noobie help... hit lvl 12 and now struggling(spoilers)

[wneill]

Hey all. I purchased the game a few days ago. I hit lvl 12 last night after coming out of a troll cave on the road to Skingrad. Today, after heading back to town to unload, etc., I'm back on the road making my way to Skingard and I encounter will-o-wisps. Now these things are a pain in the ass for me. I can kill one, but it permanently drains my int and willpower and I'm near death when done killing it.

I've read that the game gets much harder in your 12-19 levels. If this is any indication, I'd have to agree. Kill one, have to wait around 5 minutes for magicka to regen enough so that I can heal myself back to full.

I haven't been maxing out my level-ups or anything... just sort of playing and taking level-ups as they come while also working on spell schools when I'm just wandering around, etc.

I guess my question is 1. any tips on these will-o-wisps? I was using a magical blade. Like I said, I could kill one, but just barely without popping pots or anything. They drained both my health and magicka extremely quickly so I wasn't able to cast spells. I think blunt may have been more effective, but my skill is pretty low.

and question 2: do you need to "power-level" your skills and attributes to do well in the game? Don't think the devs would want you to have to do that in order to beat the game, but I could be wrong.

So far, I'm not as high on this game as everyone seems to be. Love the world, graphics, and open-endedness.

Wasn't a fan of the combat system, but am beginning to tolerate it. Need more short cut keys than 1-8 and I don't play FPS games so the hack & slash combat has taken a little getting used to, but I think I'm decent at it now.

My main negative is definately the leveling system. If you just let it naturally take it's course, you end up with a gimped character it seems. So, that forces you to plan out every level, do boring training, etc.

With a basic spell in each class and a summon spell, you could max out just about every combat related skill while at lvl 1. You'd be a high level with good skills and attributes, but terrible equipment.

Sorry, I'm rambling

Any tips on will-o-wisps or tips on char development... I'm thinking of starting over and monitoring skill ups very closely, but that just isn't as fun to me.

comments... suggestions :laugh:

[Fljotsdale]

[QUOTE=wneill] Hey all. I purchased the game a few days ago. I hit lvl 12 last night after coming out of a troll cave on the road to Skingrad. Today, after heading back to town to unload, etc., I'm back on the road making my way to Skingard and I encounter will-o-wisps. Now these things are a pain in the ass for me. I can kill one, but it permanently drains my int and willpower and I'm near death when done killing it.[/quote]

I've just hit level 12 as well. So far I'm not having too many problems, but that is mainly because she is a Journeyman Alchemist and makes lots of handy potions. Also, I gave her The Warrior Birth sign for added Strength and Endurance. I have found Strength very important in this game, not just for more power in melee, but for carrying stuff. Oh, and she's a Journeyman of Destruction, too, which is very handy (especially with Fingers of the Mountain spell). And a Dark Elf with good fire resistance.

[QUOTE=wneill]I've read that the game gets much harder in your 12-19 levels. If this is any indication, I'd have to agree. Kill one, have to wait around 5 minutes for magicka to regen enough so that I can heal myself back to full.[/quote]

Go into Ayleid ruins and collect the pretty blue stones lying around. They will replenish your magica.

[QUOTE=wneill]I guess my question is 1. any tips on these will-o-wisps? I was using a magical blade. Like I said, I could kill one, but just barely without popping pots or anything. They drained both my health and magicka extremely quickly so I wasn't able to cast spells. I think blunt may have been more effective, but my skill is pretty low.[/quote]

Hm - sounds nasty. I haven't met any yet...

[QUOTE=wneill]and question 2: do you need to "power-level" your skills and attributes to do well in the game? Don't think the devs would want you to have to do that in order to beat the game, but I could be wrong.[/quote]

No, you don't. But you should be careful when selecting your Major skills. Don't go for Athletics or Acrobatics. You level up fast with those, which leaves your combat/magic/stealth skills inadequate for your level.

[QUOTE=wneill]So far, I'm not as high on this game as everyone seems to be. Love the world, graphics, and open-endedness.[/quote]

Me neither! I've played around with a lot of chars before settling on the Dark Elf to play the game through.

[QUOTE=wneill] My main negative is definately the leveling system. If you just let it naturally take it's course, you end up with a gimped character it seems. So, that forces you to plan out every level, do boring training, etc.[/quote]

No, it doesn't. I went through thinking that, as well, but you just have to be carefull in your original planning of your character.

[QUOTE=wneill]Any tips on will-o-wisps or tips on char development... I'm thinking of starting over and monitoring skill ups very closely, but that just isn't as fun to me.

comments... suggestions :laugh:[/QUOTE]

Sorry, no info on will-o-wisps.

But it seems a pity to start over when you've got to level 12. But if you are going to do it, maybe some of the things I mentioned above might be helpful.

Good luck!

[ektoplasma]

Yes, those will-o-wisps are a pain in the POSTERIOR.. Very tedious to fight indeed. Their draning-spells seem to be "On Touch", so you can use the hit and run technique, always staying out of their reach. That way you'll take them out without beeing drained to much. Also, a good tip is to use Detect Life, to keep track on them once they start turning invisible. But it's not necesarry really, if you only run backwards, they'll come straight at you from the spot they turned invisible, so you could just swing infront of you a couple of times until, eventullt they'll run into your attacks
But acutally defeating them will take a while. And it just doesn't seem worth it :/ Atleast not to me, SO, now I always turn down the difficulty whenever I see one, and sneak shoot them with a silver arrow, and they go down immedietly.

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[Luis Antonio]

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