Not recruiting

[Draq]

I decieded that since NPC's can up and leave your party whenever they choose, that I am better off without them at all.

Plus, why dump alot of exp and money into a npc that is going to leave at some point. I would rather get that extra exp into my members. I feel this will be better off in the end.

Thoughts?

[Mister Natural]

Some agree with that thought process, but battles will be much more difficult until your characters become more powerful. Also the degree of monsters faced depend upon your character levels. So even if you level up faster, it won't be any easier and you may miss out on a part of the game that was intented to be experienced.

[Gimli]

That's a really good point, the experience "drain" can actually be a help to the party because they'll level up more slowly and be alot more powerful relative to their level. To me that is what mostly determines how hard or easy things are, how your skills are relative to what level your party is. So I think things like the "best tips" suggestion to have an all-dracon party and have them all breathe, or let the guards in arnika kill things for you, or easy recurring experience point areas to use, are all really bad ideas because you get "empty" levels and will end up making things harder on yourself. I think you want to make leveling up something that you really had to work for and used your skills as much as possible, any other way is asking for trouble. It is making me rethink my decision to try going with no RPCs with my new party. I may instead take them and have them do very little so my main chars get all the strikes in/spells cast etc and only use them when I really need them. They might be better off as human shields, just have them "defend" my characters in combat mode, has anyone else done something like this? I haven't finished the game yet, will I be screwing myself if I don't develop at least 2 RPCs to take with me to ascend? Can I ascend with 6 really highly skilled characters alone?

[MaskedFrog]

I cannot see any reason why you have to have RPCs with you other than certain quests. I know I traveled through many areas with only one (1) RPC and I did not really fell the loss. I am sure that with no RPCs the battles might be a little tougher but certainly not impossible.

On my next go through I plan on taking at most one (1) RPC for any extended length of time. I am not sure I could not let RFS-81 join me. How could I refuse anyone that calls me master?

[Draq]

My characters are only level 11 currently. Some battles have been difficult, others have been easy.

I did notice around level 9 that my melee's were constantly missing or not doing enough damage. This was because my mage and psionic were doing all the killing...really fast. For the last couple of levels, I had them casting spells in a manner that would allow my melee to do most of the killing so that they could raise their skills. Even if the caster had nothing good to cast, I had them cast something else to just keept the skills rolling. Before I knew it, I kept getting 2-3 pages of skill improvements per battle. I am definately noticing improvements.

BTW, does anyone use superman? If I get a power 6 spell cast on my warrior. With his bloodlust sword and a stilletto dagger. He has gotten (on numerous occasions) 8 attacks per round!!! Do we ever get a group superman spell?

[Nightowl2]

Alas no, there is no group superman spell, probably for the good reason it would be a bit much (hey, can't give players too many advantages, right?).

As to taking on NPC's, I only go with RFS-81. I don't think it makes that much of a difference in terms of experience, and he gets to be quite good over time. Besides, you can take him anywhere except the Rapax Away Camp, where you need two empty slots anyway. All the other NPC's have at least two or three places they won't go, so aren't worth my time and effort.

Nightowl2