Reeling doesn't begin to compare to a +1 armor. It's a conditional property that doesn't even do anything unless you've been hit first, and even then only lasts for a brief time. +1 is always on. Reeling is also counterintuitive on an armor. The purpose of wearing armor is to make you not get hit in the first place. The better the armor, the worse Reeling becomes on it. Sure, it's a bonus, but the mechanics are at odds with each other.
It makes more sense on a Shield where it triggers on a miss, i.e. block. But then again it perfectly highlights how BG3 only animates dodges in combat. Dodge > Reeling.. what?
The way the Adamantine Forge is set up as something exceptionally amazing, it sure doesn't deliver. There's a recurring feeling in BG3 that there's a complete disconnect between the story and the gameplay. "Legendary heroes", "all-powerful Wizards" and "infernal commanders of Hell" are level 1. The legendary Adamantine Forge of the Underdark that Drow die for produces weapons and armor that can't match what the refugee Tiefling smith had to offer.
BG3 wants so hard to be epic.
Even at low levels and the low level mechanics can't match that. I wish Larian could show some restraint and leave room for things to grow dynamically. Compare to BG1 where you go to Nashkel mines where you have a mundane iron crisis to investigate. Low level content for low level characters. You don't find some legendary forge in the Underdark after already encountering Mind Flayers, Devils, Hags, Spectators, Drow, Bulette, Minotaurs, Githyanki and Dragons. And that's why the Forge also feels disappointing. They could have saved it for level 7-8 with some really amazing weapons and armor for those levels. But I guess at level 7 we will be teleporting between planes and meeting gods, then.
They will eventually balance the equipment so that the adamantine gear will be at the top when you discover it. But that doesn't really shake the feeling of fake epicness.
Last edited by 1varangian; 05/11/21 08:11 PM.
