Final act beta! SOTW 1.0

[jack1974]

I think the tweak can work only for certain battles, maybe the ones that were too long, like the slaves, but not in general as "always on"
I'm going to keep doing changes to the game but will be careful since I don't want to break anything. I've just uploaded it on my site live! scary stuff!

[fabulaparva]

I'm going to keep doing changes to the game but will be careful since I don't want to break anything. I've just uploaded it on my site live! scary stuff!

Oooh! Good Luck and Happy Halloween!

[jack1974]

Thanks still keeping it in "soft release" mode so it shows on the site but I'll wait to put a big banner. I'll probably wait mid-November and then release it officially and increase price
BTW in the live version I tweaked the slaves fight a bit (not with Troyen exact values but very close, I was afraid to make it too difficult).

[fabulaparva]

General comments (that obviously require no action, just babbling here) after playing mob fights (bar + Dingirran archers, swordsmen and lancers + Ardin ... these guys don't heal so none of that silly potion-action ) ) in Jariel's memory crystal quest (still early act 2, played in Hard and Nightmare, both D/H and H/R combos):

1) Since the tweaks are in percentages, the effect on the enemies is hardly noticeable between the default and the +10% option at this stage of the game.
2) +30% option makes all prep work futile during a fight...their defense and HP are low enough to make just going at them a better option than allowing them any extra turns to take your HP down too much while you just stand preparing.
3) +20/+30% didn't feel like was harder than before, nor did I feel more threatened because of their attack power..I've had some of my crew members [ko] plenty before. If anything, being able to take down enemies (especially from backrow) that do not heal/resurrect fast makes the fights only faster and easier, not faster and harder/same difficulty
4) I have a strong suspicion that especially this +30% option (but maybe with later enemies also the 10/20% options) will make the Restless trait very lucrative in the long run, because it'll allow you to cope better with the increased dmg they do on you between the battles while they simultaneously go down quicker.

Anyway, I'll see if any of these observations will be applicable at all to later fights (Steam tunnels, Rowinda's undead in Act 2).

[jack1974]

Yes probably the effects will be more noticeable in act3, in particular the HP one But indeed the goal is not to change the difficulty which is fine, but try to shorter SOME battles while keeping (more or less) the same difficulty.

[oberonblu]

I checked in last night and was thrilled to see the last Act available. :D

I'm enjoying it so far, but I noticed a bug. In combat, I'm selecting Major Mana and Health Potions, but sometimes I get the animation and (I think) boost from Minor Mana Potions (which I don't have any of).

Also, as I'm posting, something else was on my mind throughout the playthrough so far. In Loren, we could charge back up with potions outside of combat. I read some of the dev notes and threads on the new mana system. I'd love to be able to recharge after combat before starting the next fight. Last night, I was in really rough shape after 2 simultaneous fights in the second desert area. I was going to rest in camp... but no camp. I headed into the next area, intending to rest at camp, but then there's the minotaur. Unfortunately, I saved just before the minotaur fight... which I'm too low on everything to have any hope of winning. I was overwriting my incremental saves in the desert as it all seemed like grinding. I didn't want to grind through it all, again, so I had to run from the minotaur. Even before, I didn't see an in-game/realistic reason someone can't drink a potion outside of combat.

Minor things! I've enjoyed so far and am happy to continue!

[jack1974]

Yes for the potions I used two generic potion animations, will check that.
Actually in Loren you can't use the potions, you are simply healed after each combat except some scenes, so basically the opposite of this game! in the desert area in act4 you can do the camp until the last day.
I guess I can add some autohealing before those battles like the minotaur though.