Chapter 3. Losing will to go on.

[Xedek]

Offhand internet discussion thread. So, I love Chapter 1 and 2 of this game. I have restarted a dozen times across the various patches and the DLC. But, I always sort of lose focus and drift away toward the end of Chapter 2. This time, I started a new game and made a commitment to finishing it.

However, I recently hit Chapter 3 and my willpower is fading. Chapter 3 was certainly...a twist. There are just so many parts of it that feel like odd design choices. It feels like the entire chapter was kicked off in an unavoidable cutscene, which sucks. Maybe I zoned out and missed a dialogue somewhere, but I was completely confused about the issues with Yrliet. The last interaction I had with her, she showed up in my chambers and got upset about something on my wall and then just left. This is a Dogmatic run, so maybe I hadn't pursued her interactions in the right way, or failed a skill check somewhere. But everyone seems to know that apparently she betrayed us? ... I had no idea and was completely confused when that came up because as far as I could tell it was just a scripted cutscene ambush . The whole chain of events in Chapter 3 has just been confusing. Thinking back on it, I took Heinrix and Yrliet to investigate the ship at the end of Chapter 2, and there wasn't any unusual conflict between them or signs of betrayal. But, when you release Heinrix from his pod he is immediately furious at Yrliet for betraying us? But, none of the other companions said anything at all about her. I feel like I've missed an IRL lore check.

I don't really have a problem with the combat in Chapter 3. I'm playing on Hard difficulty and just generally obliterate everything in one or two rounds. Pyro/Bio/Blade/Exec main with Kibellah and Cassia on damage just kind of rolls hundreds of damage easily and nothing survives. It feels like some of the talents don't play well with the combat system of the game. They just take way too long to ramp up and be effective in the brief combats. I had initially been building toward setting myself (or my whole team) on fire and using Orchestrate Flames, but there doesn't seem to be a point to taking a round to set up when the fight is over by the second round. BladeD-Exec just seems kind of absurd, with high dodge and parry, high wounds, high mobility, respectable toughness, and pumping out fight ending amounts of damage. In one fight, Cassia went first and AoE swept all the trash mobs, then Kibellah went next and had 52 movement points and just smashed the remaining big targets.

I am finding the amount of skill checks frustrating. I worry that I am missing story or items because my trader alone is struggling. I failed a 95% success rate check and that was frustrating. I don't love the idea of things being locked behind a dice roll.

The Chapter 3 interactions feel really weird, particularly as a Dogmatic. The game literally opens with what appears to be a suicidal charge into fire as you are "protected by the Emperor", but in Chapter 3 you can get an instant game over in a text choice by sassing off to a xeno? I've spent the entire game Dogmatic and purging, but now the only text options I get are "praising my Master"? Uh. The game also goes to length to describe the torture and disability of RT and companions, but then... they just sort of pop out of pods without so much as a trauma, and are ready to fight? Pasqal emphasizes that ripping the xeno part out will probably kill him... but then he does it and is as good as new? Heinrix is described as being blinded... but as far as I can see seems to be just fine?

I'm a little worried about the combat and progression. I just got Ulfar and was looking forward to trying him and uh... am somewhat underwhelmed. It feels like he COULD be good, but is just so limited on equipment, and half the talents don't seem to really work for him. He feels more like a cameo or a shoehorned DLC character. It feels weird to get him so late and fully (poorly) built.

I'm also only in Chapter 3 and already working through Exemplar levels, so I don't expect a lot of game changing growth or new abilities. A lot of the talents don't seem to scale into late game very well at all and I seem to be running out of useful choices. Apparently "Marzipan" is also recruit-able, but I saw no options that really indicated that and just wound up killing him in a fight (Dogmatic).

It feels like Chapter 1 was action packed and full of character growth. Chapter 2 was a bit slower, but still full of exploration and new things. Then Chapter 3 was... stopping all that to go do something else. None of which really seems to contribute or matter. Like the flying Scourge thing, that wound up resolving itself in a text encounter and just..being a weird standalone thing?

Anyway. These are just offhand thoughts. Feel free to agree or disagree.

[Namethatworks]

Okay I'm gonna split this up to answer what I can.

Originally posted by Xedek:

Offhand internet discussion thread. So, I love Chapter 1 and 2 of this game. I have restarted a dozen times across the various patches and the DLC. But, I always sort of lose focus and drift away toward the end of Chapter 2. This time, I started a new game and made a commitment to finishing it.

The tutorial is my least favorite personally. But, I'm only partway through chapter 4.

Originally posted by Xedek:

However, I recently hit Chapter 3 and my willpower is fading. Chapter 3 was certainly...a twist. There are just so many parts of it that feel like odd design choices. It feels like the entire chapter was kicked off in an unavoidable cutscene, which sucks.
Maybe I zoned out and missed a dialogue somewhere, but I was completely confused about the issues with Yrliet. The last interaction I had with her, she showed up in my chambers and got upset about something on my wall and then just left. This is a Dogmatic run, so maybe I hadn't pursued her interactions in the right way, or failed a skill check somewhere.

You didn't miss a check when she sees the "object" you could've gotten a bit more context on what it was if you picked other options. Due to what it is it sparks untrust in her as a ally would never have such a thing

Originally posted by Xedek:

But everyone seems to know that apparently she betrayed us? ... I had no idea and was completely confused when that came up because as far as I could tell it was just a scripted cutscene ambush . The whole chain of events in Chapter 3 has just been confusing. Thinking back on it, I took Heinrix and Yrliet to investigate the ship at the end of Chapter 2, and there wasn't any unusual conflict between them or signs of betrayal. But, when you release Heinrix from his pod he is immediately furious at Yrliet for betraying us? But, none of the other companions said anything at all about her. I feel like I've missed an IRL lore check.

Reading is important, she misled you into a trap out of desperation.(she was told her people were there)

Originally posted by Xedek:

I don't really have a problem with the combat in Chapter 3. I'm playing on Hard difficulty and just generally obliterate everything in one or two rounds. Pyro/Bio/Blade/Exec main with Kibellah and Cassia on damage just kind of rolls hundreds of damage easily and nothing survives. It feels like some of the talents don't play well with the combat system of the game. They just take way too long to ramp up and be effective in the brief combats. I had initially been building toward setting myself (or my whole team) on fire and using Orchestrate Flames, but there doesn't seem to be a point to taking a round to set up when the fight is over by the second round. BladeD-Exec just seems kind of absurd, with high dodge and parry, high wounds, high mobility, respectable toughness, and pumping out fight ending amounts of damage. In one fight, Cassia went first and AoE swept all the trash mobs, then Kibellah went next and had 52 movement points and just smashed the remaining big targets.

I believe Blade dancer/executioner/anything are some of the strongest builds at the moment. My second playthrough will be the highest difficulty with basically the build you have there, & Kibbles.(currently Pyro/warrior/arch-militant/exemplar)

I find just igniting yourself to be best use action economy wise.

Originally posted by Xedek:

I am finding the amount of skill checks frustrating. I worry that I am missing story or items because my trader alone is struggling. I failed a 95% success rate check and that was frustrating. I don't love the idea of things being locked behind a dice roll.

The Chapter 3 interactions feel really weird, particularly as a Dogmatic. The game literally opens with what appears to be a suicidal charge into fire as you are "protected by the Emperor", but in Chapter 3 you can get an instant game over in a text choice by sassing off to a xeno? I've spent the entire game Dogmatic and purging, but now the only text options I get are "praising my Master"? Uh. The game also goes to length to describe the torture and disability of RT and companions, but then... they just sort of pop out of pods without so much as a trauma, and are ready to fight? Pasqal emphasizes that ripping the xeno part out will probably kill him... but then he does it and is as good as new? Heinrix is described as being blinded... but as far as I can see seems to be just fine?

You are stuck, your authority means nothing to the Drukari you are very much a slave to their wims.

Sucking up to the surgeon is your best bet(screw the Snake, & traitor) Everything you do is for survival.(you get your dogmatic revenge on him later it's great) He has various items you can con out of him as well as your debuffs, & some of your companions. As well as a way to get your stuff back.

Originally posted by Xedek:

I'm a little worried about the combat and progression. I just got Ulfar and was looking forward to trying him and uh... am somewhat underwhelmed. It feels like he COULD be good, but is just so limited on equipment, and half the talents don't seem to really work for him. He feels more like a cameo or a shoehorned DLC character. It feels weird to get him so late and fully (poorly) built.

Poorly built, Ulfar? No, use him as a bum rushing arch militant, & give him a auto cannon(a heavy stubber when you get one)as a secondary(you may have 2 by this point) & build him heavy guns don't let the "low damage" of the cannons dissuade you even on high difficulty it rips things apart. knocking them down, debuffing, & slowing them.

He also has a free kick abuse it. He plays like a more agressive/melee hybrid Argenta.(my Argenta uses heavy bolters/heavy flamers)

Originally posted by Xedek:

I'm also only in Chapter 3 and already working through Exemplar levels, so I don't expect a lot of game changing growth or new abilities. A lot of the talents don't seem to scale into late game very well at all and I seem to be running out of useful choices. Apparently "Marzipan" is also recruit-able, but I saw no options that really indicated that and just wound up killing him in a fight (Dogmatic).

To get Marzipan you need to say you can help each other during your "hearing" at the start of your abduction.(as he's screwed then too) Then you bring it up again when they taunt you each time. He'll betray them killing 2(?) of them. My dogmatic character has him on a short lease he's literally screwed without you.

I was about 2-3 levels into Exemplar prior to chapter 3 due to not properly understanding how space travel threat worked. So I fought alot of demons moving around the map early chapter 2.(they all give xp though)