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

[AwesomeButton]

Munchkin optimisation can't help but minimise RES/CON because, well, you're usually talking about builds designed to smack down enemies superfast from carefully prepared alpha strikes & if needed savescumming. And Dex/Per//Int in particular tends to be really attractive to powergamers because you can do so many things with faster actions and longer-lasting debuffs. I would say, even on POTD, it's perfectly OK not to go that extreme.

This is valid and the munchkins would be right, if it wasn't for the Eothas challenge factor. Lowering Constitution and Resolve make you more likely to get knocked out. In a normal game this isn't much concern, you will just rest the injury out, but with Eothas' challenge you are on a time limit to progress the main quest, so if you rest after every injury, you will be forced to go on underlevelled, which is not funny.

I've had one case in the 20 hours of my current run, where I was continuing on with 3 people - injured two with one injury and another with two injuries.

 

[Lacrymas]

I kinda don't like the soulbound items. Not conceptually, but mechanically. They should've been all like the Grey Sword from PoE1, for which you have to do specific "narrative" things or solve riddles. These "inflict 1000 damage" requirements are MMO design and they incentivize tedious tactics like perma-paralyzing a mob and having only your soulbound-wielder attack it so you can actually use the higher levels in more encounters. The soulbound items from SSS could've been upgraded by winning fights in the arena, instead of being a reward at the very end. Of a DLC that is already endgame.

 

[Safav Hamon]

The DLC has a 40% on steam. I knew a hardcore combat arena would backfire on Obsidian.

I will have to finish up quickly and write a positive review.

 

[Grunker]

I ended up restarting a couple of times, but am now well on the way. My stat line ended up being 10-10-10-18-20-10 in true D&D fashion lol.

Current party consists of me, xoti monk, Edér rogue, Aloth Wizard, and hireling Fighter. Had to add the hireling for the Young Drake fight in Engwithan Dig Site. The fuck is up with that fight? It’s harder than most PoE1 fights at that point on PotD (ironically, the biggest threat in the group is the boar and not the drake). Ended up pulling the entire group to the small set of stairs at the area entry point. PC and Xoti on the choke, traps on the stairs and Edér lobbing bombs. Took a couple of tries because the small drakes would initially use their ranged attacks on Edér.

I’m not sure I like the Empower mechanic. It seems to add a lot of tedious micro for not a lot of gain, and it’s not always obvious that you used it.

 

[AwesomeButton]

The DLC has a 40% on steam. I knew a hardcore combat arena would backfire on Obsidian.

I will have to finish up quickly and write a positive review.

You can only do dumb shit for so long, like marketing your laughably badly written game for its "narrative", before you estrange the hardcore audience, and when you release a hardcore expansion you have only the nuBioware audience to appreciate it.

 

[AwesomeButton]

I've been thinking there are enough cool big quests in Deadfire to organize a poll on which is best. I started thinking - Fort Deadlight, The Old City, Nemnok, Arkemyr's Mansion, Oathbinder's Sanctum, The Hanging Sepulchers, Beast of Winter... and there is still the third expansion to come.

 

[Grunker]

I've been thinking there are enough cool big quests in Deadfire to organize a poll on which is best. I started thinking - Fort Deadlight, The Old City, Nemnok, Arkemyr's Mansion, Oathbinder's Sanctum, The Hanging Sepulchers, Beast of Winter... and there is still the third expansion to come.

The third expansion is an expanded Siege of Crägholdt right? That questline was frikkin' awesome, just pure, nostalgic gas. If they can make something that feels that classic and indulgent in a bigger expansion, I'm gonna bust a nut

 

[AwesomeButton]

Infiltrating Arkemyr's mansion is also a great cRPG experience, at least it was for me the first time.

 

[Grunker]

Dunno what that is yet.

 

[Safav Hamon]

Current party consists of me, xoti monk, Edér rogue, Aloth Wizard, and hireling Fighter. Had to add the hireling for the Young Drake fight in Engwithan Dig Site. The fuck is up with that fight? It’s harder than most PoE1 fights at that point on PotD (ironically, the biggest threat in the group is the boar and not the drake). Ended up pulling the entire group to the small set of stairs at the area entry point. PC and Xoti on the choke, traps on the stairs and Edér lobbing bombs. Took a couple of tries because the small drakes would initially use their ranged attacks on Edér.

Now try Gorecci street. The dig site is a cakewalk in comparison

I’m not sure I like the Empower mechanic. It seems to add a lot of tedious micro for not a lot of gain, and it’s not always obvious that you used it.

How does it add tedious micromanagement? Before the DLC I got by without ever having to use it.

 

[Lacrymas]

Empower is mostly used either for alpha strikes or something goes terribly wrong and you need to refresh your Druid's healing spells....

 

[Haplo]

Or for Evoker wizards with Missile Salvo/Meteor Shower. Or Druids with Maelstorm.
Or to land other deadly abilities, like monk's Inner Death.

For martials its mostly useful to squeeze more ability uses in a given encounter.

Actually the class that uses it the most is probably pure Chanter with Sasha's Singing Scimitar (allows to use it every encounter). Supposedly Empowered upgraded Eld Nary invocation with 14 tornado procs is pretty powerful.

 

[Grunker]

Current party consists of me, xoti monk, Edér rogue, Aloth Wizard, and hireling Fighter. Had to add the hireling for the Young Drake fight in Engwithan Dig Site. The fuck is up with that fight? It’s harder than most PoE1 fights at that point on PotD (ironically, the biggest threat in the group is the boar and not the drake). Ended up pulling the entire group to the small set of stairs at the area entry point. PC and Xoti on the choke, traps on the stairs and Edér lobbing bombs. Took a couple of tries because the small drakes would initially use their ranged attacks on Edér.

Now try Gorecci street. The dig site is a cakewalk in comparison

I completed Gorecci street 1 level before I did the digsite. I think the reason it was easier is my team is setup pretty well to instagib the mage. But yeah, definetely second hardest behind Digsite encounter so far.

 

[Grunker]

Also I'm not saying Empower is useless, I'm saying it adds a layer of micro without really improving fun, I think

 

[AwesomeButton]

Current party consists of me, xoti monk, Edér rogue, Aloth Wizard, and hireling Fighter. Had to add the hireling for the Young Drake fight in Engwithan Dig Site. The fuck is up with that fight? It’s harder than most PoE1 fights at that point on PotD (ironically, the biggest threat in the group is the boar and not the drake). Ended up pulling the entire group to the small set of stairs at the area entry point. PC and Xoti on the choke, traps on the stairs and Edér lobbing bombs. Took a couple of tries because the small drakes would initially use their ranged attacks on Edér.

Now try Gorecci street. The dig site is a cakewalk in comparison

I completed Gorecci street 1 level before I did the digsite. I think the reason it was easier is my team is setup pretty well to instagib the mage. But yeah, definetely second hardest behind Digsite encounter so far.

Keep posting impressions. I'm curious to follow other people's reactions to the game.

 

[IHaveHugeNick]

Gorecci street on PoTd is among the hardest fights in the game period.

 

[Grunker]

^ I found the digsite fight much harder for some reason, probs party setup.

Anyway at work now so can't play

 

[AwesomeButton]

I snuck around both encounters. I was unable to summon anything, or cast enough healing yet, and I couldn't handle the mobs.

Lol, how could I post this in the wrong thread

 

[Haplo]

Gorecci street on PoTd is among the hardest fights in the game period.

Personally I found the Digsite much harder. You can split Gorecci relatively easily. Then you kill the squishies fast (arquebus, bow and mage guy) and, while the tanks are tough, they are not quite as deadly alone. I know the Digsite can be split as well, but it didn't work that well for me.

 

[Safav Hamon]

The Dig Site is much easier for three reasons. You have a natural chokepoint, all the enemies are clustered together, and because of the level 1 druid spell charm beast.

 

[Haplo]

Chokepoint, sure. But that's hardly a consolation if one of those boars can rip you characters to shreds very fast if you're not careful and don't stay at max health at all times (only fight in the whole game where I ended up spamming potions). Charm beasts, sure. But I don't have a druid. Some games, I played a Cipher with Whispers. But it's not fully reliable and doesn't last all that long for such a massive slog at that level.

Don't get me wrong, I never used the sneak option. Or custom adventurers. But the digsite was the hardest fight in the game for me. That and maybe Talfor and his thugs if you do the bathhouse quest early (but you don't have to fight them or can gain a few levels first).

By contrast, I didn't need any specific classes, abilities or items for the Gorecci street.

 

[Grunker]

What finally solved Gorecci for me was:

1. Skeletons summoned between Mage and other dudes on the platform while
2. Edér (Rogue) uses escape to the edge of the platform, right in front of the mage while
3. Xoti (Monk) keeps the three dudes furthest away occupied while
4. PC (Paladin/Chanter) and Hireling (Devoted) starts the ardous task of whittling down everyone else.

That worked pretty well on something like the fourth try.

Meanwhile Drake was literally impossible until I started going deep into my pockets and set traps, used scrolls and used Stun Bombs and Cinder Bombs. The latter are incredible.

 

[Jimmious]

Edér (Rogue)

I can't even imagine him as anything else other than Fighter

 

[Haplo]

Well, he's really excellent as a swashbuckler (Fighter/Rogue) IMO.

 

[FreeKaner]

When is the last DLC and complete edition coming so we can retardo this thread?