I need a Divinity Original Sin for Dummies guide!

[Martial.Lore]

I've played the heck out of DV:OS 2 and even completed Honor mode, no problems, but this game seems much more complicated for building a party. DV:OS 2 was the first "traditional" RPG I've played but this game seems to be much less streamlined with more opaque build mechanics for a noob to wrap their head around. Probably having played DV:OS 2 first doesn't help either....

Big question: Can I respec later on in this game if I make a mess of things?

[Reality]

You can re-spec the main characthers and all but 1 companion (Jahan) but I don't think the base game is really going to make any thing unviable.

It does take a while to earn it(5th Homestead upgrade I think?) and I hate grinding cash to get the skillbooks for spells back anyway.

[Dragon]

Originally posted by Martial.Lore:

this game seems to be much less streamlined with more opaque build mechanics

What you call "less streamlined," I see that as "less dumbed-down & shallow."

DOS 2 is indeed easier to learn its mechanics, and that's because its mechanics are a vastly dumbed-down & much shallower version of DOS 1's. But the negative tradeoff for those dumbed-down mechanics is that DOS 2 has way less strategic depth and way less meaningful choices in combat and therefore way less fulfilling combat.

In contrast, DOS 1's tradeoffs are the opposite: it's hard to learn, but has way more strategic depth as a result of its deep mechanics and therefore much more fulfilling combat.

As for a good guide: that unfortunately is hard to come by, as many/most guides/wikis/youtube videos contain obsolete information which was made for the original version, and that information is usually no longer applicable to the EE version.

As for respeccing: you can only do that in the mid-game and it's way too expensive to do so. This is one area in which DOS 2 is indeed better than DOS 1. Although it's not like DOS 2 does it perfectly either, since DOS 2 forbids you from respeccing before the end of Act 1, which is many dozens of hours of needlessly preventing respeccing for no good reason.

[red255]

D:OS1 from what I recall was pretty easy if you know the crafting recipes.

Cookpot + fire = mobile cookpot (you can also use the furnace in the blacksmith area) which allows you to smelt ores and cook food, some of these can be carried with your so its super handy because ores are heavy and bars are not nearly as heavy.

fish + mobile cookpot = dinner (also raw meat works but you can buy fish easy)

Iron ore + smelter = iron bar, Iron bar + smelter = steel bar, steel bar + anvil = steel axe, steel axe + whetstone wheel = sharpened axe (does more damage).

Log + Axe + 2 branches, sinew + sinew = Bowstring, Branch + bowstring = bow. Bow +bowstring = enhanced bow (more damage)

knife + anvil = dagger

knife + Antler = Knockdown arrowhead
knife + teeth = stunning arrowhead

Empty Bottle + barrel of oil = Bottle of Oil, bottle of oil + fuse = fire grenade.
Bottle (any) + hammer = broken bottle, Broken Bottle + empty grenade = AP grenade.
Nine inch nails + empty grenade = nail grenade.
nine inch nails + boots = immunity to slipping.

Weapon + essence = weapon with elemental damage
weapon + tormented soul = weapon with +STR/DEX.

Taking scoundrel 1 point allows you to have pinpoint accurate grenades
taking 1 point of man at arms allows you to have Increased grenade throw distance if you buy the perk.

using man at arms Power attack stance I believe increases the damage, it increases spell damage if you are using a 2H staff. might increase grenade damage.

the Loremaster skill allows you to see enemy resistances. use the appropriate resistance on an enemy with your assortment of grenades and novelty arrows, to take it out.

you can heal easily with various food, or using 1 point of water magic and the regeneration spell.

oh and Mortar and pestle + bones = bonedust. stardust herb + mortar and pestle = stardust. stardust + moondust = pixie dust.

which is useful for making magic needle and thread and magic inkpot and quill, and magic artifacts, you get some teeth magic teeth, can make necklaces, belts and rings with +charisma to help pass speech checks easier.

[Martial.Lore]

Originally posted by red255:

D:OS1 from what I recall was pretty easy if you know the crafting recipes.

Thanks for all your tips red.

[red255]

oh and the shop vendors refresh every hour so you can just farm the shops for items, gold isn't an issue if you craft stuff when you need gold with a high level crafter. (doesn't need to be in the party, you could not use one of the companions and give them crafting skills and just swap to them when you want to craft)

generally speaking bows are amazing for damage if you craft them.

So I go with two bow users, 1 one handed and shield user (he uses grenades), and one mage. the mage doesnt really do enough damage, he mostly heals and disables. but he's worth having I think.

this includes random townsfolk, who also refresh inventories tiny that they may be every hour, and was the only place I could sort of find logs after using them. the miners in silverglen.

the prostitutes for whatever reason all have soap and nine inch nails that refresh every hour.

[Reality]

As far as I'm concerned this is the most coherent guide to the game

https://steamcommunity.com/app/373420/guides/?searchText=lazy&browsefilter=trend&requiredtags%5B%5D=-1#scrollTop=0

You might also use the non-spoiler zones by level guide - the game is level scaled somewhat hard, but since it's open within each act it leaves room to try things in any order (good for repeat playthrough bad for first timer)

https://steamcommunity.com/app/373420/guides/?searchText=lazy&browsefilter=trend&requiredtags%5B%5D=-1#scrollTop=0

As far as my experience

The community consensus is that itemization is both weak (in terms of charather strength) and underdeveloped (in terms of depth of mechanics) - Scavenged loot from battles, Vendors, and even Named unique weapons are ALL worse, sometimes considerably so, than crafted ones. Arguably, the design of the Loot system clashes with the rest of the game so that might be a reason to just bypass it and use crafting. The counterpoint is that it might be too much of an advantage (or busywork) to use crafting super heavily.

Summons are overpowered - only 3 of them are super good offensively in combat, but even the weak ones are worth their weight defensively because of how Enemy targeting AI works -

Crowd control defines the game for most people - wizard type charathers and the archer special arrows don't need much explaining - Grenades are where it's Really at though. If you go all in- it's probbably the easiest way through the entire first 2 acts of the game - I recomend using moderation to prevent making the game anti-climatic.

Keep your motivtaion up by moving on and staying away from parts of the game that feel like busywork to you personally. - if you don't like craftng - if you think city dialog sidequesting is taking you out of the game for too long - or whatever - You don't need all that many resources to beat the game, even on a blind playthrough

I missed tons of non-combat quest XP, and even entire areas, and the resulting underleveled party didn't struggle so much more than what I think developers intend and could still get through just by thinking out the battles a little (I felt no need to go grind / respec / other time consuming stuff)

[red255]

I find crafted weapons are superior to purchased weapons yes.

but the various armors I find superior to crafted items for the non-weapon slots. although you can smith them up to be stronger and well, those are obviously stronger.

Last time I booted up the game I was near the end of the campaign but it was lagging extremely badly.

but after you hit level 15 or so its not too difficult, its just candy to get more levels.

I was doing most of my damage with crafted weapons arrow spray. I think I have some images of my weapons in my screenshots lets check.

yeah I had a couple, level 16 crafted weapons are plenty strong enough to beat the game.

there are plenty of resources to upgrade them though, I get to level 21 or so at the end, and use those sorts of power weapons.

[Rex Powercolt]

Originally posted by red255:

D:OS1 from what I recall was pretty easy if you know the crafting recipes.

nice one, thankyou!

[v0]

@op: forget respec. by time you can do so it's rather late and expensive. just play dos1 by ear. ime most rewarding aspect's figuring things out on one's own but ymmv ofc.

[Teratus]

Havent played the second game yet, gonna do them in canon order except that Dragon war one.

But if you're struggling in combat at all take a good look at the environment around you and think how best you can use it to your advantage.
I've had a lot of success beating strong enemies with underleveled characters by manipulating the environment with burning oil, poison gas and electrified water.

Enemy Ai will not willing run through a environmental hazard unless it has no other way to get to you which can give you a significant amount of control over a battle, not sure how much of that made it to DOS2 but im loving the possibilities in the first game ^^

[Martial.Lore]

Thanks again for all the advice! It's definitely harder to unlearn mechanics (from a previous game) than it is to learn new ones!