simpler is better (?)

[killerTeddy]

Hi everyone!

Yesterday i started a new party - this time i just took 4 characters, and all are simple, basic ones. Dracon-Fighter, Felpurr-Rogue, Faerie-Mage and Rawulf-Priest. First advantage: they were easy to create, not much sense doing anything else than pushing int with a mage, str with a fighter... Secondly, they develop quickly and nicely: don't need that many exp for the next level up, they concentrate on fewer attribute, and: both spelcasters learn really fast (they have this nice bonus in their own realm of magic...). I'm about to leave the monastery, and already have missile shield and magic screen, don't think these nasty walking plants will be much of a problem. I really don't know why i took mostly bishops in my parties before.
And, a question: i am thinking of switching classes of all 4, what classes would you suggest? The Fighter could become a Lord (to add more healing spells) or maybe a Samurai?
The fearie could become a ninja (is already using thrown weapons), another specialist caster (probably psionic, she is already quite fast and rising senses would make her even faster) or a bishop, to be able to continue training wizardry?
The other 2 i don't have any real ideas yet, but i would like to take a gadgeteer perhaps (had mostly bards till now).
Thanks for all hints!

Bye, Teddy

[Winter Wolf]

I'd go with a samurai, but i'm biased toward them. Change the rogue to a gadgeteer for a few levels and pick up a few nice gadgets to help out in a fight. psionic spells are fun, too... I'd not bother with changing the current spell casters just yet.

[Ziggurat]

Welcome, Winter Wolf to our small region of well-intentioned insanity. That said...

I like the idea of the faerie mage going to ninja, after getting missle shield and enchanted blade (and perhaps fireball?). But there will be that 5 lev wait for new magic. I have a faerie rogue who will be going that way. That uber weapon for faeries is too tempting.

KillerTeddy, fighter to lord is a good move IMO, but I was never into fighters. Fighter to sam also works, I have become partial to them like WW. The rawulf can stay a priest or aim for lord or bishop (if senses and other things are up). If priest went to bard, will the magic still work? I haven't tried that. I do know the magic skills will not increase from that time on.

In general, I only try to change one or two to other classes as the game progresses. You can hobble your players if you make too many changes.

[DraconFighter]

If you aim is simplicity, I would say don't change classes at all. You don't have the alchemy skill in your original party, but that will make equipping your group more challenging.

[brianward420]

felpurr rogue trains swords and stealth .... switch him to a samurai when you get enough stealth (he won't get hit ever and will hit the enemy every time)

dracon fighter should either stay a fighter or go to the gadgeteer (high carrying capacity, stamina, high hit points, plus good close combat and ranged combat if you give him a bow initially ... the ranged combat will help once you get the omnigun to use)

faerie mage should go ninja definetely unless you want to keep training mage spells, in which case a samurai wouldn't be bad either (zatoichi bo, boomerang shuriken, cool faerie armor)

rawulf priest would actually be a good cantidate for a lord .... train mace&flail with the priest for the diamond eyes later on

that sounds like the best plan to me
it actually sounds really good also ... i like the idea of starting simple only to become a specialist later on

[killerTeddy]

Hi,

@brianward: yes, i like the idea of my faerie-mage becoming a samurai. There's just this little problem: her strength is only 30 at level 9. Changing class would have to wait till level 16. Ok, enough time in the game to use the samurai weapons. But: what about improving wizardry? I think she won't learn any new spells till samurai level 5, but will she be able to improve wizardry / fire magic / etc. ? Perhaps i should limit her to few magic areas, and train somewhat before class-changing?

edit: I forgot to ask, in wiz7 you could rise attributes by using anks, is there any way to rise attributes in wiz8 (besides leveling up)?

[ 11-13-2004, 07:12 AM: Message edited by: killerTeddy ]

[babar]

to answer the subject line, I thought straight single class parties were more difficult, only because you level up faster and so the monster levels should match. At the same time, you are spending less time per level so you have less time and oportunity to develop skills (unless you 'train'.

Last time I tried a simple party, I really got pasted, so that was the only time I tried.

p.s. no way to raise attributes for purposes of class changing other than leveling and drinking from a particular fountain.

[Wereboar]

In my experience (from many expert ironman games), simple classes make the start of the game much easier. Hybrids are far more difficult until about level 14 - at least for me.

My first expert ironman group was fighter, rogue (front), bard, ranger (flanks), mage (center), priest (center / rear), no NPCs. I was very surprised how easy it was; never was in danger.

I think the party fighter/rogue/mage/priest is the most easy 4 character party (at least for me). Fighter and rogue are the classes with the highest damage output (melee/backstab). Priest and mage for all the buffs early at high level. Rogue for excellent trap mastering. Mage to soften up large groups of monsters. And priest for high healing capacity.

I wouldn't change professions of any of the characters, especially if you never have done a 'simple professions' party before. At least there's no point in changing fighter/rogue, anless you want a less powerful party.
You could change the mage into a bishop, if you like. And then you might change the priest too, maybe to Lord or Valkyrie, to keep the divine spells. Or to a bard, since he has good attack spells, gets heal all, and further speeds up resting (the faerie would have their mana restored in a very short time).

[killerTeddy]

Hi!

Well, i abandoned this party. Was too easy And somewhat boring, too, i thought. I really wanted to change classes this time, but i didn't plan it properly. I'm somewhat disappointed, class-changing in Wiz7 was way better.
For a bit more thrill i started a new ironman game. Got crushed the first time by Gregor, but just finished the monastery now, and hoping for a not-too-hard walk to arnika

[Ziggurat]

All hybrid parties ARE difficult to start out with. I started a party with samurai, rogue and valkyrie. The faerie rogue switched to ninja at lev 8. They are now lev 13 and starting to kick pretty good (Bushido, COC, Mystic Spear) but the sam and nin's magic is still pitiful in battle. We do have all protections at max except for Elemental Shield in battle.

On the same topic, why can't my valk learn portals? My guess is that hybrids can't learn these level spells til lev 14 or later (16?) even if the divinity is 63 (and divine magic is also 63 currently). I think I'll go check some other sites to find out...Even at lev 13 with our melee ability there our battles we run away from even on Arnika-Trynton (like 4 lev 15 geomancers with their pet elementals).