This playthrough might be the best way to get me back into the channel. I am absolutely loving your enthusiasm and passion for the game. I am also kinda into seeing how someone plays differently than myself and the direction they choose to go with their class and potentially even with the other party members.
Verbal, Somatic, and Material are the different ways to cast spells. Verbal is spoken incantations, somatic is gestures and movements, and Material is items that are used to channel. Luckily that last thing doesn't seem to be in this game because it can get quite expensive. Like that material cost for resurrection? It starts at a diamond worth 300 gold for the cheapest and only works for the minutes dead, and goes to 20,000 I believe for True Resurrection which can resurrect anyone who died within the century I think. So yeah it really was a cost thing, not just class.
Really enjoyed this episode! Tactician mode is starting to show its teeth now. But I am with you - restarting a fight because a character died isn't save-scumming. Something about the fights in this episode felt VERY DnD to me, so Larian definitely succeeded in translating the feeling into gameplay. I want to start my own playthrough soon (very much NOT in Tactician mode, thanks 😄), but I haven't decided on a character yet. I really like how you made Vernac look, she's quite cute, and that hairstyle is definitely one of my faves.
I know that a lot of enemies in Tactician just have more abilities but I am interested to know if there are major changes to their stat blocks as well. Higher Armour Class and stuff. My guess would be yes. There are definitely some challenging fights I've run into past here. I'm gonna get my teeth kicked in several times before the end haha.
@@AnalogVernacular Yes, my impression from pre-release events was that Tactician mode is a multi-faceted enhancement to the difficulty level, so I think your guess is right. Haha I'm looking forward to seeing those fights, and how you end up negotiating them!
Something I learned that I should have been doing more is using my party members for different skill checks. My custom character doesn't have a high level of arcane? Switch to someone who does, like Gale, and try again.
loving this playthrough since i dont have a way to play myself im living vicariously through you lol! also yeah karmic dice seems weird to me and i dont love that its on by default
Don't think too much on it, it's a fine middle ground for not having a real human DM. DM's have the unique ability to read the table and see how someone is experiencing the game and they can help guide it towards a player having more fun by lowering DC's or improvising something new and unique to keep that person engaged. To me this is just that in a world where the DM can't be that flexible and I see no problem with it being in the game. Most games with percentages have a success/failure curve that you don't know about anyways. Fire Emblem often has done this.
Wow, an actual honest playthrough. Watch so many of these "tactician" playthroughs, and what i'm watching never correlate with my experiences. Like never. They always seem to hit, whilst the AI seem to miss. I always assumed i was the unluckiest player ever. Enemies either seemed to mostly save, save, save or you'd miss. Yet in some of these other YT vids, the AI seem to mostly miss, and the player has something like a 90% hit rate. I get some players are just good at the game, but 50/50 is 50/50, yet it seems they almost have a 100% chance of hitting. So i'm assuming a lot of them are edited.
Nah, Occam's Razor would say that the simple answer is probably the correct answer. Different builds, whether Karmic Dice is on or not (it's ON by default) and the nature of odds, and confirmation bias are all at play with the way you are experiencing those other playthroughs. Nobody is going to spend that much time editing their videos to try and hide some misses, it's simply unreasonable and highly unlikely. That's my opinion anyways. Glad you are ?enjoying? the playthrough though.
@@AnalogVernacular This is the first time I’ve started watching a Tactician playthrough of this game, so can’t comment on how easy it might be for someone to constantly edit out reloads(if they even bother to), but I’ve seen some players get extremely petty about save scumming - even saving every couple minutes right before they’re about to do literally anything “just in case” an encounter doesn’t go their way. I’ve found it becoming annoyingly common on the hardest difficulties in both the RTS and RPG genre.
Just want to point out you can bash down some doors (atleast my barbarian could). You have to overcome it's toughness to deal damage (same as the TTRPG I believe). It's an option when you don't want to use a thieves' tools. As for the deice, I turned off karmic dice when I started playing. I like the randomness (and I've been getting really lucky with my rolls thus far).
I find no pleasure in punishing end-ALL modes. I might consider the newer version they put out where they have all of the more powerful fights but without permadeath though. Permadeath just ain't my bag.
@@AnalogVernacular Understandable. Maybe the custom game where you can reload but still have the honor mode mechanics? I’m running one right now and would love to see how you combat some of these guys. Plan on binging your series here. 🫶🏼
I dont know if u explained it but does long resting do anything that screws u like in game quests or anything? Or is there a in game clock like u need to beat within 7 days or something
When the game came out nobody was sure on this. At this point we know that for the most part no. There are a few moments like when you are tasked with rescuing someone from a fire, if you long rest what would happen happens to them. Otherwise there is another moemnt where the game warns you with a cutscene and for the most part you progress the world state by going to new areas so if you see a popup entering a new area that is often the place where if you proceed certain things in the world will move on making some tasks (not all) incompletable). But longresting very rarely has a timer for in-game events.
There's definitely a place for it, some people watch LP's for the players reactions. For me I've always preferred the game be the main focus so since that's what I value that's what I create.
@@AnalogVernacularsure if it is horror game or a game which reaction matters but baldurs gate, nah... ty for reply, going to watch till the end, cheers
I hate Karmic Dice it feels weird to weigh the odds in any favor the fun is in the randomness and letting the dice fall where they may. I think the argument for it is IRL DM may fudge the numbers so the players don't lose interest/get frustrated or die to a random mob but I don't know if I like that being a thing in video games Karmic Dice was born because people were very unhappy without it in the EA. It being a choice is the happiest medium we can get but it been on by default is annoying especially if you aren't aware it's a thing As a Shadowheart simp I am happy to know you'll be keeping her too lol
Yes and no, most videogames you play with percentage chances use a weighted system, you just don't know it. Fire emblem's percentage system is a great example. It's basically a bell curve. I don't make any judgment on someone who wants it on or off. But the people who want it off are generally louder in discourse so I'll be leaving it off to quell their unmitigated angry fervor haha. There are many studies about human perception of percentage and people tend to get pretty annoyed when they continually miss 80% when the odds are presumably in their favor so games often cater to that because they want to please. Without a human DM to manage the table's mood and enjoyment this is a perfectly fine middle ground for achieving the same thing a DM might do to make the table have a good time.
I think it's good to have the option to be honest. I could understand the argument that it maybe should be off by default and not on as it is now. But otherwise i see no issue with it.
@@AnalogVernacular I definitely highly prefer "true random" where possible. But I 100% understand and believe I'm not the majority when I say that. I'm a poker player and stats guy, so I like being able to reliably make the "right" decisions without anything unknown happening in the background. Sometimes rolling that "1" 3-4 times in a row can be hilarious, and likewise hitting that nat 20 3-4 times in a row can be glorious. I accept the brutality and benevolence that is randomness.
Lol I think you got screwed starting that first fight. Ugh changing into a spider is gross. I'm very ok with you reloading fights, everythinghonestly, but definitely fights. So karmic dice keeps you from possibly losing/winning too much of rolls by altering the outcome? Interesting.
It's probably closer to how most games handle RNG. Fire Emblem technically has a bell curve on success and failures and lies a bit with it's percentage math. So Karmic is closer to what many videogames implement.
30:20 taking all their weapons your such troll. i dig it
Best Playthrough! Thanks for creating this content! :)
This playthrough might be the best way to get me back into the channel. I am absolutely loving your enthusiasm and passion for the game. I am also kinda into seeing how someone plays differently than myself and the direction they choose to go with their class and potentially even with the other party members.
Verbal, Somatic, and Material are the different ways to cast spells. Verbal is spoken incantations, somatic is gestures and movements, and Material is items that are used to channel. Luckily that last thing doesn't seem to be in this game because it can get quite expensive. Like that material cost for resurrection? It starts at a diamond worth 300 gold for the cheapest and only works for the minutes dead, and goes to 20,000 I believe for True Resurrection which can resurrect anyone who died within the century I think. So yeah it really was a cost thing, not just class.
I can't wait for episode 5!
Really enjoyed this episode! Tactician mode is starting to show its teeth now. But I am with you - restarting a fight because a character died isn't save-scumming. Something about the fights in this episode felt VERY DnD to me, so Larian definitely succeeded in translating the feeling into gameplay. I want to start my own playthrough soon (very much NOT in Tactician mode, thanks 😄), but I haven't decided on a character yet. I really like how you made Vernac look, she's quite cute, and that hairstyle is definitely one of my faves.
I know that a lot of enemies in Tactician just have more abilities but I am interested to know if there are major changes to their stat blocks as well. Higher Armour Class and stuff. My guess would be yes. There are definitely some challenging fights I've run into past here. I'm gonna get my teeth kicked in several times before the end haha.
@@AnalogVernacular Yes, my impression from pre-release events was that Tactician mode is a multi-faceted enhancement to the difficulty level, so I think your guess is right. Haha I'm looking forward to seeing those fights, and how you end up negotiating them!
Something I learned that I should have been doing more is using my party members for different skill checks. My custom character doesn't have a high level of arcane? Switch to someone who does, like Gale, and try again.
loving this playthrough since i dont have a way to play myself im living vicariously through you lol! also yeah karmic dice seems weird to me and i dont love that its on by default
Don't think too much on it, it's a fine middle ground for not having a real human DM. DM's have the unique ability to read the table and see how someone is experiencing the game and they can help guide it towards a player having more fun by lowering DC's or improvising something new and unique to keep that person engaged. To me this is just that in a world where the DM can't be that flexible and I see no problem with it being in the game. Most games with percentages have a success/failure curve that you don't know about anyways. Fire Emblem often has done this.
Wow, an actual honest playthrough. Watch so many of these "tactician" playthroughs, and what i'm watching never correlate with my experiences. Like never. They always seem to hit, whilst the AI seem to miss. I always assumed i was the unluckiest player ever. Enemies either seemed to mostly save, save, save or you'd miss. Yet in some of these other YT vids, the AI seem to mostly miss, and the player has something like a 90% hit rate. I get some players are just good at the game, but 50/50 is 50/50, yet it seems they almost have a 100% chance of hitting. So i'm assuming a lot of them are edited.
Nah, Occam's Razor would say that the simple answer is probably the correct answer. Different builds, whether Karmic Dice is on or not (it's ON by default) and the nature of odds, and confirmation bias are all at play with the way you are experiencing those other playthroughs. Nobody is going to spend that much time editing their videos to try and hide some misses, it's simply unreasonable and highly unlikely. That's my opinion anyways. Glad you are ?enjoying? the playthrough though.
@@AnalogVernacular This is the first time I’ve started watching a Tactician playthrough of this game, so can’t comment on how easy it might be for someone to constantly edit out reloads(if they even bother to), but I’ve seen some players get extremely petty about save scumming - even saving every couple minutes right before they’re about to do literally anything “just in case” an encounter doesn’t go their way. I’ve found it becoming annoyingly common on the hardest difficulties in both the RTS and RPG genre.
Just want to point out you can bash down some doors (atleast my barbarian could). You have to overcome it's toughness to deal damage (same as the TTRPG I believe). It's an option when you don't want to use a thieves' tools. As for the deice, I turned off karmic dice when I started playing. I like the randomness (and I've been getting really lucky with my rolls thus far).
I've left Karmic off since I realized it was on and I gotta say I need to get new digital dice cause mine are cursed haha.
I’d love to see you redo this on honor mode this go round!
I find no pleasure in punishing end-ALL modes. I might consider the newer version they put out where they have all of the more powerful fights but without permadeath though.
Permadeath just ain't my bag.
@@AnalogVernacular Understandable. Maybe the custom game where you can reload but still have the honor mode mechanics? I’m running one right now and would love to see how you combat some of these guys. Plan on binging your series here. 🫶🏼
That's exactly what I'm talking about ;)
@@AnalogVernacular Fantastic. I’d love to see it if you decide to. 😁
The immediate future will have Clair Obscur and Kingdom Come Deliverance II on the docket I don't expect room for a new run for some time yet.
That is wacky at the start. The DMs might not screwed this bad IF they intended it to.
And also I don't think Skeletons get blinded. How can they?
If we're using logic they shouldn't get up at all. Throw that logic out haha.
I dont know if u explained it but does long resting do anything that screws u like in game quests or anything? Or is there a in game clock like u need to beat within 7 days or something
When the game came out nobody was sure on this. At this point we know that for the most part no. There are a few moments like when you are tasked with rescuing someone from a fire, if you long rest what would happen happens to them. Otherwise there is another moemnt where the game warns you with a cutscene and for the most part you progress the world state by going to new areas so if you see a popup entering a new area that is often the place where if you proceed certain things in the world will move on making some tasks (not all) incompletable). But longresting very rarely has a timer for in-game events.
great walktrough. enjoyable, informative and thanks for not putting your face in lower corner of the screen (why they do that for god sake!?)
There's definitely a place for it, some people watch LP's for the players reactions. For me I've always preferred the game be the main focus so since that's what I value that's what I create.
@@AnalogVernacularsure if it is horror game or a game which reaction matters but baldurs gate, nah... ty for reply, going to watch till the end, cheers
I know this is late but save scum on fights is ok by me. 👍
I hate Karmic Dice it feels weird to weigh the odds in any favor the fun is in the randomness and letting the dice fall where they may. I think the argument for it is IRL DM may fudge the numbers so the players don't lose interest/get frustrated or die to a random mob but I don't know if I like that being a thing in video games Karmic Dice was born because people were very unhappy without it in the EA. It being a choice is the happiest medium we can get but it been on by default is annoying especially if you aren't aware it's a thing
As a Shadowheart simp I am happy to know you'll be keeping her too lol
Yes and no, most videogames you play with percentage chances use a weighted system, you just don't know it. Fire emblem's percentage system is a great example. It's basically a bell curve. I don't make any judgment on someone who wants it on or off. But the people who want it off are generally louder in discourse so I'll be leaving it off to quell their unmitigated angry fervor haha. There are many studies about human perception of percentage and people tend to get pretty annoyed when they continually miss 80% when the odds are presumably in their favor so games often cater to that because they want to please. Without a human DM to manage the table's mood and enjoyment this is a perfectly fine middle ground for achieving the same thing a DM might do to make the table have a good time.
I think it's good to have the option to be honest. I could understand the argument that it maybe should be off by default and not on as it is now. But otherwise i see no issue with it.
@@AnalogVernacular I definitely highly prefer "true random" where possible. But I 100% understand and believe I'm not the majority when I say that. I'm a poker player and stats guy, so I like being able to reliably make the "right" decisions without anything unknown happening in the background.
Sometimes rolling that "1" 3-4 times in a row can be hilarious, and likewise hitting that nat 20 3-4 times in a row can be glorious. I accept the brutality and benevolence that is randomness.
Lol I think you got screwed starting that first fight. Ugh changing into a spider is gross. I'm very ok with you reloading fights, everythinghonestly, but definitely fights. So karmic dice keeps you from possibly losing/winning too much of rolls by altering the outcome? Interesting.
It's probably closer to how most games handle RNG. Fire Emblem technically has a bell curve on success and failures and lies a bit with it's percentage math. So Karmic is closer to what many videogames implement.