Tips for a new player

[OllympianGamer]

Have pretty much no idea what this game is about but going to play through it, have any tips that a new player should know?

[Yulius]

Just roleplay it. Choose a background you like and act accordlingly in game. There is no right or wrong only different ways. There is nothing you can screw up so just trust yourself and have fun.

[Dorok]

- Character building
There's no respec so put a little care in talents you pick and quote many have a specific weapon type or shield requirement, or requires sneaking.

Quote that it seems almost impossible to start sneak past beginning of a combat, and there's many skills working only when in sneak mode. So don't over-evaluate them, for most combats you'll be able start sneaky, but nothing more.

There are many details in rules and mechanisms you could not notice well at first, but none matter enough to screw up a first play at Hard or Normal.

- Manage combats
Don't bother with companions AI, you'll get troubles from it, more than in PoE. A fine setup is change AI setup of all companions to aggressive and no AI behavior that is companions will only use standard attacks and will search attack closest enemy, you'll manage yourself talents and spells.

Unlike in PoE the auto pause for "Party Member Finishes Ability" works relatively well.

- Adventuring
There are some delayed spawning in many areas, and sometimes wide respawning for few area. It's not that major but it's good to know that when you go back in an area you could take care to quote what have changed. It doesn't mean it worth check constantly areas again and again to find new late spawning.

Talk to commoners (NPC not named) could generate some comments on last main events of your adventure, so it could be fun check sometimes one.

- Reputations
No need optimize reputations, it's not worth slowdown and get a jerky playing with reload to manage that.

[Grakor]

My main recommendation for character creation is to put all of your points into athletics, lore, and subterfuge. It's far easier to level those skills up if you already have them, and if you don't you'll miss out on opportunities to raise them, which makes them too low for future opportunities, etc into a painful loop.

Other than that, the game isn't hard enough to really require too many tips to work with. Just go with what seems fun.