Are there any significant engine differences between A1 and A2?

[Fermata]

Hey all, I've recently begun Avernum 2, and it seems like the whole combat engine is pretty much the same. But just to make sure, are there any notable differences?

 

I'm pretty much just building up my party as I did in Avernum 1, and the only difference I've noticed so far is that Mana is only 3x Int/Priest/Mage, instead of 4x.

 

Is Assassination still as good as it used to be? Does Strength actually affect damage now, or is it still a tiny effect? Does Hardiness affect encumbrance with regards to wearing armor and AP available?

 

Any info would be appreciated, thanks.

[Kelandon]

A few of the spells are replaced, but as far as I know, that's about it. The jump from A1 to A2 is very small. The jump to A3 is bigger.

[Dikiyoba]

You do get a quest list this time, and Dikiyoba thinks lockpicking/disarming traps is handled slightly differently.

[Fermata]

Thanks for the replies, guys.

 

Does anyone know which one- Intelligence or Priest/Mage Spells- raises spell power more? I've been wondering that since Avernum 1, and I have no idea. I can't even tell if either actually raises spell power at all, but I guess I'll take the game's word for it.

 

Also, does Anatomy actually increase damage against humanoids? I never noticed a difference, even with 5 levels, but because of the randomizer, it's really hard to tell.

[Kelandon]

For the former (Int/PS/MS), I thought they were equal, but I never tested it.

 

For the latter (Anatomy), I never noticed a difference either. Not worth spending skill points on, as far as I could ever see.

[Fermata]

Cool, thanks. Another question, does anyone know exactly how much of a damage bonus strength gives (by itself)? And does Dexterity give a defense bonus by itself, or only as a part of raising the Defense stat?

[Rent-an-Ihrno]

From Schrodinger's A2 FAQ:

 

Quote:

# ANATOMY: This is an expensive skill. It's worth it though. Almost all the enemies in Avernum are humanoid, meaning you'll always get more damage. It does around about 1 point of damage per skill point invested, but only against humanoids. It affects both melee and missile, but only seems to add .5 points of damage per skill point with missiles. It also affects first aid, if you use it. Buy it when you can or remember. When you get a big batch of cash, go ahead and use it on this. When someone gets a 5 in this skill, you may want to get that mind crystal you found in Chapter 1 and get 3 more free points.

[Kelandon]

Oh, right. You pay for it in the early games. Definitely worth it in that case, since money is plentiful.

[The Mystic]

Being able to buy special abilities is always a good thing. My personal favorites are Barter, Pathfinder, Magery, and Gymnastics.

[Alex]

It's been a while, but I recall that in A1 (on Normal), I could make a "tank" fighter that was very hard to hit, whereas in A2, Defense and Gymnastics >=10 get diminishing returns. My fighters also seemed to approach the damage cap more slowly in A2.

 

[Feo Takahari]

Originally Posted By: Alex

It's been a while, but I recall that in A1 (on Normal), I could make a "tank" fighter that was very hard to hit, whereas in A2, Defense and Gymnastics >=10 get diminishing returns. My fighters also seemed to approach the damage cap more slowly in A2.

So there is a damage cap! I mentioned it in a post, and I was told there was no such thing! Can you explain it to me?

[Earth]

Originally Posted By: feo takahari

So there is a damage cap! I mentioned it in a post, and I was told there was no such thing! Can you explain it to me?

max damage you can do to enemy and it seems to be at 200 points except fists.

[Feo Takahari]

Originally Posted By: Earth2025

Originally Posted By: feo takahari

So there is a damage cap! I mentioned it in a post, and I was told there was no such thing! Can you explain it to me?

max damage you can do to enemy and it seems to be at 200 points except fists.

Which invites the question: how in the name of Grah-Hoth did you get your attack damage up to 200?

[Earth]

Originally Posted By: feo takahari

Which invites the question: how in the name of Grah-Hoth did you get your attack damage up to 200?

As far as I remember I didn't reach cap and 200 cap is at A3 not A2 and previous A's it was around 100 I might have read on boards.

[Tycho Maudd]

In A1/A2 I haven't gotten a melee hit above 99, however, spells can hit harder. I have also heard that it's possible for bows to hit for more, but I haven't tested it myself.

[La paix]

At the end of A2, my Mage could do around 300 damage with an average spell. My fighter could only deal a mere 102 or so per hit.

[Rent-an-Ihrno]

300? You gotta mean added dmg from all your targets. That wouldn't be much, but 300 a target is impossible.

[BlueRivets]

I remember hitting on special circumstance closer to 300 in the original Avernum, this was very recent too.