DOS2 combat was also all about the high round. They even added more range and damage to attacks if you attacked from high ground.
Add to that, there were a number of instant mobility spells that got you to an advantageous position immediately for efficient AP and allowed you to still do 1-3 more actions that turn. The combat was also all about whoever takes the high ground wins.
The most difficult encounters (done with no sneak cheese, no pre-buffing, no pre-positioning, no metagaming), obviously, were ones where the entire enemy contingent started out on high ground and had a strong AoE opener.
Larian's combat design hasn't evolved from this and their terrain/map creation is predicated all on verticality. Every combat it's places to take a ridiculous high ground position and humans are smarter than AI; we will get to these positions and exploit them better.
There really isn't any truly just flatland or moderate small raised surface. Even in the Owlbear Cave, they put different positions to get the high ground.
It's just not likely or realistic that every single encounter you play will have somewhere you can jump/leap/climb to.
Last edited by gaymer; 01/06/23 08:10 AM.
