Stat Allocation

[proximityAlert]

I'm fairly new to crpgs. With pillars, is it ok to follow the starred, recommended stats for each class when allocation stat points? I remember when the game first came out reading that some people felt the recommended stats were completely different than what classes actually needed points invested in to be optimal.

Also do you want fairly even stat distributions or do you primarily focus on one or two and lower all the rest?

[Viktor]

What I did: Put the stats at Random, I created a Cypher and wanted make it an all round character so there I go, so far I hadn't have problems with combats but well, that is what I did so I'm pretty sure It isn't the optimal way to do it.

P.D: Anyway, if you are not playing at the hardest difficulty I think the game let you space to build your character as you wish (I think, from what I have tested so far).

Enjoy the game :D

[D'amarr from Darshiva]

Originally posted by proximityAlert:

optimal

What is optimal is extremely subjective. Afterall, it is you who will need to find a playstyle that matches your taste. A highly vulnerable and fragile character, for example, may require extreme amounts of micro-management as to be useful and may reduce the fun while playing. Of course there are people who bragg with alledgedly overpowered builds, but in this game, nothing is really overpowered. A single Graze, if not a full Hit, may cause devastating afflictions and either disable your character or make it much easier to hit with subsequent attacks.

Originally posted by proximityAlert:

Also do you want fairly even stat distributions or do you primarily focus on one or two and lower all the rest?

There are tons of ways how to play the game. It is completely fine if you don't reduce attributes below 10 or 8 at most. One can complete the game at hardest difficulty with only NPC companions and no hired adventurers. Talents and equipment make a difference and can increase attributes, too. Resting bonuses, food and other consumables (drugs, potions, scrolls) can make an even bigger difference - and if playing on the easier difficulty modes, you may not use them at all because they are not needed.

Dumping attributes can be a mistake in this game. Just look at the values which are governed by the attributes. Lowering defenses too much may open attack vectors for ranged attackers, and then socalled "glass cannon" builds become less fun, because you may need to keep them in safe distance and be very careful with whether and when to join combat.

About the attribute recommendations. Review the attribute description details carefully. Decide on a gut level. It will be fine. At a last resort, you may retrain your characters at every inn for a bit of gold.

Btw, personal experience with the game will matter a lot, too, with regard to what you will need to decide on. For example, high damage sounds nice, but high action speed and high interrupt may be much more useful. Offense can be the better defense.

There are many ways to play the game.

[Ehra]

Outside of very specific cases, all stats are useful to everyone and you can't really go wrong by putting points into any of them. The recomended stats are fine, an even distribution is fine, pretty much anything you choose to go with is fine. People will nitpick over optomization, but in actual gameplay the difference between, say, 13 Might and 18 Might isn't really that much.

My general rule of thumb is to not lower anything beneath 10 and just pick 3 or so stats to raise to 15-16. The specific exceptions I make is lowering Dex for Chanters (an argument could be made for Paladins as well) and lowering Might for anything that I am 100% positive that I don't care about the damage they deal (which is rare). Lowering Resolve for a ranged character can also be worth it depending on my mood.

The deficiencies suffered by lowering stats in any other context tend to be too crippling to your offensive/defensive abilities to be worth the hassle for the benefit you gain.

[GodfatherPlunger]

unless you are playing on the highest difficulty you should be able to play whatever you want ;)

[madgamer2]

Originally posted by Viktor:

What I did: Put the stats at Random, I created a Cypher and wanted make it an all round character so there I go, so far I hadn't have problems with combats but well, that is what I did so I'm pretty sure It isn't the optimal way to do it.

P.D: Anyway, if you are not playing at the hardest difficulty I think the game let you space to build your character as you wish (I think, from what I have tested so far).

Enjoy the game :D

reminds me of my youth and playing the ols Wizardry series (all 8 games!) each race had basic stats and you had the number of points to add by a random method(hitting the space bar) I spent hours creating my characters in that series..what fun