Why is Lone Wolf easier?

[CMDR Shven]

So I have two files running in this game at the moment: One with my roommate where we each control half of a 4 person part, and one I play solo where I have two characters with Lone Wolf. Both in tactician. I started the latter after we were already about 50 hours into the game on the first.

I assume a large part of my easier time with the lone wolf file is due to having a better understanding of the game mechanics from the get go, but I still don't see how that makes the game feel much easier. Lone wolf only increases health / armor stats by 30%, as opposed to the relative 2x you would have from a second character. You have a total of 12 AP to spend per turn as opposed to 16. And, in a game where number of bodies on the field is a huge factor, you're cutting the number of targets for your opponents to kill in half.

So why am I absolutely destroying everything? I just hit Driftwood with the lone wolf file and I've used 2 resurrection scrolls so far.

[Adahn (´ ᴥ `)]

My guess is that you can dish out more damage in a shorter amount of time with 2 characters even if on paper that shouldn't be the case, the extra health and armour probably helps as well but in this game dealing damage seems to be the only thing that matters especially if you're just going for either physical or magical and not split.

[Adahn (´ ᴥ `)]

Oh and also it has probably something to do with gear since it's much easier to equip 2 characters well instead of having to equip all 4 with reasonably good gear and maybe it's just easier to plan your fights with 2 instead of 4 characters.

[Zero]

I bet that double stats and combat points for lonewolf is strong. I heard lonewolf character can get champion incarnate fast early, that one makes everything easier

[Conan, Cimmerian]

Very good points so far!
Lone Wolf increases armor stats by 60%, not 30. And you did not mention the dmg increase through stats, which is big in the beginning.
You have two overtuned chars and, after 50 hours, the knowledge to use them effectively. Also coordinating two can be a lot easier than coordinating four ^^

[CMDR Shven]

You sure about the 60% stat increases? The wiki says 30% but I don't have the game open right now to check if it's accurate.

Keeping 2 people well equipped is definitely easier. I also have both characters undead and both know geomancy and necromancy among other things, so they cover the world in poison and heal from it, and also heal 80% from all vitality damage done. Also keeping them across the battlefield from each other and taking turns playing dead so enemies use all their AP walking back and forth makes things a cake walk.

I'm intentionally not using summoning because of how broken I'm finding it in my other co op playthrough. You can actually 100% break the game in fights that aren't in tight spaces, because your summoner can just stand far enough away to summon an incarnate without getting pulled into the turn order. Attack once with incarnate, then summon another one from outside battle, new incarnate gets put into the same turn's turn order with full AP, buff, attack once, rinse, repeat.

I have not actually used that strategy since we found out you can do it but it's definitely possible.

[Stabbey]

The answer is that your attributes and combat abilities are increasing twice as fast. You feel more powerful because you are.

However, in the DE, Lone Wolf is capped at the same 40 points into an attribute and 10 into a combat ability as a standard 4-player party. That means that once you reach the point where a 4-player character would reach their caps, the Lone Wolf will stop outpacing the 4-player character. They'll have to diversify into other attributes and abilities, giving them more flexibility.

[tonypa]

You can start the fight before enemies (high Initiative because of Double Attributes) AND kill/disable some of them (more AP = more skills per turn) AND do more damage AND take less damage.

I still think playing with 4 party members is more fun, Lone Wolf is a bit like work - effective but boring.

[vukotlak]

Well i witness the same.

And for me it looks like this. if you got 4 people. All of em have relativly low initiative and hp/armor/MR. So it often happens that after the first round i have to safe people because they got already hurt so much that i need to focus to safe em.

While on lone wolf you basicly have two super strong chars that basicly allways tank the first round without taking a sweat. So i dont need to focus on curing someone.

However i am not very far into the game yez so i dont know how it will be later on.

[CMDR Shven]

Originally posted by vukotlak:

Well i witness the same.

And for me it looks like this. if you got 4 people. All of em have relativly low initiative and hp/armor/MR. So it often happens that after the first round i have to safe people because they got already hurt so much that i need to focus to safe em.

While on lone wolf you basicly have two super strong chars that basicly allways tank the first round without taking a sweat. So i dont need to focus on curing someone.

However i am not very far into the game yez so i dont know how it will be later on.

That does seem accurate. I spend far less time healing. Though because I'm using dual undead my attacks all heal me anyway, but you're probably right in general.

[ButtStorm]

with lone wolf:

1. higher damage per point and extra points breaks down into:
- oversynergizing ap giving skills and triggering executioner

2. less players - less powerful consumables and materials used (invisibility, source orbs, scrolls, arrows etc)

3. faster and more powerful pre-buffing value, especially in lethal fights requiring consistent immortality

4. high levels of armor easier to watch and maintain

5. wits and memory because of doubled points.. easy to get 75% crit chance pasively altogether with high crit damage. can afford all needed utilities.

not as fun, not as many quests, not as much of a "role play", rather all-in one robocops game

[Jupsu]

Lone wolf is nowadays better in early game, because you can level up your main abilities and attributes much faster; In the late game lone wolf is weaker because point caps. You can't level your main attribute over 40 points and when you reach it other's doesn't help your as much, so normal characters catch up.

[lubed_assassin]

also dont forget about crowd control, more characters mean you can control the map, your prob just feeling that low hp.