Pathfinder Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous - Enhanced Edition - now with A Dance of Masks epilogue DLC

[InD_ImaginE]

This game’s combat is so fucking overrated.

Hmm, I actually believe the combat, builds and some groundbreaking moments mostly summ up the positives of this game. So it begs a question: what is a good combat according to you? In which game you saw it?

I'm in Ch4 and starting to look for the exits. I liked the combat, but now that my party is CL19/ML5 in the Abyss, everything is starting to become rocket tag. It's not hard, it's just turned up to 11 in the same way Final Fantasy does after a certain point. The charm is wearing off.

I assume you turned off EXP sharing to get to CL 19 at that point.

Well enjoy 40% of the game without level progression buddy unless you go for Legend.

And yeah its just downhill from Ch 4 onwards. Game peaked (or plateud depending who you ask) on Chapter 3. The fact that you won't have any CL progression will just make it worse

 

[Desiderius]

This game’s combat is so fucking overrated.

Hmm, I actually believe the combat, builds and some groundbreaking moments mostly summ up the positives of this game. So it begs a question: what is a good combat according to you? In which game you saw it?

I'm in Ch4 and starting to look for the exits. I liked the combat, but now that my party is CL19/ML5 in the Abyss, everything is starting to become rocket tag. It's not hard, it's just turned up to 11 in the same way Final Fantasy does after a certain point. The charm is wearing off.

I assume you turned off EXP sharing to get to CL 19 at that point.

Well enjoy 40% of the game without level progression buddy unless you go for Legend.

And yeah its just downhill from Ch 4 onwards. Game peaked (or plateud depending who you ask) on Chapter 3. The fact that you won't have any CL progression will just make it worse

Yes, any sort of exploit is just undermining your own enjoyment of the game once you hit to point of general solvability. I’m tempted to include the Ship DLC content in that category at this point.

Best bet is using the TTT exploit adjustments (and added content) along with some sort of stipulation to add challenge.

I’ve got a Chaotic characters only (other than the NG new companion) Beast Tamer Bard Azata run going based on fighting with buffed Summons that should be interesting along with Cruromancer/Signifier/Lich Evil-only Sickness nuker. Not buying Irabeth’s insta-army either.

Once game is finished I’ll get back to those.

 

[Mr. Magniloquent]

Midnight Isles is definitely what pushed my character levels up. I have only gone on two voyages, but I took each as soon as they were available. They're longer and kind of a slog in the campaign. While before they mostly busted the economy, now those voyages have broken the XP curve too. The novelty of the Abyss is wearing off, and I've gotten quite tired of the color palette. There is only so much purple and magenta my eyes can take. My biggest problem is just the rocket tag. I have MC (Arcane Trickster, Trickster), Daeran, and Ember as my backline and all of their builds have come to fruition. I do hundreds of damage to everyone on screen at the start of combat with low level spells and still have more damage growth ahead of me. Maraliths are supposed to be fearsome demonic nobility, serving as generals, but I'm swatting them away 4 at a time. It doesn't feel right. I'm not getting the same kick out of the power fantasy like I did with BG2:Throne of Bhaal way back when. I'm also settling on the conclusion that I spent too much time messing around in the DLCs before starting the full campaign. I was planning on doing a properly holy warrior run after this, but now I'm not so sure.

 

[Sarathiour]

I dunno, I was level 20 before even entering nenio's dungeon, you should already been pretty close to the max by the end of chapter 4.

 

[Desiderius]

I dunno, I was level 20 before even entering nenio's dungeon, you should already been pretty close to the max by the end of chapter 4.

Nenio’s dungeon is usually the last thing I do in Ch 5. Normal progression pre-DLC was Fane at 14, Abyss at 15, Caves at 17, Ch 5 at 18. I’ve hit 20 inside Nenio’s dungeon twice.

DLC just destroyed that along with the economy and some of the Power Curve due to items. Other than Shifter dude DLCs have been disappointing.

Varnhold’s Lot had a real Durlag feel to it but these DLCs feel like they rushed the talent over to Wrath Trader before they were made.

 

[InD_ImaginE]

Huh iirc the Kingmaker infinite dungeon didnt break EXP curve all that much because the enemies there give like minimum EXP, you get 1 level several hour faster at most

So the WOTR one gives load of EXP and allows you to be 19 at Chapter 4? That's fucked up.

 

[Average Manatee]

My save with as close to 100% completion as I can manage and no XP tricks (aside from in the prologue) has about 19.6 levels by the point where you choose your final mythic path at the beginning of Chapter 5. Some of that is from Ulbrig's questline but most is Midnight Isles.

It's a shame because the items in the DLC are cool and help a lot of builds. There really needs to be a mod that allows you to skip it but get the items.

I'm not 100% sure how XP is calculated but I assume the issue is that XP is based on enemy level and WotR enemies (especially bosses) have to have ridiculous builds with like 30+ levels to challenge parties with mythic levels and the amount of stat/equipment bloat that comes with it. Those extra levels count for giving you more XP but the amount of XP you need to get to level 20 is the same.

 

[Desiderius]

They’re pretty game-breaking in their own right, especially if you unlock the special items in the main campaign thru the standalone DLC.

If you’re going to have a heavy reliance on certain stats lining up you can’t put items in game that nuke those stats, especially if they’re general use. That’s the valid part of @Saravan’s argument.

 

[Desiderius]

Huh iirc the Kingmaker infinite dungeon didnt break EXP curve all that much because the enemies there give like minimum EXP, you get 1 level several hour faster at most

So the WOTR one gives load of EXP and allows you to be 19 at Chapter 4? That's fucked up.

P:K Depths had a couple items like Death from Above that were close to the line, and a mind-numbing succession of total garbage until you got to some intriguing build-arounds.

The talent had mostly left the building by the time that one rolled around too.

 

[Average Manatee]

They’re pretty game-breaking in their own right, especially if you unlock the special items in the main campaign thru the standalone DLC.

What are those? I didn't think that was a thing for Midnight Isles, only for Inevitable Excess and Through the Ashes.

Honestly though, if there's something that's overpowered in the DLC it's that you can buy a ton of generic +6 cloaks of resistance, +8 armor bracers, +8 deflection rings and so on right in Chapter 4 IIRC.

 

[Desiderius]

And a +5 Tower.

Unlimited Dino Bones is ghey too.

 

[Haplo]

They’re pretty game-breaking in their own right, especially if you unlock the special items in the main campaign thru the standalone DLC.

What are those? I didn't think that was a thing for Midnight Isles, only for Inevitable Excess and Through the Ashes.

Honestly though, if there's something that's overpowered in the DLC it's that you can buy a ton of generic +6 cloaks of resistance, +8 armor bracers, +8 deflection rings and so on right in Chapter 4 IIRC.

Used to be in Act 3...

Nowadays receipes and nearly unlimited reagents in Act 3, for what used to be very limited use, end game food, creates more of a balance issue I'd say.

 

[Average Manatee]

I've never actually paid attention to the food system. I pick out something like the +1 skills recipe the first time I rest and then never change it the whole game. The whole concept just seems silly and reeks of bloated game mechanics.

 

[IHaveHugeNick]

Ah, the good ol' days of Midnight Isles vendor selling endgame shit right after you were done with Dresen.

 

[Desiderius]

They’re pretty game-breaking in their own right, especially if you unlock the special items in the main campaign thru the standalone DLC.

What are those? I didn't think that was a thing for Midnight Isles, only for Inevitable Excess and Through the Ashes.

Honestly though, if there's something that's overpowered in the DLC it's that you can buy a ton of generic +6 cloaks of resistance, +8 armor bracers, +8 deflection rings and so on right in Chapter 4 IIRC.

Used to be in Act 3...

Nowadays receipes and nearly unlimited reagents in Act 3, for what used to be very limited use, end game food creates more of a balance issue I'd say.

Forgot about the food, yeah that’s a big one too. Too bad since careful management of favorite meals was a good way to gain an edge before that.

 

[Mr. Magniloquent]

I have switched to the +10 movement speed as my default meal just so I can get through things quicker, lol. That's a bad sign.

 

[Haplo]

I've never actually paid attention to the food system. I pick out something like the +1 skills recipe the first time I rest and then never change it the whole game. The whole concept just seems silly and reeks of bloated game mechanics.

You're right, I guess. But since its there, I find it hard not to take advantage of.

 

[Average Manatee]

I find it too ridiculous to imagine that the fate of the world rests on whether I made Seelah her favorite turkey sandwich for lunch. If a battle is that close then just kill me.

 

[IHaveHugeNick]

Think I used one that gave +3 to everything and 2AC to Wenduag who was my tank.

 

[Desiderius]

I find it too ridiculous to imagine that the fate of the world rests on whether I made Seelah her favorite turkey sandwich for lunch. If a battle is that close then just kill me.

In the choice between all-out combat phaggotry and being an unpaid therapist for some blue-haired fanficcer who got Avellone run out the door I'll go with the former and click through the text walls without a second thought.

You get the battles to be unclose by finding and using the edges you need.

 

[Average Manatee]

Never found a battle that wasn't pretty easily won by remembering a buff I forgot, changing strategy/spells slightly, or at worst changing out a companion. Aside from shit in the shield maze and a few chapter 1 encounters. Some of those battles on Hard/Unfair get ridiculous if you haven't tailored your build just for them or cheese heavily.

 

[Desiderius]

That isn't what cheese means.

Giving your tank a few marginal AC can be the difference between life and death well into ch 2 Unfair and on some fights beyond that if you want to minimize reloads.

Before Seelah gets her Tower +3 after Garrison that means a Leopard or playing better than my skill level, which I’m sure many are capable of doing. Kiting or whatever that takes longer than simply playing well isn’t cheese.

 

[Dishonoredbr]

BEACH EPISODE

 

[The_Mask]

This pic reminded me of the early 00's Bleach pictures they used to add along with either the manga or even the animation.

Very wholesome, and cool.

 

[Mr. Magniloquent]

I did Battlebliss last night. I ended up facing Gelderfeng + the two other gladiators solo because I was just clicking through the walls of text that both captors spewed. I killed the demon and the fey on the first attempt, but Gelderfeng raged and hacked me up eventually. On reload I layered a bunch of CC aoe and killed them all. Felt satisfying. It gave me the archmage feel that I like from D&D games. I think I have wrapped up most of the side quests in the chapter.