Solasta Solasta: Crown of the Magister Thread - now with Palace of Ice sequel DLC

[Jinn]

Yeah, I'd say even those few additional options given to the player make 3.5 (and Pathfinder) superior videogame adaptations in the long run. Moment to moment gameplay between the two doesn't feel different enough to make me outright dislike 5E in its videogame form though, despite it being the inferior option.

Ultimately I think both play well enough, but creating a roleplaying system tailor made for a videogame experience generally seems like the best option when it comes to CRPGs, despite how much enjoyment I've gotten from tabletop adaptations through the years.

 

[Roguey]

After playing this for a bit more, I can't shake the feeling this (and 5E in general) is baby's first RPG.

Really took you this long huh.

A single glance at it and I could tell it was made for Role Players and moving as far away as they could from gross icky Roll Players whom they want nothing to do with anymore. Pathfinder doesn't really want them either.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

After playing this for a bit more, I can't shake the feeling this (and 5E in general) is baby's first RPG.

The game called "D&D 5th edition" seems intended for Zoomers who can't consume enough superhero product, hence the shift in power levels and combat options so that it often seems less a heroic fantasy game than something in the superhero genre.

Solasta still has better combat than most CRPGs, though.

 

[Nortar]

After playing this for a bit more, I can't shake the feeling this (and 5E in general) is baby's first RPG.

The game called "D&D 5th edition" seems intended for Zoomers who can't consume enough superhero product, hence the shift in power levels and combat options so that it often seems less a heroic fantasy game than something in the superhero genre.

Solasta still has better combat than most CRPGs, though.

I have not played 5E at the table as much as earlier editions, but my impression was the opposite. And I have to agree with Lacrymas
The WOTC were trying to tone down the power levels of 3/3.5 and has mostly succeeded.

The concentration and attunement systems serve exactly this purpose.
The sames goes for character stats being limited by 18 with very few exceptions.

Also with stats/feats tied to class levels, not characters levels, they made multiclassing if not outright worse then less tempting then ever before.

Even though my fav edition is 3.5, I have to admit that 5E is both more simplified and way more grounded.
All this goes to the base RAW. What they do with it in CRPGs like BG3 and Solasta is on the devs concience.

 

[Lacrymas]

Toning down power levels is a worthy goal, but they forgot to give us tactical options while doing it, so the most efficient turn is almost always "I attack", "I cast fireball".

 

[Orud]

Toning down power levels is a worthy goal, but they forgot to give us tactical options while doing it, so the most efficient turn is almost always "I attack", "I cast fireball".

What tactical options does 5E lack compared to previous editions?

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Toning down power levels is a worthy goal, but they forgot to give us tactical options while doing it, so the most efficient turn is almost always "I attack", "I cast fireball".

What tactical options does 5E lack compared to previous editions?

Inb4 "everything pales before Haste and Fireball, so those are the only ones worth using."

 

[Yosharian]

I mean there are nearly always optimal strategies in every game. It's kind of hard to completely eliminate them.

The way to encourage diversity of strategies is to have diversity of enemies. For example fireball is less than optimal against enemies with high DEX saves or fire resistance

 

[Orud]

On the table, outside of video games, it feels like there are more tactical options than ever before. Doubly so for martials.

 

[Lacrymas]

Inb4 "everything pales before Haste and Fireball, so those are the only ones worth using."

It's more like "if the game isn't balanced around Haste and Fireball it's trivially easy and if it is balanced around them then they are the only things worth using". People don't seem to realize how destructive overpowered abilities are in a game.

 

[Yosharian]

If you can use all your third level slots in every encounter then spell balance is not the only problem you have

 

[Mr. Magniloquent]

Concentration is a huge problem, but that's really about it. I don't much care how you can only do 1 Attack of Opportunity that uses your reaction. 3E Combat Reflexes did get a but carried away, but I would at least like it if characters could have 1 AoO for every attack they didn't use on their turn.

 

[Lacrymas]

Concentration is a huge problem, but that's really about it. I don't much care how you can only do 1 Attack of Opportunity that uses your reaction. 3E Combat Reflexes did get a but carried away, but I would at least like it if characters could have 1 AoO for every attack they didn't use on their turn.

Balance is a huge problem as well. There really are subclasses or even abilities that need to be balanced around if they exist in the current game. This is what this adaptation, and probably all others down the line, struggle with. As a DM on tabletop, you can, with sufficient experience, balance encounters on the fly depending on what your players are playing. In a video game, the balance is the same regardless, which makes op subclasses and abilities extremely destructive and you, as the creator of a module, have 2 choices. Either balance the game around the use of overpowered abilities, which means classes which don't have access to those or players have picked inferior subclasses are going to feel weak and useless, only saved by RNGesus; or balance the game around the weaker subclasses and abilities, meaning the game will be too easy in the inevitable scenario players will play with the powerful/popular ones. There is no winning and that's why RPG combat needs a complete reset. Something I am more than happy to provide when I'm done with the setting book.

 

[Roguey]

The game called "D&D 5th edition" seems intended for Zoomers who can't consume enough superhero product, hence the shift in power levels and combat options so that it often seems less a heroic fantasy game than something in the superhero genre.

Solasta still has better combat than most CRPGs, though.

Gygax and the old D&D diehards dismissed third edition as a game for people who wanted to play superheroes. Given enough time, everyone becomes a grognard.

 

[Lacrymas]

Gygax is correct in this statement, but I wonder why exactly he said that. If he's talking about the insane power levels the characters can achieve, then yeah, but if he's talking about being a special snowflake by combining classes and prestige classes then I don't particularly agree with him. There are a bunch of problems with multiclassing and prestige classes, don't get me wrong, but it's not special snowflakery.

 

[Roguey]

Gygax is correct in this statement, but I wonder why exactly he said that. If he's talking about the insane power levels the characters can achieve, then yeah, but if he's talking about being a special snowflake by combining classes and prestige classes then I don't particularly agree with him. There are a bunch of problems with multiclassing and prestige classes, don't get me wrong, but it's not special snowflakery.

Contempt for powergamers, just coming at it from a different angle (he explicitly stated he had no interest in making a system appeal more to people who were "more interested in socialization and theatrics than gaming" like 5e) https://rpgcodex.net/forums/threads...released-go-to-new-thread.127856/post-6172214

 

[Mortmal]

Toning down power levels is a worthy goal, but they forgot to give us tactical options while doing it, so the most efficient turn is almost always "I attack", "I cast fireball".

What tactical options does 5E lack compared to previous editions?

Having mastered every edition, I can say that 5E doesn't lack any tactical options, except morale checks. However, one drawback is that casters are weaker compared to previous editions, making it more beneficial than ever to build them for control. On the other hand, martials now have more choices, and there's been significant bloat removal. It's fine not to like 5E, but I think that dislike is more about the writing and lore than the mechanics. I can’t name a great setting that was invented during the 5E era—nothing daring. The best they’ve done is reheat old-edition adventures, add disclaimers, and make them "safer." That explains the legitimate hate for it, but the mechanics themselves are solid.

 

[Mortmal]

The game called "D&D 5th edition" seems intended for Zoomers who can't consume enough superhero product, hence the shift in power levels and combat options so that it often seems less a heroic fantasy game than something in the superhero genre.

Solasta still has better combat than most CRPGs, though.

Gygax and the old D&D diehards dismissed third edition as a game for people who wanted to play superheroes. Given enough time, everyone becomes a grognard.

You could already be a superhero in AD&D 2nd Edition, and by the end, adventurers were practically reaching godhood as well.