ok, what;'s wrong here ...

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AuthorTopic: ok, what;'s wrong here ...
Apprentice
Member # 5732
Profile #0
regarding G3 I have to conclude:

1) it is very uneven in terms of difficulty, or
2) I stink

Created a Guardian. Went around, killed everything in sight, relatively few problems.

Found a hole in the ground around the 3rd or 4th area. Climbed down. Got utterly and completely owned.

Reload, made note to avoid the hole for ten levels or so.

Fpund my way to the Mines. Trucked around, had a fairly easy time of it. Then found northern entrance to training grounds from within the mines. Starting taking the trial from the brain globby thing.

Entered a room with 4 empty pedestals, the door closed, and 4 elemental critters popped up on the pedestal. Each hit took 40-60% of my character's life. Needless to say I did not last long. BTW, my guy's wearing the best armor I could find or buy.

What am I doing wrong? It seems I'm following the natural progession of the game, yet I hit areas that are WAY above my character's current capabilities. I don't like arbitrary death, so unless I'm doing something horribly wrong, this game needs a LOT of work on balance and pacing.

Thanks in advance.
Posts: 8 | Registered: Tuesday, April 19 2005 07:00
Apprentice
Member # 5880
Profile #1
Are you using spells from blessing school of magic?

Are you employing creations?

Are you employing followers?

Are you trying to minimize the amount of enemies you face at a time by hiding in corners?

Are you using pods and potions?
Posts: 17 | Registered: Friday, June 3 2005 07:00
Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
Profile #2
You're not doing anything wrong. There are pockets of extreme difficulty in the game, where you have to either come back later, or unload most of your reserve of good pods and crystals, and use expert tactics in doing so. Holes in the ground almost always lead to areas of greater difficulty.

The second set of tests in the Testing Ground, the ones that improve the bracelet: these are just really hard, and they get steadily worse. The Servant Mind does tell you that you are probably too frail for them; you should listen, and put them off for much later. Getting through all of them is very worthwhile, at least for Shapers, but the rewards for only completing a few stages of the golem trials are probably not great enough to make it worthwhile pushing yourself to beat them at low levels.

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We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty.
Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00
Apprentice
Member # 5732
Profile #3
<<Are you using spells from blessing school of magic?>>
No, I don't think my Fighter has any.

<<Are you employing creations?>>
No, but as a fighter I really doubt one lowly creation will help ...

<<Are you employing followers?>>
No. Where does one get permanent followers? Haven't encountered any and I pretty sure I've been everywhere (to this point).

<<Are you trying to minimize the amount of enemies you face at a time by hiding in corners?>>
Absolutely,a dn it does help. But there are no corners in this particular room.

<<Are you using pods and potions?>>
Yes.
Posts: 8 | Registered: Tuesday, April 19 2005 07:00
Apprentice
Member # 5732
Profile #4
Thanks for the responses.

I think I'll pass on G3. These really difficult areas shouldn't be plunked in the beginner areas of the game. That's just plain bad design, IMHO. Or, it forces the person to buy the hint book/editor just to get through them.

I like a non-linear game as much as the next person, but entering a "dungeon", only to discover it's WAY too hard isn't my idea of fun.
Posts: 8 | Registered: Tuesday, April 19 2005 07:00
Guardian
Member # 2339
Profile #5
quote:
Originally written by rnowalk:

<<Are you employing followers?>>
No. Where does one get permanent followers? Haven't encountered any and I pretty sure I've been everywhere (to this point).

In the upper levels of the shaper school, a guardian named Alwan will join you (it's mostly permanant. He is loyal to the shapers and has a very short temper). In south end, north of where you met Litalia is an agent named Greta who will join you (also permanentely, but she is not very loyal to the shapers, but she does not have a short temper). Even if they die or are dismissed, they will go back to their original location(without losing training or experience). It does not cost essence for them to spend their skill points

Oh, and "lowly creations" can be extremely helpful, especially if you chose the shaper class.

[ Friday, June 03, 2005 07:15: Message edited by: Zephyr Tempest ]

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-Zephyr Tempest, your personal entertainer
Posts: 1779 | Registered: Monday, December 9 2002 08:00
Warrior
Member # 1345
Profile Homepage #6
quote:
Originally written by rnowalk:

Thanks for the responses.

I think I'll pass on G3. These really difficult areas shouldn't be plunked in the beginner areas of the game. That's just plain bad design, IMHO. Or, it forces the person to buy the hint book/editor just to get through them.

I like a non-linear game as much as the next person, but entering a "dungeon", only to discover it's WAY too hard isn't my idea of fun.

(I SPOIL THINGS)
Eh? I think the tutorial section is done well enough, and you can move through the game quick enough that coming back to do dangerous areas isn't really a problem. I would find it mightily odd if the rebels had attacked the island, and not left anything more difficult then a toothbrush behind.

I also think its Jeff's way of spreading the difficulty areas over all the islands, and the thing is you have the power of choice. You don't have to do these amazingly difficult areas the first time you come upon them, there will always be a way around, and usually you will be given a warning of how difficult they will be.

That said, I pretty much couldn't be bothered traveling all the way back to the testing ground even though i was a shaper. I had gone far enough through the game that I didn't think I needed what it was going to give me.

Oh, and as you may have noticed in another topic Alwan sucks as a follower.

My advice, IMHO, the shaper test seems to easier done with creations, so get a couple. and for other difficult areas, use stealth. Often that can let you reach a pedestal for example that makes the area a notch or two easier.

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I may come across sounding more official then I actually am. Or not.
Posts: 87 | Registered: Sunday, June 23 2002 07:00
His Mighty Tentacle
Member # 627
Profile #7
Testing is easy. Just question the mind for answers and then use the tests where leadership and mechanics matter. Presto.

No fuss, no muss.

The Guardian is NOT a good starting class really. You shouldn't quit the game because the Guardian sort of blows chunks.

That said, something must be wrong because I can blow through the first island on Torment with javelins and batons and it's not that difficult really. Just takes tactical application and a little luck.

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If I could make just one wish, I would want a tasty vlish.

Geneforge IV. Still no tasty vlish.
Posts: 1104 | Registered: Tuesday, February 12 2002 08:00
Infiltrator
Member # 2245
Profile Homepage #8
quote:

That said, I pretty much couldn't be bothered traveling all the way back to the testing ground even though i was a shaper. I had gone far enough through the game that I didn't think I needed what it was going to give me

I go back there when I have brought 2 in Artila, Thahd and Heal. I can make strong Thahd Shades (4 points in Create Thahd) when I'm on the second island... w00t!

And fyoras/cyroas rock in this game. On torment, I totally cleaned house with just fyoras on the first island, and a fyora and cryoa on the second island.

[ Friday, June 03, 2005 17:40: Message edited by: Waylander ]

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VIVE LA TAKERS!
VIVE LA REBELLION!
VIVE LA GHALDRING!
Posts: 522 | Registered: Friday, November 15 2002 08:00
Warrior
Member # 1345
Profile Homepage #9
This'll be a spoiler, but what exactly do you get once you complete ALL of the shaper tests in that shaper testing ground (I don't just mean the ones on the left hand side of the map)?

[ Friday, June 03, 2005 17:46: Message edited by: Flake ]

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I may come across sounding more official then I actually am. Or not.
Posts: 87 | Registered: Sunday, June 23 2002 07:00
Warrior
Member # 5731
Profile #10
It is a bit of a spoiler.
You get a nice bracelet (worn on the hands).
Which, going by memory gives you:
+2 battle/ fire/ magic shaping
+1 STR/ DEX/ INT of creations.

It's *very* nice for shapers, decent for guardians, and not awful for an agent who occasionally wants to shape something but doesn't want to bother to spend any points in shaping skills.
Posts: 107 | Registered: Tuesday, April 19 2005 07:00
Warrior
Member # 3241
Profile #11
Even with my oh so annoyingly weak shaper I decided to test, I found no WAY hard areas in the first island, exept the second test. I went to the second island, got to a fight with 6 roamers, got owned more than I was when I fought Warped Spawner with only me and fyora, and decided to NEVER use a shaper again.

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Visit the www.monkkonen.net and if you like, be the member of the forums.
Posts: 76 | Registered: Sunday, July 20 2003 07:00
Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
Profile #12
Roamers are indeed bad, but I don't remember having any particular problems with my Shaper. You will have trouble fighting six at once with a Guardian, too. And the only reason an Agent won't have trouble is Daze.

Did you try Daze with your Shaper?

Did you try to avoid engaging all six at once? It's quite rare that you are really forced to fight so many rogues simultaneously. There is almost always some way of using corners and ranges to fight only a couple at a time.

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We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty.
Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00
Apprentice
Member # 5934
Profile #13
Yes, there is really no reason to face 6 of them simultaneously.
I use some hit and run tactics - sometimes they are just too dumb to move effectively and lose their attacks.

And some additional low level creations like mindless thahds are good enough to serve as alternative targets for the roamers.

@rnowalk:
Dont give up so quickly !!!
Posts: 6 | Registered: Friday, June 10 2005 07:00