Ironman Adventures

[Ae3than]

It is remarkable how many ways we have to make this game challenging. I just read lepto's thread on foreswearing overpowered weapons and RPCs for an all hybrid 4-character party in Expert/Ironman. Hats off.

I have taken two parties to the Circle in Expert. Never played at a lower level. When I first got the game, I probably futzed around with 3 or 4 groups in the Monastery, but once I had an idea of the game, I stuck with my party to completion. I know I made a lot of mistakes and sub-optimal development choices, but as many have said on here, any party can make it if you persevere. I figured if my party was gimped, it was my fault and I would have to see them through.

Playing that first game taught me a lot and reading this board a lot more, so my second group (Dracon Lord and Valkyrie, Faerie Mage, Psionic, and Ninja) pretty much sailed through. I however thrived with the fearlessness of the quick-save button. So Ironman will be a huge change.

Started last night with full 6-character party. I will also use as many RPCs as are convenient and every good weapon I can get. What I don't do, however, is train. I don't have the patience and the resting really bothers my sense of urgency as a roleplaying element. I am on a mission. I don't have time to rest in a bank vault or play tag with seekers. I generally don't rest until my magic is gone to the point where I can't buff or heal anymore.

I am taking:

1. Lizzie Fighter. Never played a Fighter or a Lizardman, so am interested in how he works out.

2. Human Monk. A Human Monk lead my first team in kills over a Samurai, a Lord, a Ranger, a Bard, and a Bishop. In this group, she will be the chief bomb-thrower. With the Bard covering what I consider the two best Psi spells, Insanity and Haste, I can develop her magic side late if at all.

3. Mook Ranger. Love Rangers and their Insta-kills. Giant sword is something I have looked longing at every time I found one. Auto-scouting is good too since keeping Detect up is a constant drain and I hate it when I forget to turn Search off. Will also get and develop the cash generating Alchemy skill in time.

4. Rawulf Valkyrie. Rawulfs and Gnomes seem to be underused. They're starting stats seem fine for Valkyrie, and I really like Valkyries. In my second party my Dracon Valk was second only to my Faerie Mage in kills and he got most of his crisping up herds of pesky weak things while she got hers on Nessie, SoulEater, etc. She was awesome with an Awl Pike and unbelivable once she got Mystic and then Dread. And in Ironman having Cheat Death can only be good. Plus she will have to cover the Divinity book.

5. Elf Mage. In this melee-heavy party, her buffs will be his most important function. Can't imagine playing without a high Missile shield and X-ray up. Add Enchanted Blade and her offensive palette and she will give me the power to get through the tough beginning. I hope.

6. Hobbit Bard. Bards may be over-powered, but in my first Ironman i will take all the help I can get. Insanity, Haste, Heal All, and Pandemonium are all she needs to be useful, but as others have pointed out she can be a great meleer or, as I intend, a fine archer in addition, besides handling traps and locks.

Started out last night. All well on the beach. Go to the door, hit "Q" by reflex, get nasty warning message instead of warm fuzzy save. Up the ramp, obliterate the Greens, go to east room kill Noxious. get book and stuff, head into tunnels meet two Noxious both target and hit Mage, she dies. Uh oh. Gotta get to the waterfall. Make it finally, though nearly chewed to pieces by the Tanika and nearly out of healing pots. Discovered you can use them even if unidentified. Resurrected Mage and headed back inside. Gregor next. Level 3 for every one but the Mage who missed a lot of action being hauled around in lifeless form.

Found 5 bows and three slings on first level of Monastery. Is that usual? Am thinking I will have the Mage and Monk throw/sling and the rest use bows. No healer until level 5 may be a problem.

Ironman is a real adrenaline-enhancer so far. Every red blip might mean the end of the game. Gotta love it.

Ae3than

[dplax]

You could always use healing potions if the lack of healing becomes a problem for you, and later on you can go out of your way earlier than needed to get the bard healing instruments.

When I had a bard or gadgeteer I usually always went to get their heal all items much earlier than I would have usually gotten them with parties who do not use them, and would just sell them for the money. I just find them much too powerful, since with 2-3 stamina regenerating items, a bard or gadgeteer can regain stamina so fast, that they can use these items nearly every turn in combat, making your characters quite hard to kill.

[Nightowl2]

Just about all the items "floating in air" are fixed and will be found in the same places from game to game. Most items in chests are random, except for the lightning rod and key in the upstairs chest. Yeah, once you start looking, you can find a lot of missile weapons around the place.

How come you didn't go up to the lookout point for the stuff there before going into the monastery? You can wade through the water, if you didn't know.

Also, if you haven't yet, set your fighter to berserk. This is what makes them really potent in battle.

I salute you....I'm too chicken to do Ironman myself!

Nightowl2

[Loudhy]

Welcome Ae3than,

I never played Ironman because unfortunatly somtimes my computer thinks that I've played enough and quits the game without warning. So I think it's better
to save at some special points ( and only reload there if you are destroyed )and make some quicksaves during the travels to prevent throwing your computer out of the window after a day of interesting but so useless gameplay.

Has no one of you Ironman players discovered such a bad effect [img]graemlins/1ponder.gif[/img]

Good luck, Ae3than ! [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Ae3than]

Thanks for the advice and encouragement.

Unfortunately, my party is dead. I underestimated the six hard-shell and 9 venom crabs I encountered right outside the door and didn't have enough powder to revive my Monk and Fighter. The remaining four were slaughtered by bandits and roustabouts before reaching the house.

I am going to try again tonight with the same party though I may change the Liz Fighter for a Mook and go with an Alchemist instead of the Ranger for more magic and earlier profitable alchemy. That will still leave a Fighter, Valkyrie and Monk so my melee should be fine.

What do you think?

Ae3than

[dplax]

You would be missing the mage book, so you would miss out on element shield, x-ray, missile shield and other great mage spells, but people have completed the game before without those, so it should only make it harder.

[Ae3than]

Dear dplax,

Sorry I wasn't clear. I intend to have my Elven Mage and Hobbit Bard along with the Rawulf Valkyrie and Human Monk. The question is whether to go with a Lizzie Fighter and Mook Ranger or Mook Fighter and Gnome Alchemist.

Ae3than

[Nightowl2]

You didn't mention what level your party was on leaving the monastery. Could be they weren't high enough for the trip to town, given that you're in Ironman mode.

You can stay in there to build levels; the lower level is the one to use for this. The upper level regens only rarely. Eventually the monsters will max out to metallic slimes, emerald slimes, vampire bats (now and then), and stalker and poison seekers.

Yeah, it's dull going over the same ground so much, but you do build up nicely that way, and should be able to handle the road to Arnika.

Nightowl2

ae3 - in terms of melee, the liz fighter and mook ranger will make your party a force. but the mook fighter with gnome alch will be more of a challenge. and, in the long run, the alch turns into the true magic (pure class) superpower of the game. this magic-heavier option could offer more of a challenge.

and, having played the mook fighter, i have to say they're not bad at all. i was lucky enough to get excalibur (to think, an upgrade on the great sword!) that game, but the key learning i found was to balance their vit/dex/spd/sen stats - unlike the liz ftr where specialism is second nature, the mook needs a bit more care developing.

just my two bits. good luck!

[Ae3than]

Thank you all for your advice and encouragement.

Started again with the same party. Ranger, Fighter, Monk, Valkyrie, Mage, Bard.

Learned my lesson and now rest frequently so as to meet each engagement fully charged. Just left lower Monastery with all on level 5, no deaths. Found an incredible 6 rabid, 13 Gnawer, and 4 (unidentified) Rats in the first room.

I have concentrated on really focussing a few skills for each. Mage has raised Fire, INT, PIE, and Water every time. Valkyrie Polearm, STR, and DEX/VIT/SPD. Bard Music, INT, DEX, Throwing. Fighter Close, Sword, STR, VIT. Ranger DEX, SEN, Ranged. Monk STR, DEX, Martial. As a result they are very good at their offensive skills and went through the Rat horde without difficulty. However, except for the Valk and the Fighter, they are fragile. I don't expect serious trouble til I leave the Monastery and I have learned the hard lesson of careful preparation.


Can I now spare points for VIT? I hope so.

I also spent my 2k on stink bombs instead of a fifth Res Powder. What do you think?

I am thinking of rambling around the Monastery for a few more levels, allow my Ranger to start making Heavies, and generally tone up before hitting the road. Is that wise?

Ae3than