Combat Questions - What's the Deal?

I've only just started Arcanum - character is level 10 - but I'm having major problems figuring out this combat thing (having just come from Baldur's Gate series). And the manual is practically useless. Biggest questions:
1. How do I control my followers? Is there anything I can do with them, individually, in combat besides tell them as a group to either back off or attack? Sometimes my group will be attacked by, say, six wolves and one follower (always the weakest) is jumped immediately while the rest of us are ignored. And of course I can't command him to run away or do anything, really, other than pour healing potions down his throat while he's getting butchered. So naturally he's dead in seconds and I've not harmed a single hair on the enemies' heads. Any solution to this?

2. Can I move around without my followers right behind me? It's kind of hard to be sneaky when I've got two blithering idiots stumbling along 15 feet behind me everywhere I go...

3. I'm guessing that quests in Arcanum are assigned to you whether you're at a level to handle them or not. The portal thing in Blackroot is a good example. I'm 10th level, went to the workshop with Virgil and Magnus (also 10th) and got slaughtered like sheep at Adrian's body. Ditto for several other quests. Do I just need to hang on and keep trying as I level up?

 

Welcome to the forum! :wavey:

Just a couple of pointers.

First, try using turn based combat. Enable this by hitting the "R" key and then the spacebar. It helps you to figure out what's going on.

As far as controlling your followers, you are pretty limited. If you right click on their portrait you get a list of things that you can do with them.

If you need to do something that requires prowling the best thing to do is have your followers wait and then go prowling. If you get attacked, run back to your followers and they will defend you if needed.

Quests are given to you if you initiate the dialogue for them, regardless of level. A hint on the Portal quest. Once you make it to Liam's body, kill the void lizard there (it may take a couple trys) and then run up as close to the portal as you can. If you are in turned based combat it will stop you once you are attacked, but you should be close enough. If you are a techie, use the magik trap, if you are magikal, use the scroll found in Liam's cabin. Once you destroy the Portal the creatures die.

 

Thanks. I'm already using the turn-based combat, so that's not going to change a heck of a lot. Didn't know the bit about right-clicking on the portraits. That's good to know. How do I make them wait for me? Would love to do that, but have no idea how...

 

"Wait" is one of the options if you right click.

 

Get your followers to wait by R-clicking their icon and then selecting the wait option. don't leave them too long they might leave

 

Here are a few other little helpful things.

F1 Followers walk to the spot where your pointer is
F2 Followers attack your target, also designated by the mouse, be it enemy, friend, or inanimate object
F3 Followers stay close
F4 Followers spread out
F5 Followers stop attacking the target
F6
Well I forgot F6. But it must not be that important cuz I don't seem to be using it...

 

there is no F6, there is only F7, F8 and F12 which do an auto save, an auto load and take a screen shot respectively

 

Ah, zat vould explainze it, ya. Knew it couldn't have been that important.