What Are You Playing: 9 Years since the Last Dragon Age

[warty goblin]

Ground through boss number 2 in Lords of the Fallen. Took a while, only struck me as moderately BS. Now I just need one more stat advance, I can use the boss' weapon, and it's onwards and, well, geographically speaking, downwards.

I fundamentally don't get the appeal of boss fights though. I know they're supposed to make me feel like I accomplished something and require mastery and so on. And I just feel none of that. Seriously, beat this boss, felt nothing. Games are what I play when I'm specifically and deliberately wasting time, all sense of accomplishment is out the window. And they generally don't require mastering a game's systems so much as rote memorization of 3 - 8 moves of varying degrees of cheapness. So it's this incredibly limited and static roadblock I just have to beat my head against for a while until either I've acquired big enough numbers, I get lucky in which moves it procs, or I successfully memorize its bespoke nonsense and then I can get back to the part of the game I actually enjoy.


edit: speaking of parts of the game I actually enjoy, the exploration is actually quite fun. The dual world stuff isn't exactly super original, but it's a very nifty and still somewhat uncommon mechanic, which this uses pretty effectively. It isn't exactly 5D chess, but it means getting from A to B, particularly if B is some optional bit of loot, requires some thought and close environmental observation. I find, thanks mostly to the exploration, that I'm quite enjoying this. I just have to keep the voice in my head saying "but imagine how amazing this could be if they put in an actually good and thoughtful genre that could make proper use of the possibilities" all the time and take it for what it is. But piecing together the steps needed to scurry out on a beam so I can switch to the undead world at the last second (you don't want to spend unnecessary time undead unless you're farming XP) so I can climb up a skeletal giant's arm, kill some nasty undead things on its back, then run out along its other arm to grab some cool bit of loot is a very fun piece of game design, mostly in spite of all the annoying crap that comes with the basic Souls chassis.

[WritersBlock]

Messing around with Just Cause 2 as much as I have been lately really does make me appreciate the Pay and sprays in the GTA games and the Forgive and forgets in the earlier saints row games. (Especially when it glitches and I get Heat/wanted meter out of nowhere) Despite a few occasional nitpicks, there is a ton of fun, cool, and hilarious stuff you can do. And there are a few mods to iron out the edges some. Tried a grappling hook mod to increase its range and boy, did it ever increase the range. (Like being able to travel so far I don't need to use vehicles any more for the most part)

Just as well, because the driving in this game is for the most part, terrible, It almost bad or maybe even worse than gta 4. (Except for one of the helicopter's I tried, it handled ok)

[Triaxx]

I love Just Cause 2 but it's actually too big. You can drive for an real time hour and not reach the destination (usually because you crashed into something)

[Anonymouswizard]

At this pint the squishiness of Rassaad has made me put BG1 aside for now, I might return to it later with a different build or party. Level 1 characters are just so fragile that you lose a party member to one lucky kobold. Maybe an easier difficulty would help, but I do want to try to complete it on Normal.

Then I fired up Pathfinder kingmaker with my archer ranger build and played through about half of Act 1 with just Old Sycamore and the Stag Lord's qquest yet. Archery is finally coming online at level 3 and while I wish I had more Strength at least I'm outputting 2 attacks a round.

[Psyren]

At this pint the squishiness of Rassaad has made me put BG1 aside for now, I might return to it later with a different build or party. Level 1 characters are just so fragile that you lose a party member to one lucky kobold. Maybe an easier difficulty would help, but I do want to try to complete it on Normal.

I watched youtuber Josh Strife Hayes do a playthrough of BG1 and he uses a lot of trap cheese and kiting and off-screening to clear encounters - and even then, he acknowledges that BG1/2e is just insanely lethal and you'll just straight up die multiple times through no fault of your own.

[Batcathat]

At this pint the squishiness of Rassaad has made me put BG1 aside for now, I might return to it later with a different build or party. Level 1 characters are just so fragile that you lose a party member to one lucky kobold. Maybe an easier difficulty would help, but I do want to try to complete it on Normal.

While it can indeed be a bit lethal early on, the amount of side-quests makes it pretty easy to level up enough that you're ahead of the curve, which naturally makes things rather easy (it could be argued that it makes it too easy if overdone). Of course, that still means you have to survive a bunch of side-quests, so it doesn't solve the problem entirely.

I watched youtuber Josh Strife Hayes do a playthrough of BG1 and he uses a lot of trap cheese and kiting and off-screening to clear encounters - and even then, he acknowledges that BG1/2e is just insanely lethal and you'll just straight up die multiple times through no fault of your own.

Yeah, this is pretty true. As someone who likes playing thieves in particular (occasionally without a party), I've done a lot of this. The enemies are mostly half blind and completely stupid, so most fights are only as fair as you want them to be.

That said, I feel like "insanely lethal" is a pretty big exaggeration, but I suppose it depends on what one compares it to.

[GloatingSwine]

While it can indeed be a bit lethal early on, the amount of side-quests makes it pretty easy to level up enough that you're ahead of the curve, which naturally makes things rather easy (it could be argued that it makes it too easy if overdone). Of course, that still means you have to survive a bunch of side-quests, so it doesn't solve the problem entirely.

Whilst true, none of that stops a dex 16/con 14 Monk sucking all manner of ass.

I mean part of Rassaad's offensive issues can be covered by his quite decent weapon proficiencies, but yeah he does seem bad. I'll probably drop him if I find a decent warrior who isn't evil or if Khalid bites it (at which point I'll pick up Boo and his human companion). A lot of characters also seem to have stats that, while better than what you'd get with RAW 2e, really aren't up to the the challenge.

What weapon proficiencies? He's a monk, he's super restricted on weapons especially in BG1 where you don't get Katana/Wakasashi/Ninja-to weapons in any volume or enchantment and can't get more than Proficient in any of them so he gets no bonus APR with weapons until level 7.

Low level monks suck, the class wasn't introduced until ToB, you're supposed to start it at level 8 and it wasn't designed to be played below that. Rasaad combines that bad low level class with bad stats.

Monks come fully online at about level 13, but you can't get that in BG1.

[Batcathat]

Whilst true, none of that stops a dex 16/con 14 Monk sucking all manner of ass.

Oh, sure. I wouldn't recommend Rasaad whether from a mechanic nor roleplaying perspective (I feel like the other EE companions have a lot more personality, though that's admittedly rather subjective). There is a somewhat spoilery reason to potentially keep him around for a while in BG2, but that's about it.

[Mechalich]

That said, I feel like "insanely lethal" is a pretty big exaggeration, but I suppose it depends on what one compares it to.

It also depends on how one plays. You can rest to full before every major fight and go into every single significant battle in the game buffed to the gills and with a full retinue of summons out - which is basically how every major enemy group is specced so fair is fair - but if you don't do that and instead try to do things like conquer a whole dungeon in one go, well, then yeah the lethality spikes a lot.

[Anonymouswizard]

Bare in mind that when entering the first dungeon the game tells you that you've got 24 hours, which implies you shouldn't be constantly resting.

But also you have the issue of level one characters just being so darn squishy. Once everybody's got a couple of levels under their belt you don't have to worry about a crit dropping you in the first round, let alone the solid normal hit that can drop non-warriors at 1st level.

I've heard that it's actually optimal to begin as an archer and then move into melee weapons as you gain levels.

[Resileaf]

Although Jaheira and Kalheed will definitely complain at you if you take a while to get to Nashkel, you still have plenty of time to explore the countrysides and fight low-level monsters for experience. Completing quests in the Friendly Arms Inn and Beregost can get you the experience and money you need to get ready for the dangers of the mine.

[Batcathat]

I've heard that it's actually optimal to begin as an archer and then move into melee weapons as you gain levels.

Yeah, that's pretty accurate (especially against mages, since you can keep interrupting their spellcasting and they're unlikely to have a lot of protection spells). Bows are generally very powerful in the first game and considerably less so in the second one. My last playthrough was as a fighter/mage and I went from pretty much all archery to pretty much all melee over time.

I don't think any quests are actually timed, though there might be some exception I'm forgetting about. I still try to avoid resting when I can, but that's more as a self-imposed challenge than anything else, if you need to rest you should do it (though as I'm sure you've noticed by now, some areas have a pretty high rate of nightly random encounters).

[Anonymouswizard]

Yeah, that's pretty accurate (especially against mages, since you can keep interrupting their spellcasting and they're unlikely to have a lot of protection spells). Bows are generally very powerful in the first game and considerably less so in the second one. My last playthrough was as a fighter/mage and I went from pretty much all archery to pretty much all melee over time.

I don't think any quests are actually timed, though there might be some exception I'm forgetting about. I still try to avoid resting when I can, but that's more as a self-imposed challenge than anything else, if you need to rest you should do it (though as I'm sure you've noticed by now, some areas have a pretty high rate of nightly random encounters).

The Naskell Mines have the owner say he wants you out after 24 hours.

Also I'm probably going to restart as a boring Fighter with my proficiency points in longbows, maces, and either longsword's or axes. I'd prefer the latter but will probably take the former, I'm betting there's a lack of good magical axes. I'll make a definite attempt to find all the sidequests as well, see how long I can delay the mines for.

[Errorname]

Titanfall 2 is still extremely good.

[Batcathat]

The Naskell Mines have the owner say he wants you out after 24 hours.

Right, but I don't think anything actually happens if you take longer. Maybe I've just never done so, but considering how many times I've played through the game that seems unlikely. Not to mention that it'd basically be game over if you weren't allowed to finish that quest, so I think you can take your time if you want to.

[warty goblin]

Titanfall 2 is still extremely good.

I really wish I still had the twitch reflex skillz for TF2 multiplayer, because that was such a blast. Might be the best feeling shooter I've ever played, and so, so many awesome things to do. Sadly, I just can't hack it anymore.

[GloatingSwine]

Although Jaheira and Kalheed will definitely complain at you if you take a while to get to Nashkel, you still have plenty of time to explore the countrysides and fight low-level monsters for experience. Completing quests in the Friendly Arms Inn and Beregost can get you the experience and money you need to get ready for the dangers of the mine.

They'll leave if you take too long to go to Nashkel, but IIRC you only have to enter the Nashkel village map not actually do anything there.

There are a number of NPCs who will leave (or go hostile) if you don't do their thing fast enough, but the only one that's usually a problem for people is Kivan because he wants you to go to the bandit camp which isn't accessible until after the mines but you can recruit him basically straight away.

Also I'm probably going to restart as a boring Fighter with my proficiency points in longbows, maces, and either longsword's or axes. I'd prefer the latter but will probably take the former, I'm betting there's a lack of good magical axes. I'll make a definite attempt to find all the sidequests as well, see how long I can delay the mines for.

There's very good magic axes later on. Maces not so much.

[Anonymouswizard]

There's very good magic axes later on. Maces not so much.

Maces are more 'I know skellies will turn up at some point, so stick a level in a bashing weapon'.

[Batcathat]

They'll leave if you take too long to go to Nashkel, but IIRC you only have to enter the Nashkel village map not actually do anything there.

There are a number of NPCs who will leave (or go hostile) if you don't do their thing fast enough, but the only one that's usually a problem for people is Kivan because he wants you to go to the bandit camp which isn't accessible until after the mines but you can recruit him basically straight away.

They do? I guess that teaches me for being confident without actually checking, I guess even a game I've put who knows how many hundred of hours into can still surprise me. (Which I suppose is kinda nice).

There's also the complete opposite to be aware of for new players, though I think it's mostly in BG2, where some parts of the NPC's quests can take a long time to trigger.

[Resileaf]

They'll leave if you take too long to go to Nashkel, but IIRC you only have to enter the Nashkel village map not actually do anything there.

There are a number of NPCs who will leave (or go hostile) if you don't do their thing fast enough, but the only one that's usually a problem for people is Kivan because he wants you to go to the bandit camp which isn't accessible until after the mines but you can recruit him basically straight away.

Yeah, but like you still have a long time to do so. They'll warn you like three times before they actually leave. And like you said, you just have to reach Nashkel itself and they'll stop harassing you. Either way, exploring for quests and easy fights is not a problem in the early game.

Kivan himself gives you more time the earlier you are into the game. I think you have a full month to get to the bandit camp in Chapter 4 if you recruit him in chapter 1 and you get a warning at the halfway mark.

In the campaign I played a few months ago, I explored at least half the map before I started the Nashkel mines and the majority of it before I completed Kivan's quest.

[GloatingSwine]

Maces are more 'I know skellies will turn up at some point, so stick a level in a bashing weapon'.

Warhammer.

There's an easily accessible +2 warhammer early on (Admittedly it's on the far side of one of the biggest skeleton encounters in the game and an angry priest, but that's just details), and if you take the character into BG2 it makes for an easy off-hand Crom Faeyr.

[Anonymouswizard]

Warhammer.

There's an easily accessible +2 warhammer early on (Admittedly it's on the far side of one of the biggest skeleton encounters in the game and an angry priest, but that's just details), and if you take the character into BG2 it makes for an easy off-hand Crom Faeyr.

I mean at this point I'll stick with the mace, I don't want to go through rerolling stars thirty times enough times to get a decent gold allowance AGAIN. Plus I've got to decide of I'm going axe+shield or dual axes. Unless I find a mod that allows respeccing, but I think that's unlikely.

And wonderfully one of the first quests I find in Beregost is to kill some Ogrillions. Which might not be so bad but I couldn't find any at the Friendly Arm Inn.

Did however make sure my physical stats were all 18s, with I think an 18/57 in Strength. Not ideal, but I didn't want to reroll another thirty times.

[Resileaf]

God, 2e having you not only needing to roll an 18 but also needing to roll high on a d100 to deal good melee damage is the absolute worst.

[Batcathat]

God, 2e having you not only needing to roll an 18 but also needing to roll high on a d100 to deal good melee damage is the absolute worst.

Heh, I remember being so confused over the 18/something when I first played Baldur's Gate (being familiar with RPGs but not with specifically D&D). I kind of assumed that it was better than just 18 but I had no idea of exactly how and whether it was also better than just 19. (Search engines have really made things easier in some ways, huh?)

[ArmyOfOptimists]

Heh, I remember being so confused over the 18/something when I first played Baldur's Gate (being familiar with RPGs but not with specifically D&D). I kind of assumed that it was better than just 18 but I had no idea of exactly how and whether it was also better than just 19. (Search engines have really made things easier in some ways, huh?)

That's why BG1 and BG2 both shipped with what was essentially a slightly abridged version of the DND 2e Player's Handbook. Granted, I don't begrudge anyone for not reading a 150-page game manual front-to-back. Great reading material to keep in the bathroom, though!

[Batcathat]

That's why BG1 and BG2 both shipped with what was essentially a slightly abridged version of the DND 2e Player's Handbook. Granted, I don't begrudge anyone for not reading a 150-page game manual front-to-back. Great reading material to keep in the bathroom, though!

Yeah, I'm sure it was in there somewhere, I might even have read it eventually (I did find out about it somewhere, at least) but as a 12 year old with what seemed like perhaps the coolest game ever, I think I might've skipped it initially.

[Psyren]

God, 2e having you not only needing to roll an 18 but also needing to roll high on a d100 to deal good melee damage is the absolute worst.

Gygax had to keep those crazy overpowered Fighters in check somehow.

blacktext

[Wookieetank]

Gygax had to keep those crazy overpowered Fighters in check somehow.

blacktext

Thought that's what all the STR & CON draining undead was for.

[WritersBlock]

Played a little more of My Time at Portia and just found out that after chopping down a tree you can chop down the stump as well to get extra wood and hardwood. Derp...

Game is a pleasant mix of harvest moon and single player mmo action rpg. (Well the way the enemies spawn and act is something you would see in some mmo's) Also reminds me that I still need to finish my first Terraria run sometime, especially since I hear the last update was a good one that fixed some things.

[Triaxx]

I will point out if you've only played the Enhanced Edition you've not had the full potential lethality of Baldur's Gate 1. And I say this because EE prevents you from softlocking yourself.

In the original edition you could end up with a 1 HP character. Which makes it impossible to survive Gorion's death.