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[umiman]

The voice acting is just pretty bad in general. Especially compared to how good it used to be for Obsidian games.

[Kanil]

NWN2 with it's dozens of voices for your character vs this with five and the two genders don't even have different lines...

[Sergius]

Ok, so the min-maxer in me already has planned how to replay the game to maximize rewards or whatever.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

1) I'm going to rush the Stronghold so that I can get as many followers as possible while completing the minimal amount of quests (and leveling up, maybe... companions just show up leveled as you are, or do they always start at the same level? if we share XP, does that mean it's more efficient to find them already leveled up? it's a trade-off with control of Talents/skills tho)
2) I'll probably make a Rogue from the beginning, it's after all one of the classes that don't have premades. However, Mechanical skill for traps and doors can be learned by any class so meh. At least this way I'll have a complete party pre-stronghold.
3) I'm going to upgrade my stronghold as early as possible to get the most amount of taxes, since tax "periods" depend not on days elapsed but amount of quests completed (not sure if side-quests or just main-quest).
4) Some other stuff that I forgot.

[thegoatgod_pan]

The voice acting is just pretty bad in general. Especially compared to how good it used to be for Obsidian games.

I think the main character voices are actually straight from BG, unchanged for nostalgia, I guess, I always only found the "stoic" voice likeable.

And it is funny that shadows are coming up: the SomethingAwful thread (which is somehow hundreds of pages long already) is RAAAAAGING about the shadows as an utter violation of the games' vaunted combat design: their teleporting totally ignores engagement.  Focus firing them+Durance buffing and burning them, works for me, but I am playing on normal.

Ok, so the min-maxer in me already has planned how to replay the game to maximize rewards or whatever.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

1) I'm going to rush the Stronghold so that I can get as many followers as possible while completing the minimal amount of quests (and leveling up, maybe... companions just show up leveled as you are, or do they always start at the same level? if we share XP, does that mean it's more efficient to find them already leveled up? it's a trade-off with control of Talents/skills tho)
2) I'll probably make a Rogue from the beginning, it's after all one of the classes that don't have premades. However, Mechanical skill for traps and doors can be learned by any class so meh. At least this way I'll have a complete party pre-stronghold.
3) I'm going to upgrade my stronghold as early as possible to get the most amount of taxes, since tax "periods" depend not on days elapsed but amount of quests completed (not sure if side-quests or just main-quest).
4) Some other stuff that I forgot.

I restarted Min maxing:
Godborn Cypher from Deadfire Archipelago (not for the points, for roleplay: wanted to be a fur-clad nature godlike, so its for the outfit, not the +1 int or str I probably should have taken. Still it is totally overkill anyway )
Might: 18 Con: 3 Dex 18 Per 10 Int 19  Res 10

Con is laughably useless, my old char was also cipher had like 12 in it, and lower might and dex, and the game was harder by a mile. Now I am blasting through it all, still get close brushes, but much less wipes. Finding caches left and right, and a few areas/quests I missed, no regrets on restart.  Always sneaking+ high speed is great for exploration, evens out to a normal walking speed and catching all the secret stashes.

Cipher+gun=nice. Cipher+enchanted blunderbuss=ridiculously funny. Like the downside to running out of points to blow people up with, is blowing people up with your psychically charged scatter shotgun.

[Sergius]

Agreed, it seems that the only stats that really matter are Might, Dexterity and Intellect, the last one for spells with duration and AoE). Some classes probably don't need Int (Rogue?) can substitute for Perception for better... dodging?

I wonder how much they actually playtested their custom ruleset. That's the disadvantage of making your own vs. licensing, you have to do the legwork to make sure it works.

EDIT: Right now I'm playing a Ranger with Ruffian focus and fighting with a blunderbuss (and sometimes sabre). Actually, I give all my characters ranged weapons... the Fighter has the arbalest thing and he switches to melee after the first volley. Normally I always down the first enemy I see in the first massed-fire volley.

I LOVE watching people reload their black powder weapons and rewind their giant crossbows, and that they're able to do that between fights. I wish there was some sort of auto-switching tho.

[thegoatgod_pan]

Agreed, it seems that the only stats that really matter are Might, Dexterity and Intellect, the last one for spells with duration and AoE). Some classes probably don't need Int (Rogue?) can substitute for Perception for better... dodging?

I wonder how much they actually playtested their custom ruleset. That's the disadvantage of making your own vs. licensing, you have to do the legwork to make sure it works.

It was a neat idea, but it ended up more schematic that Dnd with Wizards and Barbarians basically indistinguishable as far as individual characteristic go: both are muscle-bound geniuses, while rogues are obviously the in-universe lovable hulking idiots: they get CON+INT as dump stats (entirely agree with you: nothing rogues do well uses duration or AoE), meaning you can safely go through the game as a RES 18 or PER 18 character, enjoying all the extra conversation options.

I do love the image of super-intelligent Barbarians punching people so intelligently that they also manage to punch everyone else in the room (suck it, monk) except their friends, of course (suck it, wizard)

Not that I am complaining, still a fun system to toy around with.  The degree to which the companions are badly built is pretty sad though. I suppose the "true" playthrough partially involves babysitting the interesting and amusing losers the game gives you for company. The Druid has no Int, but a ton of Con. The Mage has no Might but plenty of Dex. The Ranger has really, really good perception, but not strength, so she'll dodge almost anything in that back line, but won't hurt much with her bow (thank god for guns)

I am viewing them as friends I keep along for the company, rather than their competence.

Except for the fox Ituumak, god does that thing pulls its' weight. I keep its' owner around for the strategic benefit of that cute fucker.  It is a kiting machine, it lets Kana start chanting like 5 minutes before combat starts and with the rime footfall chant also freezes the poor bastards trying to chase it, and they get a face full of skeletons when they reach the target.   Not losing the enemies to fog of war is the true challenge, but I still like the image

[Retropunch]

Whilst the discussion on user-content is mostly over, and the last thing I want to do is fan any flames, I will say that I actually quite liked seeing the graveyard in etherwood(or something like that?). Obviously some of those memorials were to people that had passed away, and I can't think of a nicer tribute to a gamer that passed away than getting them immortalized in a very, very good game.

Lastly, it's an adult game with adult themes - violent racism is a big part of the Witcher and no one starts extrapolating from that. You play a mature game, you get mature content. What if the Obsidian writers had put something like that in? If they'd put a story about that in their usual twisted way (remember planescape torment?!) everyone would think that it was super gritty and dark.

[Sergius]

I would have removed stats completely. If you're a Ranger, you should do Ranger stuff competently, I would think, same for Mage or Rogue.

Or remove all combat mechanics from stats completely and let them work for scripted events, dialogue... maybe skill bonus, I dunno.

I don't like much the alternatives. D&D stats are flawed in their own way: Int, Wis and Cha are all "dump stats", except you need them because you're a class that needs them, not because they do anything desirable for that class. It's in the class description that "Clerics with more Wis get more spells" or whatever. But that's specific to that class, the "generic" advantage of Wisdom is better Will saves. Meh. Str, Dex and Con are the only "stats for everyone" (Str less if you don't plan to melee), but that classes with requirements have to sacrifice just because. In the end, all warrior classes end up with those 3 stats, all mages have to minmax their required stat while trying to still be survivable, and Rogues are the only ones that really care about Int to get better skills.

They tried to fix that, but yeah made Intellect the "spell coverage" stat. I would have just named it differently and having no bearing on actual IQ. Like... uh, Power? Or something. The Schwartz. Then call Dexterity "Aim" and Perception "Dodginess". Might is alright IMO, it doesn't say "physical strength", literally. But still, most of those stats give doubtful benefits.

[Biowraith]

Ok, so the min-maxer in me already has planned how to replay the game to maximize rewards or whatever.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

1) I'm going to rush the Stronghold so that I can get as many followers as possible while completing the minimal amount of quests (and leveling up, maybe... companions just show up leveled as you are, or do they always start at the same level? if we share XP, does that mean it's more efficient to find them already leveled up? it's a trade-off with control of Talents/skills tho)

Fwiw, I've just re-started to do this and the followers do start at your current level.  I'm not sure which is more efficient with regards XP sharing - I suppose that depends whether you would have filled out with adventurers to make combats easier otherwise.  I had 4 of them by level 2 doing this, and another 2 by level 3 (I could get another at level 3, not sure about the last one).

[Morrigi]

Whilst the discussion on user-content is mostly over, and the last thing I want to do is fan any flames, I will say that I actually quite liked seeing the graveyard in etherwood(or something like that?). Obviously some of those memorials were to people that had passed away, and I can't think of a nicer tribute to a gamer that passed away than getting them immortalized in a very, very good game.

Lastly, it's an adult game with adult themes - violent racism is a big part of the Witcher and no one starts extrapolating from that. You play a mature game, you get mature content. What if the Obsidian writers had put something like that in? If they'd put a story about that in their usual twisted way (remember planescape torment?!) everyone would think that it was super gritty and dark.

I think there actually was quite a bit of fuss over The Witcher 2, but the devs made it very clear that they didn't give a damn, and that was that.

[thegoatgod_pan]

Whilst the discussion on user-content is mostly over, and the last thing I want to do is fan any flames, I will say that I actually quite liked seeing the graveyard in etherwood(or something like that?). Obviously some of those memorials were to people that had passed away, and I can't think of a nicer tribute to a gamer that passed away than getting them immortalized in a very, very good game.

Lastly, it's an adult game with adult themes - violent racism is a big part of the Witcher and no one starts extrapolating from that. You play a mature game, you get mature content. What if the Obsidian writers had put something like that in? If they'd put a story about that in their usual twisted way (remember planescape torment?!) everyone would think that it was super gritty and dark.

I think there actually was quite a bit of fuss over The Witcher 2, but the devs made it very clear that they didn't give a damn, and that was that.

and there is an enormous difference between the Devs adding something problematic and then standing for it or not, and the Devs allowing random assholes to write iffy semi-content.

The "dark universe" argument is the same as saying "my character would do it" after doing something grossly unpleasant in a table top pen-and-peper rpg and seeing a table full of disquieted stares.

I'm not saying all the fan stuff is awful 90% of it is totally innocent/nice/lame without being offensive. It is the 10% that spoil the pot.

[majikero]

Going back on that content means a breach of their kickstarter promises. Which will kick up a bigger stink from the people who supported you all the way.

[Hanzoku]

I've played the first hour two (up to exploring the first town, at least), and overall I have to say I'm not too fond of the Cipher as a combat character. Maybe I'm playing him wrong, but it seems mostly like a supporting debuff class that is best handed a ranged weapon and told to stay out of trouble. I've also completely avoided playing mages, since everyone was saying that most of their spells were too difficult to cast if you want to avoid smacking your own buddies.

What's good for getting into melee and smacking things around? Just handing a fighter a two-handed weapon of some form and the highest resistance armor you can find?

I also have to say that while I don't mind that the game is unforgiving on combat per se, getting one-shot by the bear in the forest or by the wisps in the ruined church gets annoying. I was toying with having to write a list of 'make sure to come back here when I have a fully party' areas, as the idea of leaving enemies alive and unlooted is anathema to me.

[thegoatgod_pan]

I've played the first hour two (up to exploring the first town, at least), and overall I have to say I'm not too fond of the Cipher as a combat character. Maybe I'm playing him wrong, but it seems mostly like a supporting debuff class that is best handed a ranged weapon and told to stay out of trouble. I've also completely avoided playing mages, since everyone was saying that most of their spells were too difficult to cast if you want to avoid smacking your own buddies.

What's good for getting into melee and smacking things around? Just handing a fighter a two-handed weapon of some form and the highest resistance armor you can find?

I also have to say that while I don't mind that the game is unforgiving on combat per se, getting one-shot by the bear in the forest or by the wisps in the ruined church gets annoying. I was toying with having to write a list of 'make sure to come back here when I have a fully party' areas, as the idea of leaving enemies alive and unlooted is anathema to me.

Cipher is better at range and it is a primary debuffer (no one ever seems to resist the major hold person/stop others spell) and a massive damage dealer with lots of AoE with no friendly fire.

For melee smacking: Barbarians have the fun AoE melee attack and Rogues have the best single target damage and both have movement shenanigans. Also monks are cool, if a little challenging.

Don't come back with a full party: make the full party you want and swap out characters for the ones you meet. No reason to run around with a skeleton crew when hireling are cheap and effective.

[Hanzoku]

Yeah, but new level 1 hirelings are 250 a pop. I didn't realize that the stash was effectively unlimited storage, so I wasn't looting everything in sight, but even if I had, I probably wouldn't have enough to buy a full party straight away.