@DagrouZeBlackOne, best way to get through level 4 of the Arcane Tower (if you get the version with the four different rooms) is with three scrolls of hellfire. If you don't have those (or at least one for that last room) that's the toughest level in the game.
#Psykiris - it's true, sometimes the situation is simply unwinnable, especially when playing without range or spell abilities. I've used the refresh button sometimes when a situation looks hopeless and tried to approach the situation in a different way. The trick is to catch the hopelessness before you die.
Never good to use a domination scroll or a charm spell on a fire elemental. Its fireballs still want to kill you. But really, we show up and murder all these creatures who are just trying to live their lives, all so we can steal some glassware? Who's the real bad guy here?
I agree with Ysayell1 - the game on Steam isn't expensive, and it's a great expansion of what was started here. That said, it's also notably more difficult. I still enjoy running through this version a couple times a week.
I'm surprised no one talks about the fire mage as the best. I got so used to the 5-square coverage of the fireball, including the ability to hit enemies around corners or out of sight.
@Rain_King, that's a sound theory, but I don't know. The hunger mechanic was present in RFII, and there was no rest feature or regeneration in that game. Might just be a tweak for semi-realism?
I'm on a three game win streak with the fire mage. I find that it all comes down to level 9. If the side-mission is the Sewers, I'll power through, gain plenty of experience and have a great chance of winning the game. If the side-mission is the Arcane Tower, then... I'm going to die in the Arcane Tower.
I have a question. As a Fire Mage, a number of things can help me: Spell Casting skill points, Fire Mastery skill points, Magic Mastery skill points, enchanted staff, Intelligence points... which ones help me more than others in terms of dealing damage?
After months and months of frustration, I finally beat it. I love the new monsters, the enchantment and transference tables, and the new level designs. My biggest complaint is probably the level of difficulty - it was HARD to get a win, whereas I was getting pretty good at winning almost every time in RFII. Damn, I miss those health and mana mushrooms. But I have to echo the most up-voted comment on here: a fire mage should carry the same sort of natural fire resistance that a fire bad guy has. I feel I'm just as vulnerable as any other class to fire damage. BTW, the trick to beating the reflective golems as a fire mage is to launch a fireball to an adjacent square. Didn't seem to blast back at me.
I'm a huge fan, probably went all the way through RFII once a week. But I think the degree of difficulty for this one might be a bit high. Losing those health and mana mushrooms really leaves you stranded sometimes. Playing through 25 or 30 times and not getting past level 13 takes away from the fun.
Another note - sleeping monsters seem identical to monsters who just can't see you. Meaning in RFII the first hit would usually awaken them, then the second hit would prompt them to attack, whereas you hit them now and they seem to bounce awake and fire an arrow (etc). The degree of difficulty is definitely cranked up with this game.
I love the variable damage adjustment. You're right, it adds a bit more strategy to the gameplay. But I miss the helpful mushrooms to replenish health and mana - I REALLY miss those. Also, I made it as far as level 9 but never saw a merchant. Has that been removed from the game?
It's daunting to conceive of a puzzle game in which one wrong click doesn't lead you to a dead end, having to restart the level over and over again. This game is brilliant in that regard; I had to think my way through a lot of these levels but never reached a point of frustration. It's the perfect balance of challenge and the joy of conquering the challenge. Fantastic!
@returnofthemstra - yep, the Inferno Ring does 20% more damage. The regular fire rings do a smaller upgrade, but this is the rarer and more powerful ring. It could me my imagination, it just feels like the upgrades aren't doing as much as they used to, and I've been playing this game a lot over the last few months. Still fun, but I'm a lot less encouraged to brave the four levels of cold if I'm only dealing 7 points of damage.
Something is wonky with the power-ups. In a normal game with a fire mage the maximum damage I can get with Fire Magic skill at 20 is 8hp. This time around I found an inferno ring, giving me 20% increased fire damage. And with Fire Magic at 20 I'm still only dealing 8hp of damage. I've played this game a lot, and this is the first I've noticed that power-ups are not working properly.