Larian Studios Forums Beyond Divinity (English) Suggestions My Thoughts about BD so far - Part 2

Simply put, the further I get in this game the more amazing it is. The only game that even compares to Beyond Divinity, IMHO, is Hordes of the Underdark. I'll wager that those are the two games that will compete for RPG of the year, and as good as Hordes of the Underdark is, Beyond Divinity may well take the honors.

Sure, there are some technical problems with the initial release, but I am confident that Larian will fix things up (unlike some other games like Ultima IX and Might & Magic IX which never were fixed).

There are still some things that I really don't like and posted some of them in my last post (Vendor money, Vendor Inventories, Inventory window, etc.). I would like to add a few more, hoping they will be considered for Divine Divinty 2.

1.) There should either be a tutorial or a better explanation of some features in the game, such as Summoning Dolls, Alchemy, Skill tree, etc. Some of the approaches used in this game, even for a long time RPG fan, can be frustrating to understand. For a novice they could be overwhelming.

2.) The Pyramids could have been introduced in Act I, rather than near the end of Act II. There does not really seem to be a reason why they were not introduced earlier.

3.) I know that this is not a Dungeons & Dragons game, but some variation of Bags of Holding, Potion Bags, and Gem Bags would help solve the nearly unmanagable inventory problem in the game. Tomorrow I will have to spend a couple of hours deciding what I can carry to Act III, and what I have to just leave for some hapless Imp to find after I leave.

4.) I still like the skill system from DD much better than the one used in BD. But, I am getting used to it (don't really have a choice <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> )

One of the most cool parts of Beyond Divinity is the frequent use of pieces of Divine Divinity (the summoning quest areas, the Cursed Abbey, the Dragon statue from the final area of DD, etc). I'm just hoping that I can get through the next 2 acts before a patch comes out so I can start a new game.

If you jump to the battlefields and buy a few charms or jewelry, you can keep most of the value of your loot for future trading, rather than leave it behind. That's probably not necessary unless later merchants start carrying more stuff, but I'm obsessive about loot. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

Expensive arrows (explosive, splitting,...) are even better than charms and jewelry: A stack, no matter how big it is (1000+), still weighs 12.

I definitely agree with points 3 and 4.

I do not think the inventory system is horrible but you only have to look at the later Ultima games to see why everyone has moved to more structured inventories (and Ultima even had containers). As long as the number of items in inventory is small, it works but usually by the end of the game, a player's inventory is anything but small.

I also feel the simpler skill system of DD was better. The new skill system allows more customization but it requires to much thought and is too technical for a Diablo-esque CRPG. I would prefer to spend most of my time interacting with the world and not thinking through menus. I will say that I do like the idea of being able to later change skills even if it is at a penalty. It beats having to start over if your character concept is really flawed (something that hurt games like Acheron's Call).

My main problem with the inventory in <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beyond.gif" alt="" /> is clicking on the Armor, Weapons, etc. button on the left side does the exact opposite of what it did in DD. One click should show only the item category I selected, as it was in DD. I shouldn't have to click several times to get a category isolated. I really can't understand the decision to take a step backwards in inventory management.

Raze,

Thanks for the tip. I have been doing this all along and probably have enough ISOS charms to make all my gear durablilty 500/500. Just seems kind of futile to buy stuff that I know I will never use and never be able to cash back in unless I find an item that I might want to buy. It is dishartening to check a vendor's Inventory and find most of the charms are Durablility, Mana, or Intelligence since I am not playing a Mage this time through.

Keep up the good work, your posts are very informative.

wish i have my copy of <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beyond.gif" alt="" /> with me now. mine will come only in june & that's a looong looong time.... . <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/disagree.gif" alt="" />

then & only then will i be able to find out if <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beyond.gif" alt="" /> can outmatch Hordes of the Underdark. not that i'm insinuating that <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beyond.gif" alt="" /> can't hack it, i love HotU only & only because of Deekin (he's such a cute little kobold). the rest is ok. *shrugs*

You and me, both. I worked up quite a nice trading relationship with one of blacksmith's in DD. I suspect he never did find a comparable customer. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> Have you tried the Trading skill in BD, by the way? I was curious how effective a point was, relative to DD.

That is a very nice thing to hear....and Sunday is not coming fast enough! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

No, I haven't. In DD it was nice to have, but ultimately not necessary due to the abundance of gold. So far in BD I have more than enough loot to trade for stuff, and enough gold to pay for skills. Depending on how merchant's inventories may change with any new patches, I think skill points would be better used elsewhere. That may change in act 3/4, though.