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SitS is a decent game, I didn't bother with it for a while because it looked very generic, but it has some surprisingly good flavour and atmosphere. Unfortunately the combat is very dull and the game as a whole feels weirdly... shallow. Like, there's a huge lovely manual to delve into, the character system is pretty deep, character generation is cool, then the game itself is just a bit empty. Most areas just remind me of Baldur's Gate's more egregiously featureless wilderness squares. Actions that seem like they should have consequences don't. Combat never really gets interesting. It's an impressive achievement for a two man team but I can't really recommend it unless you have a lot of time to kill. It's really close to being great but fails on too many fronts.
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Dec 20, 2018 15:24
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MMF Freeway posted:If you wanna gently caress with bows the archer kit is the way to go. The cheesy ranger setup is you go multiclass cleric/ranger which gets you access to all the cleric and druid spells plus a wide range of available equipment. I actually don't even know if that's still a thing in the enhanced version but its a fun class combo even if it is broken. I believe that the EE versions "fixed" the Cleric/Ranger spell progression issue. The PC versions, however, allow a quick edit of an .ini file to revert it to the old (broken but more fun) way, but that probably isn't possible in the mobile version.
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Dec 20, 2018 16:34
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Chinook posted:I've had the itch to go back and play Baldur's Gate 2 again, because I have the enhanced edition and haven't really given it a shot. If you've never played a Sorcerer, then you need to. Sorcerer's own bones in BG2 and was by far the most fun class I played. Just make sure to ask for a a good guide on which spells to take per level.
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Dec 20, 2018 16:46
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It should be pointed out that cleric/rangers can't use bows. If you aren't interested in a magic user main character I'd say go with an archer. If you are interested in Magic go with a wild mage or sorcerer, check in here if you don't know what spells to grab with the later, and it is possible to change them with EEKeeper if you do accidently screw yourself. For a tanky character that also has spells either cleric/ranger or fighter/druid work well. Fighter/mage is probably better, but has more micromanagement on trash mobs because you can't wear armor.
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Dec 20, 2018 16:53
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chaosapiant posted:If you've never played a Sorcerer, then you need to. Sorcerer's own bones in BG2 and was by far the most fun class I played. Just make sure to ask for a a good guide on which spells to take per level. Archers are also good though - they put out crazy damage with their multiple shots per turn.
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Dec 20, 2018 19:26
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Single class inquisitor kit is fun as gently caress and more than capable of soloing the whole game from candlekeep to ToB. I'd skip durlag's tower if you're gonna do BG1 though. The traps are a bitch without thief skills or cleric spells (though you'll hit xp cap in BG1 regardless so it's totally possible to grab a thief buddy and level them just for that purpose)
andrew smash fucked around with this message at 19:36 on Dec 20, 2018 |
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Dec 20, 2018 19:33
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Twobirds posted:I had a hard time with it. I found some suggestions but ultimately I wasn't enjoying myself. The NPCs felt lifeless and the quests arbitrary. It's odd since the art is great and the setup really cool but it felt like there wasn't much game there. Yeah, I ended up uninstalling it, and just went with going through the Baldur's Gates for the umpteenth time :/ If you want to try a (in my opinion, at least) fun challenge, try soling with that ranger kit that gets mage spells... Stalker, wasn't it? I had a blast figuring out encounters, traps and exploits, and I got through BG1 + expansions, and a good chunk of BG2 before I had to concentrate on my bachelor's thesis.
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Dec 20, 2018 20:01
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Thanks for all the suggestions, guys. I appreciate it. I've never played through as a seriously evil character, I'm kind of considering it. Either lawful evil (yawn) or possibly neutral or chaotic. I bet chaotic is almost impossible to role play but maybe I should give it a shot.
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Dec 21, 2018 02:27
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Kensai Mages are supposed to kick a fairly high amount of arse.
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Dec 21, 2018 04:52
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Chairchucker posted:Kensai Mages are supposed to kick a fairly high amount of arse. Berserker mages are better, but ignored for being less stylish  But goddamn are Kensai mages stylish. Get in touch with your inner middle schooler and make your anime bullshit character. It's a mage/fighter so you will have to pay attention to your own buffs a lot more, but if you can do that, there's a reason it's so beloved. And it's not just because it is some maximum anime bullshit. Archers have kind of a weird power curve. They are horrifyingly powerful throughout all of Baldur's Gate 1, remain pretty good all the way through 2, and then just nosedive in Throne of Bhaal. But Throne of Bhaal is frankly overall silly in it's mechanics, so there's that to consider, too. Very little makes sense by the end of the game, mechanically, really. Really, as long as you don't go with a single class thief, you should be (broadly) fine.
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Dec 21, 2018 06:25
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Kensai/ mages are cool through SoA but crap out in ToB compared to multiclassed characters. If you're gonna go all the way through, a fighter/mage/thief is a lot of fun. But it doesn't really matter, honestly.
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Dec 21, 2018 08:20
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chaosapiant posted:If you've never played a Sorcerer, then you need to. Sorcerer's own bones in BG2 and was by far the most fun class I played. Just make sure to ask for a a good guide on which spells to take per level. Alright, that's what I'm going with. An evil sorcerer.  Any suggestions for a build (I'm not going solo) and what spells to take/avoid would be appreciated.
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Dec 22, 2018 03:43
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Chinook posted:Alright, that's what I'm going with. An evil sorcerer. -Identify on a Sorc makes things way easier - there are other methods but being able to just identify a bunch of poo poo at once, rest, then go right on ahead is a nice quality of life perk. -Dispel Magic and Haste are both musts as widely useful utility spells. -Don’t waste a pick on narrowly limited spells - stuff like Find Familiar, Remove Curse, Stone to Flesh, etc should be cast from scrolls when needed since you’re going use them very rarely. -Spells which only inflict a status but nothing else are generally not too great since they lose effectiveness later in the game when saving throws get high. These spells tend to be useful for a while, so they’re good on your other casters, but not for a Sorc where you’re stuck with it wasting one of your picks forever. MagusofStars fucked around with this message at 04:54 on Dec 22, 2018 |
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Dec 22, 2018 04:52
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IMO if you're soloing there is no shame in just giving yourself a fat lore buff with shadowkeeper / EEkeeper for convenience's sake
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Dec 22, 2018 04:57
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Soloing a f/m/t is the most game breaking fun I’ve had playing through bg. Remove the level cap and go mad. Especially if you’ve done all the stuff with the recruitable characters before.
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Dec 22, 2018 04:59
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Chinook posted:Alright, that's what I'm going with. An evil sorcerer. Sleep will take a level one slot that might not be useful later, but you can absolutely cruise through most fights in BG1 with it. Magic missile is always good, especially later when you can put several in a sequencer or something. Any of the “beat magic” spells like breach, Ruby ray, etc. Wish/limited wish is good. Flame arrow is one of my personal favorites. I put it in a sequencer and then in a contingency to fire at an enemy on sight. I set this up if I’m about to fight a boss and it often lands before they can get protections up. Chromatic orb is also good.
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Dec 22, 2018 23:43
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2018 never truly ends Being 2018....even if it ends soon~ https://steamcommunity.com/games/650670/announcements/detail/1690437771473316570 Grimoire V2...with almost a manual, soon'ish
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Dec 23, 2018 15:24
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ExiledTinkerer posted:2018 never truly ends Being 2018....even if it ends soon~ I hope that this all ends with GOG rejecting Grimoire just to close out the trainride of lunacy that 2018 has been, and that 2019 promises to be.
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Dec 24, 2018 13:46
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ExiledTinkerer posted:2018 never truly ends Being 2018....even if it ends soon~ I have that game in my Steam library, but I bounced off it hard, sadly. For some reason though I have a lot of fun recently playing Phantasy Star 1 on my Switch though, it plays a lot like a Western RPG and with the QOL-additions, no grinding for hundreds of hours to pay for a decent sword! Simple is best, sometimes.
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Dec 24, 2018 13:52
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I finally got around to dusting off Underrail from my backlog and while I like it does this game ever have some awful design decisions. Fortunately Cheat Engine's speedhack is there to counteract the glacial walking pace but there are so, so many other things that drag it down. Like being very focused on gathering lots of crafting components and having a very restrictive carry weight limit at the same time. Or having frequently respawning enemies in places you're going to have to run back and forth in 100 times so you have to fight them every time. Or requiring absurd min-maxing to make even a slightly viable character. I forget, is this the really unbalanced game where the dev's response to all complaints was "git gud"? I don't suppose anyone knows of any good trainers or cheat tables for the most recent version? Normally I'm all for grognardy RPGs but I think this is one case where I might want to hack my skills and/or stats just for QoL improvements. I built my character around being a psi mage, but it seems in doing so I've doomed him to death by landmine every 5 minutes because I didn't have spare points to put into Perception, which seems otherwise useless for a psi character.
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Dec 25, 2018 04:12
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Underrail: If you're not using some ubernerd's build that tells you exactly what you should be getting level by level than odds are you're never going to be able to finish it anyways. SMG builds are often the most newbie-friendly as I recall so try googling up some of those. I've never beaten it myself, personally. It all gets a bit tiresome once you get to the big city up north but I've gotten there in at least three different attempted playthroughs.
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Dec 26, 2018 03:47
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I'm cross posting this from the game dev thread as I'm curious. What's your fav retro first person dungeon crawler style: 1: Single grid locked character with throwing stuff / bump simple attacks and singular grid locked monsters sorta like Dungeon Hack / Anvil of Dawn  2: Single character free movement but with simplified combat (not properly an action game) like Lands of Lore 2/3, Arena, various mildly awkward 90s pseudo first person action rpgs (not pictured) 3: Multi character grid locked or free roaming party with slightly more complicated combat and free moving monsters like Wizardry 8 / M&M 6-9  4: Multi character grid locked party with simpler combat / square dancing / etc and multi pack monsters locked to the grid like Eye of the Beholder / Grimrock / DM (not pictured) 5: Multi character modal combat with more complicated attacks and coordinated monster packs like Japanese crawlers / older Wizardry games 
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Dec 28, 2018 05:53
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All of my favorite games of the genre are #3, yet somehow I truly believe I prefer #2 just because I am such a huge fan of hybrid FPS/RPG titles. I love the new wave of #4s but it always feels absurd to me that clicking fast enough to move out of the way of the monsters is part of the intended gameplay. I am not sure I have ever played a #5, unless the very first Wizardry counts... Which it probably does, but I also last seriously played it in like 1989
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Dec 28, 2018 06:17
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5 if the combat is the main focus of the game, 3 if it's more exploration-oriented
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Dec 28, 2018 09:28
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Dr. Quarex posted:All of my favorite games of the genre are #3, yet somehow I truly believe I prefer #2 just because I am such a huge fan of hybrid FPS/RPG titles. I love the new wave of #4s but it always feels absurd to me that clicking fast enough to move out of the way of the monsters is part of the intended gameplay. I am not sure I have ever played a #5, unless the very first Wizardry counts... Which it probably does, but I also last seriously played it in like 1989 Yeah #5 is all Wizardries before 8, old Bard's Tale, most (all?) first person pre-Dungeon Master CRPGs except gold box style with iso battles. Rather that combat happening in the exploration space it's in its own separate space (like in Etrian and I think every Japanese crawler).
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Dec 28, 2018 09:35
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5, no question. Really anything with real-time elements will be a "despite, not because of" enjoyment at best.
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Dec 28, 2018 09:53
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Might and Magic can do no wrong (ssh the 3d ones don't exist) so #3
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Dec 28, 2018 10:37
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I like them all except #4, which is one of the reasons I never finished grimrock. If I had to pick a favorite it would probably be #5 since it usually leads to the best combat
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Dec 28, 2018 10:44
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Merrill Grinch posted:Underrail: If you're not using some ubernerd's build that tells you exactly what you should be getting level by level than odds are you're never going to be able to finish it anyways. SMG builds are often the most newbie-friendly as I recall so try googling up some of those. I remember doing a stealth melee build with lots of wasted points that took me to the end of the game but made me unable to kill the last boss (which at the point had a puzzle mechanic to make it beatable but it just didn't work). I think stealth is basically essential since avoiding combat can solve 90% of the encounters without gimping your xp, and electronics is by far the best of the crafting schools. You can craft waaay stronger shields than the ones available at stores, along with gadgets like the stealth boosting item that guarantees you to never be spotted. I also took the psi enabling drug that severely reduces your HP for no reason since I didn't use the skills and only noticed it reduced HP way after the midpoint. EDIT: I just checked their website since they're working on an expansion and the game has an "easy" mode now, which should still be extremely hard. There's absolutely no reason at all to play in any other setting. nerdz fucked around with this message at 17:06 on Dec 28, 2018 |
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Dec 28, 2018 11:52
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Whatever style Wizardry 8 is
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Dec 28, 2018 12:35
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Dr. Quarex posted:All of my favorite games of the genre are #3, yet somehow I truly believe I prefer #2 just because I am such a huge fan of hybrid FPS/RPG titles. I love the new wave of #4s but it always feels absurd to me that clicking fast enough to move out of the way of the monsters is part of the intended gameplay. I am not sure I have ever played a #5, unless the very first Wizardry counts... Which it probably does, but I also last seriously played it in like 1989 Yeah I don't really understand why the bizarre real time square dancing combat model exists. I love Grimrock despite the combat but what on earth does it add that turn based doesn't have? I think you'd like the Etrian Odyssey games btw, they're definitely a *bit* anime but that's mostly in the party portraits, which you barely see and you can pick the least cringeworthy ones. They're very charming with a lot of character, dungeon variety and character building. They feel quite M&M (2-5) with more of a dungeon focus
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Dec 28, 2018 15:49
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gotta go with 2 if only because i loved the poo poo out of lands of lore 2. i have never played 3 for some reason and i think im going to do that this weekend because its $1.50 on gog
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Dec 28, 2018 15:54
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Lunchmeat Larry posted:Yeah I don't really understand why the bizarre real time square dancing combat model exists. I love Grimrock despite the combat but what on earth does it add that turn based doesn't have? Gonna second Etrian Odyssey. I missed the boat on the original turn based dungeon crawlers, and Etrian Odyssey satisfies that itch superbly. It also has neato built in map making stuff and it's just so neat I like it a lot it's real good.
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Dec 28, 2018 16:04
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Lunchmeat Larry posted:Yeah I don't really understand why the bizarre real time square dancing combat model exists. I love Grimrock despite the combat but what on earth does it add that turn based doesn't have? I also enjoyed Grimrock and do prefer turn-based myself, but I can see how it's an alternative for people who want a bit more action in combat even though I think that it's rather silly in some ways.
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Dec 28, 2018 17:26
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Lunchmeat Larry posted:Yeah I don't really understand why the bizarre real time square dancing combat model exists. I love Grimrock despite the combat but what on earth does it add that turn based doesn't have? I think I might enjoy it if games actually...did something with it. Like, let ranger and mage archetypes set various forms of traps, drop a patrolling creature's favorite food and pass by them, break your fall by baiting enemies to the bottom level of a pitfall and falling on them, etc.
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Dec 28, 2018 18:57
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Thanks for the responses. This has all been very interesting. My personal ordering would be 2-3-1-5-4. It's funny that I hear such consistent negativity about square dancing online yet the most (seeming) successful indie dungeon crawlers on Steam all seem to be #4 style. I wonder if potentially it's about how that style is a bit more approachable and yet is unambiguously an rpg. Like I was looking at Vaporum and I had wondered if the game would've been more successful off the grid, but that also would have resembled an action game more. So people then might've expected it to have the control and polish of a proper action game. (though I've never played Vaporum) I think that's part of what went wrong on Underworld Ascendant and the SS1 remake. Their original games were first person rpgs off the grid, but they were proper rpgs and didn't have particularly thrilling action (#2 in my style listing). They don't really make games like that much anymore (Morrowind is the last and I can only think of Delver and Barony as recent indie versions), so I'm sure it seemed straight forward to those devs to make the action more like a proper first person action game. That does introduce a lot of extra dev work and I think that broke their schedules and caused the projects to go off rails. Had they focused on making an rpg and accepted potentially anemic action gameplay I think they could've turned out a lot better. I dunno how modern gamers would react to that though.
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Dec 29, 2018 00:06
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I don't like games that require me to make decisions faster than real time - e.g. doing the actions for four characters at a time, especially when some of those actions are more complicated - e.g. most magic systems in blobber dungeon crawls.
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Dec 29, 2018 01:23
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Angrymog posted:I don't like games that require me to make decisions faster than real time - e.g. doing the actions for four characters at a time, especially when some of those actions are more complicated - e.g. most magic systems in blobber dungeon crawls. Funny that you should say that, because I've been playing some early Dragon Quest games lately, and I've started to get slightly annoyed with games where you have to pick your actions for your whole team at the start of the round, then watch everyone go in an essentially random order and hope that your healer acts before one of your fighters gets killed. I've found myself really wishing that a turn order could just be rolled and I could decide what to do as each character's turn comes up, rather than guessing what I might need and risking my luck. This is not helped by the fact that early-game DQ3 and 4 has basically no convenient way to resurrect the dead. Plus, the party can only have one resurrection item at a time, the first raise dead spell only works half the time (seriously, whoever came up with that is an arsehole) and the only reliable spell to raise the dead only comes when you're about at the level to fight the final boss anyway.
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Dec 29, 2018 01:34
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JustJeff88 posted:Funny that you should say that, because I've been playing some early Dragon Quest games lately, and I've started to get slightly annoyed with games where you have to pick your actions for your whole team at the start of the round, then watch everyone go in an essentially random order and hope that your healer acts before one of your fighters gets killed. I've found myself really wishing that a turn order could just be rolled and I could decide what to do as each character's turn comes up, rather than guessing what I might need and risking my luck. This is not helped by the fact that early-game DQ3 and 4 has basically no convenient way to resurrect the dead. Plus, the party can only have one resurrection item at a time, the first raise dead spell only works half the time (seriously, whoever came up with that is an arsehole) and the only reliable spell to raise the dead only comes when you're about at the level to fight the final boss anyway. Deciding what to do as each character's turn comes up is fine; I mean games like EoB, Dungeon Master, Grimrock et al. But yeah, the essentially random party order thing (the Bards Tale does it too) can be frustrating.
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Dec 29, 2018 01:43
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Yeah, deterministic speed is one of the keys to combat that feels like a solvable micro-puzzle with a solution if you've been preparing and resource managing properly, instead of just a dice roll. I think misses are similar. It's not that they shouldn't exist, but I've always felt like in a turn based system allies and enemies alike should have to take a specific action to dodge things, whether it's a feint, counter, or whatever.
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Dec 29, 2018 02:53
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