Gothic Brand New to Gothic. Questions on Class/Character Build for Gothic 1

Yep, level 5 to change to a shadow and 10 for a guard, i often went to level 20 in chapter 1.

Was this attained by quests + killing everything in sight outside the camps?

Also, how often would you distribute the skill points? As you got them or did you hoard them until after you made your decision?

Thanks.
 
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Thanks Pladio, 68 times to be exact.

Your questions Rills, suggest that you are putting good thought into your game-play.

Yes, to level 20 was free roaming and killing, certainly not my true style really, just experimenting yet keeping within the story line limits, its the chapter changes that hold the game triggers and keep firm control of the story line. You could go further beyond L20 by sneaking into the orc underground temple and on a killing spree, but this is jumping ahead of the natural story line.

Distribution of points is a subjective thing, what may suit one might not suit another player. For instance, in one argument - if after a level-up you run straight back to a trainer and increase dex' +5 and str' +5, immediately from that point you will get to the next level up sooner because the multiplier effect comes in. Conversely, it is easy to get through most of the game at say 30 str' and 30 dex' - you can kill an orc easily at this level. This means skill points can indeed be stored and used later in a more conservative way - but what for? you could only assess your own gameplay for the reason of a repeat or further game play to try another method of point distribution.

So on first play through as the story unfolds you may well realise that you can change a tactical course - for example:- decide to be a mage from a point about 25str'/25dex' (a very good swap-over point) to enable max' as a mage later in the game as you cannot achieve max' both as a fighter and a mage as there arn't enought points available, this is intentional by concept design.

But it is the story line in G1 with its hidden triggers that takes precidence irrespective of how you level up, it is a "progressive" thing to go with the flow of the game - you will "sense" this need as you read the various books and tomes you find along the way - they hold the very important key to the true path through gothic.
 
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We are quite a few here that have passed 30 times. :)

As for a first timer, just go with the flow. Level 5 to join a camp, level 10 to get this and that (I won't spoil anything), is more than fine. There's no need to focus on such things. The game won't stop you from getting butchered in high level zones, but other than that you'll be kept from making any serious bloopers.

Edit:
It's certainly possible to be a full fighter and a full mage, with 100 mana, 100 strength, one handed expertise and all circles. It's not possible to become a ranged fighter, a melee fighter and a mage, but two out of three is possible (any of the two).
 
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Thanks for all the replies. They really are appreciated. The over-arching issue for me when doing an RPG of this magnitude and caliber is the lack of experience/knowledge of the system. For instance, when Baldur's Gate came out many people had a ton of questions about game play, style, etc. But for me it wasn't a problem at all because I had played D&D for a number of years and picking up the parameters of play was easy.

Gothic 1 is all new to me so again thanks especially for your patience in answering my questions. I really am enjoying the game and the fact that it has a bonified plot (something that seems to be missing in a number of RPGs). I will most likely start a new game when I finish this current one and with the gained experience I am sure I'll be playing smarter.

Right now I am 5th level with 30 strength (+5 from Horatio) and 25 dexterity (+5 from ring found). Another 10 skill points for ihanded sword training and the rest for hunting skills. I would eventually like to make my character a fighter/mage, but right now my bow skills are so poor -- I can't hit anything! -- I am now sure if I should train at least to expertise 1.

I also believe one of the reasons I am dying frequently is 1) I still am not really mastering the combay controls and 2) my armor is too weak.

Thoughts?
 
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Armor is key to surviving in Gothic. Better armor will keep you alive from lots of animals. Mastering the combat controls will help, but with the better skills and armor you get almost invincible.

As I said before, I am not one who finished the game a lot, but from what I have gathered, joining a faction will help you get a better armor which in turn will let you level up earlier too. I'd suggest finishing up all the quests you can before joining a camp. A lot of them don't require a lot of fighting. It should give you one or two more levels of LPs to use.

Another possibility is of just trying to play like this and join a faction now. Maybe save your game now on a slot which you won't delete... This way you can try with joining a faction for a few hours. If you like it then you continue otherwise just go back to that special save and try gaining a few more levels.
 
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I completed the game several times with NO armour (both with and without diggers trousers) but that was experimenting to see if it could be done. Also i once completed the game with no weapons, just fists and some magic. There is no "one way" in playing gothic - the choice is yours alone.

This substantially proves that the story line does not rely on using weapons or armour as a predetermined requirement to the game's completion. The main requirement in G1 is appeasing the gods as explained in the books and is sadly the most overlooked concept by most players.
 
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no defenitely not. Gothic as a first timer is way too hard, you should just go with the natural flow of the game the first time.

You say you die a lot? maybe you venture too far in the land, the line between meeting easy to kill creatures and creatures that easily kill you is sometimes very small.
Like they said beofre: try to do as much quest as you can, enough of them require just a bit or no combat.
 
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Well I have reached level 8 and I believe I have completed all quests in the camps except for 2:

1. I have avoided Lefty since he tried to take me out. That "mission" is still listed as needing to be completed.

2. I have yet to give Diego the list. Once I do am I then required to declare a camp? Or even after I do give him the list can I continue to hunt the area for experience?

* I have improved my bow skills and upped my dexterity and I have been able to gain experience by the old tried and true nail 'em with arrows and run away. Then run back and attack; repeat until dead. :biggrin:

* I have also read that it is possible to join the New Camp even after having joined the Old Camp. True? I thought once you gave Diego the list the New Camp was off limits membership wise.
 
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1. I have avoided Lefty since he tried to take me out. That "mission" is still listed as needing to be completed.

2. I have yet to give Diego the list. Once I do am I then required to declare a camp? Or even after I do give him the list can I continue to hunt the area for experience?

* I have improved my bow skills and upped my dexterity and I have been able to gain experience by the old tried and true nail 'em with arrows and run away. Then run back and attack; repeat until dead. :biggrin:

* I have also read that it is possible to join the New Camp even after having joined the Old Camp. True? I thought once you gave Diego the list the New Camp was off limits membership wise.

1. Good thing avoiding lefty till you strong enough to wack him

2. You are not yet pinned to the old camp when you give Diego the list. I always played it by going with the list to the new camp, but not accepting their offer to join them and then go to Diego and do the same. That doesn't have any effects on the game what so ever.

3. That's the tactic most of us use in the world of gothic, so it's a good thing to use it

4. If you do it like I did in point 2, you can still join the new camp.
Later on in the game it can happen that you will join the camp
 
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1. do this missions too before you decide: more xp

2: I thought you could do this even without committing to thje old camp

It is but if I tell you how I would spoil a part of the story so I won't
 
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2. I have yet to give Diego the list. Once I do am I then required to declare a camp? Or even after I do give him the list can I continue to hunt the area for experience?
IMHO you´re asking for way too many spoilers. Why don´t you just make a decision and live with the consequences? I would recommend you think carefully about this quest though. You have more than one option and it has moral implications.
Enjoy the ride and be happy you don´t know what´s behind the next corner.

* I have improved my bow skills and upped my dexterity and I have been able to gain experience by the old tried and true nail 'em with arrows and run away. Then run back and attack; repeat until dead. :biggrin:
Interesting. Most people stick to the good old tank character on their first run. Sounds like you´ll get into trouble if somebody gets close to you. ;) Not a mistake but certainly not the easiest path through the game. I´m not sure how useful your bow is if you meet a group of Orcs in a building. :gorath:

* I have also read that it is possible to join the New Camp even after having joined the Old Camp. True? I thought once you gave Diego the list the New Camp was off limits membership wise.
You can only join one of the camps. Joining earns you your first status symbol, a better armour, and access to the camp´s internal resources. Your adventures in the other camps aren´t over though.
 
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Guys, I think you´ve told him way too much. He can read the walkthrough in JemyM´s FAQ if he really wants the full dosis of spoilers.
 
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2. You are not yet pinned to the old camp when you give Diego the list. I always played it by going with the list to the new camp, but not accepting their offer to join them and then go to Diego and do the same. That doesn't have any effects on the game what so ever.

I have been to the New Camp with the list on me but haven't told Lares nor Diego since obtaining said list. I guess - no, I know - I'm missing something in the translation of what you are saying. :blush:

If I give the list to Diego I cannot - at least at this time - join the New Camp. If I give the list to Lares I definitely can't join the Old Camp. Am I understanding this correctly? Can I tell Diego I have obtained the list and yet not give it to him? Thus, I have the vote of confidence and can move to shadow? The same with Lares, i.e. tell him you have the list but not turn it over and yet move up to rogue?

Don't I have to give the list to Diego or Lares in order to become either a shadow or a rougue?

Sorry for all the questions... :-/
 
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You can also tackle the quest from the moral point of view. Which are the involved people and how are they treating you?
Are from the story side. How important is the quest for the involved parties?

There is no right or wrong path. The journey is the reward.
 
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I just want you guys to know why I am asking so much about this particular juncture in the game. Early on as I was trying to get enough votes in the Old Camp I went to Fingers and he mentioned Calvoran and his ability to teach sneak. I then asked him where he could be found. He told me and so I determined to look him up.

When I eventually followed Mordrag to the New Camp I noticed the cabin Fingers mentioned and so I detoured there looking for him. He wasn't anywhere to be found.

So, I reloaded, talked to Fingers, etc. Then followed Mordrag. No Calvoran.

I loaded earlier saves thinking one of my files must be corrupt, but the results have been the same. This character has vanished from my game. When I am going between the New and Old camps I periodically cheack in but he is not there. This is the reason I asked about Lefty if it was a bug or not; perhaps I disrupted something. I do know that if certain characters die the game cannot be completed.

Perhaps I am being paranoid but I put a lot of hours into this game and I don't want to disrupt to the point of not being able to finish. I cannot for the life of me figure out why Calvoran has utterly vanished. Oh well, I assume he isn't a major character anyway.
 
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