How important is Stealth, really?

[igor140]

I'm now on my 4th playthrough, and it seems to me that it's not all THAT important.

I have yet to find a meaningful way of using stealth in combat. I have only once been able to sneak all the way UP to an enemy... but even then it didn't really change much: I just OHKO'd an enemy that i would have taken down with a single full-round attack anyway.

Stealing with a bow really isn't better: yes, you catch them off guard... but evidently you can't your entire party off guard as well. If this gave your team a full surprise round instead of a "movement" surprise round, I'd say stealth is amazing... but it doens't.

There's a spot towards the end of Act 2 where several stealth checks are helpful... but they're not mission critical.

It's also helpful in camouflage checks while camping... but it's not a huge deal to have to fight 2 or 3 enemies, even if surrounded and caught off-guard.

The only other place I know that stealth checks are used is on the campaign map... but again, it's not that big a deal to fight one more random encounter.

So what are your thoughts? Am I missing something? Is it worth having a character use skill points on Stealth?

[jeem9000]

Originally posted by igor140:

The only other place I know that stealth checks are used is on the campaign map... but again, it's not that big a deal to fight one more random encounter.

So what are your thoughts? Am I missing something? Is it worth having a character use skill points on Stealth?

The difference is whether you get the jump on the enemies or they get the jump on you. On lower difficulties, it doesn't make much difference, but on Unfair, getting ambushed can easily mean you wipe.

[igor140]

In which circumstances? When you get ambushed while caomping... you're certain ambushed.

If you try to start combat from stealth, EVERYONE other than the rogue is surprised.. meaning you get off literally one attack.

The alternative is that you walk into combat open, and everyone just gets a "normal" introduction to combat; stealth doesn't play a role there.

[.//slayer]

Stealth has been my primary attribute in solo unfair playthroughs - Invisibility alone no longer cuts it to overcome the enemy Perception checks, so restealthing and escaping from combat (whether with shrouded step or by running away) is only possible with a maxed out Stealth. Avoiding surprise camp attacks was a nice bonus.

[Raikon]

Random encounters. It's actually pretty important, especially unfair. Do you want a meatball next to you, tripping your backline on unfair?

[jeem9000]

Originally posted by igor140:

In which circumstances? When you get ambushed while caomping... you're certain ambushed.

If you try to start combat from stealth, EVERYONE other than the rogue is surprised.. meaning you get off literally one attack.

The alternative is that you walk into combat open, and everyone just gets a "normal" introduction to combat; stealth doesn't play a role there.

I am talking about the random encounters on the world map. If you pass the stealth check, you get the option to evade the encounter. If you choose to fight anyway, you start off out of the enemy's sight usually, and you get to setup before you initiate combat. But if you fail the stealth check, you are forced to fight the encounter, and the enemies spawn right next to you, and they also have the initiative. On lower difficulties, it's no big deal, but on Unfair especially, you can easily die.

[igor140]

Yes, I know. I have fought many of them. My last playthrough and a half have been on unfair, and I've had the occasional person go down in these fights, but never lost the whole team.

Now, I've also never gone without a stealth character (though I have failed those overworld checks plenty of times), so maybe I'm just not appreciating it enough.

[Deo]

Stealth is a solo play skill.

Some classes benefit from it greatly - like Trickster with Stealth trick 3 can use his Stealth for spell resistance, making him completely immune to all spells that target spell resistance like Hellfire Rays, Clashing Rocks and many other.

[jeem9000]

Originally posted by igor140:

Yes, I know. I have fought many of them. My last playthrough and a half have been on unfair, and I've had the occasional person go down in these fights, but never lost the whole team.

Now, I've also never gone without a stealth character (though I have failed those overworld checks plenty of times), so maybe I'm just not appreciating it enough.

If you lost your main character then your team is lost. I mean, it's only really a huge deal if you are playing on Last Azlanti mode.

[igor140]

I guess so...

Also, I am very sorry for anyone who has ever tried to play this game on Last Azatl. It is WAY too buggy to trust with something like that. If XCOM2 was too buggy to finish with one save file, this would be a ****ing disaster.

In the meantime, I'm probably going to try it on my next playthrough, which is going to be a cruoromancer/ lich. I'll let you know how it goes.

[Deo]

Originally posted by igor140:

Also, I am very sorry for anyone who has ever tried to play this game on Last Azatl. It is WAY too buggy to trust with something like that. If XCOM2 was too buggy to finish with one save file, this would be a ****ing disaster.

And yet, players like Baldurs_Gate_2 complete LA Unfair on a regular basis, with different builds and classes. You can watch his playthrough to see that there are no critical bugs, that are preventing you from completing LA.

[swordfish]

It is important in some rare situations where there is a fight after a conversation if you want to cast spells on battle ground as cloud poison, grease, web or any other spells-like, then you can start battle by casting your most important spell.