I tried Gothic 2 a long time ago and thought it was really tough but thought of trying it again..Should I play 1 first?......
Are they worth the effort to play?..I'll take any advice
thanks
Tom

Definitely play Gothic 1 first. Fantastic game and you'll get more out of the stories/gameplay.
I think Gothic 1 is supposed to be less difficult. Personally I only found the beginning difficult. Once you get some stats, weapons, etc. things become like any other RPG, more or less.
Lots of other info and [url=http://www.gog.com/en/forum/gothic_series/worth_getting]here.

Ok thank you!

Just a word of advice before you start: the learning curve on the controls is pretty steep, so it'll probably take at least a few hours of gameplay before you feel comfortable with the controls (but after that the controls actually feel quite natural). Also, you start the game being a complete weakling, and your education about what you can and can't take on will consist of dying many times. However, don't let these things frustrate or discourage you, as this really is a gem of a game and the difficulty and progression is actually handled quite well when taken as a whole. (Oh, and don't even think about touching any winch before you're told to... nasty bug there).

Yeah, the controls are very unique and turned me off the first five times I tried to get into it. :P
But I find it pretty simple when explained. Keep in mind this is for the "alternative" config, selectable in the options. This enables mouse control.
Basically you use the left mouse button and WASD keys together for everything. So to attack, hold left mouse and then the corresponding key for which direction you wish to attack in (W for up, bla bla). To use an item, bring up your inventory, highlight the item, hold left click and hit up. To trade, highlight the item, hold left mouse and hit right (D). It's very weird at first, but soon becomes natural and eventually you may come to love the "interactive" nature of it.

I am late to this party, but I would say Gothic 1 first. It will give meaning to the story, and it is a fun game once the controls are mastered.