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[The_Darkest_Red]

You guys who are noticing balance issues, what difficulty level are you playing on?

I'm playing on Hard (49 hours) and it's becoming quite clear to me that the combat isn't balanced very well at all. I'm still having a great time with the game and most of my fights are still against yellow enemies but there is no denying the many issues that exist with things like sagecrafting, blacksmithing, and some of the later Sorcery abilities.

 

[scy]

Pretty much all the abilities seem useless. The knives/magic thing for finnesse does terrible damage and nowhere near as useful as the charged arrows shot. The dash behind's attack does garbage damage.

Shadow Flare is one of the more broken abilities (non-Sorcery/Meteor, anyway) in the game due to the obscene damage it can deal on a single target. Likewise, maxed out Bows get the same point-blank Shotgun blast. Shadow Flare also grants Bleed, which is nice for the +33% Damage taken.

Lunge isn't meant to do damage, though I really don't get why it didn't just deal a weapon swing in damage (though, I guess that's kind of broken in Might/Finesse and undermines Execution's usefulness). It's meant to reposition and lengthen combos.

 

[Nista]

It's cool that the AOE spells at the top of the tree are super powerful in Amalur, but it's just as you said: you can get them way too early. I think I was level 24 when I switched from Might to Sorcery and I had access to both Tempest and Meteor, which are all you need to make every fight play out the same. They sure do look cool, though!

I guess I should temp re-spec out of Universalist just to get Meteor to finish up that 500 enemies killed with abilities achievement. (this is where having all stats that tie into achievements listed would have been useful!) I spent a vast majority of the game barely using active abilities because I could murderize everything with faeblade/chakram combos.

 

[Wolfgunblood Garopa]

Is anyone getting the sound effect delay? For example, exiting out of the menu makes this 'plunk' sound, and sometimes that triggers at least a second after the menu is closed. Or when you blink/roll after you haven't blinked/rolled in a minute, the sound effect occurs a second after the blink/roll.

 

[Deified Data]

I think most people in this thread are playing on Hard. It's stupidly easy on that difficulty, too, depending on your build.

I haven't messed around with a Finesse character, though. Maybe things are bit tougher for them?

A bit tougher around large mobs, yes.

I'm shying away from crafting skills, personally, and focusing more on utility skills like stealth and persuasion. The game's still easy, but it feels a bit ore balanced when you rely on drops and shops for all your equipment. There's still challenge to be had in Reckoning, but the player sort of has to gimp themselves to get to it. I'm okay with that, but I understand the complaints. Some of my all time favorite games have been a totally unbalanced cakewalk (read: Okami). For those of us who played Skyrim, this unbalance caused by crafting skills should come as no surprise. I don't remember the last RPG I played where passive skills like that were useful and balanced. Seems crafting could be easily fixed by making powerful ingredients extremely rare. Would be easily patched, I think.

So far I've only died once - to one of those electricity traps in Waterhall Down, in the quest where you help Brother Egan. It was my first time through. After getting hit by one I immediately rolled onto another and died. =)

 

[Rad Agast]

Am I going to fast for the House of Ballads quest line...? the second Boss fight(or Story thing) is impossible for me right now on normal(I'm level 13,with all Sorcery skills,no might and no Finesse)...so after dying 3 times,I just ran out of there and continued some sidequests.

Not really, I finished that quest line at level 14-15 pure sorcery on Hard.

 

[The_Darkest_Red]

Is anyone getting the sound effect delay? For example, exiting out of the menu makes this 'plunk' sound, and sometimes that triggers at least a second after the menu is closed. Or when you blink/roll after you haven't blinked/rolled in a minute, the sound effect occurs a second after the blink/roll.

Yeah, that happens to me all the time. I notice it a lot when I use blink.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

A bit tougher around large mobs, yes.

I'm shying away from crafting skills, personally, and focusing more on utility skills like stealth and persuasion. The game's still easy, but it feels a bit ore balanced when you rely on drops and shops for all your equipment. There's still challenge to be had in Reckoning, but the player sort of has to gimp themselves to get to it. I'm okay with that, but I understand the complaints. Some of my all time favorite games have been a totally unbalanced cakewalk (read: Okami). For those of us who played Skyrim, this unbalance caused by crafting skills should come as no surprise. I don't remember the last RPG I played where passive skills like that were useful and balanced. Seems crafting could be easily fixed by making powerful ingredients extremely rare. Would be easily patched, I think.

So far I've only died once - to one of those electricity traps in Waterhall Down, in the quest where you help Brother Egan. It was my first time through. After getting hit by one I immediately rolled onto another and died. =)

I didn't do much crafting at all. I only first dabbled in it in the late 30s, but even after salvaging hundreds of high l level items, buying tons of crafting materials and creating a hoard of gems, I wasn't able to create anything for my Sorcerer that was substantially better than what I had. To be fair, I could create items with insane armor stats as well as HP/mana, but what's the point in that? Spells already cost me nothing in terms of MP, I had over 1,000 HP and a ridiculous amount of potions already, and armor really doesn't seem to do a whole lot. My existing gear with its +10~20% elemental damage was a hell of a lot more useful to me.

 

[KoreanBarbecue]

So apparently I completely missed the House of Ballads questline or something. I read online that early in the game, after you finish the quest for helping some Fae woman who got attacked, you get the opportunity to pick one of two paths - one of which is for the House of Ballads. I don't have any quests for that faction...so, am I screwed?

 

[scy]

I didn't do much crafting at all. I only first dabbled in it in the late 30s, but even after salvaging hundreds of high l level items, buying tons of crafting materials and creating a hoard of gems, I wasn't able to create anything for my Sorcerer that was substantially better than what I had. To be fair, I could create items with insane armor stats as well as HP/mana, but what's the point in that? Spells already cost me nothing in terms of MP, I had over 1,000 HP and a ridiculous amount of potions already, and armor really doesn't seem to do a whole lot. My existing gear with its +10~20% elemental damage was a hell of a lot more useful to me.

You can game the system a bit by Mastercrafting + Gem -> Salvage -> Flawless component.

But Elemental Damage is one of the few that found equipment tends to be better on.

So apparently I completely missed the House of Ballads questline or something. I read online that early in the game, after you finish the quest for helping some Fae woman who got attacked, you get the opportunity to pick one of two paths - one of which is for the House of Ballads. I don't have any quests for that faction...so, am I screwed?

Have you just not been to the House of Ballads? There's no pre-requisite to get the quests, just that one quest will send you there (the injured Fae quest from Gorhart). Even if you cover it up, you can still join the House of Ballads.

 

[Deified Data]

I didn't do much crafting at all. I only first dabbled in it in the late 30s, but even after salvaging hundreds of high l level items, buying tons of crafting materials and creating a hoard of gems, I wasn't able to create anything for my Sorcerer that was substantially better than what I had. To be fair, I could create items with insane armor stats as well as HP/mana, but what's the point in that? Spells already cost me nothing in terms of MP, I had over 1,000 HP and a ridiculous amount of potions already, and armor really doesn't seem to do a whole lot. My existing gear with its +10~20% elemental damage was a hell of a lot more useful to me.

My primary motivation for shying away from smithing is that you can't craft anything that looks as cool as the unique drops you can find. Aesthetics are everything!

 

[FlyinJ]

I'm thinking I should just do a mad run towards the finish, as the game seems to just break completely and become absurdly easy if you do more than a few side quests. (I'm playing on hard, around level 25).

I haven't gotten Meteor yet, but I'm assuming I should just not use it at all?

As of right now, it's almost impossible for me to run out of Mana playing as a pure mage.

 

[Rad Agast]

Ok, so they are that broken then? No offense, but you’re not really answering my question. You said “you wasted repair kits”, but in what way? You have to use more because it doesn’t repair that many points? Or just because you fail the repair and it doesn’t repair anything?

This is to anyone, but why would you repair at the blacksmith (and pay the high amount of gold) when you can just repair your weapons/armor up to full every time with the much cheaper repair kits?

At low levels in blacksmithing the repair kits have a limit to how much durability points they will repair. The limit is kinda high though since I've only noticed it when I repaired an armor with 4/44 (or was it 45?) durability so I had to use two.

The most obvious broken skill in this game (if we're going to talk about those) is Lock Picking. I'm doing fine with 0 points in it (60+ hours in Detyre).

 

[Grinchy]

I didn't do much crafting at all. I only first dabbled in it in the late 30s, but even after salvaging hundreds of high l level items, buying tons of crafting materials and creating a hoard of gems, I wasn't able to create anything for my Sorcerer that was substantially better than what I had. To be fair, I could create items with insane armor stats as well as HP/mana, but what's the point in that? Spells already cost me nothing in terms of MP, I had over 1,000 HP and a ridiculous amount of potions already, and armor really doesn't seem to do a whole lot. My existing gear with its +10~20% elemental damage was a hell of a lot more useful to me.

I really like crafting, and I don't feel overly powered yet (around lvl 20) but I can make things that are better than anything I've found yet. It's good to know that I might find some better gear later on, though. I started thinking that I'd only be finding items whose only use was salvaging.

For example, at level 20 I have a robe that gives me +20% damage for all the magic abilities I have. It also has really high defense and a ton of other bonuses from parts I've salvaged. I haven't found any robe that comes near it in stats.

 

[CTE]

At low levels in blacksmithing the repair kits have a limit to how much durability points they will repair. The limit is kinda high though since I've only noticed it when I repaired an armor with 4/44 (or was it 45?) durability so I had to use two.

The most obvious broken skill in this game (if we're going to talk about those) is Lock Picking. I'm doing fine with 0 points in it (60+ hours in Detyre).

Yeah. The lockpicking is super easy. Hell, I have a bunch of those never fail lockpicks, too. Negates any need for lockpick points.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

At low levels in blacksmithing the repair kits have a limit to how much durability points they will repair. The limit is kinda high though since I've only noticed it when I repaired an armor with 4/44 (or was it 45?) durability so I had to use two.

The most obvious broken skill in this game (if we're going to talk about those) is Lock Picking. I'm doing fine with 0 points in it (60+ hours in Detyre).

The lockpicking minigame is just not very good, especially coming from Skyrim.

It's hilarious how about half of the time, the default position of the pick is right where it needs to be to unlock.

 

[scy]

The most obvious broken skill in this game (if we're going to talk about those) is Lock Picking. I'm doing fine with 0 points in it (60+ hours in Detyre).

Best part of raising Lockpicking skill? Skipping the mini-game. Shame it eats up a Lockpick whether you succeed or fail, though.

 

[KoreanBarbecue]

You can game the system a bit by Mastercrafting + Gem -> Salvage -> Flawless component.

But Elemental Damage is one of the few that found equipment tends to be better on.



Have you just not been to the House of Ballads? There's no pre-requisite to get the quests, just that one quest will send you there (the injured Fae quest from Gorhart). Even if you cover it up, you can still join the House of Ballads.

Ah, that makes more sense. I guess I have to actually find the House of Ballads then (actually, where the heck is that?)

My primary motivation for shying away from smithing is that you can't craft anything that looks as cool as the unique drops you can find. Aesthetics are everything!

Yeah, I was really bummed by this, too. I create some ridiculously strong Cuirass and...it looks like a normal piece of armor. Boo.

 

[Log4Girlz]

The lockpicking minigame is just not very good, especially coming from Skyrim.

It's hilarious how about half of the time, the default position of the pick is right where it needs to be to unlock.

Two Worlds II has the best lock-picking mini-game I've ever played. Genuinely fun.

 

[Rad Agast]

Well, I'm level 25, exclusively Might focused, and have yet to really delve into the main story quests. My impressions so far:

- Does anyone actually use Alchemy? I find the process of hunting reagents and using alchemy to make potions to be a huge fun killer. I literally use two kinds of potions - Minor Health and Minor Mana. I've never run into a situation where I need anything stronger. Couple that with good armor with Health Regen and potions become even more pointless.

I spent a good time experimenting to figure out new potions but that's just because I was curious and enjoy that sort of mini-game.

The way I view Alchemy in this game is the same as Bayonetta. The items are there to make the game easier for those who are having trouble with certain challenges. I use them if I feel like fooling around (testing damage and defensive buffs etc...) or if I want to use a skill which I haven't invested a lot of points into (I wonder if the skill boost potions can increase the level beyond the maximum?).

 

[Deified Data]

So I just noticed how vastly superior daggers are to faeblades in regards to stealth kills.

Issue with faeblade stealth kills is two-fold: A) you automatically come out of stealth into a standing posture after the attack is finished, and B) you cannot use a stealth kill while moving (i.e. creeping behind a moving target), or else your stealth attack will turn into a normal attack and break your cover. Daggers keep you in steath after the kill, and can be used while actively creeping up on someone.

This is something that most finesse fans probably know already, but to me it was a significant discovery. Daggers > faeblades, by far. I wouldn't even recommend faeblades for a pure finesse build. I'd say they're most suited to might-finesse.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

I think I'm going to start up a new game as a pure-Finesse Alfar character who focuses on Daggers and Bows. I never messed with Finesse in my first playthrough, so I'm missing all of those achievements. Plus, it might be a lot more fun to play on Hard and focus on only the main story and faction quests.

 

[KoreanBarbecue]

So I just noticed how vastly superior daggers are to faeblades in regards to stealth kills.

Issue with faeblade stealth kills is two-fold: A) you automatically come out of stealth into a standing posture after the attack is finished, and B) you cannot use a stealth kill while moving (i.e. creeping behind a moving target), or else your stealth attack will turn into a normal attack and break your cover. Daggers keep you in steath after the kill, and can be used while actively creeping up on someone.

This is something that most finesse fans probably know already, but to me it was a significant discovery. Daggers > faeblades, by far. I wouldn't even recommend faeblades for a pure finesse build. I'd say they're most suited to might-finesse.

Before my re-spec to full might, I toyed around with a Might/Finesse build specifically to see if I could work on putting together a primarily Faeblade wielding character. And, I couldn't. The speed was nice, but the drop in damage when using them made the switch almost unbearable for me.

 

[Neuromancer]

I didn't even realize you could do stealth kills with faeblades, I thought that was daggers only.

 

[Rad Agast]

I didn't even realize you could do stealth kills with faeblades, I thought that was daggers only.

But the stealth ability specifically mentions both daggers and faeblades ;-)

Regarding the breaking stealth with faeblades, I'm assuming that's a bug and it's not working as intended.

 

[Deified Data]

Before my re-spec to full might, I toyed around with a Might/Finesse build specifically to see if I could work on putting together a primarily Faeblade wielding character. And, I couldn't. The speed was nice, but the drop in damage when using them made the switch almost unbearable for me.

I largely agree. Faeblades have their place, but they're not nearly so happy a medium between strength and speed as, say, long swords are, in my opinion. They look cool, and have decent moves, but after having put time into a longsword-wielder and a dagger-wielder, I can't imagine settling for the in-between. Both archetypes have better choices for primary and secondary weapons, anyway. My dagger/bow-wielding pure Rogue is my favorite build so far.

But the stealth ability specifically mentions both daggers and faeblades ;-)

Regarding the breaking stealth with faeblades, I'm assuming that's a bug and it's not working as intended.

Perhaps. They'd be a lot more viable if they didn't snap you out of stealth after every stealth kill. If this is a bug, I hope it's fixed. It's nice having special animations for dagger kills, too. The lack of those with faeblades sort of makes faeblade stealth kills feel tacked-on.

 

[BobLoblaw]

Two Worlds II has the best lock-picking mini-game I've ever played. Genuinely fun.

Quoted so more developers see this.

 

[Log4Girlz]

Quoted so more developers see this.

The dispel mechanic is similar in KOA but not as well done. I've never played a game like TW2 where coming across a master difficulty lock brought a smile to my face.

 

[Deified Data]

The dispel mechanic is similar in KOA but not as well done. I've never played a game like TW2 where coming across a master difficulty lock brought a smile to my face.

Should I add TW2 to my backlog?

 

[Neuromancer]

Should I add TW2 to my backlog?

Yes you should! Great game.

Two Worlds II has the best lock-picking mini-game I've ever played. Genuinely fun.

It is really satisfying for some reason. I'm not sure if realistically it made a whole lot of sense but who cares.

 

[Rad Agast]

Perhaps. They'd be a lot more viable if they didn't snap you out of stealth after every stealth kill. If this is a bug, I hope it's fixed. It's nice having special animations for dagger kills, too. The lack of those with faeblades sort of makes faeblade stealth kills feel tacked-on.

Have not touched them at all yet so I don't know. I didn't even know that they lack stealth kill animations. I assumed they would/should work the same as daggers in that department.

 

[Lactose_Intolerant]

I think daggers also give a bigger crit damage modifier.

 

[Rad Agast]

I think daggers also give a bigger crit damage modifier.

Daggers have lower base damage though yes? If so, then that would make some kind of sense.

 

[Log4Girlz]

Should I add TW2 to my backlog?

It can be fun. Its another RPG which sticks you in a bunch of corridors though. Its pretty, though not as colorful as KOA. I also love the upgrading mechanic. Any enemy in the game which carries a weapon drops a weapon as loot. You can break it apart for raw materials (as in iron, wood, steel...no like breaking apart a hammer in KOA and oddly not getting a new hammer head wtf). You can then keep upgrading a weapon ad nauseum, but each upgrade requires more and more raw materials.

 

[Deified Data]

Have not touched them at all yet so I don't know. I didn't even know that they lack stealth kill animations. I assumed they would/should work the same as daggers in that department.

How to describe it. You've stealth-killed someone with a dagger before - you get the little animation, in which you kill them and guide their body silently to the floor, leading directly back into a stealth posture. With faeblades, however, the stealth kill has you springing into a little circular slash that ends with you standing up. I could label it bugged if you ended up back in a stealth crouch after the attack and then promptly popped back up again, but what you're doing is launching an attack that actually ends with your character in a standing position.

So I'm not sure if it's a bug or not. Perhaps the devs simply wanted to give dagger-wielders an added incentive to make up for the decrease in damage?

It can be fun. Its another RPG which sticks you in a bunch of corridors though. Its pretty, though not as colorful as KOA. I also love the upgrading mechanic. Any enemy in the game which carries a weapon drops a weapon as loot. You can break it apart for raw materials (as in iron, wood, steel...no like breaking apart a hammer in KOA and oddly not getting a new hammer head wtf). You can then keep upgrading a weapon ad nauseum, but each upgrade requires more and more raw materials.

Completely random, off-topic question: can you customize the appearance of your character in TW2, or are you canonically playing the same guy as in the original?

 

[Wind's Howling]

Wow. The Cradle of Summer is surely one of the most vibrant and good looking environments I have seen this gen.

 

[Neuromancer]

Completely random, off-topic question: can you customize the appearance of your character in TW2, or are you canonically playing the same guy as in the original?

Yes and no. In single player you are always a certain dude although you can change his hair, skin color and stuff like that. There is also a separate co-op campaign where you can totally customize a character (sex, race etc).

 

[LiK]

Wow. The Cradle of Summer is surely one of the most vibrant and good looking environments I have seen this gen.

yea, so pretty....until those damn bears keep attacking me.

 

[Log4Girlz]

How to describe it. You've stealth-killed someone with a dagger before - you get the little animation, in which you kill them and guide their body silently to the floor, leading directly back into a stealth posture. With faeblades, however, the stealth kill has you springing into a little circular slash that ends with you standing up. I could label it bugged if you ended up back in a stealth crouch after the attack and then promptly popped back up again, but what you're doing is launching an attack that actually ends with your character in a standing position.

So I'm not sure if it's a bug or not. Perhaps the devs simply wanted to give dagger-wielders an added incentive to make up for the decrease in damage?


Completely random, off-topic question: can you customize the appearance of your character in TW2, or are you canonically playing the same guy as in the original?

Another thing, the game at least on normal is kinda easy (though it starts off kinda hard). Last time I played I had looted this hammer from a guys chest after killing him and man, what a wonderful weapon it was...especially when I upgraded it to hell. I'm a god. Same as KOA lol.

 

[Wind's Howling]

yea, so pretty....until those damn bears keep attacking me.

I have not seen any bears as of yet.

 

[Deified Data]

Another thing, the game at least on normal is kinda easy (though it starts off kinda hard). Last time I played I had looted this hammer from a guys chest after killing him and man, what a wonderful weapon it was...especially when I upgraded it to hell. I'm a god. Same as KOA lol.

Interesting. Will have to consider this game.

Another random discovery that I'm sure everyone knows by now, but I can't be buggered to search for it: saving before a dungeon/interior, entering, and reloading will reset all the items in all the containers in said dungeon so you can reload until you get an item that's actually useful. This could potentially be used for set farming, but I've never actually gotten a rare item from doing it. Just better than average generic gear. FYI.

 

[I'm an expert]

Man what is with the stats screen.. why give us stats we have no need for but leave out ones for trophies/achievements. Such a silly oversight.

 

[Data West]

Should I add TW2 to my backlog?

TW2 is one of the best made games of the entire generation.

 

[Log4Girlz]

TW2 is one of the best made games of the entire generation.

Two Worlds 2 not The Witcher 2.

 

[Ricker]

Not really, I finished that quest line at level 14-15 pure sorcery on Hard.

Mmmm,ok,I got the Gnash quest now,i'll go and try him when I reach level 14 and see how that goes,I didn't have any problems so far in the game,except that Ballads quest...got some good chackrams and all...maybe my Robe sucks...also I don't roll anymore,I kinda teleport around,I liked rolling better even though it's a little slower lol.

 

[vaelic]

So, do you all recommend JUST playing the main line quests and not the side quests?

 

[LiK]

So, do you all recommend JUST playing the main line quests and not the side quests?

PLAY THE FACTION QUESTS TOO.

 

[Log4Girlz]

So, do you all recommend JUST playing the main line quests and not the side quests?

Do you have strong urges to do side quests as I do?

 

[Deified Data]

So, do you all recommend JUST playing the main line quests and not the side quests?

Absolutely not. The game is massive and, yes, doing every side quest you find until you reach the final boss will make the game a cakewalk, but it's all still good fun in my opinion. Work out challenges for yourself. Walk around without healing potions, refrain from crafting, experiment with new builds, etc. What's the point of making the game more challenging if you're ignoring 90% of the game?

 

[Yu Narukami]

It's a real pain in the ass when you can't fast travel anymore especially when you're cursed. But I'm not giving up.