First boss

[Flynn Rider]

So i've installed the game, tried playing it, made it to first boss (the mage with flames) and was defeated.
After doing some attempts to grind levels or gold (i'm at lv4 or lv5, have 80 hp, 1st sword, 1st armor and 1st shield) i've started to be curious - is patience a key to this battle? should i just wait for him to appear in "good places" or is there some kind of "key" item i'm missing? If it's an item - just say so, don't spoil what item exactly and where to get it.
Thanks in advance.

[Quint the Alligator Snapper]

I think it's a combination of patience/observation and leveling up.

A single level-up in this game makes a HUGE difference, considering the max level is just 10.

[Flynn Rider]

Oh, that makes everything more clear.
Thanks, guess i'm just not ready to face him yet :)

[Quint the Alligator Snapper]

You'll actually end up hitting max level about 2/3 of the way through the game.

[Flynn Rider]

So game's pretty unbalanced, huh :)
But game is great anyways, so doesn't matter much.

[Fezzes]

When I tried him first time I was lvl 4 and had shortsword small shield and 1st armor I got totally rekt. Then I lvld once tried again observed his patterns and did 3 backstabs and he was dead. One level means so much. Before on lvl 4 I did like 1/8 of his hp damage per strike and got rekt by the flames.

[Cuddle Phoenox]

The game is designed to rely more on skill than on your level. Yes, your level makes a difference earlier on in the game, but by the end of the game there really is no substitute - you're probably a little overlevelled for this guy, once you get him down he should be exceedingly easy at your level. The mage is pretty much a battle of patience, these types of fights aren't unusual, and you have to find gaps and run in then run out again before you get hurt or you're not going to make it. The mage is just a small taste of what is to come, this game isn't going to hold your hand. If you really need it though, don't forget you can buy better armour/weapon and trust me, there's only a few equipment upgrades in this game so each equipment upgrade gives you a massive advantage... although, if you buy the Talwar you'll miss an achievement if you're trying to get those (odds are, you're going to miss some on your first run anyway, because a reasonable few can be missed).

The reason for the early/low level cap isn't an imbalance, it's very intentional, they want to make it so that no person can be over a certain power level once you reach a good halfwayish mark, and then rely on using what you have and your abilities beyond that. That way bosses can't be cheesed (although at least one can anyway). Heck, most Ys games actually scale experience gains, and past a certain point, earlier monsters are only going to be giving you 1 exp, to discourage you from grinding.

Also something worth being aware of with bosses in this game - they don't work like regular enemies. You can attack them from any direction and you won't take damage nor do any additional damage, it's all about your approach and avoiding getting yourself hammered by their attacks (or in the case of a certain boss or two, how quickly you can kill them).

[Berahlen]

Originally posted by Pænda:

So game's pretty unbalanced, huh :)
But game is great anyways, so doesn't matter much.

It's just balanced around the expectation that you'll cap out right before hitting Darm Tower. After that point, it starts messing with you more via equipment.

If you're having trouble with Jenocres, backtrack to the city and buy the longsword.