Having had the game since last year, I had all the time to finish it about 36 times, <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> crazy I know.
I tried every class combination with a path and mixed or restricted skills to evaluate this fabulous game.
The weak point of this game is the poor story line and the consequential game design problems and cumbersomeness.
I bought
Divine Divinity at the same time with
War Craft III, and I tell you the truth, WCIII excells as a story line and movie clips.
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/div.gif" alt="" /> is different strategically and it was meant to be a re-playable game as an essential feature. So logically, it is ridiculous to have a divine thieves’ guild member.
So let us bypass the shortcomings of the poor story line and focus on the subject related to your post.
Firstly, I must agree with you very strongly on the fact that a ranger/ archer or simply a bow wielder has much better chances to finish this game gloriously.
If you wish to finish this game as an axe expert hacking your way through, then Slasher is your best choice.
If you wish to finish this game as a swords expert then the Nobleman’s sword in combination with the Dragon’s armour set is fabulous with a bit of hex editing. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />
My very personal opinion is that brutality is not so satisfying for this game, but cleverness is a multiple of times rewarding.
Take either the warrior woman, she is tall and strong, and make a long bow ranger out of her ( I finally found an Elven bow in this game), or take the Enchantress who looks so cool in archery rig and develop her natural outfit.
The warrior gets more hit points and damage though, so you might prefer her finally.
Concentrate on the ranger’s sight and every possible means of increasing your sight range because you could gun-down 90% of the NPC s while they are strolling unaware from afar with a poisoned arrow to make them twitch then fire at will. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />
Agility here is a must for a lot of running and manoeuvre and you yell at the chief of the trolls, keep’em coming. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />
I also discovered that the hit points of an identifiable weapon is randomised, so I kept loading and loading and loading until I got an Elven bow with 96 – 192 hit points.
Say farewell to all melee. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" />
That Elven bow was a single-deadly-shot with zero repeat offence time and speed 6 and hello machine-bow-gun in the Middle Ages. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />
I needed the Hell Spikes Spell though for that ‘Son of a Witch’, which swirls around un-target-able.
Else than that you need a shovel to burry the hordes you kill. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />
One more thing though, my hero was the queen of scorpions too.
Especially in the end game dungeons where a scorpion would lead the way to show me the doors by stimulating enemy to cross open doors.
Steel scorpions end up having an invincible level 100. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ouch.gif" alt="" />
I bought every scorpion trap that I found with any character that trades.
The deadly gift skill is also a requirement.
You could also cheat but it takes the fun away though.
Cheers.
