What is your Most and Least Favorite Mythic Path and why?(spoilers)

[Star Sage]

Saw some neat responses to the topic on party members, so figured I'd ask this one, since they are also amongst the more interesting, if sometimes divisive mechanics within the game that you have to engage with if you want to play it. That's not a bad thing, as I don't think I played a BAD Path, but I do think some stand out more than others.


For myself, Least favorite would probably be one of the evil paths, since I've never finished any of them, even when I TRY. Being Mean is not Nice, so it's hard, okay?


For ones I've finished, I'd go with Legend. The final conversation remains one of the most interesting in the game as you can talk to...well since this is a spoiler topic, you talk to the guy with whom you're sharing a soul. This is the only time you will ever be able to do that, showing off that the two of you, despite Areelu's best efforts, are two individuals, and you are not a continuation of that soul.

That being said, that conversation is the one interesting bit to the story. Legend otherwise gets a hodgepodge of all the other Paths staying in Drezen to basically talk about how cool it would have been if you'd picked their route instead, which feels like taunting. Worse, you lose a lot of power, not just in the Path's absence, but Legend's bonuses to the Crusades are...lacking is the best word for them.

So, for my least favorite of the Paths, I'll go Legend. It IS a good idea, and I'm glad it's in the game, but I won't be playing it again any time soon.


For the ones I've loved the most, well, that would be Azata at the top. Others like Aeon have a better story, Angel feels like the 'canon' route, especially given how it can end(Deskari IS dead in the canon of Pathfinder, I think, but the other Demon Lords are not, though Noctula is the Redeemer Queen, so that's cool), better if you were a divine caster, it has a power to it few can match, and its buffs to the party are nice. Trickster is a load of fun for the gag, and it's the most mechanically diverse Path(Which can easily become the most OP), but it's also kind of a ♥♥♥♥, and the Council is a cool idea done in a dull way. Finally, the Gold Dragon makes YOU a power house, but leaves the team to languish behind you.

Meanwhile the Azata is like a fusion of a lot of those, but with most of its power in its passive buffs to basically everything. Effectively, you can make yourself immortal, give the same to the rest of the party, and stack several passives onto ALL of them, turning your group into a real problem for anyone you run up against. Better, you get Aivu, and even nerfed, not many Paths have ANYTHING that can compare to the Devourer of Cookies in terms of anything. She's only a bit behind your gold dragon self in terms of power, and she comes free, so you can continue with any build you were on, rather than turning into a power house. She even has a small BUFF to everyone while she's in the party, which is awesome.

Just as good, the Azata are one of a few Paths to get a special playground space, in this case your Island, which serves not only to make it unique to you, but also gives you choices that help really make it feel like a place you are making, since a lot of Azata's powers are represented by the groups that join you. It's also fun to thumb your nose at the Queen at one point, especially since off the Angel Path, she's kind of not nice lady. Oh, and it's ending is great, with you bringing life back to Sarkoris directly, in a way none of the other paths can or want to do.

[Gold Dragon]

From Best to Worst (Personal)

Gold Dragon (Need I say more?)
Angel
Azata
Trickster
Aeon
Legend
Lich
Devil
Swarm-That-Walks
Demon (which, Like Legend above, Doesn't really fit the game, IMO)

[lordgizka]

Which has the most extra content? I only played Angel and it seemed like too little. And I know from hearsay that Trickster is even worse.

[Brian]

Are the evil paths really that out-of-character for the game's story? I always thought it was akin to like if Gandalf had decided to use the One Ring to fight Sauron. Yeah it's evil, but your character could just believe the ends justify the means. Just because you use evil tactics doesn't mean you suddenly switch sides.

[Schlumpsha]

From best to worst:
++++ Swarm-that-Walks, for it's the ONLY path with an alternate act 5 and 6. Everyone else sticks to the same darn script.
+++ Demon. Lots of content and branching paths.
++ Lich. Appreciate its silent corpse companions and nice gothic home.
+ Devil. Nice in theory, but suffers from a lack of content.
= Aeon. No strong opinion about it one way or the other.
- Trickster. The jokes go old very fast. Has its black humor ups here and there tho.
-- Angel. No thanks.
-- Azata. A dead and silent Aivu is a good Aivu. Power of Friendship be damned.
--- Gold Dragon. Not a fan of this redeeming theme nonsense with next to none draconic flavor. Miniscule saving grace is the Corrupt Gold Dragon subpath's existence, but nothing is done with it. It's bad.
---- Legend. Pointless waste of space.

[Janthis]

My first playthrough was Oracle into Angel with merged spellbook. You get a ridiculous amount of high level spells to buff your party and nuke demons, it actually got a bit boring after a while. Story was nice too. I also liked Gold Dragon with the extra bit about joining their ranks, plus the breath was very handy and powerful.

Haven't tried demon, lich, swarm etc., because I can't bring myself to be an evil a$$hole in these games. :P

[Steffan]

Favourite: Demon. Dark, poweful, a lot of content and allows for shades of villainy (greater or lesser, with preference to the latter). It also interacts with Nocticula a lot and the demon quests are very well crafted. Either combined with Legend or a True Demon, it offers for a great ride.

Close runner-up is the Trickster for the sheer chaos that path can unleash.

From the late mythic paths an honourable mention of the Legend, which makes a great plot when combined with the Demon path and Arueshalae romance.

I have not played any of those below (I can't handle it) but I have watched some youtubers playing them.

Least favourite: True Aeon: so all of this trouble and effort for... the story not even happening in our timeline? ANd nobody remembers that. What an utter non-sense (great work for the developers for handling that but not my cup of tea)

Close runner-up: Angel. Too much righteousness and the hero in shining armour vibes.

Edited: From the late mythic paths, I will place the Swarm; I like some evil in my games but that is too much to handle. Actually, I think it beats Angel, possibly even Aeon) for the worst position. No way I am playing that (and still, hats off to the developers for offering the option).

[Steffan]

Originally posted by Brian:

Are the evil paths really that out-of-character for the game's story? I always thought it was akin to like if Gandalf had decided to use the One Ring to fight Sauron. Yeah it's evil, but your character could just believe the ends justify the means. Just because you use evil tactics doesn't mean you suddenly switch sides.

Judging by the way how you acquired your mythic powers, the evil paths (especially Demon) fit as well. Evil paths usually beget evil actions. In my Demon run I went from Chaotic Neutral to Chaotic Evil and only after moving to the Legend had my character a chance to go back to Chaotic Neutral. Which makes sense.

[revan1229]

Favorite(s):
Azata - Good amount of story content and reactivity without pigeonholing you into a certain type of character (can be a True Azata, Chaotic Azata, or Renegade Azata) or intruding too much on the main story. I like the additional opportunity to storm the Midnight Fane preemptively, and I love the introduction to the path in the church. Aivu can be annoying, but a free companion never hurts (mechanically).

I also play spellcasters and Azata gets really good bonuses for them. I wish the devs would actually work on balancing MPs because there are some things that could still be fixed/improved (Believe in Yourself is now much, MUCH less impressive with Mythic Inspiration, the island vendor Azatas are pointless, Favourable Magic still does not make spells do 75% on a save, etc.), but it doesn't seem to be too high of a priority... Path music is amazing.

Trickster: You get what's on the tin. I appreciate the 4th wall breaking and the additional opportunity to solve the Worldwound problem in an....unorthodox way. Some of the jokes get old fast, but there are some good opportunities to troll enemies (which more of the path should be about, imo).

Least Favorite(s):
Gold Dragon - I appreciate an off-ramp from another MP, but this is just not great. The introduction where you spare a cultist who has done terrible things kind of annoys me, and the quests in Act 5 are not interesting or fun. Mechanically, I cannot believe this path got the green light. The balance of all the powerful things you give up for the pittance of mediocre abilities that you get is really out of whack.

Lich - This was the path I was most excited to play before launch, and I ended up not liking it much. Mechanically, it is unabashedly overpowered. Story-wise, it differs from the other paths in that someone else is responsible for your transition, and you're basically their unpaid intern up until that point. Not good for a power fantasy, imo. Also, the game kills any chance of you being an evil but rational lich, which I don't like from an RP perspective.

Devil - The option to go Devil from Azata makes absolutely no sense. Should have been from Angel (law at all costs) or Demon (as a reaction to the chaos you unleash in Drezen). Little content and mechanically, borrows too much from another path, which also makes no sense. Why can a Devil cast Optimistic Smile and Friendly Hug? And why does GD get to keep hardly anything in comparison? What Azata gets to keep relative to what Aeon keeps is bizarrely unbalanced, and Hell's Authority is bizarrely OP (granted, it's very late). Demon's Rage AND Angel's Sword at the same time, multiple times a day (can refresh with Azata spells)?

[uwfsam2000]

Originally posted by Gold Dragon:

From Best to Worst (Personal)

Gold Dragon (Need I say more?)
Angel
Azata
Trickster
Aeon
Legend
Lich
Devil
Swarm-That-Walks
Demon (which, Like Legend above, Doesn't really fit the game, IMO)

Just curious, what about gold dragon makes it your favorite?

[Nightstrasza]

Favorite by concept is Gold Dragon, bcs becoming a dragon. Least favorite by execution, Gold Dragon, bcs it has no content and is too late, it should be act 3 like every other path. Also no world reactivity, but that's for all dragon classes and character background choices so it's not specific to Gold Dragon, just being salty.

Second favorite by concept is Azata, bcs I would consider self as Chaotic Good irl as I don't care about law, only my personal morals and judgements while wanting things to be better. Favorite in execution, bcs gives me the cutest Aivu which is a dragon, allows you to adopt dragon whelps bcs for some reason you can't talk it out with Devarra about her eggs being held hostage, allows you to oppose Galfrey and do other unique things and generaly doesn't give a damn about rules and laws.

No idea about others, I find myself unable to play lawful or evil or egoistic, true neutral characters so I literally don't want to touch the other paths at all, with Legend being the fact that you abandon being a demigod, agree with self-righteous, useless human-angel deity that ♥♥♥♥ talks you bcs you got power differently than her so you don't deserve it and also bcs it's just mechanically boring and op while that choice should be always a downgrade but instead it slaps you with extra 20 lvls to multiclass a Pharasma rivaling abomination.

[FunkyMonkey]

I've only played Angel, Lich, Azata and Legend. Of these I've only finished Angel and Legend. I liked Lich the most until the last act when I felt the game railroaded me hard and I stopped playig. Azata felt almost always too "LOL r@nD0m!" (so you may guess how I feel about Trickster *sigh*) and I lost interest. Angel was fine but Legend was the one I have enjoyed the most. I felt I was in control of my own story the most, so that's probably why.

So, my ranking of the ones I played:
Best: Tie with Lich and Legend. Lich was better until last act but Legend was most cohesive story, for my taste at least.
Second: Angel. Good fun, my first playthrough.
Azata: Not my thing. Aivu is okay but the shtick get's old fast and never felt invested in the story. Won't play as Azata again.

[ShayRey]

I've only played Gold Dragon. I've always gone Angel into Gold Dragon.

Personally I love it and hate it. I love the concept of being a force of redemption and believing in the good of the mortal races, and working to help them bring that out. The execution was awful though, there was barely any work or chances to work on redeeming others. Plus, the mechanics of it are kinda underwhelming compared to other Mythic Paths.

[Star Sage]

Originally posted by Gold Dragon:

From Best to Worst (Personal)

Gold Dragon (Need I say more?)
Angel
Azata
Trickster
Aeon
Legend
Lich
Devil
Swarm-That-Walks
Demon (which, Like Legend above, Doesn't really fit the game, IMO)

Your Icon is from Heroes of Might and Magic III...you might have some dragon bias there sir.

Originally posted by lordgizka:

Which has the most extra content? I only played Angel and it seemed like too little. And I know from hearsay that Trickster is even worse.

This answer will vary depending on what you mean. Angel kind of has a lot, if you play again you'll probably notice how some scenes change entirely, and the while the 'Council' bonuses to the armies are the same, each path has bonuses of their own to them.

Originally posted by Brian:

Are the evil paths really that out-of-character for the game's story? I always thought it was akin to like if Gandalf had decided to use the One Ring to fight Sauron. Yeah it's evil, but your character could just believe the ends justify the means. Just because you use evil tactics doesn't mean you suddenly switch sides.

Oh, that was personal preference, *I* don't play evil...I play facists sometimes, like Geneforge(Glory to the Sharp Council) or Tyranny(All Hail Lord Kyros!), but Evil is variable.



For the rest, very interesting to see some of the opinions here, and glad to see some got more out of paths I didn't, as this is a game all about choices we make, and choices that make us.

[Gregor Eisenhorn]

I played them all and it really depends on what you find "cool" or "interesting".

My personal favourites are in descending order from best to worst, with reasons in parenthesis:

-Lich (the ultimate power fantasy; I've been playing crpgs, D&D and such games for 20 years and always wanted a game that would tailor an entire experience towards being an actual incredibly powerful, ruthless lord of the dead. The game does an excellent job at this, with particular emphasis in the whole reanimation aspect, so that you can keep certain characters in the story in a... different, better way. You feel always powerful and scary, both in the story and during the actual fights. Use a guide if you don't intend to do multiple playthroughs to get the best experience, especially with your mentor).

--Azata (the most lighthearted path, all centered around the concept of "the power of friendship" and being a team with your loved ones. You also get the cutest meme-tier battle pet. Mechanically speaking you can create some pretty wacky and fun builds. A good choice, but not as epic as some of the other paths, although there are some notable moments).

-Trickster (this is essentially a meme playthrough. You are Sheogorath from the Elder Scrolls series, although not as awesome, or a Loki-archetype kind of character. You make fun of the whole horrible situation and manage to do be extremely successful to the utter bewilderment of both allies and enemies. Some companions shine in this path for their banter [Regill]).

-Angel (the default normal experience. If you're used to play good guys, this is what you want. It has a bit of everything, a lot of epic "deus vult" moments and so on. Personally it's not really my cup of tea, but it's good for one playthrough)

-Aeon (a radically different approach to the story and a bittersweet story development. I understand the reasons: it fits narratively, but I still didn't really like it, despite it being objectively good. I strongly advise not to play Aeon during your first playthrough, it's definitely a second or third (at least) playthrough path.

-Demon (it's an ok path with interesting moments and, by nature, it's directly tied to the main story. What I personally don't like is the mechanical aspect of it [mainly shapeshifting and a x3-ish times a day ability] and the fact that it seems mostly condensable in: "REEEEEEE fear me, me angry, me slap you". There are two ways you can play it, in theory, story-wise, but the main focus the aforementioned)

-Legend (late game path, and as such you get to enjoy it way less than the main ones that you can unlock at the beginning. It's basically a screw everything, i'll do things my way... without any superpowers. It's the normal-guy build that becomes a legend among mortals; emphasis on mortal. Didn't really like it personally since I really cannot rationalize giving up the powers you get. Mechanically you get to reach level 40, but still, meh)

-Swarm-that-Walks (like Legend, it's a screw everything that instead turns into an "screw-eat everything. You'll be alone and enjoy turning into a cataclysmic disaster. There are cute moments here and there and some cute interactions with certain relevant main story characters but it's a bit underwhelming as all other act 5 paths).

-Devil (It's a divergent path with two entries from other Mythic Paths that fully realizes in act 5. So much lost potential to something that could've been incredibly interesting and good. For me it was frustrating simply because I could see how awesome it could've been if implemented as a regular act 3 path. Even what you get in act 5 is ok at best and you never really get the full experience)

-Gold Dragon (this comes down mainly to taste and my personal vision of why a dragon is a dragon and why it's cool. Dragons have been overused since Dragonlance. The main appeal of a dragon is that it's an incredibly ancient being with a different, almost alien view of the world that massively differs from most mortals, and why not, even non mortals. Add the fact that they live extremely long lives, they are hoarders, and insanely powerful and I just cannot see myself beginning to understand how a dragon feels or plays. I just felt like I was cosplaying a dragon at a convention rather than being one, although the story tries to help with it, it's a feeling that never really leaves you)

[Outlaw]

Best Azata. Cuz Aivu best girl.