Positive feedback featuring a plea for tactical advice Options

[Ballad]

Thank you, Sikret!

I have finally gotten around to playing Improved Anvil, and wow, I'm stunned. The mod really makes the game feel fresh and fun... and so excruciatingly difficult. No, I'm not complaining, after all difficulty's what I've been looking for. I'm truly impressed with the improved AI and the new scripts: now it seems like the enemies actually know what they are doing. Most of the battles which used to be cakewalk are at least moderately challenging now. Generally speaking I'm very happy with Improved Anvil.

The first "between area"-battle (the one with Suna-Seni and Eldarin) was especially memorable. I only had four members in my party and hardly any equipment, yet I managed to beat them on the first try. Monster summoning is a really underestimated spell: with haste and defensive harmony even those puny dire wolves can wreak some serious havoc. The sewer encounter (Hatchetman) was a little more difficult but didn't take too many reloads either. I then started the Planar Prison quest but ended up postponing it because of the new elite bounty huntress who kept ripping my lowbie party to shreds regardless of what I tried. After some aimless estate plundering I concluded my day with the beastmaster and the slavers in the Slums.

Even though no battle is easy in IA, I find mages (especially higher level ones) extremely difficult to beat. Am I missing something or is Spell Immunity: Abjuration really unremovable? Every counter-protection spell out there (Breach, Spell Thrust, Pierce Magic, Dispel & Remove Magic etc.) seems to be of that spell school so there's practically no way to touch the mage until the immunity expires. The only way I've managed to beat them is to cast every possible protection on my party, then circle the spellchucker as long as his/her protections last. Now, I'm 99% certain that you are not intended to fight them that way, so... What am I doing wrong?

This post has been edited by Ballad: Apr 21 2007, 02:40 AM

[rbeverjr]

Yeh, I am also having great difficulty in accumulating XP enough to effectively battle the new encounters. I've followed the advice of Sikret and thetruth and done most of the quests that aren't improved. These battles simply prove to me that it is very difficult for an 8-11th level party to take down mage/clerics of apx 20th level, particularly as they are usually with a group - even sometimes with a gem golem (aarrgh). I guess it's not so hard in the normal game, but Sikret tends to buff his guys like I try to buff mine before a character-known upcoming battle.

I'm disappointed because I am discovering many parts of quests that are too difficult for me at present. I'm building a long list of "return and do that after the underdark." That kind of thing destroys role playing and makes the game just a tactical puzzle. I'm hoping with enough character levels this will change. If tactics is all that's desired, it's hard to beat chess.

I'm looking forward to the walkthrough. I'm sure I will be kicking myself with "why didn't I think of that." Meanwhile, I'm just doing the best that I can. My previous experience with IA3 gives me hope that things will get easier once my characters gain a few more levels.

Questions for Sikret:

I forged FoA - or so the readout indicated - but I did not get FoA. I also have an extra cold head for some reason. What's up with that?

I think I have IA 4.0. How do I know for sure? If that's the case, can I unload IA 4.0, load up IA 4.1, and continue my game?

This post has been edited by rbeverjr: Apr 21 2007, 11:27 PM