I'm going to complain a bit (beastiary fills too quick)

[Zenith]

An aspect of this game that feels flawed is the decision to not receive any XP when a beastiary entry is filled and/or that it fills way too quick.

So I'm very early in the game, just picked up Durance, and I'm looking to build up my guys because I got my butt kicked in a Temple (in the starter town no less) which I decided to leave and come back to later. I avoided taking on that Raedick guy even though that seems the next thing to do because I read here that it's a really hard fight.

So anyway I'm wandering down a path and see a wolf in the distance. I decide hey, I'm a weakling with tough quests on my agenda so I'll fight it and get some XP. So I attack it and it ends up having a pack with it, which is fine, but after defeating them I check the log and I didn't receive any XP because I had already killed 10 of them. My party lost health including one guy with a wrenched shoulder but I don't receive any XP which really sucks the fun out of the game. I realize I'm still a noob with the mechanics and stuff but what about the aspect of playing for XP to build up your character? I want my battles to mean something even if I get just a little XP.

The same thing happened in that early temple. I think I maxed out some beastiary entries after a few rooms! I hate it, it makes battles feel utterly pointless.

The backbone of D&D type games is killng monsters for XP and levelling up your character. It's sad that they removed that fundamental element.

[D'amarr from Darshiva]

It's good balancing that makes it necessary to gain XP also via side-quests and not only by fighting mobs. You will fight enough stronger versions of some monsters later in the game.

And no, Raedric's Hold is not the next step. Not before meeting Maerwald, and not after Caed Nua either. The next step is Defiance Bay. You may try a completionist playthrough and clear every area as early as possible and then do Raedric's Hold before Defiance Bay, but depending on how you explore, you don't meet Kolsc always in the same location either.

[Zenith]

Yeah, the reason I thought Raedric was next was that I was told to go east and the next wilderness patch east started me on the Raedric quest with my guys telling me to do it.

[D'amarr from Darshiva]

You learn about the next step - your main quest - in Gilded Vale. The next step after Gilded Vale is Caed Nua. Of course, you may decide to do side-quests before Caed Nua, but once you've met Maerwald, you know your next step, and it's Defiance Bay.

About Kolsc once more, you don't always meet him in the Esternwood area to the east. You could enter the wilderness around Gilded Vale already at level 2. Or meet him elsewhere.

And Kolsc has warned you. So, even if you decided not to storm in through the front gate, you have been warned. Fortunately, it is possible to take a look and return later in case you run into problems.

[Farsha]

Quests are main source of XP in this game. Bestiary and map exploration give a bit XP, but focus is on the quests.
System is fine, if mobs would give xp all the time, then people would tend to solve everything by killing, cause it would give more XP.
It's CRPG... think before you fight, and actually role play. Unless you are Bleak Walker Paladin you don't have to kill everything ;) .

Readric is sidequest, big one but side quest. You should go to Caed Nua first, atleast to pick up Kana Rua there.
Truth is though that if you kill everything in Readrics keep (specially the knights), some of those plate armors are quite expensive when sold at early levels & enable you to buy some usefull magic accessories (blunting belt in Gilde Vale for your tank for example).

Anyways if you want to lvl, do all sidequests possible.
D&D is pretty flawed system specially if used for video game as direct conversion.

[Zenith]

This game was hard enough to try and adapt to after D&D and this last experience may be the last straw. I just want to kill some wolves and get some XP because I'm weak. But no, the game does not allow. It's frustrating and pretty damn stupid imo.

[Farsha]

Originally posted by Zenith:

This game was hard enough to try and adapt to after D&D and this last experience may be the last straw. I just want to kill some wolves and get some XP because I'm weak. But no, the game does not allow. It's frustrating and pretty damn stupid imo.

Grinding for XP is not backbone of CRPG, not sure where did you got that.
It's focus on world building, story & actual ROLE-PLAYING.
And I would argue that system in POE is far superior to D&D system. I if you want to grind XP by killing mobs don't play CRPG, go play Path of exile or Diablo....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvyrEhAMUPo

But everything is matter of preference. If you don't like to do quests and story to progress your character, simply don't play. BTW games like Witcher 3 make also almost imposible to lvl by grinding mobs, did that bothered you too?

[Gregorovitch]

Originally posted by Zenith:

This game was hard enough to try and adapt to after D&D and this last experience may be the last straw. I just want to kill some wolves and get some XP because I'm weak. But no, the game does not allow. It's frustrating and pretty damn stupid imo.

A big benefit of the system is that it levels the playing field for players who want to avoid killing as much as possible and use peacefull soluitions wherever possible. There is more than enough XP to be had in the game from quests to progress just fine. If you are weak, simply go do some side quests to level up.

[Zenith]

Originally posted by Farsha:

Grinding for XP is not backbone of CRPG, not sure where did you got that.

I actually said killing monsters for XP and levelling up your character was the backbone of D&D type games and since Pillars is a nostalgic kickstarter of the infinity engine games which are based on AD&D, I think it was a realistic expectation to get XP for kills.

But really I would be good with the idea of a beastiary filling up if it didn't do it so quickly. I think I killed 5-6 wolves in that one battle which took maybe a minute and the beastiary XP cap is 10 kills so I quite literally would have spent 2 minutes getting it. That's not even remotely close to grinding and it feels especially off-putting when I'm still taking damage by a pack of them.

[Zenith]

Originally posted by Farsha:

It's focus on world building, story & actual ROLE-PLAYING.
And I would argue that system in POE is far superior to D&D system. I if you want to grind XP by killing mobs don't play CRPG, go play Path of exile or Diablo....

Is there a reason why you can't do both like in Baldur's Gate?

[Farsha]

Originally posted by Zenith:

Originally posted by Farsha:

It's focus on world building, story & actual ROLE-PLAYING.
And I would argue that system in POE is far superior to D&D system. I if you want to grind XP by killing mobs don't play CRPG, go play Path of exile or Diablo....

Is there a reason why you can't do both like in Baldur's Gate?

Yes, this game was designed in a way you cannot. Game was balanced around this feature (for pacifist walkthroughs, there is an achievment for it)
If you don't want to level by questing, don't play this.
& Don't buy the sequel if you don't like it ;) , this will not change.

[Lou the Lou]

I have never, ever searched out extra (revisiting an area where they spawn (have they ever even done that??)) monsters to grind out xp in an isorpg (BG, IWD, etc.). Just, why?

[Farsha]

Originally posted by Zenith:

Originally posted by Farsha:

Grinding for XP is not backbone of CRPG, not sure where did you got that.

I actually said killing monsters for XP and levelling up your character was the backbone of D&D type games and since Pillars is a nostalgic kickstarter of the infinity engine games which are based on AD&D, I think it was a realistic expectation to get XP for kills.

But really I would be good with the idea of a beastiary filling up if it didn't do it so quickly. I think I killed 5-6 wolves in that one battle which took maybe a minute and the beastiary XP cap is 10 kills so I quite literally would have spent 2 minutes getting it. That's not even remotely close to grinding and it feels especially off-putting when I'm still taking damage by a pack of them.

Main point of Bestiary filling up is to unconver each monsters strenght & weaknesess, as you reveal their defences and dmg type for example. Which is really needed information on harder difficulties. XP is minimal as it should be. System works well, and balances the game out around different playstyles.

@Lou the Lou, no monster don't respawn in any of those games.
Really not sure wha OP has been playing, but he would be more at home in hack&slash RPGs.

[ImperialPanda]

Originally posted by Zenith:

This game was hard enough to try and adapt to after D&D and this last experience may be the last straw. I just want to kill some wolves and get some XP because I'm weak. But no, the game does not allow. It's frustrating and pretty damn stupid imo.

The game doesn't value killing mobs because it values offering a diversity of playstyles/solutions. While most section of the game requires some level of fighting, there's options to avoid it and also diplomatic solution. By putting the bulk of xp behind quest completion, POE is allowing people to play the way they want to without fear of being under leveled.

For example, in Skyrim you could level up social/crafting skills such as speech, blacksmithing etc. and you would be effectively unable to scale with the enemies cause you can't do damage.

In POE, even though I resolved a quest by talking or sneaking or stealing, I still get enough xp to level up.

Currently I'm doing a solo paladin run and it's a god send that there are multiple solution to quests and dungeons or else it did be really freaking hard.

[ZirzoR]

If you gave the ability to farm monsters for XP in this game, It would brake the game for people that are better at the game, It would just be too easy, Its like this for a reason, so you have a reason to complete quests and so on.

Dont put the game down because of your inability to adapt and play the game like its supposed to be played, I have several thousand hours into games such as baldur's gate 1/2, Icewind Dale 1/2, And I can play this game just fine. (If we are talking about adapting after playing such games)

Just sayin'

[Lou the Lou]

Originally posted by ZirzoR:

If you gave the ability to farm monsters for XP in this game, It would brake the game for people that are better at the game, It would just be too easy, Its like this for a reason, so you have a reason to complete quests and so on.

Dont put the game down because of your inability to adapt and play the game like its supposed to be played, I have several thousand hours into games such as baldur's gate 1/2, Icewind Dale 1/2, And I can play this game just fine. (If we are talking about adapting after playing such games)

Just sayin'

Oh yeah? And what, exactly, are you "just sayin'"? Because to me, it looks like you haven't said anything meaningful. All you did was put down the OP and try to make yourself look good (but in actually, just made yourself look like a failure; several thousand hours? just how bad are you at those games?).

Keep your insults to yourself. No one cares.