Risen The axeman ! - SPOILERS

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Hello all, I just (re)started playing Risen.
I have started the game a few time but never finished, so this time I have a goal in mind.

I want to be the biggest, baddest axe fighter the world of Risen has ever seen.

So I am now in the Don's camp and I have already banished Brogar and gotten to meet the Don. I hope I didn't break the game doing so as I still would to explore all the other areas.

Let me know as I only played for a few hours.

I would appreciate any tips in terms of skills to learn. My goal is to become an axe fighter, so strength is an obvious choice. I would go for a thieving axeman if possible, but I am not too interested in Crafting or Alchemy unless it is really a necessity.
I would like to have the best axe in the game if possible without crafting.

Other than that, I am now tasked to go to the Harbour Town and find his associates for information. I'll probably do that soon, but I ended up playing until 1AM (now) and I need to go to bed as I am waking up at 06.00 :(
 
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I wish I could help you, but it has been such a long time since I've played Risen. All I remember is to avoid the inquisition like the plague.
 
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Hello all, I just (re)started playing Risen.
I have started the game a few time but never finished, so this time I have a goal in mind.

I want to be the biggest, baddest axe fighter the world of Risen has ever seen.

So I am now in the Don's camp and I have already banished Brogar and gotten to meet the Don. I hope I didn't break the game doing so as I still would to explore all the other areas.

Let me know as I only played for a few hours.

I would appreciate any tips in terms of skills to learn. My goal is to become an axe fighter, so strength is an obvious choice. I would go for a thieving axeman if possible, but I am not too interested in Crafting or Alchemy unless it is really a necessity.
I would like to have the best axe in the game if possible without crafting.

Good choice then! Crafting, for the most part, makes excellent swords. Axes can generally be bought from the smith in the swamp. Also, all the trainers you need are there, so joining the bandits is a good call. As for abilities: Strength and axe. I'd also get some thief stuff, as you'll have plenty of points if you don't go for any kind of magic or ranged combat (and there's no need to as an axe fighter).

There are also a few rings of +axe, which are well worth it. You should have found one already, make sure to keep it for later use. There's no need to actually train axe beyond rank 6 or so. Put the rest in strength and a few thieving abilities in my opinion.
 
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Good choice then! Crafting, for the most part, makes excellent swords. Axes can generally be bought from the smith in the swamp. Also, all the trainers you need are there, so joining the bandits is a good call. As for abilities: Strength and axe. I'd also get some thief stuff, as you'll have plenty of points if you don't go for any kind of magic or ranged combat (and there's no need to as an axe fighter).

There are also a few rings of +axe, which are well worth it. You should have found one already, make sure to keep it for later use. There's no need to actually train axe beyond rank 6 or so. Put the rest in strength and a few thieving abilities in my opinion.

So I am now in Harbour Town. I have 2 ranks in pickpockets and open locks as well as sneak. I have 30 STR and 2 ranks in Axe at the moment. I also have 20 LPs left and enough gold.

It seems like having a shield and sword still seems more powerful than the axes at the moment as it allows me to survive longer. I am assuming axes will be more powerful once I put a bit more points into it.

I did find the +1 AXE ring and +1 to Acrobatics too. So I'm at rank 3 Axe.



In terms of story, I am almost done with everything at the Swamp camp where I already saw Esteban and got rid of Brogar. I really didn't like the a**.

In Harbour town I have completed multiple quests and "can" complete a few more.
I just want to have a relatively untouched save from here (or neat here) in case I want to join the mages or inquisition in a future playthrough. So I will keep them as unsolved until a bit later.

I find the Don's men like more regular people trying to survive, which is probably why I associate myself more with them than the Inquisition.

In terms of game, it does feel a lot like Gothic. Lots of hand-placed loot. Choices to be made in terms of quests, including some branching. I am enjoying it.

Any ideas where to learn Pickpocketing rank 3 and Open Locks rank 3 ?
 
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Any ideas where to learn Pickpocketing rank 3 and Open Locks rank 3 ?

Later on from certain thieves if you fully join the Don.

As for axe vs sword. I won't spoil anything, but I strongly suggest getting a few more ranks of axe. It'll quickly surpass swords. Rank 5 + a ring of axe should suffice I think. Also, take off the ring when you learn new ranks, or you'll be paying for the fully boosted rank, not the one your character is actually at.
 
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Later on from certain thieves if you fully join the Don.

As for axe vs sword. I won't spoil anything, but I strongly suggest getting a few more ranks of axe. It'll quickly surpass swords. Rank 5 + a ring of axe should suffice I think. Also, take off the ring when you learn new ranks, or you'll be paying for the fully boosted rank, not the one your character is actually at.

Thank you Maylander.

About taking off rings. Yeah I noticed that. I would have thought the game developers would have done that better. It's a bit like exploiting learning skills in Gothic 2 where you can pay less LPs by training to 19 points first and then another 5, rather than going from 20 to 25.
 
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Thank you Maylander.

About taking off rings. Yeah I noticed that. I would have thought the game developers would have done that better. It's a bit like exploiting learning skills in Gothic 2 where you can pay less LPs by training to 19 points first and then another 5, rather than going from 20 to 25.

You're welcome!

Well, that one is a bit worse, in that it's almost an exploit (which I admit I use from time to time). This is simply something to keep in mind or you'll pay a bit much for your skills. It doesn't really affect anything beyond that.

That being said, a similar issue does exist in Gothic 2: NotR as well. For example, Master Sword will give +10% 1h weapon skill. If you equip it with 20% skill, you'll obviously get 30%, which is enough to be an "Expert", granting a new combo and so on. All that is working as intended, but it also means trainers that are capped at 30% won't teach you, even if your actual skill is 20%, so you need to remove the sword first. Similar issue as Risen.
 
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It seems like having a shield and sword still seems more powerful than the axes at the moment as it allows me to survive longer. I am assuming axes will be more powerful once I put a bit more points into it.

Can you still use a shield when using an axe? I've never tried axes in Risen, but now I'm thinking I might follow that route the next time I play. :)
 
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Don't axe me, I only played Risen 3 :biggrin:
 
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Can you still use a shield when using an axe? I've never tried axes in Risen, but now I'm thinking I might follow that route the next time I play. :)

Yes, at rank 6 you get the ability to use full sized axes in one hand and shields in the other. It works very well I might add. The biggest swords have a similar ability, but only at rank 9 or some such thing, which takes a while to get.
 
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Can you still use a shield when using an axe? I've never tried axes in Risen, but now I'm thinking I might follow that route the next time I play. :)

Yes, at rank 6 you get the ability to use full sized axes in one hand and shields in the other. It works very well I might add. The biggest swords have a similar ability, but only at rank 9 or some such thing, which takes a while to get.

It seems Maylander answers your question...

I believe I have now gone through all of Harbour Town's quests.
I am wondering if I should explore the island some more before joining a faction. Any clues?

I cheated a bit by finding the key to the door leading outside through a guide, so I can now enter/leave the Harbour as I wish. Note that I hate missing out on hidden rooms and such because I refuse to go around every painting in every house to find the hidden switch. I find that an archaic form of puzzles that worked when you had only corridors you could follow and clicking on every tile made some sense as you were graphing it out. Nowadays, the games (especially like Gothic/Risen) are too open to do these kinds of "puzzles". So I don't feel guilty looking these things up.

Other than that, the game is still quite fun and if not for having to wake up at 05.00 this morning, I would have played several more hours.

I really like the faction system PB made/makes. It makes it very interesting. At first I was convinced I wanted to be an axeman for the Don, but the Inquisition is drawing me in with their mysteriousness... :D

I will make a save soon to keep these choices available for potential future playthroughs.
Anyone know if replaying is worth it ? Are there major differences ? (i.e. Gothic 1 ends up being very linear)

So basically, a few questions:

- Is it worth going out and exploring before finishing Harbour Town quests ?
- Are the following chapters very linear like Gothic 1 or are the experiences quite different for the different factions ?

Thank you all. Especially the nut :p
 
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- Is it worth going out and exploring before finishing Harbour Town quests ?
No harm in it, though it doesn't make much difference unless you intend to make a save before joining a faction and reloading from it. If you do, then obviously the stuff you clear now won't have to be re-cleared. As with most PB games, new chapters also mean better gear at vendors, so you won't get access to top notch axes until you progress a bit.
- Are the following chapters very linear like Gothic 1 or are the experiences quite different for the different factions ?
It's more varied than Gothic, but still ends up being rather similar. It might be worth doing a second playthrough, but I'd recommend going the opposite direction to get the most differences:
1. Start out in the Don's camp and essentially repeat what you just did. Get some early strength and such.
2. Go to Harbor Town, but resolve the quests in favor of the Inquisition instead of the Don.
3. This will grant you a pass to the Monastery, with which you can choose to become a Mage. There is no way to become a Mage without this pass. With the pass, you can choose between the two fighting styles of the Monastery; without it, you'll be limited to melee (with some crystal magic).
4. Become a Mage and focus on crystal magic + a few spells here and there. Some people prefer the bullets for their speed; I prefer fire for the AoE it grants at higher ranks. Ice is somewhat overrated.

The reason I'd do this is because I don't think the game is different enough to warrant starting over unless you're also going to change the style of combat. There are a few different quests and such, and the initiation quest of the Monastery is generally worth it, but halfway through the game you'll still be whacking away at the same enemies.
 
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No harm in it, though it doesn't make much difference unless you intend to make a save before joining a faction and reloading from it. If you do, then obviously the stuff you clear now won't have to be re-cleared. As with most PB games, new chapters also mean better gear at vendors, so you won't get access to top notch axes until you progress a bit.

It's more varied than Gothic, but still ends up being rather similar. It might be worth doing a second playthrough, but I'd recommend going the opposite direction to get the most differences:
1. Start out in the Don's camp and essentially repeat what you just did. Get some early strength and such.
2. Go to Harbor Town, but resolve the quests in favor of the Inquisition instead of the Don.
3. This will grant you a pass to the Monastery, with which you can choose to become a Mage. There is no way to become a Mage without this pass. With the pass, you can choose between the two fighting styles of the Monastery; without it, you'll be limited to melee (with some crystal magic).
4. Become a Mage and focus on crystal magic + a few spells here and there. Some people prefer the bullets for their speed; I prefer fire for the AoE it grants at higher ranks. Ice is somewhat overrated.

The reason I'd do this is because I don't think the game is different enough to warrant starting over unless you're also going to change the style of combat. There are a few different quests and such, and the initiation quest of the Monastery is generally worth it, but halfway through the game you'll still be whacking away at the same enemies.

Thanks :)

As a mage, I guess you'd go more with Alchemy and Magic, rather than Thieving skills. So maybe it would warrant a new playthrough rather than saving the current one as a hotsave.
 
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Thanks :)

As a mage, I guess you'd go more with Alchemy and Magic, rather than Thieving skills. So maybe it would warrant a new playthrough rather than saving the current one as a hotsave.

I tend to get them all regardless. The overall points cost isn't that high, and they're needed to get the best stuff:
- Alchemy for permanent stat boosts (if I recall correctly, you can increase your strength by about 100 using ogre root + hero crown potions).
- Jewelcrafting creates the best rings and amulets.
- Thieving is needed to open chests that contain top notch items. I guess you can skip pickpocket, though it does pay for itself. Also, as a Mage you get a spell that can unlock chests, but it's gained a bit too late in my opinion.
 
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Are there enough skill points for all that ??

Alchemy and Smithing are only 15 points each to max, so 30 in total. That's 3 levels, and you potentially get +100 strength and some fantastic items in return. That's if you manage to collect all the hero crowns and ogre roots in the game (20x I think).

The thieving skills may not give an obvious boost in the same way, but they're also only about 3 levels in total (I tend to avoid sneaking and acrobatics, and just use rings when I need it).

That still leaves you with about 300 points, so yes, I feel it's worth it. However, I don't bother with either Smithing or Alchemy until I've got all my main skills, so in your case I'd beef up my axe skill to 5-6 and strength probably all the way to 100, and then boost it from there with Alchemy. Or some such thing.
 
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Alchemy and Smithing are only 15 points each to max, so 30 in total. That's 3 levels, and you potentially get +100 strength and some fantastic items in return. That's if you manage to collect all the hero crowns and ogre roots in the game (20x I think).

The thieving skills may not give an obvious boost in the same way, but they're also only about 3 levels in total (I tend to avoid sneaking and acrobatics, and just use rings when I need it).

That still leaves you with about 300 points, so yes, I feel it's worth it. However, I don't bother with either Smithing or Alchemy until I've got all my main skills, so in your case I'd beef up my axe skill to 5-6 and strength probably all the way to 100, and then boost it from there with Alchemy. Or some such thing.

Ah ok, since I have already put some points in Thieving skills I'll focus on Axe and strength now. Would you focus on STR first or Axe ? Or mix it up ?
I am not sure what bonuses Axe gives other than better/faster moves.
 
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Ah ok, since I have already put some points in Thieving skills I'll focus on Axe and strength now. Would you focus on STR first or Axe ? Or mix it up ?
I am not sure what bonuses Axe gives other than better/faster moves.

Getting rank 6 in total (5 + 1 due to the ring or 4 + 2 if you can find the second ring) is rather important, but then again.. no Strength means you won't be able to damage anything, no matter how high your axe rank is. It's a balancing act really, until you get that rank, at which point I'd go all out Strength until it was maxed (maybe add in the remaining thief skills when they're available).

Also, if you're struggling against certain enemies, using power attack will solve most fights: Open with a power attack, jump back twice, another power attack when they get close, etc. Works wonders.
 
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Getting rank 6 in total (5 + 1 due to the ring or 4 + 2 if you can find the second ring) is rather important, but then again.. no Strength means you won't be able to damage anything, no matter how high your axe rank is. It's a balancing act really, until you get that rank, at which point I'd go all out Strength until it was maxed (maybe add in the remaining thief skills when they're available).

Also, if you're struggling against certain enemies, using power attack will solve most fights: Open with a power attack, jump back twice, another power attack when they get close, etc. Works wonders.

Thanks Maylander for all your advice.
I have completed all the Harbour Town quests now and will be going back to the Don.
I did get Open Lock and Pickpocketing 3 though. I enjoy the Thieving skills quite a lot. Probably should have become a thief in real life :D

I also increased my Strength to 45 and my axe skill to 4. Once I get to the camp, I will probably buy the best axe I can use and practice with that :)

I find one quest a bit too bad for the Don's men (e.g. the cow). I still did it, because it reminded me of that Godfather scene :D But it's not the thieving route I was expecting. In my opinion those are "evil" acts they should add to games. Instead of "I'm going to murder everyone!!!!!" or "Give me all your gold".

Other than that, the game is still quite fun. I had never reached this point before due to too many distractions. I think I am enjoying playing one game at a time again better than everything at once.
 
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Thanks Maylander for all your advice.
I have completed all the Harbour Town quests now and will be going back to the Don.
I did get Open Lock and Pickpocketing 3 though. I enjoy the Thieving skills quite a lot. Probably should have become a thief in real life :D

I also increased my Strength to 45 and my axe skill to 4. Once I get to the camp, I will probably buy the best axe I can use and practice with that :)

I find one quest a bit too bad for the Don's men (e.g. the cow). I still did it, because it reminded me of that Godfather scene :D But it's not the thieving route I was expecting. In my opinion those are "evil" acts they should add to games. Instead of "I'm going to murder everyone!!!!!" or "Give me all your gold".

Other than that, the game is still quite fun. I had never reached this point before due to too many distractions. I think I am enjoying playing one game at a time again better than everything at once.

No problem!

As for the thieving thing: I agree, it's well done. I like it. I even think the lockpicking thing is acceptable, which I usually only find frustrating in games.

I also have to admit I usually don't do the cow quest, even when I join the Don. You can do a few quests for the Inquisition and still pass the overall quest for the Don, which is nice, as I just don't feel like killing that poor cow..
 
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