Well, the title is self explanatory and while I know there have been fragments of discussions about this, I do think it's relevant enough to deserve an entirely dedicated thread.
I would also beg people to stick to proper arguments and spare everyone unnecessary whine or "doom & gloom".
In this thread we don't bitch, we [try to] convince the developers we have a strong case for it and the downsides aren't as bad as they are making them.
So. I've been playing Pathfinder: Kingmaker for the last week or so. I've owned P:K since release, I tried to get into it multiple times. it never clicked with me.
What changed recently? That I've been trying the wonderful mod to implement a turn-based mode.
And this got me thinking... To be honest at this point in time I was basically resigned to Larian's rationalization that they are doing 4 slots for "reasons" (namely, it's easier for multiplayer co-op, etc). but the more I'm playing PK, the more I realize:
- that even with some of their most "busy" and questionably designed areas (I'm looking at you, underground level filled with centipedes every two meters) I've been enjoying the general flow of playing with a party of six a lot.
- that six slots already feels almost a restriction with all the companions you are forced to cut out of the party (by the way I love how PK keeps all of them useful/relevant to an extent even when not in your party during battles).
- that with a four men party once you assign each one of the typical party role (warrior/tank, healer, damage-oriented caster, rogue you are already OUT OF ROOM to be creative with your team composition.
Now, the counter points usually are "But Larian is focusing on a multiplayer mode with four players, six slot won't fly with them".
Well, here's a thing: I don't think their design goals for a 4 players multi are necessarily at odds with leaving six slots for single. How?
- Some EXP rebalance for a FOUR (or hell, even TWO) players mode could solve a lot without even needing to scale/redesign the single encounters.
- They have already in place a mode to let players control more than one character, anyway.
- IF they could also give up on (or make optional) that awkward and ineffective "chain/unchain autofollow system" in favor of a more traditional "click and drag system" (as used in BG1 , 2, IWD 1 and 2, PoE 1 and 2, Kingmaker, etc) they would immediately make EASIER to control a large group.
To elaborate on the last point, let's look closely to what we are talking about.
To move six different characters in six different spots in these games I need to:
1) click on each character
2) click where I want it to go. DONE.
3) To go back to full party? One click and drag or one Hotkey press will make me select all of them again and the party is reunited. BAM. DONE. AGAIN.
- Now, to achieve the same result (in solo) in D:OS 1 and 2 I need to:
1) Select any character I want to move.
2) Drag each character's portrait with a swipe horzantal movement to "unchain" them so they can stop moving automatically following each other.
3) click where I want that character to go.
4) Repeat this process for each one. By the end of the third unchaining and fourth click I'll be finally done with the fine positioning.
5) ....now to move them back I have to still select each one, drag their portrait again over one other, if I want them to follow.
6) God forbid they may be too distant for this to work at first try, so I'll have to manually move them closer to each other.
...Yeah, no wonder managing a six slot party may look almost daunting under these conditions.
So Larian, please, stop creating the very problems you are then struggling to solve (like with your loot/ steep progression system in the past).
Keep the chaining thing for console/controllers where it may work to some extent. STILL, maybe adding a single HOTKEY that can toggle the chain(unchain for the entire party on a single button.
Last edited by Tuco; 13/03/20 12:30 AM.
