I was planning to add Training Techniques pages to the site and now I'm ready to get busy on those.

So please, anyone who wishes to submit their favorite training ideas please feel free to email me (use the email to button at the site please), PM me, or write something up in this post.

Please be sure to include your name or handle as you wish it to appear on the page.

Go to the sticky post on tips. They have a lot there btw.

Well, here is an obvious one.

To train stealth, send that character in front of the enemy while the rest of the party goes out of reach. Have all characters defend, while the enemy attacks. Heal character when necessary.

The best place I found to train stealth was with those little bugs that guard the lever to open the gate to the upper monastry.The trick is to get past Gregor at level 1.I started off with 2 Bishops,and 4 stealth ababilitable crew.The 2 bishops got heal and paralyse at "birth" After bumping off a few crabs,etc I promoted the Bishops to level 2 converting them to Rogues.Now all 6 can learn stealth.and I can heal and paralyse,as I train stealth,This got me past Gregor, and let me heal as The team trained. BRIAN

Better is to Stealth everyone. Just take one level, preferably L5, as Rogue (esp if you also want high Shield) or Monk/Ninja (if you want to do some Crit training). Best scenario is 6 or more seekers, either in the Ramp Room or on the Beach, where you can get to the very edge of Thrown range--they do very little damage and hit rarely from that far. It's also good if you can Sleep or Freeze them long enough (2 rounds) that combat will end, so you can save without killing them. The problem with Spiders is they paralyze.

Shield: see above.

Reflextion trains largely the same way, but since that doesn't usually happen til later, Millipedes are good for that, or frogs, or whatever mosquito types stay at Thrown, all in the Swamp.

Iron Skin can train simultaneously with any of the above, as long as they're still hitting you occasionally.

Iron Will can train that way, too, but it's much faster to just keep clicking the gas trap on the Mindblast door--the guards there will retreat (and stay retreated) if you drag a combat into the hall near them. This is the fastest training in the game, just about 20 mins of real time to max.

Locks and Traps--just keep clicking the magnifying glass on the chest-trap interface. This takes a long time; i read a book while doing it, using the sound effects to tell me when to click again.

Magic: (First step, get some Mana Stones)

--Alchemy/Wizardry and Earth: My fave is the 8-pin Bank Vault Door, just keep throwing PL1 Knocks at it. When Alchemy gets to 50, mix up a bunch of the series: Heavy Heal--Cure Disease--Renewal, and Pandemoniums, too.

Divinity/Psionics and Mental: Charm a merchant who'll buy your Mana Stones so you can recharge them and keep going. Mindread takes about 3 times longer to cast--you have to wait for the response--and doesn't really go any faster than Charm. Once again, many spells at PL1 trains faster than wasting all your mana on a seventh as many castings.

Other Realms can be worked up in combat. I like to do this in conjunction with Reflextion training, just casting the highest spells i know at PL1. If you have any SP regenerating items (eg Nebdar, Robes of Rejuvination, Infy Helm), you can do this for a long time, rotating through all the realms. I like to aim area spells to only affect one of the enemy, so i can then heal it to continue (and you can throw Guardian Angels onto the enemy). You can also cast Combat Buffs, and condition spells. If your Stealth is high, though, you should do some kind of damage every other round, so the enemy stays put.

NOTE: No credit accrues toward Skill increases if you cast needlessly. (Cure Disease on a healthy Character; any Buff at the PL that's currently in effect, etc.) Corollary to this is getting the most possible out of casting travel buffs by casting first at PL1, then 2, etc, until you've cast 7 times.

Combat skills train in combat only. If i think my combat skills are lagging behind my level, i'll equip the cheapest weapons i can find of the type i want to practise with and fight some really long battles. Missing is just as good as hitting when it comes to skill increases.

Artifacts can be practised with Maidenhead and Helm of Insight at any Merchant who'll buy them for recharging. Mana Stones will also increase Artifacts pretty fast, and you don't have to be a Caster--just use them on one who has less than thier max SP.

EDIT

OOPS! forgot MUSIC: Viola D'amour on He'li til you pass out and repeat.

Engineering: Searchlight and X-ray Scanner.

[ 08-22-2004, 09:11 PM: Message edited by: Scatter ]

You can beat Gregor at lev 2 with some luck if you have the right party. A Monk can buy you some time an unconsciousness hit. Only tried it once. Made it to Arnika at lev 2 with no special training, you have to run away alot.

Flamestryke, great idea but how to organize?

Edit: you can get random bits of tactics or OTOH more comprehensive analysis of each character. Many including me are willing to try adding to this rich game. Some of this has been done before but I and most here probably don't agree with all of the previous stuff on the N. I learned much from some other people's strategies but mainly use my own. How detailed do you want this to be? Do you want tricks (stealth training, how to beat access to Hogar cave in Northern Wilderness at lev 8, etc.) or straight development? Do new characters expect weapons that can only be obtained 10 levels away? Not trying to make this harder for your idea, trying to get ideas how to do it. - Zig -

[ 08-23-2004, 12:01 AM: Message edited by: Ziggurat ]

Ziggurat

Basically right now what I am looking for are usually referred to as "power training." Where you will have your character(s) do something repeatatively until the skill reaches a desired level or maxes out.

How detailed it is depends on how much work a person submitting the idea is willing to put forth. I'd like to see most of these have any additional information included with them when necessary. Like when Scatter made a note that casting a spell only works to increase a skill when it is effective.

The other ideas you are suggesting, like accomplishing something earlier in the game than usual, would find a home on the pages I plan for a future date. Hints, Tips, and Tricks. I just didn't want to bite off more than I could chew right now since I'm busy on two other projects for the site right now as well as this one.

So far I have a few of these training techniques already posted on the site. Take a look at the new Training Techniques menu and view the pages that are already there. You can see the various writing styles and how it is organized currently.

Even if some skill or skill set already has something posted please feel free to share your favorite training methods. I, like you, have read many training tips but prefer some of my own over those.

I am not a person who has the patience to knock on the Bank Vault Door for example. I find it very boring and consider it a waste of time to train only one or two individuals at a time. However, if I am running a group where every char can knock on that door then I will do it. Or if I need a couple points to make another level to learn a spell or mix a potion I will do it.

I want to represent as many training ideas as possible so those looking can make a choice that best suits their play style.

[ 08-23-2004, 12:36 AM: Message edited by: Flamestryke ]

Flamestryke said:

"...waste of time to train only one or two individuals at a time..."

Well, i've usually only got one or two (maybe 3)individuals in my parties...

Scatter

Could you elaborate on the Iron Will training please? I haven't quite grasped it (blush).

Thanks.

Well, my honest feeling is that, if you're going to do those types of things, you might just as well use the editor to where you want to be and just play the darn game. Why mess around for hours to achieve the same resilt when you could be playig the game. I've done this several times, like putting some stats at 15 or 20 in a 2 person party, to help them in the early game but not make it too unbalanced.

Yes, I think you are right... is there really a big difference between clicking a button in the game 1000 times and using the editor? You get the same result and don't get frustrated when using editor.

[ 08-23-2004, 07:20 AM: Message edited by: Fiend of the 9 Worlds ]

Krull, check out the new pages at the site. I already had a detailed description of how to train Irow Will posted. Just use the Training Techniques link then select Iron Will from the menu.

Variol, Fiend, many people are opposed to game editors and feel using one is cheating. Not to mention if you get ahold of a poorly designed editor it can corrupt your game and cause problems.

Some people feel these training techniques are cheating too and the game developers went out of their way to put in many protections against abusing skills but as we all know there are still many that can be trained by repetative use.

Its all a matter of personal preference and what you are willing to do or not do. Whether or not I agree with training skills in this manner has no bearing on the fact that I received many requests that I add something like this to the site to assist others. I like to try to remain open minded and provide whatever information is helpful.

Thanks Lana, should have read one of your earlier posts saying you had set up this new topic on your website.

Flamestryke, I love your site. Not sure if I can add stuff truely different. I have sometimes gone to Jandral and Snaferu. I agreed with some of what they had but didn't use much of it as far as character and party dev goes. Yours may be more comprehensive. Keep it up, milady! I guess the best mechanism will be to add comments to site directly?

Unsure what you are asking here. Sorry.

I think he means adding something like a forum to your site.
he = Ziggurat
your = Flame's
OK?

[ 08-23-2004, 09:47 PM: Message edited by: Fiend of the 9 Worlds ]

I really like the fact that Flamestryke is female! I think we automatically assume (at least I did) that everybody posting is male.
Bring on more ladies and get their input too!!

OH, important note for defense training i forgot before!!!

If you want to train Shield together with the other defenses, you must remember to swap weapons so your shield is in effect once you are in Defend.

ps. i'm actually a bit honored to see my nick on your site!

[ 08-23-2004, 10:20 PM: Message edited by: Scatter ]

Scatter,

As I am honored to have it there.

I have added your additional information to the Defense page.

FYI, At lvl 20 my Ranger insta killed the Don with the 2nd barbed arrow shot!

I like training magic in the Rattkin tree. Because the bridges are narrow you never get surrounded and can simply train any magic skill that's lacking. Just make sure you have a decent tank character that can hold back a couple of Rattkin. There's also a locked chest in the room beside the Don for earth magic, and a trapped chest for mental magic.

I prefer this type of training for a few reasons:

1. While your casters are training magic, your fighters are honing their combat skills.

2. You get experience.

3. You get money.
4. You get neat stuff like Anhks, Rings, Arrows, Scrolls etc..

5. It's not as boring as vault training etc...

6. You can try out new strategies.

7. You can laugh at stupid Rattkin Goons as they hit your Guardian Angeled, Razor Cloaked Fighter, while your puny spell casters are out of harms way, torturing them with spells from every realm.

Um, I was just trying to make it easier for FlameStryke as to where to send hints. My other half (F) likes to play CRPGs as well. Unfortunately we only have one computer that can handle Wiz 8 so I end up monopolizing it with her permission. Her faves are Ultima 4 and Betrayal at Krondor. We have a DOS/Windows 3.1 40 MHz for old games.

[ 08-24-2004, 11:59 PM: Message edited by: Ziggurat ]

Ah Kylospylon, finally some one who trains like I do. I use any where with a really good stealth char out in front. Or a good tank like a Lizzy Fighter who has newly gained Iron Skin. Arnika Trynton Rd crevises are one of my favorites.

The magic users just cast as many PL1s of every thing they have while the enemy mainly defends or turns the LF into swiss cheese. Great way to boost up new Hybrid magic without getting them ripped to pieces by Jugs.

Definitely less boring and every one gets some training of some kind. The tanks and/or hybrids are adjusted after magic power is expended and finish off what's left with melee.

Ziggurat, I see I'm not the only one who runs an old DOS clunker. I revert to some of my old favorites now and then. Thunderscape, Wiz7, World of XEEN, the UWs, Ultima 6, 7, and occassionally 8, plus good old Commander Keen and his Bean with Bacon Mega Rocket. :D

[ 08-25-2004, 10:10 AM: Message edited by: Flamestryke ]

I was reading a Comp Mag 2 weeks ago and I remember reading something about Bards Tale being re-done. Anybody hear about this?

http://gamesdomain.yahoo.com/feature/19172

Looks nice.

Thanks J'aran

I thought I saw something on the VN Boards but couldn't find anything. Fingers crossed it's got some kind of pseudo-turn based mode.

Amen to that!

Well, i just discovered another little trick for those practising Magic:

The chest trap "Anti-Magic" will cancel your travel buffs. So if you get to a chest with such a trap (and chest traps can change if you reload right there--you just have to know wich chest can have one) you can trigger it intentionally by touching the wrong device symbol (pick a different trap type) and recast your buffs until your SP's are gone (save 50 in Air), then Portal yourself to a mana source (sell-buy Mana Stones or use the Hex Fountain).