Patched but still struggling with new characters.

I read in a few posts that if the game's acting funny or people are exploding or you're getting killed alot when you shouldn't, then you should make sure your game is patched and up to date. I have 1.0.7.4 installed and I've noticed the game isn't as buggy as before and full screen mode is great and all, but I still tend to get killed incredibly easily with young characters (first 10 levels). It's not that I'm statistically no good in a fight, but that the game keeps throwing me into situations that are literally impossible to put up a fight. At level 5, I'm constantly getting random encounters when traveling that pit me against 3 or 4 level 10 - 15 NPCs that rip me to shreds in one round. All I'm doing is traveling from Dernholm to Tarant. I also repeatedly run into lvl 20+ characters at the Inns who want to start fights with me just because I tried to start a conversation with them. Needless to say, those confrontations never end well.

So is there another patch I need to help balance the game out a little better or is this just the way things are supposed to be?

 

Running away is an annoying but viable option.
Once you are out of range they just give up and stand around waiting for you to come back.

 

1)Save/Load is your friend. If you try a few times, you CAN get to Dernholm unmolested.

2)Stun grenades are your friends too. If you still have them, use them. Points in Throwing aren't necessary, use them point blank and try to stun as many opponents as you can with each grenade. Each will give you two rounds of attacking your enemies while they are utterly helpless.

3)Set combat to turn-based like Dark Elf said. Gives you a lot of tactical flexibility.

4)Level 5 is a bit early, I think. Have you done all quests in Shrouded Hills? (You should do all you can except for fixing the steam engine)? What's your equipment?

5)If you are tech (no matter what kind of tech) you should put one point into Molotov. It is a true wonder weapon- very cheap, lots of damage, knockback and you can throw LOTS of them in a single turn (turn-based mode required for this tactic).

6)Whenever you kill one creature, the rest of them run away from you. Remember it and use it to your advantage.

6)Characters in the inns... There's ONE in each inn who will give you trouble, and it's always the same one, so try them once, remember them and don't bother them till you are sure you can handle them. One exception: there's TWO in the Ashbury tavern.

 

Thanks. I've already implemented a few of those tactics and found them to be lifesavers (stun grenades, turn-based, etc). I'll add a few myself that have also helped (in case anyone else has the same problem starting out):

1) Don't hesitate to put one character point into herbology early in the game while you're character is still on the fence between Magick/Tech. The ingredients for healing salves are in abundance throughout the land and can be quite a life/money saver during early levels of adventuring.

2) Don't hesitate to run from fights. I fight in turn-based mode but I run in real-time mode. It can be a handy little way of escaping.

3) Whether you plan to play a Magick or Tech character, try to grab at least one point in the Conveyance school of magick for the Disarm spell. At early levels, this can really balance a fight with a higher level character. Don't worry if this doesn't genuinely fit your Tech character right off the bat. By the time your character really starts to take form and you can handle yourself efficiently in combat, you probably won't even need the spell anymore so just forget you even have it.

4) Think ahead and stick adamantly to your character type. I lost track of how many gunslingers I started by only putting 1 or 2 points into firearms only to get raped by every enemy I met because I fought exclusively with a pistol my character wasn't adept at using. It wasn't until I whipped up a gunslinger with 3 points in firearms and the rest in perception that I finally was able to hold my own with nothing but guns. I was even an expert in firearms by the time I left Shady Hills. This made things a helluva lot easier in combat.

 

I would dispute the first three - instead of wasting 1 point in herbology and 1 point in conveyance, put them into melee and dodge.

 

The case for Conveyance/Disarm I admit wasn't the best. I was basing that off of other modules I'd played that had more "NPC" enemies to fight early in the game. With the actual Arcanum campaign, however, most of your early fights won't be with NPCs, but rather creatures in the wilderness like wolves, bears, boars, etc...against which the Disarm spell is virtually useless. Sure it might get you out of a jam against Orcish bandits or the occasional Molochean Hand, but against 4 level 10 Greater Spiders, forget it.

I would still recommend putting at least point in herbology to make healing salves over spending another in melee or dodge simply because I think it's smarter to play the averages in this case. During early levels, salves will heal you plenty and always succeed at doing so whereas an a point more for melee/dodge will only give you another 15 - 20% chance to succeed. If a fight gets pretty ugly and down to the wire, I'd rather rely on the garantee of a salve giving me more HP back than a 50/50 chance of my next attack landing and having that attack be the final blow to win the fight. You also run the risk of critically failing more at such a low level which will only hurt you even more, whereas a healing salve or two will at least keep you alive longer to try again and again should you miss your attack or critically fail. Sure Virgil could heal you, but if you're not playing a real battle-friendly character, then I'd prefer to keep his options open to attack more instead of constantly having to heal me.

Also, some fights you just can't win. Whether you saved at a bad time (low on healing/supplies) or you were caught off guard and know you won't survive the fight, running is the only option. So don't hesitate to run. Run your ass off.