Epic failure's challenge!

[fallen]

phaze - very nice! Glad the pace switches have been good as the content and enemies shift gears.

[matrim]

I have made it to Gholla Chapter 4 three times and every time it bugs out on me and I get no cutscene and the same update no matter my choice in Chapter 3. Did you get the full scene phaze?

[phaze]

Not in the previous play through. Working the iron range now. Lvl 49 orcin shaman have some serious dodge going on to be able to avoid hits after being heavy cursed.

My kill rate just slowed dramatically combined with the curses that reduce crit chance by 20%. Especially coming in groups of 4 and summoning.

What a slog fest.

My hope in not visiting the temple after the siege was to trigger the scene now and discuss Nikolai. My quest logs are messed up though saying we can meet hagathrun but also shows completed giving Hagathrun the news of Nikolai despite having never talked to hagathrun.

My quest with vladins hand maybe messed as well showing it open despite visiting them right after the storm brothers.

[fallen]

The bug about Gholla Outlook after the City of the Dead is still at large. We have not been unable to unravel it.

[phaze]

Noted. I postponed that section and high-tailed it to the monastery. Such a sweet reward for Kincaid. I went with the armor on this play through. Having been through it once, I dominated this round actually using scrolls rather than saving them endlessly

Having a Kincaid with nearly 1300 hp, armor of 140ish, and being a major parry/dodge tank is probably the tankiest Kincaid I've had to date. While I lose on weapon damage and elemental damage, turning my armor slot into an offensive item with the crit chance really shines through. Plus, I have had horrible luck with finding blades and SP drain, so I can finally toss away my sai blade of 21-24 damage but 4% sp drain for something better.

[fallen]

phaze - very nice choice. I agree, that armor is an extremely competitive choice

[phaze]

I finished the northern loop and talked at Gholla outlook. I think the storyline worked. My party discussed Nikolai with hagathrun and tazzer. Ryethin appeared and intervened given Nikolai. We received the blessing and a very nice light armor.

The quest remains in my log but this seems complete. Is this the story as intended or is it still bugged?

When the game is done, it would be great to see the storyline arcs for major game decisions. I don't have enough time for all scenarios but am curious as to different choices. Like not killing vurnak to see Ep 3 play differently.

[fallen]

phaze - sounds like you got exactly what is intended by the story, but that the QL stuck around.

Yes, maybe when the story is 100% release, we can do a story graph that shows all the possible impacts and things. Many of the biggest impacts are still pending!

[phaze]

Great! For reference, I did not go to the temple at all after rescuing Gholla, only doing so after CoD. This may be possible advice for others.

[matrim]

I have 2 games that bugged out there. I assume that the ambiguity of Nikolai's final scene indicates the story line split. So if you don't kill Hagthrun then Nikolai dies but if you kill the God then Nikolai lives (perhaps because some of the power that was slowly being drained out of Hagathrun entered Nikolai upon his death). Is the armour available no matter the choice?
I really like the choices and their impacts. So far the line I think I prefer is spare Vlotgar, kill Hagathrun, spare Tevensa, get Tavensa to lead you to the Haven.

[fallen]

matrim - still on my list to unravel that bug. It's just layered under so many possible play choices and ordering options.

[phaze]

Currently at 1.76 billion. Working on the weaver quest with the whole bottom level left. Just a matter of slogging through oceans of spiders. This will be my first test of the souped up weaver.

I have the OWH completely left to do and all of Freeport. I will beat my old score but am not sure if I will reach matrim's. The scoring past 1.5 billion slows down dramatically it seems.

[phaze]

Just finished the weaver. At about 1.83 billion. I forgot how much experience was gained here. With the the weaver doing 1300 damage, it is a frightening number. I feel mixed on the damage. The fact it can outright one shot kill nearly any character combined with having an unknown distance on its ranged attack feels...a bit cheap? I nearly lost Kincaid unintentionally from two hits when unintentionally veered into range. A lucky dodge saved me. A complete toss-up for not losing my ironman.

Maybe a visual indicator to warn people? Ground littered with skeletons at the edge of its kill zone? Or reduced damage for more aggressive spiders advancing to increase the intensity of the fight?

Other than that, the party is smoothly sailing through quests. Just have the OwH left and ogres to Freeport.

[fallen]

phaze - thanks for the feedback!

[matrim]

I like to do OwH right after the relics in Ch 4. The elemental damage drops there are amazing and put a strickening build into overdrive. I find the drops in the Weaver zone to be quite a bit worse but as you said, all the eggs add up to a TON of exp, so it has that going for it.