Are the mimics supposed to be hard?

So after several releases of not playing for more than a few minutes, I resolved to play more on this one. I tried the steam installer, everything worked great. Then I tried combat in the Kingsport sewer against a mimic. There is no information on the screen about how much damage you are causing, or how much they are causing. I just know that within 2 or 3 seconds of engaging a mimic, I am dead. I don't even know what level they are. I just mash buttons frantically until I am quickly dead. This isn't fun. Aren't we supposed to start at level 5? What level is the mimic?

I did like the overland map. (This is my first experience with it since the much-hated faux-cloth map.

The game seems really cool, the world is engaging, it's got an interesting story written by one of my favorite authors, but I really don't understand or like what you are doing with combat.

And I'm just waiting for the moment when my character will start whining that he hasn't been fed in the last five minutes like with U7. (Iolo fainted several times before I gave up U7 in annoyance)

 

The mimic bites quite hard, I started in R10 and I considered it one of the "Do-not-let-it-stand-next-to-you-at-all-cost" kind of creature, seems that in R11 it should be the same

Fortunately they are very slow and easy to kite around.