ToME: the Tales of Maj'Eyal

is WAY too easy for mages...

I would make both the merchant and the bandits/assassins in the final level non-switchable, so you cant move them around before the fight.

for the bandits/assassins make them so they are immovable or say something to that extent when you bump into them.

for the merchant do this (or something):

The merchant begs you to help him, only to be cut off angrily by the assassin lord, who silences him with a blow to the head. He staring at you, he states, "This prize is mine, begone stranger!"

Then go into the quest tree for the assassin lord.

I think it would be nicer though if one didn't get this quest at a level (say 2) where most classes can't beat it. It's unfortunate to have to decide whether to die or miss a very monetarily useful quest. I tend to choose to take the quest, but I've never succeeded in finishing it at level 2 yet. Could it be set that one has to have a max level of X before one gets offered it?

A level limit would be nice, probably 5 or so, maybe a little higher. The creatures inside are around level 10, iirc, but (other than the assassins) not terribly dangerous. First time I hit it I was level 2, too, and got more or less wrecked. Second time I was higher (8 or so) and managed to kill everything, but not before they offed the merchant. Only just now managed to kill them and save the merchant, and that was probably only because I took the time to move the merch into one corner and all the minions into another one.

Merchant could really stand to be a bit tougher, heh, or maybe imprisoned in one of those building-type things or somethin'. Probably shouldn't be participating in the fight...

Frumple wrote:Merchant could really stand to be a bit tougher, heh, or maybe imprisoned in one of those building-type things or somethin'. Probably shouldn't be participating in the fight...

Thats the point actually, you are supposed to save the merchant whom they were roughing up, which is why they were close to him...

It is supposed to be hard to save the merchant, but the reward makes it worth it.

Frumple wrote:t is supposed to be hard to save the merchant, but the reward makes it worth it.

But so much harder if you aren't allowed to "move" him away, and if you're a melee character even more!

Also if his AI wasn't the same as the assassins...

So Idea: Merchant AI should be running away from enemy factions, not towards the player.

What they target can varry

Last time I didn't skip this quest, I walked over to the bad guy and talked to him, and then he gated in umpteen thousand henchmen and they all started in on the beatings -- both me and the merchant. I managed to kill the head bad guy and "win" the quest, but the merchant died, and then I died (too many beatings).

I did the quest as a level 7 Shadowblade and when I entered the room I went down and around the room to make my way to the merchant. I never got any dialogue except that an alarm went off and I killed all the bandits without taking much damage. They miss like 80% of the time.

I think that it would be nice if the player had more choice of when they take the mission and/or there should be stricter level limits for when it takes place.