Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg (
More info?)
Lycenae wrote:
> I'm not sure it works that way, Knight37. Please correct me if I'm
> wrong, but:
>
> You can level-up in the 4 skill areas relatively independently of
> character level. I currently do this so that I can equip good items
> from the other classes from my main one, if I so choose. (Plus, I like
> the variety of play styles if I'm soloing). For instance, if I'm
> playing as a combat mage, I try to have a whole bunch of levels in
> nature magic so that I can cast some minor buffing spells in my
> autocast slots while my nature mage (Deru or Taar) is concentrating on
> healing spells in her autocast slots. Works well, and I don't have to
> spend skill points in nature magic to cast moderate-level nature
> spells.
>
> As I understand it, the reason you are encouraged to concentrate is
> that you get one skill point per *character* level. If you break-up
> your skill points between skill trees, you end-up hosing yourself
> because the killer powers really require some devotion of your points
> to one branch of a tree.
Yes but the skills on the skill tree require a base level on your main
skill. So if you're level 12 combat mage, you will open up skills on
the tree under the combat magic section. But if you're 6/6 melee/combat
mage, you won't have access to the level 12 combat mage skills.
> Its ok to level up a bit in your off-classes
> for access to items, just make sure you concentrate your skill points
> in one branch of a single tree so that your powers kick ass.
Ok, either you are not spending all of your skill points as you aquire
them, or you're going to end up with a bunch of points spent on the low
level powers in the skill tree and not on the higher level ones.
> You can
> redo some areas with lower-level enemies to level-up your off-classes.
Yeah, I hadn't really thought about that, but isn't that kind of
tedious? You're talking about adding a lot of monotonous play time and
I'm not sure the payoff is all that wonderful. Is a 10/10/10/10
character really that much more competent than an 10 character? I guess
if your soloing maybe it would be depending on whether or not certain
types of critters are more or less susceptible to different kinds of
attacks. But if you're going with a standard 4-color party, I don't see
much advantage.
Which reminds me, is there a combat mage for hire in the first town?
Because so far I haven't found him so I've got two nature-mage
followers now and I just finished the quest to go to the dryad exiles
camp. Most of my crew is level 11 or 12 with the extra nature mage at
level 8 or 9.
> However, if your character level increases, make sure you spend the
> skill point in your main tree, whatever that is.
Maybe that's what I don't understand. WHEN does your character level
increase? Is a 5/5 melee/combatmagic character a level 5 character or a
level 10 character?
> Does that make sense? I'm actually pleasantly surprised by the DS2
> class/skill/tree system. Damn fun game.
I don't think it has near the depth of D2LOD but it's certainly better
than DS1 by a mile or two.