Low micro manging advice?

[Nezix]

I just started playing and I dislike how much I feel like I have to micro-manage the party. I'm only level 3, so I haven't even got to the point where I would be casting a dozen buffs pre-fight. I had several thoughts about this but I would really like some advice.

1. Smaller party size. Would this help? How many? What would work? I'm on 'normal' difficulty so maybe 3 character and a lower difficulty will still feel challenging?

1a. I heard something about not hitting lvl 20 if you have a full party, can anyone elaborate?

Thanks

[Gorith]

Can't eloborate on 1a though I can tell you for the most part the difference between 19 and 20 in pathfinder isn't a big deal unless your capstone is really good.

As for getting low micro. Low party numbers would help but you would also have to micro them more effeciently which might cancel the idea out.

You could also build a party to focus on working well with the games AI. Generally things that work well spamming 1 thing over and over or do most of their damage through attack actions (rogues,Kineticists, fighters, etc)... Not going to mislead you though power wise things like that are going to start lagging behind micromanaged casters the higher the levels get.

[corisai]

Story mode.

But even there late game fights possibly will require to buff yourself well.

P.S. Yes, without any cheats&abuses and playing with full 6-sized party you will end with ~17th level.

[Rané]

Setting "only active characters get XP" and doing less than 6 actives at any time allows you to reach 20th lvl as XP is diveded among the participants. If you don't set it to "only active", the XP is divided to ALL your characters (I suspect -haven't tested- that if you hire mercs, it will drop even more without that setting).

You can try setting "Skill user gets the XP" and make sure you got Persuasion + Trickery on your main toon. Taking those traps personally nets you nice boost to level as do all the diplo rolls. Also with that setting on, Rogue toons will be rolling in levels.

Not sure if it is enough to lvl 20, but early game you will gain significant bonus.

[corisai]

Originally posted by raneka:

Setting "only active characters get XP" and doing less than 6 actives at any time allows you to reach 20th lvl as XP is diveded among the participants. If you don't set it to "only active", the XP is divided to ALL your characters (I suspect -haven't tested- that if you hire mercs, it will drop even more without that setting).

Wrong & wrong.

First : "less then 6 actives" alone is far from being enough to reach lvl 20. Without DLC&cheats (and not abusing xp from skill checks) - only party of 2 can safely reach 20 with it.

Second : standart settings (aka "only active characters get XP" is disabled) will divide xp for 6 party members - regardless of how many characters sit at Oleg's post / your capital (it will divide on 6 even if you have less then 6 chars in party).

So if you're running 6-man party this option can't help you at all (only harm by keeping off-party chars low-level).

Originally posted by raneka:

Not sure if it is enough to lvl 20, but early game you will gain significant bonus.

Enough to get lvl 20, but at cost of ~2 levels of party. Mostly don't worth it (and especially not worth it on rogue), with exception of spellcasters ofk.