I wonder is my party really strong enough?

[Soorg]

I'm starting level 9 and I am now in parts where there's continuously blue saurians that spawn.

Just one fight against a saurian means at least one of the two front fighter close to death. In a parts where you can't really use dodging, I wonder what's the point or what's a trick? Or is my party strong enough?

[Soorg]

I watch some video and the conclusion is quite clear, no.

My party doesn't kill fast enough, and I mean Normal difficulty. I believe wrongly, and didn't get from the game clear clues I was wrong, that at Normal difficulty I could spread a bit the skills, like for a fighter to use the more fun maces and axes, or have the game use more different spells, but that versatility doesn't counter balance well enough the pure killing capacity that brings much more specialized paths. And with all members spreading too much the skills I ended with a too weak party.

Not have find all secrets doesn't help either and is another source of a too weak party.

I'm sure some elite players could take my party and continue, or that I could pick a guide and go back get all secrets I hadn't found. But those elite players would beat the game with level 1 nude characters so difficulty means nothing for them. And I'm not an elite player. And I also find tedious the guide review and walk-back.

[Dr.Disaster]

It's hard to tell how strong a party is without knowning it and how you fight Ice Lizards. These mini-T-Rex are pretty tough, quiet agile and too strong to tank them. As long as you have room to manover dancing is the best way to deal with them.

What's true is that the game's skill system invites players to spread skill points too much due to every character being able to choose from 4 different weapons or damage classes. Fighters got sword, axe, maze, unarmed, Rogues got dagger, missile, throwing, unarmed and Mages got air, earth, fire and cold magic to choose from. The best thing to do is choose one of those skills as main attack and stay with it, using a second skill only as fallback or support like the Enchant Fire Arrow spell.

[steyrhahn]

try to choose where fights will occur so that you can manuever against your opponents. There is no shame in retreating to a more defensible position or using a gate to control your enemy.

I wouldn't leave level 6 until I could win the Fighter's Challenge.

[Merethif]

This is what I did once, when playing with Toorum (or maybe that was 4 mages party or random generated party, anyway something very sub-optimal):

SpoilerShow

I run through the Ice Lizards lair trying to avoid fights and ignoring Ice Lizards (I had to remove a scroll from the alcove in east part of it though). Then I closed the portcullis locking all re-spawning lizards inside lair and I go ahead continuing a level. When I get to the the point when lizard lair become opened at the east side (the alcoves puzzle) I lured all lizards, one by one to the room with pit and teleporter puzzle and made them fall to the pit by following me (of course before I retrieved Armour of Valor from that pit). The lizard that falls down do not die so it doesn't re-spawn and that way you can clean the lair for good.

[Soorg]

I watch a video from good player but not great but still a bit better than I am with the game for now. And to not get stuck by 2 saurians you shouldn't kill them too slowly. His damages was significantly higher and he had a lot of difficulty in that area. He was using items I haven't seen. I think his characters was a bit lower level than mine but very specialized. Only his rogue wasn't doing good damages but this character was specialized in assassin (the first skill) probably a non efficient skill by not increasing enough the attack and backstabbing is not really realistic.

I can easily choose the area and dodge and kill a saurian, and made it few time but by attracting them out of the area near the start of the level. But the time I do that will be too long and a second will come and then it's luck or death.

Merethif : The solution you describe isn't realistic it means know where everything is and what to do exactly.

But I read somewhere that at beginning there's plenty of them but after the spawn rate is quite slow, perhaps I could try exhaust the startup reserve.

But for now I decided to make a pause and start with a new party.

[Soorg]

...I wouldn't leave level 6 until I could win the Fighter's Challenge.

Not done, a secret I haven't found. Could be a good test but my party now is probably too high level with skills too much spread, so try change that is too late, level up is now too slow.

[Dr.Disaster]

But I read somewhere that at beginning there's plenty of them but after the spawn rate is quite slow, perhaps I could try exhaust the startup reserve.

But for now I decided to make a pause and start with a new party.

The spawn rate is not that slow. Yet the area the lizards spawn is the upper right quadrant of the map alone which you can sell it off by closing the doors leading there.

...I wouldn't leave level 6 until I could win the Fighter's Challenge.

Since it's a hidden place I don't see the Fighter's Challenge as requirement. It's one of the hardest fights in the game and depending on party setup it can be impossible to do without well leveled chars and/or heavy use of resouces.

[Soorg]

When trying to find some tips to manage the area I saw the mention of a key that drop with one of the last saurian initially in the maze. I could kill more until I get it, kill a bit more and see, I doubt it's just a constant spawning no matter what happen or the maze could be just full of the beasts.

But replay with another party would also allow find more secrets I could come back pick with my first party.

[Dr.Disaster]

I could kill more until I get it, kill a bit more and see, I doubt it's just a constant spawning no matter what happen or the maze could be just full of the beasts.

Rest assured: they respawn. If you don't seal off their maze area they will spread across the entire level. In case you want/need to return to the upper levels for any reason you'll get a lot of steaks this way.