What's the point of Source?

[neutrino]

Per title, I don't mean the lore behind it. I mean the actual gameplay reason for it.

You get just one point (yeah, I read by end game you'll have three, but still...), and the spells that require it aren't really battle-changing, tide-turning spells. But given that you have just the one shot use, you are apt to save it "for later" and end up never using it anyway.

And to replenish it is a chore. I have half a mind to install that bedroll mod that auto-replenishes it, but that seems too cheesy.

What am I missing?

[fauxpas]

Nothing, gameplay wise Source is underwhelming and you are almost always better off not using it.


As for mods, instead of the Bedroll one, I'd recommend the mod that puts Source refreshs on a timer.

[neutrino]

Originally posted by fauxpas:

As for mods, instead of the Bedroll one, I'd recommend the mod that puts Source refreshs on a timer.

Well, I'm just about to start Act II (or whatever, leave Fort Joy I mean), and if it's still just as hard to come by, I might actually check that mod out.

[Seether]

Originally posted by neutrino:

and the spells that require it aren't really battle-changing, tide-turning spells. But given that you have just the one shot use, you are apt to save it "for later" and end up never using it anyway.

To each their own I guess, but there are battle-changing, tide-turning abilities and spells that are Source dependent. There are a few battles that spring to mind that would be so much harder to beat without Source (or the artful use of deathfog, which isn't plentiful until Act 4). Each of the 4 Acts has enough Source available that you shouldn't run out so long as you don't mind making a side trip to fill up. Come to think of it, each Act has an unlimited replenishment pool of Source, although you may not find Act 4's until very late. Source doesn't matter a lot in Act 1, because you'll probably have Bless as your only Source ability.

[PhilkIced]

I heard there is an unending fountain to refill source whenever you want to later on, haven't got there yet.

It really is a little too hard to get, but useless? Ever used the basic starting one? The force field that regenerates basicaly all of your physical and magical armor of everyone in an area every turn for 4 yurns? It makes your guys shooting from inside it immortals, they simply can't die and hardly take any health damage for those turns, completely OP.

[Seether]

Originally posted by PhilkIced:

I heard there is an unending fountain to refill source whenever you want to later on, haven't got there yet.

Each Act has one of these, but you might find the ones in Act 3 and 4 pretty late. The endless supply can be found very early in Act 2. It's also in a pretty convenient spot. Acts 3 and 4 have a lot of souls that can be consumed, so you probably will not run out of Source before you find the bottomless mugs.

[Ocsabat]

Once you have the Source Vampire spell then you should have no problem replenishing.

[Gregorovitch]

Source becomes very straight forrward to replenish after Act 1. Use it as much as you like. Even in act one you get a source fountain although I can't remember exactly but I don't think you have a third pyramid yet so you can't just leave one behind a for quick tele-replenish.

The source spells and abiltities are game changing, crazy good. I don't think it would be possible to beat the game on Tactician without them. Be interested to hear of anyone who claims to have done so.

Even in Act 1 if you run Fane you get Time Warp which is crazy good early game.

[Seether]

I never bothered to figure it out, but are all enemies potential Source targets with Source Vampire or just those that use Source themselves? I always assumed it was the latter.

[neutrino]

Okay, sounds like it will become more useful once I leave Fort Joy. Good to know!

[killerproblem]

In my playtime (I'm mid act 3) and outside of story uses, I have used source in combat 4 or 5 times, and each time was underwhelmed at the results... In most cases I have non source spells just as, or almost as effective at doing the same things... Most of the spells / skills I have found needing source just aren't worth the extra 10 seconds after the battle to suck up the corpse's...
The only one's I sort of liked are the custom character's defensive field, and chain lighting... Though it's rare I get enemies grouped up enough to REALLY use it, even teleporting them together... Nor a point where my main needs more armor recovery than shields up gives...
I really think they need to be something special, not just barely better than the mid tier spells / skills...
Just my 2c.

[Seether]

@killerproblem: I think I used it more than you up to the point you are at. I recall summoning a lot of Artillery Plants in Act 2, for example. Anyway, the Act 4 fights are really high level, and I found myself using Thunderstorm, Arrow Storm, Meteor Strike, Onslaught, Daggers Drawn, etc., far more often than before. I will say the final battle at the end of the game is the only time I ever used Steam Lance. Once I started using Thunderstorm, I wondered why I didn't use it earlier.

[Pyromus]

Fane's time warp, skin graft, most of the warfare ones depending on the situation, and the 3 source point nukes are what make it shine. On your non nukers, bless is amazing later on when you have 3 source points, becuase it clears a LOT of negative effects and can change a lot of surfaces in your favor when you aren't scared to "waste" your point on it. Bless is actually amazing and the game needs to show more of it's effects in the tool tips.

If you combine skillbooks of a magic skill group (pyro/aero/geo/hyrdo) with any non magic damaging skill group, you get hybrid powers, and if either book used to combine is a source book, the combined skill will use source. Some of these are amazing (necro+hydro) and some are so so.

[Hobocop]

In Act 1, there's a source fountain just beneath the castle waypoint where you rescue Gareth.

If you have a custom character, Dome of Protection is fantastic, as is Fane's Time Warp. Beast has a pretty decent innate Source spell especially if he's specced Aero. The sourceries for mid-lategame mages are fantastic as well.

[ZZZZZ]

some spells are rly mighty but most (80%+?) of them are pretty useless...

[Pyromus]

Originally posted by Hobocop:

In Act 1, there's a source fountain just beneath the castle waypoint where you rescue Gareth.

If you have a custom character, Dome of Protection is fantastic, as is Fane's Time Warp. Beast has a pretty decent innate Source spell especially if he's specced Aero. The sourceries for mid-lategame mages are fantastic as well.

Yes, this. I feel dumb for forgetting the dome. It feels underwhelming at first, but if you're in a pinch *cough* Black Pits *cough* the dome helps a lot.