Necromancer |
Runic finally gave us a release date. Four new class (both genders for each) and over-world exploration this time. Looks good.
DeathQuaker RPG Superstar 2015 Top 8 |
Charles Scholz |
I am also looking forward to Torchlight 2. The best part is Torchlight 2 now supports Coop play, so my friends' will be picking up the game as well.
Does this mean it is an online only game like Diable III? If so, that really sucks.
Also, I was at Game Stop over the weekend looking at upcoming releases. Acording to their list, Torchlight II is download only.
DeathQuaker RPG Superstar 2015 Top 8 |
Alceste008 wrote:I am also looking forward to Torchlight 2. The best part is Torchlight 2 now supports Coop play, so my friends' will be picking up the game as well.Does this mean it is an online only game like Diable III? If so, that really sucks.
It does not REQUIRE logging into a server to play -- if you play single player, you've no reason or requirement to be online. There's also no nonsense like the auction house.
All the "coop play" means is that you CAN be online and CAN play with your friends if you want to. This is a change from the original Torchlight which was single player only.
Also, I was at Game Stop over the weekend looking at upcoming releases. Acording to their list, Torchlight II is download only.
That is correct. You can purchase it direct from Runic or get it on Steam.
Necromancer |
From a developer on Runic's forums:
I liked the 360 too.
But there are two main reasons -
1) Releasing on the PC reaches a LOT more people, is a LOT easier, and makes a LOT more financial sense
2) Porting is a lot of work, because the console is SO different from a PC. The UI and many gameplay elements have to be totally redone. We don't have enough people to do this without compromising whatever other project we are working on.
So it looks like it's only going to Windows, Linux, & Mac.
Necromancer |
I opted to try the berserker first, but then started creating more and more characters. I realized where that was going, killed the extra characters created and went back to the berserker. And when I say "kill", I meant it; when you delete a character a final dying animation plays out on both avatar and pet. F%&!ing brutal, those guys at Runic...making me care about characters...
Anyways, solid gameplay all around and it looks like not a single animation or mesh was reused from Torchlight I. The only thing missing is the pause screen that rotates around your character until you return. Identifying items can be done without scrolls now, but the scrolls have gotten costly. More pets: wolf, cat, & ferret return along with a panther, papillon rolls eyes until it hurts, hawk, bulldog, and some kind of dinosaur/amphibian/thing.
Character customization allows changes to gender, hair color, hair style, and face/skin tone presets. After TorchED is released, expect a lot more.
It's worth noting that the game was continually patched up to release time and I haven't had a single issue (apart from interface adjustments). Also: offline single player--as if that should ever be otherwise.
I think it's worth the twenty.
Radiarch Eklesya |
I plan to play online with my friends. I've decided not to have a "main" or "alts" but rather have all four be equal and switch out to whichever my friends need. So I'll just play a different class than what my friends are playing and try to keep them as balanced as I can. Though I'm not kidding myself that one will probably be far higher in level than the others. I'm in no rush to get them leveled. Just playing to have fun!
Here's a screenshot of them all four together, currently just level 1. Clockwise from top left: Riaghan the hydromage; Grif the outlander; Loftur the viking berserker; and Tychious the Engineer.
DeathQuaker RPG Superstar 2015 Top 8 |
So far I am having so much fun with this game. If it remains entertaining, I think it might become my favorite action-RPG, at least of the "Diablo-like/High tech graphical Rogue-like" variety.
I'm playing an Engineer, and it is unbelievable amounts of fun thwacking things with a giant wrench or hammer. Or giant anything, really.
I like that the game has gotten rid or scaled down a lot of the more annoying aspects of the genre -- a lot of items auto identify, so you only need scrolls of identify for high level or unique items. As in the first Torchlight, your pet can take excess loot to town for you to sell it so you don't have to pop back to town every three seconds. Game saves anywhere you are so when I remember I need to eat and pee and sleep I don't have to worry about getting to a waypoint or finish the level or something. Items auto highlight, not consistent pressing of alt necessary. You can focus on killing things and taking their stuff and enjoy the scenery while doing so, and that's all I want out of a game like this.
I really like the art style--it has a nice colorful, painted look that is really unique and it is a welcome change from games where you seem to do nothing but slog through fields of brown. Fight, ability, and spell animations are awesome and always fun to watch. The world is interesting and varied, and I enjoy exploring it.
GregH |
So I played the first Torchlight up until the final boss battle. I had played the game straight through taking side quests when it was clear I needed to boost up my power. There were a few places where I was outclassed (the Dark Carhedrak I think was one) but it only required one or two side quests to get me strong enough to continue with the main "story". But the final boss battle was ridiculous. I found myself surrounded by summoned dragons that would kill me instantaneously and then I would respawn right in the middle of the same group. Wash, rinse, repeat. I gave up. Haven't touched it since. Don't know if I got a bad treasure drop or if the last battle was like that for everyone.
So I guess my question is, is II better at balancing rate of advancement with opponent strength or is it pretty much the same as the first one?
Thanks,
Greg
DeathQuaker RPG Superstar 2015 Top 8 |
GregH, I haven't finished Torchlight II so I don't know how that will end.
I will say that generally the comments I've heard from others is that if anything they feel that at least on normal difficulty, the game is pretty easy, with only a handful of boss fights really making you panic and have to check your strategy, but nothing that is suddenly a character killer when you were doing well before.
My personal experience so far--I am just in the early stages of act II on normal mode--is that it is on the easy-ish side, with boss fights being challenging but nowhere near impossible. You do have to pay attention as in any similar game not to spread your skill points too thin and buy up areas to focus on your strengths, but if you've really borked it, there is a skill respec character that will let you alter your last three skill purchases for a price (in GP). I also find it is important to pay attention to your pet and remember to give it fish before a big battle because it CAN help save your ass in a big fight. I've only died once so far and that was because I wasn't paying attention. :)
I never finished the first Torchlight simply because I never got it till I preordered Torchlight II (it came for free with preorder) and bought Skyrim around the same time, and most of my time went into Skryim ;) . But from what I did play of the first Torchlight, I would say that the challenges are a little better balanced in Torchlight II.
Necromancer |
For the first time in a while, I'm standing (or at least my character is standing) in a desert that hasn't simply copy-pasted ancient fantasy-Egypt. The game looks better than I was expecting.
Items auto highlight, not consistent pressing of alt necessary.
This was a very nice change; the first game offered a toggle option for gold and items, but chests, levers, and such still required holding ALT to see.
So I guess my question is, is II better at balancing rate of advancement with opponent strength or is it pretty much the same as the first one?
I didn't have that problem in the first game, because I did everything on my first few playthroughs and the Ordrak battle was fairly easy. However, I was quaffing potions like no tomorrow, so I can see how it would've been a problem to a lower level character (the character was around 50ish).
Torchlight 2 hasn't given me any problems like that.
Normal difficulty
I've gone into dungeons at the lowest recommended level and found them challenging, but never just brutal. There are some nasty frost-breathing bastards in the mountains that still prove frustrating in mobs, although I tend to lean towards the Leeroy side of things with a berserker character. I've only died once and that was simply due to underestimating the above-mentioned bastards.
The good news is character buffs actually matter now.
Slaunyeh |
I'm playing an Engineer, and it is unbelievable amounts of fun thwacking things with a giant wrench or hammer. Or giant anything, really.
So far, my engineer is doing really well with his trusty shotgun. I hope using whatever the heck weapon you like keeps being viable in later levels, because I really like how the game allows me to use any weapon I want. As long as I build for it of course.
I was afraid they had gone a bit overboard with the cartoony look after the first game, but I'm starting to really enjoy the look of it.
Also, just because I'm dense (and also never finished Torchlight): When they refer to 'The Alchemist', they're talking about the specific guy you'd play in Torchlight, right?
DeathQuaker RPG Superstar 2015 Top 8 |
DeathQuaker wrote:I'm playing an Engineer, and it is unbelievable amounts of fun thwacking things with a giant wrench or hammer. Or giant anything, really.So far, my engineer is doing really well with his trusty shotgun. I hope using whatever the heck weapon you like keeps being viable in later levels, because I really like how the game allows me to use any weapon I want. As long as I build for it of course.
I think as long as you build your skills to synthesize with your play style it works. I've been training the ability that enhances your skill with giant two handed weapons (greatsword, greataxe, great hammer, polearms, and cannons) so I've been limiting myself to those but that's by choice. Looks like I'd have other options if I went sword and board or focused on ranged.
Plus the engineer's gadgets are really cool--I've been focusing on melee combat but I can also imagine really building up on the gadgets and summoning bots to help you fight while you stand back and shoot.
Also, just because I'm dense (and also never finished Torchlight): When they refer to 'The Alchemist', they're talking about the specific guy you'd play in Torchlight, right?
IIRC, no, the Alchemist is someone you are also chasing down in Torchlight. The opening story I think references the three heroes of Torchlight having fought with him. Probably a wiki will clarify.
Davor |
Speaking of which, has anyone gotten a giant (permanent) fish yet? I killed fifteen minutes in town fishing and all I got was a few big varieties and a belt...
I got a perma-spider fish on my Berserker. Between frost howl and the pet's immobilize, I can keep enemies locked down pretty well while my cannon-wielding engineer friend goes to town.
Overall, I'm really enjoying the game. The number of viable builds is pretty staggering, as pretty much every character keeps not only the melee/ranged/magic build setup, but also has damage/support/control to balance as well, leading to things like my melee-magic/control-support berserker, my melee/control-support outlander, and my melee-magic/control-support engineer tank.
I think the only problem I've noticed is that the Embermage (to me) is distinctly unfun. I've tried so many builds, and I just can't get into it enough before level 14 to justify playing it above the other classes, which get cool abilities from the get-go. Personal preference may have something to do with it, but I just don't care for it.
As far as challenge goes, it's difficult to gauge because even Torchlight I vets are, essentially, learning a new system. The first major boss fight for me in Act I was REALLY tough on my first character, but I had spent my attribute points poorly and had bad gear. My later characters (the ones mentioned above) had better gear & stat allocation, and TORE through the same fight, but things are getting noticeably more difficult. I'd say, give it some time before making any difficulty judgments.
Charles Scholz |
It does not REQUIRE logging into a server to play -- if you play single player, you've no reason or requirement to be online. There's also no nonsense like the auction house.
I bought this from Runic on Saturday. I had to download it at work because I have a sucky download capability at home. I was able to play solo at work before leaving. When I got home, I was unable to play. It said I had to have an internect connection before I was able to access the game. Once I connected, I was able to unplug and continue playing with no problem.
Is this going to happen every time I play, or is this a bug that needs to be fixed?sunshadow21 |
Quote:IIRC, no, the Alchemist is someone you are also chasing down in Torchlight. The opening story I think references the three heroes of Torchlight having fought with him. Probably a wiki will clarify.
Also, just because I'm dense (and also never finished Torchlight): When they refer to 'The Alchemist', they're talking about the specific guy you'd play in Torchlight, right?
The alchemist was one of the three classes from the first game. The opening scene has him fighting a vanquisher and a destroyer, the other two classes from the original game. Your character was traveling with the destroyer trying to chase after the alchemist when the destroyer couldn't continue on, making your character the new hero. At least that's how I understood it.
Necromancer |
DeathQuaker wrote:It does not REQUIRE logging into a server to play -- if you play single player, you've no reason or requirement to be online. There's also no nonsense like the auction house.
I bought this from Runic on Saturday. I had to download it at work because I have a sucky download capability at home. I was able to play solo at work before leaving. When I got home, I was unable to play. It said I had to have an internect connection before I was able to access the game. Once I connected, I was able to unplug and continue playing with no problem.
Is this going to happen every time I play, or is this a bug that needs to be fixed?
The game did get an update Sunday, but nothing about it involved launch issues...
I just pulled the ethernet off my router and Torchlight II worked fine. If you're on Steam, set the client to offline mode to avoid any error reporting.
Necromancer |
Necromancer wrote:Speaking of which, has anyone gotten a giant (permanent) fish yet? I killed fifteen minutes in town fishing and all I got was a few big varieties and a belt...I got a perma-spider fish on my Berserker. Between frost howl and the pet's immobilize, I can keep enemies locked down pretty well while my cannon-wielding engineer friend goes to town.
Was the perma-spider catch made in a town or in the wilds?
Necromancer |
DeathQuaker wrote:The alchemist was one of the three classes from the first game. The opening scene has him fighting a vanquisher and a destroyer, the other two classes from the original game. Your character was traveling with the destroyer trying to chase after the alchemist when the destroyer couldn't continue on, making your character the new hero. At least that's how I understood it.Quote:IIRC, no, the Alchemist is someone you are also chasing down in Torchlight. The opening story I think references the three heroes of Torchlight having fought with him. Probably a wiki will clarify.
Also, just because I'm dense (and also never finished Torchlight): When they refer to 'The Alchemist', they're talking about the specific guy you'd play in Torchlight, right?
That's what happened.
Charles Scholz |
Charles Scholz wrote:DeathQuaker wrote:It does not REQUIRE logging into a server to play -- if you play single player, you've no reason or requirement to be online. There's also no nonsense like the auction house.
I bought this from Runic on Saturday. I had to download it at work because I have a sucky download capability at home. I was able to play solo at work before leaving. When I got home, I was unable to play. It said I had to have an internect connection before I was able to access the game. Once I connected, I was able to unplug and continue playing with no problem.
Is this going to happen every time I play, or is this a bug that needs to be fixed?The game did get an update Sunday, but nothing about it involved launch issues...
I just pulled the ethernet off my router and Torchlight II worked fine. If you're on Steam, set the client to offline mode to avoid any error reporting.
Old Laptop's mother board died. Haven't put Steam on this one yet. Will the problem be solved since I ordered direct from Runic?
Davor |
Davor wrote:Was the perma-spider catch made in a town or in the wilds?Necromancer wrote:Speaking of which, has anyone gotten a giant (permanent) fish yet? I killed fifteen minutes in town fishing and all I got was a few big varieties and a belt...I got a perma-spider fish on my Berserker. Between frost howl and the pet's immobilize, I can keep enemies locked down pretty well while my cannon-wielding engineer friend goes to town.
Wilds. Fishing areas apparently got a boost in Torchlight II, and I caught my permachange fish in a Secret rarity fishing spot.
Charles Scholz |
Did you grab the 1.4GB installer or the stub installer (demo)? The full installer is required to install the game offline.
The only option it gave me was the demo installer, even after I paid.
How do I get the full installer?Necromancer |
Site link and exe link. I'm assuming they sent you a product key or something to activate it; ideally, download the full installer and run it before you head home to make sure it works.
The above links might not have been visible when you bought it, but I ran across them last night while checking Runic's support pages.
Slaunyeh |
I actually just built a new berserker around the concept of dual-wielding pistols to maximize the speed at which I build charge and score crits. It's... it's fun.
Hah. That's brilliant. I might actually try that. Going to team up with a guy who wants to play Outlaw. Could be fun to be two very different dual-gun wielders.
Davor |
Yeah, I just hit 14, and he's STORMING through the early game. Took a while to get two decent pistols, but he pretty much got the 1000 critical hits achievement by himself. Thanks to the Charge increasing skill on Executes, Charge is up almost all the time, without the duration increase. I went ahead and dropped some points in Cold Iron, to up the physical damage, and at later levels it'll double the damage I get from Cold Gems, so it's win/win. Also, I recommend getting the shadow wolf pet that steals health, as my current build is pretty squishy, though I focus on 2 str/2dex/1foc atm.
Charles Scholz |
Site link and exe link. I'm assuming they sent you a product key or something to activate it; ideally, download the full installer and run it before you head home to make sure it works.
The above links might not have been visible when you bought it, but I ran across them last night while checking Runic's support pages.
Thanks
DeathQuaker RPG Superstar 2015 Top 8 |
Necromancer wrote:Site link and exe link. I'm assuming they sent you a product key or something to activate it; ideally, download the full installer and run it before you head home to make sure it works.
The above links might not have been visible when you bought it, but I ran across them last night while checking Runic's support pages.
Thanks
I hope that works for you, Charles, I'd hate to think I steered you wrong! I also know they've been putting in a lot of updates recently, so I wonder if something went wonky there.
I've been able to play offline myself but I have the Steam version, not the one direct from Runic.
Davor |
Yeah, my advice is get it from Steam. It auto-updates, and even though I was skeptical about it at first, I've really grown to like steam. It's got everything you need in an instant messenger system (voice/video chat), friends lists so you can see what friends are playing (and, in the case of Torchlight, play with them), and keeps all your games neat and tidy for you.
Plus, if you ever need to free up space on your comp, Steam remembers which games you had and will allow you to download them again at any time.
Slaunyeh |
Yeah, I just hit 14, and he's STORMING through the early game. Took a while to get two decent pistols, but he pretty much got the 1000 critical hits achievement by himself. Thanks to the Charge increasing skill on Executes, Charge is up almost all the time, without the duration increase. I went ahead and dropped some points in Cold Iron, to up the physical damage, and at later levels it'll double the damage I get from Cold Gems, so it's win/win. Also, I recommend getting the shadow wolf pet that steals health, as my current build is pretty squishy, though I focus on 2 str/2dex/1foc atm.
Made it to level 14 as well. With points primarily in Executioner, Frenzy Mastery and the Wolf Shade pet (bumped the duration up to 30 seconds). Then I have a few points in Howl for added survivability.
I actually thought Cold Steel Mastery only applied to melee attacks. If it also works on guns, that might be worth having a look at. Looking forward to trying out Red Wolf, as well. Not sure how it works, but I desperately hope it works for pistols. :)
Necromancer |
More points are going into Howl from now on.
Started a two-handing berserker last night that continues the trend of unique outlander-only drops. As of now, I've got a dozen of the damn things left in my shared stash.
Davor |
@Slaunyeh: Yeah, found that out the hard way, too :(
On a different note, I'm also trying a Berserker going Frost Howl, Howl, Cold Weapon Master, Retaliation, and Shred Armor. I'm finding that the armor reduction on enemies pumps my damage up immensely (doubling it, almost), and that the immobilize and slows from all the above abilities drastically increase my survivability. The reduced attack speed debuff is really, REALLY good... almost too good, in fact. It makes dodging even slightly telegraphed attacks incredibly easy, and I rarely, if ever, need to use potions, and I don't even have any health steal gear, just 7 extra health per second >_>.
Necromancer |
On the bright side, I walked away with some torso armor that adds 16.something to health regeneration. It looks like some universal skills from the first game returned as "passive spells": adventuring, dual wielding, armor training, etc.