I tried, the Seven know I tried hard.

This was my third try to get into D:OS, and I failed each time, hard. I can't even make it through bloody Cyseal. This time I got stuck on the murder investigation, despite following several walkthroughs and guides. Most agree on how things are to be done, and that, given the state of the story that I'm in, Esmeralda should somehow help move it along. She won't. I showed her "the letter", she brushed it off as a mere fantasy of her lover. The guardsman watching her (clearly in love with her) saw it as proof for how she turned down the Lords advances. The captain of the Watch basically laughed at me for showing him the letter, nor did the dead sheep in the coffin (PLUS the mortician's confession) do anything to sway him...

Other guids claim I should enter Esmeralda's shop through the backdoor, which I should either be easily able to pick (nope, needs lvl 2 Lockpick, which the NPC I picked up only has 1) or pickpocket the key from her (how in god's name? Everyone immediately spots me when I sneak in).
Same at other places in the guides. "Just do blablah...". Nope, can't, won't let me, won't work.

I'm hella frustrated that an RPG would be so rigid and unforgiving in the damn first town!

*vent done*

you have not visited all locations about the murder.

I will not spoil it too much but

hint.

Maybe visit the small cemetery and see the tomb of the victim? And what about the "morgue" house, see if there is someone there that can tell you more about the victim?

Thank you.
I did visit the cemetary and found
(is there no spoiler tag?)



the dead sheep in the coffin. Plus I confronted the mortician, even made him give me a bag of gold he got. According to most guides I should now talk to Esmeralda and show her the letter with the sappy poem from Lord Whatshisface, but when I did, she just brushed me off. Next step would be the physician's apprentice (Evelin?) going missing, but that just won't happen.

Yeah, so, I tried some more, went around the countryside, as some guides mentioned, you can't actually finish the investigations just in town?

That was fun, found cool items, fought cool battles, all neat. Used the thief to go into Esmeralda's shop from the back and stole a book on the perfect murder. Talking to her, she claimed it was her husband's and she has nothing to do with it. Everyone in town seems to believe her.

Now I hit an even more solid brick wall, as there is nothing left to explore. The countryside is either solid rock or an undead lord wiping me out in a brief combat. Besides going into a place near a church, which is described as basically the place of origin for the undead plague.

It all still feels very disconnected and wild...

I'm around the same point where you are so I don't know how the investigation ends. But because is connected to the main quest (is why you arrive in the city after all) I suspect it will be cleared towards the end of the game.

I actually started playing the first game in the Divinity series. Divine Divinity is called. An old game is quite awesome.

Ok, I think I'm pretty much through the investigation now. Without spoilering, just to say: I didn't expect that I HAD to resort to sneaking and stealing to move the game along. That's rather disappointing.

I do enjoy the game as such, good graphics, decent story so far, solid mechanics, etc... But that rigid hurdle is a rough spot...

This game is very slow paced and many quests won't be solved until very much later into your playthrough. And the fact that you have to sneak and steal is kinda great in my opinion, no more goody two shows on one hand, and in the other, you're actually using your characters' skills.

Nope, no way, that's it for sure, I had it.

I played so many RPGs (and other games) over the years, but no game left me as vexxed as D:OS (no, not even Dwarf Fortress did...)

I hear people occasionally complaining about "game breaking bugs", but luckily, I was never affected (playing on Linux has its upsides - games tend to be really old and well patched before I get my hands on them). This here? Worse...

I have now killed Braccus (TOUCH fight) and apparently klled every baddy on the map.But Aureus steadfastly refuses to acknowledge my deeds (even though my quest log for "Undead Scourge" plainly states it). I suspect that's why I don't get "Silverglen" as a portal in my list. But since Aureus is in great company, with absolutely EVERYONE in damned Cyseal pretending, nothing ever happened - was it all a dream? Did I drink one too many beers? But then where is "Braccus two handed axe" coming from in my backback?

It's just all too much. It's not "challenging", it's outright frustrating to me. I'm REALLY hoping Larian is getting their act together for Baldur's Gate 3...