A:EftP - Ive given up on Avernum Altogether

[Death Knight]

I was going in the slith fortress with my party at lvl 17 and I didn't have a lot of tough fighting/sneaking around until the slith mages and slith shamans/enchanters came around. Im telling ya, if theres one thing this game does is it makes me frustratingly annoyed with just how brutal the enemies are. They can cast terrify and put my 2 fighters out of commission for 2 turns (enough turns to destroy my chance of a 10 minute fight) Its honestly got to be the most tediously annoying enemy tactic to terrify as it always works with a 100% success.

 

The enemy health wouldn't be a bad thing as I have strong defenses but going through a priest or shaman is tough with both your fighters running away/sometimes attacking my priest/mage.

 

Its not the fact that the fights last long, its the fact that you can't save in between fights in the fortress.

 

The enemies use the same move all the time. 4 of me vs. 6 of them-Not likely to win.

 

Whats the point in playing when I am a pathetic excuse for a human being. I get the right stats, I specialize in my build, nothing works. I don't get it.

[Jerakeen]

A. Getting stuck in a game has no relationship whatsoever with your value as a human being.

 

B. Why can't you save between fights? Am I remembering the fortress incorrectly?

[Death Knight]

It does because I just can't seem to think my way out of the game. I can't close the distance and take the spell casters out with 1 to 2 shots. And even when I do, I get screwed with terrify which they have been using relentlessly. Its just way too much.

 

I think I need to restart. I came in here too low a lvl. I might need to get to lvl 22.

[Randomizer]

If this is the Slith Fortress near Cotra, you are about the minimum level to fight here on normal difficulty. I found that my fighters could barely hit and were only good for meat shields. If this is another one, then you are definitely too low and should move on to the Great Cave to gain levels.

 

I found that moving up slowly and retreating when you first go into combat mode lets you draw off a fighter or two and have a few rounds to kill them before the mages and priests can fight. It sucks to use missile weapons and spells, but it keeps you from getting out numbered. Also retreating around a corner forces the Sliths to close with you so you can go into melee with them as they round the corner.

[Death Knight]

If this is the Slith Fortress near Cotra, you are about the minimum level to fight here on normal difficulty. I found that my fighters could barely hit and were only good for meat shields. If this is another one, then you are definitely too low and should move on to the Great Cave to gain levels.

 

I found that moving up slowly and retreating when you first go into combat mode lets you draw off a fighter or two and have a few rounds to kill them before the mages and priests can fight. It sucks to use missile weapons and spells, but it keeps you from getting out numbered. Also retreating around a corner forces the Sliths to close with you so you can go into melee with them as they round the corner.

 

The problem is I did the slith king fortress at lvl 19 last 2 times. I figured that lvl 17 was ok. I guess I'll have to get to 20.

[Jerakeen]

Well if you've done it twice before then obviously you can. Randomizer is right about your level, just come back later. You want to do the Ft. Remote quest first, anyway, and those fire lizards are tough.

[cbecker78]

The problem is I did the slith king fortress at lvl 19 last 2 times. I figured that lvl 17 was ok. I guess I'll have to get to 20.

Whoah... I think I was around level 25 and remember getting pummelled pretty badly and seriously considered leaving...

[Necris Omega]

I generally hold off on the Slith Castle until I've pretty much killed every other barbaric slith in the game, and honestly done a load of other stuff as well. By the time I get Sss-thss, I basically put him in a headlock a noogie him into dust with my main warrior while my back up and casters vaporize every hapless minion that tries to stop me. .

 

Sometimes anti-climactic can be very satisfying.

[Death Knight]

The problem that I have besides the nonlinear of the game, is that most of the random encounters are 5 times harder than most of the regular big boss fights. My currently lvl 21 party would set a record for how many times Ive had to load the game due to an encounter gone wrong. Its like punishing those who want to explore. If I remember correctly, getting up to the slith king is tedious, the king himself can be done at an early lvl. Its just those friggin spell casters.

 

Fighting through 2 or even 3 spell casters with melee enemies in between is almost suicide. As soon as one of your party goes, thats it.

[cbecker78]

The problem that I have besides the nonlinear of the game, is that most of the random encounters are 5 times harder than most of the regular big boss fights. My currently lvl 21 party would set a record for how many times Ive had to load the game due to an encounter gone wrong. Its like punishing those who want to explore.

For outside encounters, a few points in quick action and/or dexterity make all of the difference for me. It generally goes like this:

 

 

A) If they go first, my party leader gets swarmed and killed. The rest of the group is now too close to the enemy to effectively spread out, and it is a downhill battle (typically less than a few turns) from there.

 

If I go first, I sent the "tuffest" character off to one side, then have them buff the party with sheild chant. Then I send the next best one (or whomever has high dexterity) off to the other side and cast a buff or summon. The two remaining are always casters. They cast summons and wait. Now when the enemy goes, they split up in two or three directions, and usually don't do enough damage to one-turn kill me. Even better if an enemy focuses on a summon for a turn or two. Now I can keep the front runners focused on one enemy at a time, and have the spell casters in the back healing and attacking as appropriate.***

 

C) If only my archer is going to go first (then the enemy attackts before the rest of my party gets a turn) I'll usually have him run out in the middle of the crowd and hope he can duck and dodge enough to survive through the first turn till we get buffed and can divide the attention of the enemy as described above.

 

The worst thing I was ever doing is I would just stand there in a line and shoot off missle attacks. Getting a chance to buff and spread out (preferably behind a summon to at least take one turn away from the enemy) is the only way I've found to live through most of the tough encounters. What I still hate is the terrain. If an enemy gets on a slope, it is all but impossible to target them. You think you've got it, then BOOM: Rather than fling a firebolt, you run up to them and throw yourself at their feet screaming, "I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING BUT I MUST WANT TO DIE!"

 

 

***Edit: that smiley face is supposed to be a capital 'b' with a closing parenthesis. But since it is the coollest option on the list, I'ma just let it stay there.

[The Reverend]

What I still hate is the terrain. If an enemy gets on a slope, it is all but impossible to target them. You think you've got it, then BOOM: Rather than fling a firebolt, you run up to them and throw yourself at their feet screaming, "I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING BUT I MUST WANT TO DIE!"

 

If you're not playing on a tablet, you can use the keyboard to target single-target spells. That doesn't solve the issues with targeting area-of-effect spells on terrain, though - I often end up not quite placing it right due to the terrain, and hitting fewer enemies than I intended ...

[Zummi]

I finished the game with a singleton, on Hard. It was easy, and still quite engaging. You must be doing something wrong.

[Valdain the King]

I finished the game with a singleton, on Hard. It was easy, and still quite engaging. You must be doing something wrong.

 

Yes that makes sense. I always thought singletons would be a waste but think about all the levels you could get fast. I figure you might be able to do Archer/priest or Archer/mage but it'd be much easier as a fighter. Did you go Fighter/Priest or Fighter/Mage?

[Zummi]

Mostly a Fighter/Mage, but I had enough points to get Divine Fire and maxed some defensive skills. I went sword/board because I planned on using the Quicksilver Bulwark + another AP item so I can get two actions in a round(you can get 10ap as soon as you can finish Gremlin's Gold though).

[mouton]

Terror etc. is a problem, but frankly, I somehow got over it on Torment. Everyone had Unshackle Mind after some point (even fighters) and I think I made some of them Arcane Knowlege/Resistance to boost their mental res. I didn't even give them mental res helmets or anything, somehow it always played out. After a reload or ten.

 

Anyway, mental effects by themselves are rarely the reason - usually its more about not having proper auras/enough hp/enough damage dealing.

 

Remember you can always respec your party using character editor, no need for starting over.