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dteowner
Shoegazer
Joined: 21 Mar 2002
Posts: 7570
Location: Third Hero of Erathia |
Some days, I really hate myself. When it comes to RPGs, I just can't help the irresistable urge to start over. I get a good 10-15 hours into a game and suddenly come to the realization that my little crew is fatally flawed (whether they truly are or not is subject to discussion, but why confuse the issue with facts). So then I'm forced to decide how badly I want to throw those hours out (and for a working father of three, those hours are rare and precious let me tell you) just to do a better job of optimizing my character development.
Which brings us to the impending doom of my latest alter-ego, the flawed warrior, Hacken Slash. My plan was to stomp thru the game with a two character party, Hacken being the tank / combat mage and Deru serving as the range / nature mage. I recently picked up an ice elemental as a pet (impulse shopping at its worst, I tell you) with hopes of using him to replace Deru's healing function. That didn't quite go as planned, as I quickly discovered. Cautions abound about specializing your character, but I thought I had it figured out.
Hacken Slash is currently level 11 melee and level 5 combat magic. Thoroughly worthless, he is. Sure, he chops away with the best of them, but he really doesn't have "enough sand in the bucket", to borrow a Madden-ism. Deru's got the same split between range and nature, respectively. Sure the walkthrough I found says that those stupid Tic-tacs are too tough for an infant party such as mine, but (after a couple hours of intense hack-n-hide with the buggers) I've decided I just shouldn't be getting stomped quite this badly.
I'm thinking Danicek's got the right answer, although I'll probably grab a pack mule. Not that it will be that useful, but I just can't go on living without another hit from that pet pipe...
_________________
=Proud Member of the Non-Flamers Guild=
=Benevolent Dictator, X2/X3 and Morrowind/Oblivion Forums=
Sorry. No pearls of wisdom in this oyster.
RIP Red Wings How 'Bout Dem Cowboys! |
Mon Jan 16, 2006 9:38 pm |
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Wulf
The Shepherd
Joined: 20 Sep 2003
Posts: 2312
Location: North/West.England |
I Knew this would happen dte. 
I've tried so hard to hold back, and reveal no spoilers... o.k...shoot the pack mule!....
Did you not hear the in-game helpful voice near the beginning?..in the trenches - - "stay specialised in one skill and you will go far". As you gain levels and assign skills, notice how there are various branches or paths to choose on the assign menu, "the more you split assigned skill the less chance of attaining the max' effect in one! There is a natural tendency (a human failing if you like) to advance along the tracks....hold back...get a reasonably decent high number in each preceding square block, and most of all...*try to stay on on one selection track*. This requires some carefull studying of the various select paths in some depth at the start of the game....and there is a degree of gueswork!
This tactic worked for me, Deru got the power and speed gradually and continuously, she stayed on 'ranged only' to the end of the game, i was lost without her...when she aquired 'lunar grace' the speed was joy to watch and she stayed with this to the end (those Ballista's are powerfull but slow, the speed of the bows - coupled later to various bow spells (frost) were amazing.
I applied the same plan to combat mage, and nature mage, they max'd-out in their respective attributes...i of course was the leading tank with a two-hander, again twin-wield is faster which has its surprise element advantages.
I also started several times...after two days...then after about four hours...then after a half-hour, just to be able to get the correct beginning after which there was no looking back.
You will need as much help from team characters as you can get towards the end, ....pack mules - say goodbye, multi-mage and multi ranged - say hello!
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Forever aches my wretched soul, for Chromanin locked in that dark hole, though crypted key i've yet to learn, he knows one day i will return. |
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Tue Jan 17, 2006 12:51 am |
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dteowner
Shoegazer
Joined: 21 Mar 2002
Posts: 7570
Location: Third Hero of Erathia |
*quivers*
Just......one......little......pet.......
Cmon man.......I can disband him......any time I want......
*assuming fetal position*
_________________
=Proud Member of the Non-Flamers Guild=
=Benevolent Dictator, X2/X3 and Morrowind/Oblivion Forums=
Sorry. No pearls of wisdom in this oyster.
RIP Red Wings How 'Bout Dem Cowboys! |
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Tue Jan 17, 2006 3:09 am |
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Danicek
The Old One
Joined: 15 Dec 2001
Posts: 5922
Location: Czech Republic |
I tell you, start over once more and go with single character (no pet, that just spoils it). It will give the game some extra feeling of "being all alone in the dark ruins" (well, alone if you don't count the 246 little beasts that are just about to attack you ;]). |
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Tue Jan 17, 2006 7:52 am |
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Wulf
The Shepherd
Joined: 20 Sep 2003
Posts: 2312
Location: North/West.England |
@dte, *assuming fetal position*...... 
Re:quote,
"Deru's got the same split between range and nature, respectively"
......so, if Deru had "all" the range attributes (no nature magic) she would be twice as powerful in ranged (she needs her agility/dexterity as high as possible) - and if/when Tsar should join, being a natural nature mage, she would be a powerful healer also . . (whisper - if you see what i mean)
I think the same as Dani, 'no pets' is less trouble...it would be a wise move to start over again (even if it needs a couple of takes) - it will slowly come together as you get further.
_________________
Forever aches my wretched soul, for Chromanin locked in that dark hole, though crypted key i've yet to learn, he knows one day i will return. |
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Tue Jan 17, 2006 10:35 am |
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Badger
Stripey Forest Dweller
Joined: 18 Mar 2002
Posts: 924
Location: UK |
quote:
Originally posted by dteowner
Some days, I really hate myself. When it comes to RPGs, I just can't help the irresistable urge to start over…… <snip>”
Okay…… I guess the game arrived  I’ll look forward to seeing some of Admiral dte’s adventures then.
My own trials and tribulations are going to have to wait I’m afraid.  Did I tell you that I shot my pc in the foot by applying a bad patch? Well I did and the resulting multiple virusy thingies have proven beyond my meagre skills to remove. Offline play is not affected, but any trip online has been turned into a horrific quagmire of porno ads and audio pitches for incontinence pants! (Plus other nasties including apparently a thing which would be emailing someone my “AOL” password, if in fact I had “AOL”, which happily I don’t.)
I’ve disconnected from the net and over the last two or three weeks CM and Wulf have been giving me generous email support to sort out this sorry state of affairs so far without success (most likely due to my ineptitude with all things computer) and the whole thing has unsettled me to the extent that frankly I don’t really want to turn the bugger on anymore, even though in theory my single player games would not be an issue. I know I shouldn’t let these virus spewing basts get me down with their hateful smut and technical evil doings, but the whole thing just depresses me.
Hopefully I can now see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel as Wulf and I are hatching a plan to meet up in real life so that he can bring his considerable technical skills to bear on the problem without my dumb-assedness getting in the way. (Can I claim “dumb-assedness” as a new word?) So as long as all goes to plan I should then be able to begin my DS2 adventure again, but for now the whole thing is in limbo.
On the plus side, this whole sorry affair has prompted me to rediscover the joys of my PS2 and the annual January sales have seen an excellent selection of cut priced PS2 games at my local (well.. if a forty mile round trip can be considered local.) games emporium in an attempt no doubt to sell the stock against the current crop of super consoles. So last week I bought “The Bards Tale” and “Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory” for my consoley buddy and still saw change from a £20 note!
This was a twenty hard earned I might add, as it involved going to work as a male prostitute in the seedier areas of Lincolns back streets! ( a greater hive of scum and villainy you will not find…. etc Obi Wan etc) Arriving home I was stopped by she who must be obeyed, who requested my earnings for the evening. On handing over my proceeds of £20.50 she demanded which cheap swine had given me the 50p? … “All of them” I replied sadly.
Yours (with a “forlorn yet hopefully optimistic for a fresh start soon” stripe)
Badger
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"Ducks are Dumb!" Badger-2005. Go ahead... quote me! |
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Wed Jan 18, 2006 7:41 am |
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