Divine Divinity is the best shit game I have ever played

[IThinkTheWorldShouldBurn.]

After reading your comment I went on YouTube and started listening to the soundtrack. Maybe the best ever.

Yeah, there's some lovely music in that game. Kirill Pokrovsky, he composed a few of the Divinity titles, sadly we lost him a few years ago.

R.I.P. Kirill.

I'm glad you liked it.

 

[Reader]

I accidently killed a cat. Now every cat is hostile to me.

Why the hell they desided to make more DOS when they could make more DD?..
Did Swen comment on that?..

 

[wwsd]

I am replaying this at the moment, just as a trip down memory lane. Still great fun.

I never got far with this replay in 2015, but I am replaying it again now and having a lot of fun with it. I'm now almost at the point of becoming the Divine One and getting to the endgame slog. I would like to finish it properly just once, and as a step-up to playing the rest of the series (except Beyond, fuck that).

I read a few things about how the GOG version supposedly reintroduces bugs that were already eliminated in 1.34, due to Larian losing the code or something. But on the other hand 1.34 has issues that have supposedly been patched out in later versions, so apparently there is no ideal version. In any case, I own an old retail version on CD, so I just fired that up with 1.34, since that's how I played it as a teenager. I don't know if the stories about needing to use a Hex editor to fix game-breaking shit in the GOG version are true, but I know for a fact that the patched retail version doesn't have any problem like this.

It does however have a few quest-breaking bugs, especially with Tingalf, where one quest will remain unfinished in the journal unless you follow a specific chain of events. I read somewhere that I should talk to Trevor first to get the quest from him before finishing up the black market, but apparently this is also wrong because one quest still remains. Very annoying but not game-breaking.

I also finished the Dwarven Councillor quest before even visiting the Elven village, meaning that I never properly get the Elven quest to resolve the conflict between them. Instead I go to the Elven village and my future Elven waifu doesn't introduce herself to me, but just thanks me for solving the problem without any journal entry or experience. I just straight up get the option to try to kiss her and then she tells me to go get her necklace so we can have hot interracial sex. Too bad. Immershun, ruined! Not sure if the GOG version fixes this or the Tingalf quests. I also killed the talking tree with the poisonous tea before I got the quest from Medicus to get the root. Oops!

I picked the Survivor class this time, under the mistaken impression that he gets more skill points, but actually it would have been better to just pick the Warrior and take on Survivor skills as necessary. Still, the combat isn't that hard, especially against all the trash mobs, and since I went with archery, it becomes even easier. I found a "Fierce Bow of Hunting" somewhere in the early mid-game which deals 40-177 base damage and is fast as hell. It's even better than the Bow of Hilfin that I get from the Elven bowyer in the Dark Forest much later. The only difference is that the Bow of Hilfin has 5 Charm slots, whereas the Fierce Bow of Hunting has none. I'm not sure if Hilfin will ever be better, even if I fill it up with Strength/Agility/Offence/Defence charms. Not sure how the damage with bows is calculated in that case. But as mentioned, combat is pretty easy already now.

In this game I think I've been a bit more lucky with some item drops, as the equipment and charms already put all my resistances >75 by the time I got to the Dark Forest, and one or two already >90. I remember in the past I'd get to the desert and I'd still be trying to raise resistances, but now they're almost all maxed out already.

Of course as everyone who's played it knows, DivDiv has great music, atmosphere and humour. The creatures don't respawn, which I think is somewhat preferable, as levelling is already very easy. However, it does mean you're basically just "clearing out" areas, wiping out all the mobs, and then walking through empty landscapes if you ever need to backtrack. Most dungeons are pretty uninspired, just being long crawls filled with enemies, without many inventive solutions or puzzles. However, they are mainly at the beginning and at the end, with a largely optional one in the mid-game.

Side quests have some mild C&C, but nothing too much. You can be Robin Hood and help the poor townsfolk, or you can betray the cattle rustler just trying to feed his family. But usually you can just do things like settle someone's debt for him, and this works fine. The game's economy is totally broken and you'll never lack for money, although you might want to save as much as possible just to be able to buy yet more charms to become even more OP.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

There's no patching the gog version?

When I played from my discs on my now broke old computer I just tried to loot and kill everything. Fuck questing. Can't say I got too far.

 

[Lord_Potato]

Completed Divine Divinity today, GOG version.

It took me 44 hours, I solved all the quests except for the legendary weapons, dragon armor, and the treasure hunt (foolish game allowed me to sell Silver Breastplate needed for this one to some random dude, later I could not find him to repurchase it).

In some ways, it reminded me of Arcanum - beautiful, atmospheric music, old-school 2d visuals (in an era when everyone else went for pretty basic 3d). Sure it's not as deep a game and offers only 1% of Arcanum's choices, but the charm is obviously there.

Combining Diablo-style combat with Ultima-style quest structure and open-world exploration was definitely an interesting choice, although the game really could use better locations and encounters design. Most dungeons were just rooms after rooms (with an occasional lever next to the door it opened) filled with trash mobs. There was no decent challenge, no difficulty spike, no intelligent puzzle, no need for tactics or careful planning. Hearing that the mage class is overpowered, I went through the game with a Warrior, using mostly warrior&survivor skillsets. I did not min-max and invested in lots of unnecessary skills, maxed out lockpick, repair, and identify just for convenience. Completed the game at level 49 and did not meet a fight I could not win by jumping into the midst of my enemies, striking everyone while drinking lots of restoration potions (I wonder how my PC did it, fighting with a greatsword for most of the game). The last 2 maps (the ork desert and final dungeon with 6 fucking fortresses) was just tiresome grind, without any quests or non-combat content. Final enemy? A joke. I sent several scorpions around to distract his henchmen and went for the kill.

I honestly hoped that the game will allow me to fight Lord Chaos. I was ready for the motherfucker - with 20 more scorpion traps and 100 restoration potions. Oh well, I guess it was just a sequel hook.

Overall, I enjoyed my time with DD, but would prefer it to be less grindy. If I was to award it a grade, it would be somewhere around 6/10. Decent, but far from legendary. Basically, like in the title of the thread, one of the best shit games I've played, up there with Two Worlds 1.

Now I'll play some turn-based RPG to swap palette and then move on to Beyond Divinity.

 

[adddeed]

Buddy its a hack and slash game why are you comparing to Arcanum?
To me its like diablo with elements of elder scrolls and baldurs gate.

 

[Lord_Potato]

Buddy its a hack and slash game why are you comparing to Arcanum?
To me its like diablo with elements of elder scrolls and baldurs gate.

I said that it's a mix of Diablo (combat) & Ultima (world&quest design). It's just some aesthetic elements reminded me strongly of Arcanum.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

Lots of scorpions and no battle you couldn't win? You sound like thst dude in the wow southpark episode.

SCORPIONS!

 

[Lord_Potato]

Lots of scorpions and no battle you couldn't win? You sound like thst dude in the wow southpark episode.

SCORPIONS!

If the game gives me options, I use them. I already resigned from using magic.

Anyway I rarely used scorpions in boss battles because they were making it even more trivial. Mostly to thin groups of henchmen, while I faced the main enemy.

I also used scorpions to clear out the mobs, to lessen the grind a bit. Plus it was funny when in the end only my scorpions patroled large portions of region/dungeon.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

. I already resigned from using magic

Crom laughs at you from his mountain

 

[Lord_Potato]

. I already resigned from using magic

Crom laughs at you from his mountain

Maybe Crom should come down from his mountain from time o time.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

. I already resigned from using magic

Crom laughs at you from his mountain

Maybe Crom should come down from his mountain from time o time.

Nah, it's a fine mountain

 

[wishbonetail]

Most interesting feature in this game for me is the ability to manipulate practically every object, wich I don't believe I've seen anywhere else. It had great potential but, sadly, was underutilized. I was fun to haul a chest from a dungeon, which you don't have an ability to open yet.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Most interesting feature in this game for me is the ability to manipulate practically every object, wich I don't believe I've seen anywhere else.

Have you tried Larian's other games?

 

[wishbonetail]

Most interesting feature in this game for me is the ability to manipulate practically every object, wich I don't believe I've seen anywhere else.

Have you tried Larian's other games?

Beyond Divinity, obviously, being on the same engine. And I remember what a letdown Divinity 2 was. It still had secret buttons and trapdoors but no interactivity.
Somehow DOS completely flew out of my mind, I only played it once. Maybe it just its generic 3D graphic style? Anyway, DD has that special middle ages vibe, which makes it quite memorable.

 

[visions]

If the game gives me options, I use them. I already resigned from using magic.

Scorpions seemed more OP than magic to me. But I didn't use them much because I tend to hoard consumables. I played a mage with some thief skills (on hardest difficulty) and used the scorpions when I had trouble with some boss fights.

IIRC there were several bosses that weren't immune to the freeze spell, that seemed the most OP thing about magic.

 

[wishbonetail]

If the game gives me options, I use them. I already resigned from using magic.

Scorpions seemed more OP than magic to me. But I didn't use them much because I tend to hoard consumables. I played a mage with some thief skills (on hardest difficulty) and used the scorpions when I had trouble with some boss fights.

IIRC there were several bosses that weren't immune to the freeze spell, that seemed the most OP thing about magic.

Magic is OP coz it can be cast as fast as you can click, as long as you have mana bottles. If you want challenge melee or bow is the way.

 

[Sunri]

This game should get enchanted edition!

 

[Baldanders]

Best shit game I've ever played pretty much perfectly describes DOS2 to me as well.

 

[Not.AI]

Divine Divinity was totally awesome.

Dragon Knight Saga was totally awesome.

DOS1 was totally awesome.

DOS2 was totally awesome.

BG3 is totally awesome.

---------------------------------- [IMPLIES]

Larian is totally awesome.

Compare these pieces of ART with random AAA. Since they win with only a few exceptions, can they really be called shit? Haiku me that!

 

[Joggerino]

 

[hello friend]

Hey does anyone know how to spawn items or npcs? During the poisoned harvest quest, I went to the cave and killed the orc, and either I picked up the key and it disappeared from inventory or the key didn't drop. Now I can't open the door in the cellar of the Blue Boar Inn.

Edit: Is the main quest completable without dealing with the plague situation?

 

[Dadd]

You are afraid to admit an ARPG could be actually good
Divine Divinity is not a best "shit" game, it's actually a good game, probably better than most of your top 10 crpgs

 

[Nikanuur]

Looked ugly

Personally, I thought Divine Divinity had one of the prettiest, even if simple, 2d sprite graphics around. The water ripples and reflections, the hand-drawn detail put into minuscule things, fog. Add to that the ability to interact with the world you can't in most 2d games, a decent music score, exploration, quests and you have a great gem in your hands.

Then take that gem and chip away the shit skill system and repetitive combat and you'll have a flawed gem of a game.

I've always ended up playing on "poison" skill and archery. One shot, than run around, watch the enemy crumble after some time. I admit it's kinda authistic, but it's also really skill, very RPG, and so fun.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

*beats drum*