Help, in the beginning please. i do not grasp the rules.

[Black Baron]

i do not grasp the ac rules at all. i gave to my charachters things that give 10 ac (or so the description says) , and they still have ac 7!!! it really confuses me.
After reading some things here i understood that my party while roughly aceptable, is not the best choice for a beginner, like me, that wants the first game to be "powered" a bit.
i have-mage faerie, dwarven priest, human rogue, human archer, human samurai and dragon lord. i also have the android monk and vi.
The party is more or less ok, but their statistics and point distribution sucks. Currently i am stuck to the bejin enterance in the swamps, and got myself killed every fight.
so i will begin a new party now.
Can some one explain to me the ac rules? thank you.

[ 10-05-2003, 04:47 AM: Message edited by: Black Baron ]

[Scatter]

If you are carrying too much or have a condition (eg nausea, unconscious), your AC may not directly reflect what you are wearing. If the item is AC 10, the body part it covers may be AC 10, but your average may be lower if other parts are less well covered. Those are the answers i thought of right away.

[EEWorzelle]

Black Baron,

I agree with scatter, if you have ac 6 boots, torso, gloves, helmut, pants, that adds up to... ac6. Every time you are hit, it hits a particular part of your body. If you have ac 10 in that one spot, that's the protection you have against that hit. If that body part is bare, you have zero protection, even if your average ac is 8 or something like that. Some items, such as cloaks, rings, shields, add directly to your ac and are not averaged.

Your party is potentially fine depending upon how you develop it. Some of the characters are a bit slow developing, but it was not wrong for you to choose that as a new player.

It is really cool, finally, to have a game where the way you create and develop your characters really matters, but that doesn't help the newer player, like yourself, to do that.

Just know that we have all been in the place you are now. My first party was attrocious, much worse than your's, I'm sure.

The place you describe being at is dangerous. It is not clear whether you are coming it at Bayjun from the Swamp side, but if so you may want to hold off for a bit before going there.

Do you have some different ideas now about what would be better in developing your party? You might want to start another party, the way you would now really like to, and split your playing time between the old and new party. Things you learn with one can help you with the other.

Good luck.

[ 10-05-2003, 05:09 PM: Message edited by: EEWorzelle ]

[Black Baron]

Thanks for the answer.
The idea of playing "simultaneously" with the two parties is good. I think i wil do it.
thanks again.

[petertmorgan]

Some advice that I got from this forum that has really helped me understand and be aware of game mechanics including AC, spells etc., is to use

Verbose Combat Messages

from the options menu.

When I started I didn't turn it on thinking that it would slow things down but (at least with my system) it has not slowed down at all. Now I get to see how often different body parts get hit, as well as what level spell is being cast at me, as well as what type of ammunition is being thrown at me, etc., and it's really not that much more to read

[dplax]

I've never used that, gonna try it when I get home.

[vesselle]

you didn't mention what your team's levels are, either. you may be going to beyjin too early for your characters. if that's the case, you might've missed an area that you can return to for playing, or you can hit outdoor areas to get some more battle tactic experience and levelling.

if you are more concerned about how to develop different classes, i can recommend some very nice class explanations for you. jandrall has collected some good class analyses that explain the important aspects for each and how classes can work together. it may help you put together a second team. [img]smile.gif[/img]

good luck and have fun!

V***V

bb - lots of great advice about your party and travels already, so i'll show some restraint (it's rare, so enjoy).

one thing i will mention, though, is that there's lots written about character development. jandrall is a good place to start (i think it's where a lot of players get their earliest tips). there's also been stuff written at this board (check out scottg's beginner's reference http://www.ironworksforum.com/ubb/no...;f=15;t=003356 ) and also check out the atlus7 postings for some different ideas ( http://robincollins.net/forums/index...60d&act=SF&f=5 ).

with so much to choose from, i suggest read a bit and try some ideas on for size. no advice written above is right for everybody, but you're bound to find some things you like. see what works for you and what doesnt, and dont be afraid to make some real stinker parties. we've all been there and it's half the fun.

the turning point is when you realise the character classes and races, and the build strategies, that work best for your style - the best way for you to have fun.

then comes the other half of the fun - tearing that all apart and learning all over. this is where you start tweaking the builds further, and trying different party combinations, and trying new classes, or old classes in different ways.

so dig in. we'll be here to compare ideas and provide advice if you need it. good luck!