How do YOU play IVAN?

Title = Subject

So, how do you? Tactics, favoured weapons, gods, etc.
I thought maybe if we shared our strategies, everyone can help point out weaknesses and ways to improve.

I'll start with how I play:
When I first start off, I scour all of UT1 and 2 equipping the first weapon I see (provided it isn't a war hammer, quarterstaff or anything -enchanted) along with the first armor I come across. I try to use 2 weapons at a time if possible. I like to try to align myself with Loraticus and love chain-mail.

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Sorry for double post, but i'm posting from a PSP which has a limited memory for text.

Anyway, as I progress and get to attnam, I sell anything unimportant and purchase some form of fire resistance if I don't already have some. I then spend the rest of my gold (if any) at the library, prioritising on harden scrolls, then enchant scrolls. I also keep with me a healthy supply of cans I fill with healing fluids, and a small chest for wands, scrolls and anything shiny (dang magpies). It's gung ho from there.

//DOUBLE POSTING PROBLEM SOLVED - CAPRISTO INVENTS THE EDIT BUTTON! NO OFFENCE OF COURSE, I JUST GOT HERE BEFORE YOU.//

I run around until hungry (gaining about 5 AGI by then), then eat bananas and run a little more, then buy yet some more bananas and wield the peels and fight with them until they spoil. Then it's either AStr training or I wield the encrypted scroll and continue the DEX course.

I take care of the enner beast with lightning, since I hate using precious wands of striking on him.

As for named baddies, namely Ur-Khan and Danny, I generally enter UT4 at a later part of the game, in hope of them getting spawned there, not on GC7 or GC8. I do sometimes fight them, and win. Using mirroring.

I will not write any more, because I am already writing a huge-ass guidebook for IVAN! Fogyeah, using 4zb4's topics as my adspace!

I never train stats like Alveradok, well at least not while proceeding through the game at the same time. I usually get a halberd since that gives me lots of arm strength at the beginning. Always carry a small chest with the "essentials" such as a few bottles of healing liquid. All my extra stuff goes into a larger chest that I drop off at the beginning of each level, and pick up again and move to the next level after it's cleared. That way I'm never too burdened, but at the same time the important stuff can be protected from explosions and yet is within easy grasp. I always carry a wand of teleport, in case I don't have time to open my chest, and because it doesn't cause too much harm if it explodes. As for named baddies, I always stock up on octiron/mithril bear traps, lay a few out for them which hopefully sever their limbs or trap them. Once they are sufficiently trapped (unable to move) or have some limbs cut off they are easy enough to run up to and kill. for the enner, I use wands of fireballs, they seem to be more powerful than striking for him

I took a look at some screenshots of Your's, Capristo. I am quite surprised at the 18-20 dex Your characters sport... But this could be due to the fact I never got far before employing my training routine. I think a comparisom of our chars gives a good picture of how diverse are peoples' ways of playing IVAN.

I reccomend You try building up 40-50 dex. It's effortless and quite safe once You get the elite guard's armor, and chopping heads directly off of mistress torture chiefs can really save Your char!

That is what i do, but lately i'm more picky with my weapons.

Ah but did you notice my equipment as well? I almost always go for gauntlets of dexterity and boots of agility and super-enchant them, because I know that I won't be able to train those naturally. Probably 6 or 7 of my dexterity is just due to equipment