Larian Studios Forums Beyond Divinity (English) General Please post impressions.

I'm a little underwhelmed by the skill system also, it's not so much complicated as convoluted. Each skill tree unfolds like a road map and there seem to be miniscule distinctions between a lot of them. I just want a fire spell, not have to decide if it's "focussed" or "instant". And if my fighter chooses "One handed, one eyed, two fisted, no shielded, slashing with a double edged dagger" skill and then finds a better weapon later that doesn't fall into this category, sure I can unlearn the skill, but that costs money, and soon we have no money, and neither do the merchants anymore. We're all poor!

Battlefields are an interesting concept, and the game is designed so you pretty much have to go there if you want to progress in the main game. But this travelling to an alternate universe kind of takes away from the immersion factor. Am I going on some kind of killing/questing vacation? How about I just set up house in the battlefield and just forget about getting out of Samuel's dungeon? I kind of like that idea..

I was seriously considering buying <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beyond.gif" alt="" /> until my friend allowed me to try it out for a day.

I made it just past the first act, deleted the game from my hard drive, and gave the cd's back to my friend.

I will not bash the game, though I will say that it is not for me.

I enjoy tactical combat (read: "combat that emphasizes tactics and grants a multitude of options to prevail") and love to be intellectually challenged by a game. Having said that, some of the design decisions of <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beyond.gif" alt="" /> truely left alot to be desired from the combat. The game itself is highly level based (not unique among action RPG's) insomuch as you can devestate hoards of level 2 skeletons at level 5; however, try to fight a level 6 or 7 monster at level 5, and you will see the gameover screen VERY quickly.

Unfortunately, the skill system does not facillitate a multitude of options and ultimately pigeon-holes the player into certain skill paths. Sure, there are many options, however, you will realistically invest in a specific combat skill and pray that your enemies will lack the resistances to said skill.

The different levels of gameplay: tactical, action and hardcore are all misnomers. Tactical combat is VERY challenging and has a very very small learning curve; this game mode comes with the assumption that you will hit the magic "quickload" key multiple times as an enemy's luck can kill you instantly. Action combat is hard enough to facillitate the regular use of the pause key... making it much more like an "easier" tactical mode. Hardcore... well... if you are immensely masochistic, you would enjoy this mode.

I have played the original <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/div.gif" alt="" /> and found the inventory system to be average/good; <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beyond.gif" alt="" /> 's inventory system is clearly a regression from <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/div.gif" alt="" /> 's. This is all due to the previous posters' comments, so I will not reitterate them.

In closing, I feel that <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beyond.gif" alt="" /> has potential, however, two things will have to occur for me to grant the game a 7/10 or an 8/10:

1) free up more skill paths in the beginning of the game, and devise a way to allow melee characters to transfer some of their damage from certain melee skills onto other melee weapons. Being pidgeon-holed into "crushing" weapons after getting an awesome axe is very frusterating; perhaps if the damage points from the "crushing" skill could transfer over to the axe albeit in a reduced ammount? It would produce a range of weapons that the melee character can use and would ammount to a greater choice. Do I go with my invested weapon or a different type of weapon with lesser damage (granted by my already invested skill points)?

2. balance the game for its difficulty. I enjoy a challenge; however, <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beyond.gif" alt="" /> in its current state is more frusterating and monotonous than fun.

What exactly is the difference between L1 and L2 BG? They look the same to me.

Totally true, it seems to me like basically they made all the skills too specific. This means you're almost guaranteed to have to change your skills later on in the game. Thus, it seems like the "unlearn" ability was hacked in. It really makes no sense and there's no storyline justification for it. It's just like "well, let me forget how to do this stuff, and free up some brain space....done. oh my, why does my purse suddenly feel lighter too?"



Totally true again, they are an interesting concept, but they feel like they were just totally hacked in. The storyline justification again is lacking. Basically, you find a key, and you "use" it (touch it? I don't know), and then suddenly you have the ability to teleport to some alternate world on demand, where merchants conveniently live, and there are monsters hanging around waiting for you to come by and kill them? Er, ok.

There is no thinking involved in the skill system. You are pretty much forced to start out with one-handed combat and choose slashing/or something. If you ever want to do anything different, you have to do the ridiculous and unlearn it so you can go another route.

Hopfully the fact that combat is now more difficult will have addressed this, but I feel it was essential that FAR MORE experience was awarded for completing quests.

Depends on how you define "thinking". I didn't go for 1-hand, left my DK without combat skills until I got the 2-hand option. There is a German phrase/pun I can't translate very well, because of language differences but I'll try => decisions are a form of modesty.(entscheiden ist sich bescheiden)
I took a close look at all skills before I started the game, studied them and then made my decisions - to concentrate on a few. And then re-think and unlearn, if I made an error in my decision - and take the consequence by paying for it. It's not the game, it's me, the gamer. The game offers me several choices - I choose.

I tell you what I think is silly, Dorito => being judgemental. You don't like the skill system => granted. But this does not mean this system is ridiculous - or lame to unlearn - you simply don't like it - that's all.
Kiya

Depends on how you define "thinking". I didn't go for 1-hand, left my DK without combat skills until I got the 2-hand option. There is a German phrase/pun I can't translate very well, because of language differences but I'll try => decisions are a form of modesty.(entscheiden ist sich bescheiden)
I took a close look at all skills before I started the game, studied them and then made my decisions - to concentrate on a few. And then re-think and unlearn, if I made an error in my decision - and take the consequence by paying for it. It's not the game, it's me, the gamer. The game offers me several choices - I choose.

Yeah, I did the same thing, I saved up all my skill points until I was able to buy the "with shield" combat style, then I spent them all on with shield/slashing. However, it looks like that was probably silly. The cost to unlearn is pretty low and the early playing would have went much smoother for me if I'd just went one-handed slashing then unlearned it once I got the shield style.

Yeah I've already found some cool one-handed "shadow" type weapons and considered unlearning slashing and putting it all into shadow, but that's dangerous, or at least looks like it from where I stand now, because the gold supply in the game is so limited. I have tons of value (mostly in arrows and charms, which I am using as sort of a pseudo-money), but if I run out of gold it seems I'm stuck as far as training or unlearning.

Another thing I don't get is this whole "shadow" and "bone" damage type, I have a shadow axe. Why does it take a totally different skill to use a shadow axe, than it would a normal axe? Just because it does shadow damage instead of slashing damage? Isn't an axe still used the same way? Like, with a normal axe, you swing it. With a shadow axe, do you do something else, like maybe hold it above your head, twirling it, while evil shadows emerge to smite your foes?

If you really mean level 1 and level 2 (and not Act I/Act II), the difference is that once you acquire the level 2 key, the second dungeon is unlocked. Prior to that, it's a locked door (or trapdoor/portal/whatever).

@DoritoOfDeath: Well if you hate the game that much why don't you return it to the store. Oww yes you won the game in the imprunner contest a bit difficult to return it then.

Larian could have put out a steaming pile of dog doodoo and you would defend it to the death.