Wow. Thanks everyone for the swathe of replies.
I've been trying not to read the Best Tips, so I've probably missed references to this in there.
I do have sufficient Moon magic - one of the few tips that I've read emphasised it ... which is why I'm kicking myself for not making a portal before jumping in.
The reference to putting the smallest character at the front ... I take it that this is back in the Inn, correct? I take it that it's not something I can do while I'm drowning.
(Yes, I had killed the slimes, and yes, I'm running XP.)
I'm not worried about finding the book up the passageway, now - thanks. I've reverted to an earlier savegame and will simply avoid the water.
Maybe it'll be an idea to read more of the posts, to try to avoid these things.
How I'm doing overall? Well ... I'm starting to run low on patience.
On the one hand, it has a nice level of character depth.
On the other, it seems somewhat ... unfinished.
I got stuck in/on the -roof- of the lift trying to get out of the Crypt. Mewdaka drives me nuts, this water experience is lousy, the incomplete "reset adventures" feature, the guild interface ... etc.
They're mounting up. I find myself asking if the game is _really_ fun enough for the annoyances. MM6 (my last MM game) had slightly less complex characters, but it was at least finished. (I never had to reload because I got stuck in the floor...)
It'd be nice to have a way of getting down ladders that didn't involve falling, too. Maybe that's my bad driving, though. :]
I'm a software developer myself, I can sympathise with the developers at H.Park*. As a customer, though, I'm less likely to pick up another HP title.
One tip I could use ... given these annoyances - why do you play W&W, rather than moving to a different RPG? There's no sarcasm there - I'm honestly interested - I might be missing something, or maybe I haven't reached the best parts yet...
Melb_Wiz.
*I'm currently fighting my own management to delay a product's release until it's finished. "Testing (on this 12-month project). Hmm ... we'll allow 2-3 days..." - and yes, that's a direct quote.