I'm not even going to mention how many different parties I've started (mainly because I didn't keep track ;0 )
But I'm curious. For all you re-starters, how long do you usually hang around in the Monastery before hitting the road? I've blown through as quickly as two days, the current party has been in there 10 days, a week is probably about my average.

I'm keeping the currnt ones in there longer to beef their skills a little more, while resisting leveling them up past lev. 8. By the time they hit the road, they should all be over 50 in their prime skills or magic realms.

Hadn't given much consideration as to how many days.. concerned with getting up spell casting levels mostly. If the game were time dependant then I'd focus on it but sleeping to regain mana after multiple castings of 'peacetime' spells to pump up spell levels does sorta suck up the time. Have left the Monastery at level 6 with one party, level 8 with another, and level 10 with my present solo ninja.

~~merk~~

i don't usually go by time either, unless someone forces me. [img]tongue.gif[/img] ::staring right at you::
however, that said, usually by level 8, we poke our heads out of the door.

i just started a Magickal Mistress Tour (all spell casters of one sort or another) and they are making me nuts. every battle, it's the same thing. keep in mind, that this happens mid-battle. :rolleyes:

"i'm tired"
"it's nappy-time now, m'kay?"
"if you don't let us rest, i swear, i'm gonna hide all your spellbooks!"
"slave mistress, have pity on your party!"

LOL. they aren't wusses, just inexperienced. oh yeah, i guess that DOES make them wusses. :D anyway. it's very tough. i think i will be in for a couple, three months with them.

V***V

Yeah, the amount of time does depend on how much magical use there is, at least in my case. I never pay attention really. Just go through and get everything done and leave. Usually I'm about level 5 or 6 by the time all the quests are done and items found.

I never considered sticking around to level up more. Lol, I've been through that dern Monastery so many times now I'd just as soon get out when the getting's good.

judee

My experience with Arnika Road leads me to believe that
you should finish the monastery and get out. My parties
of level 7 have a hellish time, all the monsters and bandits
seem to be one category better or more numerous (brigands instead
of highwaymen) than if the party is level 6.

I agree with Kelvin. My first game, we came out at levels 7-8 and although we did not run into too many fights, the ones we did weretough.
The second game, we left at level 6 (4 days in the Monestary...I looked at an old save after reading this thread last night). Again, I was blessed with an easy journey to Arnika (few fights) and the battles were with easy enough foes that I did not fear for the lives of my characters.

I've taken about twenty parties through the monastery. My now highly refined character advancement scheme in the monstery is to level the party up only to 4, but take the XP up to 100,000 each. Generally this takes about two weeks.

Level 4 is high enough to take care of the Gregor and rabid rats without any problem, but not so high that the random encounters become difficult.

Once you hit level 6, the monastery becomes much harder and the Arnika Road almost impossible. On the other hand, a highly trained but only level 4 party can wander the Arnika road almost without worry.

Once I get to Arnika and can get better equipment, I then level up the party to 7/8.

<=ST

Edit: spelling

[ 01-05-2002: Message edited by: slowtrain ]</p>

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by slowtrain:
level the party up only to 4, but take the XP up to 100,000 each.

Once you hit level 6, the monastery becomes much harder and the Arnika Road almost impossible.<hr></blockquote>

What about level 5? The point here of course is that is the level at which hybrids gain their first spells. If the monster level is still in the 1-4 area then this would mean a far easier time getting them early realm experience, but if the monsters are now the level they're at when your party is level 6 then it probably wouldn't be a good idea to start their magic training just yet [img]smile.gif[/img]

Many of the random elements of the game scale. But I'm getting the impression that the scaling is not "perfectly" linear. I've had a harder time with higher-level parties going to Arnika than lower-level parties.

I haven't finished the game, by far, but my seven parties have generally had an easier time of it when they were lower level, rather than higher level, except with the encounter with the Gregor.

Level 5 is OK if you want to practice your spells for the hybrids, but in my runs through the early part of the game (up to arrival at Arnika), it seems that being level 5 makes the Arnika road considerably more difficult.

At level 4, if you spent some time training skills before leaving the monastery, the Arnika road is really easy.

I agree with DraconisRex that the random encounters do not scale in a linear fashion. The ones you get at level 4 are MUCH easier than what you get at six and seven.

Part of the problem in the monastery is a lack of good equipment. The designers probably didn't expect parties to be hanging there until level 7/8 so they didn't put in the equipment that is necessary to fight higher encounters.

That's why I wait to level up past 4 til I get to Arnika.