Eternity Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pre-DLC Thread [GO TO NEW THREAD]

[Tigranes]

The level-dependency of the POE system is something I've criticised very often, but in a scenario like that I'm not sure there's a big problem. Just come back later, I've sometimes beaten shit way above the paygrade, sometimes accepted that I can't at the moment.

Either you're going to be able to use +Power level equipment, Empower, and other tricks to wittle away at it, or if you just completely cannot penetrate and have 8% THC or something stupid, then come back later.

 

[IHaveHugeNick]

Yeah, I always felt that over-reliance on defensive checks is the biggest flaw of both games. Granted it only happens if you're taking on something far above your level. But it's fucking infurating to outplay some high level encounter only for your guys to not be able to land anything.

 

[AwesomeButton]

Sizzle , refusing to acknowledge something because you don't like it is different than disproving.

Anyway, something is seriously wrong with the combat system. My suspicion is the penetration bonuses lead to too large damage values which causes enemies to die too quickly. Too many little systems on top of each other, not enough HP bloat to go around for every different "bonus" chipping off a little more.

 

[Sizzle]

I mean ffs, "confirmed" bachelor does sound like an offhand way of saying alone for life.

It's an old euphemism for a gay man.

Sizzle , refusing to acknowledge something because you don't like it is different than disproving.

You presented your theory about how women are supposedly holding all the power in PoE2, IHaveHugeNick countered by rightfully pointing out that, for almost all of those examples, men are actually the ones holding the reigns - either outright, or as vastly superior second in commands that call the important shots.

Which, yeah, is exactly what disproving means.

For you to disprove this, would take more than whining about how those men somehow don't really count, just because some of them are "depicted negatively, as sly, deceitful, and greedy."

 

[Reinhardt]

Want another example? Here - Arkemyr's apprentice (indeed, apprentice) Fassina, and her boyfriend. The woman is resourceful but undervalued and subjected to her master's indignities and her boyfriend's absent mindedness, the boyfriend is sly, decietful, silly, vain, and greedy. No redeeming qualities.

It's just funny to watch them trying so hard.

Sadistic bitch bullies poor slavesimps using her master robe just for the lulz. Such perrrfect girl.

 

[Parabalus]

The level-dependency of the POE system is something I've criticised very often, but in a scenario like that I'm not sure there's a big problem. Just come back later, I've sometimes beaten shit way above the paygrade, sometimes accepted that I can't at the moment.

Either you're going to be able to use +Power level equipment, Empower, and other tricks to wittle away at it, or if you just completely cannot penetrate and have 8% THC or something stupid, then come back later.

I'm not really sure why they even added level ACC/DEF scaling, only to introduce level scaling. They seemingly only exist so you can get rekt/rek stuff awesomebutton like.

IE games "scaling" enemies (higher level enemy types) was much more muted since you hit ThAC0 and ST cap regardless.

 

[2house2fly]

I mean ffs, "confirmed" bachelor does sound like an offhand way of saying alone for life.

It probably makes sense to be ignorant of the term if English isn't your first language, though then surely it's also unlikely that your mind would go to "incel"

 

[Tigranes]

Yes, sadly, I think just getting rid of it now as a mod or something would play havoc with everything else. They needed to drastically tone down level based increase at the start of designing POE2, then design enemy encounters and skills and everything else - I imagine one obvious answer is to introduce more feat points and more feats so that you decide which defences to bulk up on, or even have passive synergies where certain skills also give you a bump on Reflex or something. Anyway, I've made this particular point about 80 times, so I'll shut up.

I'm pretty happy with my 2-man party on POTD upscale at the moment, with only less XP & weapon penetration modules of Deadly Deadfire (and not the main difficulty changes). At level 15 you still need to be pretty careful with fights just because enemies always remain brawny enough to swarm you. Of course, I'm not really minmaxing hugely - just moderately optimised characters, and obviously no overt cheesing with individual pulling or whatever.

From a solo/duo perspective, it's perfectly fine, but it's hilarious how many summoning figurines they put in the game after doing the same thing in POE1. Seven? Eight?

 

[Lacrymas]

The summons from the figurines are also really powerful, a plague hound from one I have is at least 3 levels above my party.

 

[FreeKaner]

It probably makes sense to be ignorant of the term if English isn't your first language, though then surely it's also unlikely that your mind would go to "incel"

English isn't my first language but I had to look up what "confirmed bachelor" means because it's out of use, meanwhile incel is a contemporary term very widespread on internet.

Sizzle , refusing to acknowledge something because you don't like it is different than disproving.

Anyway, something is seriously wrong with the combat system. My suspicion is the penetration bonuses lead to too large damage values which causes enemies to die too quickly. Too many little systems on top of each other, not enough HP bloat to go around for every different "bonus" chipping off a little more.

Yes, this game needs more HP in general. It really feels like you can't utilise anything in it at all. Nor can AI. People just have PSTD with hp bloat so they react violently to the fact no one has enough HP.

 

[Sizzle]

It probably makes sense to be ignorant of the term if English isn't your first language, though then surely it's also unlikely that your mind would go to "incel"

English isn't my first language but I had to look up what "confirmed bachelor" means because it's out of use, meanwhile incel is a contemporary term very widespread on internet.

Which is exactly the point - it's a term that was still in wide-spread usage in the 1950's, which is when Fallout takes place, culturally.

 

[AwesomeButton]

Yes, this game needs more HP in general. It really feels like you can't utilise anything in it at all. Nor can AI. People just have PSTD with hp bloat so they react violently to the fact no one has enough HP.

I would much prefer to just scale down damage on weapons, by 1/3 for starters. I would also increase the spread to resemble AD&D more, but that's a subjective preference. Unfortunately I'm totally out of time for modding right now.

 

[Darth Roxor]

hp bloat is never the answer you idiots

 

[Parabalus]

Yes, this game needs more HP in general. It really feels like you can't utilise anything in it at all. Nor can AI. People just have PSTD with hp bloat so they react violently to the fact no one has enough HP.

I would much prefer to just scale down damage on weapons, by 1/3 for starters. I would also increase the spread to resemble AD&D more, but that's a subjective preference. Unfortunately I'm totally out of time for modding right now.

Why would you increase the spread?
With how Dumpsterfire has % damage increases (compared to IE games additive +) this would cause insane variances in hit damage from one swing to the next.

 

[Lacrymas]

It's not bloat when they are underHP'd in the first place. Fighting three red skull mobs feels bloaty and unreliable, but 2 skulls is manageable. The AI has very predictable and simple tactics, though, that's why it's fairly doable to crush encounters massively over your level. It needs SCS.

 

[Darth Roxor]

if something with 300+ hp is 'underhp'd', that means your system is trash

 

[HoboForEternity]

i finished the game and what? Darth Roxor is right, the story is nonexistent and it will just confuse you if you try to pay attention. play this for the fun swashbuckling action, some decent combat and encounters and some good quest. the story is turd, even moreso than poe 1.

Spoiler

so yeah, eothas wants to destroy the wheel of reincarnation. so the "wheel" isnt exactly some kind of in-universe hard law, like magnets, gravity and nuclear forces in our world. it's apparently controlled by a machine? then there were no reincarnation before engwithans built it? wut? i thought souls and reincarnation is innate to to the world.

and eothas' intention is because he don't trust the gods anymore? he wants to come clean so the kith can decide their fate by themselves. "ok. what is the best way to do it? OH! i know, let's break the foundation of the world and possibly killing all life in a span of millenia where they possibly and slowly suffer and go extinct! i am such a genius!"



and finally, the factions, and the gods. it just doesnt mix well. it'd be better if they go away with all the gods and focus on factions searching for ukaizo and you play as an adventurer/investigator/explorer that ought to find ukaizo and all of its wealth. just let gods take a backseat, and let the kith shines. i understand, and again agree with roxor why the gods thing is crap in deadfire. (which i disagree in pillars 1 because in 1 i think the god stuff is alot more interesting than they are in deadfire.

that said, i enjoy majority of the part of the game and it's better than poe 1 in almost every way.

 

[Grampy_Bone]

When I first saw the armor/penetration system, where having penetration +-3 points of armor meant normal damage, I assumed it would be a meaningless system.

Sure enough, I beat the game with non-upgraded, starting armor.

So the first thing I would do is revamp that. Either make armor provide hard DR, add deflection, or both.

 

[dragonul09]

Did anyone mentioned that the game barely peaks at 5k in weekends and only 3k during the week, jesus christ this is embarrassing, If I was Fergy I would scratch the DLCs and pretend the game never existed

 

[Tigranes]

No, I don't spend my life checking video game player numbers

i finished the game and what? Darth Roxor is right, the story is nonexistent and it will just confuse you if you try to pay attention. play this for the fun swashbuckling action, some decent combat and encounters and some good quest. the story is turd, even moreso than poe 1.

Spoiler

so yeah, eothas wants to destroy the wheel of reincarnation. so the "wheel" isnt exactly some kind of in-universe hard law, like magnets, gravity and nuclear forces in our world. it's apparently controlled by a machine? then there were no reincarnation before engwithans built it? wut? i thought souls and reincarnation is innate to to the world.

and eothas' intention is because he don't trust the gods anymore? he wants to come clean so the kith can decide their fate by themselves. "ok. what is the best way to do it? OH! i know, let's break the foundation of the world and possibly killing all life in a span of millenia where they possibly and slowly suffer and go extinct! i am such a genius!"



and finally, the factions, and the gods. it just doesnt mix well. it'd be better if they go away with all the gods and focus on factions searching for ukaizo and you play as an adventurer/investigator/explorer that ought to find ukaizo and all of its wealth. just let gods take a backseat, and let the kith shines. i understand, and again agree with roxor why the gods thing is crap in deadfire. (which i disagree in pillars 1 because in 1 i think the god stuff is alot more interesting than they are in deadfire.

that said, i enjoy majority of the part of the game and it's better than poe 1 in almost every way.

As I kept saying this is a good SOZ++

 

[Shadenuat]

The between 20% to 30% extra hp Deadly Fire does actually seem to work better for the game. The enemies are not spongy but they now can take more than a single fireball from evoker or a single one-two from rogue or monk. It's not as symmetrical but sometimes extra hp helps - like mods did increase hp for dragons in BG2 from something like 150 to 220 which was very reasonable.

But, with that 30% xp cut from mod, extra hp might not even been necessary. The pacing is completely different, closer to BG where going beyond level 8 felt like you actually earning your new levels, not just get them as freebies.

As long as you do not backtrack all the time to get xp for stupid shit like bounties.

And this is another thing that saves PoE2 for me https://youtu.be/wacGpSE3qEA?list=FL1t32C-aRyzUiZbD2aw2SaQ

 

[AW8]

In PoE2 the biggest decider for how much the party likes you is whether you tell whimsical little jokes, are nice to fluffy animals, etc. At least Maia and Pallegina are patriotic, and Xoti zealous, but none of them are hostile to other faiths or religions like real people were and are.

Agreed, the whole companion reputation system felt poorly designed. If you're gonna have 3 companions who love jokes, you also need companions who are serious and detest goofiness. Without countering opinions, the system isn't engaging. The dumbest is probably the anti-racism one, how would you even counter that? Give Edér "Pro-Racism"? That's not how racism works.

Tekehu and Maia are polar opposites on the RDR/Huana which is nice though. The game needs more differing opinions where it's impossible for all companions to get along with you at once.

 

[FreeKaner]

It probably makes sense to be ignorant of the term if English isn't your first language, though then surely it's also unlikely that your mind would go to "incel"

English isn't my first language but I had to look up what "confirmed bachelor" means because it's out of use, meanwhile incel is a contemporary term very widespread on internet.

Which is exactly the point - it's a term that was still in wide-spread usage in the 1950's, which is when Fallout takes place, culturally.

Sure, I didn't disagree. I am just talking about why someone would know "incel" but not "confirmed bachelor".

 

[Parabalus]

In PoE2 the biggest decider for how much the party likes you is whether you tell whimsical little jokes, are nice to fluffy animals, etc. At least Maia and Pallegina are patriotic, and Xoti zealous, but none of them are hostile to other faiths or religions like real people were and are.

Agreed, the whole companion reputation system felt poorly designed. If you're gonna have 3 companions who love jokes, you also need companions who are serious and detest goofiness. Without countering opinions, the system isn't engaging. The dumbest is probably the anti-racism one, how would you even counter that? Give Edér "Pro-Racism"? That's not how racism works.

Tekehu and Maia are polar opposites on the RDR/Huana which is nice though. The game needs more differing opinions where it's impossible for all companions to get along with you at once.

Isn't Aloth the "serious" one? I had him at sth like -2 with everyone else at +2.

 

[Sizzle]

In PoE2 the biggest decider for how much the party likes you is whether you tell whimsical little jokes, are nice to fluffy animals, etc. At least Maia and Pallegina are patriotic, and Xoti zealous, but none of them are hostile to other faiths or religions like real people were and are.

Agreed, the whole companion reputation system felt poorly designed. If you're gonna have 3 companions who love jokes, you also need companions who are serious and detest goofiness. Without countering opinions, the system isn't engaging. The dumbest is probably the anti-racism one, how would you even counter that? Give Edér "Pro-Racism"? That's not how racism works.

Tekehu and Maia are polar opposites on the RDR/Huana which is nice though. The game needs more differing opinions where it's impossible for all companions to get along with you at once.

Isn't Aloth the "serious" one? I had him at sth like -2 with everyone else at +2.

He's a barrel of laughs compared to Pallegina :D