Ep 2: To re-spec or not to re-spec. That is the question...

[dagger]

I've just started Episode 2 in the Conquered Keep and I find that the difficulty level just went WAAAAAAYYYY up. :-) My Vraes, who wasn't getting hit much, is now getting pummeled for over 100 pts a pop. I've managed to not die yet while clearing one of the three corners but...I'm wondering if I need to re-spec him or if this is just an early welcome-to-Episode-2-you-cocky-SOB-you're-not-as-good-as-you-think-you-are moment and I'll be able to catch him up over the next few levels.  I'm pretty sure I can grind my way out of here using very careful hit-and-run tactics but, as this is my first time ever playing, I'm wondering if I've inadvertently nerfed my party and things will only get worse.  I've got Tamilin, Vraes, Kyera, and Kjartan.

My biggest concern is Vraes right now.  I'm level 18 and I've got Crushing Blow 2, Stoneskin 3, and Savage Sweep 5. The rest are all at 1 with no Juggernaut yet.  I'm at 11 STR, only 4 DEX (which is hurting me all of a sudden), 9 CON, 5 WIL, 5 INT, and 3 Knowledge.  I'm using a one-hand sword and shield and I've got 11 Blades, 4 Leadership, and 6 Lore.

When I go into a fight Kjartan has him buffed with Pureflame Shield 1 and Burning Blades 1 and Kyera has him buffed with Warder's Shield 4 and Piety Ward 1 (as well as his own StoneSkin 3, Phalanx Shield 1, Burst of Speed 1, and Natural Mastery 1).  His armor is 36 with only 3 Dodge + 8 (gear bonuses), Toughness is 11, Parry is 8 + 4 bonus.  Resistance is 11  (5 + 6 gear).  My ranged defense suffers though.  I've got 4% auto-block vs ranged but 0 Evasion and only 4 DEX and 3 KNOW.

My basic tactics up until now have been to put Vraes in front to soak damage and then hit the enemy with Kjartan's Choking Ash 5, Tamilin's Torrent of Steel 5, and then Kyera hits whoever she needs to with Ethereal Anguish 1.  That worked very well in the first Episode.  However, as I mentioned earlier, Vraes is taking a lot of damage all of a sudden and the enemies are starting to occasionally target my other party members.  This means Kyera now has to spend most of her Action Points on Myshana's Tears 3 healing people and I'm burning through my SP fairly quickly.  I usually have plenty to do one or two fights but then I really need to rest to replenish.  I rarely use potions so I have a major stockpile of all of those.

So, I guess my question is this:  do I have the makings of a party that can make it to the end or am I in for a long struggle while I try to overcome my novice inefficiencies?  I read somewhere that you lose "points" for camping a lot which I have to do right now.  Is that just part of the game or should my party be significantly more self-sufficient than it is right now and I would be better off re-specing into a more synergistic and efficient party?  

Any and all advice would be welcome...thank you!!!

[En1gma]

If you have the chance to Respec Vraes, do it. Pick an attack talent and put a few points into it, but if you're using a shield, and need ranged defense, invest heavily in Phalanx Shield. Savage Sweep 5 is waaay too far at this point, IMO.

If you had a breakdown of your group, talents, skills, attributes, gear, it would be easier to pinpoint where the issues are.

E2 is a rude awakening, and the game will only get more difficult as you progress...

[achilles73]

Dec 20, 2016 13:34:48 GMT -5 dagger said:

I've just started Episode 2 in the Conquered Keep and I find that the difficulty level just went WAAAAAAYYYY up. :-) My Vraes, who wasn't getting hit much, is now getting pummeled for over 100 pts a pop. I've managed to not die yet while clearing one of the three corners but...I'm wondering if I need to re-spec him or if this is just an early welcome-to-Episode-2-you-cocky-SOB-you're-not-as-good-as-you-think-you-are moment and I'll be able to catch him up over the next few levels.  I'm pretty sure I can grind my way out of here using very careful hit-and-run tactics but, as this is my first time ever playing, I'm wondering if I've inadvertently nerfed my party and things will only get worse.  I've got Tamilin, Vraes, Kyera, and Kjartan.

My biggest concern is Vraes right now.  I'm level 18 and I've got Crushing Blow 2, Stoneskin 3, and Savage Sweep 5. The rest are all at 1 with no Juggernaut yet.  I'm at 11 STR, only 4 DEX (which is hurting me all of a sudden), 9 CON, 5 WIL, 5 INT, and 3 Knowledge.  I'm using a one-hand sword and shield and I've got 11 Blades, 4 Leadership, and 6 Lore.

When I go into a fight Kjartan has him buffed with Pureflame Shield 1 and Burning Blades 1 and Kyera has him buffed with Warder's Shield 4 and Piety Ward 1 (as well as his own StoneSkin 3, Phalanx Shield 1, Burst of Speed 1, and Natural Mastery 1).  His armor is 36 with only 3 Dodge + 8 (gear bonuses), Toughness is 11, Parry is 8 + 4 bonus.  Resistance is 11  (5 + 6 gear).  My ranged defense suffers though.  I've got 4% auto-block vs ranged but 0 Evasion and only 4 DEX and 3 KNOW.

My basic tactics up until now have been to put Vraes in front to soak damage and then hit the enemy with Kjartan's Choking Ash 5, Tamilin's Torrent of Steel 5, and then Kyera hits whoever she needs to with Ethereal Anguish 1.  That worked very well in the first Episode.  However, as I mentioned earlier, Vraes is taking a lot of damage all of a sudden and the enemies are starting to occasionally target my other party members.  This means Kyera now has to spend most of her Action Points on Myshana's Tears 3 healing people and I'm burning through my SP fairly quickly.  I usually have plenty to do one or two fights but then I really need to rest to replenish.  I rarely use potions so I have a major stockpile of all of those.

So, I guess my question is this:  do I have the makings of a party that can make it to the end or am I in for a long struggle while I try to overcome my novice inefficiencies?  I read somewhere that you lose "points" for camping a lot which I have to do right now.  Is that just part of the game or should my party be significantly more self-sufficient than it is right now and I would be better off re-specing into a more synergistic and efficient party?  

Any and all advice would be welcome...thank you!!!

I would also like to get a more in-depth explanation of camping v. buying potions for your score. At one point in episode 2, I had well-over 100k gold, but I spent most of it down to like 20k on potions and upgrades like 2 Tulwars, and my score took a monstrous hit. In contrast, I see no visible effect on camping in terms of your displayed score. So I am thinking either 1) camping score deductions are only made when the game is over OR 2) camping score deductions start being tallied only after you go over a certain minimum (20? 50? 100?). Can anyone throw light into this?

[En1gma]

The best advice I would have for you in terms of score is not to sweat it on your first run. You are just learning the game, and make mistakes...

IIRC, the score cap for cash is at 500k, so beyond that you don't need to worry about spending The effect on camping for score shouldn't be as drastic as spending all your money on potions.

What WILL affect your score, however, will be dying, so spending money on potions and going back to camp will still be more profitable than dying even once

[achilles73]

Dec 20, 2016 13:44:30 GMT -5 En1gma said:

IIRC, the score cap for cash is at 500k, so beyond that you don't need to worry about spending The effect on camping for score shouldn't be as drastic as spending all your money on potions.

Damn, I wish I knew this earlier I would've camped a lot more!

[dagger]

Among the many things I've never done in this game, re-specing tops the list. I thought I read somewhere you get one "free" re-spec. Is that true and, if so, is this the whole party or just one member?

[crimsonking]

It is one per character.

The one time I did respec I switched Vince from ranged to melee after he got his special dagger.

[achilles73]

Dec 20, 2016 14:33:04 GMT -5 crimsonking said:

It is one per character.

The one time I did respec I switched Vince from ranged to melee after he got his special dagger.

And did you like it better?

[dagger]

So you get one free one and then you can "buy" another re-spec for one character later using the Moonstones?

Also, does re-specing mean just the talents or the skills and attributes as well?

[matrim]

Episode 2 difficulty can spike considerably due to tactics change. En1gma is right, it only gets harder from here. The game punishes you more and more for tactical errors. Leaving a non-tank exposed? Troll attacks! Didn't AP curse that archer? 2 shots to your mages head!

Basic spec info.
Vraes should be only using one empowered attack. It does not need to be levelled liberally at all. 1 point per 10 levels is more than enough until you feel you have excess to spend. He has a great buff in Phalanx Shield and Burst of Speed. I feel Stoneskin is weak, as damage climbs higher you will want to avoid hits period, not make them less punishing. To give you an idea, Trolls are going to start hitting you for 130ish. 22 added armor is going to take 16ish damage from that. It is going to take 8ish direct hits to reach the mitigation of 1 more missed troll attack which could be achieved by adding 1 or 2 parry. Dodge and Parry simply have much better returns for investment. I also find skill investment till 16 in blades is the way to go. It adds accuracy and gives parry while Lore and Leadership merely make buffs last longer (for Vraes anyway). There is just so much value to blades it's hard to justify other points till it's maxed.

[dagger]

Thank you!! Very good info and advice. Thanks for explaining why and not just what. Back to my previous question though....is re-specing everything (talents, skills, attributes)?

Also, a couple more questions:

I see Vraes get "cursed" lately. How do I know what the curse is/does? And does it end when combat ends?...a certain amount of turns?...or do I need to heal or rest?

2) How closely should I be looking at the type of monsters I'm fighting and what kind of damage they do? Are certain types more susceptible to certain types of damage so I should hold on to rings with high Fire/Ice/Earth etc..because I may want to switch them out?

[achilles73]

Dec 20, 2016 15:20:25 GMT -5 matrim said:

Episode 2 difficulty can spike considerably due to tactics change. En1gma is right, it only gets harder from here. The game punishes you more and more for tactical errors. Leaving a non-tank exposed? Troll attacks! Didn't AP curse that archer? 2 shots to your mages head!

Basic spec info.
Vraes should be only using one empowered attack. It does not need to be levelled liberally at all. 1 point per 10 levels is more than enough until you feel you have excess to spend. He has a great buff in Phalanx Shield and Burst of Speed. I feel Stoneskin is weak, as damage climbs higher you will want to avoid hits period, not make them less punishing. To give you an idea, Trolls are going to start hitting you for 130ish. 22 added armor is going to take 16ish damage from that. It is going to take 8ish direct hits to reach the mitigation of 1 more missed troll attack which could be achieved by adding 1 or 2 parry. Dodge and Parry simply have much better returns for investment. I also find skill investment till 16 in blades is the way to go. It adds accuracy and gives parry while Lore and Leadership merely make buffs last longer (for Vraes anyway). There is just so much value to blades it's hard to justify other points till it's maxed.

Sigh. I thought someone said Episode 3 gets easier than Episode 2?

[achilles73]

Dec 20, 2016 15:48:19 GMT -5 dagger said:

Thank you!! Very good info and advice. Thanks for explaining why and not just what. Back to my previous question though....is re-specing everything (talents, skills, attributes)?

Also, a couple more questions:

I see Vraes get "cursed" lately. How do I know what the curse is/does? And does it end when combat ends?...a certain amount of turns?...or do I need to heal or rest?

2) How closely should I be looking at the type of monsters I'm fighting and what kind of damage they do? Are certain types more susceptible to certain types of damage so I should hold on to rings with high Fire/Ice/Earth etc..because I may want to switch them out?

I can answer the curse questions. There are two ways. First, certain characters, including Kyera, have talents that get rid of curses. For Kyera, it's called Purifying Breeze. Second, there are scrolls and tomes you can buy that can get rid of curses.

[dagger]

So curses stay with you until you literally do something to rid yourself of them?! If that's the case, no wonder Vraes is having a hard time. He's been cursed multiple times and I've never done anything to rid him of them....also, you didn't tell me where you can see that you've been cursed, what the curse is, and the effects its having on my guy.

[achilles73]

Dec 20, 2016 16:11:09 GMT -5 dagger said:

So curses stay with you until you literally do something to rid yourself of them?! If that's the case, no wonder Vraes is having a hard time. He's been cursed multiple times and I've never done anything to rid him of them....also, you didn't tell me where you can see that you've been cursed, what the curse is, and the effects its having on my guy.

Yes, I believe it stays with you even post-battle. And you can see it on the right bottom corner - where all the buffs and debuffs you have. If you see an icon that you are NOT familiar with, then click on it. It will likely be a debuff, and you will see what it does on the "effects" screen.