When do you Know . . .

[Wild Rose]

Question:

1)At what level do you know a party will work, and when it just doesn't.

2)When do you know it's going to be a GREAT PARTY?

3)Some parties really take awhile to get started, at what stage go you move on to the next IDEA?

Thanks All

[Loudhy]

Hi Wild Rose.

not easy to say but I think ...

1. Mostly after I left the monastery.
2. After Trynton
3. No idea. I played many different parties. When I started W8 some years ago I often changed races and professions after the lower monastery. Today I have some saved parties and I don't change them. I only want to win the game with them on expert difficulty.

Greetings and a happy new year.

[img]graemlins/monster5.gif[/img]

[Sinteuil]

Hi Wild Rose,

I'm still a little new at the game, but I'd say any party that can make it past the Arnika road is probably going to work. But for me, I have to wait until the Rift before I truly know if it's a great party. Nothing like seeing those Rapax dropping like flies! I've given up on at least one party that made it through Bayjin but got to the Rift and just couldn't quite handle it (it turned out I'd just made some serious blunders in developing a couple characters). So for me the Rift is really the big test.

Best wishes to everyone for the new year!
[img]graemlins/monster13.gif[/img]

[Nightowl2]

Agree with Sin: if your merry band can make it from the monastery to Arnika in one piece and without too much trouble, you have a workable group.

A great party is tougher to determine. I figure any party of mine that can make it through Bayjin and the Sea Caves is a good one, especially if they don't have a lot of trouble.

Any parties I abandoned were usually in Arnika (even though they made it down the road). You can generally tell by then whether or not you're happy with the mix of characters and their performances.

Nightowl2

[Kakero]

1. Level 1 or 2 after fighting with Gregor in the Monastery.

2. When nobody died after fighting with Gregor.

3. After someone died fighting with Gregor.

Very very fast to determine with party will work. The fight with Gregor determines it. If Nobody died fighting with him then the party will be great and can survive the entire game. Magics at this point is few but I only use magic to buff myself and seldom use magic to attack enemies. That's my playing style.

[ 12-29-2004, 04:47 AM: Message edited by: Kakero ]

Originally posted by Kakero: 1. Level 1 or 2 after fighting with Gregor in the Monastery. 2. When nobody died after fighting with Gregor. 3. After someone died fighting with Gregor. Very very fast to determine with party will work. The fight with Gregor determines it. If Nobody died fighting with him then the party will be great and can survive the entire game. Magics at this point is few but I only use magic to buff myself and seldom use magic to attack enemies. That's my playing style.

Kakero demands perfection as you can see.

[Wild Rose]

Well, yes. But she does have a point. My first party of 6 Fig, Val, Ran, Bar, Mag, Bis, were easy all the way - and one of the few parties that didn't need res. powder/reload after Gregor.

Good Point Kakero! Maybe this will save me a lot of games that get more and more frustrating.

Senteuil is right that Great Parties don't have problems at the Rift, but do we want to only find out then???

[Ziggurat]

I disagree to some degree. There is no easy test.

I don't think Gregor is a good test of a viable party, only an adequate one for that time. And you can back off (reload) after failing to kill him and go around the Monastery again for more exp/HP/skills. I now attack him up the ramp, instead of taking the elevator first which limits your options. Also, some luck is involved with the Greg, as in all battles. The Rapax is also not a best test, but you do need armed strength and magic protection to survive, mostly. Yet, if you do well there you can finish the game most likely. I can finish almost any game past Arnika, depends on your frustration threshold. Try doing a solo, anything else looks pretty easy. On the other hand, I wouldn't try a solo fairy psionic and expect to make it though the early levels!

I think you will notice a winning trend if you have a good party, but you have to get around the "win every battle" mindset. Patience. This game is great for having opportunities, but some random stuff like a deadly blow at the wrong guy seems to kill you quick.

I tend to let to let the party go on until almost every battle seems like a chore. To be honest, if you have succesful strategy past Arnika into the Swamp, etc., most teams can make it. But be careful about leaving yourself open in any area, though. Like against mental, physical or magical attacks depending on the sector or monster. It's always a thinking, evolving struggle unless you opt for an uber party where each character is at their best. I've made a fair number of loser type parties work. My 2 cents. - Zigganaut -

P.S. Haven't been here at Ironworks too much lately. I'm working my way thru Wiz 7, which I spent years playing. It's refreshing to try it again (and harder) but it also reminds me of the great improvements in playability of Wiz 8.

[Megabot]

Trie to kill all in the "Away camp" before you are a Rapax Templar if you survive that, then your party are ready for everything hehe

[Kakero]

To test how ' good ' your party will be you need to test it them on a monster as fast as possible. Possibly near the beginning of the game. This will generally safe you from frustration later in the game. Gregor is a good choice as he is near the beginning of the game and you probably only taken like 20 minutes to reach him. The tactic to do battle with him apply elsewhere in the game. ie fight at a tight space so that you'll face one opponent at a time. If you think your party can't make it then choose and make another party. Thus no time is wasted and you can continue enjoying the game.

Arnika or Rapax is a bad choice as you have already spend like hours just to reach that place. What happen when you found out that your party can't make it? Do you redo back your party and waste all the hours playing up to that point?