I'm normally just a lurker, but after toiling slowly through a IA/TS/tactics game of BG II these past months I wanted to offer my praise to Sikret for designing such a challenging and adventurous experience. Honestly, I didn't mean most of the harsh words I spoke towards you at the time. It was just frustration after wiping for the nth time to the elemental golem in the hidden compound, the brutally tough party in the sewers, or the new and improved shade lord, among numerous others. I played a monk pc, whose MR was often the difference between success and failure. My one lingering complaint was that I seemed to have missed the encounter with demon lord. I finished the game with all the pieces for Judgement Day, except the necessary blood.

My humble thanks for your efforts

Thanks, dragorok! (and welcome)

As for frustrations newbies experience when playing IA for the first time, its main cause is that they want to cling with the old regular and known (sometimes cheesy) tactics while playing IA. Once they realize that new tactics are not only needed but also quite available, their frutrations will cease.

A good example of this case is the usefulness of single-class mages. We received several complaints in the forum telling us that single-class mages and sorceres are useless. This was a false belief of course. Now every experienced IA player/tactician knows how to play a sorcerer to make him a nightmare for enemies. The point is that old cheesy methods are blocked; new and ingenious tactics should be found by the player (and they are quite available).

Cheers