Larian Studios Forums Divinity - Original Sin Divinity Original Sin - Help/Tips/Tricks Basic game design errors ...

I am new to RPG and may miss something after 3 playthroughs (only one completed). But there are design flaws regarding traits I fail to understand:

Lockpick - useless. Clobber, burn or find key
Pickpocket - useless. Too much money in the game, stealing too easy
2 handed weapons - useless. The combination of a shield and the (boosted) sword of planets yields so much better and more versatile results
Lucky charm - waste of attribute points. See pickpocket
Conversations without any regard for game progress or acheivements

The game as such is really great and I definitely appreciate the designers effort to make sure major quests can be done multiple ways, very little room for fatal errors. Thatｴs why I donｴt understand.

Regards,
Thorsten

This is not MMO. Not everything is about end game builds.

First, for early game, 2HW rocks, since benefits of higher damage total outweigh any small blocking chance that early shields give.

Also, special attack damage is based on weapon damage, so here 2HW style shines, since those attacks do not cost exta +1ap, like regular attacks.

Now, I do concur, when you get to the late game, that you start to get hard hitters as enemies (death knights, mountain men...), where blocking with shield really shines, and if you can get shield with 80% blocking you are pretty much protected from melee.

But even at that time, 2HW user can be DPS monster, better even then 1HW guy with planet sword. Just make sure to craft your swords with maximum damage, instead using those from loot.


Anyway, there is nothing stopping you to use both combat styles. In early game, focus on 2HW, and when later heavy hitter enemies arrive, switch to 1HW and shields (if you find or enchant shield to have insane blocking), and switch between two styles based on situation. In fact, you could just switch to Tenebrium and use same skill for both.

But if you have 2 warrior team, if would suggest one to focus on 1HW and another on 2HW.
1HW will be tank, and another in DPS role.




It's not all about money. You may get something money can not buy.
Also increases offense rating, so each of point is worth around half of Str/Dex in that regard.



May help in early game, when money actually matters. But sure, getting 5 points in it is waste or skill points.



Kinda agree. If it is 5th or 10th level lock using spells or weapons in enough.
And pretty much all 20th level locks that are almost indestructible have keys or ways to be opened.

It may be useful, if you want to open some chest and steal some stuff while stealthy (to not get noticed). Not sure if there are many places where this can be done.

Been there, done that (CS 5). A 2 handed self crafted sword at character level 17, sharpened, tenebrium and tormented soul added, was only marginally better than sword of planets, boosted the same way. And the margin (out of memory - max. + 20% damage output) is, if speed of character is good, even not high enough to outweigh the third swing of the one hander (at 9 AP per round or at 7 - mid game). If total raw damage output per round is counted, the fact that a two hander costs 4 AP instead of 3 has to be factored in.

I do admit that very, very early a two hander might be preferable. But that covers a very small window between level 4, when you venture out of Cyseal, and level 7/8 when you clear the map east. And I said "might" - even there I prefer the 20 or 25% the shield offers in additional protection. Combine with a good rapier (2 AP per round) or the legendary club that is a guaranteed find (forgot the name).

Regards,
Thorsten

What about crit specialized axes?

But specials still hit harder with 2HW, then 1HW.

In my run, I had both type of warriors and 2HW one did performed better for 1st half of the game.
Then 1HW got closer when planet sword was crafted (2HW still got better DPS on average, but difference was not so great as in early game). And of course in late game shield blocking gets great and heavy hitters come in play.

Regarding heavy hitters, in early game way to many enemies just want to spam special abilities, and there is lack of heavy hitters, so shield bonuses are pretty much underutilized.


EDIT:
One advantage of 4AP attacks vs 3AP attacks is that more damaging 4AP attacks perform better against armored opponents.
As for any waster AP in the round, they can always be spent in next round, so you do not really need "perfect" 9AP for 1HW warriors and 8AP for 2HW.



EDIT2:
Anyway, for my next game, I do plan to utilize hybrid warrior character that would use 2HW more in early game and supplement with shield in later game, based on type of opponents he will be facing.

Wish me luck...

As already mentioned I have 3 playthroughs behind (only 1 completed) and am in the middle of the 4th.

Just from observation - I used Madora in 3 of them and in each new attempt I found myself sliding towards 1H/Shield more and earlier. Now I play 2 wariors, one melee heavy (Cain), the other one a hybrid 1H/Shield/Battlemage.

Given the importance to lower opponent resistances and willpower/body building late game I do not remotely try to maximize damage. I DO maximize crowd control and survivability up to the point that even specialized warriors end up with level 1 or 2 in witchcraft and some of the highly effective spells associated to it (like "Blind").

While my tactical battle skill has not improved, may tactical possibilities due to these developments have. Just as an indication - the whole group of immaculates guarding the path to the trial in Luculla forest got exactly 1 (magical or physical) hit on 1 of my characters. 2 more shield blocked. After the opponents were dead.

Luck is an unnecessary trait for the fight difficulty of DOS ...

Regards,
Thorsten