Tips for early combat?

[Detective Costeau]

I picked this up last night, and while it seems very cool and nostalgic, I am really struggling with the combat. I'm just checking to see if there's anything I'm missing or if I should just restart on the lower difficulty.

For context, I'm at level 5, and have mostly finished the stuff I can find in the woodcutter's camp. I'm using the best weapon I've found- a sword with 12 damage- and even though I've put half my learning points into Strength, it feels like I'm flailing at the enemies with a wet noodle.

As an example, the Yellow-eyed doglike enemies- not sure what they're called- give an amount of experience that suggests they're meant for someone around my level, but they take around 15-20 hits to kill, even using the bleed skill I got early on whenever I can. Meanwhile the dogs take off something like a quarter of my health with one hit and come in groups of 2-4. I'm constantly running out of stamina trying to dodge multiple enemies' attacks, then dying before I can use a healing item, and I just don't do enough damage to get their numbers down to something manageable before I die.

So, am I missing something? Are there better weapons or armor available somewhere that even the odds a bit? I found a guy selling better weapons in the Remnant camp, but they cost enough I can't actually afford any of them.
I don't mind a challenge, but I'm legitimately not sure how to even the odds here.

[Ark]

There is a ♥♥♥♥ tonne of weapons that can be found by simply exploring, shields add passive armor aswell, they aren't just for blocking. If you are having a really hard time you can switch to explorer and adjust how much damage you do, or how little the enemies have.

[dna]

Level 5 is pretty low to take the rippers on. I saved up 500 coins (just sell a lot of wings and other crap^^) and bought the blue sword in the ruin camp, then came back with level 8 (and 2 learning stones).
The fighter girl in the woodscutter camp can also teach you sword fight 1.
(also getting the leather armour helps a ton)

[Detective Costeau]

Originally posted by dna:

Level 5 is pretty low to take the rippers on. I saved up 500 coins (just sell a lot of wings and other crap^^) and bought the blue sword in the ruin camp, then came back with level 8 (and 2 learning stones).
The fighter girl in the woodscutter camp can also teach you sword fight 1.
(also getting the leather armour helps a ton)

From the sound of it, there's a fair bit to do to get some better stuff before wandering off into the wilderness, so maybe I just did that too soon. I'll try that out a bit, if it's possible to at least get better armor that'll help a lot, thanks.

[dna]

Originally posted by Detective Costeau:

Originally posted by dna:

Level 5 is pretty low to take the rippers on. I saved up 500 coins (just sell a lot of wings and other crap^^) and bought the blue sword in the ruin camp, then came back with level 8 (and 2 learning stones).
The fighter girl in the woodscutter camp can also teach you sword fight 1.
(also getting the leather armour helps a ton)

From the sound of it, there's a fair bit to do to get some better stuff before wandering off into the wilderness, so maybe I just did that too soon. I'll try that out a bit, if it's possible to at least get better armor that'll help a lot, thanks.

Here is a thread about the free leather armour. On page 2 someone posted some helpful screenshots. You totally dont want to fight the bigger tree guys yet (the boars also suck^^), but you just have to run past one, far as I remember.
https://steamcommunity.com/app/1585180/discussions/0/4695657408657830868/?ctp=2

basically it is very Gothic- like. Find the spots where you can kill and gain EP, avoid the ones where you are getting mauled... I just farmed all the red birds I could find. Those are actually easier then the rippers, bc they tend to run around confused^^
(If you wanna go shield and sword - the two shield skills you can learn from the fighter chick in the woodcutter camp are also pretty interesting (perfect block (good window) uses less stamina and second skill makes your next hit a crit. Bleed is pretty strong so far - emptying the ripper cave south of the woodcutter camp will give you a nice amulet that helps with that too (faster DoT). Go there with leather armour and a better weapon (I fried the pack leader and his guys with some spell scroll I had anyways - after getting shredded twice, oc^^)

[Bastell]

Well this is a spoiler so dont read if you dont want to get good.

When starting the game get str to 30 off the starter zone. head straight to the inn (nuetrel faction) find the cave to the right as you get close to the inn (its slightly north east of the inn to the right and find the ruin raiders. youll find an item there in there lair that is a trinket that gives perma critical hits to every unarmed attack. Then stack mind so you can charge everything and everything dies in 2-3 hits.

[Neo007]

Originally posted by Bastell:

Well this is a spoiler so dont read if you dont want to get good.

When starting the game get str to 30 off the starter zone. head straight to the inn (nuetrel faction) find the cave to the right as you get close to the inn (its slightly north east of the inn to the right and find the ruin raiders. youll find an item there in there lair that is a trinket that gives perma critical hits to every unarmed attack. Then stack mind so you can charge everything and everything dies in 2-3 hits.

where exactly are the ruin raiders? You mean the headless ripper inn can't find that cave (found a couple north east of the headless ripper inn) or the lair of the ruin raiders.

Are the raiders near the cave with the bear or am I way off at that point?

Side note damn this game has a lot of explore-able content....found so many things I missed looking for this cave the devs attention to detail is impressive. This rivals and surpasses even Gothic in my view especially considering those games have had like 2 decades of mods to get in the state they're in now and this game is like this on launch in terms of content and very few bugs....(barely encountered any) bravo to the devs.

*edit* ok found the cave spoilers below.

You need to go slightly north WEST not east of the Inn up the cliff to find a path that lets you drop down behind the inn (to the cave you can just see thats behind the locked door in the kitchen of the inn

[Majber]

Originally posted by dna:

(and 2 learning stones).

What are learning stones?

[Hesgad]

Originally posted by Majber:

Originally posted by dna:

(and 2 learning stones).

What are learning stones?

Stones with runes on them activating them gives you 3 LP

[Papy]

Some enemies that take more than 15 hits to kill, I avoid them, you have to explore a lot, talk to everyone. I only had leather armor after 15 hours of play and it's very weak. I went back to them after a few hours and now with my 60 damage axe, it's much easier. If anyone has an idea to get better armor early in the game, I'm all ears

[Sgt.JESUS]

Originally posted by Majber:

Originally posted by dna:

(and 2 learning stones).

What are learning stones?

Big as-s stones in the wilderness, not something to find in a chest, you cant miss them, just explore and you will see what i mean, theres one near the starting area, in the middle of the rippers area.
The rippers can be killed early on, its hard, but doable, just clear the ones outside the cave by agrooing the bastards near the spike plants, they bleed to death while you run and dodge.
The ones inside are trickier, gotta grab that blaze spell on the corpse outside, you run inside and agro everyone to the boss area, you might die a few times before doing it but its beautiful to see that pillar of flame kill 10 rippers and leave the boss half health, then just finish him 1v1.

[Neo007]

Originally posted by Neo007:

Originally posted by Bastell:

Well this is a spoiler so dont read if you dont want to get good.

When starting the game get str to 30 off the starter zone. head straight to the inn (nuetrel faction) find the cave to the right as you get close to the inn (its slightly north east of the inn to the right and find the ruin raiders. youll find an item there in there lair that is a trinket that gives perma critical hits to every unarmed attack. Then stack mind so you can charge everything and everything dies in 2-3 hits.

where exactly are the ruin raiders? You mean the headless ripper inn can't find that cave (found a couple north east of the headless ripper inn) or the lair of the ruin raiders.

Are the raiders near the cave with the bear or am I way off at that point?

Side note damn this game has a lot of explore-able content....found so many things I missed looking for this cave the devs attention to detail is impressive. This rivals and surpasses even Gothic in my view especially considering those games have had like 2 decades of mods to get in the state they're in now and this game is like this on launch in terms of content and very few bugs....(barely encountered any) bravo to the devs.

*edit* ok found the cave spoilers below.

You need to go slightly north WEST not east of the Inn up the cliff to find a path that lets you drop down behind the inn (to the cave you can just see thats behind the locked door in the kitchen of the inn

yooooow...this game, I explored this big ass cave complex that the lair is tied to...we're talking Dark Souls level of interconnected pathways here....still havent found that unarmed trinket a little peeved about that but pretty happy with this gem of a game.

[artofwar]

Originally posted by Neo007:

yooooow...this game, I explored this big ass cave complex that the lair is tied to...we're talking Dark Souls level of interconnected pathways here....still havent found that unarmed trinket a little peeved about that but pretty happy with this gem of a game.

I also have spent a fair amount of time in this cave and cannot find the unarmed trinket. Can anyone provide some more specific directions on how to find it? I'm curious to try an unarmed build.

[疯狂草泥马]

keep exploring the map, you will find a lot new weapon and powerful weapon, but at the begining of the game, in suggest u use spear and dont equip with shield, then just use the right attack and dodge, keep repeating, u can win most of the 1 on 1 battle

[Shoshin]

Originally posted by Neo007:

Originally posted by Neo007:

where exactly are the ruin raiders? You mean the headless ripper inn can't find that cave (found a couple north east of the headless ripper inn) or the lair of the ruin raiders.

Are the raiders near the cave with the bear or am I way off at that point?

Side note damn this game has a lot of explore-able content....found so many things I missed looking for this cave the devs attention to detail is impressive. This rivals and surpasses even Gothic in my view especially considering those games have had like 2 decades of mods to get in the state they're in now and this game is like this on launch in terms of content and very few bugs....(barely encountered any) bravo to the devs.

*edit* ok found the cave spoilers below.

You need to go slightly north WEST not east of the Inn up the cliff to find a path that lets you drop down behind the inn (to the cave you can just see thats behind the locked door in the kitchen of the inn

yooooow...this game, I explored this big ass cave complex that the lair is tied to...we're talking Dark Souls level of interconnected pathways here....still havent found that unarmed trinket a little peeved about that but pretty happy with this gem of a game.

Originally posted by artofwar:

Originally posted by Neo007:

yooooow...this game, I explored this big ass cave complex that the lair is tied to...we're talking Dark Souls level of interconnected pathways here....still havent found that unarmed trinket a little peeved about that but pretty happy with this gem of a game.

I also have spent a fair amount of time in this cave and cannot find the unarmed trinket. Can anyone provide some more specific directions on how to find it? I'm curious to try an unarmed build.

The trinket isn't deep in the cave, it's behind some boxes to the left of one of the vendors, Leyna. You'll see some boxes with a jug of wine on them and some sleeping furs on the left. Look behind those boxes and you'll find it