R3 incoming

[likaq]

[Almost there. Shields and alchemy are working properly. There are a couple of bugs left to fix and some minor but annoying issues (if you kill an enemy indirectly, i.e. poison or fire that does damage per turn, you don't get that skill point you deserve).

News from the front:

Tester #1:

"I've played a bit with alchemy in the game. Now, I haven't done nearly enough playtesting to be sure of this, but am I the only one who feels alchemy, as it stands, feels weirdly underpowered?

Weird is an incredibly vague word, so let me try to be clearer. It's very situational. In places where you go into one fight followed by another, like the Militiades encounter, the Aurelian Mine, etc... Healing is really useful. In all other circumstances it's useless. Acid is excellent against heavily armored enemies. But it makes you lose 7 AP (3 to throw, 4 to switch weapons, unless you're using a one-hand weapon and no shield, which is an unusual combination) ,takes time to work, needs the throwing skill and is not THAT helpful against multiple enemies. Gunpowder and oil flask have very small range, requiring enemies to be bunched together, although both have interesting effects (oil flask is good to separate enemies and gunpowder can knock people down, it seems). Not only that, but alchemy is a one-time use that depends on the ingredients, while other skills have more stable bonuses.

Overall alchemy can be very useful or very useless and it varies wildly, depending on the encounter. Crafting, for the sake of comparison, feels a lot more consistently useful throughout the game.

I'm not saying that I don't like alchemy, mind you. Quite the contrary, it's fun to play with and trying to find uses for all those things. Also I haven't played a lot and I've yet to make a character that is alchemy-focused. So what I say might be a load of nonsense. So, if any other playtesters who have actually played a lot could tell what they think about alchemy in terms of balance I'd be really interested. Especially when comparing it to crafting, which it is kinda similar to (both are skills that relate tangentially to combat, giving the player a good edge while not being able to win combat all by themselves)."

Tester #2:

It's most definitely not underpowered, though I think it's still going to need a bit of polish. Also the actual availability of ingredients in the final game is going to be important factor on it's usefulness.
I like how all the effects are very minimalistic, but can still completely change the perspective of a combat encounter.

I've yet to play a very high (50+) alchemy skill character to know wheter you can actually dish mortal damage with things like oil flasks or bombs (by my observations thus far, not really), but the ability to break enemy placement can really change the tide of the battle, especially as they tend to attack you in ideally small, tight formations.

Actually the poison flask, being the only pure damage based effect, feels like the most insignificant in it's functionality. I hope you could at least use all of the 3 drops on one enemy, stacking the poison damage.

Against blockers, the berserk potion also feel too weak now since the drop in THC is so large, and your attacks get blocked away for the most of the time."

Tester #3:

"1. It's not on par crafting by any means and that is a wasted opportunity. I thought that a high level alchemist would be a a person to be feared, but it's nothing like that.
2. Crafting improves your durability, damage and defense skill without any cost to AP and the outcome is always stable. With alchemy it's nothing of the sort. When crafting increases damage it is also multiplied by STR modifier, attack type modifier and CS modifier that considerably increase it's utility.

While poisons it's for three hits, so you have to be surrounded for it to have an affect, but most of the time being surrounded means that you're or soon will be dead. It doesn't stack and has no multipliers, but it adds a chance to fail to the equation.

The main weakness is the share amount of AP you need to accomplish anything with it. You need to reapply poisons every three hits, or 7 AP to use different potions. I just don't make use of most potions even if I did brew them before battle."

Vince:

"- balance of different skills was never the goal, personally I don't care if persuasion is balanced against alchemy or not. As long as someone gets a decent bang for his skill buck, we're good.

- we didn't want to make alchemy every bit as good as crafting, it was supposed to be weaker when it comes to per strike damage. Why? First, alchemy can do group damage and separate enemies, which is an invaluable ability, if you use it wisely. Second, it has unique abilities like stripping DR from armor (basically), more AP for dodgers, more raw damage (berserk) that makes fast attacks very useful, etc. Third, it's the most versatile skill, useful in and out of combat in many quests. Crafting is also used out of combat but a lot less.

- in combat, crafting does more of the same: more damage, more DR, more CS. It's a booster. Alchemy is a game changer. "/QUOTE]

 

[Johannes]

Vince:

"- balance of different skills was never the goal, personally I don't care if persuasion is balanced against alchemy or not. As long as someone gets a decent bang for his skill buck, we're good.

- we didn't want to make alchemy every bit as good as crafting, it was supposed to be weaker when it comes to per strike damage. Why? First, alchemy can do group damage and separate enemies, which is an invaluable ability, if you use it wisely. Second, it has unique abilities like stripping DR from armor (basically), more AP for dodgers, more raw damage (berserk) that makes fast attacks very useful, etc. Third, it's the most versatile skill, useful in and out of combat in many quests. Crafting is also used out of combat but a lot less.

- in combat, crafting does more of the same: more damage, more DR, more CS. It's a booster. Alchemy is a game changer. "

So because crafting is not as interesting as alchemy, it deserves to be better?

 

[Vault Dweller]

They play different roles. Crafting improves the player's combat stats only, whereas alchemy improves stats, introduces new combat abilities, provides new quest solutions, etc. So, if you compare (or care only) about the effect on the player's combat stats, crafting is definitely better. Overall though, if you consider everything that alchemy does, it's a very handy and versatile skill.

 

[Johannes]

Can you purchase (some of) the combat-relevant alchemy products, then?

 

[Vault Dweller]

Yes, but the items' level won't be as high as what you can make yourself if you focus on alchemy.

 

[General Maxson]

This means new, improved version of Age of Decadence Demo will be out soon?

 

[Vault Dweller]

Yes, in a couple of days. It has a lot of changes: interface, font readability, weapons and armor balance tweaks, alchemy, new content, quest tweaks, system changes, etc.

 

[MetalCraze]

Does your game still suck?

 

[Vault Dweller]

Such wit...

 

[MetalCraze]

Beats awesome button

 

[deuxhero]

How the throwing alchemy weapons tied to your throwing skill? Just accuracy?