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> Pillars Of Eternity
Lopov
post Sep 2 2015, 08:59 PM
Post #41


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I started PoE today -> my character is a human monk called Mowrin. So far he made it to the Gilded Vale and is currently resting inside the Black Hound Inn. Alignments seem to be gone but that's not necessarily a bad thing, I intend to roleplay Mowrin as more or less a good character.

I felt funny when I started playing PoE, at the same time memories from playing BG came back but I felt an urge to go play some Fallout since I haven't played any game from an isometric view in years. But in a few minutes I was hooked.

I was nicely surprised inside the ruins where you have to take shelter from the windstorm and Mowrin was capable of disarming most traps on his own and quickly found the exit. I haven't explored the rest of the ruins but I assume that disarming traps was a shortcut of sorts. And since his Athletics is high, he managed to act fast enough to save Heodan (one of tutorial companions) from the bandit chief in the camp before, I like it when skills and abilities have an impact during dialogue.

To reach Gilded Vale, he crossed Valewood where he killed the bear but also found out the sad story behind Perly's death and now intends to punish Perly's traitorous friend. From Valewood he finally arrived to the Gilded Vale and met Aloth, one of the possible companions but for now refused to travel in a company.

I'm still getting used to the game, so far I have tutorial messages enabled, I play on the easiest difficulty and I didn't really study the combat in depth yet. Upon leveling up, I chose the Veteran's Recovery talent, which recovers Mowrin's endurance by itself or something similar and I invested points mostly in Stealth, Mechanics and Athletics.

SubRosa, IIRC, you said that you didn't find camping supplies yet. They can be found on the corpse which you encounter immediately when arriving to Valewood.

EDIT: Is it possible to alter skin color and hairstyle mid-game?

This post has been edited by Lopov: Sep 2 2015, 09:14 PM


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SubRosa
post Sep 2 2015, 09:58 PM
Post #42


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Another Pillar of the community! wink.gif

Mowrin looks like a pretty ferocious man of spiritual enlightenment!

Disarming traps is purely based on your Mechanics skill. So you must have at least one point. So too is detecting them, though I think you have to be in Sneak mode to find traps.

Wow Mow killed the bear all by himself! That was one tough ball of fur.

So am I the only one who sees "Valewood" and thinks "Valenwood?" biggrin.gif

I did find more camping supplies by now. In fact, as soon as you get in the cave from the biwiac storm you automatically get 1 set of camping supplies added to your inventory. If you follow the cave left from the entrance, there are two more sets of supplies in a crate.

I don't think you can change your hair or skin once you start. But I am not positive. I know you can change your portrait and clothing colors.

There is a Respec option you can select at any merchant. It is mainly for redistributing your points, abilities, and skills. But it might let you change your appearance as well. Nope, I just tried it, and it does not allow you to change your hair or skin. sad.gif

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Sep 3 2015, 02:59 AM


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SubRosa
post Sep 3 2015, 12:47 AM
Post #43


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Skadi and Fenrir

Fighting Kobolds Xaurip

Slugging it out with a gang of Goldpact Paladins

Battling Forest Trolls

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Sep 3 2015, 02:54 AM


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Lopov
post Sep 3 2015, 07:11 AM
Post #44


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How do you manage to get "so close" to your characters?

Wow, forest Trolls look tough and ugly.

--

I want to change the hairstyle because Mowrin in game has shorter hair than on the pic but if it can't be done, I'll get used to it. Perhaps I'll find a more fitting portrait online and swap it. I have some good portraits with short hair but the skin is too bright. EDIT: Found one that fits and changed it. Now he looks much less ferocious but more similar to his in-game appearance.

QUOTE
Wow Mow killed the bear all by himself! That was one tough ball of fur.


Surprisingly his stats say that the hardest enemy he fought so far, was a young wolf that he killed together with Calisca in the tutorial.

Now I'm about to do some reading regarding the Monk class before I'm off to work. IIRC they couldn't use any weapons in BG but supposedly they can in PoE.

This post has been edited by Lopov: Sep 3 2015, 07:38 AM


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Acadian
post Sep 3 2015, 12:38 PM
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Great shots! I was looking on those sites you linked earlier in this thread and am quite intrigued. I really like the concept of an elven rangerarcher with a furry familiar. I was pleased to find that such a character (unlike in BG) can function as a real scout because they can learn to handle traps and locks. smile.gif


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Lopov
post Sep 3 2015, 01:57 PM
Post #46


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This means that we can expect to see Buffy joining us soon? wink.gif


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SubRosa
post Sep 3 2015, 02:08 PM
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Lopov: I used the SetZoomRange {minimum zoom} {maximum zoom} console command to get the camera to zoom in so close. I don't know what it isn't that way by default. I find SetZoomRange 0.2 50 works good. Though I might try reducing the second number, as I find the game looks kind of hazy when I am zoomed out that far. I changed it to SetZoomRange 0.2 1.2, as a just a little bit of the second number goes a really long way.

I took on that Bear alone with Persephone, and it killed her about three times in a row. When she finally did manage to defeat it she has used up all her potions and was down to just a handful of Endurance.

From that giant miniature space piglet, I see you sprung for the White March too! Let us know how the Monk works. I have not tried playing one yet.


Acadian: One nice thing about Pillars is that picking locks, disabling traps, and so on are not solely dedicated to the Thief/Rogue class. The Mechanics skill is all you need, and anyone can raise it and become the team lockpicker and trapfinder.

I hope this does mean that we will see a blond bowgirl joining us soon! smile.gif

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Sep 4 2015, 03:28 AM


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Lopov
post Sep 3 2015, 02:24 PM
Post #48


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QUOTE(SubRosa @ Sep 3 2015, 03:08 PM) *
I took on that Bear alone with Persephone, and it killed her about three times in a row. When she finally did manage to defeat it she has used up all her potions and was down to just a handful of Endurance.

From that giant miniature space piglet, I see you sprung for the White March too! Let us know how the Monk works. I have not tried playing one yet.
Maybe the bear wasn't that difficult because I play on the easiest difficulty? I enjoyed playing Monks in Baldur's Gate but at low levels it was very difficult to survive on your own while in PoE (for now) this doesn't seem to be the case.

I actually didn't know that the version without the WM exists too, though I haven't tested the piglet yet. I was busy trying to find out how to drop items on the ground and then I read online that it's not possible. wacko.gif

BTW, can you eat ingredients that you pick up? For instance, in the tutorial your objective was to find some healing grapes but once picked up, they move to Stash instead of Inventory and the only interaction possible is to read its description but you can't actually use them.


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SubRosa
post Sep 3 2015, 03:28 PM
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I play on Average, so maybe that is why the Bear was harder for me.

I had to buy the White March separate. It must be because you are in a different region it came bundled with the game where you are.

To use an ingredient you have to move it to your Quick Items bar in your inventory. I had the same problem until I figured it out.

I think you can drop things. Look down at the bottom of your Inventory page, next to the Stash. There should be a Drop button there. I have never used it though. It is probably something that added with one of the patches. One thing I realized after looking online for answers is that a lot of posts people have made about the game were made when it was in Beta, and this game has changed a lot over the time it has been out. 2.0 - the version we have now - is a lot different from the previous ones.

Today I tried out IE Mod which has a beta version for Pillars 2.0. It does a lot of things, but what got me interested is that it incorporates other mods that do things like change the number of spells mages can cast between rests. There is even an option to change them all from per rest to per encounter. So that makes playing a wizard a really viable option.

There is another option to allow you to use items that are regular inventory and not just in your Quick Items bar. It also lets you switch items between characters during combat.

One thing I like is Fast Scouting Mode, which allows you to move at normal speed while in Stealth Mode. That makes it easier to find hidden and trapped things, by being in Stealth Mode all the time.

It does other things as well, such as allow you to customize your UI, and change a lot of game elements like the circles drawn under the characters to be more like the old BG and IWD games.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Sep 3 2015, 03:38 PM


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SubRosa
post Sep 3 2015, 06:38 PM
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One thing that has not been mentioned for the benefit of folks who have not bought the game yet is Engagement. It is similar to D&D 3 and up where you got attacks of opportunity on opponents who tried to move past you in melee. In PoE, you can Engage one opponent by default, and more with talents. When you Engage them, the two of you are basically stuck in with each other, and they cannot move away without taking an immediate free attack from you that comes with a huge bonus. Naturally it works both ways, and the monsters will engage you as well.

Here is an example. The Wicht in the middle of the screen has engaged Fenrir, my Ranger's wolf companion. The red line that arcs from her to him shows that she has engaged him. Likewise, Fenrir has engaged her as well, so he has a green arc going to her. Finally, to the right of the Wicht is the party fighter Eder, who has also engaged the Wicht. (green is always for good guys, red for the enemy)

I kind of like it. It ensures that enemies "get stuck in" with your front line fighters, and keeps them from just running past them and attacking your squishy mages in the rear. That is what is going on in this pic. The front liners on both sides are engaged with each other in the center, while the squishies in the rear are flinging spells and arrows. So tactics and thinking really works, it isn't just a bunch of characters rushing around pell mell hacking everything that moves.

Granted, it is not so fun when the front line has to step to either side when the mage uses an area spell that would otherwise fry them as well - like Rolling Flame - and the baddies get at the squishy mage before the front line can get back in place. Then the mage is stuck in melee with an enemy slugger. But it should cut both ways, and it makes the game interesting.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Sep 3 2015, 06:44 PM


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Lopov
post Sep 3 2015, 07:01 PM
Post #51


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I just alt-tabbed out of the game and have a question - how do I move items from stash to quick items so I can interact with them? I can't drag items from Stash, they seem like they can't be moved.

I don't see the Drop button next to Stash either, which is odd, since the version which I use (the White March) should be fully patched. Well unless it's not.

This post has been edited by Lopov: Sep 3 2015, 07:02 PM


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SubRosa
post Sep 3 2015, 08:14 PM
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I just started using IE mod, so it could be that added the Drop button. I also just installed a patch for White March, which might have added it too. It must have been added by one or the other, because I just looked back at this pic from a few days ago and it is not there. I now have a Drop button right under the Crafting one.

I just drag and drop from the stash to the character inventories and it works fine for me.


Edit: Just tested it and it is the IE Mod that adds the Drop button.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Sep 3 2015, 08:25 PM


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Lopov
post Sep 3 2015, 09:06 PM
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Okay, maybe I'll use this mod in the future as well.

Party (Mowrin, Eder, Durance, Black Hound) inside the ruined house

Wolves attack!


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Renee
post Sep 4 2015, 02:21 AM
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Aww, so cute to see you folks rolling nu t00ns to pwn teh game with. Keep it up! smile.gif


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SubRosa
post Sep 4 2015, 03:25 AM
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QUOTE(Renee @ Sep 3 2015, 09:21 PM) *

Aww, so cute to see you folks rolling nu t00ns to pwn teh game with. Keep it up! smile.gif

Ph3&R U$ n00bS! laugh.gif


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SubRosa
post Sep 5 2015, 02:20 AM
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Some notes about Wizards.

I already mentioned before that Wizards all get Arcane Assault, which is a short ranged attack that they can do twice per encounter. Well, they also can take a Talent called Blast which allows them to fire an unlimited number of short ranged attacks through a wand, rod, or scepter. Yet another Talent gives the Blast at +5 DR reduction against their enemies. So between Arcane Assault and Blast, you can at least keep up a continuous series of magical attacks. Granted, neither does a lot of damage, 10-16 for AA, and 6-11 for Blast. The first is about the same as a sword or bow. The second is lower than a dagger.

The IE mod also does allow you to increase the number of spells you can cast between rest periods. It also allows you to make all spells castable per encounter rather than per rest. Or you can use it to make 1st and 2nd level spells castable per encounter sooner (in the vanilla game they become that way at 9th and 11th level respectively).

So with all this - especially IE - Wizards are a viable class for a player character, rather than just a support character only useful once in a while for strategic spell usages, and missing the bad guys with a bow or sling the rest of the time.


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Lopov
post Sep 5 2015, 07:04 PM
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I rolled a new toon, a monk again, but this time I paid more attention when choosing attributes and leveling up, besides I didn't like some choices which I made with my previous character.

Now I'm using the IE mod, mostly to have the Drop button in the inventory. It annoyed me the most in the vanilla game that you couldn't drop any items. It has several other cool features but I haven't tested them yet.

One thing I really like in PoE is that I'm not "afraid" to start any quests since (so far) all of them have multiple outcomes, suited for different types of characters. Unlike in TES & Fallout where a lot of quests can only be done in one way. There aren't any essential characters either.

However, I find the game quite difficult at times (attack at Raedric's hold for instance) or perhaps I'm doing quests which were meant to be done at higher levels.

This is my new character - monk Yetizad in the Xaurip Camp in Valewood (I'm using the zoom range as recommended by SubRosa at page 1)

And that's his portrait (the large version)


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SubRosa
post Sep 5 2015, 07:17 PM
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A Yeti monk! I know that pic, it's Aarin Gend from NWN 1! I always liked him.

I just finished Raedric's Hold with Skadi, and it was a tough series of fights, especially the last one against Raedric himself and all of his bodyguards. Aloth got knocked out in that one.

There are two ways to sneak into the castle though, rather than going through the front door and fighting through all the guards. If you go to the left, near the very end of the land is a section of wall you can climb that gets you up into the second floor where all the priests are. There are a bunch of spare robes in the crates you can put on, and blend in as priests. That will get you through the second floor at least without a fight.

If you go to the right on the outside map of the castle, near the end is a section of rocks where the moat is shallow and you can walk across. Then there is a sewer grate you can pry open and get into the basement. There are a bunch of undead down there to slay your way through. But I didn't find them too much trouble. I had Durance with me by then, and his Holy Radiance does wonders against undead.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Sep 5 2015, 07:23 PM


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Lopov
post Sep 5 2015, 09:34 PM
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The name Yetizad is from a comic book. Yetizad was an African necromancer who traveled to the USA to spread evil. However, except the name, the necromancer doesn't have anything in common with monk Yetizad.

My previous party attacked the keep though the front gates and didn't have much problems until getting inside, then it got problematic. They somehow made it to Raedric but defeating him was impossible.

Are you far through the MQ, SubRosa and is it difficult?

This post has been edited by Lopov: Sep 5 2015, 09:36 PM


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SubRosa
post Sep 5 2015, 09:51 PM
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Wow, I had never heard of that Yetizad. But I stopped reading comics a while ago. Aside from the Yeti, the other thing the name makes me think of is the Yazdegerds - the kings of the Sassanian Persians.

I am only a little ahead of you. Skadi killed Raedric a few days ago. She found Caed Nua yesterday, and I just cleared its outside today and started working on the Eastern Barbican. As I understand it, you have to complete that before you can go any farther in the world, and reach Defiance Bay. While I wait for the construction to be done, Skadi and company are exploring the Endless Paths of Od Nua. It is a over a dozen different dungeon levels under Caed Nua.

So far I would not say it is too difficult. One thing the developers said was that they wanted to make a game that you could complete without having to min/max your character. To me it looks more like they spread around everything that a character is going to need into so many attributes that you cannot really min/max a character. There are no real dump stats anymore. But what I see from people posting is that you can finish the main quest without being overpowered. Still, I think I am going to institute a house rule of giving every character a +1 to an Attribute every four levels, like we could in Neverwinter Nights.

I have also seen many people say that the enemy AI for version 2.0 is much improved from the previous game versions. Since now the bad guys act more intelligently, they are harder to defeat. I have seen them trying to do end runs around my front line fighters to get at the squishy mage behind. But I keep Durance back from the front as a reserve, and he intercepts anyone who tries that in melee. Otherwise he is there for support with either spells or ranged weapons.

I think the real secret here is make sure you are always fighting in formation. Keep your fighters up front where they can pin the enemy and soak up their damage. Eder is a great tank. I gave him that magic flail I found early - Guan's Share - and a magic shield I bought at the smithy in the first town. He is really tough in melee. I also gave him an arbalest, so he can get off one good shot at the beginning of every fight. After that he switches to his flail and shield, since it takes too long to reload.

Keep your mages and archers back out of the way, and use them to make pin-point attacks on the enemy. Aloth usually just uses either his Arcane Assault or Blast, and doesn't do much damage. But when something looks really tough, he is my first up to attack with an area spell like Rolling Flame. I found the Slicken spell is really hand too. Cast that directly in front of the party at the start of a fight, and it makes the enemy fall down as they charge you. Then Aloth and your archers can pick at them with ease. Chill Fog is a good 1st level Area of effect spell you can use the same way, as it keeps going for an extended amount of time. Just be careful not to step into it! Ghost Blades is another good 1st level spell. It hits everything in an arc in front of the caster, does decent damage, and doesn't seem to harm the party. Fan the Flames is similar, but it definitely does friendly fire to the party, so I don't use it.

Finally, keep at least one second-line fighter ready to step in and block off an enemy that tries to flank and get into your rear. Durance is a Priest, and he works really well for this. He can fight in melee with his staff, use spells to support the party, or a ranged weapon to attack the enemy from behind the front line. His Holy Radiance does damage to undead like Turning in the old games. I took a talent that increases that damage, and it really does the trick once they all close into melee. It also heals the party, so hold back on using it until later in the fight.

I play in slow mode all the time to make sure I can see keep track of what is happening. I still have to pause a lot to issue orders. My biggest problem is I cannot always tell if a character has cast a spell or fired a weapon yet.

I also never charge in. Instead I keep the entire party in sneak mode, find the enemy, and then deploy for battle from a distance. Then I open up with ranged weapons, and force the enemy to come to me. They will almost always charge. That is what makes that Slicken spell so useful.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Sep 5 2015, 10:11 PM


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