I was expecting combat to unfold in much the way that Baulder's Gate handled it but I'm finding the combat not very intuitive.  The auto pause on combat start does not seem to work, nor do I really seem to have an idea of whether the commands I'm giving my party members are actually being carried out or not.  I don't know when a spell has finished being cast or if I am interrupting a spell that is in the process of being cast.  

 

Is there some sort of instruction book or guide that has been put together for the beta?  I feel like I'm coming into this completely blind.

 

Thanks!
 

Check the beta forums. There are several how-to threads there.

 

That said, the combat in the beta is very rough and lacking in feedback. This is not a game yet, so don't expect one.

Got the same problem, the combat is totally getting the fun out of the game, hope they change it into something more like Baldur's Gate / Icewind Dale.

Ive found most important button to use in combat is S and D. S will slow everything down really slowly to where ive stop using pause and D speeds everything up really fast.

what i'd like to see in combat is:

- opponents move as fast as you in some cases even faster (like vampires in BG2 or dragons)

- special abilities opponents have like level drain (vampires BG2), stun (mindflayers BG2), breath/wing (dragons BG2), paralyze (beholder BG2) ....

- enemies with high magical potential like the liches in BG2

- generally even terms between enemy and your party (not just movement)

- different weapons for different enemies (like in BG2)

- spells like confusion/stun/spell immunity and corresponding counter spells

-> thus fleeing/retreating is not really an option but rather reload try again with a better tactic in the more difficult fights

I would like to see monsters grappling (and swallowing whole) like the giant frogs in TOEE.  Personally not a fan of BG/IW combat styles.