So according to my game options, the action key is supposed to be the control key or my left-mouse button. And that seems to work for certain things like picking up objects or selecting things in the inventory. But it doesn't work for attacking and what I've read online conflicts with my experience. I'm told I should use the space bar to get the object I want to use, hit the action key and the forward key. That does allow me to attack with melee weapons. But using spell scrolls appears to work by hitting the number key corresponding to the red number I get on that scroll when I select it on the inventory screen. And I still haven't figured out how to make the bow fire. I can get it in my hand but the action key + forward just makes me go forward.

Also, the mouse look doesn't allow me to turn fast enough. Even with mouse sensitivity turned up to maximum, I still have to move the mouse across my mass pad six times to turn 180 degrees. I want to give this game a fair shot, but it's frustrating when I keep dying in the earliest stages because of fumbling with the controls.

You will need to make following adjustments:

1. In options menu select 'Gothic 1 Controls'
2. In Gothic2.ini file set MouseRotationScale=4. This should take care of mouse sensitivity issues. The ini file can be found in System folder

Now LMB is a general purpose key for interacting with in-game objects. In combat mode it's used for locking onto hostile targets in depressed state. As long as the mouse stays at rest, your avatar will be locked on to a particular target. To activate combat mode you just need to have a weapon or spell drawn. Once a target is locked, following actions become possible

1. Forward strike (melee)/release arrow or bolt/cast spell: FWD key. I use "W"
2. Sideways swings (melee): RIGHT or LEFT keys. I use "A" and "D"
3. Parry: BACK key. I use "S"

Now since most of us play FPS games, our fingers are trained to first hit movement keys followed by LMB. This doesn't work in Gothic, you've got to first hit LMB, keep it pressed, and then movement keys. This may take some time getting used to. Also it is generally recommended to play Gothic 1 before starting Gothic 2.

Ah, thanks for your assistance. I don't actually own Gothic 1, although I suppose it's cheap to buy--I had the impression Gothic 2 was the best received of the series, so I decided to start there. Is it because the story is richer if you have the Gothic 1 background or is it that Gothic 2 is harder because it was written with the assumption that players were already familiar with the controls/combat system?

I am no veteran, having finished Gothic 1 in June 2020 for the first time and have just started Gothic 2, now in chap 2, level 12 militiaman. From my limited exposure, the 2 games are essentially one tightly knit experience, infact I find it hard to believe that these are 2 separate games.

Gothic 2 on release was a lot easier, but veteran Gothic 1 players complained. As a reaction to that the expansion made it a lot harder - and nowadays you can only buy the version with expansion, so that's why it's so hard. It does get easier as you level though. That's true for all of Piranha Bytes' games: you start out as a weakling who would die from a mosquito bite, but can end up strong enough to kill an entire army.

As for whether you should play Gothic 1: I would say yes, unless you're not enjoying Gothic 2. As 7PCGamer said both games are very much alike, with G2 just improving on the G1 formula. Most indeed prefer G2, though some (like me) prefer the more intimate setting of G1.

Canonically you should of course play G1 first, but game-play wise it doesn't really matter that much. When you meet someone from the old game you'll have a choice to recognise them or not - and the start of G2 gives an excuse for why you could've forgotten them.