Thanks for the info. Totally respect the design choice, and I understand how some people really can enjoy the juggling aspect of having adds being a major part of the boss battles, but for me - they are mechanically uninteresting, especially when repeatedly used. I wouldn't dream of asking the devs to make a change, more just was curious if this was the general style. Not a deal breaker, just not my cup of tea. Definitely helps knowing this info going forward though.
For what it's worth, I generally find that two-player co-op is the sweet spot for most add-filled boss fights (especially if both are communicating with mics). Generally, one can focus on the boss, and the other on crowd control. Health and number of adds just go up as more players are added, so a non-communicative, clueless team of three can have a REALLY rough time with some boss encounters. Obviously a team of three friends that know what they're doing and have been playing together for a while and have found their groove can completely stomp through just about anything.
I had somehow completely forgot that there were more levels under Ward 13. I'll have to go back and check that out to get that trait. Like I said, I think it's neat to tie Traits to progression and bosses and such - but having the leveling be so slow (at least solo and without these XP boosts) - made it seem like a chore to invest in anything else beyond your core skills. I actually managed to RNG into getting the Sagestone ring, so I am good there. And I do also scour the maps for those tomes and pick ups so hopefully with this Elder Knowledge skill I'll feel a little less restricted by leveling. Also good to know that the cap for traits is 20.
The SMG and Elder Knowledge Trait are so easy to get, and so easy to miss. I love it! lol
But yeah, starting class has little bearing in how you develop your character, IMO. It only affects the early hours, at best.
Once you've got a nice collection of weapons, armors, weapon mods, and traits, you can specialize your build in a variety of ways, and to suit your current needs.
Characters are surprisingly malleable. Don't sit on weapons and weapon mods without at least taking them for a whirl. Some have a surprising amount of utility in certain circumstances. Certain loadouts and builds and completely trivialize bosses that seem insurmountable at first blush.
If there is a criticism I'd lodge about the design of the game - it's related to this starting class stuff. The opening tutorial is all sword based, and then when you pick your "class" there is the long rang sniper, the all arounder/healer, and the big ol tank. It seems like the Tank would be a viable way to play up front given the information you have at your disposal. I did notice all the starting gear and mods are available - but like I said - to me I'd already sunk so much into the tank class that it seemed a waste. I'll have to hit up co-op to give it a shot, and to help grind out some of that starter gear I guess.
Yeah, that starting class choice seems kind of important in those early moments of the game. Especially if you're coming off a game like Destiny where the three classes are all super different. But it's really more like Dark Souls in that in just changes your starting gear a bit. Ultimately, you're not locked out of anything and you'll most likely be building an all-purpose style character with different loadouts to suit different situations. The game gives you a LOT of tools to play with, and ultimately none of those tools are truly exclusive to any one class.
Thanks a ton for all the info and tips. I really want to like this game more, and I can see how it could be super interesting to play though, it just hadn't clicked for me. Which is why I came to post here to see if there was any feedback on my thoughts, but I never expected to get such a thorough breakdown. Much appreciated.
Happy to help! I have my complaints, but I'm a pretty big fan of the game at the end of the day. I think it's a damn solid "AA" $40 effort, though it has plenty of room to grow (and more than a few glitches and crashes that need to be fixed. But the devs are on top of all of them, so it's just a matter of time).
