Pathfinder Pathfinder: Kingmaker - Enhanced Plus Edition - now with turn-based combat

[Yosharian]

I don't think it's their first game

 

[Trashos]

One of the weird (not in a bad way) things about this game is how it plays out as a Supergeneric RPG for a while, and you're just killing nondescript bad guy in the most basic questline, but then you are literally helping somebody do a medieval surgery or doing some kind of 'the culprit is right here in this room' Agatha Christie thing.

That is more or less correct. It starts generic, but then builds up throughout. The point you are at is where it started impressing me too. It was where immersion started taking off for me, and I started paying attention to the themes.

You are still early in the game, but I do believe you are going to enjoy it. The themes as well.

 

[Daidre]

That is more or less correct. It starts generic, but then builds up throughout. The point you are at is where it started impressing me too.

Interesting fact - Bloom is a first big chunk of completely original Owlcat's writing, this chapter was not present in AP, where story progression went straight Trolls > Varnhold.

So going from generic "Kill Bandit Boss" to eerily Planescape'y scene:

Spoiler

of Nyrissa's trial in the First World

Definitely leaves a strong impression.

 

[purpleblob]

I don't think it's their first game

It is their first as "Owlcat Games". Most of devs should have worked on some other games previously, of course.

 

[mediocrepoet]

New patch with lots of fixes.

https://steamcommunity.com/games/Pathfinder_Kingmaker/announcements/detail/3221697182819902417

 

[Avarize]

So I've noticed that gay marriage seems to be a thing in the Pathfinder universe. Do they have an explanation as to why? I don't really see why an institution that evolved as tool for increased stability and child rearing, would include biologically incompatible couples. Nor do I see how the redefinition of marriage that has happened in our society could happen in a world that isn't so far removed from struggle. Especially in an agrarian society people who are not getting busy with the opposite sex and procreating, would be seen as burdens.

 

[mediocrepoet]

So I've noticed that gay marriage seems to be a thing in the Pathfinder universe. Do they have an explanation as to why? I don't really see why an institution that evolved as tool for increased stability and child rearing, would include biologically incompatible couples. Nor do I see how the redefinition of marriage that has happened in our society could happen in a world that isn't so far removed from struggle. Especially in an agrarian society people who are not getting busy with the opposite sex and procreating, would be seen as burdens.

This dumb world has crashed space ships, open portals to hell, etc. and this is where your suspension of disbelief comes in? Like if you're looking for historical simulation, this is the wrong game.

 

[Shadenuat]

My first playthrough is going well

ah, finally, an obsidianite
welcome
it is such a quiet thing, to fall

 

[ga♥]

New patch with lots of fixes.

https://steamcommunity.com/games/Pathfinder_Kingmaker/announcements/detail/3221697182819902417

That doesn't seem "lot of fixes".

None of the one I have encoutered with 2.0.7 has been dealt with (exept Slayer I guess).

 

[Dr Skeleton]

I already have TB, cleaner and several others that have made the game more enjoyable. Anyone else have some good recommendations?

I use turn-based, closer to tabletop (adds rudimentary cover rules, some traits/combat maneuver changes and flanking isn't as retarded, plays well with TB) and UI extensions. Currently in the 2nd act, it's amazing how much less of a clusterfuck big fights are with TB, they should really support it officially for the next game, if just some guy can make a mod for it and it works almost seamlessly it shouldn't be that hard. In ~20h with it I only saw a couple of times where a charging character went a roundabout way and took some attacks of opportunity for no reason... but that happens without the TB mod too.

Also, did they redesign the spider cave area in the first act because people couldn't kill the swarms?

 

[ga♥]

Yep, spider swarm redesign, sadly the game has been under the constant influx of declining nerfing since day 1

 

[Avarize]

So I've noticed that gay marriage seems to be a thing in the Pathfinder universe. Do they have an explanation as to why? I don't really see why an institution that evolved as tool for increased stability and child rearing, would include biologically incompatible couples. Nor do I see how the redefinition of marriage that has happened in our society could happen in a world that isn't so far removed from struggle. Especially in an agrarian society people who are not getting busy with the opposite sex and procreating, would be seen as burdens.

This dumb world has crashed space ships, open portals to hell, etc. and this is where your suspension of disbelief comes in? Like if you're looking for historical simulation, this is the wrong game.

Hadn't see crashed space ships yet, that doesn't sound good. I don't like mixing sci-fi with fantasy. Don't really see how an open portal to hell would be a comparable issue. That's just part of the cosmology of the world. However, societal development should have understandable reasons and completely normalized gay marriage is such a paradigm shift from how societies normally evolve that it needs an explanation. Even cultures that historically had very lenient views of homosexuality did not have gay marriage (there are some exceptions like the Oasis of Siwa, but again there was a reasonable sociological explanation). If you wish to represent your views of marriage equality through media, have it make sense.

 

[Parabalus]

When is Varnhold's Lot in the main campaign supposed to trigger?

Imported the save before Ch4, did Armag now but still nothing new.

You need to have recruited Maegar as an advisor. If you don't have him it doesn't trigger.

I figured as much after it didn't trigger for a while.

The incredible part is that the goblin merchant in Rushlight didn't have any of the DLC items either - meaning that if you don't chose Maegar the only thing you get out of the entire DLC is that stuff which you loot in the tomb itself.

 

[Vorark]

New patch with lots of fixes.

https://steamcommunity.com/games/Pathfinder_Kingmaker/announcements/detail/3221697182819902417

The Slayer's Studied Target ability infinitely stacked with itself. Resolution: fixed.

Can finally resume my Slayer playthrough, awww yeah!

 

[Tigranes]

I could not resist and now my party is a naked monk, knife slayer nok nok, bombthrowing jubilost, enlarged amiri, plus jaethal & linzi

Party does like 500 damage per turn at level 9 but also dies to anything that can hit them, good times

 

[Darth Canoli]

I already have TB, cleaner and several others that have made the game more enjoyable. Anyone else have some good recommendations?

Don't update mods too much aside from TB, Eldrich Arcana updates can fuck up your saves, not sure about call of the wild but possibly too.

Fast travel is really nice.

Bag of tricks is really great too for everything but mainly x5/10 party encumbrance (yes, my party travels with pack horses), eliminating weather (to avoid stuttering) or reducing the need to camp (some games are walking simulators, this one is a camping + loading screens simulator)

 

[Catacombs]

Also, did they redesign the spider cave area in the first act because people couldn't kill the swarms?

I played the cave level yesterday, using very weak players, and the spider swarms were definitely there.

reducing the need to camp (some games are walking simulators, this one is a camping + loading screens simulator

This made things better for me. I spent more time playing instead of watching people camp for hours on end.

 

[mediocrepoet]

Also, did they redesign the spider cave area in the first act because people couldn't kill the swarms?

I played the cave level yesterday, using very weak players, and the spider swarms were definitely there.

The cave used to be much smaller and the swarms were unavoidable. Now you can easily pop in, grab the berries and leave without dealing with the swarms.

 

[Yosharian]

When is Varnhold's Lot in the main campaign supposed to trigger?

Imported the save before Ch4, did Armag now but still nothing new.

You need to have recruited Maegar as an advisor. If you don't have him it doesn't trigger.

I figured as much after it didn't trigger for a while.

The incredible part is that the goblin merchant in Rushlight didn't have any of the DLC items either - meaning that if you don't chose Maegar the only thing you get out of the entire DLC is that stuff which you loot in the tomb itself.

When do you get to recruit Maegar as an advisor anyway?

 

[Trashos]

When do you get to recruit Maegar as an advisor anyway?

At the end of Vordakai's Tomb.

 

[Mr. Magniloquent]

Also, did they redesign the spider cave area in the first act because people couldn't kill the swarms?

I played the cave level yesterday, using very weak players, and the spider swarms were definitely there.

The cave used to be much smaller and the swarms were unavoidable. Now you can easily pop in, grab the berries and leave without dealing with the swarms.

Well, that's not entirely true. Instead of fighting two giant spiders and two swarms, you fight two groups of four giant spiders and then have to pass a DC20 Nature skill check which damages the party non-trivially for any failures. It's an appropriate level of challenge for that level. If you can't reliably pass the nature skill check, or are so bold, you can then fight at least five or six swarms in addition to a few giants spiders to loot some rare herbs off a corpse (and some more loot). The cave is much better designed now, especially for new players.

 

[Dr Skeleton]

Also, did they redesign the spider cave area in the first act because people couldn't kill the swarms?

I played the cave level yesterday, using very weak players, and the spider swarms were definitely there.

They're still there, can still be difficult at that level depending on your party, but the area is bigger now and you can get the berries without fighting the swarms, which I think was the reason for redesigning the area. Used to be that you go in and the swarms are all over your party. Now there is more enemies more spaced out and some bonus loot if you kill the swarms (wand of cure moderate wounds isn't bad when you're level 2).

 

[Thonius]

I already have TB, cleaner and several others that have made the game more enjoyable. Anyone else have some good recommendations?

Don't update mods too much aside from TB, Eldrich Arcana updates can fuck up your saves, not sure about call of the wild but possibly too.

Fast travel is really nice.

Bag of tricks is really great too for everything but mainly x5/10 party encumbrance (yes, my party travels with pack horses), eliminating weather (to avoid stuttering) or reducing the need to camp (some games are walking simulators, this one is a camping + loading screens simulator)

Recently updated call off the wild, received dood old error screen. Rolled back and fixed.

 

[Shadenuat]

party does like 500 damage per turn at level 9 but also dies to anything that can hit them, good times

well you're almost there. just try and double that damage, and you would do as much as haplo does.
with one character.
in one attack.

The cave is much better designed now, especially for new players.

if more spiders = better yes.

but actually no.

the real problem was always with their oddly high stats for a hard counter monster. with their AC (17 or so I believe), and -4 penalty to shoot into combat, you would only ever roll 1/2 damage from potions, doing around 1 damage, and swarms have around 9-12-16 hp (depending on difficulty). torch does 1 damage as well.

considering I took them down either with multiple stone calls or 6+ burning hands from Evoker, it is just not a good hard counter mob.

they should literally die like flies, have like 4 hp and 10 AC for this point of the game (on Normal). that way them being immune to not-aoe would make all kinds of sense. (and without Point Blank Shot you would still hit them with potion for full damage only 25% of the time with characters you have probably)

also they implemented AOE vulnerability in some strange way, either elemental or spell id based, which is why when I played gaem swarms did not take bonus damage from AOE in a consistent way (so some spells worked, some didn't).
which is a half-assed way of balancing, and the only thing what you need to do, since they're only affected by AOE, is just cut their HP by 50%, and that's it, you don't need any special vulnerabilities: a 4-5 hp swarm would mean 4-5 bokken potions would kill it even if you miss which would be totally OK.

 

[Parabalus]

What's the mod that lets you cancel AoE spells?
Getting a bit annoyed casting wall and deadly earth behind myself all the time.