However, you only create one character in this game; you select the others from among a number of pre-designed characters you come across during the game. With one exception, the stronger ones won't join you until you've completed some of the quests; the stronger the character, the more has to be done before they'll join. I played one game in a way that allowed me to get the most advanced characters as quickly as I could, but this had two disadvantages. First, the game was too easy, and second, I missed out on the fun of getting my characters promoted. I found that I had most fun by taking low level characters and sticking with them.

It's very tempting to start with a dark elf as your created character, but you can pick up a first class dark elf (Cauri Blackthorne) quite quickly, and I usually start with either a cleric or a necro. You can pick up a cleric, a necro, and a vampire in the village where you start, and you meet a knight before you leave the area. What I usually do is to swap the necro or the cleric, depending on which my created character was, for Cauri, and the knight for a young dragon to get my final party.

It was refreshing to be able to walk through towns folk. In VI, they would get in my way so much.

VII had the first move while in turn mode and gave you a castle first. I also liked the day and night, where one town was always open.