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Things You Ought to Know Before You Start

Character Creation
1) DO NOT try to make a Jack-of-All-Trades! This is a bad idea.
2) Specialize in...something...anything.
3) Persuasion, Streetwise, and Impersonate work well together.
4) Lore and Crafting work well together.
5) Non-combat characters can and should avoid all combat.

Combat-Weapons
1) Step One: choose between Block (shields) or Dodge (no shields).
2) Stick with your choice! Ignore the other.
3) Pick one weapon type and stick with it!
4) Only combat-focused characters should consider using big weapons.

Combat-Armor
1) Every armor has a cap on Action Points.
2) Find out how many APs your character has.
3) If an armor has an AP cap <= your AP number, it might be a good choice.
4) In general, look for the highest DR (Damage Reduction) you can get without AP loss.

Story
1) The world is made up of a few main story areas, and many smaller areas.
2) Leaving one main story area (like Teron) for a new one auto-completes most quests.
2a) This can be upsetting if you aren't prepared for it!
3) Smaller areas can be visited freely without auto-completing quests.
4) Previously visited main story areas (like Teron) can be re-visited freely too.

Finally
1) Mouse over anything that looks like it might be interesting.
2) There are many interesting things hidden in plain sight.


Have fun!
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UniversalWolf: or
Things You Ought to Know Before You Start

Character Creation
1) DO NOT try to make a Jack-of-All-Trades! This is a bad idea.
2) Specialize in...something...anything.
3) Persuasion, Streetwise, and Impersonate work well together.
4) Lore and Crafting work well together.
5) Non-combat characters can and should avoid all combat.

Combat-Weapons
1) Step One: choose between Block (shields) or Dodge (no shields).
2) Stick with your choice! Ignore the other.
3) Pick one weapon type and stick with it!
4) Only combat-focused characters should consider using big weapons.

Combat-Armor
1) Every armor has a cap on Action Points.
2) Find out how many APs your character has.
3) If an armor has an AP cap <= your AP number, it might be a good choice.
4) In general, look for the highest DR (Damage Reduction) you can get without AP loss.

Story
1) The world is made up of a few main story areas, and many smaller areas.
2) Leaving one main story area (like Teron) for a new one auto-completes most quests.
2a) This can be upsetting if you aren't prepared for it!
3) Smaller areas can be visited freely without auto-completing quests.
4) Previously visited main story areas (like Teron) can be re-visited freely too.

Finally
1) Mouse over anything that looks like it might be interesting.
2) There are many interesting things hidden in plain sight.

Have fun!
These are great beginner tips!

While most of these are pretty easy to figure out, tips 2, 3 and 4 from character creation are initially not obvious and probably the most important ones here.

Most of the time, you get a warning if you click on a new "major" location before finishing everything in the current location. But not always.

Note also that there is one minor location that requires you to take care of something as soon as you arrive - if you leave and come back you'll miss out! And you are NOT warned about this one (it's in the southern mountains).

I would add a few more:

A. Don't fret if you fail a skill check - most of the time, there is another option and/or skill check that you can use to get the same outcome, a similar outcome, or (in some cases) a better outcome. In some cases you can still beat the quest by killing everyone - so if you're playing a combat-heavy character, you should probably care less about failed skill checks.
B. Don't fret if you fail a quest or mission - doing so may actually open up other paths for you.
C. It's been stated in many places by many others: Do NOT expect to be able to complete all quests you encounter by your character. This is especially true of combat-heavy characters.
D. Actually to add to C: if you're NOT combat-heavy, there are some quests you probably shouldn't bother attempting. Unless you want to die horribly.

BUT, having said all of that... Once you're comfortable with the game, I recommend tweaking the starting stats for your chosen class and making a hybrid combat/skill character. My most interesting experience so far was with a thieving loremaster who knew how to swing a sword and block - though he didn't become a champion of the arena, he got pretty close and managed to wipe the floor with most enemies in the game, including a number of optional fights (that I couldn't talk my way out of at any rate).

My second-most interesting experience was a mercenary with some brains who joined the IG. Those talking skills opened up some interesting options to complement the combat - and yet I know that there are even more available if only I had enough charisma to go with it...
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squid830: Most of the time, you get a warning if you click on a new "major" location before finishing everything in the current location. But not always.
Yes, you're usually warned that crossing a certain line will force you ahead to the next major location. BUT, you're not warned that moving to the next location will auto-complete most of the quests at your current location. That's a design decision peculiar to AoD, so new players might not be expecting it.

Also, you're right about how you can't possibly do every quest in the game. It's impossible. In fact, there are whole areas you'll never see unless you start over with a different character and/or follow different quest lines.

It's a great game!
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UniversalWolf: Also, you're right about how you can't possibly do every quest in the game. It's impossible. In fact, there are whole areas you'll never see unless you start over with a different character and/or follow different quest lines.

It's a great game!
Yes the amount of replay value this game has is quite amazing. There were three locations I didn't even realise existed as possible destinations (although they are mentioned in passing) until I was sent there in my third play through, due to joining/starting with different factions. I think it wasn't until I'd played through the game in its entirety at least five times that I managed to discover all possible locations in the game - and even after that, depending on start and/or later choices, some of those same locations ended up feeling completely different due to the options one has.

Not to mention that each starting character type has many potential paths, which may converge with other starting character types. Or alternatively you could make decisions which fundamentally alter the plot(s) going on around you, assuming you're in a position to affect them (since the options you have can vary drastically).

What I really like is that your character in one game can be identified in subsequent games as previously appearing as someone else. E.g. when I played through as a thief, I encountered what could have been my character from when I played as a Praetor for Daratan, making as it turns out exactly the same decision I did at the time.

Also multiple play throughs are pretty much required to make sense of some of the plot. That's actually one thing that could be a bit jarring - new players could quite well be presented with transition text upon entering a new major area that mentions things that aren't even mentioned in the current game, which could be pretty damn confusing. It wouldn't have hurt for some more information (even as loose talk or gossip) being available to the PC about what's currently happening in the world/city.
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squid830: ...multiple play throughs are pretty much required to make sense of some of the plot.
That's true. The first time I finished the game I had only the barest sketch of the full backstory. Halfway through my third game I've got most of it down, I think.

I like how stingy the game is with info, though. It makes Loremaster characters and archeaologist characters meaningful.
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UniversalWolf: I like how stingy the game is with info, though. It makes Loremaster characters and archeaologist characters meaningful.
I agree with this with respect to the lore and backstory. What I meant by "plot" I mean the things that occur while you're there in the "present day", that are often mentioned when you transition to the next major area. Sometimes it will mention events that occurred in the current city but that your character had no interaction with, and also no one will have even mentioned it.

One time I played through and left Maadoran it mentioned the consequences of this plot Gaelius had going, and there had been no mention of it whatsoever up to that point. Similar things occurred when leaving Teron. I can understand that my character may not have had anything to do with those events, but you'd think they would be mentioned by other characters at least in passing. Either that or they could have written those city endings in a way that didn't make it sound like my character should already know what they're talking about.
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squid830: What I meant by "plot" I mean the things that occur while you're there in the "present day", that are often mentioned when you transition to the next major area. Sometimes it will mention events that occurred in the current city but that your character had no interaction with, and also no one will have even mentioned it.
That's true. It could almost be considered spoiler-ish.

On the other hand, it gives you something new to investigate the next time you play.

Another tip for new players: failing skill checks will often open new paths you might not otherwise see, so don't think you must succeed at every one. Just do what your character would do.
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UniversalWolf:
Etiquette is also recommended for non-combat characters for earning extra SPs. Working good in tandem Impersonate/Etiquette + Streetwise/Persuasion.
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UniversalWolf:
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Cadaver747: Etiquette is also recommended for non-combat characters for earning extra SPs. Working good in tandem Impersonate/Etiquette + Streetwise/Persuasion.
Yes, that's a good one too.

It works just fine to play a full talker/negotiator character with no points at all in any combat skills or physical abilities.

That makes me think of another good tip for new players: the abilities you choose at the start are fixed, and are not going to change during the game. While there are exceptions to that rule, they're very rare. New players should be aware that they're not going to be able to increase their character's Charisma or Strength or Intelligence later in the game.
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UniversalWolf: That makes me think of another good tip for new players: the abilities you choose at the start are fixed, and are not going to change during the game. While there are exceptions to that rule, they're very rare. New players should be aware that they're not going to be able to increase their character's Charisma or Strength or Intelligence later in the game.
Yeap, playing "negotiator" is very fun.
I don't know why should anyone even consider investing points into STR DEX CON for non-combat character.
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UniversalWolf: That makes me think of another good tip for new players: the abilities you choose at the start are fixed, and are not going to change during the game. While there are exceptions to that rule, they're very rare. New players should be aware that they're not going to be able to increase their character's Charisma or Strength or Intelligence later in the game.
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Cadaver747: Yeap, playing "negotiator" is very fun.
I don't know why should anyone even consider investing points into STR DEX CON for non-combat character.
To clarify, you of course mean statistics are fixed - abilities can improve during the game by spending points as you get them.

Stats are sometimes used in conjunction with - or instead of - ability checks. Sometimes a related stat that's high enough allows for a lower ability score, and conversely a low related stat can sometimes be overcome by a higher ability score. Sometimes.

Actually there are some areas - well OK really only one that I can think of right now - that you won't be able to get to unless you meet a DEX/CON and/or DEX/STR check (possibly both?) - no abilities are checked AFAIK. They're not really high checks, but a character with a 4 in STR CON DEX won't be able to do it.

This could potentially (but not necessarily) lock you out of another area.

Having said that, this may not actually matter - it won't stop you from getting an ending at any rate. It just might limit certain advanced options. Which most people (myself included) don't tend to figure out (or care about) until multiple playthroughs.

I guess what I'm saying is that there's a choice between "types" of "negotiator" characters - apart from a hybrid fighter/negotiator, in the case of "pure" talker/intellect characters there's a choice between being able to explore some harsh-ish environments, or instead focusing entirely on people skills.

Of course there are many variations on this - that's just the "broad split" I can see between non-combat characters. Of course then you potentially have splits between intellect-focus and charisma-focus related to that as well.

And finally on a slightly different note - the most advanced armor in the game requires a high lore to use to its full potential. And block skills.
Post edited December 05, 2015 by squid830
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squid830: Actually there are some areas - well OK really only one that I can think of right now - that you won't be able to get to unless you meet a DEX/CON and/or DEX/STR check (possibly both?) - no abilities are checked AFAIK. They're not really high checks, but a character with a 4 in STR CON DEX won't be able to do it.
Area with high STR/DEX and area with high CON actually. If you decide to create non-combat character and invest stat points into that you'll waste your game completely, several major "talkie" options will be lost because your PER INT CHA too low.
In order to get into that "area" you can always choose one specific class, which is a major flaw cause developers could at least implement workaround for other classes, especially for my favorite... con artist ;)

So my good people who prefer to play without using hand-to-hand combat, don't waste scarce STAT points into physical attributes.

As for the skills.
To gain most SPs I strongly advise you to concentrate on:
- Persuasion
- Streetwise
- Lore
- Impersonate
- Crafting
- Etiquette

Save often, don't spend any SPs before you try other ways and get more SPs to invest into specific skills.
Save often, because some persons will not give you more quests if your reputation is low.

Lastly if someone disagrees with you, asking something in return, persuading him/her might win you more bonus SPs.
There is an alternate way to get through the CON check area too. As this is a no spoiler thread I won't say more.

I wouldn't worry about locking off certain areas. That will happen with any character depending on the start you choose and the factions you side with.
Post edited December 06, 2015 by UniversalWolf
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Cadaver747: Area with high STR/DEX and area with high CON actually. If you decide to create non-combat character and invest stat points into that you'll waste your game completely, several major "talkie" options will be lost because your PER INT CHA too low.
I wouldn't agree that you'd "waste your game completely" - if done right you'd only miss out on one or two minor improvements or alternate paths to the same destination.

But I do think that doing that is more "advanced" than what a new player should be aiming for - so I agree with you that new players probably shouldn't invest in STR/DEX/CON for a pure talker. It's probably better to do that for a later playthrough, once the mechanics are better understood - e.g. for a hybrid character.

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UniversalWolf: I wouldn't worry about locking off certain areas. That will happen with any character depending on the start you choose and the factions you side with.
That's true - I think it's literally impossible to see every area in the entire game with any one character.

One more bit of (cheap) advice: once you're in the second major area, note that visiting any new area the first time will grant you 5-10 SPs just for visiting it the first time. So if you really need the SPs, just visit each area once and then go back to where you want to go. It's a bit lame since it messes with the sense of story progression/realism - I reckon the game should give you more SPs for quests, or give SPs for discovering a new map location instead of giving SPs to visiting them physically - but anyway, easy SPs if you need them quickly.
Post edited December 07, 2015 by squid830
I'm just not getting anywhere with this game, and I badly want to like it!

So, the game starts out warning you to avoid combat, and the first thing they teach you is... combat! No matter how many times I've tried, I can NOT GET PAST that first dude past the gate! I just die over and over, and I'm having zero fun. Is there a way to just avoid the combat and move on?

I tried picking just one weapon and one shield and the helmet, and just one or two skills. But it doesn't matter. I'll be dead in a few minutes anyway. Not. Grokking. This. Game. At. All. :(