Divinity: Original Sin 2 Early Access Thread [GAME RELEASED, GO TO NEW THREAD]

[Kem0sabe]

The more stuff they add to the TB combat... the more hours it will take to resolve a single encounter. Maybe Larian saw how well fans reacted to the slow combat in D:OS and in Torment and they decided to double down on it for bestest longest lenght.

 

[Wild Slop]

Yeah the enemy turns can be insufferably slow. If possible, some sort of fast forward slider would be nice. I'd want it just the actions of enemy ai turns, not the animation of a player's.

There are a good deal of little improvement that go a long way such as bags accessed in tool bar (scroll bag, arrow bag, etc) and I like the marking items as junk for selling.

When the next update comes out I'd like to test co-op too. Not having played DOS1 in co-op, is XP gained from vast distances shared across the party?

 

[JasonNH]

The more stuff they add to the TB combat... the more hours it will take to resolve a single encounter.

Having more schools of magic and a greater number of build options doesn't make combat longer. In fact, summoner is pretty OP right now and made combat decisively shorter.

 

[lili]

Summon spam is an RPG tradition!

 

[anvi]

I never had an issue with slow combat so having more spells in the dos2 is great news for me!

 

[Roguey]

I apologize for my ignorance, but what'd they do to the AP system?

Spoiler

Is shit now?

You can see it in the screenshots. 6 AP is the maximum, you start off with 4, and they're no longer governed by attributes (and good riddance to that). D:OS2 Glass Cannon changes it so that you always start off with 6, but at the expense of armor not protecting you from status effects.

 

[Luckmann]

I apologize for my ignorance, but what'd they do to the AP system?

Spoiler

Is shit now?

You can see it in the screenshots. 6 AP is the maximum, you start off with 4, and they're no longer governed by attributes (and good riddance to that). D:OS2 Glass Cannon changes it so that you always start off with 6, but at the expense of armor not protecting you from status effects.

Starting with 4 and a cap of 6 sounds... terrible.

 

[Inveigh]

No Juggernaut or Unarmed Combat though.

Yeah, I'm looking forward to Polymorph, but unarmed combat would have been awesome.

 

[Roguey]

Starting with 4 and a cap of 6 sounds... terrible.

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...rly-access-thread.111044/page-17#post-4747755

Feels largely the same only with less fiddly micro which is probably a good thing when you have a system where each character has a wall of active abilities.

 

[an Administrator]

Have they changed the stealth mechanics?

 

[Luckmann]

Starting with 4 and a cap of 6 sounds... terrible.

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...rly-access-thread.111044/page-17#post-4747755

Feels largely the same only with less fiddly micro which is probably a good thing when you have a system where each character has a wall of active abilities.

But I liked the fiddly micro, aside from the fact that you sometimes didn't know if you were behind an enemy, easily solved by the indicators introduced in D:OS:EE.

Have they changed the stealth mechanics?

I fucking hope not. If I can't sneak up behind someone disguised as a bush, I'm just not going to bother playing. The only change I want to see is so that enemies actually try to look for you, or react to the direction damage is coming from, so you can't start hidden->attack->hide->attack->hide anymore. But after axing Action Points as a wider variable in term of character mechanics (which I think sounds utterly shit), I doubt that'd even be possible anymore.

 

[LESS T_T]

One of few PAX East coverage: http://www.sidequesting.com/2017/03/pax-east-divinity-original-sin-ii-rocks-our-demon-socks-off/

The demo begins just after a shipwreck, where our adventurers are separated from each other on an island. We control our singular character, and must traverse around the land to find our team. Scattered throughout the lush environment are ruins, depicting the passage of time since the first game. Sin 2 is set hundreds of years after the events of the original, so there are direct ties to what we see. Giant statues litter the landscape, which we get a better view of them when we rotate around the screen. Wheeeee!

Along the way to collecting our friends, we’re attacked by enemies — monsters, fighters, demons — and rarely talk our way out of battle. As the demo is designed to show us the new abilities, we felt it best to really put them to the test. Polymorphs (transformations) and Summoning (totems) are just two of them, but they’re the ones we focus on most. Transformations add timed abilities and effects to our characters that can cause massive damage to our enemies or change the way we interact with them. Totems are environment-based, and summoning them in different areas (dirt, fire, oil, water) leads to unique results. Placing a totem in oil will slow everyone down, and one in fire will slowly burn away HP. The totems can be destroyed though, so placing them can provide an advantage as an extra attackable target. After playing around with both new abilities, I found myself falling in love with turning my enemies into chickens.

We make our way through thickets and brush to a beach, forcing short tactical turn-based battles along the way. Once boarding a ship with our now decent team, we engage in a considerable battle on multiple levels. I move around with the intent of picking off enemies one, but the AI is smart enough to prepare, clustering characters when needed and dividing us when we’re least ready. It’s like Mike Krzyzewski is coaching a college all-star team against a scrappy high school squad.

I try to manage my team, but I’m unable to keep up, panicking along the way and using up my attacks far too early. I’m slaughtered. It’s chaos, really.

But it’s also glorious chaos.

 

[Wild Slop]

http://www.divinity.game/spy4

http://www.divinity.game/spy5

Little write ups on Polymorph and Summoning.

Partying with Polymorphs
The “Polymorph” school consolidates diverse practices focused on reshaping the body of the caster or his or her enemies in strategic, creative combat. Polymorphs draw inspiration from nature, mimicking powerful beasts, growing new and useful body parts, changing their appearance to confuse and overwhelm their opponents, etc.

Although it is impossible to know the true range of abilities within this creative skill, there have been confirmed sightings of polymorphs growing horns to impale enemies, turning foes into harmless chickens, and even morphing their hand into a terrifying tentacle to slap enemies at range and disarm them. Unconfirmed reported sightings include tales of turtle shell defense, polymorphs disappearing completely and of individuals growing wings and flying from battle.

Should you encounter a polymorph, your best bet is to fight creativity with creativity. Or to run.

Seeking Summoners
The “Summoning” school revolves around summoning a personal Incarnate and infusing that Incarnate with elements and powers. Summoners also use strategically placed and totems to turn the tide of battle.

The Summoner’s Incarnate resembles a small, hairy devil, and can be a flexible and efficient partner in combat. They seem to absorb the elemental powers of the surface they are summoned on. Some tales tell of Summoners who call upon Familiars or Inner Demons instead of Incarnates.

Like Incarnates, totems also utilize powers that reflect the surface on which they are summoned, and cast automatic attacks and other nasty effects.

The elemental powers of the totems and Incarnates, as well as the added strategy of dealing with multiple and potentially unpredictable foes cause Summoners to be fearful opponents indeed.

It is also said that at full power, Summoners can create portals, form storms and utterly dominate the minds of their enemies. So be sure the nearest Summoner is on your side before your next adventure.

 

[Luckmann]

Eh, not sure how much I like the idea of the Summoner being focused on a single summon like that. That's always struck me as odd. I think it works the same in Pathfinder. Hopefully the totems and such synergizes well with all kinds of summons, so you could build a "full" summoner using several different spell schools, such as summoning different elementals and giant spiders and such at the same time.

I think the Polymorph school sounds spot-on. Just like I always hated the idea of Summoners being focused on a single summon, I always hated the idea that Polymorphing/Shapeshifting is usually about complete transformation. Turning some parts of you into different parts is a lot more interesting, such as growing a pair of claws or a set of horns and so on. I love it. I had still hoped that some of the more interesting choices would've won the votes. But then again, I've never been much for pure casters.

 

[Aenra]

Eh, not sure how much I like the idea of the Summoner being focused on a single summon like that

If we had to manage the creation, employ some thinking while at it, etc. (maybe even facing some consequences, such as our needing to stand still while it's moving [focus]), i'm not so sure i'd mind.
If it's the usual click -> pop -> engage in combat/you do your thing, then i'd agree.

edit: devil's advocate, but remember it's already a zoo what with all the AoE effects being played out. Maybe they're doing their best not to 'litter' the screen any further? Dunno.

 

[Roguey]

A summoner who can summon more than one creature can spiral into a lack of very quickly.

 

[SniperHF]

But I liked the fiddly micro, aside from the fact that you sometimes didn't know if you were behind an enemy, easily solved by the indicators introduced in D:OS:EE.

To further explain it, here's how I'd say the difference is:
D:OS 1 - I have 11 action points, 1 action point moves me about 2 meters on the field.
I can:
Move 22 meters in one turn
Move 10 meters and cast a 6AP skill
Move 10 meters and cast a 3AP skill + 3AP 1H attack
Move 14 meters and cast a 4AP flare
Move 2 meters and cast a 10AP master skill meteor shower.
(and obviously a lot in between)

D:O2 - I have 4 AP, 1 action point moves me about 6 meters
I can:
Move 24 meters in one turn
Move 6 meters + use a 2AP skill + a 1AP attack
Move 12 meters + use a 2H weapon attack
Move 18 meters and use a 1AP skill


So while it's true that at higher levels in D:OS 1 you had more AP to play with and could think about either using single more effective skills or many lower AP skills, the mixed numbers between party members (I have 10AP, P2 has 13AP, Jahan has 9AP, Madora has 11AP) makes you rethink your approach every turn. Move the Mouse around constantly to check distances. If I end turn now do I waste AP because my AP Max isn't high enough? Oh what was my AP Max again? Those kind of rote calculations you do over and over again add up in D:OS 1.

In 2, while I wouldn't dispute the decline descriptor on decision making between what skills to use due to the AP system; there are other things introduced to make up for it(Source points, elevation, increased mobility on the field) + the good of faster decision making in large and lengthy battles.

I still want to see how it plays on higher levels, but in the 1-8 range of the beta it doesn't hurt on balance and occasionally helps.

I fucking hope not. If I can't sneak up behind someone disguised as a bush, I'm just not going to bother playing. The only change I want to see is so that enemies actually try to look for you, or react to the direction damage is coming from, so you can't start hidden->attack->hide->attack->hide anymore. But after axing Action Points as a wider variable in term of character mechanics (which I think sounds utterly shit), I doubt that'd even be possible anymore.

I haven't played since the new AI, but basically I'd say the giant mountain of status effects and surfaces will have a huge impact on stealth in 2. The AI uses large battlefield consuming abilities much more frequently so you're no longer in complete control of surfaces. So the actual sneaking and such remains the same, and in the original AI in 2 they didn't really seem smarter vis a vis stealth/invis; but due to the larger presence of unpredictability from the AI you're stealth plans will be thwarted more often.

Couldn't tell you on the attack/hide/attack/hide pattern since I don't usually play stealth. Maybe I'll play around with it next time I check out the beta status.

 

[lili]

D:OS 1 - I have 11 action points, 1 action point moves me about 2 meters on the field.
I can:
Move 22 meters in one turn
Move 10 meters and cast a 6AP skill
Move 10 meters and cast a 3AP skill + 3AP 1H attack
Move 14 meters and cast a 4AP flare
Move 2 meters and cast a 10AP master skill meteor shower.
(and obviously a lot in between)

D:O2 - I have 4 AP, 1 action point moves me about 6 meters
I can:
Move 24 meters in one turn
Move 6 meters + use a 2AP skill + a 1AP attack
Move 12 meters + use a 2H weapon attack
Move 18 meters and use a 1AP skill

Thats not a valid comparison. No one reasons this way.
Danger eval, Priorities, Dmg/AP, Movement+Dmg/AP, Delayed Combos - in sorta that order.

 

[Efe]

A summoner who can summon more than one creature can spiral into a lack of very quickly.

doesn't sound too impossible to balance for X summons and attach a buff/debuff (+/- stats and duration for summons, -initiative/ap/lose turn/etc for summoner) according to number of active summons compared to X.
also sven seems to favor fun over balance and i'll take him over sawyer any day

 

[Valky]

There aren't quest markers in D:OS2 are there?

 

[Roguey]

doesn't sound too impossible to balance for X summons and attach a buff/debuff (+/- stats and duration for summons, -initiative/ap/lose turn/etc for summoner) according to number of active summons compared to X.
also sven seems to favor fun over balance and i'll take him over sawyer any day

Larian's nerfs have been far harsher than a Sawyer nerf has ever been.

 

[SniperHF]

Thats not a valid comparison. No one reasons this way.
Danger eval, Priorities, Dmg/AP, Movement+Dmg/AP, Delayed Combos - in sorta that order.

I wasn't talking about why you would take those actions though, I was listing some possibilities. It's about how quickly the average player can run through those possibilities in his head before clicking something.

Obviously there are still situations where you end up on the border of having say 2 or 3 AP to use after moving, but those situations occur less often than in 1's system because there are fewer intervals where it can occur.

 

[Tuco Benedicto Pacifico]

There aren't quest markers in D:OS2 are there?

Not yet, but we should be wary of all the spast... uh, story-focused gamers who are asking to add them to increase accessibility.

 

[Valky]

There aren't quest markers in D:OS2 are there?

Not yet, but we should be wary of all the spast... uh, story-focused gamers who are asking to add them to increase accessibility.

I'll take the release version of the game and run for the hills from any EE this time if that's the case.

 

[LESS T_T]

Swen himself is against explicit quest markers (and when asked, he says it's impossible to add them even IF they want to because the quest structure they're striving for). Even Divinity 2 (multiplatform action RPG) didn't have quest markers.