Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

[Tome]

Okay, so it turns out all the good cipher abilities (aside from mind control) start to kick in at PL 4+.

Bit annoying that all your low level options are terrible. Fortunately all the low level Paladin abilities are great whilst the higher level ones are a bit meh, so it all works out for my Inquisitor.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

Okay, so it turns out all the good cipher abilities (aside from mind control) start to kick in at PL 4+.

Bit annoying that all your low level options are terrible. Fortunately all the low level Paladin abilities are great whilst the higher level ones are a bit meh, so it all works out for my Inquisitor.

Don't Cyphers get an early (PL1-2) blind or stun effect? I could've sworn they had some rocking CC in the early game. Maybe I'm mis-remembering?

[Tome]

Don't Cyphers get an early (PL1-2) blind or stun effect? I could've sworn they had some rocking CC in the early game. Maybe I'm mis-remembering?

They do get eyestrike, a PL1 aoe blind. Probably one of the better low level options now that I think about it.

[Cespenar]

The only consequence I've noticed so far is the damage to my suspension of disbelief

Why do experienced developers keep doing this!? There's nothing more annoying than a "you must urgently save the world/find the mcguffin/rescue your child/etc etc" quest and then the game proceeds to suggest you go do a thousand other things instead.

Pillars 1 did the same after Defiance Bay, where you have to follow Thaos to Twin Elms... But maybe you'll just spend 3 months traveling the Dyrwood and the White March first because apparently Thaos finally decided to spend all those accumulated vacation days on the way so no rush, really

Yep, and the bad side is that they could have easily addressed the issue if they realized it. It seems like they are more interested in checking the Baldur's Gate 2 checkboxes rather than actually making a game on its own. They managed to pull off quite a few good things thanks to that checkbox, but you have to use your common sense once in a while as well.

The solution in BG2 was pretty simplistic and solid, for example. You do need to save your sister, which is semi-urgent, but you need lots of gold to pay the Shadow Thieves for that, and that's why you're doing the odd jobs.

Also, while we're at it, what's with the CRPGs and their need of supplying everyone's childhood backstories in order to make them "deep"? Real people don't just give up that stuff after a few minutes of talk, if ever. Also, actual in-game actions, stances and reactions go much farther in giving depth to a character.

[Keltest]

Yep, and the bad side is that they could have easily addressed the issue if they realized it. It seems like they are more interested in checking the Baldur's Gate 2 checkboxes rather than actually making a game on its own. They managed to pull off quite a few good things thanks to that checkbox, but you have to use your common sense once in a while as well.

The solution in BG2 was pretty simplistic and solid, for example. You do need to save your sister, which is semi-urgent, but you need lots of gold to pay the Shadow Thieves for that, and that's why you're doing the odd jobs.

Also, while we're at it, what's with the CRPGs and their need of supplying everyone's childhood backstories in order to make them "deep"? Real people don't just give up that stuff after a few minutes of talk, if ever. Also, actual in-game actions, stances and reactions go much farther in giving depth to a character.

Theres a finite amount of screen time to pass the spotlight around, much of which is taken up by, well, you. Backstories are good for this then because they tell you about the character, inform what they do or do not like, and give them something that can come back later to react to.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Random question: Will there be a strategy guide for this like with the first game? I've found that it's hard to gather comprehensive information about more recently released games from their wikis or from GameFAQs, with both seeming incomplete like few people are writing as detailed guides as they have for games like Neverwinter Nights 2 or such...

[Tome]

Random question: Will there be a strategy guide for this like with the first game? I've found that it's hard to gather comprehensive information about more recently released games from their wikis or from GameFAQs, with both seeming incomplete like few people are writing as detailed guides as they have for games like Neverwinter Nights 2 or such...

Doesn't seem like they're doing an offical one for Deadfire, no.

[Psyren]

Old-school strategy guides tend to be wastes of trees anyway. The combat info is often a single patch away from being obsolete, and describing where to go in static text is nowhere near as helpful as a YouTube clip. Gamefaqs is now almost as bad - the days of the internet when text guides were needed to save on bandwidth are long gone.

The modern solution to walking through a game is a wiki - either a dedicated one for the game in question (often, but not always, found on Wikia), IGN's Wiki Guides, or Gamepressure tend to be much more useful at least for me.

[Driderman]

They do get eyestrike, a PL1 aoe blind. Probably one of the better low level options now that I think about it.

Eyestrike is sweet, especially if you're dualclassed as a Rogue, or have other Rogues in the party

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Old-school strategy guides tend to be wastes of trees anyway. The combat info is often a single patch away from being obsolete, and describing where to go in static text is nowhere near as helpful as a YouTube clip. Gamefaqs is now almost as bad - the days of the internet when text guides were needed to save on bandwidth are long gone.

The modern solution to walking through a game is a wiki - either a dedicated one for the game in question (often, but not always, found on Wikia), IGN's Wiki Guides, or Gamepressure tend to be much more useful at least for me.

In principle, I agree with you, but in my experience, those guides tend to just cover the most basic information, meaning if you're a perfectionist like me and want to build your character so they don't fail the skill checks the game throws at you, you're fumbling around in the dark, or they're simply incomplete, which results in the same problem, and in terms of describing quests and stuff they're self-contained in individual articles that don't indicate how other quests are impacted by them, especially since you can't have the guide open in front of you while you're playing the game, meaning you either have to try and fiddle with a tiny smart-phone screen, or constantly interrupt the flow of gameplay by switching back and forth between the game and the guide, especially if it was a YouTube guide. It's REALLY frustrating.

[huttj509]

Is there a good resource for customising AI?

I just want my guys to stay put when I tell them to but not sit there not shooting after using an ability.

[Tome]

Is there a good resource for customising AI?

I just want my guys to stay put when I tell them to but not sit there not shooting after using an ability.

Are you using the 1.1 beta patch? Because it includes AI upgrades for that.

[Rusty Spoon]

You start at level 1 again. There's an explanation for it. It's still a bit annoying, but it's tolerable I guess.
You don't so much import your old character as your save state. You complete recreate your character no matter what, it's just your choices that are imported, so yes you can multi-class. Not sure if you can import from PC til console when that comes around but the PC version at least has a very solid tool to create the save-states you want from PoE1 anyway.
I wouldn't wish playing this game on PS4 on anyone though, I can only imagine the controls will be terrible but a PS4 port should be in the works as far as I understand. Good luck!

The PS4 port for Pillars 1 was really good, in my opinion. Inventory management got a little wonky at times... equipping off-hand items, I think, normally took two attempts. But otherwise really good, never played the PC version to compare so maybe that helps.

Also also, might attempt a complete run through to prepare myself for 2 - I know Eder is available again, and... the elf wizard? Anyone else come through for the sequel? For my sense of continuity. Don't mind spoilers for the start of the game.

[Tome]

Also also, might attempt a complete run through to prepare myself for 2 - I know Eder is available again, and... the elf wizard? Anyone else come through for the sequel? For my sense of continuity. Don't mind spoilers for the start of the game.

The returning companions are Eder, Aloth and Pallegina. Kana's sister is also a companion.

[Psyren]

In principle, I agree with you, but in my experience, those guides tend to just cover the most basic information, meaning if you're a perfectionist like me and want to build your character so they don't fail the skill checks the game throws at you, you're fumbling around in the dark, or they're simply incomplete, which results in the same problem, and in terms of describing quests and stuff they're self-contained in individual articles that don't indicate how other quests are impacted by them, especially since you can't have the guide open in front of you while you're playing the game, meaning you either have to try and fiddle with a tiny smart-phone screen, or constantly interrupt the flow of gameplay by switching back and forth between the game and the guide, especially if it was a YouTube guide. It's REALLY frustrating.

On the contrary, the Gamepressure guide at least tells you what stat you need for the various checks, and likely the wiki too. As for YouTube, I only use it if a given map has a confusing layout and I need to know where to find something or what it looks like.

Personally having a printed guide would break the flow for me just as much (needing to glance down at my lap away from the screen) - and anyway I play on a laptop, so there's not much room for a book in any event since the computer is there. So that may explain my disdain for them.

[Aotrs Commander]

Head's up, by-the-by - the Devs have said (in reply to me personally, because clearly I'm that awesome...) that the fixes for the too-quickly-increasing companion dispositions are in in the coming patch (the one in current open beta).

As - for me - this was the main issue and why I was going to re-start (as I while it it the deal-brealer for other people, difficulty if not my concern personally), I felt as it isn't directly in their current change notes I should share here.

[Cespenar]

So since the base game isn't really hard and the factions make it kinda replayable, I was thinking of a way to "up the ante", so to say. Something like Ironman mode, but more forgiving, and possibly more dramatic. A similar feel to XCOM.

I have the following, does anyone have any suggestions to make it even more dramatic?

Let's call it Obsidianman, because the main gimmick is kinda evil, and punny.

-One save only.
-No resting. So death through 3 injuries is actually a threat.
-Upon main char death or party death I can reload, but have to sacrifice one companion to Berath to do this. In game meaning is that I'll put that companion into the bench and not recruit them.
-I'm thinking about the possibility of resting with a sacrifice as well?
-Can't use the faceless mercs as sacrifice.
-Normal difficulty, I think.

[houlio]

So since the base game isn't really hard and the factions make it kinda replayable, I was thinking of a way to "up the ante", so to say. Something like Ironman mode, but more forgiving, and possibly more dramatic. A similar feel to XCOM.

I have the following, does anyone have any suggestions to make it even more dramatic?

Let's call it Obsidianman, because the main gimmick is kinda evil, and punny.

-One save only.
-No resting. So death through 3 injuries is actually a threat.
-Upon main char death or party death I can reload, but have to sacrifice one companion to Berath to do this. In game meaning is that I'll put that companion into the bench and not recruit them.
-I'm thinking about the possibility of resting with a sacrifice as well?
-Can't use the faceless mercs as sacrifice.
-Normal difficulty, I think.

Perhaps only allow resting when at sea (and only using hardtack/water to avoid the bonuses)? Apparently the latest patch has really upped the difficulty (although I can't confirm that yet). Maybe as far as resting goes, I would add the caveat that once you choose to go on a certain quest/adventure, you aren't allowed to rest until it's been completed.

[Tome]

Perhaps only allow resting when at sea (and only using hardtack/water to avoid the bonuses)? Apparently the latest patch has really upped the difficulty (although I can't confirm that yet). Maybe as far as resting goes, I would add the caveat that once you choose to go on a certain quest/adventure, you aren't allowed to rest until it's been completed.

Patch has indeed upped the difficulty quite well - at the lower levels. Level scaling is still being worked on and until it's done the mid to late game is still stupidly easy because nothing scales properly.

Might I suggest only resting at inns?

[Cespenar]

Perhaps only allow resting when at sea (and only using hardtack/water to avoid the bonuses)? Apparently the latest patch has really upped the difficulty (although I can't confirm that yet). Maybe as far as resting goes, I would add the caveat that once you choose to go on a certain quest/adventure, you aren't allowed to rest until it's been completed.

Patch has indeed upped the difficulty quite well - at the lower levels. Level scaling is still being worked on and until it's done the mid to late game is still stupidly easy because nothing scales properly.

Might I suggest only resting at inns?

These sound cool, but since resting will already be pretty rare with these rules (several times throughout a game, maybe?), I don't think a further regulation would be necessary.

It seems like a sensible enough rule to be included maybe into a lighter version, like Coalman or something (), where resting is allowed but only at inns.

[houlio]

The only other big thing I could think of would be doing something to change up your lineup regularly, but that might lean towards being too much busywork.

[Keltest]

Given how readily available gold is, im not sure that enforcing permanent character death would be in any way meaningful except for the companions, since you could just go out and whip up Rogue Clone #17 the next time youre in an inn.

[NRSASD]

I've got a good feeling about Rogue Clone 17. This one for sure!

[Keltest]

I've got a good feeling about Rogue Clone 17. This one for sure!

17 is a good number.

[Cespenar]

Given how readily available gold is, im not sure that enforcing permanent character death would be in any way meaningful except for the companions, since you could just go out and whip up Rogue Clone #17 the next time youre in an inn.

I might as well ban mercs altogether.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

I watched some videos of Deadfire and now I'm honestly torn. The Whispers of the Endless Path looks pretty sweet, but I don't want Modwyr to be sad anymore!

That's honestly the reason I can't do evil playthroughs of any game. I hate to see an NPC cry.

[Tome]

I watched some videos of Deadfire and now I'm honestly torn. The Whispers of the Endless Path looks pretty sweet, but I don't want Modwyr to be sad anymore!

That's honestly the reason I can't do evil playthroughs of any game. I hate to see an NPC cry.

If it makes it easier for you, the whispers got nerfed into the ground in the upcoming patch.

[Morty]

I'm honestly not sure how or why that's a problem.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

True. I wasn't interested in the Whispers for its power, but for the cool factor of two broken magic swords being forged together into an even cooler weapon! Like if Anduril had been reforged with Gurthang or something!

A nerf won't change that cool factor.

[Tome]

True. I wasn't interested in the Whispers for its power, but for the cool factor of two broken magic swords being forged together into an even cooler weapon! Like if Anduril had been reforged with Gurthang or something!

A nerf won't change that cool factor.

Make the whispers and let Pallegena wield it?

EDIT By the by, there's a certain unique staff for sale in the magic shop in nekehatara with a plant theme that can be plot relevant in a particular area. Worth picking up and having someone wield.