms - the one that increases your force power damage (+30% damage - that's a lot)) and the one that increases the duration of your powers (also kinda neat). Consular is much more efficient at that crap.

 

[Grinolf]

That damage bonus looks pretty mice for the final planet, but I don't think it would make that big difference in the most parts of the game. But maybe I somewhat biased in that regard since I played mostly as 3 jedi party, all of whom had a maxed lighting and started (and basically ended) battles casting it 1-2 times in a row in the same time.
Anyway my point was, that sentinel also could deal with multiple enemies at once. And being worse than consul in that field compensated by possibility to max all important skills much earlier.

 

[Shadenuat]

Consular 15 > Weaponmaster, everything else is for larping.
I like Sentinel > Watchman for cleaning game from all skill checks though, I am obsessive with passing every check in game, I feel anger if I can't open locked container in prologue with a grenade. Even if I know that only Persuade and Awareness are really fun, and Repair/Computers if you want maximum Wis.
Stealth is somewhat nice for change of pace though, you can actually one-shot jedi masters by backstabbing them. Also helps with damage if you want a combat oriented single-blade user, cause everyone in the movies uses single saber, but in games... yeah... +3 thac0 and AC, what an advantage...

 

[Grim Monk]

You're mispronouncing "Rogue".

Its pronounced "Row" followed by a hard "G" sound.




You pronounce it like "Rouge", which is a completely different word.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rouge
vs
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rogue

Edit:
I decided to help because it's a "basic RPG class" and likely to be encountered it over and over in later videos.

Hope its not annoying...

 

[Pope Amole II]

yeah... +3 thac0 and AC, what an advantage...

Well, it was really nicely done in the jedi academy, where choosing between either dual-wield or staff or third stance of a singular blade was kinda legit. There were, of course, tons of holywars about which of them was the strongest one, but, anyhow, all of them were more or less valid. Heretical statement: from the viewpoint of rpg system affecting your playthrough, jedi academy is so much better CRPG than both of kotors.

You're mispronouncing "Rogue".

Its pronounced "Row" followed by a hard "G" sound.

Eh, I kinda knew about it, but wasn't so sure (I pondered it in my head - so is it that way or the other way?) so I decided to spell it the way I know it. Should've checked it out, I guess, but I totally forgot about it when I was preparing to do the video. Y'know, so many stuff to consider, so little space in my head.

And obv it's not annoying.

 

[Shadenuat]

Heretical statement: from the viewpoint of rpg system affecting your playthrough, jedi academy is so much better CRPG than both of kotors.

I can't believe noone picked up the idea of Jedi Academy. Add a new engine, all the saber styles, some stock 8 hours single player story, 20x times more multiplayer options and 100 stupid achivements, and you have your hand deep in a pocket of a largest fanbase in the media world.
Maybe it's about controls, waving the blade with precision of a mouse was great idea which would not work for consoles.

 

[Grinolf]

I like Sentinel > Watchman

That probably overkill. From 15 levels of Sentinel one should have almost all skills that he wants. I picked Weaponmaster, since I didn't need even more spells and force points. But if Master helps kill trash mobs in the end faster, than he also a valid option to pick.

 

[Shadenuat]

Yeah but you get Force Camo and even more sneak attack d6's, so you can wear any belt and with combination of Force Camo and stealth run show a finger to the whole endgame. Also saving throws skyrocket, it's funny to see every one of Darth Nihilus's spells fizzle
The DCs and force points you accumulate also allow to spam powers and they actually do work. So it's kinda like little brother of C>WM, but without Juyo. Ofc hybrid is better but duh.

 

[Pope Amole II]

This week on funbuilding is Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven.

 

[Pope Amole II]

Quite predictably, we follow VI with VII:



P.S.

Also, as this is kinda mine thread, I guess I can do a little bit of boasting here. So, atm I'm designing another vapourware indie game project. It won't be an rpg (duh), but it will have an rpg system of creating your character & stats (and the gameplay, in terms of management, will be quite rpg-like). It's still early in development, but what I want to show now is the stats of the main hero:

1. Dominance
2. Pride
3. Ardor
4. Defiance
5. Poise
6. Acumen
7. Transcendence
8. Splendor

Not your average rpg-stats, huh?

 

[NotAGolfer]

Quite predictably, we follow VI with VII:



P.S.

Also, as this is kinda mine thread, I guess I can do a little bit of boasting here. So, atm I'm designing another vapourware indie game project. It won't be an rpg (duh), but it will have an rpg system of creating your character & stats (and the gameplay, in terms of management, will be quite rpg-like). It's still early in development, but what I want to show now is the stats of the main hero:

1. Dominance
2. Pride
3. Ardor
4. Defiance
5. Poise
6. Acumen
7. Transcendence
8. Splendor

Not your average rpg-stats, huh?

So what is it about?
Something like this?:

Some kind of Sect Leader Maker?

 

[Pope Amole II]

Some kind of Sect Leader Maker?

That's pretty close, actually. The only thing is - why be a sect leader when you can be a god?

 

[NotAGolfer]

Some kind of Sect Leader Maker?

That's pretty close, actually. The only thing is - why be a sect leader when you can be a god?

Sounds awesome if done right.
And since this is the Codex and we all have a God complex you already found your target audience too. Yay!
Do you plan to add Populous-like landscaping too?