STORY / WORLD CYSEAL35) Tutorial Dungeon hurts early-game pacing.Frankly, Cyseal is a bit too boring at the beginning it takes a little too long to get going. In large part, I blame this on the tutorial dungeon. The tutorial dungeon takes a while to do, and the things you get from it are valuable enough to make it impractical to skip. I mentioned this issue back in the beta, but I had forgotten about it until seeing
this post. I had thought maybe it was just me, because I had played the beta so many times.
I think the pacing would have been much better if the tutorial level was entirely optional and separate from the original game, with nothing carrying over to the actual game. (I suggested a Source Hunter Academy training course). That would make it easy to skip on subsequent playthroughs.
This cannot be changed in Original Sin of course, but it is something you should strongly think about for future games. Tutorial levels integrated into the game should be kept short (Farglow), or else they should be kept separate.
STORY / WORLD HIBERHEIM36) Wishing Well puzzle is well done.Not a criticism, a compliment! This is a really well-done puzzle. There are three sub-puzzles. The first is the ridiculously resistant puzzle boss, which can be easily defeated
if you talked to the right person and then killed them for their stuff.
The second is the trap with the floor buttons, which punishes you for activating any of them, but can be defused with high enough perception. The third is the actual puzzle. That's a rather clever one, which requires you to pay attention. The only misstep is that the directions given are reversed. When they say "something triggered to the right" they actually mean "left" and vice versa. More importantly, there are only those two hints, and the game lets you figure it out from there.
STORY / WORLD LUCULLA NORTH37) Cave of Portals puzzle is well done.This one is also pretty good. It does seem to require Pet Pal to solve, but the first hint is so vague that it's almost unhelpful. But I followed the directions even though it seemed like I was just going in circles, and got it on the first try. Very clever and subtle. The only complaint is that the big reward is just one of three low level skillbooks, one of which I already got ages ago.
BALANCE38) IDEA: "Burn My Eyes" High Int bonus.Burn My Eyes should grant an extra point of Perception for every +10% bonus you have in the skill (from high INT).
39) Resurrection Scrolls AP cost slightly too highResurrection scrolls are frustrating. Dead characters do not get XP, so you are encouraged to hold off on killing enemies with a man down. This on its own is fine.
The problem is that Resurrection scrolls both cost 10 AP to cast, AND they only restore a pathetic 20% HP. That combination is annoying because you need to have some party members wait a turn or two to get enough AP, AND they need to delay their turn through an entire round of enemy attacks, AND you need to heal up the wounded member immediately or else they'll just die again. If the situation has deteriorated enough that someone died, delaying a move through an entire enemy turn will likely kill or nearly kill someone else.
Recommendation: It's the high AP cost that is bothering me. Lower the AP cost to 6-8. It's still substantial, and will consume virtually all the AP of a non-Glass Cannon's turn, but it's more reachable.
If you think that would make it too easy for Glass Cannons, then perhaps Glass Cannon needs looking at, if it is so overwhelming and powerful that the game is by default balanced around the assumption that the players have it.
New Talent IdeasBloodlust If you do damage equivalent to 40% of YOUR maximum health in one turn, gain 1-2 recovery AP on your next turn only.
Requires: Man-At-Arms 3
FrenzyUpon getting a kill, your Movement is doubled
for the remainder of your current turn. (If you use the last of your AP to get the kill, ending your turn, this does nothing.)
BreakdancerWhile inflicted with the Downed status, you have a 75% chance to dodge any single-target physical attacks or spells. This does not affect area-effect attacks or spells. (Okay, not a really great talent, I admit, but worth it for the name alone.)
Hypothermic+25% to saving throws versus Burning.
-25% to saving throws versus Frozen.
Hyperthermic+25% to saving throws versus Frozen.
-25% to saving throws versus Burning.
Carrot-eaterIncreases your sight range (and therefore extends your radius of a chance to hit with ranged attacks) by 33%.
Requires: Maybe this optionally requires Expert Marksman 3+?
Herbalist You know how to get the most efficient use out of your ingredients.20 percent chance that plants/fungi will not be consumed when crafting an item.
Drunken Master +15% Damage and +15% Chance to hit for normal attacks made while under the 'Drunk' status. -10% Damage and -10% chance to hit for normal attacks made while NOT drunk.
