Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire |OT| Josh Sawyer's Pirates!

[Anno]

I can't imagine why it would. They've said specifically "changed X in turn based mode". I have a feeling they're happy with where RTwP is (and they should be, it's probably the best ever) and are mostly focusing on getting this right for the console release.

 

[Bhonar]

I can't imagine why it would. They've said specifically "changed X in turn based mode". I have a feeling they're happy with where RTwP is (and they should be, it's probably the best ever)

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ok kool, that's why I was asking

 

[lorddarkflare]

I gotta say, I think I like turn based mode more, but only because my arquebus-based builds feel like they finally work.

Sure my character goes last in any given round, but does it REALLY matter when she is smacking fools?

So far I am finding great success with a Ranger (Arcane Archer)/Paladin (Bleak Walker) build.

I am tempted to drop the Paladin for a rogue though.

 

[Sir Garbageman]

Random question. Is there a way to use the same weapon in multiple weapon sets? For example for Xoti I want to keep her lantern in her offhand for both sets but have two different melee weapons in her primary hand.

Speaking of which, is the upgrade to her lantern worth it that provides 5% spell resistance? Seems to be a double edged sword if it has a chance to negate buffs and heals.

 

[Anno]

Random question. Is there a way to use the same weapon in multiple weapon sets? For example for Xoti I want to keep her lantern in her offhand for both sets but have two different melee weapons in her primary hand.

Speaking of which, is the upgrade to her lantern worth it that provides 5% spell resistance? Seems to be a double edged sword if it has a chance to negate buffs and heals.

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Yeah there's a button that pops up when you hover over the lanternthat lets you "copy" a one-handed item so that it can be used in both weapons sets.

 

[decoyplatypus]

Patch notes

A host of fixes plus a few balance tweaks:

• Light, one-handed weapon's damage has been slightly increased in turn-based mode.
• In turn-based mode, dexterity now adds 4% to Stride per point.
• In turn-based mode, characters receive -10 Deflection while Knocked Down.

The stride buff should help dexterity, which got a significant nerf in turn-based mode because turn initiative is so much less valuable than RTwP action speed. And I think we all knew some additional effect was going to be added to "Knocked Down," which wasn't doing anything in turn-based mode.

 

[Anno]

Oh good the ship loot bug was fixed. Also Vela was buffed, though I'm still not sure I ever want to try that challenge. Maybe it'd be easier in turn based now that I think of it.

 

[Deleted member 13645]

Are there any good dual pistol multiclasses that would involve an Illusionist? I love the idea of my character using those two in tandem, but I'm scared of picking two classes with anti-synergy and screwing myself over, so i'm not sure what would work for pistols + illusions.

Edit: Or potentially I can just go pure Illusionist and use pistols? Is the Illusionist subclass when used on its own any good?

Edit 2: Settled on just base Wizard with my weapon skills in blunderbuss and pistol. I went with super low con and res (like 3 for each) and pumped up all my other stats to 18. I'm going to be an absolute glass cannon early, but i'm hoping that I can get into the illusion spells fairly fast to get some defensive ability. Also, I can already tell i'm going to love this game. I spent like an hour in the character creator and have a great backstory built for my pale elf. The first ship battle, I took a single hit and my health got chunked hard, so there's going to be quite a difficulty ramp up with my lack of defensive stats haha.

Also, screenshots of the game didn't do it justice for how gorgeous it is. Damn it's good looking.

 

[Anno]

Cryptic. Lazy guess is that The Ultimate (all challenges, no mods, Triple Crown (solo?) etc.) will be the final challenge, and proving you've done so earns you a sweet Sawyer patch.

 

[CottonWolf]

Cryptic. Lazy guess is that The Ultimate (all challenges, no mods, Triple Crown (solo?) etc.) will be the final challenge, and proving you've done so earns you a sweet Sawyer patch.

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Seems like a good guess!

 

[BrokenFiction]

One Last Time

 

[Anno]

The Ultimate is 100% impossible as far as I'm concerned, lol. God speed to whoever actually attempts that.

 

[modestb]

"After listening to feedback on the critical path of the game when it came to reactivity with Woedica and Eothas, so we've decided to go in and write new lines and get them recorded by the original actors to add more to that aspect of the game."

Sons of bitches, my first play through was as my Eothasian priest from Pillars 1! Don't you do this to me

edit: I completed the Ultimate in Pillars 1, I have no idea how to do it again for Pillars 2 lol

 

[decoyplatypus]

I will under no circumstances attempt The Ultimate. But I will be glad to check out the new story reactivity and run a Pillars TTRPG campaign.

EDIT: so okay, just thinking through this Ultimate thing.

Galawain's Challenge: randomly buffing beast enemies is annoying in a run that will need to be carefully scripted, but this shouldn't be a huge obstacle.

Eothas's Challenge: how tight are the time limits? I imagine this will require careful routing and make some of the other challenges much, much worse.

Berath's Challenge: not being able to flee from combat means one safety strat is out the window.

Magran's Challenge: not being able to pause or slow speed definitely raises the skill floor for The Ultimate, but it's not going to change the shape of the run or whether it's even possible.

Abydon's Challenge: probably not a big deal.

Skaen's Challenge: probably not a big deal.

Ondra's Challenge: not sure how scary ships are on trial of iron mode.

Rymgrand's Challenge: I don't know how much resting the player can count on anyway in light of Eothas's challenge. You're also only feeding yourself, so budget for new food should be manageable.

Hylea's Challenge: potentially a nightmare? I mean, you're not only solo but now you've got to fight with one arm tied behind your back?

Woedica's Challenge: Rough interaction with Eothas's challenge. You've got to rest to replenish combat resources, but you're on a deadline.

Wael's Challenge: probably not a concern to anyone taking on the Ultimate.

 

[Sir Garbageman]

Any high level notes regarding the changes?

 

[CottonWolf]

Good on whoever manages that. They deserve their reward.

 

[Anoregon]

lol at ultimate, good luck nerds.

Definitely interested in checking out the story additions. I never did finish my last run, but all I really have left is forgotten sanctum and to do one of the faction's final quests and I'm off to the mortar, so that isn't a huge time investment if I want to start a new run in the near future. Still unlikely to ever attempt a full-on turnbased run though.

 

[astro]

Will I be able to tank at all with 2H swords, or will I need a dedicated Fighter with a shield or something?

I'd really like to take a 2H sword on my PC and still be able to tank a bit... I'm going into these games completely blind, any advice here?

Cheers!

 

[Anno]

Will I be able to tank at all with 2H swords, or will I need a dedicated Fighter with a shield or something?

I'd really like to take a 2H sword on my PC and still be able to tank a bit... I'm going into these games completely blind, any advice here?

Cheers!

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You'll be just fine unless maybe you're playing on max difficulty.

 

[astro]

You'll be just fine unless maybe you're playing on max difficulty.

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Thanks!

In your opinion, if I'm going 2H on my PC would you go:

PC Barbarian and find a Fighter/Tank party member to tank properly
or
PC Fighter and build around the 2H as a tank as best as possible

?

PS - I'm playing on Veteran. I don't really care about min/max for my first run.

 

[Spacejaws]

Sooo I think I've almost wrapped up PoE1 which has been a hell of a journey and I definitely think they did an amazing job feeling inspired by Infinity Engine games but also being quite unique and deep with lore and mechanics.

After this it's a toss up between Pathfinder or PoE2 I'm feeling PoE2 because well it's pretty much complete and once it's done Pathfinder will be ready for me.

Would anybody like to recommend a class? I went a priest for PoE but was a bit disappointed I found one so quickly and some others so much later. Would have preferred a Rogue maybe seeing as Devil of Caroc has certain normal limitations. I guess my only real complaint about PoE1 is the joinable characters classes only being 1 per class but I guess that's mitigated by mercenaries which I only used to get the achievement.

What say you all? What would you recommend?

 

[Taruranto]

So, how's the game these days?

 

[Miletius]

Thanks!

In your opinion, if I'm going 2H on my PC would you go:

PC Barbarian and find a Fighter/Tank party member to tank properly
or
PC Fighter and build around the 2H as a tank as best as possible

?

PS - I'm playing on Veteran. I don't really care about min/max for my first run.

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Barb probably with a tank. The problem with a 2 handed tank is that in order to fully 'tank' via engagement you need a shield as it provides that +1 to number of enemies engaged. That being said, on Veteran it's not really that hard to just blow through things so play how you want.

Sooo I think I've almost wrapped up PoE1 which has been a hell of a journey and I definitely think they did an amazing job feeling inspired by Infinity Engine games but also being quite unique and deep with lore and mechanics.

After this it's a toss up between Pathfinder or PoE2 I'm feeling PoE2 because well it's pretty much complete and once it's done Pathfinder will be ready for me.

Would anybody like to recommend a class? I went a priest for PoE but was a bit disappointed I found one so quickly and some others so much later. Would have preferred a Rogue maybe seeing as Devil of Caroc has certain normal limitations. I guess my only real complaint about PoE1 is the joinable characters classes only being 1 per class but I guess that's mitigated by mercenaries which I only used to get the achievement.

What say you all? What would you recommend?

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Most classes are well represented in Pillars 2. If you count sidekicks and multi-classing you'll have a choice of at least 2 of each class although sidekicks are less interesting than companions unless you are in the DLC they are associated with. So just go with what you feel like. A lot of it will come down to companion preference, but since you are given options when you recruit them you can often choose the class that you don't have in your party.

I played through as a Druid last playthrough and I really enjoyed it. Druids are great hybrid characters that can be built to do a lot of different things. They are very versatile and fun to play.

In terms of building a party I'd say:

Priest
Monk
Cipher
Barb
Rogue

are good choices because they are the characters that people have stronger opinions about. That way if you don't like them then you don't feel obligated to use those party members. Also note that while priests are hella strong in PoE2 they aren't as essential as they were in PoE1. You can get by on Druid healing pretty well, in fact, some say it's pretty superior to Priest Healing (priests are better buffers though).

 

[Anno]

Thanks!

In your opinion, if I'm going 2H on my PC would you go:

PC Barbarian and find a Fighter/Tank party member to tank properly
or
PC Fighter and build around the 2H as a tank as best as possible

?

PS - I'm playing on Veteran. I don't really care about min/max for my first run.

Click to shrink...

I don't particularly care for Barbarians as a class conceptually so I'd just go double-fighter personally. The first companion you get is either a fighter, rogue or fighter rogue, so you can run him super tanky and maybe go fighter/rogue yourself for a good blend of DPS and tanking.

Hopefully someone who likes barbs more can chime in.

 

[Spacejaws]

Most classes are well represented in Pillars 2. If you count sidekicks and multi-classing you'll have a choice of at least 2 of each class although sidekicks are less interesting than companions unless you are in the DLC they are associated with. So just go with what you feel like. A lot of it will come down to companion preference, but since you are given options when you recruit them you can often choose the class that you don't have in your party.

I played through as a Druid last playthrough and I really enjoyed it. Druids are great hybrid characters that can be built to do a lot of different things. They are very versatile and fun to play.

In terms of building a party I'd say:

Priest
Monk
Cipher
Barb
Rogue

are good choices because they are the characters that people have stronger opinions about. That way if you don't like them then you don't feel obligated to use those party members. Also note that while priests are hella strong in PoE2 they aren't as essential as they were in PoE1. You can get by on Druid healing pretty well, in fact, some say it's pretty superior to Priest Healing (priests are better buffers though).

Click to shrink...

Thanks for the write up! Interesting that you can choose classes for some companions think that'll give me some anxiety but I think Druid is in for a shout. I do enjoy the Priest and Druid spells in PoE1 and I like running my character a bit like someone who's lost their faith which kinda makes sense for a Druid that's taken to the open seas right?

Thanks again for the help!

 

[astro]

Barb probably with a tank. The problem with a 2 handed tank is that in order to fully 'tank' via engagement you need a shield as it provides that +1 to number of enemies engaged. That being said, on Veteran it's not really that hard to just blow through things so play how you want.




Most classes are well represented in Pillars 2. If you count sidekicks and multi-classing you'll have a choice of at least 2 of each class although sidekicks are less interesting than companions unless you are in the DLC they are associated with. So just go with what you feel like. A lot of it will come down to companion preference, but since you are given options when you recruit them you can often choose the class that you don't have in your party.

I played through as a Druid last playthrough and I really enjoyed it. Druids are great hybrid characters that can be built to do a lot of different things. They are very versatile and fun to play.

In terms of building a party I'd say:

Priest
Monk
Cipher
Barb
Rogue

are good choices because they are the characters that people have stronger opinions about. That way if you don't like them then you don't feel obligated to use those party members. Also note that while priests are hella strong in PoE2 they aren't as essential as they were in PoE1. You can get by on Druid healing pretty well, in fact, some say it's pretty superior to Priest Healing (priests are better buffers though).

Click to shrink...

I don't particularly care for Barbarians as a class conceptually so I'd just go double-fighter personally. The first companion you get is either a fighter, rogue or fighter rogue, so you can run him super tanky and maybe go fighter/rogue yourself for a good blend of DPS and tanking.

Hopefully someone who likes barbs more can chime in.

Click to shrink...

Thank you, both of you.

I've opted for a Barbarian Ocean Aumaua with no subclass on my PC, and the first party member as my Fighter/Tank. I'll see how this goes!

 

[fuzzyset]

What's the final verdict on the turn based mode? I rarely replay games but wouldn't mind getting back into PoE with a fresh mode.

 

[decoyplatypus]

What's the final verdict on the turn based mode? I rarely replay games but wouldn't mind getting back into PoE with a fresh mode.

Click to shrink...

I think turn-based mode is fun! I still wouldn't pick it over RTwP unless you (a) can't abide RtwP combat or (b) are looking for a different way of playing the game. It sounds like you're in the latter camp. It works for a fresh experience because it changes how a number of classes work and gets you re-considering the utility of a whole range of abilities. But the pace of the game becomes much, much slower. There is a TON of combat after all.

 

[StereoVSN]

This is pretty great. I started a turned based play through when they Mode came out and never got there beyond a few hours. Good for Obsidian on supporting the game.

 

[RecLib]

In pillars of eternity one I played as the Cipher, you built up this energy meter by attacking that lets you then cast spells. Their big thing was that because other casters had limited uses of spells per rest the cipher made up for having to build up the energy to cast by not being limited in spell use. Over a long dungeon the cipher could cast dozens and dozens of spells without needing to stop for a rest.
In pillars 2, where people have per encounter spells and don't need to rest to recover anymore how is the cipher? I feel like its limitations with building energy must hold it back more now that other people aren't limited in spells. Especially, I'd think, in the new turn based mode?

 

[Anno]

In pillars of eternity one I played as the Cipher, you built up this energy meter by attacking that lets you then cast spells. Their big thing was that because other casters had limited uses of spells per rest the cipher made up for having to build up the energy to cast by not being limited in spell use. Over a long dungeon the cipher could cast dozens and dozens of spells without needing to stop for a rest.
In pillars 2, where people have per encounter spells and don't need to rest to recover anymore how is the cipher? I feel like its limitations with building energy must hold it back more now that other people aren't limited in spells. Especially, I'd think, in the new turn based mode?

Click to shrink...

They're less distinct for sure, and probably a bit less powerful relatively, but still a good class. Other casters get per-encounter spells but are very limited in terms of how many casts of any given spell they have, usually just 2. So ciphers (particularly Ascendants) still stand out for being able to continually cast their most powerful abilities. It's a class that I think scales well with difficulty because of that and because charm/dominate are still so powerful.

 

[astro]

Goddamn it, started over 3 times now lol.

First time was Barbarian with GS. It was just too boring in the open hours, I don't have time to grind through something I'm not having fun with.

That was turn based, and one of the issues I had was lots of RNG misses. I heard RT+P helped that, so I tried it with a new character. Found it too chaotic and not fun.

Playing Wood Elf Cipher now, using guns. High perception so hitting almost all of my shots, and some nice spells. This feels much, much better and works better in turn based for me.

i actually feel ready to push forward now. I really love the classic CYOA style this has in parts as you explore the world map, hadn't played this series before and didn't expect it. Really fun way to explore in an RPG.

Loving the game so far.

 

[Anoregon]

In pillars of eternity one I played as the Cipher, you built up this energy meter by attacking that lets you then cast spells. Their big thing was that because other casters had limited uses of spells per rest the cipher made up for having to build up the energy to cast by not being limited in spell use. Over a long dungeon the cipher could cast dozens and dozens of spells without needing to stop for a rest.
In pillars 2, where people have per encounter spells and don't need to rest to recover anymore how is the cipher? I feel like its limitations with building energy must hold it back more now that other people aren't limited in spells. Especially, I'd think, in the new turn based mode?

Click to shrink...

They're less distinct for sure, and probably a bit less powerful relatively, but still a good class. Other casters get per-encounter spells but are very limited in terms of how many casts of any given spell they have, usually just 2. So ciphers (particularly Ascendants) still stand out for being able to continually cast their most powerful abilities. It's a class that I think scales well with difficulty because of that and because charm/dominate are still so powerful.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, even with everything being per-encounter in Deadfire I still find ciphers incredibly strong. I never have a party without one.

 

[RecLib]

Well, I decided to jump in and finally play the game. Turn based mode appeals to my interest and I did like the last game. Taking forever to download though because steam hates me or something. downlaoding at 12mb/s for just a fraction of a moment before dropping to 0 for a bit and back and forth.

Anyhow, still not sure if I'll play cipher or something else this time, thanks for the words on cipher. Is there a generally recognized good character creation guide for Pillars 2? I grappled with a lot of indecision in the first game when making my character, exasperated by the lack of dump stats in this game I think.


edit: Generally, how do people feel about the level scaling. Turn it on, turn it on but only critical?

 

[RecLib]

I think i'm going to go Ascendant/Assassin, and just turn the level scaling on all. We'll see if I regret my choices.

How does duration increases round in turn based? Like if something has a duration of "2 rounds" and each point of intellect inreases duration by 10%, is it safe to assume I won't gain an additional round of duration until 50% increase?

 

[Miletius]

I think i'm going to go Ascendant/Assassin, and just turn the level scaling on all. We'll see if I regret my choices.[/QUOT

Well, I decided to jump in and finally play the game. Turn based mode appeals to my interest and I did like the last game. Taking forever to download though because steam hates me or something. downlaoding at 12mb/s for just a fraction of a moment before dropping to 0 for a bit and back and forth.

Anyhow, still not sure if I'll play cipher or something else this time, thanks for the words on cipher. Is there a generally recognized good character creation guide for Pillars 2? I grappled with a lot of indecision in the first game when making my character, exasperated by the lack of dump stats in this game I think.


edit: Generally, how do people feel about the level scaling. Turn it on, turn it on but only critical?

Click to shrink...

Click to shrink...

I've showcased these up a couple of times but there's an excellent series of videos on TBS by Fedextralife where he highlights the differences between TBS and RT combat and he showcases a few builds that work well.



I think they've fixed knockdown from when this video was produced to now. But overall the idea is that CC has gotten much stronger, and things that increased weapon attack rate/casting rate (kind of different between RT And TB mode) has gotten weaker due to the inability to attack more than once in each round. More so for weapons than casting. This opens up a variety of builds that were less viable in RT mode, especially on higher difficulties.

The tricky thing is there's not a lot of content that targets these changes specifically. They came late in the game after most people have moved on (it seems even Obsidian is moving on, as this is the last major add to the game before it goes on maintenance mode). So, you're kinda freeballing it with some general guidelines for helpfulness. The best way to go might be to examine some cipher builds of your liking and then deviate from there with changes that make turn based more viable.

My initial thoughts would be this: slow weapons, which were already quite powerful in certain circumstances in RT mode are quite a bit more powerful in turn based mode. That works perfectly for a ranged cipher, who can gain focus from the damaging auto-attacks from ranged weapons and follow up with powerful CC on spells. Ditto on large melee weapons to some degree, although with that there's the added risk of needing to get close to swing with your weapon.

Also, I prefer to play with level scaling on, as I don't really like combat to be non-challenging. It's only really rough in the beginning, at least in RT mode. It's up to you what you prefer, and with combat taking a lot longer in TB it might be wise to turn it off for the trash fights at least

 

[RecLib]

I've showcased these up a couple of times but there's an excellent series of videos on TBS by Fedextralife where he highlights the differences between TBS and RT combat and he showcases a few builds that work well.



I think they've fixed knockdown from when this video was produced to now. But overall the idea is that CC has gotten much stronger, and things that increased weapon attack rate/casting rate (kind of different between RT And TB mode) has gotten weaker due to the inability to attack more than once in each round. More so for weapons than casting. This opens up a variety of builds that were less viable in RT mode, especially on higher difficulties.

The tricky thing is there's not a lot of content that targets these changes specifically. They came late in the game after most people have moved on (it seems even Obsidian is moving on, as this is the last major add to the game before it goes on maintenance mode). So, you're kinda freeballing it with some general guidelines for helpfulness. The best way to go might be to examine some cipher builds of your liking and then deviate from there with changes that make turn based more viable.

My initial thoughts would be this: slow weapons, which were already quite powerful in certain circumstances in RT mode are quite a bit more powerful in turn based mode. That works perfectly for a ranged cipher, who can gain focus from the damaging auto-attacks from ranged weapons and follow up with powerful CC on spells. Ditto on large melee weapons to some degree, although with that there's the added risk of needing to get close to swing with your weapon.

Also, I prefer to play with level scaling on, as I don't really like combat to be non-challenging. It's only really rough in the beginning, at least in RT mode. It's up to you what you prefer, and with combat taking a lot longer in TB it might be wise to turn it off for the trash fights at least

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Thanks for this. Your words about slow weapons definitely make a lot of sense, and I think I will give those videos a look.

 

[decoyplatypus]

I'm watching this video of one of the first "'The Ultimate" aspirants to make it off Maje Island, and man Wael's Challenge is a bummer for spectators. I need to see those numbers!

 

[RecLib]

Already level 5 just off the first island. I know leveling up will slow down as the game goes on but it still is catching me off guard how quick it is. Do people who do all the side quests find themselves at level cap long before the end of the game?

 

[Anoregon]

Already level 5 just off the first island. I know leveling up will slow down as the game goes on but it still is catching me off guard how quick it is. Do people who do all the side quests find themselves at level cap long before the end of the game?

Click to shrink...

Yup, even before the DLC it wasn't hard to hit level cap. I use a mod that cuts XP gains by about 30% and it still can feel a bit fast sometimes.

 

[nrtn]

Can I ask PoE1 questions here? Sorry if not.

I'm having a hard time knowing where to go, based on the level I'm in. I'm currently lvl 5 and not sure what maps/quests to follow.

Is there any map online to follow where I'm supposed to go? Just a general view, doesn't need to be step by step.

I'm loving the game, but since the loadings are long on the PS4 it feels like I'm taking to much time traveling between maps so I just like a general map to follow.

 

[Anno]

Can I ask PoE1 questions here? Sorry if not.

I'm having a hard time knowing where to go, based on the level I'm in. I'm currently lvl 5 and not sure what maps/quests to follow.

Is there any map online to follow where I'm supposed to go? Just a general view, doesn't need to be step by step.

I'm loving the game, but since the loadings are long on the PS4 it feels like I'm taking to much time traveling between maps so I just like a general map to follow.

Click to shrink...

I think most people here are perfectly fine talking about PoE1!

I don't really know offhand of any good guides, unfortunately. At that level you're kind of just criss-crossing through Defiance Bay in a way that you can't really do much about. Once you either move to the White March or on to Act 3 things tend to get back to being more contained on a single map.

 

[nrtn]

I think most people here are perfectly fine talking about PoE1!

I don't really know offhand of any good guides, unfortunately. At that level you're kind of just criss-crossing through Defiance Bay in a way that you can't really do much about. Once you either move to the White March or on to Act 3 things tend to get back to being more contained on a single map.

Click to shrink...

I was at Dyrford and had completely missed the Defiance Bay.

I feel stupid now. Of course I was missing a lot of quests, that's why I felt underleveled.

I only tried to enter the city through Madhmr Bridge and didn't tried to go trough the Aedelwan Bridge.

I'm having a blast now exploring the city.

 

[Anno]

I was at Dyrford and had completely missed the Defiance Bay.

I feel stupid now. Of course I was missing a lot of quests, that's why I felt underleveled.

I only tried to enter the city through Madhmr Bridge and didn't tried to go trough the Aedelwan Bridge.

I'm having a blast now exploring the city.

Click to shrink...

lol wow okay that makes more sense. Well have fun! At level 7 or 8 you can head off to the White March if you want a change of pace and a new challenge.

 

[decoyplatypus]

Good Deadfire postmortem:

• Clear acknowledgment of what went wrong with the story, which Josh has expanded on here: https://jesawyer.tumblr.com/post/185500604851/the-deadfire-post-postmortem
• Detailed discussion of the ship-to-ship combat fiasco. I didn't realize that Josh cut the feature before Feargus brought it back as a stretch goal. And while I assumed it was an expensive system to build, I had no idea it was the single most expensive part of the game. Makes me feel a lot worse, imagining what the game could have been with those resources allocated to better features.
• Some explanation of why the companion relationship system felt erratic rather than organic.
• Confirms that full voiceover did compromise writing. I'd been under the impression that the move to full VO happened late enough in the dev process that it wasn't as much of a limitation on the writers as in some other RPGs. But it sounds like the narrative designers genuinely were pulled away when others on the team were still looking to them for content.

 

[Anoregon]

Good Deadfire postmortem:

• Clear acknowledgment of what went wrong with the story, which Josh has expanded on here: https://jesawyer.tumblr.com/post/185500604851/the-deadfire-post-postmortem
• Detailed discussion of the ship-to-ship combat fiasco. I didn't realize that Josh cut the feature before Feargus brought it back as a stretch goal. And while I assumed it was an expensive system to build, I had no idea it was the single most expensive part of the game. Makes me feel a lot worse, imagining what the game could have been with those resources allocated to better features.
• Some explanation of why the companion relationship system felt erratic rather than organic.
• Confirms that full voiceover did compromise writing. I'd been under the impression that the move to full VO happened late enough in the dev process that it wasn't as much of a limitation on the writers as in some other RPGs. But it sounds like the narrative designers genuinely were pulled away when others on the team were still looking to them for content.

Click to shrink...

As someone who already really likes the game, it's definitely pretty heart wrenching to see examples of how the game could have been so much better with just some different decisions made regarding a few key aspects (Plot/pacing issues, ship battles, and full VO). I loved the fist game and was really thinking that Deadfire could be a Baldur's Gate II-level achievement in just surpassing the first game in every way, and while there are parts of Deadfire that are clearly better, that didn't really end up being the case overall.

 

[johancruijff]

just finished it finally, there's a great game somewhere in the Archipelago but boy Eothas probably walked on it

then i watched the postmortem with Sawyer

all that budget&time on naval combat and the VO

Fucking Feargus...

 

[Charlotte Lucas]

I've been occasionally checking for news about Deadfire on Switch since we haven't heard much since it was announced and found this



Glad it's still coming (plus poe1!) because I was getting worried.

 

[BrokenFiction]

1 and 2? Nice.

 

[TheMango55]

So I jumped back into this a week or so back playing the turn based mode.

Wizard is pretty overpowered in turn based IMO. Not only can they be the best AOE nukers and pretty good crowd control, but a pure wizard can be just about the best melee tank in the game at high levels in turn based mode.

This is based on the fact that most of the wizard's buffing spells are free actions, letting you buff yourself to godhood on turn 1 and still take an action.

I'm at level 16 right now and if I want to tank I take the following steps:
First make sure you're wearing light armor or robes so you can go asap in the turn order.
Then on turn one, run directly into the enemy and cast:
infuse with vital essence (lvl 2) do this first so that all your subsequent casts get the +5 INT bonus and they last longer.
Then Arcane Veil (lvl 2), Wizards Double (lvl 1), Displaced Image (lvl 3), Ironskin, (lvl 4), Flame Shield (lvl 4), Arcane Reflection (lvl 6), and Piercing Sigil (lvl 8)
These are all free actions. Finally with my turn I can either cast Citzal's Martial Power or go ahead and start attacking.

The only limitation as a tank compared to fighter or paladin is lack of engaged enemies, but you can gain 2 bonus engaged enemies by using the club Kapana Taga and upgrading it, carreid by the pirate Fyrgist (level 15) east of Port Maje. Then you can use a shield for another but I prefer 2 weapons just because my defense is so ridiculous already and I want to do a little more damage.

But the neat (and OP) thing is, I didn't have to sacrifice the ability to nuke everyone with AOE spells with my build. My Wizard is still damn good at that. I can choose whether to be a casting wizard or a tank during any given encounter based on my party and the enemy.

Another great thing is that it's not one of those builds that only works at the end of the game and is a hindrance for the most of the game that you have to string along. You can't use it as a great tank until near the end but until that point it's just a normal wizard, and wizards are great.