Why is every single combat encounter in this game Deadly? If this was actual tabletop every encounter would be considered way too tough for the party

[Ancient Toaster]

I just don't understand the mentality of having all of these ridiculously hard combat encounters one after the other. It's like you basically need to long rest every combat to get anything done.

[wulfster42]

This game is based on 5e and even if you are just playing on normal difficulty, you are going to have the same problem new characters in 5e usually have. in fact, they helped avoid the biggest issues by giving you max health at first level and a few other minor tweaks (+2 to any stat, +1 to another etc).

Unlike many rpgs, even other dnd based ones, you generally start off the weakest (Especially as a spellcaster), even 1 or two levels makes a huge difference. Often in table top 5e games we would start everyone at 2 or even 3 to avoid the whole (you have 6 hp, and a wolf farts on you so you die) situation. Dieing to wolf farts is never fun.

In addition this is an open world game, which means you can encounter fights that are more difficult or even not meant for you yet. Even those fights can be dominated with tactics though. Part of the problem you may be having is not being used to this combat system (which is similar to the one in Divinity OS 2 etc), you can use objects, positioning etc to make fights WAY easier. You can stealth and get sneak attack/surprise attacks in (giving you free attacks before combat even starts).

The bandits at the chapel for instance can be difficulty if you just charge into the fight (and really hard if you fall through the trap the first time like I did!!). If you use tactics though, stealth in and surprise the person on the stairs to the left, and then shoot the rope to drop something on the two down below, the fight becomes insanely easy, even with only 1 character (while just charging in with 3 or 4...could still get your whole party wiped!!).

So there is a learning curve to how to use tactics in this game, positioning etc. Then of course there is how you actually build your characters and which companions you have (also if you start a solo game here, at first you may only have 2 or 3 total characters you are commanding. You can get to the chapel fight for instance with only 2 characters (even only 1 if you didn't do something earlier), which would obviously make it way more difficult.

After the very early game though, you can pretty much always have 4 characters which makes all the fights far easier. You also can eventually get the right equipment for your build, which you might not have initially, the best armor to wear based on your dex etc, and even magical items that make you stronger.

Basically the game can be hard just starting off, and honestly they should have created more of a tutorial area before throwing new people to the wolves (literally depending on where you go). You could have just had as part of the tutorial directions to head south ish instead of n ish along the beach (a bit of an inlet or something) that leads you to a bunch of easy/small battles that teach basic tactics, how to use items, how to block paths, how to stealth etc. Culminate all that with a semi-difficult boss fight that gives an item that will also help you in the future, and probably enough experience all together throught the area to get your characters to level 3 (if you killed both of the big guys on the ship at least).

As a long term player of these games, and having played DOS2 many times etc, I started on normal difficulty and have not had any problems so far, so it's mostly just a learning curve for new players that is the problem.

[srmacpherson]

Opprinnelig skrevet av Mixer:

play on storymode difficulty, playing on tactican right away is just silly

I've started on tactician mode with all my characters. It's pretty fair. I've had to reload a few times, though. :-D

[xagon2014]

Combat being deadly is a tradition of this series. In my playthrough of BG2 back in the day I had to really think about every single action I took during combat because, indeed, every single encounter was deadly. And in BG1 I had to sometimes run from random creatures like wolves because my level 1 wizard had used their single spell they could use per day and my fighters would keep missing most of their attacks.

[Lurnaezel]

Opprinnelig skrevet av AncientToaster:

Opprinnelig skrevet av cookie!:

What difficulty are you playing on? Is this your first D&D/Pathfinder type game?

No, it's not. I have played 5E tabletop since 2014. I've played the original BG games many times over. I am not a newb when it comes to this kind of game

"I am not a newb, i'm just struggling on easy content"

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

[krunjar]

Because that makes beating it fun?

There's nothing I've encountered that I'm expected to beat that I can't with some mild brain activity.

[RhodosGuard]

Opprinnelig skrevet av wulfster42:

This game is based on 5e and even if you are just playing on normal difficulty, you are going to have the same problem new characters in 5e usually have. in fact, they helped avoid the biggest issues by giving you max health at first level and a few other minor tweaks (+2 to any stat, +1 to another etc).

Unlike many rpgs, even other dnd based ones, you generally start off the weakest (Especially as a spellcaster), even 1 or two levels makes a huge difference. Often in table top 5e games we would start everyone at 2 or even 3 to avoid the whole (you have 6 hp, and a wolf farts on you so you die) situation. Dieing to wolf farts is never fun.

In addition this is an open world game, which means you can encounter fights that are more difficult or even not meant for you yet. Even those fights can be dominated with tactics though. Part of the problem you may be having is not being used to this combat system (which is similar to the one in Divinity OS 2 etc), you can use objects, positioning etc to make fights WAY easier. You can stealth and get sneak attack/surprise attacks in (giving you free attacks before combat even starts).

The bandits at the chapel for instance can be difficulty if you just charge into the fight (and really hard if you fall through the trap the first time like I did!!). If you use tactics though, stealth in and surprise the person on the stairs to the left, and then shoot the rope to drop something on the two down below, the fight becomes insanely easy, even with only 1 character (while just charging in with 3 or 4...could still get your whole party wiped!!).

So there is a learning curve to how to use tactics in this game, positioning etc. Then of course there is how you actually build your characters and which companions you have (also if you start a solo game here, at first you may only have 2 or 3 total characters you are commanding. You can get to the chapel fight for instance with only 2 characters (even only 1 if you didn't do something earlier), which would obviously make it way more difficult.

After the very early game though, you can pretty much always have 4 characters which makes all the fights far easier. You also can eventually get the right equipment for your build, which you might not have initially, the best armor to wear based on your dex etc, and even magical items that make you stronger.

Basically the game can be hard just starting off, and honestly they should have created more of a tutorial area before throwing new people to the wolves (literally depending on where you go). You could have just had as part of the tutorial directions to head south ish instead of n ish along the beach (a bit of an inlet or something) that leads you to a bunch of easy/small battles that teach basic tactics, how to use items, how to block paths, how to stealth etc. Culminate all that with a semi-difficult boss fight that gives an item that will also help you in the future, and probably enough experience all together throught the area to get your characters to level 3 (if you killed both of the big guys on the ship at least).

As a long term player of these games, and having played DOS2 many times etc, I started on normal difficulty and have not had any problems so far, so it's mostly just a learning curve for new players that is the problem.

That's not tactics, that's meta gaming and knowing enemy setups.
A new player can't "tactic" their way out of the gnoll fight if they just happen unto it on level 3 just by exploring and succeeding the persuasion with the Goblins,

A whole lot of this comes down to metagaming. There was a comment about this earlier that explained quite well why it is that way.

Also saying "It's really easy to get to level 3 if you killed all the Cambions and Zhalk on the Nautiloid is a moutful, because even killing Zhalk on his own can be difficult unless you specifically ignore the active task, that both your companions and the Mind flayer give you, namely to get to the transponder.
Of course people will naturally try to kill Zhalk, but how many new players will die to Zhalk 1,2 3 times and not just say "♥♥♥♥ it, im doing what yellow lady is telling me"

This is all a hindsight thing.

In hindsight, if I do all the easy encounters first, complete all the quests with manageable enemies, and rush to level 5, most of these encounters probably will be easy.
But new players are, just by default, not gonna do that, and people who played the EA maybe dont want to do that.

[FreshRevenge]

Opprinnelig skrevet av Zarquon:

Opprinnelig skrevet av FreshRevenge:

I was having problems with the Githyanki patrol. I went over there at level 3 and was dying before I could even take a turn. I went back to it at level 4 and had some items that helped but still the whole fight was so unfair.

They have like 3 archers and two barbarians I think. They all take turns and two of them do this ground pound like 4 times hitting your character killing you almost alright. I basically got lucky on beating it. The AI finally played dumbed and I had an advantage at last.

They definitely need to tone that a bit.

They are level 5. if you can reload and leave them till you are level 5 i promise you will have no issues. You can also destroy the ladders and snipe them

Maybe on my next playthrough. I had some new items like these gloves that deflects missiles. And a few spells that have spinning blades.

I didn't think about destroying the ladders. Two of them can teleport to you. I had two of my other characters in stealth on the bridge to do a surprise attack on the barbarians, I forget their names.

[Twinksplitter]

My big issue is that there's no real way to really break an enemy's tunnel vision on, say, Gale. Let me give you an example here. Normal difficulty, for reference.

I just got done with the fight with the hyenas over the broken bridge, and hey, it went great, I killed the hyenas on the ground, nearly killed the one running for help, but wiffed the last killshot, and drew in the four gnolls at the top of the hill. I dropped a grease spell on the slope down to me, knocking both melee gnolls on their ass as well as the hyena, letting Astarion get some nice sneak attacks in. Then I tossed alchemist's fire on the grease for further damage. No biggie, right? Both melee gnolls went down after another turn with my fighter PC and Shadowheart hitting them in melee, one archer got caught in the firebomb blast and was finished by Astarion's bow... then the last archer decided to remove Gale from the equation, despite the only thing he did that entire fight was cast a single grease spell, and toss a couple firebolts at the bloated hyenas.

And by remove Gale, I mean, multiattack to death in a single turn. Astarion helped him up, Shadowheart healed him, and I moved my PC up into melee with the archer, followed by Shadowheart. Gale's at like 6HP, at the bottom of the hill, with the low ground debuff, and there's two melee characters threatening this archer. He multiattacks Gale again. Gale goes down. Astarion helps Gale back up, and I start running Gale down the road because I know what the AI is trying to do is trigger failed death saves with multiattack and I would like to avoid that.

So again, just to recap, this gnoll archer is flanked by a cleric and a fighter, there's a rogue with a bow and a knife one single jump away from being in melee with him, and this 1HP wizard booking it down the road AWAY from the fight as fast as possible. He multiattacks Gale again. Astarion helps Gale up. The melee lasses whack the archer again. He multiattacks Gale again. I don't pull Gale back up in the hopes of adding Astarion's damage to end the fight. He whiffs. Gnoll hits Gale again. Gale fails his last death save and is killed.

So what, exactly, was I supposed to do differently there? How was I supposed to prevent Gale from ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ dying? I did *literally* everything in my power to distract, block, or otherwise stop that from happening. I tried shoving him to the ground. He stood back up and attacked Gale. I moved Gale away. He chased. It's ludicrous the way the AI will just suddenly go "oh hey nice revive scroll, ♥♥♥♥ you, die."

I thought Wrath of the Righteous was bad with the way it turns into "nuke in one turn or get nuked in one turn". BG3 seems to start there and stay there and I can't say I'm a fan.

[Dagný]

Opprinnelig skrevet av Zarquon:

Opprinnelig skrevet av FreshRevenge:

I was having problems with the Githyanki patrol. I went over there at level 3 and was dying before I could even take a turn. I went back to it at level 4 and had some items that helped but still the whole fight was so unfair.

They have like 3 archers and two barbarians I think. They all take turns and two of them do this ground pound like 4 times hitting your character killing you almost alright. I basically got lucky on beating it. The AI finally played dumbed and I had an advantage at last.

They definitely need to tone that a bit.

They are level 5. if you can reload and leave them till you are level 5 i promise you will have no issues. You can also destroy the ladders and snipe them

Is this how we have to play? not engage when a group of enemies are 1 level above?

[Lamon]

I don't know how you guys are so good. I am level 4 just fought a goblin who attacked twice and then threw a grenade that killed gale/shadowheart and my animal companion. Then later i was fighting gnolls who could shoot 3 times. If this is easy then either you got super lucky because some of these groups can wipe your party in one round.

[Zoid13]

OP sounds like a game Journalist

[Kai]

I think they intend you to make use of those free actions you get at the end of turns and such, like Jump, Dash, Shove, Dip, Throw, Grab, and Hide. They tend to be busted on a technical level, especially throwing when you can stack a tower of boxes and throw stuff to do 1 extra damage for every height difference.

Where as Original Sin 2 had telekinesis to throw things to hurt enemies, you can do similar things here.

Remember that in D&D games like these, the AI are a bit simplistic and ALWAYS goes for the target that is the highest chances for them to kill, and easiest threat to eliminate.
Meaning they go for whomever can take the highest damage or least able to dodge them, even if it means taking hits to run across the map, because enemy AI are 'disposable' and there's multiple of them versus your party.

[Dagný]

Opprinnelig skrevet av Lamon:

I don't know how you guys are so good. I am level 4 just fought a goblin who attacked twice and then threw a grenade that killed gale/shadowheart and my animal companion. Then later i was fighting gnolls who could shoot 3 times. If this is easy then either you got super lucky because some of these groups can wipe your party in one round.

I'm getting dark souls vibes here to be honest. I just can't see the "skill issue" problem. I am level 3, found a bunch of lv 4 gnolls (and 1 lv 5) right after karlach's 1st side quest (which was ok btw) and suddenly it was 11 against 4 with some of them being able to shoot 3 arrows that almost never miss. I try to put some distance and they all dash after me, I can't even escape.
I'll keep insisting with the game but whenever I fight a group of enemies 1 level above mine without some barrels to explode them I get easily destroyed

[G Willikers]

Opprinnelig skrevet av AncientToaster:

Opprinnelig skrevet av cookie!:

What difficulty are you playing on? Is this your first D&D/Pathfinder type game?

No, it's not. I have played 5E tabletop since 2014. I've played the original BG games many times over. I am not a newb when it comes to this kind of game

The combat feels like a video game first before a tabletop rpg even with turn based mechanics, and player party is very squishy for the first few levels.

It kind of feels like Larian was so taken with how many approaches to fighting there are they didn’t really consider some people just prefer bashing on things until they stop moving, leaving that part of the game woefully underpowered. Not unplayably so though

[Kai]

Opprinnelig skrevet av Dahlia Hawthorne:

Opprinnelig skrevet av Lamon:

I don't know how you guys are so good. I am level 4 just fought a goblin who attacked twice and then threw a grenade that killed gale/shadowheart and my animal companion. Then later i was fighting gnolls who could shoot 3 times. If this is easy then either you got super lucky because some of these groups can wipe your party in one round.

I'm getting dark souls vibes here to be honest. I just can't see the "skill issue" problem. I am level 3, found a bunch of lv 4 gnolls (and 1 lv 5) right after karlach's 1st side quest (which was ok btw) and suddenly it was 11 against 4 with some of them being able to shoot 3 arrows that almost never miss. I try to put some distance and they all dash after me, I can't even escape.
I'll keep insisting with the game but whenever I fight a group of enemies 1 level above mine without some barrels to explode them I get easily destroyed

I also think that enemies might be scaled up a lot higher in this game versus their last, like in Original Sin 2, where you can steadily grind EXP off of them on the map before continuing on the campaign.

In this one, the entire map is apparently 'free to roam' even for multiplayer, meaning you can end up screwing yourself over going to dangerous places.

It's less 'Statistical' RPG as in having better stats = win.
It's more 'tactical' RPG as in enemies will always exploit any opportunities or tricks they know.