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

My thinking is from a design standpoint. Much of the armor in the game requires high strength to use. If your character is a mage, they will be unable to wear much of worth. The DeathKnight however has armor that adjusts per level. By not going mage with your DeathKnight you could be missing out on using some of the more fun/cool items.

Unless of course you aren't going to make a mage with the other character.

For the record I do not know Blackjack, although it appears we are rather near each other in Vegas. I could drive around listening for DeathKnight voices.

I think they shoulda just let the Death Knight have all slots open, games hard enough as it is, no need to restrict the player further...just dont show any graphical changes on him.

Well I guess they are trying to say he's already wearing armour, so the player wonders how he looks inside perhaps. Who knows, although I agree it severely restricts his usage. Perhaps boost his natural AC a little in a patch, because frankly, in Act 1 and 2 he is the main reason for most of my reloads. Ye olde Death Knight of Doom, suckeths.

As for him being a mage... I agree in a sense it can seem like power-gaming. On the other hand, why not roleplay him as 'unusual' in that respect? It could be a reason why Samuel always singles him out, because he's 'different'. Awww lil' Deathy Knighty was bullied <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/puppyeyes.gif" alt="" />

My assumption is that the DK is just an empty animated armor. That's why he hates rats, they actually can get inside him. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/silly.gif" alt="" />

Anyhow, it explains why he will not get rid of his armor: He is his armor.
[/crackpot theory]

I'm not too sure he hates rats because they get inside him, he hates imps too and that'd just be plain wrong if one got inside his armour. It'd be pretty funny, but I really think the doctor in Act 1 is enough <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shhh.gif" alt="" />

On the contrary, the imp inside him would explain the voice. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

We don't know each other, but then again there are over a million people in Vegas, and we don't even know each other's real names. You would have to drive around the extreme south (central, between E and W) end of the valley (but still in Vegas, not Henderson) listening for voices to even have a chance of finding me.

Unless of course you put your real name in your profile...

I just noticed that. A fellow chemist too! Hey dude! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />

Or...why not make this a user option? Or tie it to the game difficulty level: you can select full armor for the Death Knight, if you choose (let's say) either of the two easiest play levels.

Brain freeze. . .yes, actually I did put my real full name in my profile.

Heya Womble! Yes, I am one of the (few) chemists here in Vegas. After the lab I was working for closed, I got a job working for Shaw, an EPA Contractor, basically QA'ing lab data.

Ew! QA work ain't interesting. (I apologise if you like it, but you'd have to be a bit odd to!) I work in a nice research lab. Plenty of that around Boston. Hey, at least your nightlife is better though!
Careful, Dorrito will be after you now! Don't say anything good about <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beyond.gif" alt="" />!

Dorrito, that's a joke..... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

I'm a software tester...of all things!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

Generally not games though <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" /> !

It's really boring at times, and sometimes interesting, just depends on what you're actually testing...mainly I do elearning courseware!

Don't need to a software tester though to spot the issues in BD.

Really enjoying it so far...but the QA on it before release should have been a lot more rigorous!

Personally I'm curious on what Dennis thinks about the bugs in BD?

Good fun game so far. I've only just started really, but I'm enjoying myself immensely <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

The skill system seems to work really well, and my overall impression is very positive.

This is a reply to KIYA on page 2 of this topic, hope she reads this!

My god, who stepped on your toes??? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/silly.gif" alt="" />

BD IS a lot buggier than DD. I'm not talking about the amount of bugs or the amount of patches here, only nerds or fangirls do that...
I played DD from the release and did the same with BD. In BD the bugs are more significant when it comes to gameplay, DD never made me pull my hair out because of a crash or messed up quest! I really am sick paying for games that are not even finished (a very buggy game is not finished!) so I have to stay online for hours (ISDN) to download the unreasonably large patch!

Why not comparing? Larian themselves say this is the SECOND GAME in the DD universe! Of course everybody is gonna compair this. It is not an unique game! In fact all elements of BD and DD can be seen in the first approach of Larian, called LMK! So don't think you're the one who knows it all...that pisses me off!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/memad.gif" alt="" />

Anyway, now for my impression...

DD was one of my all time favorite RPG's (and I played a lot). I liked the open world and non-linear story. I liked the fact that you could gain unlimited amounts of gold. I liked the basic skillsystem and the fact that you where al loner in a big, big world. I also liked the graphics, design and music.

All are gone except the last... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" />

In BD the skill system is bogus. It pretends to be the icing on the cake, but all it does is rearanging skills which are present in any decent RPG. It gives you some freedom, but it is not unique.

I hate the fact that I'm controlling 2 persons in this game. If you want to make a RPG with a party than do something like Baldurs Gate or Icewind Dale. Now I can't connect with my own character because it is so bland. The deathknight is a nice touch, but I feel no sympathy for him either. In this cast 1 + 1 = less than 1.

The interface is beautiful and there is not much I can complain about. Well, there is one thing. Why can't I open TWO potion windows??? Now I have to switch between my character and the Deathknight while I'm fighting like crazy. Is this to justify a pause mode?

The story is very linear. I hope this takes up in act 3 because until now I really can't enjoy the gameworld (which was awesome in DD). Like somebody already said, if you want to cross Diablo 2 with Ultima...DON'T!!!

No restock of cash on the merchant...and this is fun??? My favorite part in any RPG is collecting stuff, selling it for gold, buying better stuff or get filthy rich like Uncle Scrooge. Why the hell can't I do that in BD??? I have to ponce around with all the good stuff because no merchant has any descent amount of gold! I know most countries are in sort of a resession, but this is a game!

OK OK, there are good sides. I love the graphics, as was the case with DD. I love the speech and music. The game keeps me hooked even if I'm getting frustrated now and then, so that means it is not bad. Just flawed...

I give DD: 9/10
I give BD: 6/10 at the end of act 2...hope this improves!

Greetings,
Zed <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/alien.gif" alt="" />

I don't like a number of the changes in BD but generally I would congratulate Larian for taking a different approach and a different view of the Divinity universe. I'm sure many of the things you liked about DD will be back in DD2...but this isn't DD2 and I think that's generally a good thing. It's a pity BD lacks some polish but DD definitely had plenty of "messed-up" quests, so I can't agree that BD is worse from that perspective.

I assume from your comments you're in Act2...at this stage you've probably only encountered hints of the "real" story, so don't worry about that. I see a lot of people quoting the non-linear nature of DD but they somehow forget the opening Act was primarily a thoroughly linear and restrictive dungeon.

Just out of curiosity, how does the IWD party system allow you to "connect" better than BD?

hello zed,

welcome to the forum (though real life interaction is better, yes?) & we appreciate your opinions. however there's no need to be overly aggresive (or maybe i'm aggresively meek? pick one) as kiya is a very very very reasonable person & able to handle intelligent discourse.

well i can see that u like collecting stuff in RPGs, just like a number of other gamers. but not all of them. i don't like carrying stuff unless i need the money the stuff can get me or something. otherwise, i like to use what i already equip myself with.

as for better interaction between the two PCs, i agree that it could be better.

overall, larians are doing great with this game & if not for the incessant rants from fans like u & me, larians will go straight to making DD2 & not BD. BD is made to shut fans like me up. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> guys & gals of larian have worked their butt off to complete this & at the same time doing their best in the upcoming DD2 as well as project X. that'sa lot of work for a relatively small game development company. please appreciate their work before shooting them in the head.

heck, i buy original games like u as well (i'm assuming here) & i know we work hard for our money. but that doesn't mean that money makes us gods.

look, i'm not being condescending here but just be more diplomatic, at least in words & presentation of your opinions. no need to hurt anybody to be heard. we live real lives as well & we have real feelings despite our 'morbid' fascination with forum interaction.

i haven't played BD yet as it's not yet available in my country. but judging from what i've read, it has its flaws. well, let's just be glad that larian listens to its market. it's a sign of a good company. think of two good gaming companies, blizzard and bioware; the reason they're both very successful is they are very much attuned to their own respective gaming communities.

i couldn't say the same for black isle/interplay though, makers (or publishers???) can't recall anymore, of the hugely popular baldur's gate & icewind dale series. i once was an active member of the interplay forums as i was playing icewind dale II then. imho, it was a good game, but it was notoriously difficult, even on easy mode. a lot of the people in the forums complained on a lot of things about IWD2, from the difficulty to the poor pathfinding, to the scenarios where you have no choice but to pray as after the loading screen finishes, your party is thrust into a battle. sort of being force-fed into a lion (think of the early christians in rome).

the worst part was, there were some poster fanboys/fangirls claiming that, no the game is very much beatable/easy. well, yes of course it was easy, if you've been playing the game for the hundredth time! you already know what type of opponent/monster you will come across in the map, you already know what spells you can ready for your sorcerers/wizards, etc. etc. etc. but what about those of us who just played the game for the first time or don't have all the time & patience in the world to load and reload everytime the party dies? so a developer has to make the game as appealing as possible to a wide spectrum of the market, from the newbies to the hardcore gamers, in order to generate more sales. and let's face it, from a practical standpoint, it is sales that will bring profits for a company, and it is profits that will enable the company to produce better games.

what did interplay do despite all the complaints about IWD2? nothing. well, actually they did something:released another sub-par game in lionheart. look at where interplay is now. they couldn't pay rent on their offices, titles have disappeared from their site (goodbye baldur's gate III?), and their stock price has plunged to $0.075. truly sad.

bottomline is, don't neglect the people who complain about so & so flaws in the game. they are the market, anyway. and the companies, not only the gaming ones, who knows and listens to their market well, are often the most successful ones.