solo time

Thrain · Post by **Thrain** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 10:39 am

well, i started my first solo last night. my F/M/C is having to keep all his wits about him to survive. i'm finding sanctuary and web to be lifesaving spells. Have done the circus, slavers, skinner murders and kidnap quests in 3 days of game time, which isn't bad considering i'm emptying my spellbook before i rest. Money is becoming an issue though, the only level 5 spell i have is protection from electricity (and my level 5 slot could have something useful in it).

wish me luck

P.S. i have removed the exp cap so by the time i hit mellisan i'll be putting some serious hurt with the higher levels.

GNGSpam · Post by **GNGSpam** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 10:42 am

Any thoughts as to your quest progression? Mae'Var possibly? Don't forget to "hire" Yoshimo for the 2nd story locks. I don't know if that breaks your "solo" rules, but the safe's on the 2nd story yield a decent amount of money for a just starting character.

Minute Mirage · Post by **Minute Mirage** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 11:39 am

I also started my first solo game a little while ago and I'm playing a kensai/mage/thief. I have to say soloing is a lot of fun but also surprisingly easy with this character so far. Backstabbing is very effective, especially with mislead...

Bad Karma · Post by **Bad Karma** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 12:12 pm

[QUOTE=Minute Mirage]I also started my first solo game a little while ago and I'm playing a kensai/mage/thief. I have to say soloing is a lot of fun but also surprisingly easy with this character so far. Backstabbing is very effective, especially with mislead...[/QUOTE]

Easy? I wonder why...

Thrain · Post by **Thrain** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 2:38 pm

nothing to do with cheesing a kit at all.....

Minute Mirage · Post by **Minute Mirage** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 4:06 pm

Sure, I never claimed that I was playing a challenging character. However, since I've never soloed a game, only completed SOA once and never even played the TOB areas, I wanted to create an ideal solo character so as not to have too difficult a time. Having said that, I don't think the Kensai kit makes much of a difference, a pure fighter/mage/thief would be almost exactly as powerful.

Nightmare · Post by **Nightmare** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 4:22 pm

I tend to avoid soloing (because I love the NPCs), but I did get rather far with both a monk and a Ranger/Cleric dual. I didn't finish because I got bored. I made it the farthest with a solo sorceror though.

GNGSpam · Post by **GNGSpam** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 4:25 pm

I solo'ed once with an Assassin. Was pretty entertaining, albeit a little cheesy, until I got the HLA Use Any Item. After that wands and scrolls made it a breeze.

glenfar · Post by **glenfar** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 5:02 pm

I've been doing a little solo'ing lately, and find I enjoy the game more this way. You can really identify more with your character (I find) when it's the only one you have. Even so called NPC's are really just PC's with some dialogue - i.e: you still have to control them, manage their equipment, spells, etc. It's more fun (to me) when you only have one character to control - you don't get bogged down in the details, and can enjoy the game instead.

As for kits - I've never understood why a dual can have a kit, but not a multi. Personally I don't think either should be allowed a kit, but at least it should be fair. On the other hand, a kit can make things more interesting (read: fun), so by all means go ahead - especially when playing solo.

Anyway, I can't very well talk - my first solo was with an Archer/Thief multi (fun for awhile, but I grew tired of the constant hit-and-run battles). And my current solo is a Kensai/Mage multi (after all I'd read about them, had to try it out for myself!).

Thrain · Post by **Thrain** » Fri Jul 09, 2004 4:10 am

a Kensai/Mage/Theif is blatantly more powerful than a F/M/T

the combat bonuses alone make it awesome. add to that kai with a backstab....

Stilgar · Post by **Stilgar** » Fri Jul 09, 2004 5:21 am

If you want you can download the HLA's here. Thet can come in handy for a solocharacter, and you wont get them without the patch.

Minute Mirage · Post by **Minute Mirage** » Fri Jul 09, 2004 8:38 am

[QUOTE=Thrain]a Kensai/Mage/Theif is blatantly more powerful than a F/M/T

the combat bonuses alone make it awesome. add to that kai with a backstab....[/QUOTE]

I disagree. Sure, the Kensai kit adds some strengths without any disadvantages, but you can play the F/M/T just like you play the K/M/T. It doesn't matter if you deal slightly less damage if the enemy can't even touch you, which has been my experience so far. Maybe the advantages of the kit become more pronounced later on, but adding the kit hasn't made my task considerably easier yet.

Anyway, what I really like about soloing is the lessened amount of micromanagement. Since you have just one character with the boots of speed, running from place to place is considerably easier. Likewise, switching weapons and so on is a lot easier when you have just one character to control.

Bad Karma · Post by **Bad Karma** » Fri Jul 09, 2004 8:59 am

Here's why i think the K/M/T is considerably more powerful and cheesier than the F/M/T:

Kensais cannot wear armor. Neither can a F/M/T if (s)he expects to cast any spells. Kensais, however, gai a bunch of combat bonuses in return for their armor restriction. This gives them somewhat of an unfair advantage, which is the reason why kits aren't supposed to be allowed in a multiclass. That, and the aforementioned Kai+backstab, which, granted, a Kensai dualed to a thief would have access to. But the bonuses stop once you dual from the Kensai. They keep going in a multiclass.

The game is no fun if nothing can touch you. But that's just me. I don't know why the hell I'm griping about this

glenfar · Post by **glenfar** » Fri Jul 09, 2004 9:17 am

Technically a K/M/T does have some disadvantages over a F/M/T - can't use bracers, helmet, gauntlets, shield, or elven chain - all of which a F/M/T could wear without penalty.

However, with the Thief in the mix, that can easily be overcome with UAI, so before too long (especially solo), that restriction is gone. Although you could still choose to follow it regardless (personally I don't think UAI should remove Kit restrictions).

Minute Mirage · Post by **Minute Mirage** » Fri Jul 09, 2004 9:19 am

[QUOTE=Bad Karma]Here's why i think the K/M/T is considerably more powerful and cheesier than the F/M/T:

Kensais cannot wear armor. Neither can a F/M/T if (s)he expects to cast any spells. Kensais, however, gai a bunch of combat bonuses in return for their armor restriction. This gives them somewhat of an unfair advantage, which is the reason why kits aren't supposed to be allowed in a multiclass. That, and the aforementioned Kai+backstab, which, granted, a Kensai dualed to a thief would have access to. But the bonuses stop once you dual from the Kensai. They keep going in a multiclass.[/QUOTE]

Sure, I know that and agree with you. However, my point is that the Kensai's bonuses don't just turn a mediocre class into an überclass. The fighter/mage/thief is in itself a very powerful class, and the kensai just adds a bit more strength.

[QUOTE=Bad Karma]
The game is no fun if nothing can touch you. But that's just me. [/QUOTE]

Actually, I'm finding the game a lot of fun at the moment. However, if I ever complete this game, I'm thinking of installing the tactics mod. By the way, I might add that the -2 AC from the Kensai kit has nothing to do with my character being untouchable, it's all about the already considerable abilities of the F/M/T.

[QUOTE=Bad Karma]
I don't know why the hell I'm griping about this

[/QUOTE]

I've been wondering about that too, and my impression is that some people thought I was bragging about how easy the game is with my "hacked" character. That was certainly not my intention.

Luis Antonio · Post by **Luis Antonio** » Fri Jul 09, 2004 12:02 pm

I'm soloing TACTICS with a Kensai Mage Thief. I only added him 20 pct resistance to magic ( i use a dark skin avatar pretending I'm drow) with 19 dex, 18 int and the rest of the attributes is considerably low (13 st, 13 con, 9 for the rest so no wish for sure). I can hit almost anyone with no loss of swordslashes. I've recently UAI, so I'm using the Robe of Vecna, the acidic katana, shield of the lost, boots of blizzard and stuff. The only bad part is cheese, cause it needs a full load of it, and mr Johnie, who has three forms and stuff. And reloadings, too. I die a lot to tune in the right tactics.