These save games for Arx Fatalis are for a player primarily aimed at magic and
spell casting. I put most of my level points in upgrading this way since I read
somewhere that the game tends to favor magic casters. Another interesting note
is that as an old adventure gamer, I tend to go for puzzles rather than action.
So if you hope to find entire levels slaughtered, you have come to the wrong
place as I always tried to solve things the adventure way. However, I did kill
all the immediately hostile enemies I found on my way, such as ratmen, zombies,
mummies, and so forth.

The game was played with patch update v1.17 applied.

Towards the end of the game, I managed to end up solving a lot of optional
subquests, but I also know that I missed a few of them.

In general, I have the following notes about these save games:

* Although I admit I read a tip on a forum three or four times, I never
  cheated with in-game cheat actions or a trainer.

* Right from the character generation screen, I favored a magic caster. I did
  not use the auto generation.

* During the game I was very fond of the fireball spell, so you will probably
  find that most of the save games have three of these prepared on hotkeys.

* I never became very proficient at unlocking chests and doors. I think I maybe
  managed to unlock two or three chests in the entire game. =/

* As quickly as possible I made sure I had three pages in my inventory by
  using the bags I found or bought.

* After learning how to activate the teleporters, I started activating them as
  soon as I found them. Not far into the game, all teleporters was activated
  except on the level with the tavern where the teleporter was destroyed. (I am
  not sure whether this is the one that was supposed to represent the only
  missing window in the teleporter. If not, then there is indeed one teleporter
  I never managed to activate.)  

* Although I was probably better off waiting until later before slaying the
  lich in the Akbaa temple, I did so anyway using the "stand-on-chest" trick.

* If you plan on using my save games to fight the Akbaa temple demon, prepare
  to be severely frustrated. My magic caster was not very powerful when I met
  this demon. In fact, I had to go back and buy a lot of life potions or I
  just couldn't defeat it! =(

* After the incident with the Akbaa temple demon, I really started collecting
  life potions in a big way. I even distilled a lot of flowers to create life
  potions. Because of this, you may find that all save games after the Akbaa
  temple demon offers more than enough life potions. =)

* I picked up lots of food everywhere, so eating should never be a problem.

* I solved the goblin king puzzle the right way, i.e. putting wine in his cake
  in order to have a talk with him in the bathroom. I did not open his code
  lock with four digits, however.

* Relatively early, I gave the book of finance to the troll king, and I gave
  the book of pictures to the birthday troll.

* I hacked out all stones I could find in the troll caves and sold them.

* I found and saved Shany, the female shopkeepers little girl.

* Although I did find the secret bank lock, I never robbed the bank.

* I never tried to solve Oliver's treasure hunt, nor did I save Lord Inut.

* I found the ice caverns relatively early and examined all the tunnels using
  levitation spells. All skeleton bodies were looted.

* I bought a dragon egg from the white dragon thus did not fight or kill it.

* I only killed the earth goblins to gain the reward from the water goblins.
  The water goblins were allowed to live. I know now that I was better off
  killing both clans, but I didn't know this at the time of playing. =/

* I enchanted the meteor sword myself rather than betraying the rebel leader
  by telling the snake woman leader where she could be found.

* I did not gain access to the pillar room with the female ghost that tells you
  of the one-eyed man. In fact, I don't recall anything about three invisible
  ghosts either, so I guess there was a minor section I never found! =/

* I did not give Krahoz and Zohark to the rebel leader woman after using them
  to destroy the meteor stone. In fact, I did not give them away at all.

* I first bought a bow and arrows very late in the game. Originally I didn't want
  them at all, but later learned that they were necessary in order to shoot the
  jewel stone in the Temple of Illusions.

* I put a wooden stake into the chest of all zombies I defeated, so you shouldn't
  find any zombies "welcoming you back" in the later save games. =)

* As the result of some of the above actions, the cutscene with the rebel leader
  woman meeting her father ended with her following the snake women to become
  their new queen.

I ended at level 8 and with an enormous amount of gold (I didn't buy much in the
shops found in the game).

JCH, 8 May 2003
