BenS

7 hours ago, googoogjoob said:

Learned Darian, in the Peaceful Vale, can enable you to join a sect, regardless of your stated opinions- but he can only do this once. If you've already used this, then you're probably locked out of joining the Takers- opinion-affecting dialogue options are mutually exclusive, and you cannot redo conversations to take the opposite option.

Thank you, that's true, and he's easily accessible at this point so that's what I'll do. I still think it's an oversight that what I've already done, in terms of quests, for the Takers (and I forgot to mention the one about turning in the spy for them just north of the city), doesn't easily outweigh whatever opinions I might have made out in the proverbial field. There should be a different dialogue screen w/ Gnorrel along the lines of "Despite your wrongheaded opinions, your many deeds for our cause have spoken louder than words...".

Apparently Gnorrel doesn't care for how I've spoken throughout the game to various serviles prior to meeting her, so there's no option to join the Takers even though I say that's what I want. Oh, and even though I've done both (odious) quests for Eko Blade, and worse, killed Ellhrah like Nabb tasked me w/ doing early game. Surely the game should recognize a major boon to the Takers by killing Ellhrah, and I thought Eko Blade was supposed to speak for me as well. It shouldn't be this hard.

Do I have to scour maps I've been through and retry conversation threads w/ named serviles just to try and reverse whatever damage I've done to my reputation w/ the Takers? I'm not thrilled w/ that prospect, but I'll be even less thrilled if I'm actually perma-locked out from joining the Takers now.

Just now, ultra112 said:

It's in the servile warren, but you need the entry baton to gain access to it

Coke!

There was one, but you needed an Entry Baton to get it (in the Servile Warren) and at the time you found the door to the canister, you were unlikely to have that yet. It's not exactly worth going back for.

1 minute ago, Noman said:

I  just checked my special items and yes there is a key called 'barren key' Alonzo must have dropped it when he died. Jeff doesn't miss a trick.

That is great news. You'll have a broken quest line and miss out on some xp and backstory, but at the end of the day, as long as you can get in there. That key should open a lever/door combo at the north part of the lab w/ the Servant Mind. You might as well travel there to set foot just so you can fast travel there later, assuming the Barrens Research map is now, um, cleared. I pray that the Sholai merchant in the NW, Yu-La, is non-hostile, as she's also part of a fun quest line. And a good merchant, w/ some increasingly rare gear as time goes on. Alright, good luck.

29 minutes ago, Randomizer said:

Creations go by a combination level, qucikaction, and agility, and I've had them go before my character. :Party order also matters and usually take precedence when they are close.

Once again, I'm only half-right. LOL. Ah well, nothing wrong w/ humility.

5 minutes ago, Noman said:

Looks like I should have gone to the Ascended Lab first but it is too late now. I do not have a save.  Actually I forgot about that Lab. I see that I shouldn't have killed Alonzo but he left me no choice since I didn't have the feather. Wish I had known this. I hate missing things. Thanks anyway.

Did Alonzo by any chance (I doubt it, b/c it was a special item he gives to you per the quest line) drop a key? It might be the only way to enter the Barrens Bunker to the north, where 2 related quest lines end in spectacular fashion. I would hate to think you can't get in there at all b/c he's dead. Check your Special Items for a key (don't remember the exact name but it might be as simple as Barrens Bunker key), as well as the area you fought him (not likely to be there but...). If by some chance you can get in there now, you might not be prepared for the 3rd & last Ascended--assuming you can even get to her (there's a combat path, and a non-combat path). If you do get there, don't worry for now about the empty underground area. That will be the culmination of the Servant Mind's quest line, and one of the most memorable fights of the game later on, IMO.

I really hope you're not cut off from that area, as I too hate missing things.

22 minutes ago, Mechalibur said:

I'm not sure it's related to enemy stats - in fact, enemies might not even get higher stats on different difficulties (damage you take seems to be just multiplied by a difficulty coefficient rather than giving enemies more stats).

 

If I had to guess, I don't think the rules for turn order are equally applied to everyone. One of the reasons I'm thinking this is that your creations always seem to go after you - even if you have minimum agility and quick action.

I can't explain the enemies going before your creations, but your creations definitely seem to go after you do. I could be wrong about this, but I thought I discovered by chance if you change where your creations show up in the queue below you, that changes their action timeline. Like, if you have your PC, followed by a Fyora, followed by a Roamer, I *think* they act in that order. But if you were to switch the Roamer & Fyora, then I think the Roamer would act sooner than the Fyora. Don't quote me, but test it.

1 hour ago, Noman said:

I got to the Barren Research area and was greeted as usual by hostility.  Killed a few serviles and went a little further only to be murdered by a gonzo named Alonzo. I went away to stock up on stuff to hurt him came back and won- barely!  Alonzo was worse than any monster in the game. Anyway I went to talk to the Mind then over to the Ascended Hall. A voice greeted me and wanted to talk but there was no  one there. Anywhere. Where is he?

Um, do you have a save before entering that area? Ascended Alonzo is part of an interesting quest line, that starts w/ a different Ascended in an area just to the E of the Inutile Village near Ellhrah's Keep. Once you get the item Randomizer noted above in that area, the serviles won't be hostile to you any longer. The Servant Mind has his own somewhat related quest line.

1 hour ago, Simulated Knave said:

This one still has the shocks. I think the direction the figures on the pylons are moving may also vary depending on which pylon is next. 

Now that you mention it, yes, there were a few shocks in the 1st game, but I was too stupid to think about a pattern.

Ok, final damage records for me: 20th level, used the GF to get my gear-augmented STR up to 23, laid waste to a certain Shaper's minions before I smashed him up real good. Probably averaged around 480-500 points of damage, prior to Armor resistance. Poor Tomato got, um, mashed w/ 576 points, and a particular Cryodrayk took...drum roll...760 points of damage.

Final analysis: the FSG allows for a great Guardian build, and I was almost optimized for it (too many points in Melee Weapons). It was also fun & hilarious to the end, so kudos for its inclusion.

21 minutes ago, Randomizer said:

The original game version had shocks when you did them in the wrong order.

He should have left that in this version. It's at least some sort of clue in-game.

I managed to get into the temple, nail the achievement, learn some interesting backstory, and pick up a nice piece of armor. But I must say, this hidden quest is a little silly, in the sense that short of a walkthrough/spoiler, how would you ever know to touch those pylons in that order, beginning w/ the 1 in the Drayk's Vale? As I had pointed out earlier in the month, it seems like once you touch them out of order, that's it, you can't reset them. Maybe there is a way to reset them but the issue remains, how you'd think to start w/ that particular order...

Just hit another outlier in raw damage; 18th level w/ 12 total STR. Still averaging probably 260-280 points of damage, but I must have nailed a critical hit that was also a deathblow (what is the damage multiplier on a critical anyway? 150%??), as I nailed a Crypt Guardian in the Ancient Crypt for 405 points. It took a...nap...

EDIT: In the same fight in the Shaper Crypt, I hit an Ur-Glaahk for 411 points, but a nearby Glaahk for "only" 257. Quite the swingy RNG!

EDIT 2: 18th level, 15 STR, hit the Ornk Lord in The Sentinels for 466 points. This little piggy went ouch ouch ouch.

2 hours ago, Randomizer said:

Worse if you don't remove zero value quest items from the junk bag, they can accidentally get sold.

Well, as I learned from someone here, at least the rough crystals stay there w/out being sold, so you can stack those until you're ready to take them out and cash them in. Though I can't say I've had a real use for them so far, given the rewards.

46 minutes ago, OmegaNecros said:

Depending on difficulty, it depends a lot on your class/skill spread.
 

@Noman: That about sums it up for me. I might have a tiny advantage in that I've been playing these SW games for about 20 years, and have a general feel for them. I've also played the original of this game (though that was a very long time ago). And I always start a GF game on Normal, w/ a Shaper. Take lots of notes for each map, including stuff I need to come back to. And like I said, I try to have both a good combat PC as well as someone w/ high Mechanics--and what's new to this remake, Leadership. You can get a lot of xp, especially early game when the foes aren't too bad, just from these 2 non-combat skills. I also get them moderately high quite early, and then focus on my class skills. My last game was a Shaper, and I did quite well specializing mainly in the Fire group, w/ late Magic (Ur-Glaahk for Dominate!) additions. Granted I was only on Normal, but I was solidly built (I think), and when I

I became like rolling thunder. A Shaper is also a pretty decent mage as a backup. Sadly, my Guardian is a pitiful mage and it seems like weak in shaping, but pretty great in combat; along w/ high Leadership & Mechanics. This game on Veteran. (There will be no Torment for me.)

And as you can see from OmegaNecros' post, there is no single strategy to win the game. I just think you might want to consider getting some easy xp from those 2 overlooked skills in your repertoire. You can always (usually) chip away at a map and retreat to a friendly town to restore yourself, and then head back, if the pure combat route is giving you grief. But I think you should experience all the game has, and I suspect as of now, you're not getting to some fun things; whether we're talking gear or canisters. Also, opening locked things is great xp in many instances.

4 hours ago, Torevill said:

Oh, thanks! And did anybody know - why thuds have a repost ability, just like in G2, and Guardian does not? O_o Did new abilities will be somehow in the future? Every 10 levels, for example?

I can't answer why a Guardian doesn't have riposte in G1, but I saw Jeff noted in a Steam thread that Guardians in the future remakes would get more options, so maybe it'll come back.

7 hours ago, Noman said:

I have a mechanic of 4 and don't remember ever having a spiral explode. They either deactivated or nothing.  I just tried some spirals in the core mine area and they just deactivated or did nothing.  I think I would remember if the d*** things exploded on me.

Mechanics 4?! You're braver than I am. I always get high Mechanics on my characters b/c the completist in me wants to open/bypass every locked X that the game throws at me. It also opens up parts of maps that would otherwise be dealt w/ through combat; this way I see most everything, and can maximize xp by doing both the combat and the non-combat areas (and Leadership is quite helpful too). Not trying to tell you how to play your game, just surprised you're rolling w/ low Mechanics.

Anyway, on topic, it looks like these particular power spirals have unfortunate results when a PC tries to shut them down, as they require quite high Mechanics to do it w/out them exploding. Probably a hint that we shouldn't be powering them down (unlike the power spirals that might be affecting something nasty in the nearby vicinity). But like I said, you didn't miss out on anything important, I don't think.

2 hours ago, Iguana-on-a-stick said:

If you lack mechanics skill, a power spiral explodes. Otherwise it's just shut down. Those particular spirals require something like 14 mechanics, so you probably lacked the skill and broke the machine.

That makes sense. I wondered why they exploded when clicked on a 2nd time w/ high Mechanics.

14 hours ago, kuo said:

BTW I estimate Benttooth's spawn chance to be somewhere around 5%. You can scum by saving in a different zone, then enter Crag Valley check if he's there. If not you can load your autosave and try again. I did this for about 9 minutes, totalled around 30 reloads, and got him to spawn twice.

Wow, I was lucky to find him, then, for my Guardian. I used his ring all the way up until 15th level, when I got Zavor's to replace it. A related question: for the half-dozen or so of these rare monsters, is it really only around 5% chance to spawn one? I spent a while endlessly returning to a few areas but don't think I met more than 1 other in the game. I eventually gave up and moved on, literally and figuratively.

23 minutes ago, Noman said:

Sorry, I have no idea how to post a screen shot. However I think I described it pretty well. I didn't mention that the two piles of junk were somewhat blue like the spirals but I don't see how I could have turned them into that.

I think I figured it out. When you power them down, they actually explode for dmg, and then look like...blue piles of junk. You must have powered them down by mistake, unless your game has a super weird bug wherein they were destroyed before you even got there.

EDIT: FWIW, you didn't miss out on much from that particular dispenser. The other 2 are better, but require more rough crystals.

20 minutes ago, Randomizer said:

Death blows show full damage and don't show armor/resistnace blocked damage. Still that is a lot.

Yeah, it was a lot! I seem to be averaging in the 250-280 point range, before armor resistances are taken into account. With hindsight, I wasted too many points in Melee Weapons (this build doesn't need more than whatever it takes for Tek's Spectral Dirk, and I have 8 natural points in M.W.).

EDIT: I'm guessing since that was well beyond my normal range, that it was indeed a critical hit, but the game doesn't show that b/c it was already a death blow. Either that or the RNG maxed out what my STR could do; I have hit ~300 points on rare occasions.

I'm just keeping track of large damage output, and think I nailed a Sholai mage w/ a critical hit (though the text window didn't display it as such), b/c I hit him/her for 354 points of damage. I'm 17th level w/ a total of 12 points of STR and a fully-charged FSG. Anyway, granted it's an unshielded/no armor opponent, but that's a record so far 🙂 

6 minutes ago, Noman said:

Interesting. There are two small unidentfiable piles of junk on the floor of that room. They were there when I first entered the room. Maybe they were supposed to be power spirals but they are only the same type of junk I've seen many times elsewhere.

If you can take a screen shot and post it here, I'd be very interested to see what shows up for you in that room. If I'm understanding you, you don't even see the power spirals at all (e.g., deactivated). As for the screen shot, I'm on a Mac and always forget how to do 1 in Steam, but you're likely on a PC so it's probably easier.

5 minutes ago, Noman said:

There isn't. I'm looking at it right now. There is only the machine, switch, and a chest. I'm certain there never was a power spiral there. A bug?

I just went there. To be clear: Eastern Mines. The dispenser is at the north/central part of the map. There are 2 power spirals in the same small room w/ the machine, which takes 5 rough crystals at a go. You move slightly to the right, hit the switch...and you should end up w/ a Blast Crystal at your feet. If you don't "see" it on the map, just hit "g" for "get", and you'll see it. You can keep doing this. If the 2 power spirals in a span of 10 seconds don't produce a "hummm" type sound, then you might have powered them off by mistake.