one last time .....

[tequila]

for those of you who are complaining about getting reamed so early on. IWD is hack and slash. What does that mean? FIGHTERS! You do NOT need mages early on! Start most, if not all of your party out as human fighters. Dual them to mage, thief and cleric. Keep a couple of them as pure fighters or if you must, rangers and paladins. You will absolutlely waltz thru the first 3 chapters.

If you have problems with the orcs in chapter 1, head my advice. That is the least of your worries. Dual your fighter mages, clerics and thieves at level 3. It buys you enough time to get thru the early going. Forget lvl 9. Maybe save one for that.

I have not had any real challenge yet with this strategy. I finally switched my last fighter over to a druid (try rolling those stats...you need about 4 18's). That was the hardest part so far.

Remeber, a single classed mage is nothing but a meat puppet!!! Give him/her some hp and the abiltiy to use a bow. It will save your a**.

I am done now with my sermon.

[Windrunner]

I dont understand the problem. I started a new quest only using an Elven fighter/theif, and an Elven ranger, both speclizing in bows and greatswords. I am currently towards the last stages of the Hand, and so far the only major fight I have had the final battel with the yan-ti.

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Windrunner, Ranger of the Wolf Clan

[Mack_Attack]

I have to agree with you on the hack and slash aspect of the game. But how do people know this whent they first buy it. People are just taking about the game and what there thoughts are that is all. Hell it takes me a few re-loads here and there sometime lady luck is not on your side. And maybe not every one is as good when they first start out. It is not like we start playin with all this great game knowldge. Sometimes people need a little help. Anyways that is all I have to say. As far as the game I think it is a good one. I do not mind the hack and slash I think it needs a little more to it. Just one mans thoughts

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Give me Back my glasses.
Lord of the blind.

[MidNightForce]

I would say its better to dual at level 6, i have now 4 dual fighters/ mage, cleric, thief and druid. But it was really hard at begin, because there were no healing or attack spells...

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Night is not always that, what you think...

[Xod]

I tend to agree, IWD is all hack and slash. I've played through it several times, and there are only a couple of places where a mage is needed. Last few times, I've only used a bard, a couple fighters, and a cleric; no mages at all.

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"This place will be your tomb."

[KillerMafia]

Hack... blah...blah....blah.. slash... HOW DO I GET TO THE AREA WITH THE LEVER!!!!!!??!!?!!!!?!

[Arquetal]

Doesn't anyone realize the coolness of a mage? Enjoy the dazzling special effects when they cast, admire their wise words as they lay their foes to ruins? It is fantastic for a mage to be weak, that is having less hp, this is how they survive, keeping a distance from the actual heat of the battle. It is what being a mage is all about, having no access to physical might such as bows or loads of hp. They cast spellls! I may not be necessary to complete IWD, but its friggin awesome!
I feel the game is not so much about completing the quest, but rather about having fun. The quests are pretty simple to complete: you walk, you hack, you slash, you pillage the body's for loot, open some doors, open some chest, pull some levers... hehehe is it soooo simple is it not, killermafia?

[WolfgarJr]

I tend to like mages, but you have to take the bad with the good. I have yet to see a fighter at 12 or 13 levels that can do even close to the amount of damage that a mage can even at 10 or 11 levels. Mages might not be able to take a lot of hits, but if they have defenders they can lay waste to any army. I would also like to say that even though I read it a lot I did not find anyone in the game that is 100%? resistant to magic. I even hit the iron golems at the end of the game with lightning bolts. It didn't hurt them, but it sure slowed them down a lot for my fighters. My mage made the game much easier.

[tequila]

BGII is great for mages. It is wierd that the two games are so different. BGII is almost mage oriented. You have to have at least one to dispell all the sheilds that the enemy mages have. I have yet to beat IWD, but it seems like there is not much high level mage combat.

Im not dissing mages at all. Just saying you have to adapt to the way this game is played. And it seems to me it is played best with more sword an armor than magic. For those of you who like mages and havent played BGII yet, do yourself a favor. It is intense.