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Dynamic Duo.


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While a single character is all fine and good, I like to open every door, burst every barrier, and loot every cache.

 

So I am thinking a duo should be able to do this. At least, on paper, between two characters there should be enough skill points for Arcane Lore, Nature Lore, etc.

 

The first character would be Pure Spirited, the second, Natural Mage. I thought about one of them being an Elite Warrior instead, but the free levels of skills for spells is just to good to pass up. But all those extra boosts in Blade Mastery and Parry will be missed, and it will be somewhat painful not having Parry till I get the items that grant it.

 

Also, this duo will be done on Torment.

 

Conditions for victory will be quite simple. Open every door, loot every cache, explore every last nook and cranny of the game, full clear, every last enemy killed. Every last tunnel explored.

 

Two Nephils, are, of course, the obvious choice.

 

The real challenge will actually sticking with the plan and playing them through the game. And not getting itchy half way through and doing something else.

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Sounds like fun DeVlish one. Why not make one neph a Mage/Priest with Tool Use (concentrate all that overlap ability like Intelligence, Magery, Unlock Doors ability in one PC with DT/Pure Spirit) and make the other your unstoppable tank...DT/EW with awesome offensive/defensive ability including the free bows? Spread the Lore around or give more to the fighter.

 

Just a thought, and I might be tempted to try it too, unless I do another singleton run. I had started a duo kind of like I described above, but went back to the singleton game.

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Well, I thought about the mage priest thief thing... To many points.

 

So one priest, one mage.

 

Send summons forward at the start of battle, retreat a little bit, and plink away with bows or spells. No real tanking should be needed, but we all know how the best laid plans usually turn out.

 

I believe the key to managing the game will come down to summons, applied acid damage, and ancillary effects. Like, for example, the Shockwave bow. The stunning effect to leach away enemy action points, as well as summoned shades cursing and stunning foes. Use of the slow spell as well when possible.

 

The enemy should be kept busy or kept in constant pursuit.

 

I am also applying Agent principles here. Only instead of a single Agent, there will be a duo, and I will have disposable summons.

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Are you going to make your mage a full mage? The combined model I was considering would stop mageliness at around level 9 at Dispel Barrier.

 

It's really hard to imagine doing well in this game on Torment without one tankish PC in the party. You know how much you get swarmed at times. I guess with NM, you can give both some decent armor if you want though.

 

Let's have regular reports and hear how it goes, eh?

 

ADD: One is really nice because there is no micromanagement of two PC's and one can fit in anywhere, often out of sight, and steal a lot very easily. Two is nice because you can utilize more of the plethora of cool items to good effect. I have the Shockwave Bow, but never use it because I am having too much fun aciding with the Decay Bow or reaping the benefits of the newly-acquired Eliavri Bow.

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Well, I just cleared out the Goblin Cave.

 

Getting in melee range is bad. Found that out already. No Parry on Torment is slightly unpleasant, because stuff lives just long enough to take a few good pokes at you, and one is bound to score.

 

So it's been a running battle. See a goblin, summon, retreat. Goblin stays busy with the summon for a few rounds, Dynamic Duo turns him in to a pincushion.

 

Tryxtah died embarassingly. He spent the whole time running back and forth between my two kitties, who were spread out apart from each other. He would get to one but not have enough action points to attack, get shot in the back or get hosed with acid, and would turn around and go to attack the other. Only to be shot in the back again, which would cause him to turn back around.

 

Bats are a serious problem. I hate bats on Torment.

 

I am currently pondering how to effectively remove the ogre. I think a hasted blessed Shade should be able to keep him busy for the time required for acid to do its work. Or, if I am lucky, I can summon a cave slime which is highly physically resistant.

 

Edit.

 

Two, for me, will accomplish my goals. A single character keeps to much of the game out of reach. So, moving to a duo should allow everything in the game to be accessable, but still done with the bare minimum required to do it, which is sort of the point of why many people play a single character.

 

I am thinking I have just enough knowledge on how to make two characters act as one character, hence the name Dynamic Duo is not just a clever name, but a working concept.

 

I did finally beat the game on Torment. Near the end, once the right gear was aquired, I saw how it could be easier for a single character to bushwack certain encounters. There came a point where managing four characters became something of a liability, which really suprised me. I mean, they survived ok, but some encounters would have been easier with an Agent-like approach if you know what I mean. Keeping one character alive can be a lot easier than keeping four. (Also noticeable in the Baldur's Gate series)

 

I think a Duo will achieve the happy medium. Maybe.

 

Second edit.

 

Applied tactics.

 

I have noticed that there are plenty of chances to use terrain to full advantage.

 

For example. In the Eastern Gallery, the baby ogres. They live by a pillar of rock. It's wide and round. I have this cunning plan to try later. Basically, I will approach the area in combat mode, hasted. One character will approach from the front view, but stay just outside of visual range. The second character will go around the long way, and stay out of sight, but be behind the ogres. When the time is right, the first will go forward and initiate battle and the opening round of hostilities. And when all of the ogres present come charging in and howling for the first character's blood, and draw themselves in to a nice little clump, the first kitty will run away a bit to stay out of reach.

 

The second will come out of hiding from behind, and take advantage of the now focused AI. Hammer the mob with ice clouds, acid, wands, lightning scrolls, whatever is handy.

 

Most, if not all of the mob, will be completely pissed off at this point. The survivors that is. I expect many of them to die after the initial exchange of hostilities. Anyhoo, they will be super pissed, and will turn tail to attack the sneaky little backstabber. The first kitty now has a chance to attack as the mob has their attention focused on the dirty bastard that launched a sneak attack from behind. You can see where this goes.

 

I do believe the flank attacks will be most effective. There are many areas in the game where this tactic can be employed, and probably to great effect. It should also keep me safe, as enemies will spend a great deal of time running back and forth between two targets triggering their hostility.

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1. You are relying on summons? Hmm. It sounds pretty MP-intensive... are you gonna be running back to town a lot? And what about areas with lots of minor enemies? I dunno, it seems like a hassle to me.

 

2. For me at least the point of running a singleton has nothing to do with any "bare minimum" type challenge. Rather, playing a singleton presents you with a COMPLETELY different game as far as strategy is concerned. With multiple characters the easiest way to play the game is to do so rather loosely, and when one character encounters a problem, another character can compensate by healing, buffing, distracting the enemy, or whatever. In other words, the vast majority of the tactical decisions you make are not very significant so long as you pay attention. With a single PC, you can't compensate, so except when you are up against weak enemies, every move you make is important.

 

To make an analogy, this essentially amounts to the difference between a game like Risk or Civilization, and a game like Chess. Chess is much more focused, requires a much more analytical approach, and your pieces are much less expendable. Both types of games, of course, have room for lots of strategy.

 

Most people, however, will prefer one or the other. It's pretty much a personality thing. I've honestly had a lot more fun with A4 since I started running the singleton... more fun both during difficult spots and easy spots. To relate it back to the singleton question, I think this is partially because strategies used in a game mirror strategies we can use in real life.

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I don't always summon. I do try and make it a fair fight. Four goblins vs two kitties? Summon.

 

I got rid of the ogre. He killed my blessed and hasted shade, which really suprised me. I spent a lot of time running, stopping only to apply acid or the occasional Smite from a scroll to stun him and slow him down.

 

The bat ambush in the swamp went badly, required several reloads.

 

I was able to clear out the shades in the mines, but only just barely. Creep forward, get just one shade in sight, and then let them have it with Dispel Spirit and then hose them with Acid. I actually had to back out of there and go and buy the wand of firebolt from Oliver. Heh. It made the fight bearable.

 

I was about level four I think when I challenged the testing shade, which wasn't to bad.

 

Spiders are very bad on torment. The spiders down in the lower caves caused several reloads. I finally lured them in to a bottlenecked chokepoint and blew them up with some ice clouds.

 

I have found I spend most of my time running.

 

I have cleared all of the starter areas, and I am now going East to deal with all of the evil Nephils, as I slowly carve a bloody path to Fort Draco. Everything dies.

 

Oh. Been eating a ton of food. Every scrap of food on the ground, I grab it. I have never really found it all that useful till up to this point. Now, I am happy to see a mushroom or hunk of jerky. If only there was an easier way to recover spell points. Food has allowed me to save a lot of spell points otherwise spent on healing though.

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I have made a viscious stab in to the Nephil infested lands.

 

Killed the big bad kitty. It was... Rough. Spent a lot of time running. I used the land to my advantage, as there are several lumps of rock to hide behind or play ring around the rosey.

 

I am really wishing there was a way to recharge wands.

 

The Gazer Beast and the bat infestation upstairs caused me a great deal of difficulty, but no deaths. Lots of dazing, a couple of shades summoned, and much running and gunning in a tight confined space. Which uh, is very uncomfortable.

 

My first character, who frequently frontlines, is still using the Shielding Knife for some reason.

 

I have yet to move farther south and face the Nephar Archer. I suspect that playing ring around the rosey with all those rock outcroppings will be vital to my success.

 

I am not much looking forward to the worms either.

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