First week of my third term break is over and happily I've just come to the conclusion of my second play-through of Pillars of Eternity. This time I played with the 2.01 update and on the hard difficulty, with the White March part 1 installed. I've generally had a swell time overall and enjoyed the combat much more. This was due to various factors; more planning being required and also for the greater spell-casting variety that my selected party had to choose from. I did experience one or two glitches (animation sprites going wonky on the fast mode) but otherwise had a bug-free time.
Playing style wise, I never used the AI scripts as I enjoy the moment to moment changes in a battle and managing those myself. Micro-management doesn't bother me in the slightest and never has. If any particular approach becomes tedious, I simply change my strategy to mix it up and look for other ways to breakup any kind of tactical monotony. Having Hiravias and Grieving Mother in the party for most of the game helped achieve this.
I like to plan and map out my ideal party member selections from a very early stage (to frame it around my class choice) and when I finally achieve the group I want, I generally adhere to it and make it work. The PoE notepad came in handy and so I'll liberally include some of my notes for the fun of this report: Skim or skip at your leisure!
Finished in: (118 hours) (86 first time without White March)
In Game time: 6 months, 3 days.
Most Kills: Eldric (Rogue) 681 and Most Crits (1818)
Most Hits: Durance (9239)
Party most widely used:
Pallegina (Didn't really warm to her haughty foppishness nor found her quest-line terribly interesting. Still, she served the tank role well given I'd already used Eder so much previously. I liked her exhortation to support the rogue which proved a winning combo.) Used The Grey Sleeper (Fully upgraded) + wore Arges Adra
Eldric Lockpick (Gilded Vale Black Hound Inn Rogue created at level 2 - the melee powerhouse of the game) Used Oidhreacht (stiletto) + Drawn In Spring (Dagger) Vengiatta Rugia (armor)
Durance (So reliable and pivotal as the main pillar of defense)
Exceptional Robe and his staff!
Hiravias (Loud and abrasive, yet his moments of humour and arsenal of spells made him a very valuable member.) Moonwell, Stag horn, Sunlance, Firebug, Wall of thorns were favorites.) Used Cladhilath (spear) + Persistence (bow) + Blaid Golan (Armor)
Grieving Mother (I especially came to like "Silent Scream", "Amplified Wave" and "Mind Lance") Used Stormcaller (second upgrade only) Wore Wayfarer's Hide. I can only imagine how powerful she would have been before they nerfed Ciphers.
PC Wizard (Slow starter, but became highest damage dealer) (107959)
Spell faves: Malignant Cloud (raw damage! super-sub version of Cloudkill) Ninagauth's Freezing Pillar, Necrotic Lance (killed Thaos with it!)
Wore Rundl's Finery and used Cgadob's Hazel (Wand).
Chosen Faction: The Dozen (Was hoping for more expeditions/side-quest content)
Some general White March Part 1 notes:
This content is aesthetically very appealing, especially the winter-laden environments and the environmental audio. Many times it evoked my memories of Icewind Dale, particularly Heart of Winter in its central, small village location. Obsidian did well to offer the player the option to "raise the difficulty" when first arriving in Stalwart; the hub for the White March. I started the content at around level 9-10 which it considered to be "high". I elected not to make it harder and this decision by no means trivialized encounters. Indeed, progress was nice and slow especially since I elected to explore Longwatch Falls and do all of the quests here first (which was generally harder than the Ogre Cave and associated content to the West.)
In hindsight, I probably would have preferred to arrive in Stalwart at an earlier level to gain access to the extra companions and other quest content sooner. I will aim to do this for my third character for the Path of the Damned run. I'm undecided on the class but I'll most likely go Rogue and House Doemenal due to loving how well they work in the game. Twice now I've created a Rogue in the Gilded Vale inn and they've both become integral to beating the game.
There are some noteworthy quests; of which the soul-bound weapons are certainly an interesting new addition. There are some interestingly novel quest requirements to upgrade and use some of these weapons. However, my party was already quite powerful by the time I reached a couple of them (one notable mace in Durgan's Battery) which made me decide to save trialing out a couple of them for another play-through.
Criticisms:
- I came to the realization that I don't really like the lack of self determination in the companions when it comes to player decisions. They may voice a concern here or express their opinion there in key plot moments, but ultimately they're mostly passive play servants to the player's will and won't kick up a fuss and leave if you decide to go on a rampant killing spree. Indeed, the notion of a companion being a subservient underling to the whim of the player regardless of what they choose (in a game like this at least…) doesn't sit quite right with me. It practically makes them amoral agents.
Case in point, it didn't feel justifiable to be able to meet Zahua and the Devil of Caroc, click a few dialogue options with both before summarily sending them off to Caed Nua; utterly changing the course of their lives in the process, only to never speak to them again for the rest of the game.
In short, I much prefer the Baldur's Gate AD&D attitudes toward reputation where not only alignment plays a key role and characters can fight among themselves in various party configurations, (Keldorn vs Viconia is a classic, Minsc vs Edwin…etc) but will also leave if they're unhappy with the philosophical conditions that you're operating under.
Thus, I'd like to see changes in the sequel should Obsidian consider making the companion system more dynamic/reactive. Having to "earn the right" to take on certain NPCs (by undertaking certain tasks, or by making certain shades of "ethical" choices, etc) would also make party planning and choice more interesting. I do very much like the versatility in hiring adventurers though.
- I'm not a real big fan of the party inventory or bottomless stash given the player can acquire so much material and become idiotically wealthy, yet have absolutely no place to spend it even when after the Stronghold is complete. (I finished up with over 100,000 unspent…) As a side-note to this, I also found management in the inventory a little "floaty" performance wise at times.
- The stronghold is still secondary and ties too weakly to the overall game-play.
I couldn't use any of the items available in random quests due to their obsolescence. The bounty missions were great however and contain some of the best combat encounters in the game.
- Issues still remain with the level cap and the way experience is spread out in the game. This will be amplified if you're a completionist who loves to explore every map before progressing the main story arc. Whilst in my first game I hit the cap at the very beginning of Act III effectively sapping much of my motivation to fully explore Twin Elms content in its entirety, this time around with the addition of the White March part I, I did literally no side content at all in Twin Elms and still managed to hit the new level cap of 14 before Burial Isle (after completing Durgan's Battery) Short of installing third party mods to slow down the gain of xp, I'm not sure what the solution for Obsidian is here considering the diversity of play-styles and Part 2 to the White March coming on the breeze…
- Certain decisions in quests lack compelling consequences. I wasn't very impressed with the outcome of the slave/murderer quest for example. (Overstaying His Welcome)
Being a supporter of Readceras this time, I attempted to role-play this diplomatically but instead found myself feeling that the game wasn't really anticipating this response since the quest ended so meekly and predictably. I'd extend this general feeling of disappointment to the overall consequence of allowing Raedric to live as well, as you appear to gain much more (including the fun, surprising rematch!) by killing him off and helping Kolsc instead.
Highlights:
The siege of Cragholdt is an excellent additional side-quest for high-level parties. Be wary of heading here before going to the White March (like I did!) When I first arrived here at around level 9, the challenge level rose very steeply and as a consequence, so did my micro-management and pause tapping levels! There are some fantastically extended, utterly brutal little stoushes in this area, both inside the besieged tower and outside with the Torn Bannermen. I managed to clear about half of the map before several harsh losses (including one to a vicious drunken orlan and his mercenary
brawler mates; each with a penchant for duplication!) This made me return at a higher level. There is definitely a slew of fights here for the grizzled, hardened infinity engine veteran and should suit Heart of Fury mode fans. The Concelhaut showdown should especially please the wizard players.
The Alpine Dragon was marginally more difficult than the Adra Dragon; though the latter's breath weapon could be nasty and provoke a quick reload. I wasn't able to meet the stat requirements to win over ol' Alpy with words. And so I did both encounters for the first time and found them memorable, though still somewhat inferior to their older BGII and Heart of Winter counterparts. Both of these fights were very fun to plan and experiment with and I took a few screenshots for posterity. (Key spells were Force Wall, Wall of Flame, Wall of Thorns, lots of summons and anything with Raw Damage! Eye of Adragan also comes in handy, as did Grieving Mother's spirit shell)
The character disposition system has some excellent applications in role-playing dialogue options, quests and in the manner npcs respond to you and your character's deeds. I certainly made greater use of it with my wizard this time around. (Highest were Honest 4, Stoic 3, Rational 3, Diplomatic 3 for example…)
I experienced many more banters with my party in this playthrough, which was very welcome. The lines between Hiravias and Eder were notably amusing. (Hiravias uses the "Are you f-ing kidding me?" line in response to Eder's polite attempts to not make a politically incorrect statement about his furry face.)
Favorite Companions would be:
Grieving Mother. (Wonderfully written, highly poignant quest-line and first encounter in general. Very captivating I found. Was a key influence upon the direction my Wizard went in the ending.)
Durance (Perhaps under appreciated I feel; but once you dig under the layers, past the fire and brimstone symbolism, you can unearth a very troubled mind which helps to explain his god-bitten histrionics.)
In conclusion, there's still plenty of content for me to easily justify creating another character, as the game is immense and arguably slightly over long. However, I'll probably wait until the part 2 of the White March is out and advise other players to do the same if they're on the fence about having a set of content which is "unfinished" in the story-sense. Still, it's an excellent game that Obsidian is gradually refining. I look forward to hearing more detail on how part two will seal the story of Durgan's Battery very soon. Thanks for reading and feel free to comment/ask questions.
Playing style wise, I never used the AI scripts as I enjoy the moment to moment changes in a battle and managing those myself. Micro-management doesn't bother me in the slightest and never has. If any particular approach becomes tedious, I simply change my strategy to mix it up and look for other ways to breakup any kind of tactical monotony. Having Hiravias and Grieving Mother in the party for most of the game helped achieve this.
I like to plan and map out my ideal party member selections from a very early stage (to frame it around my class choice) and when I finally achieve the group I want, I generally adhere to it and make it work. The PoE notepad came in handy and so I'll liberally include some of my notes for the fun of this report: Skim or skip at your leisure!
Finished in: (118 hours) (86 first time without White March)
In Game time: 6 months, 3 days.
Most Kills: Eldric (Rogue) 681 and Most Crits (1818)
Most Hits: Durance (9239)
Party most widely used:
Pallegina (Didn't really warm to her haughty foppishness nor found her quest-line terribly interesting. Still, she served the tank role well given I'd already used Eder so much previously. I liked her exhortation to support the rogue which proved a winning combo.) Used The Grey Sleeper (Fully upgraded) + wore Arges Adra
Eldric Lockpick (Gilded Vale Black Hound Inn Rogue created at level 2 - the melee powerhouse of the game) Used Oidhreacht (stiletto) + Drawn In Spring (Dagger) Vengiatta Rugia (armor)
Durance (So reliable and pivotal as the main pillar of defense)
Exceptional Robe and his staff!
Hiravias (Loud and abrasive, yet his moments of humour and arsenal of spells made him a very valuable member.) Moonwell, Stag horn, Sunlance, Firebug, Wall of thorns were favorites.) Used Cladhilath (spear) + Persistence (bow) + Blaid Golan (Armor)
Grieving Mother (I especially came to like "Silent Scream", "Amplified Wave" and "Mind Lance") Used Stormcaller (second upgrade only) Wore Wayfarer's Hide. I can only imagine how powerful she would have been before they nerfed Ciphers.
PC Wizard (Slow starter, but became highest damage dealer) (107959)
Spell faves: Malignant Cloud (raw damage! super-sub version of Cloudkill) Ninagauth's Freezing Pillar, Necrotic Lance (killed Thaos with it!)
Wore Rundl's Finery and used Cgadob's Hazel (Wand).
Chosen Faction: The Dozen (Was hoping for more expeditions/side-quest content)
Some general White March Part 1 notes:
This content is aesthetically very appealing, especially the winter-laden environments and the environmental audio. Many times it evoked my memories of Icewind Dale, particularly Heart of Winter in its central, small village location. Obsidian did well to offer the player the option to "raise the difficulty" when first arriving in Stalwart; the hub for the White March. I started the content at around level 9-10 which it considered to be "high". I elected not to make it harder and this decision by no means trivialized encounters. Indeed, progress was nice and slow especially since I elected to explore Longwatch Falls and do all of the quests here first (which was generally harder than the Ogre Cave and associated content to the West.)
In hindsight, I probably would have preferred to arrive in Stalwart at an earlier level to gain access to the extra companions and other quest content sooner. I will aim to do this for my third character for the Path of the Damned run. I'm undecided on the class but I'll most likely go Rogue and House Doemenal due to loving how well they work in the game. Twice now I've created a Rogue in the Gilded Vale inn and they've both become integral to beating the game.
There are some noteworthy quests; of which the soul-bound weapons are certainly an interesting new addition. There are some interestingly novel quest requirements to upgrade and use some of these weapons. However, my party was already quite powerful by the time I reached a couple of them (one notable mace in Durgan's Battery) which made me decide to save trialing out a couple of them for another play-through.
Criticisms:
- I came to the realization that I don't really like the lack of self determination in the companions when it comes to player decisions. They may voice a concern here or express their opinion there in key plot moments, but ultimately they're mostly passive play servants to the player's will and won't kick up a fuss and leave if you decide to go on a rampant killing spree. Indeed, the notion of a companion being a subservient underling to the whim of the player regardless of what they choose (in a game like this at least…) doesn't sit quite right with me. It practically makes them amoral agents.
Case in point, it didn't feel justifiable to be able to meet Zahua and the Devil of Caroc, click a few dialogue options with both before summarily sending them off to Caed Nua; utterly changing the course of their lives in the process, only to never speak to them again for the rest of the game.
In short, I much prefer the Baldur's Gate AD&D attitudes toward reputation where not only alignment plays a key role and characters can fight among themselves in various party configurations, (Keldorn vs Viconia is a classic, Minsc vs Edwin…etc) but will also leave if they're unhappy with the philosophical conditions that you're operating under.
Thus, I'd like to see changes in the sequel should Obsidian consider making the companion system more dynamic/reactive. Having to "earn the right" to take on certain NPCs (by undertaking certain tasks, or by making certain shades of "ethical" choices, etc) would also make party planning and choice more interesting. I do very much like the versatility in hiring adventurers though.
- I'm not a real big fan of the party inventory or bottomless stash given the player can acquire so much material and become idiotically wealthy, yet have absolutely no place to spend it even when after the Stronghold is complete. (I finished up with over 100,000 unspent…) As a side-note to this, I also found management in the inventory a little "floaty" performance wise at times.
- The stronghold is still secondary and ties too weakly to the overall game-play.
I couldn't use any of the items available in random quests due to their obsolescence. The bounty missions were great however and contain some of the best combat encounters in the game.
- Issues still remain with the level cap and the way experience is spread out in the game. This will be amplified if you're a completionist who loves to explore every map before progressing the main story arc. Whilst in my first game I hit the cap at the very beginning of Act III effectively sapping much of my motivation to fully explore Twin Elms content in its entirety, this time around with the addition of the White March part I, I did literally no side content at all in Twin Elms and still managed to hit the new level cap of 14 before Burial Isle (after completing Durgan's Battery) Short of installing third party mods to slow down the gain of xp, I'm not sure what the solution for Obsidian is here considering the diversity of play-styles and Part 2 to the White March coming on the breeze…
- Certain decisions in quests lack compelling consequences. I wasn't very impressed with the outcome of the slave/murderer quest for example. (Overstaying His Welcome)
Being a supporter of Readceras this time, I attempted to role-play this diplomatically but instead found myself feeling that the game wasn't really anticipating this response since the quest ended so meekly and predictably. I'd extend this general feeling of disappointment to the overall consequence of allowing Raedric to live as well, as you appear to gain much more (including the fun, surprising rematch!) by killing him off and helping Kolsc instead.
Highlights:
The siege of Cragholdt is an excellent additional side-quest for high-level parties. Be wary of heading here before going to the White March (like I did!) When I first arrived here at around level 9, the challenge level rose very steeply and as a consequence, so did my micro-management and pause tapping levels! There are some fantastically extended, utterly brutal little stoushes in this area, both inside the besieged tower and outside with the Torn Bannermen. I managed to clear about half of the map before several harsh losses (including one to a vicious drunken orlan and his mercenary
brawler mates; each with a penchant for duplication!) This made me return at a higher level. There is definitely a slew of fights here for the grizzled, hardened infinity engine veteran and should suit Heart of Fury mode fans. The Concelhaut showdown should especially please the wizard players.
The Alpine Dragon was marginally more difficult than the Adra Dragon; though the latter's breath weapon could be nasty and provoke a quick reload. I wasn't able to meet the stat requirements to win over ol' Alpy with words. And so I did both encounters for the first time and found them memorable, though still somewhat inferior to their older BGII and Heart of Winter counterparts. Both of these fights were very fun to plan and experiment with and I took a few screenshots for posterity. (Key spells were Force Wall, Wall of Flame, Wall of Thorns, lots of summons and anything with Raw Damage! Eye of Adragan also comes in handy, as did Grieving Mother's spirit shell)
The character disposition system has some excellent applications in role-playing dialogue options, quests and in the manner npcs respond to you and your character's deeds. I certainly made greater use of it with my wizard this time around. (Highest were Honest 4, Stoic 3, Rational 3, Diplomatic 3 for example…)
I experienced many more banters with my party in this playthrough, which was very welcome. The lines between Hiravias and Eder were notably amusing. (Hiravias uses the "Are you f-ing kidding me?" line in response to Eder's polite attempts to not make a politically incorrect statement about his furry face.)
Favorite Companions would be:
Grieving Mother. (Wonderfully written, highly poignant quest-line and first encounter in general. Very captivating I found. Was a key influence upon the direction my Wizard went in the ending.)
Durance (Perhaps under appreciated I feel; but once you dig under the layers, past the fire and brimstone symbolism, you can unearth a very troubled mind which helps to explain his god-bitten histrionics.)
In conclusion, there's still plenty of content for me to easily justify creating another character, as the game is immense and arguably slightly over long. However, I'll probably wait until the part 2 of the White March is out and advise other players to do the same if they're on the fence about having a set of content which is "unfinished" in the story-sense. Still, it's an excellent game that Obsidian is gradually refining. I look forward to hearing more detail on how part two will seal the story of Durgan's Battery very soon. Thanks for reading and feel free to comment/ask questions.
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