Monday, 13th October 2014, 19:16 by and into
I agree with mikee that, especially for someone learning the ropes, just wearing a heavy armor to maximize AC is a good idea, as this allows you to focus experience on your weapon skill early on, and is a straightforward and reliable way to make a character that is capable of getting to Lair. You don't have to fuss about item strategy and stat planning as much, and can instead worry mostly about learning tactics. Of course, this assumes that you aren't playing a spriggan or something. So long as you can wear it, you got decent strength, and you are not casting spells, then plate is nearly always going to be a reasonable option. Perhaps not the best option, but a solid one.
Before Lair, you can usually only afford to increase AC or EV, barring some really unusually good luck (or certain species). Unless I am casting spells, I find I have better success overall wearing heavy armor and focusing on AC during this time, all else being equal. So personally I am a big fan of plate, or the occasional chain mail if I find a good ego and enchantment or artefact. Then I see what drops to determine exactly how I want to develop the character. Most often I put points in strength until I get into high teens or so, then switch to dex, and try to get some at least decent EV around the time I am getting my first rune. But I'll divert some attention into spells and possibly int, instead, if some good cheapies are available. Or I'll pick up evocations skill if I've found the items to support it. Or whatever.
Having bad AC means you will have bad "damage spikes," even if you have good EV. This is problematic throughout the game. Having bad EV, on the other hand, means that nearly everything hits you, and so any secondary effects (like corrosion, draining, etc.) are going to accumulate much more easily, which is potentially dangerous, but also really annoying. In addition, as you progress in the game, some attacks (spells in particular—like crystal spear) can have ridiculously high max damage, so with a couple of bad rolls, even very high AC will not, on its own, be as reliable as you'd like. So, ideally you want enough HP that you won't get killed in one or two hits, even if you (however improbably) get a terrible roll. And ideally, around the time you are starting Depths, at the latest (but hopefully earlier, around the start of Vaults), you will at least have very good AC and okay EV, or vice-versa. But you got some time before you start to be really badly and consistently punished for any weak spots (in your resists, in your primary defenses, etc.), and even then, smart use of your consumables will always go a long way.
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