Incline Gothic turns 15 years

[Multidirectional]

Take your laptop, prepare a funeral for it - go buy a PC.

I have a really weird laptop, it looks exactly like a PC. Even GTX 1060 meant for PCs fit in it without any problems. They had no problem selling it to me disguised as PC because I never had a single laptop before. It's also weird how my laptop runs ELEX and almost every other new game I tried maxed at 60 FPS.

Spoiler

Fuck off, retard.

 

[Junmarko]

I have a really weird laptop, it looks exactly like a PC.

Spoiler

Fuck off, retard.

Location: Lithuania

Oh...well that explains it. Sorry. Didn't see that.

 

[Multidirectional]

So, I have access to dialogue line that initiates chapter 2. Safe to assume that wildlife respawns if I start it? What do you guys think, should I hunt some more before starting, seeing how I just acquired Militia armor, or is it not really worth it?

Also where do I get to learn more trophy taking skills? I signed on as apprentice with that bow maker fuck, hoping he would actually teach me more than skinning but all he does is pay me for skins. Did I miss someone in Khorinis who can teach me more about it?

 

[Sjukob]

If you haven't done that, then buy transformation scrolls from Ignatz ( alchemist in port quarter in Khorinis ) particularly shadowbeast, dragon snapper and fire lizard ones. Using them, kill as much wildlife as possible for exp. Complete unfinished quests and then proceed into chapter 2. You won't get better armor until you go to Jharkendar or valley of mines.

After you make it to chapter 2 head straight to Jharkendar since it's easier than valley of mines that is just filled with orks, snappers, wargs and other scum. Finish it to get tons of tablets, exp and other useful stuff. Receive Beliar's claw and shove up your ass since you are dexterity user, complain about game discrimination and faceroll everything on your path anyway because AI can't handle player using ranged weapons.

 

[Multidirectional]

"Complete unfinished quests" <<< Very funny, I have no clue how to finish a lot of them yet. So they become unfinisheable if I go to chapter 2?

Receive Beliar's claw and shove up your ass since you are dexterity user,

Wrong. So I assume that's some powerful weapon I get in chapter 2?

 

[Sjukob]

Now, I've only spent 10 LPs on STR so far

Nigga why are you messing with me ?

Very funny, I have no clue how to finish a lot of them yet. So they become unfinisheable if I go to chapter 2?

No they will not. There are no time limited quests in gothic 2, except for that fucking chalices one and nobody knows for sure if it works as it supposed to.

So I assume that's some powerful weapon I get in chapter 2?

Jharkendar is optional, I don't think you are required to complete it to finish the game. So you can visit it whenever you please, but it's power curve is on the level of chapter 2, even easier than that I say. You will also get some equipment that can be useful during your first visit to valley of mines (especially that pirate's nuclear beverage for... getting to places), but becomes redundant very fast after that point. So you really might want to get there.

 

[T. Reich]

So, I have access to dialogue line that initiates chapter 2. Safe to assume that wildlife respawns if I start it? What do you guys think, should I hunt some more before starting, seeing how I just acquired Militia armor, or is it not really worth it?

Also where do I get to learn more trophy taking skills? I signed on as apprentice with that bow maker fuck, hoping he would actually teach me more than skinning but all he does is pay me for skins. Did I miss someone in Khorinis who can teach me more about it?

You're free to start the next chapter in G2NotR as soon as you feel like it.
There is only a small handful of minor quests that are cancelled when a new chapter is started.
Most of "chapter-exclusive" quests are in chapter 1 and deal with joining a faction - those are cancelled once you do join.

Also, the wildlife doesn't "respawn", instead simply more instances of monsters are added across the maps. If you haven't cleared some monsters in an area, in later chapters you will simply encounter more of them. "Pre-hunting" before moving to the next chapter is an entirely redundant activity - you lose nothing by going to the next chapter.

Trophy-hunting is taught by several masters across the world. I suggest you google for the complete list, but there's definitely a guy who lives in the troll canyon by Onar's farm, and, IIRC, a hunter who you meet by the gates to the Mine Valley (he gives you the "snorting beast" quest).
Personally, I didn't feel like those were of any real use unless you joined up with mercs.

Finally, don't listen to Sjukob - you're free to go both to Mine Valle or Jharkendar in whatever order you please. Going to Jharkendar will make for an easier mid-game, but going to Mine Valley first is more "atmospheric", because it's meant to be real scary when you first visit it (going there after Jharkendar first makes a good deal of threats in Mine Valley actually fightable, which kinda ruins the feel).

 

[T. Reich]

Jharkendar is optional, I don't think you are required to complete it to finish the game. So you can visit it whenever you please, but it's power curve is on the level of chapter 2, even easier than that I say. You will also get some equipment that can be useful during your first visit to valley of mines (especially that pirate's nuclear beverage for... getting to places), but becomes redundant very fast after that point. So you really might want to get there.

Jharkendar is mandatory to finish the game, but its completion becomes mandatory only in act 3.
You need to get a magician of water for some big task, but all of them fucked off to explore Jharkendar thanks to your help.
So you have to go there and convince them to come back to Khorinis, and they won't leave until their business in Jharkendar is done... Cue the expansion.

 

[Sjukob]

Finally, don't listen to Sjukob

Yeah don't do that, I'm just a random dude who completed this game like 10 times. Fuck me, right?

 

[T. Reich]

Finally, don't listen to Sjukob

Yeah don't do that, I'm just a random dude who completed this game like 10 times. Fuck me, right?

ONLY 10 times? Amateur.
:australia:

 

[Multidirectional]

Now, I've only spent 10 LPs on STR so far

Nigga why are you messing with me ?

Nigga you messing with yourself. I was simply weighing my options at the time. Didn't say I was definitely going DEX. I already increased my STR some more, most likely gonna go for 1 handed STR with crossbow backup and maybe some DEX later on to boost its damage.

Yeah don't do that, I'm just a random dude who completed this game like 10 times. Fuck me, right?

Well to tell the truth you are spoiling things a bit too much for me. Granted I am inviting that by asking for advice, but really what I want is only a slight nudge in right direction. I don't want someone mapping out to me many hours of gameplay in advance.

 

[UglyBastard]

There's a thing you should take into account when you go for the valley of mines first. After you completed it a certain group of powerful enemies will start to appear in Khorinis and some of them even roam the island searching for you. Make no mistake, these guys are going to raep you good when you don't have the Jharkendar XP (and even if you have that they might be rough on first contact).
So you will be sneaking around a lot and have to tiptoe around those guys scattered all over the island to solve your leftover quests, or you will have to cheese them one by one. There are also some obnoxious semi-permanent debuffs (dispellable via quest) involved.

So I would actually go to Jharkendar first, the game wants you to do that, the content is right for your level and if you go there in chapter 3 you will faceroll most of the content, making it rather boring. The feeling of scrambling in VoM and the chapter 3 difficulties is an interesting experience, but I would not recommend it during your first playthrough. NotR tries to kill you hard enough without making it complicated yourself.
If you don't know how to get to Jharkendar, try to solve the "Missing people" quest. You can progress to chapter 2 without gimping anything by the way, you even need it for Jharkendar. No need to skip that dialogue for now, just avoid entering chapter 3 (finishing VoM) before you are ready (to get dumpstered).

 

[Murk]

The only reason I'd recommend going to Jarkhendar first is so you get more mileage out of the new armors that become available and if you do it the other way around you may actually be over leveled for Jarkhendar.

BTW you can start one then go back to the other, neither of the two are one way paths, and you can travel back from Jarkhendar and the Valley as often as you like (just go through a loading screen basically).

 

[T. Reich]

The only reason I'd recommend going to Jarkhendar first is so you get more mileage out of the new armors that become available and if you do it the other way around you may actually be over leveled for Jarkhendar.

BTW you can start one then go back to the other, neither of the two are one way paths, and you can travel back from Jarkhendar and the Valley as often as you like (just go through a loading screen basically).

This may actually be the most balanced thing to do! Especially considering that in Jharkendar

Spoiler

you will have to eventually destroy an entire orc camp and then clear a rather high-threat temple they were at.

Spoiler

Of course, the orc camp is easily cheeseable by the "pirate hunting party", and the ghostly shadowbeasts of the temple can be handled by throwing a lot of summoning spells at them. But it kinda breaks the fun of doing it the "honest" way.

So, if you go to Jharkendar to partially explore it until you hit the hard stuff, and then leave to the Mine Valley, you will both get stronk enough for the latter yet will not be too grossly overleveled for the early parts of the former.

 

[Murk]

I go back and forth because my OCD causes me to:

Spoiler

get the blood fly stinger scroll from the Castle in the valley of mines so I can finish quest for the leftover Brother of Sleeper dude in the bandit camp in Jarkhendar

 

[hilfazer]

I remember Vatras no longer taking my stone tables at some point. I've read it can happen if you tell him what happened to missing people.
Next time i played i didn't tell him about missing people until i gave him all my tablets and received my precious mana.

 

[eric__s]

There's a thing you should take into account when you go for the valley of mines first. After you completed it a certain group of powerful enemies will start to appear in Khorinis and some of them even roam the island searching for you. Make no mistake, these guys are going to raep you good when you don't have the Jharkendar XP (and even if you have that they might be rough on first contact).
So you will be sneaking around a lot and have to tiptoe around those guys scattered all over the island to solve your leftover quests, or you will have to cheese them one by one. There are also some obnoxious semi-permanent debuffs (dispellable via quest) involved.

So I would actually go to Jharkendar first, the game wants you to do that, the content is right for your level and if you go there in chapter 3 you will faceroll most of the content, making it rather boring. The feeling of scrambling in VoM and the chapter 3 difficulties is an interesting experience, but I would not recommend it during your first playthrough. NotR tries to kill you hard enough without making it complicated yourself.
If you don't know how to get to Jharkendar, try to solve the "Missing people" quest. You can progress to chapter 2 without gimping anything by the way, you even need it for Jharkendar. No need to skip that dialogue for now, just avoid entering chapter 3 (finishing VoM) before you are ready (to get dumpstered).

You really should stop posting spoilers. The point of Gothic is discovering and adapting to all of this stuff on your own. Telling people to prepare for something that happens later on is the worst; Gothic is about getting punched in the face and learning how to deal with it.

 

[Multidirectional]

Ok I need a bit of advice with "Experiment" quest. I'm supposed to knock someone out and use "Oblivion" spell on him, then report about it to spell's creator. Quest description implies I can do that to same person who gave me that assignment. Thing is it doesn't work. I've tried knocking him down and using spell while he is down, then I tried using it after he gets up. Then I tried talking to him before using it. Nothing works. Wouldn't give much of a shit about it except the guy promised me to teach potion making for it. And I am at the point where I need more potions since eating food is becoming tedious.

 

[T. Reich]

If you paid attention, either the quest giver or the quest journal explicitly spell out that kicking ass in the port district is pointless, because people living there are used to that kind of rough treatment.
Go elsewhere.
A spoiler-free hint, if you want:

Spoiler

I'm sure you met some obnoxious townie hanging around central part of the city. Wouldn't it be nice to kick the crap out of him and then use the Oblivion spell on him so he couldn't report you to the guards?

 

[Multidirectional]

And yet quest log tells me that it is Ignaz who is the best target for it.. Can't do shit to Valentino yet, I go down in couple hits from him. Not liking balance in this game that much, even dudes with clearly inferior armor to mine rape me without problems. Don't remember anything like this being in Gothic 1/Risen 1.
Will have to suck it up and grind more.

 

[Sjukob]

When you are figting humans observe their fighting style, there are only 2 of them.

1) Simple. Opponent will try to instantly retaliate after getting hit and will never use more than 1 attack in a combination. This is a braindead case just do this: Attack, parry, attack, parry ... repeat until he is dead, no need for movement or anything you can do it with closed eyes.

2) Complex. This can be annoying, what is interesting about them is that they can perform 2 attacks in a row and they are totally random at that. But you can still beat them no problem, here's what to do: Run towards them and when you are in attack range immediately jump back (press S), from here several thing can happen: they will either perform single attack, jump back as you or they wil perform 2 attacks, you want to them to do 2 attacks is a row after that they are open for counter hit. If your reaction is good you can slap them even after they've swung just once. If after jumping back you are still in attack range use parry to avoid second hit. When fighting such opponents you can land 2 attacks in row at any opportunity you get, it's safe if you do it right, but make sure to defend yourself after landing second hit, they will try to hit you back. The tricky thing about such fights is that you are likely to stay in range for attack even after you jump and in order to avoid potential second hit you would want to parry, but here comes the roulette and and enemy might not do the second attack and you will miss your chance to retaliate, so the fights naturally take more time.


So remember that your character blocks any attacks in a cone of like 160 degrees in front of him when you jump back (exceptions are golems, trolls and dragons) this move is very safe and is the best option for gaining distance. If you are not sure what to do jump back and wait for opportunity. By the way this is one of the reasons why 1h is so much better than 2h, when wiedling a two hander you back dash becomes much slower and recovers longer, you almost lose your chance to land counter attack this is critical when fighting beasts or multiple opponents.

 

[Multidirectional]

I could only enjoy slowly overpowering much stronger opponents in Risen 1 melee because there was actually a nice enjoyable rhythm to it. In Gothic combat just feels like a clunky piece of shit to me so I am only engaging opponents that I am powerful enough to tank. Maybe I will bother learning it eventually but for now I don't feel like it.

*edit* Found a way to solve the quest by beating up Ignaz. What it took was getting him to attack me first. I simply opened his chest (that I already cleaned out long ago) without using sneak mode. Finally I can brew some shit. And of course alchemy interface is tedious as fuck, as expected. Brew one potion at a time!

 

[Sjukob]

I could only enjoy slowly overpowering much stronger opponents in Risen 1 melee because there was actually a nice enjoyable rhythm to it. In Gothic combat just feels like a clunky piece of shit to me so I am only engaging opponents that I am powerful enough to tank. Maybe I will bother learning it eventually but for now I don't feel like it.

Oh boy, if you are planning to play Elex you are in for "fun" ride

 

[Multidirectional]

Oh boy, if you are planning to play Elex you are in for "fun" ride

I've already planned a ranged run for it. Seems to make sense when you have a damn jetpack, no? I absolutely hated the feel of melee from little I played of it.

 

[Junmarko]

Started watching this playthrough with Returning 2.0 just out of curiosity. Very impressed with what these guys have done - probably won't touch it until the English translation is decent.

Also found this part quite funny, some new NPC called Dagon - who is he? Xardas' old roomate from Necromancer College? Lol.

"Oh hey Dagon, how's the face?..."

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