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

[Romulas]

Ah, but greater commands is an area of effect spell, so is it possible for the caster to target another and catch the person with the mentioned protections in the area of effect?

Some items and spells that the party uses have been "nerfed" to allow for greater balance. I think that this spell (greater commands) is what makes the game so difficult in the lower levels, you have bad saving throws and your entire party can be put to sleep, especially for those staged encounters that puts your party in bad/close in quarters.

If I remember right in the battle with suni that occurs at a low level it was a luck of the roll vs. any tactics involved. Because of the encounter you pretty much have to reload till someone finally makes a saving throw. Not much tactics involved in my opinion.

Romulas

[leonidas]

Ah, but greater commands is an area of effect spell, so is it possible for the caster to target another and catch the person with the mentioned protections in the area of effect?

Some items and spells that the party uses have been "nerfed" to allow for greater balance. I think that this spell (greater commands) is what makes the game so difficult in the lower levels, you have bad saving throws and your entire party can be put to sleep, especially for those staged encounters that puts your party in bad/close in quarters.

If I remember right in the battle with suni that occurs at a low level it was a luck of the roll vs. any tactics involved. Because of the encounter you pretty much have to reload till someone finally makes a saving throw. Not much tactics involved in my opinion.

Romulas

Eh, that's not quite true. Everyone in your party doesn't have to get hit by greater command, just the party member closest to the cleric.

So you can move one party member you don't like so he's right in his face, and move the rest of your party away. That way only one guy gets put to sleep (or none if you have a lvl 9 cleric, which you probably should).