Well, here are a few suggestions...
-Always have as big a party as possible (six members whenever you can).
-Try and get a well-balanced party (a suggestion would be two fighters, a cleric, a thief, a mage and a ranger).
-Use missle weapons as often as possible (especially in the beginning of the game, while your party is still quite weak).
-Spend your money - it's worth buying wands, potions and magical items, even early on in the game. Don't feel like you have to save up all the time - buy whatever takes your fancy. There are many items for sale that will help you tremendously, lots of them on sale throughout the game in the various stores. Gold is easy enough to come by, so don't worry if your cash situation is depressing.
-Do lots of sidequests, even if you do find them tiring and pointless sometimes - they are always worth it, for the gold, items and, of course, experience.
If you stick with the above, remembering to keep a large, versatile party, you'll soon find that your xp rockets and you'll also find yourself with lots of useful items, providing you take my advice and do quests whenever possible. Good luck, and have fun... in many ways, I'm quite jealous of you... this game is fantastic, and you're in for a great time with it
[ 04-14-2002, 04:18 PM: Message edited by: Arledrian ]