Last bit of feedback.

[00skeleton]

well, I finally finished the game the other day and I have a short list of annoyances and comments.

Firstly the annoyances / bugs
1. I really hate the alt-click feature on the tooltips. In most cases, the important information about an item is hidden - even damage stats are hidden which makes no sense at all.

2. Spells are lacking their great 5e descriptions- makes it feel less like D&D with all that flavour text removed.

3. There is no way to dismiss an elemental even if it's controlled. In addition, if a controlled elemental is swallowed by a creature it becomes hostile once the creature who swallowed it is destroyed.

4, There is a lack of unique and interesting magical items.

5. I saw several paralysis / hold person bugs with attacks of opportunity.

6. I liked the random encounters while travelling, but I did not like how it constantly used the exact same scene all the time.

7. There are some objects that can't be reached by a fly spell, but they can be reached by spider climbing.

8. Character death ends the game. There is no reason for that. Let me crawl back to town and raise them.

9. The game should have allowed for 5 characters at least.

10. Some of the puzzles were a little too contrived for my tastes. For example, when you find a puzzle that requires 4 or 5 characters and you just happen to have that many characters in your party.

11. Targeting is very difficult since the grid is not true 3D. Getting a AoE spell to target a flying creature is near impossible. I don't know how many times I just cancelled an AoE spell because I couldn't get it to centre or align along the angle I needed.

12. Not enough massacres. I would have preferred to see hordes of smaller creatures that be die in one shot than 3 goblins with 80+ hps. I'll have to check the monster manual, but I don't recall seeing high level goblins. Random encounters should be fun, they should remind the player how much they have progressed and how powerful they are. This is basically the hated Oblivion leveling system all over again.

5e
There are things about 5e that I discovered I just don't like. I'm not going to list them all here since it's not helpful to the game developers, but with that said they could have chosen to use some of the optional rules in the DMG. For a D&D crpg, 5e caused me a fair amount of disappointment. Some of the things I grew to hate while playing this game (off the heals of playing BG2) are the resting rules, hit dice (which seem pointless -needless rolling of dice), concentration, attunement, and many spells that were nurfed.

Story (spoilers)

There are no decision points ever in the entire campaign. It's one big railroad. You can't for example attack The Legacy Council when they demand the crown. You have no choice but to give up the crown. Even if you call the Council stupid the game automatically takes the crown from you. I was really hoping for a chance to kill most of those council members. I know I would have had a ton of fun doing it. It was all very disappointing. I wanted many of them dead from the first time they opened their mouths.

I also had a hard time understanding how an entire delegation fell victim to poison. Maybe, I missed something, but I couldn't help but wonder why there wasn't someone casting detect poison on the food. In addition, casting raise dead does not drain the caster of energy. Now, that might sound like a plot / story device but it's not D&Dish. In addition, my characters had a large collection of Raise Dead scrolls on hand, and yet they could not offer them or any of their services at all. This part of the story was clearly written by someone who does not understand D&D.

The final battle was dull and uninteresting. I was hoping for a new unique monster or something to that effect but it was just a Sorak fight. A complete disappointment.

The ending had basically nothing to it, no story or anything - just a list of credits. You don't EVER do that in an RPG game. Players invest a ton of time into RPG games and if you only give them a splash screen it's a big F U.

[Snefru]

Sounds like a horrible game and experience. Why did you keep playing it?

[Berserkr]

Originally posted by Sparkle:

Sounds like a horrible game and experience. Why did you keep playing it?

For that amazing ending of course lol
Anyway Op thanks for the <short list>

[Ichthyic]

"Character death ends the game. There is no reason for that. Let me crawl back to town and raise them"

the only character death that ends the game is when you are towing around a critical npc (and you are specifically warned of this condition the first time you start towing one around). your own characters can die, short of ALL of them, and you can raise them on the spot. maybe make this point a little clearer in your list?

"Targeting is very difficult since the grid is not true 3D. Getting a AoE spell to target a flying creature is near impossible"

you are supposed to use the 3d targeting grid. it's that little button in the middle of your compass. works fine for me.

as for the rest, seems spot on to me.

[Dorok]

Originally posted by Ichthyic:

the only character death that ends the game is when you are towing around a critical npc

False, the game requests immediate character resurrection after many key combats, I don't remind but it's perhaps related to combats chained with a dialog and the game unable to manage them without the full party. It's a bit weird but such a tiny detail, I suppose OP get overloaded when playing Cataclysm and ended have no res spell.

[Snefru]

Originally posted by Dorok:

Originally posted by Ichthyic:

the only character death that ends the game is when you are towing around a critical npc

False, the game requests immediate character resurrection after many key combats, I don't remind but it's perhaps related to combats chained with a dialog and the game unable to manage them without the full party. It's a bit weird but such a tiny detail, I suppose OP get overloaded when playing Cataclysm and ended have no res spell.

My understanding and experience is not just key combats but any deaths beyond how many you can resurrect at time. So if you have no crown, no scrolls, no cleric, and someone dies then game over. Or if 1 scroll resurrect you can have 1 death if a person who can use the scroll survives battle. Or if 1 crown use and no scrolls/spells, you can handle 1 death as long isn’t crown bearer. Etc. You can’t drag dead people with you. And game will pop up game over if it detects deaths beyond what you can resurrect/revive at end.

[Ichthyic]

" your own characters can die, short of ALL of them, and you can raise them on the spot."

"maybe make this point a little clearer in your list?"

why do I even bother. apparently there are some braindead people that have serious reading comprehension problems that constantly keep forcing me to repeat myself, even when I have them blocked.

[Dorok]

1. Totally agree, there's a wrong design here. It can become minor by totally ignoring details and learn play blinded.

2. Agree but it's an indie game, it seems they didn't found any low cost solution to extract descriptions from a same source and show them both in game and in a wiki.

4. Totally disagree, I found quite imaginative the special items, some example:
- Walk on wall not a spell but a state.
- Cape of stealth not only for being detected but also for being noticed.
- Boot providing advantage for any stealth roll.
- Sword giving +1 AC
- Boot giving 6 walk range, jumps always successful, no penalty of heavy armor, no carry penalty at all (I suppose until max is reach).
- +2 cons, Advantage for poison save rolls, poison damages halved, Dark Vision, Speak and Read Dwarf, 50% chance to have a beard (alas seems not work for women, good laugh missed opportunity).
- Allows master any language.
- Allows create arrows.

4. A bit agree, what's missing isn't great magic items, but a few totally unique merging a mix of positive and negative.

6. It's not always the same random encounters. Area depends of the world area where happened the random encounter. Same for enemies groups, there's a set per world area and probably per party level. Still, more diversity was needing, axes:
- Difficulty, more difficulty variations, it would hurt have some extra tough random encounters.
- More terrains variations, particularly for area closer to main city.
- More enemies variations.
- More startup designs at least in case of travel interruption, it's harder for rest interruption.
- Last and not least, not allow break difficulty because too many random encounters occurred.

7. Yeah a physic based engine is missing, pretty sure it would made the puzzling designs to hard, and anyway fly for any solution, boring, but the game could have used tricks with areas where fly is disabled it would made the trick design a lot more clean.

8. Yeah but very minor or it's because you end with no res spell. I suppose the difficulty was to manage properly a dialog right after a combat without all party members, that's an indie game.

9. Agree party of 5, or even 6, with potentially 2 more followers. Bored of those TB party of 4 that no way speed up combats.

10. Puzzles and tricks design aren't targeting a high difficulty, and a few are auto guided which isn't a proper design. Its still widely above most modern RPG on that matter.

11. 3D targeting is for sure no way a clean UI. There's two cam modes, and both need cleaning:
- One is strict height floor related, first problem choose the floor level with scrollwheel is a crap, there should be an option to show a floor level grid to just select it with mouse click to position the cam at this height. Once a cam at a height just show the grid of this height, too often it's a garbage to do show the grid of the height where is positioned this cam in this mode.
- The other cam mode is more general but has two problems, it allows click through an obstacle you see this is generating many miss click. It doesn't allow a more free zoom in/out (like the other cam mode) and this is generating many problems.

5e. Disagree and specifically for the points you listed.

[Curath]

Most of the feedback is what I noticed in my playthrough as well. I'm much less annoyed by what I consider minor deficiencies, however, and I hope bugs get fixed and some easy to implement UI changes (like tooltip content) are done in future patches.

The story definitely was not the main focus, and the developers clearly said that as well. That doesn't mean I give free pass to any silly thing that happened in the story, but I take Solasta as a tactical combat game.

There were some silly moments indeed. The party encountered NPC's that claimed to have seen soraks but didn't have any proof, because "maybe they came and collected the dead bodies". So what does the party do when they encounter soraks, kill them, and have plenty of time to camp right beside the bodies? They certainly didn't gather any evidence. What happened when they got back into the city? Nobody (well, almost nobody) believed them and demanded they find more soraks and cut off their head. Duh.

Oh well, it's a railroaded main story with some sidequests. I bought the game to get D&D 5E combat, and that's what I got. Not disappointed by the story.

[00skeleton]

Originally posted by Curath:

Most of the feedback is what I noticed in my playthrough as well. I'm much less annoyed by what I consider minor deficiencies, however, and I hope bugs get fixed and some easy to implement UI changes (like tooltip content) are done in future patches.

The story definitely was not the main focus, and the developers clearly said that as well. That doesn't mean I give free pass to any silly thing that happened in the story, but I take Solasta as a tactical combat game.

There were some silly moments indeed. The party encountered NPC's that claimed to have seen soraks but didn't have any proof, because "maybe they came and collected the dead bodies". So what does the party do when they encounter soraks, kill them, and have plenty of time to camp right beside the bodies? They certainly didn't gather any evidence. What happened when they got back into the city? Nobody (well, almost nobody) believed them and demanded they find more soraks and cut off their head. Duh.

Oh well, it's a railroaded main story with some side quests. I bought the game to get D&D 5E combat, and that's what I got. Not disappointed by the story.

I think the devs bit off more than they can chew with this story. I think the devs should have taken an approach that was more similar the the IWD series. Keep the story lite and just focus on the hack n slash. It was a good attempt, and I can't say the story wasn't a bit engaging at times, but it was clearly rushed.

[00skeleton]

Originally posted by Dorok:

5e. Disagree and specifically for the points you listed.

I can certainly appreciate the fact that those people who like 5e won't mind the 5e rules. But, I found it to be less fun as older D&D RPG games that use 2e/3e. I think the spell nerfs and how concentration shuts down all the neat combos makes the game less fun / interesting. Sure, I can see concentration for some spells but it's a rule that is abused in 5e. This is compounded by the fact that Solasta only allows you to create 4 characters. I suppose if it allowed 5-6 characters I could get more combos in. Resting is just too mechanical IMO, and I really don't like non-magical healing. When my characters get hit by fire and acid and can just roll dice to recover hps it's a bit jarring.

Originally posted by Dorok:

4. Totally disagree, I found quite imaginative the special items, some example:
- Walk on wall not a spell but a state.
- Cape of stealth not only for being detected but also for being noticed.
- Boot providing advantage for any stealth roll.
- Sword giving +1 AC
- Boot giving 6 walk range, jumps always successful, no penalty of heavy armor, no carry penalty at all (I suppose until max is reach).
- +2 cons, Advantage for poison save rolls, poison damages halved, Dark Vision, Speak and Read Dwarf, 50% chance to have a beard (alas seems not work for women, good laugh missed opportunity).
- Allows master any language.
- Allows create arrows.

4. A bit agree, what's missing isn't great magic items, but a few totally unique merging a mix of positive and negative.

Sure these are not bad items, but they are nothing compared to the items found in BG2. Each item had a story attached to it and a very unique name. I also think the crafting system and magical item shops spoiled the adventure to a great deal. I found that I had no choice but to start crafting items and it really wasn't something I wanted to do. I would have had much more fun just finding these items in chests or on npcs while adventuring. Crafting is ok for scrolls and potions, but for cool misc magical items, weapons and armor I would much rather earn them. Faction based recipe/item acquisition reminded me too much of Wow and I don't want to be reminded of that. D&D is not an MMORPG

[Snefru]

Originally posted by 00skeleton:

Originally posted by Dorok:

5e. Disagree and specifically for the points you listed.

I can certainly appreciate the fact that those people who like 5e won't mind the 5e rules. But, I found it to be less fun as older D&D RPG games that use 2e/3e. I think the spell nerfs and how concentration shuts down all the neat combos makes the game less fun / interesting. Sure, I can see concentration for some spells but it's a rule that is abused in 5e. This is compounded by the fact that Solasta only allows you to create 4 characters. I suppose if it allowed 5-6 characters I could get more combos in. Resting is just too mechanical IMO, and I really don't like non-magical healing. When my characters get hit by fire and acid and can just roll dice to recover hps it's a bit jarring.

Originally posted by Dorok:

4. Totally disagree, I found quite imaginative the special items, some example:
- Walk on wall not a spell but a state.
- Cape of stealth not only for being detected but also for being noticed.
- Boot providing advantage for any stealth roll.
- Sword giving +1 AC
- Boot giving 6 walk range, jumps always successful, no penalty of heavy armor, no carry penalty at all (I suppose until max is reach).
- +2 cons, Advantage for poison save rolls, poison damages halved, Dark Vision, Speak and Read Dwarf, 50% chance to have a beard (alas seems not work for women, good laugh missed opportunity).
- Allows master any language.
- Allows create arrows.

4. A bit agree, what's missing isn't great magic items, but a few totally unique merging a mix of positive and negative.

Sure these are not bad items, but they are nothing compared to the items found in BG2. Each item had a story attached to it and a very unique name. I also think the crafting system and magical item shops spoiled the adventure to a great deal. I found that I had no choice but to start crafting items and it really wasn't something I wanted to do. I would have had much more fun just finding these items in chests or on npcs while adventuring. Crafting is ok for scrolls and potions, but for cool misc magical items, weapons and armor I would much rather earn them. Faction based recipe/item acquisition reminded me too much of Wow and I don't want to be reminded of that. D&D is not an MMORPG

I hate crafting in all games. My first playthrough in all games is to never craft snd not buy anything. The best stuff should not be locked behind vendors or recipes. Some very good to great stuff, maybe. I’d prefer quest chains for items, defeating bosses, etc. some stuff more accessible by puzzles or secret locations but they should feel like I really earned them. I get some of the crafting items are only found at points in the game behind areas or certain enemies but felt too lazy. I want the history or rumour of an item that I then pursue. Not for everyone and to each their own play style but I hated seeing those faction items so early. And with right level and money but all you want. Needed to be more mystery.

[Dorok]

Originally posted by 00skeleton:

I think the spell nerfs and how concentration shuts down all the neat combos makes the game less fun / interesting. Sure, I can see concentration for some spells but it's a rule that is abused in 5e.

Yes it went too far but the buff stack abuses and pre buff stack abuses was the reality of D&D 3.5e and never brought any good combo because none could match stack abuses. Moreover it degenerates in totally boring pre buff abuse.

Yes D&D 5e system is not great and improvable but still quite better than in 3.5e.

And if a few players was using smartly in a really interesting way the 3.5e buff system, they was quite silent in video game forums of 3.5e games. A minority can't justify a system with big holes dragging majority in boredom holes or pre buff stacking abuse.

Originally posted by 00skeleton:

Sure these are not bad items, but they are nothing compared to the items found in BG2.

What? I remind this for BG1 not for BG2, examples please.

Originally posted by 00skeleton:

Each item had a story attached to it and a very unique name.

That's a totally different topic, it's just related to lore and writing, not items design. The problem is statistic proved most players was ignoring him, at least it's what one dev explained in a forum. If it was really important, it wouldn't have disappeared, but it was a lot of writing work for very few players.

Originally posted by 00skeleton:

I also think the crafting system and magical item shops spoiled the adventure to a great deal. I found that I had no choice but to start crafting items and it really wasn't something I wanted to do. I would have had much more fun just finding these items in chests or on npcs while adventuring. Crafting is ok for scrolls and potions, but for cool misc magical items, weapons and armor I would much rather earn them. Faction based recipe/item acquisition reminded me too much of Wow and I don't want to be reminded of that. D&D is not an MMORPG

But Solasta crafting system is no way generic, it's a lot of unique recipes, often involving very rare if not unique crafting material.

It's weird you put it in same bag of generic crafting systems. It's the reverse it enhance the value of great items, You need work more to craft a really great item.

Otherwise for very unique and I think all those are listed was in this category but one or two, no recipe to craft them but a few like the sword +1 AC and Spirits spell and few chance to craft it twice, at least in my play I couldn't.

[Dorok]

Originally posted by Sparkle:

I hate crafting in all games.

Really? You hated Tyranny crafting? You hated create totally new weapons types in Mass Effect Andromeda? Solasta crafting hasn't has much flavor than Tyranny system, but it's totally in its lineage, no way like boredom generic crafing of games as Skyrim or The Witcher 3.

Moreover when a crafting system can achieve what does MEA for weapons, that's huge gameplay value.

Yes in general crafting in modern RPG is just a gimmick or a feature list increased with a boredom generic system, but no way all crafting in RPG was bad, and Solasta has quite good points, it's probably more you skipped dig it.

[Snefru]

Originally posted by Dorok:

Originally posted by Sparkle:

I hate crafting in all games.

Really? You hated Tyranny crafting? You hated create totally new weapons types in Mass Effect Andromeda? Solasta crafting hasn't has much flavor than Tyranny system, but it's totally in its lineage, no way like boredom generic crafing of games as Skyrim or The Witcher 3.

Moreover when a crafting system can achieve what does MEA for weapons, that's huge gameplay value.

Yes in general crafting in modern RPG is just a gimmick or a feature list increased with a boredom generic system, but no way all crafting in RPG was bad, and Solasta has quite good points, it's probably more you skipped dig it.

Yes. I hate crafting in all games. Every time I start a game and see ingredients, recipes, components, crafting items, etc. I say “F..K!” Some games do it better than others. Some have better balance with it. I just personally hate. Minor weapon modification, sure. Oh I have a rifle and now found a scope, ok cool. I separate crafting from upgrading. That may seem weird but it’s just what I do. Yet my wife and I enjoy watching crafting shows on tv. So it’s just crafting in games.

Ny first playthrough I use nothing bought or crafted, in any game, unless part of a quest that I have to do. This really lets me get a better feel for game design and system implementation.

I do spend a little time to understand what crafting gets me in each game. It’s like why I eventually made a few weapons for my cataclysm run. I’ve still yet to make a scroll or potion or special arrows or poison. It’s amazing how clean inventory is too without crafting stuff.

[Dorok]

Originally posted by Sparkle:

Originally posted by Dorok:

Really? You hated Tyranny crafting? You hated create totally new weapons types in Mass Effect Andromeda? Solasta crafting hasn't has much flavor than Tyranny system, but it's totally in its lineage, no way like boredom generic crafing of games as Skyrim or The Witcher 3.

Moreover when a crafting system can achieve what does MEA for weapons, that's huge gameplay value.

Yes in general crafting in modern RPG is just a gimmick or a feature list increased with a boredom generic system, but no way all crafting in RPG was bad, and Solasta has quite good points, it's probably more you skipped dig it.

Yes. I hate crafting in all games. Every time I start a game and see ingredients, recipes, components, crafting items, etc. I say “F..K!” Some games do it better than others. Some have better balance with it. I just personally hate. Minor weapon modification, sure. Oh I have a rifle and now found a scope, ok cool. I separate crafting from upgrading. That may seem weird but it’s just what I do. Yet my wife and I enjoy watching crafting shows on tv. So it’s just crafting in games.

Ny first playthrough I use nothing bought or crafted, in any game, unless part of a quest that I have to do. This really lets me get a better feel for game design and system implementation.

I do spend a little time to understand what crafting gets me in each game. It’s like why I eventually made a few weapons for my cataclysm run. I’ve still yet to make a scroll or potion or special arrows or poison. It’s amazing how clean inventory is too without crafting stuff.

I doubt you played Tyranny or achieved totally ignore the crafting. It's only unique craftings each allowing create a unique item, and it's not about collecting material, it's unique drops that unlock unique crafting, and if I remind well each crafted item has its history. There's only some material too rare so forcing make choice and some cost forcing have priorities.

For Mass Effect Andromeda it has all looks of the generic crafting, until you dig the weapons, and discover many crafting allowing create totally different weapons not existing at all in the game, and it's about shooting mechanic, not some damages increase or something.

Solasta isn't much different than Tyranny but has also some common crafting of consumable. For the part of creating unique items, it is just in a less shiny/cool packaging than in Tyranny.

And no way I defend crafting in RPG.