Setting to play for first time

[Edelward]

I want to start play this game though I have never played so old games .
The oldest game I played has been Might and Magic VI .
Yes I played Wizardry 8 for many hours , so something about Wizardry series I do
know .
What appeals me in this game - length around 2 months of playing as it said, difficulty because old games can be real tough .
What are my questions about it :
Class, race, gender and skill point assign for characters in a good all around party .
Some tips for a new player .

[Ithaqua]

From what I remember:
2 high dps "Tank" class
2 ranged "Casters"
1 healer
1 thief

Now if any of the others have skulduggery you can get rid of the thief
If you go with self healing tanks you can turn your healer into 3 high dps self healing "tanks"


I've always used a felpur samurai, mook psionic, dragon or lizardman fighter, ninja or thief, heals (val, lord or priest) and a extra ranged (mage, alchemist or ranger).

The samurai skills go for speed and agility (snake speed, reflection, kirijitsu), the fighter go pure power (power strike, eagle eye & kiri). Mind control for tanks and heals are a good item to top up as well, so they don't get taken down with sleep spells in the 1st round.

[Edelward]

What skulduggery skill means?
and Legerdemain , Ninjutsu , Scribe , Mapping ?

[Ithaqua]

If I remember correctly (though there is a manual)
Skulduggery = lock pick, disarm traps (useful)
Legerdemain = pick pocket
Ninjutsu = hide in shadows
Scribe = use spells from scrolls
Mapping = how well your ingame map records stuff

Skulduggery is very useful, many traps can be total party kill at low levels
Legerdemain I usually don't use
Ninjutsu is very useful for ninjas & thieves, not much use for everybody else
Scribe is OK but I'm never sure who would use it. Casters already have spells, melee dps don't need them, heals have spells and thieves maybe.
Mapping is OK again but I usually only ever have 1 party member take this (give them the mapping kit). Should say if you have the cheat guide you don't need the map, just to make it even less useful.

[Ithaqua]

The weapon skills are fairly obvious, though hands & feet can be useful if your disarmed, but go with your main melee weapon for each class and then add ranged melee (bow/sling/throw). Shields can be useful for fighter types

Physical:
Scout - find secret door and hidden objects (1 pc should have this - thief usually)
Music - unless bard pass
Oratory - useful for magic casters (mages & healers - not alchemy or psionics)
Swimming - climbing - obvious

Academia skills
Artifacts - useful if your using magic objects
Mythology - proper ID enemies (1 person should have this)
Alchemy - your alchemist need this
Theology - healers
Theosophy - psionics
Thaumaturhy - mages
Kirijutsu - increase hit chance and crit (useful)
diplomacy - good when dealing with NPCs ( 1 person should have this)

Personal skills
Firearms - later in the game you can get guns. Useful if you have a gun, useless otherwise
Reflection - dodge skill (very good for melee)
Snake speed - agaility boost (very good for melee and useful for everybody else)
Eagle Eye - increase hit chance (very good melee and useful for everybody else)
Power strike - Damage & crit boost (very good for melee & useful for everybody else)
Mind control - resist psionics, sleep and other control spells (for me a must for heals & your main melee - ok for everybody else)


Hope that helps

[Edelward]

Thanks I don't have cheat guide ,but I think I will have to see maps in the third source anywhere I am bad in orienting even in modern games and such game as this one is specially hard to orient in.

How many dragons to have in party I read 2 are good in the beginning having Dragon Breath
I think one can be fighter and another ranger .Fighter can progress later I forgot into whom .

[Ithaqua]

I always toped out with 1 dragon, the breath weapon is nice but it's not that great.
Worst case just try a few different combinations, play about an hour with 1 party and then another hour with a different party.

My game style may be different than yours, so it just comes down to what you have the most fun with. There is no one party type that will win.

[Edelward]

I have one dragon in party but i am lost in the new city .
I can't open chests and read map but i leveled 4 by fighting so far .

P.S. managed to open first chest .Maps though are mystery for me so I wondering around new city and in it .

[JoeBob Riggs]

With map making skill. Whoever you decide to give the skill make sure they get the map start kit? I think it is caleld. After 50 points in it it is pretty much maxed out. Since you can't get more detail on the map. So don't go much hugher.

[Nuee]

I hightly recommend perusing the manual. It should be in your steam folder. Also usually acessable from the game sale page (search wizardry 7 go to page for sale you already have it but on the right should list a link for manual needful to understand traps also spell effects).
A thief (with stats set to advance to a new class) is good at first. They gain skullduggery the fastest... once you have it to 100 well it doesn't matter that that character may be a priest or mage or ninja or samurai. It still works.