Eternity Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire + DLC Thread - now with turn-based combat!

[Haplo]

In the turn-based mode I guess the Ranger could really shine. His pet suffered a bit from slow attack in real-time... but with turn-based it will attack once every round, like all other chars (except dual-wielders, sun & moon flail users and twin-shot rangers, I suppose). Making it easily increase the class DPR by at least 50%, likely more. Also keeping it alive should be even easier in turn-based.

 

[Haplo]

Some extremly useful info about gameplay flow, what works and what does not in Turn-Based mode:
https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/108543-turn-based-playthrough-with-fate-spoilers/

Sounds like it might be exciting to play a caster in that mode.

 

[jewboy]

Well I only got as far as Raedric's Keep in the first game. It was attempting to murder everyone in there that convinced me that the combat was just too unfun and tedious no matter how I tried to vary things. I did try Barbarians for a bit when I first started playing, but I didn't find them particularly interesting. I wasn't looking for the most powerful characters necessarily. Just the most interesting or fun to fight with. And anyway a character class that is 0.25% more powerful than the weakest is not something I find particularly compelling. I will give Barbarian-with-Greatsword a try though based on your recommendation. Would that make a decent solo character? Or maybe a full party of super smart barbarians could be interesting. I tried variations on that sort of thing with various classes before settling on the one I liked best, but I guess not well enough.

Some interesting suggestions there for PoE2. Will test those out when I play, but should I play? Do you find the combat more interesting or varied or strategic than the first game? Almost everyone seems to think they improved the combat at least a little, but I guess what I would like to know is what those improvements are exactly? I mean besides the new turn based mode. Is the combat more fun and if so why?

 

[FreeKaner]

I love how this thread died as soon as turn-based was released, because everyone realised even that former pipedream was ultimately a fantasy for fixing the game.

 

[Lacrymas]

Well, yeah, TB can't fix the trashy dialogues, poor writing, nonsensical plot, small areas, constant loading screens, cringe companions, pointless factions, half-baked character system where removal of classes would be a step up, etc.

 

[Daidre]

And, what offend me most, horrible fps drops and stattering on newer Nvidia GPUs. Even author of Special K (and he fixed tons of performance problems in all types of games) admitted that Deadfire beyond hope.

 

[Deleted member 7219]

I'm playing the latest DLC now - Forgotten Rectum.

I tend to replay Obsidian RPGs every few years, so when I'm done with this I'll probably do a turn-based playthrough in 2020 or 2021.

I find it mystifying why PoE 2 is hated here. If ever a game was designed for the Codex it was this one (albeit, no turn-based mode until now). I think there's a ridiculous amount of butthurt around this idea that Obsidian are 'liberal' and left-wing. It all started when they removed that stupid limerick from PoE 1.

I find it kinda funny that there's a cult of Avellone here, probably the most left-wing of anyone who worked at Obsidian, and those tend to be the same people who hate PoE. Cognitive dissonance much.

 

[Haplo]

Well I only got as far as Raedric's Keep in the first game. It was attempting to murder everyone in there that convinced me that the combat was just too unfun and tedious no matter how I tried to vary things. I did try Barbarians for a bit when I first started playing, but I didn't find them particularly interesting. I wasn't looking for the most powerful characters necessarily. Just the most interesting or fun to fight with. And anyway a character class that is 0.25% more powerful than the weakest is not something I find particularly compelling. I will give Barbarian-with-Greatsword a try though based on your recommendation. Would that make a decent solo character? Or maybe a full party of super smart barbarians could be interesting. I tried variations on that sort of thing with various classes before settling on the one I liked best, but I guess not well enough.

Some interesting suggestions there for PoE2. Will test those out when I play, but should I play? Do you find the combat more interesting or varied or strategic than the first game? Almost everyone seems to think they improved the combat at least a little, but I guess what I would like to know is what those improvements are exactly? I mean besides the new turn based mode. Is the combat more fun and if so why?

Well, if you decided to quit in Raedric's Keep, which is one of the best locations of vanilla PoE, I'm not sure anything I may write may convince you.
Perhaps your problem was trying to fight your way trough there, while it definatly isn't the preferable approach.

And, well, mentions about balance, 0,25% difference in effectiveness and such just show a lot of unfounded prejudice towards the game. These things are pure memes from my point of view, which have no connection with facts whatsoever.

Barbarian with a GS is definately not a solo material. He's relatively squishy. Although if you roll high Con and use a lot of healing effects (moon godlike, shod-in-faith boots and others), he can take quite many hits. If you decide to roll one, I strongly recommend including at least a Cleric in your party for buffing / debuffing enemy Fortitude.


As for PoE2, I would say the combat is more interesting, mainly due to greater variety of avilable tactics, builds, weapon effects and more reasonable & transparent system of debuffs/afflictions. There's also significantly less trash/filler combat. Also some gimmicky "super-bosses" have been added in the patches. However overall the combat is not clearly superior to some of the best PoE1 encounters. Particularly White March had some memorable ones, as well as masterfully crafted locations.

 

[2house2fly]

The plot isn't nonsensical, it just isn't well executed. Regardless, the thread was dead long before turn-based came around

 

[jewboy]

The 0.25% may be an exaggeration, but it is just a way of saying that the combat all felt too samey to me in general no matter what class I played or how much I tried to vary things. Less balance and more variety would have been more my cup of tea. It wasn't really the location that finally did me in. Just the amount of fighting made me realize that I was never going to find a play style or character class or strategy that made the fighting fun for me. I really really tried to like the game and there were a few battles I liked, but overall I was constantly fighting with the combat mechanics instead of just enjoying them. Raedric's Keep was precisely the sort of mega-battle that I would normally enjoy very much as a challenge with an under-leveled party and so I started to ask myself why I was bothering when other games had combat that I really enjoyed.

I would still like to go back and finish the game one day especially if some mods are released to unbalance the combat and make it more interesting. A turn based mod along with a complete rebalancing would be nice. I'd especially like to try White March after all I read about it. If not a single barbarian how about a whole party of barbarians? I am very much against Tank 'n Spank style play. So I avoid tanks and glass cannons and try to avoid healers to some extent as well. I don't like MMO play styles at all. Anyway I think I will give PoE2 a try after Kingmaker and will keep my eyes open for suggestions on interesting ways to play.

 

[Alpan]

Done with the PotD solo run. Although the base game was generally easy, I have to say the DLC had no shortage of excellent fights. The Forgotten Sanctum is a fine example of a well-executed megadungeon.

 

[aweigh]

i agree prone fuck is the best viewpoint.

 

[Maculo]

I finished the Drake/panther fight at the dig site on PotD and TB mode, also with Galawain, Woedica, Abydon, Skaen, and Ondra challenges enables. Personally, I enjoy the combat a lot more this time around, especially on TB. The UI could use work, but I find it functional enough. No major bugs . . . yet.

With TB, defensive buffs and some modals feel a lot more useful now that I can plan per round. The interrupt modals also appear to have a nice niche. Perhaps more importantly, I just find the combat more readable.

While I prefer TB, I get the sense that PotD becomes even more trivial. Even with Woedica and Galawain challenges, the drake fight was a push over on TB imo. Granted, I am playing an arcane knight with Blood Mage. That combiniation is so powerful, but also satisfying. Cycling between chill fog, arcane veil, blood sacrifice, and concelhauts drain is brutally effective. If you play human, you can more consistently make use of fighting spirit. In contrast, I found Rtwp too erratic to make consistent use of certain combos.

My arcane knight did die once, because I got too cheeky with blood sacrifice and I did not realize the spiders had volatile and explode upon death.

 

[Haplo]

I would still like to go back and finish the game one day especially if some mods are released to unbalance the combat and make it more interesting. A turn based mod along with a complete rebalancing would be nice. I'd especially like to try White March after all I read about it. If not a single barbarian how about a whole party of barbarians? I am very much against Tank 'n Spank style play. So I avoid tanks and glass cannons and try to avoid healers to some extent as well. I don't like MMO play styles at all. Anyway I think I will give PoE2 a try after Kingmaker and will keep my eyes open for suggestions on interesting ways to play.

If I were going to do a martial single-class playtrough, I'f probably go with a full party of rangers instead. Now that could turn most enemies into pincushions fast. And the companions would act as great guardians.

As for healers... well, I don't consider PoE clerics healers. They are frankly not the best at it. Sure, they can throw an emergency heal when needed and the healing circle is nice, but overall they are buffers/debuffers - force multipliers. Healing is only their tertiary role, I'd say. If you want healing, druids are generally better at it (even more true in PoE2).
But many classes have access to self-healing abilities and some even auras. Having a dedicated healer is usually not necessary.
But facilitating a 40-60 point Attack vs enemy Defense advantage, as the PoE1 clerics can, is not trivial.

 

[Maculo]

PoE1 priests were a nice instance of a power curve. Weak-ish early game, decent mid game, godly end game. Start each encounter with crowns of the faithful and avatar, and then proceed to stack shining beacons, holy storm, and the electric shock aura against packs. Against single target I believe there is an acid attack feat you can buff with cleansing flame (speeds up damage over time effects). On top of all that, you can heal and make your party immune to certain debuffs.

 

[Safav Hamon]

In Pillars 3 they should remove summon abilities from Chanters, and make a Necromancer class focused exclusively around summoning.

 

[Efe]

Ekera, just what this game needs!

 

[Reinhardt]

Ac.

 

[Safav Hamon]

At the very least they should add more summoning abilities and passives to the Chanter skill tree.

I want to design an entire build around summoning, but the game doesn't give you enough options to do that.

 

[Efe]

Yeah! i don't get why there isn't a chanter subclass for summoning...

 

[Daidre]

Beckoner? He is worse summoner than Troubadour, but intention still there.

 

[Haplo]

Beckoner? He is worse summoner than Troubadour, but intention still there.

Not when you summon 6 animated weapons. Although that's pretty end game.

Or when you summon 6 skellies to kill them with Grave Calling and make nasty Chillfogs. Although that's a pretty niche application.

 

[Safav Hamon]

Even if Beckoner wasn't shit, Chanters will always be a support bot first and summoner last.

 

[Maculo]

I am surprised Animancer was not made a class (or event a background option), given its importance to the story. That being said, it would likely fit just as well as a Wizard subclass.

 

[a Goat]

I haven't beaten the game yet but I have a simple question for you - why do people on the internetz seemingly hate Seeker, Slayer, Survivor? It has the worst reviews on steam etc. etc. I'm going through it and it's great.