Eternity Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire + DLC Thread - now with turn-based combat!

[kreight]

This game's combat is like an MMO with damage dealers, crowd control, tanks, support, ability cooldowns, rotations and inconsequential and marginal spells/abilities.

 

[BING XI LAO]

As opposed to D&D which doesn't have damage-oriented classes, crowd control, tanks, support, or any inconsequential abilities?
That leaves cooldowns and I don't see what's inherently wrong with them.

 

[Quillon]

were there ability cooldowns in pillows?

 

[Desiderius]

This game's combat is like an MMO with damage dealers, crowd control, tanks, support, ability cooldowns, rotations and inconsequential and marginal spells/abilities.

Examples?

 

[Delterius]

this game happens in rounds, which is why it not only has cooldowns but is secretly turn based

 

[Gray Wing]

Are the cleric/devoted fighter spiritual weapon builds still any good? I see it got nerfed at some point in the balance patches. But I'm looking for something to cure my crusading cleric urges.

It's not a cleric per se, but one of the stronger combinations I played as was a Kind Wayfarer Paladin / Trickster Rogue. The paladin White Flames ability while dual wielding results in decent damage while granting your party the healing effect twice. I'm not being hyperbolic when I say it can pretty much carry you through the whole game. The Trickster subclass is mostly for some gimmick spells for fun and other Full Attack abilties.

Plus, the combination is referred to in game as a Holy Slayer which sounds like a prog metal album.

 

[Lacrymas]

А Bleakwalker/Assassin really carries that holy spirit.

 

[Quillon]

https://www.nexusmods.com/pillarsofeternity2/mods/417?tab=description

Description
This mod makes all party members say their voiced lines where the game usually picks a random one and skips the others.
It only uses lines that go well together and don't repeat each other, so it feels more like a group conversation.
Companions make their comments after major events, when entering a new area and on many other occasions throughout the whole game including all DLCs.
Text is shown in any supported language.

wonder which "genius" decided to do that...smh

 

[oldmanpaco]

What are the best multi-class combo's for the game? Going to do a TB run w/ challenges on PotD and want to power game this shit. Finished the game once with a Pale Bleak Walker/X party on PotD but that got a bit repetitive towards the end.

 

[Desiderius]

I've enjoyed Stalker/Unbroken and Evoker/Arcane Archer recently. Good overall synergy rather than anything gamebreaking.

Especially Unbroken really gives the other toons room to shine (Evasive Roll + high Engagement + big penalty for Disengagement + additional resilient body = ideal tank). Archer ends up empowering nukes nicely while also bringing that extra body and sonce you get most of your abilities free you've got a lot of surplus level-ups to soup up the pet.

 

[Grunker]

Deleted my posts - didn't notice you were talking about PoE2. Why would you want to powergame this game? The main problem with it is that it is way too easy, even on PotD.

 

[Grunker]

My current favourite multiclass which is very strong is Monk (Helwalker) / Druid (Fury). The build is a tank focused around Rooting Pain and Nature's Terror, the latter which is an AoE-effect emanating from the caster that causes Shock damage and afflicts Terrified, while the former causes AoE damage around you everytime you get a wound. So you run into melee with a bunch of enemies, turn on Nature's Terror and deal a ton of AoE-damage while soaking their hits, gaining wounds in the proces. Don't spirit shift since then you lose your shield - and you ARE a tank build. For weapons do whatever you feel like - but items that increase your number of engagements is a good idea since your classes mean you wont have extra as a default. Blade Turning is your bread and butter for tanking.

It's also a great build for Deltro's Cage which is a fun item for this build since not only does it increase the damage of Nature's Terror, it also heals you if you upgrade it.

As a bonus, the storm-spells are just as great as ever, and you're doing Heart of the Storm, Deltro's Cage and all that jazz so the storms only get better.

 

[oldmanpaco]

Deleted my posts - didn't notice you were talking about PoE2. Why would you want to powergame this game? The main problem with it is that it is way too easy, even on PotD.

Eh not really powergame (I don't have the sheer autistic power to powergame any rpg) but I like to make custom characters (especially since the npc's are so much worse in this game than PoE1). And why make a solo build when you can double your pleasure!

I'll probably just go with a meme party of some shit like 5 wizard/x or something.

 

[Crichton]

When I did a completionist 2nd playthrough, I went with a pure Ethosian party

Huana priestess of Eothas
Eder (swashbuckler)
Xoti (monk)
Custom Fighter(tactician)/Chanter
Custom Paladin(Kind Wayfarer)/Chanter

This gets you a good set of dialog options, including all the [Eothas] ones, a party that's pure of heart and an infinite supply of summoned ogres/weapons. As Grunker correctly points out, the game isn't difficult in general. But if you want to do all the challenges (particularly Woedica) and beat those mega bosses; I don't see how you get there without some form of infinite resources. Cipher, blood mage and tactician are the obvious routes but chanters work well for most purposes. I never had the patience for setting up ancestor's memory + salvation of time, but I don't think it's needed for anything short of a mega-boss.

I think most of the effective multiclass builds are uninteresting tactically (you just end up pressing different buttons to do the same things) but some interesting (if suboptimal) possibilities exist like psion/[spellcasting class], tactician/wizard and weapon-based stuff like Devoted/Fury with that shock pole-arm. I tried an all-ranger party briefly since they multiclass well but there are some odd issues with deployment in TB when you have that many party members and the pets really pale in comparison to chanter summons.

 

[Nano]

wonder which "genius" decided to do that...smh

Deadfire is far from the first RPG to handle companion interjections this way.

 

[moraes]

I tried to kill Dorudugan on PotD turn-based with a level ~17 party and couldn't scratch him. I then looked some strategies online and all of them involved retarded real-time kiting.

I then ragequitted and voted for kitsune on the Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous poll.

 

[eli]

voted for kitsune on the Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous poll.

we all know that only degenerates voted on that poll.

 

[Suicidal]

Had to take a break from the game cause I was busy with real life shit, but recently returned to it and finally finished it.

Holy shit was the conclusion to the main plot terrible. So terrible I instantly rushed over here to rant.

Spoiler

Eothas destroys the wheel of reincarnation, leaving humanity to fend for itself. Why is there no option to talk him out of it? What was I following him around for if he's just gonna do whatever he wants anyways? I understand that he's too powerful to fight and that's fine, but at least give me ways to influence the decision other than "Ok Mr. Eothas, but could you please leave something for us after you're done?". Funny that you can convince him to destroy the entire world, but asking him not to break the wheel is out of the question apparently. Why? What if my character likes the world as it is and prefers for it to stay this way instead of gambling on some nebulous future Eothas envisions. I regret not asking Wael at the end of the 3rd DLC to possess his flesh monstrosity and kill Eothas, because that is another ending apparently, but at the time I though that giving Wael this kind of power is a bad idea cause he's a much bigger cunt than Eothas.

Fortunately the main plot makes up like 5-10% of the entire game, and most of the other 90% is much more interesting and fun. I especially enjoyed the DLCs, especially Forgotten Sanctum - possibly the best CRPG dungeon since Baldur's Gate. It has everything - interesting lore, lots of decision making, different ways to solve problems, some cool combat encounters and great atmosphere. I wish there were more things like this in the game.

I'd actually love to see a PoE 3 that follows the format of Deadfire (big open world map, go where you want) but with a less shitty main plot, but alas, we're getting PoE: Skyrim instead.

 

[thesheeep]

I'd actually love to see a PoE 3 that follows the format of Deadfire (big open world map, go where you want) but with a less shitty main plot, but alas, we're getting PoE: Skyrim instead.

I'm not sure if we're getting that instead, but we'll definitely get that first.
And even worse, it's a prequel - ugh, prequels always fail to keep my interest up.

Anyway, I'd definitely disagree with assessment of the big open world map.
It's by the far the game's biggest downside. Simply put, it's too big - you do even just half of the content and you'll be radically overleveled for the vast majority of content.
Other than ignoring most of the game, there's no way not to have most of your quests in the "too easy" zone by the time you actually get to them.
Even on PotD, the game turns into a cakewalk (with a few exceptions*) by mid-game. And that is with really unoptimized builds, who knows how easy it can get with minmaxing.

Another problem is the disconnect between "Quick! Eothas is looking for something and must be stopped!" and "But have this huge world to explore at your leisure. Wanna map the archipelago for me?" - wtf?!.

The systems in place are better in PoE2, but the pacing and story is so much better in the first one.
Such games tend to be better when they are clearly structured with chapters that each offer you some exploration and optional quests but you can't stray too far from the main plot.


*The hardest part of the game on PotD is the starting island, which borders on impossible without extreme cheese. That is itself a design blunder so severe it makes you scratch your head.

 

[Riddler]

Had to take a break from the game cause I was busy with real life shit, but recently returned to it and finally finished it.

Holy shit was the conclusion to the main plot terrible. So terrible I instantly rushed over here to rant.

Spoiler

Eothas destroys the wheel of reincarnation, leaving humanity to fend for itself. Why is there no option to talk him out of it? What was I following him around for if he's just gonna do whatever he wants anyways? I understand that he's too powerful to fight and that's fine, but at least give me ways to influence the decision other than "Ok Mr. Eothas, but could you please leave something for us after you're done?". Funny that you can convince him to destroy the entire world, but asking him not to break the wheel is out of the question apparently. Why? What if my character likes the world as it is and prefers for it to stay this way instead of gambling on some nebulous future Eothas envisions. I regret not asking Wael at the end of the 3rd DLC to possess his flesh monstrosity and kill Eothas, because that is another ending apparently, but at the time I though that giving Wael this kind of power is a bad idea cause he's a much bigger cunt than Eothas.

Fortunately the main plot makes up like 5-10% of the entire game, and most of the other 90% is much more interesting and fun. I especially enjoyed the DLCs, especially Forgotten Sanctum - possibly the best CRPG dungeon since Baldur's Gate. It has everything - interesting lore, lots of decision making, different ways to solve problems, some cool combat encounters and great atmosphere. I wish there were more things like this in the game.

I'd actually love to see a PoE 3 that follows the format of Deadfire (big open world map, go where you want) but with a less shitty main plot, but alas, we're getting PoE: Skyrim instead.

Spoiler

You're wrong about wael, it changes nothing.

 

[Suicidal]

Anyway, I'd definitely disagree with assessment of the big open world map.
It's by the far the game's biggest downside. Simply put, it's too big - you do even just half of the content and you'll be radically overleveled for the vast majority of content.
Other than ignoring most of the game, there's no way not to have most of your quests in the "too easy" zone by the time you actually get to them.
Even on PotD, the game turns into a cakewalk (with a few exceptions*) by mid-game. And that is with really unoptimized builds, who knows how easy it can get with minmaxing.

I liked the map, it's the closest thing to a Fallout 1/2 map I've seen in an RPG that's not Fallout 1/2.

Undeniably there are problems with it that you describe, but I don't believe that they cannot be fixed. Maybe the devs could make certain parts of the world accessible/inaccessible depending on your decisions (eliminating the possibility of exploring the entirety of the map in one playthrough), or not having a main quest that creates the illusion of urgency and simply having better experience distribution.

Spoiler

You're wrong about wael, it changes nothing.

What, really? Definitely subtracting points from the game for the ending then.

 

[Desiderius]

*The hardest part of the game on PotD is the starting island, which borders on impossible without extreme cheese. That is itself a design blunder so severe it makes you scratch your head.

You're supposed to sneak past the Drake (or use the Gunpowder barrels) and if you enter Gorecci from the bottom you can sneak past it too.

 

[Desiderius]

Holy shit was the conclusion to the main plot terrible.

Atheist+ gonna Atheist+

Interesting that they added Woedica Book so everyone would have a Pullman-style StrawGod to hate on instead of fixing the real problem.

See also Eder's quest. Likewise the conclusion to all the faction quests. When you have no sense of honor you have to pretend no one else does either.

But yeah rest of game is in pretty good shape now. Seems like they toned down the poz and made Tehanu much more sufferable, even sympathetic.

 

[Sinatar]

Had to take a break from the game cause I was busy with real life shit, but recently returned to it and finally finished it.

Holy shit was the conclusion to the main plot terrible. So terrible I instantly rushed over here to rant.

Spoiler

Eothas destroys the wheel of reincarnation, leaving humanity to fend for itself. Why is there no option to talk him out of it? What was I following him around for if he's just gonna do whatever he wants anyways? I understand that he's too powerful to fight and that's fine, but at least give me ways to influence the decision other than "Ok Mr. Eothas, but could you please leave something for us after you're done?". Funny that you can convince him to destroy the entire world, but asking him not to break the wheel is out of the question apparently. Why? What if my character likes the world as it is and prefers for it to stay this way instead of gambling on some nebulous future Eothas envisions. I regret not asking Wael at the end of the 3rd DLC to possess his flesh monstrosity and kill Eothas, because that is another ending apparently, but at the time I though that giving Wael this kind of power is a bad idea cause he's a much bigger cunt than Eothas.

Fortunately the main plot makes up like 5-10% of the entire game, and most of the other 90% is much more interesting and fun. I especially enjoyed the DLCs, especially Forgotten Sanctum - possibly the best CRPG dungeon since Baldur's Gate. It has everything - interesting lore, lots of decision making, different ways to solve problems, some cool combat encounters and great atmosphere. I wish there were more things like this in the game.

I'd actually love to see a PoE 3 that follows the format of Deadfire (big open world map, go where you want) but with a less shitty main plot, but alas, we're getting PoE: Skyrim instead.

Yea PoE2's story is absolute shit. Your character could have stayed in bed and nothing would have changed.

 

[thesheeep]

You're supposed to sneak past the Drake (or use the Gunpowder barrels) and if you enter Gorecci from the bottom you can sneak past it too.

Sure, but that's bollocks design in itself.
Stealth is entirely useless in the game (with the exception of cleaning some houses I guess). It may be an alternative path sometimes, but outside of Starter Island (tm), it's just not needed anywhere.