Divinity Original Sin 1 & 2 thread

[rusty_shackleford]

Small updated on how my run is going - defeated Braccus Rex, have some optional **** to finalize in Act 1, major stuff has now been completed

I remember finishing act 1 and remembering it was just a smaller piece of an overall much larger plot rather than getting near the end of the game despite it taking like 50 hours or so

I really like DOS

[Fitz]

Myeah, it's good so far. Feels like a cozy piece of gaming with a strong identity and a soul. Feels a lot like a love letter too. One thing that stands out is that the graphics feel really dated (and maybe that's what's putting me off from pursuing Act 2 with the same grit), but the gameplay and va make up for it by a ton.

[Acrux]

I never played DOS2 because I heard that the armor system ruins the game. But rusty (who I implicitly trust in all things) says it doesn't.

So, my question is: if I decided to play it now are there any mods recommended or does it play okay out of the box?

[rusty_shackleford]

I never played DOS2 because I heard that the armor system ruins the game. But rusty (who I implicitly trust in all things) says it doesn't.

So, my question is: if I decided to play it now are there any mods recommended or does it play okay out of the box?

I haven't kept up on it for a long time, but you probably want a mod that does item stat debloat, it's one of my main grievances with the game.

[Norfleet]

I never played DOS2 because I heard that the armor system ruins the game. But rusty (who I implicitly trust in all things) says it doesn't.

Armor is irrelevant. None can withstand the crushing weight of the Box. The entire point of DOS is to loot everything not nailed down and use it to grow your ever-increasing might like that Japanese ball game.

[Fitz]

I never played DOS2 because I heard that the armor system ruins the game. But rusty (who I implicitly trust in all things) says it doesn't.

So, my question is: if I decided to play it now are there any mods recommended or does it play okay out of the box?

There probably is a mod that removes magic/physical armour from enemies. Saw something like that on some twitch stream. So if the armour system is your only issue with the game you can mod it out for sure.

[wndrbr]

You didn't actually play the game if your playthrough was modded

[Fitz]

It is done. The Void Dragon has been butchered. Like a true rpg the hard part was getting to the ******* and not the butchering itself.

My save file tells me I've spent about 60hrs of effort in trying to do this, but it felt like a lot more. From beginning till end the game felt really solid with the combat being the focal point. My party comp was pretty straight forward - 2h warr, a mage that can cleanse everything and a rogue that dies in two hits. Once I got my builds online it was a thrill to watch everything click together. And once my dmg numbers got bigger - satisfaction was guaranteed. The game has tons of slow animations, but by the end of it you get used to them. This might have been for the better when it comes to game feel but it does get tedious after some time. The combat mechanics are really solid from the very beginning and that's what holds things together. A lot of other studios can take notes from this.

I appreciate the story a lot more now that I've complete the game and in general appreciate the OS series more too. Given how they spin things by the end of it I even like the whimsical tone a lot more. The way things escalate in the final acts of the game are pretty well done and would have been harder to achieve if everything didn't start with a really light hearted and whimsical tone. What I didn't appreciate were the tons of trash fights, the tedious inventory management and the ******* puzzles. I wouldn't blame anyone for checking on a guide if they get stuck on some of the pixel hunting that you need to complete. Somehow the pixel hunting fits the game's tone well, but there are times when it's taken to stupid extremes. At least you can tell the developers were having fun while making them. It's also fun to see a developer challenging the player both inside and out of combat.

It's easy to see myself playing this again after some time passes. And I am saying this the same day after completing the game. When I was done with Wrath and had enough of Kingmaker there was no way in hell I wanted to start a new campaign or even think about it. In some sense the same applies to Rogue Trader too. What I am trying to say is that Larian make more enjoyable games than Owlcat and given that there aren't any other AAA rpg makers out there it's pretty obvious, that at least currently, they are the best when it comes to rpg making.

[Fitz]

I've tried multiple times to finish up OS2 but just can't manage to do it. Maybe it's because I'm playing on tactician and I find the leveling, making builds and gearing extremely tedious and not fun. That and also the game feels too bloated with unnecessary content. The story is whatever for me - granted I like it more and more of it the more I replay the first 2 acts, but it might just be a case of stockholm syndrome. What I do like is the encounter design tho.

I'm running into the same problems with BG3 so it seems to be an issue based on design principles not just game specific. I wish these games were shorter. Wanting to finish them, but giving myself some time when playing the campaign seems counterproductive as every time I return to the game I'm not excited about playing the characters and would rather just roll new ones and mess about with them for another 50-60hrs. This also makes me be more picky with the crpgs I am playing. Finishing up a 150hrs game is too much of a time investment for a game I'm not 100% liking, I mean I'd have more fun busting heads in Max Payne 3 for an hour instead of gearing up and reloading the same fight because my AoE spell hit the roof or some other trivial **** I didn't notice.

There is the above and there is also that I don't feel like OS2 flows fast enough. It's faster than OS1, but probably because of the armour mechanic everything in combat feels like it needs an extra turn or two for it to happen. It's a bit too much when every encounter is like that, it narrows you into a playstyle where you pick out the quests and fights that give you a level advantage and you just go back to the fights once you are outscaling them. In that sense exploration is kinda ******. I didn't have any such problems when playing Rogue Trader or Pillars, those games also have flaws but at least they are more fun ones. It's a strange process trying to narrow down what exactly I don't like in OS2.

[Maledict]

Don't play on max difficulty if you don't enjoy it.

[Roguey]

I've been replaying DOS 2 with two lone wolves (Fane and Sebille) on Explorer mode (the first time was on Classic), still having a good time in Reaper's Coast, but I was seething when I thought I could be clever and kill Alexandar in the ship so I wouldn't have to fight him later only for Malady to say "Uhhhh sorry sweetie, you didn't really kill him ." Bioware-style railroading

[Fitz]

Don't play on max difficulty if you don't enjoy it.

The difficulty is great. It's the time consumption around the combat and having to be picky with gear/builds that kills the momentum I've got going. The last fight at the end of Fort Joy with the big worm is so much fun on Tactician and so is the Blackpits Oil Rig fight, and part of what makes it so fun is that the difficulty makes it that the odds are stacked against me. It's the stuff in-between that makes me burn out and lose interest in finishing the story.

[rusty_shackleford]

I've been replaying DOS 2 with two lone wolves (Fane and Sebille) on Explorer mode (the first time was on Classic), still having a good time in Reaper's Coast, but I was seething when I thought I could be clever and kill Alexandar in the ship so I wouldn't have to fight him later only for Malady to say "Uhhhh sorry sweetie, you didn't really kill him ." Bioware-style railroading

iirc you can also attack him near the start right outside the gates.

[TKVNC]

I've been replaying DOS 2 with two lone wolves (Fane and Sebille) on Explorer mode (the first time was on Classic), still having a good time in Reaper's Coast, but I was seething when I thought I could be clever and kill Alexandar in the ship so I wouldn't have to fight him later only for Malady to say "Uhhhh sorry sweetie, you didn't really kill him ." Bioware-style railroading

iirc you can also attack him near the start right outside the gates.

You can't kill him at that time though.

[rusty_shackleford]

I've been replaying DOS 2 with two lone wolves (Fane and Sebille) on Explorer mode (the first time was on Classic), still having a good time in Reaper's Coast, but I was seething when I thought I could be clever and kill Alexandar in the ship so I wouldn't have to fight him later only for Malady to say "Uhhhh sorry sweetie, you didn't really kill him ." Bioware-style railroading

iirc you can also attack him near the start right outside the gates.

You can't kill him at that time though.

What happens?

[TKVNC]

iirc you can also attack him near the start right outside the gates.

You can't kill him at that time though.

What happens?

Alexander teleports away, and Dallis turns into a dragon

[rusty_shackleford]

You can't kill him at that time though.

What happens?

Alexander teleports away, and Dallis turns into a dragon

What if you kill him in one hit?

[TKVNC]

What happens?

Alexander teleports away, and Dallis turns into a dragon

What if you kill him in one hit?

I don't think you can. That is to say, I think he is actively unkillable before the fight after leaving the fort