Tactician difficulty without the loaded dice

[Seleck]

Could we get a tactician mode that doesn't have a loaded dice? Alternatively, if we could have customizable difficulty settings that would be even better? I've always found the approach of enhancing difficulty by beefing up AI stats a bit one-dimensional. Instead, why not tap into the game's existing rules for crafting more challenging encounters? How about granting enemies access to more spells, superior gear, enhanced proficiencies, or even introducing more foes or increasing enemy levels? Giving the AI a loaded dice for the sake of it doesn't feel good, I do love that all melee enemies get done sort of range attack, that's what I want to see more of instead

[Zygfryd]

How is the +2 they get now different from one they'd get from superior gear or "enhanced proficiencies"?

Anyway, I also noticed some enemies you always have disadvantage on ranged attacks against on Tactician.

But the AI is dumb as a brick, it'll use random items/spells just because they're there to no tactical benefit. And improving AI isn't a small change.

Adding more enemies would be laborious, because it requires manual placement of the new units in a lot of instances, but it's an approach I also prefer to inflating HP pools.

[Seleck]

Originally posted by Zygfryd:

How is the +2 they get now different from one they'd get from superior gear or "enhanced proficiencies"?

Anyway, I also noticed some enemies you always have disadvantage on ranged attacks against on Tactician.

But the AI is dumb as a brick, it'll use random items/spells just because they're there to no tactical benefit. And improving AI isn't a small change.

I have seen up to +5 from tactician I don't know if it goes any higher, because then it would make sense as to why that number is there rather that just because

[Jack Sparrow]

Even with loaded dice there are very few fights in the game that are difficult on tactician if you are building your characters right.

[Seleck]

Originally posted by Longdick Johnson:

Even with loaded dice there are very few fights in the game that are difficult on tactician if you are building your characters right.

I'm not saying it's too difficult or impossible, I have done all the way to the end of act 2 in tactician, I'm saying I don't like the loaded dice mechanic, it feels cheap when the enemy lands one hit after another over and over because of the loaded dice, I don't like game mechanics that encourage players to find cheese strategies

[Recjawjind]

Originally posted by Longdick Johnson:

Even with loaded dice there are very few fights in the game that are difficult on tactician if you are building your characters right.

You mean none after level 5?
Other than keeping isobel alive I suppose.

[Seleck]

Originally posted by Recjawjind:

Originally posted by Longdick Johnson:

Even with loaded dice there are very few fights in the game that are difficult on tactician if you are building your characters right.

You mean none after level 5?
Other than keeping isobel alive I suppose.

That's a good one, Isobel didn't stood a chance, she died on the first round of combat, I couldn't even move

[Tomas Mac Mordain]

The AI works differently in tactician, and the enemy loadouts are different.

Try making it out of the nautiloid on both difficulties and see what the difference is with the fight against the little brains in the wreckage.

On tactician the AI does marginally smarter things like hit'n'hide tactics. It also sometimes refuses to just run through AoEs at choke points, just opting to waiting a turn instead.

The enemies do have some additional HP (you'll notice when you realize that lvl1 'sleep' gets less useful much earlier into the run), and the to-hit chances are lower for you. They occasionally get additional resistances from the difficulty level. Or skills (usually translates to additional damage).

So you'll have to be somewhat smarter to counter these things in tactician, and at low levels when your hit chance sucks it's extra meh. You'll outlevel the disadvantages though. And you'll compensate with smarter tactics.

When first beating Ethel on normal mode, I thought she was hard. When fighting her on tactician later on I re-did the fight three times because I kept failing to keep her alive such that she'd offer you her deal (she only does when it's her turn and she's low on health). I brought her from 50% or so health down to 0 within a single turn, so her deal offering cutscene would not trigger. That's not a flex, that's just how you'll get used to playing on tactician - especially when you know what the fight will be.

Agree that more difficulty sliders would be welcome. And there's already more than stats bloat. On the other hand, I'd prefer the AI played 'enemy immersive', i.e. beasts blindly attack, but smarter creatures play smarter, or have cooperative tactics (like a pack of goblins should).

[Seleck]

Originally posted by Tomas Mac Mordain:

The AI works differently in tactician, and the enemy loadouts are different.

Try making it out of the nautiloid on both difficulties and see what the difference is with the fight against the little brains in the wreckage.

On tactician the AI does marginally smarter things like hit'n'hide tactics. It also sometimes refuses to just run through AoEs at choke points, just opting to waiting a turn instead.

The enemies do have some additional HP (you'll notice when you realize that lvl1 'sleep' gets less useful much earlier into the run), and the to-hit chances are lower for you. They occasionally get additional resistances from the difficulty level. Or skills (usually translates to additional damage).

So you'll have to be somewhat smarter to counter these things in tactician, and at low levels when your hit chance sucks it's extra meh. You'll outlevel the disadvantages though. And you'll compensate with smarter tactics.

When first beating Ethel on normal mode, I thought she was hard. When fighting her on tactician later on I re-did the fight three times because I kept failing to keep her alive such that she'd offer you her deal (she only does when it's her turn and she's low on health). I brought her from 50% or so health down to 0 within a single turn, so her deal offering cutscene would not trigger. That's not a flex, that's just how you'll get used to playing on tactician - especially when you know what the fight will be.

Agree that more difficulty sliders would be welcome. And there's already more than stats bloat. On the other hand, I'd prefer the AI played 'enemy immersive', i.e. beasts blindly attack, but smarter creatures play smarter, or have cooperative tactics (like a pack of goblins should).

I finished act 2 in tactician, the AI it's indeed more annoying as it will focus down a party member relentlessly, and it has more skills, etc... But I don't like the loaded dice mechanic, it encourages shakiness as the only strategy because AC is so much weaker against a loaded dice and even my tank will be downed constantly