Its healthy to die in sacred 2 (Non-Hc)

[Nashed 0]

On console - as far as I know, there is no hardcore mode, or anything to that effect, with this being the case.. the only loss upon death during sacred 2 is survival bonus.

Though a high survival bonus is an advantage for numerous reasons.. losing it is not the end of the world.

The higher your survival bonus, the higher the level of the enemies thus the harder the game trys to kill you..

Upon death - the loss of survival bonus brings the level of difficulty down just that little bit to ease the tension - allowing you to raise the bonus once more.

Think of it as... a life cycle.

I know many will disagree, and as a first time poster - I am bound to be met with some.. resistance, though I hope you can take my views in to accounts, and share with me and the rest of the forum about your views on this topic too.

 

Nashed.

 

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(Playstation Network Account - Nashed)

[Andrew581257 0]

Hi

 

Well, that is one reason I gave up with sacred 2, cos the higher the survival bonus the higher the level of enemies, I think that was pathetic, and I already thought the game was hard before your bonus went up, I think in my opinion they should of given people the option in the game settings to make it so you can have it either the survival harder enemies or just make it so there is no survival bonus, meaning there is no higher level enemies, I just wanted to play it, and I find death as an annoying inconvenience.

[essjayehm 58]

Good topic!

 

Since playing a toon without Armour Lore recently, the main method I have to ensure the armour being dropped by enemies are usable is by dying. It nerfs Survival Bonus, as you noted; but on consoles, SB is sometimes the biggest contributor to your "Chance to find Valuables". This makes "deciding" to die a tougher decision. I was at the point where I was level 40, and enemies were dropping level 55-60 armour, that I can't use for a long time. So I took the plunge, and died. Admittedly, the decrease in enemy level was nice for the first while, but it did slow down the rate at which I was getting unique items, making me regret the decision.

 

HOWEVER, Survival Bonus can be farmed (just like everything in Sacred) so the need to put in 20 hours to regain that 70-80% SB can be done AFK, so the regret was quickly forgotten (overnight )

 

For most people, it is a matter of pride. Sacred can be quite unforgiving with "rolls of the dice" in the higher difficulties, and finishing Niob with 0 deaths on your toon is actually an accomplishment!

[SolomonGrundy 1]

My problem with dying is the loss of stats.

 

1/3 of your SB is converted into a stat bonus. The most dynamic effect is stamina, since heath, attack rating, and damage are all relative to enemy level anyway.

 

if you are on the bleeding edge of regen, then dyign could make yoru regen times painful (by a second or more at higher levels).

[Nashed 0]

Thanks for the support and your views.

I had not taken into account the level of the items being dropped by those higher level'd enemies, I can now see how this could be an outstanding inconvience to those in the much higher levels.

I myself recently beat silver without a death on a level 30 dryad (the highest ive taken any character too) and it got to the point where I was having to ask around for those in the 35-40's to aid me in boss fights and in general - campaign quests..

I've just considered a minor advantage of sticking with the 0 deaths, - the items of higher levels being dropped for you will be worth more money. I suppose thats a small comfort in the very least.

 

Glad to share this topic with the forum, and I am glad to have been welcomed, though I am still in dire need of hearing what YOU have to say about this topic, yes YOU.

 

Nashed

 

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(Playstation Network Account - Nashed)

[Arperum 3]

If the enemies are to dangerous for you, just fall back and grind for a bit, it's no shame to not leave silver before level 60 or something...

[essjayehm 58]

If the enemies are to dangerous for you, just fall back and grind for a bit, it's no shame to not leave silver before level 60 or something...

 

There is for me

 

Stats on dropped uniques (ok, all stuff) are better if found in higher difficulties. Damage, modifiers, and maybe slots() are better in higher difficulties. I am re-building my chest, so I'm kinda greedy in this respect.

 

It is a great point, though. Silver enemies will be easier to kill, and if you grind the right areas, probably worth close to the same experience. per kill as Gold. (Compare Silver Swamp to Gold Tyr Lysia)

[locolagarto 15]

I understand the point of view. but higher enemy levels also produce Better xp for leveling. and as stated Sb raises chance to find valuable, attributes, and yes enemy levels.( which cap at 29 levels above character level. I use to die quite often On consle. and I would immediately notice my damage drop, regens went up, drops got crappy, and xp per kill dropped. so I made a point to not die.

 

As for the difficulty increase with SB, as a first time player it can be pretty daunting. but the ability to use a high level char to socket high level gems into low level gear makes the next character you try a little easier, and the next and the next and so on. after building a nice chest full of goodies from level 100+ characters that died a lot. I was able to make it through niob without a death. and honestly witht he gear smithing trick the game got a little too easy. that was one of the reasons I went to PC and Ice and Blood. HC on closed net is a whole new difficulty level with some old tricks gone and a few new ones learned.

 

So hang in there. SB isn't everything, but after a few toons youll will be glad for it.

[Barristan 14]

Heya,

 

as my playstyle is HC closed only, SB is a must and cannot be lost

 

Toons that bite the dust due to bugs are the only thing that I cope with badly. If otherwise, the toon was poorly built, or a risk in the first place. After getting to know the game good enough, I must honestly say that it really is a bit too easy. There are so many ways to make a toon so strong, that skill nerfs and increased DoT (Ice and Blood) do not make any difference. Every single toon has so much opportunities to get nigh invulnerable. I'd almost say that any build goes...

 

I can understand the cycle you speak of. Tho... any toon at any level should be able to cope with high SB (at least the game is pretty balanced there IMO). If not, there is something amiss with the build... mostly, that can be overcome quite easily.

 

I'd prefer learning cycle instead of life cycle

 

Greetz

[Nashed 0]

Thank you for your views on this topic, it's interesting to see the differenciation between console and PC users.

I still press the forum for a more varied sight, how do newcomers and relative newcomers see the importance of SB, what of the experts? how do they see SB?

I was unaware of the damage and regen respec due to death, thanks to those who mentioned this.

 

Nashed.

[Couze 0]

one thing no one mentioned unless im crazy doesnt SB% effect certain Def skills because I could have sworn my hp bonus went from 9000 to 6500 on constitution unless I missed something and like others have said going from its not good losing 200+ per attribute as well as worse drops...and dear god nerfing your regen times is bad when youve eaten 200+ runes into your buffs, but the enemies in higher lvls still hit pretty hard and playing in a server with 4 ppl is impossible especially if theyre higher level...but single player might not be bad idk. so all in all at higher lvls and difficulties SB is a must IMO. while lower lvls may not see much difference, My 123 HE died while afk in Orc region Niob outside of cave. lets say I went from taking 3-4 critical hits and being at 50% hp to dead in 2 standard hits not very good I say. and the former were level 150 compared to the latter being 126. had to start the BT run BT run BT run method instead of BT BT wait grab goodies exit reenter repeat method.

[locolagarto 15]

one thing no one mentioned unless im crazy doesnt SB% effect certain Def skills because I could have sworn my hp bonus went from 9000 to 6500 on constitution unless I missed something and like others have said going from its not good losing 200+ per attribute as well as worse drops...and dear god nerfing your regen times is bad when youve eaten 200+ runes into your buffs, but the enemies in higher lvls still hit pretty hard and playing in a server with 4 ppl is impossible especially if theyre higher level...but single player might not be bad idk. so all in all at higher lvls and difficulties SB is a must IMO. while lower lvls may not see much difference, My 123 HE died while afk in Orc region Niob outside of cave. lets say I went from taking 3-4 critical hits and being at 50% hp to dead in 2 standard hits not very good I say. and the former were level 150 compared to the latter being 126. had to start the BT run BT run BT run method instead of BT BT wait grab goodies exit reenter repeat method.

 

That drop in Hp from constition is from your vitality attribute droping. constition is a multiplier of vitality. so no vitality =

[Couze 0]

Ha I figured such was the case was wondering if it had the same effect on other DEF skills like SR and OFF skills like Spd lore that would suck majorly

Edited March 31, 2010 by Couze

[Nashed 0]

O.O

 

Blimey - I didn't realise this game was so anti-death, lol.

I suppose it makes sence to reward those who can maintain 0 deaths, but the punishment for failing this seems rather rash, though I am sure this can be combat'd..

My first impressions of the game gave me a sence of safety and security, much of similar role-playing-games tend to, as the act of death tends to just result in loading up the last save point or such...

Upon reading through this topic, it is clear that is not the case, and for this I am somewhat thankful.

With this being said - is there any advice you experts could give to anyone reading through perhaps new to the game, thinking of which skills to acquire in order to aid survival, and even better, for what reasons? (With statistics weighing up the best perhaps)

 

Thank you all.

 

Nashed.

[Couze 0]

is there any advice you experts could give to anyone reading through perhaps new to the game, thinking of which skills to acquire in order to aid survival, and even better, for what reasons? (With statistics weighing up the best perhaps)

 

Thank you all.

 

Nashed.

for security you have Armor lore Toughness constitution(IMO best def skills and most Important) Armor lore increases armor percentage reduces regen time and allows you to wear higher level without losing runspeed, toughness because it mitigates all incoming dmg(though some toons lack this skill) constitution at mastery it recovers HP in battle as well as giving you double or more your natural hp, other less prioritized skills are combat reflexes shield lore and Spell resistance) CR is ok for evasion but the critical hit chance is its strength same for SR blocking effect...shield lore is good for S&S tanking characters. speed lore is a nice off skill as it ups CTH&EVA

[colif 36]

This is probably on these forums somewhere but Schot posted an explanation of Survival Bonus on the SIF, it should come in handy.

 

Best place for beginners to learn is the wiki.

 

Just noticed all my sig links on SIF don't work anymore... sigh.

[essjayehm 58]

My first impressions of the game gave me a sence of safety and security, much of similar role-playing-games tend to, as the act of death tends to just result in loading up the last save point or such...

Upon reading through this topic, it is clear that is not the case, and for this I am somewhat thankful.

With this being said - is there any advice you experts could give to anyone reading through perhaps new to the game, thinking of which skills to acquire in order to aid survival, and even better, for what reasons? (With statistics weighing up the best perhaps)

 

Thank you all.

 

Nashed.

Colif covered skills, but here's some other advice:

Modifications on most characters' Combat Art's (usually buffs) can provide the "best" protection in the game.... reflecting. Close combat and "spell" (read: Combat Art's) are the most desireable / useful.

 

Combat Arts used by the enemies are typically the "golden bullet" that kill your toon in one shot, so look for Combat Art reflecting or blocking modifiers on armour, etc. in the higher difficulties.

 

When you're in over your head and getting hit for most/nearly all of your health very quickly, DO NOT hit the health potion button multiple times rapidly. There is a diminishing effect that kicks in if you use them "too fast". ie. pressing the health potion button quickly twice in a row causes the second potion to have only 50-67% of its original effect. I've found that a good pace to use if you are spamming health potions to be about (bear with me here.... ) 1.5 potions per second. Or 3 potions used in 2 seconds if you like round numbers.

[SolomonGrundy 1]

There is a nice sweet spot. On niob, enemies minimim level is 111. So you can reach Niob at 75, or 85, and still you have that buffer (on the high side).

 

On the low side, you can enemies reach level caps for each difficult in certain areas. So once you hit that cap, and can 'handle' the enemies there, it's cool to hand out for a while, and XP raid/crank up your magic find, etc.

 

These strategies will both help rebuild youf SB if you have died, and are good things to keep in mind

 

One note about bosses. There are a few that have ugly moves as they near death. Combat Arts that do more damage, the more damaged THEY are. This is sometimes called WIDD, and is the cause of more deaths for me than I care to remember.

 

ALWAYS watch your heath.

[phishball 0]

I was working on a level 36 toon with no deaths. I wanted to take a little break and get something to eat, so I teleported to a town and walked away thinking that I was in a town and safe. Well the teleport I went to was on the outskirts of a town and when I came back I had died twice from nearby enemies! I was so dejected and kinda lost my motivation to play that night. First I liked the challenge of keeping my toon alive and the survival bonus was very nice and makes a noticeable difference in combat. I picked back up with my toon and started to see how quickly I could build the SB back up. I was glad to see that the SB would go back up fairly quickly, and now at level 47 the SB is getting close to where it was when I died (70% - 80%). So death sucked, but it was not as bad as I first anticipated. I can't imagine wanting to die however. That strategy is not for me.

Edited April 5, 2010 by phishball

[Nashed 0]

Thank you for your reply phil, I was playing my 41 seraphim offline today in co-op with my brother, a champion desert man thing, cast the fire ring spell, (600) (600) (600) (600) INSTANT DEATH..

Regardless I also have lost the motivation to play today, I think I should heavily invest in 'spell resistance' as all my characters seem to fall for these annoying traps!

 

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PSN-Nashed

[essjayehm 58]

Thank you for your reply phil, I was playing my 41 seraphim offline today in co-op with my brother, a champion desert man thing, cast the fire ring spell, (600) (600) (600) (600) INSTANT DEATH..

Regardless I also have lost the motivation to play today, I think I should heavily invest in 'spell resistance' as all my characters seem to fall for these annoying traps!

 

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PSN-Nashed

 

Oooh, those traps are nasty! The trick with them is to "not move" when you're on one. You will take the initial damage only once, but if you move off it and then move over it again, you will take damage again. It's VERY hard on console, since Sacred likes to move our toons for melee attacking, so my personal rule is to move far away from those if they hurt too much. Especially if there is 2,3 or 4 of those traps on the same "square".

 

On a totally related note, how many fire relics do you have equipped?

[gogoblender 3,070]

Just a quick question regarding Survival Bonus in Sacred 2. If, let's say at level 75...your character died and you lost your SB...is it at all possible to continue playing?

 

And if so...about how fast would it take, at normal playing to get back decent SB... a few levels... a modicum?

 

 

gogo

 

p.s. more questions after this btw ^^

 

p.s.s. this is a good topic too

 

p.s.s. let's really see what this is all about

[locolagarto 15]

Just a quick question regarding Survival Bonus in Sacred 2. If, let's say at level 75...your character died and you lost your SB...is it at all possible to continue playing?

 

And if so...about how fast would it take, at normal playing to get back decent SB... a few levels... a modicum?

 

 

gogo

 

p.s. more questions after this btw ^^

 

p.s.s. this is a good topic too

 

p.s.s. let's really see what this is all about

 

 

 

I remember on Console losing it several times with my first couple characters, well most of my characters actually. and it was noticeable when you lost it. but you backed off to the elfs or humans and built it back pretty quick. I can't remember the numbers but the first 40-50% of SB came pretty fast then it slowed down.

[Nashed 0]

Thank you for your reply phil, I was playing my 41 seraphim offline today in co-op with my brother, a champion desert man thing, cast the fire ring spell, (600) (600) (600) (600) INSTANT DEATH..

Regardless I also have lost the motivation to play today, I think I should heavily invest in 'spell resistance' as all my characters seem to fall for these annoying traps!

 

---------------------------------

PSN-Nashed

 

Oooh, those traps are nasty! The trick with them is to "not move" when you're on one. You will take the initial damage only once, but if you move off it and then move over it again, you will take damage again. It's VERY hard on console, since Sacred likes to move our toons for melee attacking, so my personal rule is to move far away from those if they hurt too much. Especially if there is 2,3 or 4 of those traps on the same "square".

 

On a totally related note, how many fire relics do you have equipped?

 

I checked afterwards as I was in complete shock.

I had 3 fire relics on having just left the dragon infested place. all atleast 35 fire armour and I even had a 48 fire armour dragonfire amulet thing..

The fire traps seem to just sweep my characters away, like I said in an earlier post, from now on I make spell res a must-have.

 

 

Just a quick question regarding Survival Bonus in Sacred 2. If, let's say at level 75...your character died and you lost your SB...is it at all possible to continue playing?

 

And if so...about how fast would it take, at normal playing to get back decent SB... a few levels... a modicum?

 

 

gogo

 

p.s. more questions after this btw ^^

 

p.s.s. this is a good topic too

 

p.s.s. let's really see what this is all about

 

Thanks gogo

Though I havent personally taken a character quite as high as 75, I would imagine it would be very difficult to continue playing normally without good SB, I'm having so much trouble with my 41 that I've taken the liberty of pulling out two officers sabers in an attempt to raise SB once more.

[SolomonGrundy 1]

Just a quick question regarding Survival Bonus in Sacred 2. If, let's say at level 75...your character died and you lost your SB...is it at all possible to continue playing?

 

And if so...about how fast would it take, at normal playing to get back decent SB... a few levels... a modicum?

 

 

gogo

 

p.s. more questions after this btw ^^

 

p.s.s. this is a good topic too

 

p.s.s. let's really see what this is all about

 

I died at like level...80? messing around in the orc cave on platinum (SB in the 80%). By level 82 it was back up in the 65-70% range.