R4 demo bugs and problems report thread

[Saduj]

Latest version is much more stable and the game has only crashed once since I've upgraded after many hours of play...

So far I've finished the demo as an assassin and a non-combat loremaster/merchant in Teron/liegeman in Maadoran and both were great fun.

Most lately I've been playing as a thief and technically I "finished" but I have some feedback on that....

Spoiler

Firebombs are very exploitable, particularly in the arena so being able to buy them relatively cheaply as a thief allows for some cheating.....

I'm up to the last mission where I'm supposed to kill Gaellius and it seems relatively impossible unless Critical Strike is part of your combat build. In general, Critical Strike seems to be one of the most checked skills in the game AND its a combat skill so I don't know why I don't use it more. I know that there are skill combinations that don't require CS that will work for this mission. But it doesn't seem likely that you'd have all the necessary skills built up given the checks in previous missions and that you'd have had to invest in combat to get this far as well.

Before I go on, let me just say that I understand that when the full game comes out, failing this mission will not end the game as it does the demo. However, it seems that you get tossed out of the guild if you fail it because Levir tells you to fuck off and doesn't hook you up with the guild in Ganezzar.

So, once I figured out that my build was not going to allow me to pass this mission, I reloaded an earlier save and started testing different scenarios to see if there is any way I could make it work. My attributes are 6/9/6/7/7/5.

My combat skills from this reload are Sword 6 and Dodge 6. Critical Strike is at 1.

I have 5 each in Lockpick and Crafting - Not needed for this mission but both skills were necessary for me to break into the Commercium for earlier Thief mission.

The skills that are relevant to this mission (as far as I know) and my levels at reload are: Sneak 4, Persuasion 3, Steal 3, Disguise 2, Streetwise 2, Alchemy 1 and the previously mentioned CS.

After reloading the old save, I gained 72 skill points. I was only able to get all these points by using the firebomb exploit to beat the Arena champ and to kill the guys who are occupying that deadbeat prospector's house. I'd have 55 points, at most, if I played fairly.

Just to get in the door to the Palace, I have to bring either Disguise or Streetwise up to 4 (which will leave me 47 points). If I had been using Critical Strike in my combat build, I'm pretty sure that getting through the door would be the only challenge this mission poses and I'd have more than enough points to finish it because I could just CS my way through the rest of it..... As it is, I can only get CS up to 4 with my 47 remaining points - useless.

The next check is Legatus' office - CS is an option, but not for me. So for me it requires either Stealing or Streetwise/Persuasion. If I want to use Stealing, I have to get it up to 5 (12 points left). Or I can use Streetwise at the previous check and bring Persuasion up to 4 for this one (32 points left).

The next check depends on which room I visit. None of these are viable:

In order to use the Sneak skill in the guard room, I'd have to get it up to at least 6, it seems. Not enough points regardless of what I've done at previous checks.

If I go to the alchemist's room, I have high enough intelligence and can get my Alchemy up to 4 if I used Streetwise/Persuasion at previous checks. So I make the poison... Only when I go to the courtesan, I will fail a Disguise check. Not enough points.

The Daratan room offers no options to me.

The Crassus room seems pretty good at first. Kill the guy, get his badge. Guard shows up. Can't pass the CS/Dexterity check. But, there's a Disguise check. I can use Disguise at 4 to get into the palace. Then I can use Stealing at 5 to get past Legatus... Now I just have to pass one more Disguise check in Crassus room.... Nope. Disguise requirement for his one is at least 5 - can't get Disguise up this high and still get past previous checks



I really don't think my build was horrible given the requirements to pass previous thief missions and combats. Certainly with the amount of meta gaming and cheesing I did, I should have eventually been able to find a way to make it work. Really seems to me that if you use CS in your combat build, this last mission is a cakewalk and if you haven't, you better pray that you've invested your attributes/points in a very specific combination from character creation onward or you're not going to pass it.

Oh yeah, before anyone else says it:

 

[felipepepe]

Hey VD, is it intentional that after poisoning the outpost with rat poison I can't disguise myself as loremaster anymore, and can only resort to fighting?

I know it has the point that they are took sick to bother with that now, but as far as I know they are there just waiting for a loremaster to solve things, so im my head would make more sense form them to be in a hurry to get one and the disguise check being easier...

 

[Humanity has risen!]

Is it normal that my Radeon 7900's fans start spinning loudly? I don't know if it's due to mediocre Torque engine optimization, but I see nothing in that game that would make a high end GPU remotely begin to break a sweat.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

I believe I missed something, but does each win in the arena get you any money from the arena master? 'Cause I got zip after knocking the thief.

 

[hiver]

Hey VD, is it intentional that after poisoning the outpost with rat poison I can't disguise myself as loremaster anymore, and can only resort to fighting?

I know it has the point that they are took sick to bother with that now, but as far as I know they are there just waiting for a loremaster to solve things, so im my head would make more sense form them to be in a hurry to get one and the disguise check being easier...

I thought so too.
Also, figuring out who is selling supplies and getting the poison seems like another opportunity to throw a few SP to the player, without waiting for the whole quest to be finished.
Generally i think the game could use more of such moments to give a few SP, especially because of how the new skill points system plays. (not too much though, just a few Sp here and there where it would seem reasonable since the player managed to achieve atleast something)

Additionally when talking with Rhaskos about what i need to find - if i come back without it and try talking again i only get the "Leave" option, which makes things a bit confusing. And he doesnt mention it again. Just says something like "Oh you, i thought i wont see you again."

Same thing as with Aemolas. In that case if i try talking to him or "talk to refugees" without enough money - even at the very start of that sub quest i only get the "leave" dialogue option. It should be changed so that you can ask about the problem but finish with something like "I dont have enough money now."
Thats not to hand feed the players but just to make the situation clearer.

More, i managed to get inside as a Thief in disguise of a Loremaster, fiddled with the machine but couldn't start it and then went away. Couldn't talk to Dellar about any of it.
Thats should be worth a few Sp and a talk about it with Dellar.

 

[Kalin]

Is it normal that my Radeon 7900's fans start spinning loudly? I don't know if it's due to mediocre Torque engine optimization, but I see nothing in that game that would make a high end GPU remotely begin to break a sweat.

I have this issue as well, my graphic card works like crazy when I play the game. The drain does not seem entirely warranted.

I believe I missed something, but does each win in the arena get you any money from the arena master? 'Cause I got zip after knocking the thief.

It is easy to overlook, but when you first meet him, the arena master says you can keep whatever equipment your opponents have on them as payment. As you progress further those looting-privileges become extremely lucrative: by hauling and selling off enemy equipment I had no problem raising the 10,000 gold coins needed for a certain quest.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

I believe I missed something, but does each win in the arena get you any money from the arena master? 'Cause I got zip after knocking the thief.

It is easy to overlook, but when you first meet him, the arena master says you can keep whatever equipment your opponents have on them as payment. As you progress further those looting-privileges become extremely lucrative: by hauling and selling off enemy equipment I had no problem raising the 10,000 gold coins needed for a certain quest.

Figured as much. I missed that.
It's probably fitting that selling the first fight's spoils gives me exactly enough to get healed. Oh my glorious imperial guard loot.

 

[Elhoim]

Is it normal that my Radeon 7900's fans start spinning loudly? I don't know if it's due to mediocre Torque engine optimization, but I see nothing in that game that would make a high end GPU remotely begin to break a sweat.

Check your FPS, especially when opening things like the inventory or any other full screen GUI. Try playing with VSync on.

 

[hiver]

Playing assassin. In both the bandit camp and Aurelian outpost i can attempt a critical strike - fail - and then talk again as if nothing happened. (they even tell me it would be a good idea if i had a knife)



Question: Do i need a knife for critical strikes, like.. all the time? And do i need to actually have some appropriate robes in my inventory for disguise? Does it matter if i put something on or doesnt at all since its automatic?

 

[Saduj]

Has anyone finished the final thief mission without using Critical Strike?

I've done some more testing since my last post and it doesn't seem very feasible.

 

[hiver]

Nah, im still in Teron, cant bloody pass the Linos Gold heist... unless i opt for the ambush and get lucky.

Ive spread my skills too wide damnit!



- Oh yeah, when you have to find the info on who is buying supplies - that should have a skill check and require 2 in trading, at the least.

And only 7 skill points for the street bums gang? really?
Thats not even 2 points for each NPC.
It should be ten!

 

[Vault Dweller]

Playing assassin. In both the bandit camp and Aurelian outpost i can attempt a critical strike - fail - and then talk again as if nothing happened. (they even tell me it would be a good idea if i had a knife)

It's not they who tell you (since there are no quotes indicating speech there), but the game. Basically, you select an option, then remember that you don't have a dagger handy and do nothing. So other people remain unaware that you were plotting their demise.

Question: Do i need a knife for critical strikes, like.. all the time?

Hard to catch them unaware by swinging that bigger hammer or pulling out a crossbow.

And do i need to actually have some appropriate robes in my inventory for disguise? Does it matter if i put something on or doesnt at all since its automatic?

You need to have the right items in your inventory. If you don't, you won't get the options.

 

[hiver]

Ah zo. Appreciate the explanation. Maybe putting those things that the game is telling me in some other color of the text? Quotation marks schmarks.

As for daggers and CS... i can roll with it, but if we are talking theoretically... If im talking to you and holding a crossbow in my hand i could whip it up and shoot a bolt through your throat relatively quickly. Or in the groin. Even faster. Or made as if im going to turn around and walk away and then slam that hammer onto your head, shoulder, collar bone... Or in the knee. Especially if im already there in front of you and we are like - talking, or getting ready to talk and you dont expect it - which is the whole deal with those critical strikes, at least to my understanding.

Hey man... why isnt there any groin shots? cmonn...

Could i also suggest that option coming up inside the dialogue, sometimes? Not just at the beginning, but also not after you choose a clear other option to follow. (bigger surprise and leaves that option to the player to choose)
And if not that then maybe targeted critical strikes?

Thing is - i usually dont have a single point invested in daggers. Does that even make any difference when i attempt a CS?
Does quality of a dagger affect it either?



(if there is ever any codex meet im putting all my skill points into CS and there will be groin shots too - since im going to be designing that game, ha)

 

[Agesilaus]

Pretty sure Linos didn't give me any skill points for the first mission (speaking to the guards at the gate), despite me giving him "200%".

 

[hiver]

Bandits quest gives same SP no matter how its handled. If you opt for Dellar to take care of it, or get help from thieves guild - you should get less SP. - since someone else is doing the work.

The noble lady whose house you can rob quest - should give a few SP. Multiple skill checks...

Poisoning the food in the Outpost - precludes me to attempt to sneak in. It should not. In fact, having the men poisoned and sick should make it at least a bit easier. (raise sneak requirement to five if need be - lower it to four if the player poisons them)
But, as i said before, figuring out who is selling the supplies should require at least some Trading skill check. - And give a few SP.

 

[Kalin]

Started playing as a 6 7 6 8 9 4 Loremaster Assassin and found the following issue: after looting Carrinas corpse you do not get a chance to re-arrange your inventory, so during the following two fights (attack on Guild and assault on the Fort) you are forced to wear the merchant robes from the disguise checks. This is quite alright if you are a dodger, but characters focused on blocking suffer a lot. It would be very helpful if the player could re-arrange his gear prior to leaving the inn.

Of course, the actual fights aren't that hard, and that is another issue. Coltan and Fulvio easily take down all the attackers without help from the player (there are only three, is that because I killed one in the inn?). Another sword-dude or spear-man would make the attack on the Guild more challenging (but still very much manageable) and force you to go on the offensive to keep your allies alive. Further, Fulvio can pretty much deal with the two gate guards himself, so it might make sense to add a third guard there to force the player to do his part.

 

[hiver]

Yeah, that one was already reported by me. I play a mostly straight Assassin and all the fights against IG were very easy, even when going at them straight away, without doing much of any other quests in Teron.

balance issues - it will be fixed.

 

[Agesilaus]

I don't seem to be receiving the skill increases that characters sometimes give me. For example:

1. My dagger skill doesn't go up when Antidas gives me the text on daggers after the first praetor mission.
2. My CS skill doesn't go up when Lucian gives me the CS advice prior to the final thief mission.
3. My axe skill doesn't go up when I receive a lesson from the axe guy in the thieves' guild.

There are a few more, but basically it seems hit and miss whether I receive my upgrade. I get the upgrade from reading the stuff in feng's bedroom, as well as the alchemy text during on of the thieving quests, so it's not all broken.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Weapon skills and CS aren't increased directly. You get a THC bonus (the column to the right of your weapon skills), and in case of CS you get a higher chance of CS when attacking.

 

[Agesilaus]

Hmm... I still have a 0 in the THC column for Axes after talking to Aziz, and I didn't see any changes for daggers, iirc. There is no column for CS so I can only assume it works.

 

[Saduj]

Alright, went back to still and earlier save and did some more testing on the final thief quest. Seems like CS is not such a cheap way through either..... I think a limiting factor in my case is one of the changes I made to my thief's default starting attributes. Too soon to replay this content so I'll leave it alone until full game comes out.

I'd be curious to know if other people are able to finish it (but not how). Seems like there should be multiple ways through it based on presented options...

 

[hiver]

Im playing a Thief with very little CS so far so ill let you know when i get there.

 

[hiver]

Not sure if this is a bug:

The archer furthest away from me, in Ordu lether armor and with a helmet - behind the wooden wall, was able to shoot right through it every time he tried.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Not sure if this is a bug:

The archer furthest away from me, in Ordu lether armor and with a helmet - behind the wooden wall, was able to shoot right through it every time he tried.

THAT BUG IS STILL THERE?!
I've not tested that in the current build, but I think it's likely to happen if there's a break in the wall, like a door or something.
Then again, you could walk through walls in Maadoran and the Ordu camp.

 

[hiver]

I thought maybe he is shooting through that bigger gap in the wall... although my position seemed to be further than that.

Needless to say i couldnt win the fight with bandits regardless of how i tried it (and regardless of this bug) and in the end opted for just nicely giving them some moneys.