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

[Xamenos]

I got this game from Codex fundraiser, and bought the season pass when it was on sale, but have not gotten around to it playing it yet.
Recently my bro started a playthrough and after some initial high praise (really high for him, he's picky) he reported getting swarmed in bugs, including some game-breaking ones (like NPCs not spawning). Is this true? Is this game still a buggy mess? I thought it was mostly fixed after over 9000 patches and supposedly "enhanced" since June?

I played the game on release and it was a buggy mess. I played again after the Enhanced edition came out, and I encountered a single unimportant bug. There's absolutely no way your brother is getting swarmed in bugs in a legit patched version, unless he means the spider swarms that have filtered many a newbie.

 

[Erebus]

I liked Act 5, but I find Act 6 to be fairly disappointing. I got about halfway through the House (I found all of my companions and gathered 2 of the 3 keys), but by then I was so bored that I was spending less and less time on the game, even though I was really enjoying it until then. The House has surprisingly little atmosphere and the fights are meh (I don't even want to imagine how much of a chore they must have been before the number of Wild Hunt encounters was reduced).

And it's not because I've spent too much time on the game and am getting fed up with it. I've just started a new game and I'm having fun again !

This time, I'm playing a bard, as I thought it would be an original choice for a main character. At low level, Inspire Courage doesn't make a huge difference, but bards already have access to several spells that can neutralize enemies for a time, which is nice.

On the other hand, my previous PC was a grenadier and the lack of bombs now makes certain fights a lot harder (the bear-treant at the temple of the elm, for instance, was a mere bump in the road for my grenadier but a considerable challenge for my current party). I'll have to recruit Jubilost as soon as I can.

I would say that level 2 is (on Hard, anyway) the most painful part of the game. You're level 1 almost exclusively during the introduction, and few of the fights in the introduction are a significant challenge. But at the beginning of Act 1, you find yourself at level 2, with precious few abilities/spells to boost yourself or weaken enemies, and a few unlucky rolls are enough to ruin your day even when facing weak foes.

 

[Pink Eye]

>I would say that level 2 is (on Hard, anyway) the most painful part of the game. You're level 1 almost exclusively during the introduction, and few of the fights in the introduction are a significant challenge. But at the beginning of Act 1, you find yourself at level 2, with precious few abilities/spells to boost yourself or weaken enemies, and a few unlucky rolls are enough to ruin your day even when facing weak foes.

Yup. That's what makes low level DnD gameplay so fun and satisfying to play through.

 

[Lawntoilet]

The House has surprisingly little atmosphere and the fights are meh (I don't even want to imagine how much of a chore they must have been before the number of Wild Hunt encounters was reduced).

They reduced the Wild Hunt encounters? Praise the lord for that, I only ever played the late game once shortly after the game released and it was a horrendous slog. It gets somewhat better after the HATEOT but still worse than the rest of the game.

 

[Haplo]

Yes, they replaced them with Summer Golems.

Does it make it less tedious? YMMV.

 

[Sykar]

I have found my new favorite class in Pathfinder, Arcanist, using the newest CotW and The Lost Grimoire mods now instead of CotW 1.56, EA and Arcane Tide. Lost Grimoire is great because it adds decent divination spells at ever spell level where there was none before. Level 1 for example gets Lesser Counterspell and Heightened Senses adding some nice situational utility to divination spells which was extremely limited before. Now chosing Divination as your school does not feel so punishing anymore.
Not sure I will get the Golem Creation feat but it is interesting that you can get it and wizard/sorcs get access to construct healing spells now.
The two features I will truly miss from EA are the two Wish spells and traits, though traits are somewhat OP since no NPC can get them.

 

[Pink Eye]

Guys, I don't think flurry of blows works when you're in dragon form.

Spoiler

 

[Nerevar]

Did you check combat log it might not show up in the char sheet.

 

[Pink Eye]

Looks like my monk is only making one attack.

Spoiler

 

[Pink Eye]

Whoa! My monk looks cool when he self buffs!

Spoiler

 

[Pink Eye]

This is what it looks when my monk isn't a dragon. I think someone here was asking if Flurry of blows worked when in dragon form. Honestly, I don't know.

Spoiler

 

[Nerevar]

Do you want to be replaced by a mercenary henchman? Because this is how you get replaced by a mercenary henchman Valerie.

Spoiler

 

[Yosharian]

Flurry of Blows isn't supposed to work with natural attacks.

 

[Pink Eye]

Do you want to be replaced by a mercenary henchman? Because this is how you get replaced by a mercenary henchman Valerie.

Spoiler

Just roll better :^)

 

[Pink Eye]

Look bros! I'm a water man. Watch out! WATER MAN coming on through!

Spoiler

 

[LannTheStupid]

I wonder if Owlcat can sell not only the game, but the automation tools as well. And if the tools would be more profitable...

 

[Lacrymas]

Look bros! I'm a water man. Watch out! WATER MAN coming on through!

Spoiler

Those columns of buffs trigger PTSD in me.

 

[Pink Eye]

Look bros! I'm a water man. Watch out! WATER MAN coming on through!

Spoiler

Those columns of buffs trigger PTSD in me.

Prebuffing isn't too bad once you reach level 20. Higher level buffs tend to over ride lower level buffs. For example, this is me prebuffing at level 20:
Monk: Bark Skin.
Paladin: Bless Weapon, Veil of Heaven, Veil of Positive Energy, Aura of Greater Courage, Effortless Armor, Greater Angelic Aspect, Archon's Aura, Crusader's Edge, Divine Weapon Bond.
Druid: Acid Maw, Bark Skin, Greater Magic Fang, Freedom of Movement, Owl's Wisdom Mass, Stoneskin Communal, Legendary Proportions, Seamantle, Foresight.
Cleric: Bless, Aid, Magical Vestment, True Seeing, Greater Angelic Aspect.
Bard: Blur, Magic Mirror, Delay Posion Communal.
Sorcerer: Reduce Person, Magic Mirror, Echolocation, Protection from Spells, Heroic Invocation, Mind Blank Communal.

I also use a lot of hit keys when prebuffing too. The process doesn't take that long. It's quite fun.

 

[Lacrymas]

That list is longer than some dissertations. Is there a mod that makes all of that waiting go away?

 

[NJClaw]

That list is longer than some dissertations. Is there a mod to makes all of that waiting go away?

There is the buff bot mod (thanks again LannTheStupid). It's easy to set up and it allows you to create a profile for each character (or a single profile for more characters that need the same buffs). With a single click you will execute the entire routine.

 

[Xamenos]

Prebuffing isn't too bad once you reach level 20. Higher level buffs tend to over ride lower level buffs. For example, this is me prebuffing at level 20:
Monk: Bark Skin.
Paladin: Bless Weapon, Veil of Heaven, Veil of Positive Energy, Aura of Greater Courage, Effortless Armor, Greater Angelic Aspect, Archon's Aura, Crusader's Edge, Divine Weapon Bond.
Druid: Acid Maw, Bark Skin, Greater Magic Fang, Freedom of Movement, Owl's Wisdom Mass, Stoneskin Communal, Legendary Proportions, Seamantle, Foresight.
Cleric: Bless, Aid, Magical Vestment, True Seeing, Greater Angelic Aspect.
Bard: Blur, Magic Mirror, Delay Posion Communal.
Sorcerer: Reduce Person, Magic Mirror, Echolocation, Protection from Spells, Heroic Invocation, Mind Blank Communal.

I also use a lot of hit keys when prebuffing too. The process doesn't take that long. It's quite fun.

This buff list triggers me. It contains the absurdly situational (Veils, Echolocation), the completely useless (Bless, Aid, Effortless Armor), those who are better given through items (Mass Owl's Wisdom, Magic Vestment) and does not contain some other useful spells like Holy Aura, Mass Resist and Protection from elements or even essentials like Displacement and motherfucking HASTE.

The buff bot is legit though, I wish it was base game functionality.

 

[Pink Eye]

So, this is the power of Wild Monarch!

Spoiler

>This buff list triggers me. It contains the absurdly situational (Veils, Echolocation)
Echolocation is needed on those who can't benefit from True Seeing. My cleric only has 4 casts on True Seeing. I tend to prioritize the front liners. Then have the back liners buff with echolocation. Enemies on the DLC dungeon tend to have blur + displacement effects. Paladin's Veils and auras are super useful in the DLC dungeon.

>the completely useless (Bless, Aid, Effortless Armor)
Oh lol, I just realized that heroic invocation over rides aid and bless, good to know! Effortless armor is useful for heavy armor users. My paladin wears heavy armor.

>those who are better given through items (Mass Owl's Wisdom, Magic Vestment)
I haven't encountered any wisdom items in the dungeon yet. I think I am on floor 37. Magic vestment is bugged, and works with magical enchanted armor. See:

Spoiler

>and does not contain some other useful spells like Holy Aura, Mass Resist and Protection from elements or even essentials like Displacement and motherfucking HASTE.
Of course I use haste, lol. I just don't spam it that much because it only lasts for around 1-2 mins. I tend to conserve it for difficult engagements. I also use protection from elements, but none of the enemies in this floor have been using any thing of the sort that will require that buff. I don't know what Holy Aura or Mass resist is. Is mass resist similar to Protection from Spells?

 

[Xamenos]

So, this is the power of Wild Monarch!

Spoiler

>This buff list triggers me. It contains the absurdly situational (Veils, Echolocation)
Echolocation is needed on those who can't benefit from True Seeing. My cleric only has 4 casts on True Seeing. I tend to prioritize the front liners. Then have the back liners buff with echolocation. Enemies on the DLC dungeon tend to have blur + displacement effects. Paladin's Veils and auras are super useful in the DLC dungeon.

>the completely useless (Bless, Aid, Effortless Armor)
Oh lol, I just realized that heroic invocation over rides aid and bless, good to know! Effortless armor is useful for heavy armor users. My paladin wears heavy armor.

>those who are better given through items (Mass Owl's Wisdom, Magic Vestment)
I haven't encountered any wisdom items in the dungeon yet. I think I am on floor 37. Magic vestment is bugged, and works with magical enchanted armor. See:

Spoiler

>and does not contain some other useful spells like Holy Aura, Mass Resist and Protection from elements or even essentials like Displacement and motherfucking HASTE.
Of course I use haste, lol. I just don't spam it that much because it only lasts for around 1-2 mins. I tend to conserve it for difficult engagements. I also use protection from elements, but none of the enemies in this floor have been using any thing of the sort that will require that buff. I don't know what Holy Aura or Mass resist is. Is mass resist similar to Protection from Spells?

Ah, you're talking about the meme endless dungeon. You should have specified that, it does change things. You meet approximately 0 undead or demons in the final chapters of the main campaign, and plentiful items like rods of lesser extend make buffs obsolete. Extended haste lasts for 4 minutes at L20, which is more than enough to have it up at all times.

Effortless armor buffs speed and the skill check penalty. Both are useless. It's a waste of a spell.

By "mass resist" I meant "Mass Resist Energy", which works similarly to protection from elements.

Holy Aura is an 8th level Cleric spell that does some useless stuff, and also protects you against mind-affecting effects.

Also, exploiting bugs is cheating. I hope you've reported it, at least.

 

[Pink Eye]

>Also, exploiting bugs is cheating. I hope you've reported it, at least.
I have. Multiple times in the past. They haven't fixed it.

 

[Nerevar]

Oh I see why you have that paladin for the death ward aura. Pretty strong.