Larian Studios Forums Beyond Divinity (English) General Bought BD today

The reason I bought BD was simply because DD was abosolutely stunning.

I've played for the last several hours straight (12pm to 9:40pm) and I'm getting close to the end of Act 1.

I like the way the game is difficult though I was hoping "very easy" would be a bit more easier.

The game is a dungeon crawler or at least up to where I am now (Pentagram with stone in middle + 6 switches). Why?

What's up with StarForce? This gave me a headache. I spent an hour trying to get the game to work. I was obviously successful. Though it sure as hell caused me a headache. StarForce is overzealous "copy protection". Again I reiterate, why?

I was reading some walkthroughs and and the pics of the world map in later acts, where the the lushes trees, forests and water?
The only place they exist are in the battlefields which are nothing but hack and slash. Not too bad but I prefer having a nice outdoor environment during the game as well.

The game's combat is very well thought out, as are the skills and the skill system.

I do pray that the hack and slash is decreased as I play the game. One of the most annoying points of the game is the starting dungeons.

I apologise if I sound too critical of the game, it's just that I expected the game to be a bit more role playing like DD. I don't believe we need more Diablo clones.
Other than the points I brought up the game has been very fun.

Kruno




No you are not too negative !
Beyond Divinity is an excellent game but it is not 100% perfect !

The first act is the less interesting because it's pretty linear but the second act is very good and the two last acts are excellent.
There are a lot of quests in these three acts and the game is more role playing like Divine Divinity.

I agree with you there is too much hack & slash in the battlefields and i did not enjoy them very much.
So i played the game without going into the battlefields.
Anyway it's possible to play the battlefields after the end of the game.

If you think that the game is too easy you can play the hardcore mode which is nicely difficult.

Many gamers think that Starforce is annoying but it is needed.
Pirat copies kill the game and the game companies need to be protected.

Have fun with the game.

Barta

"Many gamers think that Starforce is annoying but it is needed.
Pirat copies kill the game and the game companies need to be protected."

Nah, they could go with activation and just kill the CD checks all together.
I love activation.
Hell, HL2's activation was really well done.

Thanks for the reassurance that the game is more role playing.
These days there are too many Diablo clones and there a very few games which are role playing.
I don't believe that adding a leveling system with health and mana bars make the game an RPG.

I believe character interaction, open ended game with lots of real world problems like puzzles, clear cut assassinations and such make the game an RPG (IE: Baldur's Gate).

It's refreshing to see games like BG, BG2, Arcanum, DD and BD taking the initiative to bring RPGs back to their roots.

- The game is a dungeon crawl at this point, because your characters need to break free. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

- The amount of hack /slash (H/S) combat is so-so. I mean, it sometimes gets towards a lower level (amount of enemies), on other parts it's even higher (especially the battlefields).

So it's around this level now, I guess.

- No apologies needed ! As long as your criticism isn't formulated by using too cynical or ironical words it's always welcome !

I dont think too many of us (even the absolutely addicted to it)liked the start... once you are out of the prison, it gets much better.

I agree on you about the lack of green forests and lush surroundings.... if i need to emigrate, nemises wont be on my list of places to go... As it is i am living in a green country.... grey places will drive me utterly insane <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Act 1 starts to be less hack and slash just past the point you mentioned, as long as you take the DK's advice when you enter the citadel.

Acts 2 and 3 are outdoors, with a variety of environments. Act 4 is in the academy where you learn riftrunning.

Funny thing with me is I like the balance of Hack-n-Slash and Role Playing in BD.

I like Hack-n-Slash, but not all the way through a game, and BD has done it perfect in my book.
Because like others have already mentioned the Hack-n-Slash lets up after a point.

Thank you Larian <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />


Fafnir <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I can echo fafnir in that compliment <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" />

I liked the Balance in <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/div.gif" alt="" /> a bit more; for my own taste, <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beyond.gif" alt="" /> has a bit too much combat.

(Apart from my old suggestion [of course never implemented <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> ] that I want an RPG to be solvable through talking alone. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> I know of some games which have it [Arcanum, for example, but only if you put enough points into charisma, I guess] , but not much. To me, role play doesn't consist of only fighting. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> )

Without the battlefields the balance between fights and quests is good in Beyond Divinity.
It is the battlefields which make the game unbalanced.

Barta

I found I needed and had to have those Battlefields. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/puppyeyes.gif" alt="" />
Otherwise I have no idea how I would have got strong enough to beat those <span class='standouttext'>Spoiler : </span><span class='spoiler'> Ghosts </span>in ACT I. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" />


Kyra_Ny <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" />

I found out that no matter how good your stats are, you will never get anywhere without good equipment.

Arcanum is the most ballanced game I've ever played whenit comes to combat/roleplaying. But then again, ALL my charracters ended up haveing 20 charisma and 5 points in persuade (master of chorse). So there was not too much fighting, but when you felt for fighting you just had to go to one of the dungeons (there was several dungeons, even though they all didn't look like dungeons, the maze outside of... what's its name again? Down in the southeast corner of the isleand at least).

Which you can acquire in the Battle Fields. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/evilgrin1.gif" alt="" />


Fafnir <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

I actually like those Battlefierlds, which are bound to the rest of the game by some certain tasks. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> (Trying to write without spoilers <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> )

@ Fafnir
I don't agree with you. I did not play the battlefields. However i had an excellent equipment.


@ Kruno
I also don't agree with you. A good equipment is important but the stats are important too.
For exemple at the beginning of the game, the life points are very important, more than strength or intelligence.
If your life is not good enough, you are killed before fighting.



@ Kyra Ny
<span class='standouttext'>Spoiler : </span><span class='spoiler'>The ghosts at the beginning of act 1 are very difficult to beat.
As i played hardcore i had two ghosts in each cell.
Playing the demo of the game, i understood that it is possible to come back in the prison later in act 1.
So i killed the ghosts just before to finish act 1. I was strong enough and i had a good equipment </span>

Barta

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/evilgrin1.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/evilgrin1.gif" alt="" />

I has having a bit of Dry Humor there Barta. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

But the Battlefields are still way cool. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devil.gif" alt="" />

Again, I'm playing. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />


Fafnir <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Sorry i did not see that it was second degree.
I think that this thread is very interesting because it is the first time since a long period that the people discuss about Beyond Divinity without saying "I like/I hate" and without insulting each other.

Barta

I realize the Battlefields were pure Hack-n-Slash, but I like Hack-n-Slash.
No I don’t like it throughout the whole game, but I found it to be a breath of fresh air in the fact that I could choose when I wanted to just hack away at enemies instead of having hordes of them poured onto me at any given moment or time.
I really like the storyline to BD as well and its flow was wonderful without having to go through the Battlefields.
What made me happy was the fact that Larian gave me the player more choices as to what I wanted in a game, both Hack-n-Slash and a Great Story.
I am very happy with BD and I’m really looking forward to DD2.
That is a small glimpse into why I consider the balance of BD so well done.


Fafnir <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Oh, thank you for the tip Barta! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" />


Kyra_Ny <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" />