Gothic 2 newbie questions

I'm thinking about getting Gothic 2 from GOG as it's on sale this week.

Their version comes with NotR, which I understand makes the difficulty much higher. A few years ago I tried out G2 with NotR briefly, but eventually quit after finding the controls so frustrating, and death so frequent and sudden.

Does anyone know if in the GOG version I can tweak the ini file to enable quick saves and quick potions? I read about this possibility somewhere, but want to know if I can do it in the GOG download.

Also, are there any mods or other tweaks that make the game a little easier? Like more HPs at level-up, or quicker leveling, or anything like that? It's a game I want to try again, but I don't have the time or patience to play if it is so frustrating and difficult. I don't need to be god-like but I also do not want to hear lectures about how I SHOULD play the game, or how it's SUPPOSED to be. Thanks.

Thanks for any insight or help you can offer.

Look here to see how to activate quick save/load and quick potions through the .ini file.
http://www.rpgwatch.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7359

Afaik, the GOG has the same .ini file as the retail version.

Also, use the "new" style controls rather than the Gothic 1 "old" style. While not as flexible, they are much easier to learn and manage.

Yes, Gothic 2 had two different combat control systems. Most reviewers overlooked this.
The new one mapped the most aggressive option to the LMB. Of course it's nothing for purists, but it gets the job done.

Reportedly the best option:
Map the controls to a gamepad, if you have one and it comes with a decent piece of software.

There was a user mod which allowed adjusting the difficulty. And another one which a couple of script bugs and made things a bit more consistent. Maybe both are even one and the same, I don't remember.

Thanks all. I found the mod that adjusts difficulty by changing the stats, and I've got the .ini file altered as well.

I haven't had much time to dig into the game yet, but it still feel really weird to play. The mouse control is even strange, like when you turn you are turning through syrup. And when you jump you automatically jump forward like eight feet, even from standing still. You have to stop completely to start strafing. Just weird. Not sure how they could make it this way and say "Hey, we're finished, these controls are great!"

Also- I thought there was an option to "take all". Say you open a chest and it has 25 gold pieces. You have to hold down the L mouse button until all the gold is taken piece by piece. Is there a quick key to just take the whole stack of gold?

I haven't tried much combat yet. I have the controls set for G2… so is there still a side attack, etc? or are ALL attacks made with the left mouse button the same? Can anyone shed light on this? Thanks.

All good questions and all answered here.

http://dlh.net/cheats_29694e.html

Don't worry it's mainly usability hints/tweaks, ignore the cheats…

OK, basic question here, but I downloaded from GOG and don't have a manual.

How do I switch between a bow and a melee weapon? I can equip both, but when I draw the weapon, all I can draw is melee… how do I use a bow?

You automatically draw the last used weapon. The number keys are the quick slots. As in many shooters. Start on the left.

Huh? How do I assign the bow (or any weapon) to a number key?

They are automatically numbered by position in your inventory, I believe. I think you can see the numbers in your inventory?

BTW, did you try replacementdocs.com for a manual?

Just download JemyM's Gothic FAQ from a site called RPGWatch.

I'm confused as to why you don't just download the manuals from GOG.

Well, after hearing many good things about NoTR, I picked it up on Steam… I did find it harder than G2, but in the earlier stages of the game I coped OK. Unfortunately, since Chapter 3 opened, almost every creature I run into has very significant magic resistances/immunities, which kind of sucks if that's where you've put your LPs. I have gained access to 3rd circle, but the spells I have seem to be pretty ineffective - I do have some points (32%) in staff fighting - which I quite like. Of course, that's very low by fighter standards, but it's all I could afford given my need for other skills/spells etc.

So, am I missing some vital 3rd circle spell, or all they all crap? I gather I won't get access to 4th circle until the next chapter. I really find seekers tough since they have pretty high magic resistance (as expected). I was able to take out a few by using a summon demon scroll and darting behind a tree ;-) But those are not cheap The lack of a quick potion has also screwed me over many times, so I have now used the INI tweal I saw here yesterday. Much, much better!

Simple: Beating the Seekers with magic at this point is practically impossible unless you want to burn a TON of mana. You get a few decent attack spells in Chapter 4. For now, I suggest using "Summon Skeleton" in addition to your own fighting, or "Iceblock" to freeze them, and then hit'em with your stick.

By the way, Magician is by far the hardest class to play. If you can do it as a Magician, the other classes should be pretty straight forward.

@Maylander: Thanks! I will get summon skeleton - I assumed they would die very quickly, but its worth a try - and better than having to hide behind a tree. I've munched my way through all the mana restoring herbs I could find too :-o I was trying to kill a zombie last night - took about a minute and a half of whacking it with my staff…*whack*…*whack* *braaaaains* * whack!* Otherwise, it takes about 5 "second circle" fireballs Ah well, my fault for trying a magician I guess. Other than that, I'm enjoying the NoTR additions.

Yes, it is quite a challenge. You could also try to pick up alchemy and make mana potions. It won't solve any problems, but it generally leads to less resting.

As a Magician I tend to use beds as "bases" and then clear the nearby area by resting a whole lot. Luckily I know where all the beds are; makes it easier to run directly to one and then start clearing.

I wasn't aware I could download the manual from GOG. I'm new to that site. Thanks for the help, though.

Originally Posted by booboo
I was able to take out a few by using a summon demon scroll and darting behind a tree ;-)

Originally Posted by Ovenall
It's a game I want to try again, but I don't have the time or patience to play if it is so frustrating and difficult.

I´ve nothing to add other than that I wouldn´t recommend playing a mage on a first playthrough, it´s really a bit akin to "veteran" difficulty setting (as it was, though maybe to a lesser degree, in vanilla).

I played a mage on my first (and only) playthrough and it wasn't too tough. Though I didn't have NoTR installed.

It's almost a totally different game with NoTR installed. Much more difficult, and also much better overall, imo.