Skills, races, destinies and starting a new character

I'm suffering of a severe case of restarter syndrome which has mostly to do with the fact that we get only limited options at character creation.

I've made maybe ten characters and played with them through the tutorial and a bit more with three of them.

The problem is I'm never really satisifed because as a player I find that looks matter.

So anyway I like the options for hair and beards for the Varani but I'm not too keen on their starting skills. I've made two Dokkalfar characters that looked ok but I got bored pretty quick with the elvish thing.

So far my favourite is my Almain female character but she is a bit too pretty and I'm thinking of starting over.

I've tried making a character that looked like The Nameless One from Planescape Torment but the character creator didn't provide enough options.

I really like the Almain for their starting skills which match the focus I want to give to my character.

Quote :

Almain
Blacksmithing +2
Alchemy +1
Persuasion +1

One rank in Alchemy is good for gathering reagents right from the start. Blacksmithing can be very effective and allows you to make some better gear than what you can find at the beginning making for an easier time early on. Persuasion is good too so you can succeed during dialogue and get more roleplaying options.

Quote :

Varani
Detect Hidden +1
Mercantile +1
Lockpicking +2

Detect Hidden is very, very good. It's worth investing in it simply because of all the hidden stuff that you can find this way. Mercantile is a bit of a waste since money is never such a big deal and saving some coin doesn't make your character more effective. Lockpicking is rather useless IMO. It doesn't really make a difference.

Quote :

Dokkalfar
Stealth +2
Persuasion +1
Sagecraft +1

I'm a fan of Persuasion, I'm just not sure Sagecraft is such a great pick right from the start. Stealth can be effective but the two points don't really make a difference.

Quote :

Ljosalfar
Dispelling +2
Alchemy +1
Sagecraft +1

Dispelling is probably not such a big deal at the beginning of the game and I don't think Sagecraft makes a difference early on. Alchemy is good to find reagents.

Of course our experience may differ but IMO the best start is with an Almain especially if you're looking to max out Blacksmith pretty quick in order to get some decent gear.

Crafting minor healing potions doesn't require too many points in Alchemy.

That leaves Detect Hidden which is really important and should be taken as soon as possible in order to maximize the return. Getting more stuff and more gold is probably better than getting a discount with Mercantile.

I've played three characters long enough to try different destinies and I must say that I really like the Jack of All Trades line. Getting one extra skill point in every skills with the Wayfarer is a great way to maximize skills before eventually picking a more focused build. You get an interesting return on some skills (Detect Hidden for instance) and you can also go beyond the limit set by your level.

I like to go Varani, as I find both detect hidden and mercantile to be very useful skills. As for the destinies, my favorite by far is the battlemage. Just the ability to both charge head-on and destroy everything, and then leap out and dish out elemental destruction, it's all very empowering. As for the character creator, I'm not really concerned with what I can make my character look like, only how my character looks. I have not once made a character I thought was ugly. Thank God for the hide helmet feature.

The problem is that it's not easy to make a character that looks really different. I'm not really happy with the lack of options. It's true that it's not hard to make a decent looking character but it's hard to make one that really stands out.

Varani have the coolest beards and hairstyles. But IMO Mercantile and Lockpicking are a total waste of skill points (especially Lockpicking since it's absolutely useless and doesn't help that much if at all with locks).

Aye, investing in lockpicking is pointless, but mercantile has come in really handy with me. I find myself needing to get all the loot I see. Thus, I oftentimes end up with a full inventory, and need to destroy some items. Mercantile is indispensable here, allowing me to get some money out of it anyways. As for the character creation, see, I don't want to make a character that looks different. I want to make a character that looks good, but blends in with the other characters in the game.

Well you're lucky because I can't stand playing a character that looks just like another peasant/random knight whatever. I like when my character has something special that sets him or her apart from the crowd.

I truly don't see the point in investing in Mercantile. If you use Sagecrafting to make gems you can sell the ones you don't need in order to make plenty of cash (and I mean plenty).

Moreover with a decent Blacksmithing skill you can make some gear that rivals the things you can buy (at high prices) from the shops.

Detect Hidden is a must have not because it gives you a little more gold and some extra loot but because it also reveals secret doors and other useful things on the map. If you like being thorough and not missing anything it's hard to ignore its appeal.

I try to invest 1-2 points in lockpicking nevertheless.

Detect Hidden is a MUST have... boosting loot find exponentially, and find secret doors as well? Yes, please.

I always max out archery skills.

Mercantile is useful, more bang for your buck and squeezing extra gold when selling stuff.

Blacksmithing is useful as well, crafting one's own equipment for a fraction of the price, and selecting every component of my weapon? Yes, please.

I haven't been a fan of sneak. I usually keep a good distance and unleash a flurry of arrows, then spells, and if I am forced in combat, I cut them down like dogs with Fae Blades.

I usually take the Scout destiny, for the bonus with long-range weapons. I like bows, what can I say? The Seer destiny's teleport is also VERY handful.

Sneaking works very well but it certainly doesn't pay off that much to max it out. I like sneaking in order to kill off some big foes (like the Jotuns). It can be very effective.

I understand that you both like Mercantile (the discounts add up but as far as I can see they don't apply to training costs which is unfortunate) but I'd suggest trying crafting (gems and gear) as a valid alternative for equipment and money and you may be surprised.

At first I tried putting points in lockpicking and it doesn't change much. With a little luck once you're used to the minigame you can open any lock without any ranks in this skill. It's most certainly the least useful skill in the game.

Ah, detect hidden, how I love you. I've actually gotten two unique weapons (Earthgavel and a staff, I forget its name) from random chests around the world that I never would have found without the skill

I've finally managed to stick to one character that looks rather cool IMO (my new avatar).

Going for a jack of all trades line is great fun. Shocking enemies, taking them down with a bow and finishing them off with a sword is rather effective.

Besides the skill bonus from the jack of all trades line is handy making up for skills that I don't want to bother putting point in and maxing out the ones I want before even reaching the level that allows you to put that many points in these skills.

Right now my guy has some gear that give him +5 Health every seconds which makes him rather tough. In fact only bosses can really hurt him and healing potions are only required in some of the big fights. I've also invested in the Might talents that make the character hardier and it works rather well.

The next step will be adding items that recharge Mana so he will be able to cast more spells.

There's one thing that gravely disappoints me about playing as my battlemage: I just realized, that no matter what I do, I cannot have the highest level skills from either the Might or Sorcery trees and still get the highest Might/Sorcery class.

Damn you, level cap.

I'm not there yet and I haven't done the math but I suspect the level cap will be a pain.

Since there are fateweavers I've decided not to pay too much attention on endgame builds and go with what seems more useful right away.

I'm also starting to like the items that give a bonus to abilities because they allow you to go beyond the limit in Might, Sorcery or Finesse.

This is really cool.

I'm starting to think that Alchemy is the second best skill in the game simply because with Alchemy you have the potential to get as much as +3 in any other skill by drinking a potion (I'm not even getting into all the incredible bonuses you can get with potions). It really pays off once you reach Master level. It's really sweet.

I'm definitely convinced that Lockpicking is the worst skill possible. Never had any problem opening locks without pumping points into it. In comparison Dispelling seems to be a much better choice (especially if you don't like the dispelling minigame).

Sagecraft is incredibly useful in order to get the best gems besides it's way better than having an NPC unsocket gems. Not a low level priority.

I haven't changed my mind about Mercantile. The skill is only useful earlier on. Once your character gets filthy rich it becomes useless. My current guy must be carrying around 1.8 million gold, he doesn't care about getting a discount when he goes shopping in Rathir. I was troubled by the fact that my guy had so much money that he could probably buy half a city by now but that's probably a side effect of pumping points into Detect Hidden (good thing I didn't invest in Mercantile). I may skip this skill in my next playthrough but I've noticed that Detect Hidden opens certain options in dialogues, it also allows you to bypass some dungeon crawling if you look for secret doors. It's all rather nice when RPing a perceptive and astute character.

I'm still not sure about Stealth. It makes a difference but I'm not sure about how much of a difference it makes. I was using it quite a bit with my elf but I haven't been stealthy lately. I assume this can open some pretty interesting options as far as tactics are concerned.

Blacksmithing is absolutely brilliant if you want some cheap and effective gear. It took me a while to get some weapons that were better than what my character could craft at the forge.

Persuasion is more of a RP skill. It's great in my books I seriously couldn't do without it. Being able to bluff your way around a Mage is priceless.

Anyway I'm repeating myself... I think that once I'm done with my current character I'll replay the game with a Ljosalfar Finesse/Sorcery (poison teleport sounds groovy) who will go for the "bad" option instead of trying to do the right thing. It should be fun.

Maxing out Stealth makes a difference but it's still something that depends on the situation. Sneaking on an isolated foe is pretty easy. Taking on a group is much more complicated (although you can still get away with it).

The Stealthy route is rewarding because of the difference in gameplay but it takes time and isn't so great during boss fights.

After playing with a longbow/longsword Universalist, I'm going for a daggers/chakrams Warlock. I have to say that it is quite a nice change of pace. It really feels different and IMO way more fun.

I think that the Universalist is nice on paper but the possibility of maxing out every skills doesn't make up for the fact that you can't possibly get the highest abilities in any tree. It's effective but it's really too spread out. Even if you take back the points from Weapons (that you get anyway with Universalist) it only means that you have almost all low level abilities. Big deal.

I'm looking forward to unlocking some of the cool stuff with this character and since I'm not a big fan of the Might tree (although it gives more lasting power that's true) I guess I'm going to have a blast.

Not to mention that my current character is a trickster and not a goody two shoes or a wannabe paladin. Playing a devious, selfish and reckless adventurer is way more fun.

A few more thoughts:

Blink is incredibly cool (and useful) plus it gives a Nightcrawler vibe to a character.

Sneak attacking several foes in a row can be hard to pull off at times but it is really fun and stylish.

All in all I find a Finesse/Sorcery build rather rewarding and at times even easier than a more straightforward build (probably more dynamic too as it means you have to time when to dodge and when to attack instead of going for a simple button mashing spree).

Skipping some skills can make the game a bit more challenging and interesting so it isn't necessarily a bad thing (for instance not investing in Blacksmithing means that you can't craft better gear than what you will find so it makes looting worthwhile again).

I haven't posted much in this section, but I have not been playing the game for quite some time. Nevertheless, I started a new Warrior with a hugeass hammer and a bow, level 10 now. I can craft a crapload of potions because Alchemy is where I spent most of my points. I tank, and I don't give a flying <d>uck about blocking, I take the hits. I've also got the Might skill that renerates HP, a better way to save on some potions.

Truth be told, I almost feel like playing the game in small bits since I know this F'N awesome game will never have a follow-up. There was some serious potential for a kickass franchise of awesome games, but alas, this will never be.

What a F'N shame.

It is a shame.

Getting some gems that regenerate health is the easy way of going through countless battles and saving potions.

Alchemy is a great choice. Later on you will be able to craft potions that give you +3 points in any skills and that means that you don't have to worry about maxing them out.

I'm not a big fan of the bigger weapons but they have their uses. It's funny that you should mention that you don't like blocking. IMO it's only good once it is maxed because otherwise it doesn't make such a difference. I'd rather dodge past enemies.

We'll have to start a new thread to discuss the story once you will have completed your first run through the game. There are so many things to say about the Fateless One and the world of Amalur.

It's a pity, this could have been a great franchise.

Hey, want more of a heartbreaker? They actually had a Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning 2 in development.

"We had a good base to work from, and it was going to be all about improving everything. We listened carefully to fans and critics and we were going to implement everything we possibly could." -From a 38 Studios employee

It's a real pity. It's a really great game but with a few improvements it could have been a truly legendary title to rival any other CRPG franchise.

At least we got to play KoA:R and maybe it will inspire others to try something different and create compelling games instead of overlooking the importance of lore and of a fun gameplay.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/06/03/epic-games-saves-kingdoms-of-amalur-developer

HALLELUJAH

Thanks for the link Dragoniguana, there may be hope for a sequel yet.

I have just been made the happiest gamer in the world, just by that one little link.

Hell yeah! Smart move! There just MIGHT be a glimmer of hope yet!