Problems with Pacing (Begining Spoilers)

[Zelgadis]

I've just started this game, all characters currently level one. I go to the bridgehouse, because thats where the game seems to want me to go, but I get totally smashed by the bandits, who seem to keep multiplying out of nowhere. Did I miss something I should have done to level up, or am I just having problems learning to play the game right?

Also, is there an easier way to find a house in Hommlet, besdes entering each one? I spent about thirty minutes of wandering around before I found a place to sell things.

[Ned Flanders]

I didn't hit the moat house until almost level 3 (actually hit level three in the first fight in the moat house. I did the delko grove, some of emridy meadows and the quests about town.

The moat house is pretty tough even at third level but I didn't exactly design a tank heavy party and from what I've seen so far, a tank heavy party would simplify things. I also had no NPCs when doing the moat house. I'm a tad disappointed in the enemy selection thus far; I haven't fought a spellcaster yet and I've seen a lot of the game.

I'd use the flag labels for identifying buildings in Hommlet. After a few goes through the town, you start to learn all the buildings. Not being able to read the signs is a drag.

[smass]

The moathouse is indeed tough - but I handled it fine with a party of four level ones and two henchmen. The key is getting used to the turn based system and unlearning the "charge in guns ablazing" approach that can be used in most other rpgs.

Careful planning of flanking manuevers, strategically casted magic missiles (targeting near death adversaries to finish them off before they get there combat turn), and other tactics pays off in the game. Save often, take your time, and plan your battle strategy and it really pays off.

With all the games flaws - the turn based combat strategy makes the game for me - I get a real sense of accomplishment when I complete a tough battle - kind of reminds me of X-Com UFO defense in the way turn based battles progress - and that game is my alltime favorite game.

[Gwalchmai]

Flanking is a key during combat, I've found. I had to crack open the Player's Handbook to figure out why my crossbow bolts and arrows were never hitting anything. If you try to shoot over the heads of your fellows, the moster is considered under partial cover to ranged attacks! In other words, if my druid is standing between my bard and the frog, then the frog's AC is improved by the cover provided by the druid and gets a better chance of being missed by the bard's arrow. So now I move my archers to the side to get them clear shots, and they hit a lot more often!

This is what comes from not actually playing PnP recently, and not reading every word of the manuel!

But I went to the moat house with five level 1 characters and no NPCs. I had to do a lot of healing, resting, healing, resting, but I made it out.

Spoiler (highlight to read): Once you clear out the spider in the small tower in the south side of the moat house courtyard, you can rest there without the threat of random monsters!