How do you invest focus points?

[Bermag]

Not enough FPs to level all the skills so how do you invest them and which roles do you assign to companions. This is for main (late game goals).

These are my thoughts:

- Weapon skills (vig/ctr): 5 FPs into both main weapon skills. Questuion is if yopu should invest attribute poitns up to 7 (which is necessary to get 275). Probably only in main skill (for me bows).
- Riding: I do mounted combat so maybe 3 FP. I think getting 150 is good enough
- Athletics. Split about this. Currently have 3.
- Smithing. I see no reason to max this oput and instead use a dedicated smithing companion. Instead I focus on refining. It would be nice to get to 150 toi get extra attribute point so I have 3 FP (and 4 attr in end) which will allow me to get that.
- Scouting. Can be handled by dedicated scout. But getting 150 givers you +5 party size. Not sure if it is worth the investment though (have 3 FP).
- Tactics: Some points are useful (I have 4 maybe to much?).
- Roguery. None.
- Charm/Leadership 5 FP no question about it. And > 6 attribute points so you get 275 in each (and higher).
- Trade. For me getting 125 is good enough.
- Steward. Personally (but I know many say the opposite) it is better to have a companion since you would probably want to get to max. I trhink it is useful to have 100 SP since that gives bonus to party leader.
- Medicine: I think getting 175 is useful (Clan life expectancy) but when you have got that then use dedicated surgeon instead. With 4 attr points then you need 4 FPs.
- Engineering. None use companion instead.


Thoughts?

[Wetwings]

I never really liked charm, is it that good?

[EfBee]

Originally posted by Wetwings:

I never really liked charm, is it that good?

It is. It just depends what you want to do and how you play.

[p30pl3h4t3m3]

i personally found out for me, spreading out attributes and focus points is slower skill progress, but in the long term you get much more out of it instead of focus on min/max builds. using companions for a specific role (and yes i did it in the past), is wasting experience for your main.

example (horse lover, riding army), age 31 (so plenty of time left and not finished) will focus from now on more on lower attributes / skills now instead of the upper onees.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2841938866

[csb]

For me the only question is to get high IQ /so I can have the last Medicine perk what can boost your party combat strength around 30-50% and keep your high tier troops alive/ or get 2 companions and ignore one of the most powerful perk in the game.

Max Medicine is the strongest in endgame, but it would limit your character to one type (smart and charming like in real life).

[Bermag]

Originally posted by csb:

For me the only question is to get high IQ /so I can have the last Medicine perk what can boost your party combat strength around 30-50% and keep your high tier troops alive/ or get 2 companions and ignore one of the most powerful perk in the game.

Max Medicine is the strongest in endgame, but it would limit your character to one type (smart and charming like in real life).

Yeah you are right. Didn't notice that was personal and not surgeon. Seems a bit incorrect labeled though. Should maybe be party leader or maybe clan leader if it is for all troops even those not in your party. Or does it apply to army ?

[Zerosaiko]

If I remember right, it only applies to your own party and troops in other parties in an army won't benefit. Though it would probably be more correct for it to be labeled Party Leader instead of Personal in-game.

[RJboxer]

Originally posted by Wetwings:

I never really liked charm, is it that good?

one of the best stats in the game. (especially regarding late game, if NOT ON CHEAT MODE). if u arent giving yourself influence with commands... charm is a necessity.

if you ARE teleporting and adding influence when u need, then yeah charm is not great.

for legit play... it is a necessity.

[RJboxer]

Originally posted by Bermag:

Originally posted by csb:

For me the only question is to get high IQ /so I can have the last Medicine perk what can boost your party combat strength around 30-50% and keep your high tier troops alive/ or get 2 companions and ignore one of the most powerful perk in the game.

Max Medicine is the strongest in endgame, but it would limit your character to one type (smart and charming like in real life).

Yeah you are right. Didn't notice that was personal and not surgeon. Seems a bit incorrect labeled though. Should maybe be party leader or maybe clan leader if it is for all troops even those not in your party. Or does it apply to army ?

You have a lot of great assumptions, and observations in your posts in this thread. This has been discussed multiple times over the years, in multiple threads, but as the game is constantly tweaked, things change...

Without jumping into another HUGE math driven, data oriented Thread, that is then supplemented with "yeah but in reality you'd do THIS more often, so THIS is better" debate.. (all of which are valid... on both sides of the argument).. let me state this...

And I hope many people will agree... (long time players that is..).

< first.. I hate when people say PLAY AS U WISH, JUST HAVE FUN. To me that is nonsense, this is a strategy game, a person is looking for a STRATEGY, and wants opinions on other or better strats...>

My current opinion after years of play, and a couple thousand hours across MOST patches (did not play 1.8) is that Most of what u pick, wont matter too much later on down the line. Because of that, I will say "play what is fun". (yeah,, I know I just contradicted what I said above.. but hear me out)

In general you want a Stacked Melee skill, a stacked range skill, good steward etc.. all good stuff, everyone agrees....

But when u really start looking into "ahhh should I jack up steward to such n such, so I can get 400 guys" (Ive had parties way way bigger than just that).... or "medicine,, hmmm if I take it to this level, then I will save on average a total of 4% more troops, and if all my guys are max, that translates into roughly x Denars" etc... All that is good stuff. Most of the prior threads focus on those things.. as well as "ahhh, but how about scout, I have pushed steward to such n such, so now have this huge monster party, that is slow, to compensate I have to go overboard in scout, to not be slow as a turtle, and be able to get across the map etc.".... So "how much scout should I pick, and how often will I need to RUN from an army, or CHASE an army" etc... Again, all good stuff.

But as u play more and more, you will see those rarely come up. if ever. I can probably play the game and "win" with any perks you gave me.. on the hardest difficulty. Sure it would be much longer, and much harder, but possible.. and not particularly super hard. So when u pick perks, I'd do it like this.. (which is exactly how I do it,, so I'm a bit biased).

Figure out who your GUY is. is he a ranger? a swordman, a cavalry Glaive murderer etc... Then pick his combat skills for that. Dont go overboard on the Attributes as they are hard to come by.. Then put a few focus points in it.
Next decide "do I wanna buy the world". if so, invest heavily in trade.. if not, then take trade to what u want... to make the game fun (I like the renown for workshop perk)...

Next, do it HOWEVER you want.. if you have a 600 man party.. or a 300 man party.. it wont matter too much. There are pros and cons to both. The deciding factor in you WINNING the game wont be did u bring another 300 dudes to the fight, it is "how strong is my economy, did i get enough lords to join me... and have I been moving in the RIGHT direction". and that is if u want to "conquer everything".

If u just want to be a regional power (I wanna own vlandia and battania). even LESS thought has to be put into min max stats.. just do what sounds fun. it WILL WORK. YOU WILL NOT CRIPPLE YOURSELF.

You can hurt yourself with not knowing how to make money, or that u need lords etc... but whether your leadership is 50 or 250.. is really a small variable in the grand scheme of things.

But what about combat stats? well to me that's the most FUN part of game. so I start them off with a few points early... and level them until they can get to 200 or so... once they CAN reach that number I'm done. pretty much every combat stat over 200 is not much better (well maybe throwing is.. but that skill is hilarious at high levels... so maybe I'm biased).

Figure out what u want to do as a FIGHTER, and everything else is just gravy. u cant go wrong.

some fun perks, the one where u FIND rare horses (assuming u dont do tournaments and win 50 of them), the extra health from athletics. (can be a HUGE difference in surviving ridiculous fights), trade (to get free renown, and buy towns), smithing (if u wanna smith), throwing high lvl, (The only place I know of where Rag Doll physics are still in game, not as great as they were at launch, but better than nothing.), charm (the birth one.. will give you 70+ heirs... pretty easily.. and they are all stacked.. And the INFLUENCE one at end of tree... it is super super super OP when it comes to late game, and overruling the AI).

etc..

in other words, have fun, your question is good and valid.. but don't get hung up on thinking there is a "stronger" or "better" or a skill that is "needed". there really isn;t.

manage that econ, take and hold the correct fiefs, recruit the CORRECT lords. Win.