I just noticed that Enderal is on Steam for free. I was wanting to play the game since I loved Nehrim. I think it will be easier to install using Steam, just download and play if you have Skyrim in your Steam library.

Thanks very much for letting us know about this, Pokey! Much appreciated.

Ok, so I've managed to get myself up to a respectable and somewhat less squishy level 28 with most of my Combat skills in Marksmanship, Psionics and Sneak, with detours into Elementalism as needed for the occasional Fire Bolt. I've done quite a few side quests but have been putting off the main quest line until I'm at a higher level. Light Armour all the way, with some decent set items starting to show up.

I did just finish the Aged Man quest but will leave the rest of the main quest for now. I'm off adventuring.

I have to say, Enderal is not as forgiving as Skyrim. I spend a lot of my time sneaking up onto high places so I can cast a summons and fly off a few fire arrows.

I played for a while today and got through the tunnels and temple. I had to run from the creature in the last tunnel because I couldn't defeat him, not even close. Are you having a problem with areas being too dark to see? The brightness slider doesn't work and I have no torches. The Hero page is too large for my screen and no way to change resolution, so I can't see all of it.

I have noticed that some places are quite dark . There aren't too many places like that early in the game and soon you'll find torches.

I ran from that critter too. And what's worse, you can't get back there to take your revenge.

I actually ran from a lot of things early on. And I think I might have just wandered into an area that's a teeny bit too difficult for me. Still running......

The most important thing I found is to somehow get up high and take shots from above. Take a couple of shots and then make like Sir Robin and hope you can get to a spot where you can hide.


EIDT: Pokey is the Settings menu not working for you? There is a windowed mode and a resolution setting option.

You know, I checked some videos of Enderal play and noticed that players were continuing to play in the same dark I was experiencing. It is a bit better at night (like Thief). I just left the game playing till it goes brighter when playing certain sections. I did play a bit in the dark if it was pretty open. There needs to be more resting spots. I've only seen one in all my play.

I think the only page that I couldn't read part of it was the Hero chart. I looked it up so I knew what the different lines were, I think it will be fine. I can't access the full window or change the brightness unless I turn off one tweak and enboost, and doing that causes more crashes. I'm not ready to try that. I am heading toward a town and met Finn. I sneaked by those three wolves at the river.

There is an almost easy way to kill that beast, at the ends of the ruins. Don't know if I should tell you, as I dont know how to insert "almost' spoilers"!

I tried many ways to kill that Troll but in the end I gave up.

Was there a

Anyway, it's only one critter and in the end it won't matter. You'll soon be taking on Cave Trolls with your puny bow and arrows and laugh in their faces as they fade away into whatever afterlife Trolls get.

One thing I like about this game is that you can go back into dungeons where the enemies were really tough to kill the first time through (requiring much running away), and in the second time through they're like crackers under your boot; crushed to dust. You still get enough experience points to make it all worthwhile.

This was a mud elemental just after you lift the wheel {watermill?} to leave the abandonned temple. I usually play a warrior {light armor with lots of fire and lightning}. I Used the bow and sword, with lightning in between. We are not talking about the same beast, nothing aroung to help!!! I played the game once as an archer but not easy at all at the beginning. After a while, sneak and archery is a pleasure. Wolves I run away from for a few levels.

It was a mud elemental, right. I just barely sneaked past it.

I'm finally at level 55 in both Sneak and Marksman, and most times I can get the drop on enemies. Some of them seem to be preternaturally sensitive to interlopers, though. I can't imagine trying to sneak up on someone with a blade. They'd know you were there long before you made the first stabbity-stab.

I am playing as a warrior. How do I learn to cast spells? I want fire, maybe lightning and a healing spell. I just left the old dam lookout on my way to Riverville.

Pokey, I've been finding spell books in random places. You can learn any spell you find, even if you can't cast it yet. Once you get to Riverville you'll be able to buy spells, but I have never actually had to do that, apart from the transportation spells. I've found tons of spell books as random loot in mines, caves, and in people's houses. You just click on the book in your inventory and learn the spell.

Once you've done that, it's just like Skyrim -- you hit the TAB key and your spells and skills come up.

Again as in Skyrim, you can use the F key to denote favourites in your list of spells (and weapons), and then bring up your list of favourites by hitting the Q key, where you can set your quick keys.


Also, and I love this, once you've learned a spell, if you find the same spell book, you can immediately see that you've already learned it, so no buying spells you already have. Same goes for reading books. Once you've read a book or learned a spell, an eye icon appears beside any other copies you run across, even at merchants, so you know not to bother. unless you want to pick it up and sell it.

" You can learn any spell you find, even if you can't cast it yet. "

How do I actually cast the spell? I assume I need to go to the stones and select the type of magic I want. Is that it?

I just fished to lock box out of the river. Also trying to take out three wolves at once.

You learn spells from spell books. To cast spells it's easiest to have them set up with hotkeys in your favourites list, but basically you select the spell you want to cast and then hit "R." That brings up the glowing spell-casting hands, and you just use your mouse key to cast the spell.

You don't have to use any Meditation points to use any spell. It's just that it will be a weak version of the spell. In other words, I can cast low level Light spells without having committed any Meditation or Learning points on that skill.

The levelling up is complicated in this game.

The Meditation area is where you commit Memory points that determine what path you want to take. You learn perks and skills on the stones in the meditation area. So for me, as a thief/archer, I'm using the Trickster/Infiltrator path on the meditation stones, with a few levels of Elemental magic and a lot of Psi/Entropy magic.

Basically, the Memory stones determine which skills you wan to develop most. You improve those skills and magic by buying or finding Learning or Crafting books. I've Learned my way up to Expert level in Sneak and Marksman, and I'm at Adept level with most of my other skills ad magic.

Using the Learning and Crafting books also allows you to improve a skill without committing to it on the Meditation stones. So my Light armour skill is at 45 without my having had to use any Memory points on that skill.

Every time you level up you get I Meditation point, and I think 5 Learning points and 4 Crafting points. The Learning books are for combat skills and magic and the Crafting books are for things like Alchemy, Enchanting, Rhetoric (i.e. Personality), and so on.

I don't know what I am doing wrong but I can't get it to work. Hitting R after selecting the spell does nothing. I did get it to work once by selecting Tempest but I couldn't get it to work again. I wish there were better instructions included.

It seems that it is supposed work by selecting the spell, exiting the magic menu and then casting with the mouse, but it doesn't work for me.

Is there a key binding you need to change?

I sometimes use the wrong mouse key; the default is that the left mouse key casts the spell you have in your right hand, and vice versa (which is horribly confusing in the middle of a battle).

Try setting up your spells in the Favourites menu and then set hotkeys for them. Then you don't have to go into any menu -- you just use the hotkey number, hit "R" and cast the spell.

'Is there a key binding you need to change?'

That might be the case, The R is used to drop an item in the game and others did not say to use R.

I tried both hands. What does the M1/M2 mean in the spell menu? It seems like an assignment.

I'll keep trying.

Yes, you can assign a spell to either mouse key. (you can assign one-handed weapons that way, too).

I'll just quickly run through a spell assignment in my game and make sure I've described it properly.

EDIT:

So, you hit TAB to get your Magic menu up. Then you click on the "Magic" on the left hand side of the menu. To set a hotkey for a spell, select it in the Magic menu, hit "F" then go out of that menu, hit Q for the list of favourites, and assign a number to the spell from 1-9. You also assign whether the spell appears in your right hand or left hand by using the appropriate mouse key.

Once you've done that, go out of the favourites menu, hit the number of the spell, then hit the "R" key and the spell comes up in your hand.

"R" in your main inventory will drop an item.

Thanks, I finally have it working and have put spells in the correct hand. It will take a while before I am comfortable with it and can switch my weapons with the spells. Glad that is resolved!

Oh, good. I have encountered a few bugs in this game but not one like that!

In the end, as always, I'm loaded for bear with spells but stick to my trusty old Sneak/Archery technique. The problem is that in THIS game, that's not necessarily a winning strategy. since you can't just train yourself up to high level really quickly. I've never relied on Summoned critters so much, but even the lower level Elementals are handy for setting enemies on fire and distracting them.

The only trouble with my Elemental Wolf is that, like all good doggies, he runs towards me when I cast him (presumably for a pat on the head, maybe?), instead of at the enemies.

So far I've only found level 1 Summons spells, but I'm getting the impression that the stuff you find is leveled with your progress.

I've just encountered the Starling locks. Not doing too well. The third lock is so hard to find. Any tips other than practice till I get it?

I am using first person.

I use first person too.

There are five locks, two up and three down, I think, if I remember correctly.

The Starling locks took me more than a few tries and some bad words were spoken. I started at the top left and did the first two, then dropped down and turned for the last ones.

The one thing I didn't do was run, since if I do that I lose all control. I was able to do it by just heading straight for each lock without running. The critical thing was dropping down onto the ledge below for the bottom locks.

So I'm starting to realize the weakness in my playing style, since Archery isn't the drop-dead powerhouse it is in other Elder Scrolls games. I've been using bow and arrow, with Summoned creatures to block at close range. Also, they get in the way in a close fight. And high level Summons spells seem to be in short supply (again, I think the availability levels with the character's skill). Now I need to start using some of my other Elemental and Entropy/Psi spells. A few of them look really wicked.

Thanks. I'll try what you advise. I think I can eventually do it if I run through it a few time. I won't be running either.

I've read that archery wasn't easy but at later stages it is rather powerful. That big 2-hander I found in this quest is pretty good.

I was able to do it in about 10 tries. Jespar messed up a few times in telling me when to start again.

Back to Riverville. I can do a few things in Riverville before I meet Jespar again I assume? I have some wolves I'd like to take care of.