Videogames 2023 pt. II: Can We patreon This Man an Alienware Already?

[Derfel Cadarn]

Last time I played BG1(10 years ago), I used the BG2 emulator. Also imported a shit-ton of gear from Throne of Bhaal. 
So I ended up with my main and Khalid dual-wielding copies of the same bastard-sword with a massive AC. They were vulnerable to magoc but not melee.

Khalid was shouting his usual panicked shit while turning motherfuckers into mince. It was like downloading C3PO into a Terminator’s chassis.

My PC is almost 9 years old and in its last legs so will replay it soon on the playstation. I managed to complete Torment on it, but not sire how I’ll manage with a more combat-focused game. Wishing they’d implemented a mouse/keyboard version.

[Luzifer's right hand]

39 minutes ago, Derfel Cadarn said:

Last time I played BG1(10 years ago), I used the BG2 emulator. Also imported a shit-ton of gear from Throne of Bhaal. 
So I ended up with my main and Khalid dual-wielding copies of the same bastard-sword with a massive AC. They were vulnerable to magoc but not melee.

Khalid was shouting his usual panicked shit while turning motherfuckers into mince. It was like downloading C3PO into a Terminator’s chassis.

My PC is almost 9 years old and in its last legs so will replay it soon on the playstation. I managed to complete Torment on it, but not sire how I’ll manage with a more combat-focused game. Wishing they’d implemented a mouse/keyboard version.

Khalid was actually a pretty decent NPC in classic BG1 but also in the Enhanced Edition I tend to prefer nowadays. A plain fighter is pretty good at the low levels of BG1 especially if you boost his strength.

[Werthead]

13 minutes ago, Luzifer's right hand said:

Khalid was actually a pretty decent NPC in classic BG1 but also in the Enhanced Edition I tend to prefer nowadays. A plain fighter is pretty good at the low levels of BG1 especially if you boost his strength.

In 2E fighters were "the classes that actually did shit" for the first ten levels or so, when they were promptly swamped in utility by magic-users. Then they became, "people who stand in the background and occasionally take out an ogre whilst high-level mages and clerics bend the laws of time and reality and summon fiends to fight for them."

[Luzifer's right hand]

49 minutes ago, Werthead said:

In 2E fighters were "the classes that actually did shit" for the first ten levels or so, when they were promptly swamped in utility by magic-users. Then they became, "people who stand in the background and occasionally take out an ogre whilst high-level mages and clerics bend the laws of time and reality and summon fiends to fight for them."

Too true.

Mages and mage multi/dual classes are by far the most powerful option in BG2 although they are already pretty solid at the level cap of BG1.

Although consumables are probably the most crazy thing in BG2. You can get a helmet that can cast Simulacrum. Simulacrum clones can use consumables which does not use the original items. Just use Protection from Magic scrolls against all powerful spellcasters...

I never realised how strong some potions and wands are until I started using difficulty increasing mods and weak classes like bards.

Edited May 13, 2023 by Luzifer's right hand

[Arakasi]

I don’t know how it is in Kingmaker but with mythic paths in Wrath of the Righteous physical classes get the biggest boosts in general from mythic powers and feats and in general the strongest parties are physical based. A lot of this is due to the power of the teamwork feats especially outflank. But a problem with martials across any version of d&d or pf is that they get short changed on things to do outside of combat or non damage things to do in combat. Mythic paths and abilities really help that in WotR.

But yeah in general full casters struggle until level four spells kick in at level 7/8 since they rarely have enough physical damage options to do anything or feat space to buff it. I don’t even think pure physical classes have it that great since in both PF and 5e there are what you’d call hybrid characters who generally get powerful magic like abilities early and can hit well. See Warlock from 5e or Inquisitor/Hunter/Warpriest and heck even Oracle (full caster who can get melee options early).

I do think even late game pure martials have the best single target damage but since that is often all they can do it’s often not enough.

[Ramsay B.]

I’m playing Jedi Survivor now. The fucking spawn of Oggdo is in this(frog). Been killed like 15 times and counting.

[IlyaP]

8 hours ago, Luzifer's right hand said:

Too true.

Mages and mage multi/dual classes are by far the most powerful option in BG2 although they are already pretty solid at the level cap of BG1.

But for at least ten levels' worth of gameplay, it feels like a "keep the mage alive" simulation to an extent. Unless you're playing on Storymode or Easy, in which case it really doesn't matter. 

[Arakasi]

Finished WotR finally. Last fight was quite tough even through all of the last two acts were a joke before that. Not sure how I would have beat it without such a stacked mc since no one else in my party did much of anything on the final boss.

[IlyaP]

4 hours ago, Arakasi said:

Finished WotR finally. Last fight was quite tough even through all of the last two acts were a joke before that. Not sure how I would have beat it without such a stacked mc since no one else in my party did much of anything on the final boss.

Given how massive this is, you deserve, at the very least, the highest of high fives!

 

[Luzifer's right hand]

7 hours ago, IlyaP said:

But for at least ten levels' worth of gameplay, it feels like a "keep the mage alive" simulation to an extent. Unless you're playing on Storymode or Easy, in which case it really doesn't matter. 

That is definitely true. Especially with the difficulty enhancing mod I use. I tend to only reload when charname dies and I often lose a mage or two to permadeath during BG1. Makes you appreciative some of the less used NPCs more. 

I replay the games like once per year and but do not often reach the end of SoA nowadays because I get bored of the playthrough. BG1 after level 5 and SoA before level 20 is like the sweet spot for me I guess. I have not played ToB in years I think.

[Werthead]

The day has finally come when I'm a Crusader Kings 3 character (in a mod, but still).

 

[Spockydog]

8 minutes ago, Werthead said:

The day has finally come when I'm a Crusader Kings 3 character (in a mod, but still).

 

That's epic. Congratulations.

[Darryk]

I've just started Crusader Kings III and it's a bit confusing but hopefully I can get into it.

Didn't know there was an ASOIF mod. I usually don't mess around much with muds since they're so much work to install but that might be fun.

[Arakasi]

6 hours ago, IlyaP said:

Given how massive this is, you deserve, at the very least, the highest of high fives!

 

Yeah I downloaded some mods and such and I think will start again with different characters and such. Going to embrace my inner goth with lich I think.

[Phylum of Alexandria]

On 5/12/2023 at 5:37 PM, RumHam said:

I'm curious to hear more about Zelda. I don't think I'm going to get to it for a looong time, as I've been working my way through the series and am currently still stuck in the water temple in Ocarina of Time. After Majora's Mask I may skip ahead to Breath of the Wild, and then go back after those two games. 

Wind Waker is still my favorite Zelda game, and it drives me crazy that it's not on Switch yet...

[Luzifer's right hand]

4 hours ago, Darryk said:

I've just started Crusader Kings III and it's a bit confusing but hopefully I can get into it.

Didn't know there was an ASOIF mod. I usually don't mess around much with muds since they're so much work to install but that might be fun.

Paradox tends to make installing their mods very easy.

[briantw]

On 5/13/2023 at 1:13 AM, Lightning Lord said:

I agree! The Switch doesn't have the power of the major consoles but the designers sure managed to make some gorgeous landscapes.

Really struggling with not being the fully developed Link from BotW, though. I forgot a lot of skills in that one because I could just brute-force a lot of things.

Some fun puzzles so far, too. Just out of the sort of tutorial.

Yeah, the two new Zelda games definitely veer more toward Dark Souls in difficulty than the Zelda games of old, which were challenging at times but very gated.  With how open the world is and how little restriction you get from the outset (at least after leaving the tutorial area), it’s easy to run into enemies early on that can obliterate you in one hit. 

[Mr. X]

1 hour ago, briantw said:

Yeah, the two new Zelda games definitely veer more toward Dark Souls in difficulty than the Zelda games of old, which were challenging at times but very gated.  With how open the world is and how little restriction you get from the outset (at least after leaving the tutorial area), it’s easy to run into enemies early on that can obliterate you in one hit. 

I did exactly this -- got one-hit by a stone talus several times in a row less than an hour after finishing the tutorial area.

[Lightning Lord]

19 minutes ago, Mr. X said:

I did exactly this -- got one-hit by a stone talus several times in a row less than an hour after finishing the tutorial area.

For me, it was stumbling into a handful of blue and black bokoblins. One hit from the black ones and all of my hearts...poof.

I've successfully run away from the stone taluses and hinoxes thus far. I do a lot of running away at this stage.

It's been soooo fun! Checking in with some of my friends, we've all logged 10-20 hours and yet we've had wildly different experiences. All went in different directions, focused on different objectives. Delightful.

[IlyaP]

13 hours ago, Luzifer's right hand said:

BG1 after level 5 and SoA before level 20 is like the sweet spot for me I guess. I have not played ToB in years I think.

It's the actually challenging bit of the game, before everyone gets overpowered and able to destroy gods and cities alike.