This is SO much like Dungeon Master...

[krayzkrok]

That would totally work if it were not 12+ squares away from me, around two corners, at the start of the scenario. I can't see it or interact with it until I start the running sequence, and then I can't retreat.

Creatures do roam around, once I knew it was there (and what the trap was) I waited for it to wander back into view. It didn't take long. In subsequent attempts it was already in view when I rounded the corner. I suppose it's possible it might take a while on occasion, but that's the nature of the creature AI. I distinctly remember waiting for creatures to walk into the right spot in Dungeon Master too. It's not a set sequence of events, there's a random element to keep things unpredictable.

Two spiders. Can't two-step them both for very long, especially with how fast spiders are. Then you are in a corner and at least one spider is flanking you.

Hmmm, I'm not really sure which part you're referring to here. I always managed to avoid being flanked by those nasty things, because being trapped in a corner is not good. There are a couple of rooms containing lots of spiders, but each has a gate that you can use to recover.

[Brodie301]

You can can control leveling by choosing to let members fight or not.
As long as each member is involved in every fight they level equally.
Even if it's only that they hit once.

[seebs]

That would totally work if it were not 12+ squares away from me, around two corners, at the start of the scenario. I can't see it or interact with it until I start the running sequence, and then I can't retreat.

Creatures do roam around, once I knew it was there (and what the trap was) I waited for it to wander back into view. It didn't take long. In subsequent attempts it was already in view when I rounded the corner. I suppose it's possible it might take a while on occasion, but that's the nature of the creature AI. I distinctly remember waiting for creatures to walk into the right spot in Dungeon Master too. It's not a set sequence of events, there's a random element to keep things unpredictable.

Right.

Thing is:

There's no way to know that there is a flying creature around two corners from you that doesn't seem to even consider pathing out of its original location until you've done the trap once.

One of the things I liked in DM was that you never needed to fail a puzzle to understand it. There weren't hidden meta-traps like "you may be unable to complete this, resulting in falling in a pit, if a monster you can neither see nor hear from where you start happens to path in a given way."

[Hariolor]

Two spiders. Can't two-step them both for very long, especially with how fast spiders are. Then you are in a corner and at least one spider is flanking you.

Hmmm, I'm not really sure which part you're referring to here. I always managed to avoid being flanked by those nasty things, because being trapped in a corner is not good. There are a couple of rooms containing lots of spiders, but each has a gate that you can use to recover.

This.^^^

Only a few levels in so far, but I've made very good use of gates to clear out rooms of baddies. Open gate - use spell to stun enemy. Cycle through three physical attacks. Close gate before enemy attacks. Repeat until victorious.

One of the awesome things about this style of game is that thinking tactically is absolutely paramount. It's less about twitch or bravado than it is about turning your environment to your advantage.

[seebs]

The specific room I found frustrating with spiders was earlyish in the spider level. There's a timed gate you can run through, which closes behind you. At this point, you are in a room with two spiders. You can't go back through the gate until you've found the switch to open it. Spiders are fast and will try to enclose you. It's certainly possible to beat, but it doesn't admit simple strategies like "use the door to control them" or "fight one at a time".

[xdeath]

Pfft, no this game resembles Eye of the Beholder.

... can't tell if serious.

When I was a kid, my brother bought a copy of the Eye of the Beholder trilogy. So, when I saw this on steam, I was thinking "This reminds me of Eye of the Beholder".
I had never even heard of Dungeon Master prior to playing Grimrock.

[Hariolor]

The specific room I found frustrating with spiders was earlyish in the spider level. There's a timed gate you can run through, which closes behind you. At this point, you are in a room with two spiders. You can't go back through the gate until you've found the switch to open it. Spiders are fast and will try to enclose you. It's certainly possible to beat, but it doesn't admit simple strategies like "use the door to control them" or "fight one at a time".

Oh, I recall that room.

I got lucky in that the spiders were still up the hall

SpoilerShow

and I could use their own eggs as barriers to fight them one at a time.

[Sweet_Intestinals]

The specific room I found frustrating with spiders was earlyish in the spider level. There's a timed gate you can run through, which closes behind you. At this point, you are in a room with two spiders. You can't go back through the gate until you've found the switch to open it. Spiders are fast and will try to enclose you. It's certainly possible to beat, but it doesn't admit simple strategies like "use the door to control them" or "fight one at a time".

I found a strategy for that room, though some may consider it an exploit.

SpoilerShow

You have enough time to take one step through the gate and back out again before the gate closes. Once you've walked in, the spiders are activated and start to roam. As it's a fairly limited space you shouldn't have to wait long before one comes near the gate, at which point you can press the button and have it step out. The gate will close behind it, allowing you to deal with them one at a time. No way to plan such a thing unless you already know what's coming, but I don't personally have a problem with having to reassess my approach on the basis of a prior failure.

[seebs]

Sounds totally fair to me. That's the kind of thinking I think the game wants from us.

[earthyearth]

yeah, and the Magic System of Grimrock with the runes is very cool