Divinity Divinity: Original Sin - Enhanced Edition

[gromit]

all the nerds bought it day 1

Almost.

I'm not very far in at all, but I'm already pleasantly surprised. I figured it was going to fall between "okay" and "pretty good," but it's already "pretty good" and has potential to be amazing.

The character system is expressive and VERY clear; there are many options yet you'd have to deliberately try to make an uninformed decision. Blackguards, I'm looking at you and your three discrete tabs of mystery-requirements (yeah, yeah, RTFM, but I did, and that doesn't mean they didn't seriously fuck up... especially since it's either that or three prebuilts you can't tune.)

The combat, though... I can't remember the last time a system presented so many options, and naturally-occuring synergies, right out of the gate. And so kinesthetic for Iso TB! With a rogue-type and a fighter-type, it has a sense of physicality that rivals many action games. Kind of comes off as something between ToEE and the clever bits of DA Origins (which for all its faults is a decent enough example of giving a some feel / activity to non-spellcasters.)

Outside of combat... well, the writing is "serviceable" and the PC vs PC discussions feel odd in single-player (especially when it comes down to roshambo) but using a rain spell, out-of-combat, to put out a burning ship is the kind of thing sorely missing from most games.

For an easy, and early, example, it was perfect: just obvious enough to spur you back into that mode of thinking. I've tried the obvious thing in enough games over the years to learn that it usually ends in disappointment... but it was really communicated well there, without beating you over the head with it.

(Out of curiousity, DOES an npc beat you over the head with it, if you don't just walk up and do it on reflex? I guess it'd be appropriate there, as long as they don't keep it up for the rest of the game.)

 

[Mangoose]

Blackguards, I'm looking at you and your three discrete tabs of mystery-requirements (yeah, yeah, RTFM, but I did, and that doesn't mean they didn't seriously fuck up... especially since it's either that or three prebuilts you can't tune.)

...You don't need to read the manual. Just hover over each skill and read the tooltip.

 

[Abu Antar]

Everything was incline and I was steamrolling a boss until it decided to go full ham and rip me to shreds. Everything is still very incline but for a few seconds I was furious. I scared my monitor that I'd break it, but we've had lots of good times together.

 

[RK47]

all that paragraph and the whole minigame still suck.

RK47 Too lazy to register on Larian forums but on your post here

All you did is pick the 'most used' persuasion option (cause you can never gain points in ALL of them) and just hope for the best with SPACE BAR or play guessing game.

There are no wrong choices, you just pick what you want to say and hope the random number generator lets you win.

I'm pretty sure there are right choices and wrong choices in dialogue. Also you don't gain points in persuasion options (Charm/Intimidate/Reason), only your Charisma ability matters, and Charm/Intimidate/Reason always gives you the same positive or negative bonus depending if you pick the "right choice" during a specific dialogue.

From various player sources:

The number of points you get is based on your Charisma. More Charisma = more points per win.
The number is further modified by what option you chose (charm, intimidate, reason). One of these is the right choice, and increases your number. One is wrong, and decreases. One is neutral. This choice is different depending on who you're talking to, and the context of your conversation. If your perception is high enough, the game will tell you which option is right/wrong/neutral.

In each conversation with NPCs that include an argument, there is n "Optimal" answer that gives +1 , "Neutral" answer that gives 0 and a "Bad choice" answer that gives -1 for the minigame.

In addition each charisma point you have will give you an additional +1 point regardless what answer you selected.
The total number is the amount of circles that will be filled each time you win a RSP round.

So you get a base of 3 points. your charm score is added to it. then its modified by which dialogue option you chose (+/- or 0).

So in your example, you had 3 base + 3 charisma + 1 dialogue choice.

I have no idea if skipping the RPS game takes into account your Charisma + Dialogue choice into the random roll, or if it's just a 50/50. That could be something to ask Larian (ForkTong !) or suggest if it's not the case.

all

 

[Mangoose]

all that paragraph and the whole minigame still suck.

The minigame does suck. However IF the space bar skip takes into account your Charisma + Dialogue choice I think that's a good thing. Though I think it would be much improved if the right/wrong dialogue choice gave more than a +1/-1 bonus. +/-3, maybe, since it's 3 base.

Another idea is a non-random skill check could be added as another option. If your Charisma + Dialogue choice ends up a higher number than the opponent's, then you automatically win. No roll. It's possibly easy to implement. The only problem I see is that you'll win every argument against your partner because you very likely did not pump Charisma in both characters. To mitigate that, I guess you can use the above solution again - make dialogue choices give a greater bonus than +1.

 

[Onholyservicebound]

How do I complete the quest with frederick? It says in my journal to "return the bloodstone to Frederick", but this guy is dead... I didn't kill him, and I told his imp it was best to not return. I think the spider queen killed him, not sure, maybe the AoE hit him at some point since I don't remember seeing him die, so, will this quest just stay in my quest journal(ff) or...?

 

[HiddenX]

Spoiler

You have to find the imp and return with him to his dead master.

 

[lurker3000]

So according to Steam I just joined the 2% of people who finished the game.

My thoughts:

+ Entertaining TB combat.
+ I enjoyed the leveling system.
+ Lots of skills you use in every battle.
+ Lots of puzzles that don't always seem absurd.
+ Lots of different quests.

-/+ Lots of stuff to craft. I only crafted what was necessary for quests and repaired my weapons though. A lot of people like crafting but if I want to be a smith I'll play a MMO or wait for Smithing Simulator 2015 to come out.

- Once you get Nullify Resistance the battles get significantly easier. Nullify + Meteor Storm = Easy Victory in almost every late game fight.
- Small/linear world - You go from the city to the woods, to Hoth, to other woods. I would have preferred smaller more diverse areas.
- The story starts OK but then turns derp. Could have had a good story about a couple of avenging warriors who discover something more than their training prepared them for but no. ITS GOT TO BE EPIC!
- The final battle is boring and long and repetitive due to the big baddie's resistances (which cannot all be depleted by nullify resistance) and ability to summon the exact same 3 minions over and over again.
- Combat is not challenging after level 10 or so. The only time one of my people died (not trap related) in the last half of the game was outside the source temple when the giant Death Knight (or one of his minions) teleported Jahan into some lava.
- I've always hated the Divinity loot system. Almost every item is unique but almost none of them are special.
- The art style is to cartoony.


Also:

Hero #1 - 5 Pyro, 5 Witch, 3 MAA- Sword/Shield
Hero #2 - 5 Earth, 5 Water, 3 marksman- Bow
Jahan - 5 Air, 5 Water - Staff
Madora - 5 MAA - 2 handed

Other skills were distributes (crafting, smithing, lore). Did have hero #1 get to around level 6 in leadership with gear. It does helps to go first in every battle.

I know it sounds like the bad stuff outweighs the good but I did enjoy the game a lot. The problem is it feels like they tried to pack to much in and it just all seems so shallow. Also since the game is pretty linear, the only C&C is what achievement you unlock, and I had people up to rank 5 in every skill but scoundrel replay value is limited.

Of course mods might make it interesting. Who knows.

Anyway 3.5/5.

 

[MrMarbles]

About to start my first playthrough, will be coop. Ye magnificent beings of incline who have experienced the game, any recommendations for character builds that will make the game fun for both players, with combat that is challenging but won't give us a nosebleed? No need to tell me I should go single player first, it's tradition that we do coop if the option exists.

 

[J_C]

DOS fallen into the pit of 7th place on the steam bestseller list. Below the fabled Crypt of the NecroDancer

It is on th 2nd place in my region.

 

[RK47]

It you eat it, it will give your permanent stat bonus.

 

[RK47]

About to start my first playthrough, will be coop. Ye magnificent beings of incline who have experienced the game, any recommendations for character builds that will make the game fun for both players, with combat that is challenging but won't give us a nosebleed? No need to tell me I should go single player first, it's tradition that we do coop if the option exists.

Someone should be a wizard. The other guy needs to be a scoundrel.

 

[Sranchammer]

This game has confirmed my belief that medieval fantasy must die.

 

[VentilatorOfDoom]

About to start my first playthrough, will be coop. Ye magnificent beings of incline who have experienced the game, any recommendations for character builds that will make the game fun for both players, with combat that is challenging but won't give us a nosebleed? No need to tell me I should go single player first, it's tradition that we do coop if the option exists.

Want to be a fearsome harbinger of death? make a shadowblade, switch out air for witchcraft, start with the rogue invis, rogue stun, and oath (witchcraft). The rogue haste skill should be easily available in Cyseal. Also look out for witchcraft Blind, very useful, except against very strong, highlevel opponents (near lvl20) because you won't have the INT to fuel it, but early on very good. Other witchcraft stuff to eventually get are summon undead decapi-thingie, lets call it undead armored beheader, death punch, and perhaps the AOE fear thingie. So 2 points in witchcraft are probably enough. 1 point in fire and you can get Wildfire in addition to the rogue haste you already have, lasts 1 round longer too. 5 points in scoundrel, get all the scoundrel skills. 3 points in sneak + lots of sneak from equip (always look out for shadow essences, those give +1 sneak when you put them on equipment).
Get the following perks: backstabbing, guerilla, bully (to enhance your sneaking, backstabbing damage). Trade all the skillpoints you don't need (you're only maxing scoundrel after all) into stat points at the demon in the homestead. Trade the perks you don't need for skillpoints you then trade for stat points. Max DEX, CON, SPEED. Attributes cap at 15, stack more of those from equipment. Move in backstab position, sneak, BAMMM - half the healthbar gone, sneak - BAMMM the other half gone. Destroy everything. You still need a friendly man-at-arms to do the nullify resistances for you though, for maximum lulz.
Until you're high enough level to have all the necessary perks and a high sneak value so you can sneak in melee, you can use a bow with lots of special arrow options.

 

[Jaesun]

In the homestead, can you drop items you want to save for later, in any of the containers there?

 

[Perkel]

In the homestead, can you drop items you want to save for later, in any of the containers there?

You can take almost any container from ground to your inventory.

In other words your homestead can become storage house filled with stacks of chests.

 

[Jaesun]

Ahhh OK that would work. Thanks.

 

[Tigranes]

Right click any item, Send to Homestead.

 

[VentilatorOfDoom]

I think so, you also have personal chest, you can right click any item and "send to homestead"

 

[t]

Attributes cap at 15

Oh they do? I would really like to read some in-depth guide to all the intricacies of the system since the manual is so superficial.

 

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Bonuses from equipment or perks etc add on top of that though

 

[cvv]

About to start my first playthrough, will be coop. Ye magnificent beings of incline who have experienced the game, any recommendations for character builds that will make the game fun for both players, with combat that is challenging but won't give us a nosebleed? No need to tell me I should go single player first, it's tradition that we do coop if the option exists.

What Ventilator said.

If you want an absolutely fucking useless build though go with one-handed/shield.

 

[RK47]

Fucking 1 pt geomancy is just ridiculous when the spider scales up to your level.
It doesn't seem like a waste to give Madora 1 pt in Geomancy cause the additional meat shield is free dmg and tank at higher lvls. Plus, Spider has high PER. Allowing it to crit and detect traps.

 

[Raghar]

And one point in witchcraft would give madora possibility to do double damage when combined with rage, and powerful scythe. Also Madora with additional point in air and teleport, spider, and leech, is simply wicked.

 

[tyrannosaurus rex]

Why is the codex all over this game? Is it because of the mention in the starting credit along with the prestigious RPGwatch and DU's compagny? Felt relevant for once?

So far :

- It's linear. False sense of freedom due to free roaming, yet enemies level very much forces you to complete the quests in a particular order, intended by the devs. There aren't much social quests, so those combat quests is what the game is all about.

- The settings couldn't be more bland, the story more uninspired. It's a banal fantasy setting at it's finest. At least Larian embraces it fully and the game is as a result self aware. I guess a simplisitic story is more convienient for the co-op.

- To go with the setting, most quests are all been there done that. Quests structure, type of quest, it's all banal there's nothing extraordinary. A few quests have you using the objects physics and come up with orignial solutions, that's nice.

- Ironically, graphics which are mostly critised for being cartoonish and banal are another strong part. The colours and lightning are really nice. Cyseal is a pretty town to look at. I find myself staring at the textures because I just find them agreeable and tasteful. Nothing like abominations from torchlight, diablo 3, WoW, Fable 3 and the likes.

- It's not like there's much reactivity or deeper choice and consequences as in Fallout 1 or arcanum. It's at the same level as BG2, which means shallow, except more linear.

It seems to be a multiplayer focused game as co-op works really well, lots of synergies, not just in combat. Yet I know that the Codex does not play co-op much, and many shun the concept, as evidenced by even avid players in this thread. It's ironic to say the least.

It's also ironic that everyone is giving shit, there's even a specific thread, to Sawyer for having Wizards casts spell more frequently than in BG2, making it more banal and dull. Yet everyone seems to turn a blind eye on Divinity's magic spamfest. There isn't a single turn where I'm not using a super shiny spell with a big fancy effect which becomes tedious after a while.

The combat is really good, especially in co-op. Overall it's a very good ARPG. Better than any ARPG that I know of.

Weird though that it gets the credits of an actual classic CRPGs here. Divinity would fit very well on consoles. Oh but it's turn based so that automatically makes it a classic RPG better than Boring Gates 2 and Pillars of Shit loololololl. Can I get Kool Kredits now????666666