I do find it interesting that at the low levels you are REALLY punished for fighting an enemy even a single level above you. I've had upsets mind you...

Then once you start reaching level 5-6 you can start kicking the butt off of enemies at a higher level than you.

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I do agree with the assessment that the early levels are kind of too hard... If only because... well... Level 1-2 isn't supposed to be the most difficult part of the entire game...

Mind you it isn't all THAT hard... and it shouldn't be too easy and heck it doesn't need to be easy at all.

HECK I don't even mind being starved for decent equipment. That is great and thematic.

If they had just 1 or 2 encounters you could tackle at level 1 without being an evil person... It would fit quite well.

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I do disagree that the guards are too hard...

They kind of work very well at what they are meant to convey. If they were weaker then the prison would be WAAAY more incompetent then it already is.