Larian Studios Forums Beyond Divinity (English) Help/Tips/Tricks Getting frustrated.

OK. First timer---I did not play DD. I began the game with me being a Wizard and the DK a warrior. I still pretty early in the game. We are level 4 or so.
Problem is, I cannot complete even some simple things. It's getting me frustrated.
1-Can't find the bone tooth or whatever the Imp wants.
2-On that same level, I can't open the door in lower SE corner.
3-My wizard can't cast more than 1 or 2 spells before he runs out of mana.
This is frustrating since I put 4/5 points into Intelligance with each level up. I assume Intelli helps mana/casting.....?
4-I don't follow the 'trading' system. It appears like I am forced to trade and cannot buy outright with gold?? In other words, it seems that I must sell gear in an amount close to equal to what I want to buy. I can't seem to figure out how to just pay gold---it keeps saying I don't have enuf money if I try.
5-Can't figure out how to move the statue.
6-Can't figure out how I can get back to the area with ghosts. I think it is one level up??

I'd appreciate help.
Thanks
Howie

What difficulty level did you choose for your first game? If you're new to RPGs, it might be wise to start on the first or second level. The default, I think, is third.

To trade with gold, just click on the balance scales on your side, after you've chosen something from the trader. To get the trader to buy something from you with gold, select the item you want to trade, and click the balance scales on his side.

As for spells: those I've found in Act I are pretty poor. Focus your stat points on agility and survival, with maybe a point or two per level in something else--strength, or intelligence. You have to get very good at attack accuracy and evasion first, though, and those qualities come from agility and survival.

A spoilers follows:
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The tooth the imp wants is behind a door far to the east. In a large room where you'll find "Elven bookshelves," you'll see a door towards the south end on the western wall. To open it, turn off the nearest torch.

Good luck! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

how786,

Did you get a free copy of Divine Divinity included in your Beyond Divinity box? I strongly recommend that you play that first if you did. It is one of the most fun games you will have played and you will learn a lot about what to expect in Beyond Divinity.

If you got the free copy of Divine Divinity don't think for a minute that is is just a worthless game thrown into the box. It is one of the finest RPG's I have ever played, and that is a LOT of RPG's <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Good luck, and give it a try...

Yeah, Divine Divinity is definitely worth your time. It's better than <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beyond.gif" alt="" /> in several areas IMO.

do you already have? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beyond.gif" alt="" />

what makes <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/div.gif" alt="" /> better?

what makes <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beyond.gif" alt="" /> not as good?

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" />

They are both good IMHO. Just that Divine Divinity is more familiar, and will teach you the fundamentals of the game. Beyond Divinity, again IMHO, is a more difficult game with many new innovations. I think you could say playing Beyond Divinity first would be like playing the Hordes of the Underdark without ever playing the NeverWinter Nights core game.

Probably what sets them apart is that Divine Divinity is immediately addictive, from the very start. Beyond Divinity is a slower addiction, and you have to go through a steeper learning curve.

Kind of a lousy explanation, maybe someone can do better.

Yes, I happen to own both games. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> There are several reasons why I prefer <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/div.gif" alt="" /> over <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beyond.gif" alt="" /> at this point.

1. I like DD's skill system better than BD's.
2. I prefer playing with a single character.
3. There are several elements missing in BD that were in DD. Descriptions of what the charms do, no experience bar on the main screen, no timestamp on quests in the diary, no enjoyable personal traits screen. They did fix the inventory in 1.4 so kudos to Larian for that. Also, I do like the fact that in BD, quests get updated with an appropriate description once they are finished.
4. I prefer the DD method of making potions to fiddling around with the plants in BD.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beyond.gif" alt="" /> is a good game but it is inferior to <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/div.gif" alt="" /> in my opinion...and opinions will vary. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Thanks Fable.
I'm playing on 'normal' or default difficulty.
I do have a LOT of experience playing RPGs. Just new to this series.

About the gold, I did try clicking on the scales and get told 'you don't have enuf gold' or something like that. It always SEEMs to me that I DO have enuf gold. I'm not sure what is up. I'll have to recheck numbers. Only if the buy/sell numbers are close will it equalize.
About those stat points, I hope you are referring to my DK and not the Wiz?
Or are you referring to the wizard.....?
Right now, I've advanced to level 5 or so. I'm in an area that allows me to do the first Battlefield, I think. Citadel level 7.
BTW, how do I get to learn just what all the Alchemy herbs are for and how they work?
Thanks!
Howie

Thanks Fable.
I'm playing on 'normal' or default difficulty.
I do have a LOT of experience playing RPGs. Just new to this series.

I see. The default difficulty level is the "average," but it's also the third most difficult out of four.

About the gold, I did try clicking on the scales and get told 'you don't have enuf gold' or something like that. It always SEEMs to me that I DO have enuf gold. I'm not sure what is up. I'll have to recheck numbers. Only if the buy/sell numbers are close will it equalize.

That's odd. You do have the latest patch, right? It's 1.4. I never had that problem, even with 1.3.

About those stat points, I hope you are referring to my DK and not the Wiz?
Or are you referring to the wizard.....?

Both. In BD as in DD, you start out with an inability to hit anything that moves, and an ability to get hit very hard, very quickly. Agility and survival should be your sole concerns for a few levels, because they help you hit, and help cut down on your being hit. After those first few levels, I would suggest customizing each party member slightly, by one or two stat points going to intelligence or strength--but keep the bulk of the points in agility and survival. It doesn't help to wear better armor, after all, if you're still going to be hit until you're dead. Similarly, wielding a larger weapon is nice, but only if you can make contact with it.

BTW, how do I get to learn just what all the Alchemy herbs are for and how they work?

I wish Larian had put a book in the game, early on, to explain about those! Each plant type has its own color. You need a certain combination of colored plants for each potion. Just right-click on any plant, and you'll be told what potions your party can make with those plants its got.

Thanks for the fast response and the detailed information. It is a huge help to me!
Much appreciated..........Howie

BTW, how do I get to learn just what all the Alchemy herbs are for and how they work?

I wish Larian had put a book in the game, early on, to explain about those! Each plant type has its own color. You need a certain combination of colored plants for each potion. Just right-click on any plant, and you'll be told what potions your party can make with those plants its got. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
[/quote]

Hi, I tried right-clicking on the plants in my inventory. I get no info on them. The menu shows, "Alchemy Laboratory" in red at the top, and then small, medium , permanent etc. underneath. The top is in red and the rest grayed out. Might I need a skill? I just entered the battlegrounds #1 and there is a lady there willing to sell me either Alcemy combining or extracting skills.

Thanks
Howie

If something is in red, you can access it; if it's grayed out, that means you can't do it at this time. You only have 1 skill point invested in Alchemy, which means you can only make small potions. That's why the other selections aren't available. Just click on "small," and you'll advance to the next screen, which shows which potions can be automatically made with the plants in your inventory. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

EDIT: I just noticed where you wrote that "the rest was grayed out." Did you mean small was grayed out, too? In that case, you have no alchemy skills, and you should definitely purchase them. Put a single skill point in it for one character, and you'll be set.

Is there anywhere we can learn about the Alchemy skills? Clearly there aren't enough skillpoints to experiment. What, for example, does it take in the way of both skills and herbs to concoct the various potions? How can one combine potions? I have the combine skills, but have yet to be able to combine anything at all. How does one make a "permanent" potion?

Does one of the fansites have an Alchemy section or something? Normally I enjoy testing out the various skills on new RPG's, but on BD there simply aren't enough skillpoints available even for the necessities... nor enough gold to "unlearn" useless skills.

Anybody wanna buy 3 levels of lockpicking, cheap? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/sad.gif" alt="" />

As you can see in the following list, there are 7 different plants you need to make all potions with the "extract" skill. You will only get level 3-5 in Act 4. Empty flasks are not required.
Level 1 => small potions
Level 2 => medium potions
Level 3 => large
level 4 => large (stronger) + permanent potions + holy water (quest reward)
level 5 => large (even more stronger) + perm potions in vitality, mana, stamina are stronger, too.

vitality => red, blue
mana = green, pink
stamina => white, orange
strength => red, blue, yellow
int => white, green, pink
agility => white, orange, green
survival => red, blue, green
con => orange, yellow, pink
speed => orange, white, yellow

restoration => can only be done with the "combine skill" => dragging red over blue potions.

I don't know of any fansites as of yet that have the information you request; perhaps Kiya will expand on her superb coverage of DD to include BD, as well. Someone in any case is bound to put up this information, along with walkthroughs, charm information, etc, before very long. You might want to keep an eye on GameFAQs, here. They usually have the most extensive listing of walkthrough and game-related materials.

Ahhh, so herb colors are the key. Except I'm pretty sure I needed more than one red herb to create a health potion. Thank you so much for the list. I have printed it out and tucked it in with my BD notes. It will be very helpful. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" />

This may be a minor bug - I found that if you have the alchemy skill and you want to make potions, you need to have the character with the skill selected (either individually or as the leader of party). I found this particularly confusing since it doesn't make sense that you can't make potions from within that respective character's inventory, even when they're not selected as party leader. So hopefully that hint will help some of you out making potions.

Yes, and this *is* annoying. I suspect it's because they wanted to tie the skill to a given character, just in case that character left your party, later.

I think, it's pure game logic. If char A has the skill, she/he should be leading - and not the other one. It happened to me, too - and I consider this my gaming fault - not a bug. Or is it a bug, too - that if my potion bar is on char B and char A needs medical aid - the game should be intelligent enough to know what I mean - instead of making the game know?

To all: About a fansite/help etc => no, I don't think I'll make one this time. Why? How to? Gamer group A wants this changed - the Larians do it - then gamer group B cries: This is too easy now - the Larians change again. Not enough money? Too much money/item complaints now? Too little skill pts - I bet, after this is changed, gamer group C is not satisfied. Trade with... - nono, don't trade with all. As soon as one side is satisfied - the other one starts bickering. Too many experiments in the game - I want the info now, I don't want to try out - the other group would then complain about no challenge as everything is spelled out.

Hmm, and what about the speech discussion? Yay, what about 50 different speech packs - to suit at least 2 gamers? And unplease 2000? (maybe only 3, but they can be as loud as 2000) Skill too expensive? Yeah, give them away for free - ouch, could be not challenging for... hmmm. I'm running out of the alphabet.

I just have to look at the inventory thread - and my blood boils! I wouldn't like to spend my life changing my site forever and ever.

Game too linear now? Yeah, why not change the game plot? For gamer group D <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/badsmile2.gif" alt="" /> - oh, dear. I forgot about group E then complaining, this could be too easy Uhhhh, and how can I leave out the terrible point of not having enough gore in the game for group F? Or, too much? Or not the proper gore? Or maybe not the enough proper gore for group Z?

I'm not talking about real bugs here - overload, morphing items, crashes, not functioning skills, plot stoppers etc. => they should be fixed.

What I'm talking about is nitpicking - I agree, this depends on subjective opinion, so I accept a differing point of view. Yes, I'm very frustrated - but not with the game - with some nitpicking of the English gamer community here. So, no fansite from me. I liked the game balance as it was - it was a gem (played it for 1 month now - saw a damn lot of changes). Now it's turning into fast-food action-mainstream - maybe what some gamers would prefer. Or, it's going this way - so far my opinion.

Kiya <sighing: "Diablo, you killed the original meaning of an RPG! I curse you. Oh, ye Earth Elementals, cast your earthquake and swallow me.">

Kiya, I think a lot of this second guessing will cease as soon as Larian arrives at the definitive tweak for their game--and you know they can't carry it on forever, because they have better things to do. I give it another month, perhaps two, at tops. After that, the patches will cease; or if they continue, they'll just be longterm bugfixes and enhancements Larian has always wanted to put in (like the *cough* auto-arrange inventory button they promised, *cough*). <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />