At any case, I never understood the complaining about the instant deaths when you ventured the woods with a low level character. When you talk to the people in Gothic 1 they warn you NOT to do that. It felt rewarding when you could slay that wretched scavenger for the first time.
Wait - lemme get this straight - there were people complaining about Gothic?
j/k
I thought it was pretty cool - and immensely rewarding - that you had to plan a safe route through the woods when you were low-level. Watch out for the wolves, climb this rock, run here to avoid the bloodflies, then swim upstream, but look out for the lurkers, kill the goblins - yay! And off you go to the New Camp.
@Jabberwocky: I *think* I remember that thread. Let's hope that Risen will be as inspiring and full of such experiences, then maybe we'll make a thread like that for it.