Special damage types have too much impact
Tue, 11/23/2010 - 09:55
Now that equipment has been re-balanced so that each item has only 2 types of defense*, it is much more difficult to give yourself adequate protection from all damage types. This wouldn't be a big deal taking special damage happened infrequently, or if we could manage to pick levels with the special damage type that we are equipped against, or if we could match our equipment to the type of damage we think is most likely to come from the next level, but none of these are the case. You will reach an elevator and have the choice to a) bail back to your last town or b) go down the elevator and get killed in short order or c) find someone else to bring into the party that is strong against that damage type and hide behind them. This is unfun.
Possible solutions:
1) Improve/clarify gate construction so that players can try to make a gate with a mostly uniform damage type (we may or may not be competent enough to do it, but it should at least feel like it's possible). The down side of this is that a mostly uniform damage type means mostly uniform enemies, which tends toward boring over time.
2) Allow more frequent gear swaps. It would be more of a fun challenge to swap out my gear at each waypoint or create a second armor set that I could switch into at any time than to cross my fingers and hope I don't come across any elemental damage from one town to the next.
3) Lessen the special damage dealt slightly. With less special defense, there should be less special damage done. Maybe there are fewer attacks that deal special damage, maybe the special damage attacks deal less total damage. They should be able to kill me faster because I can't block much piercing, not instantly.
4) Add consumable items in the dungeons that buff against special damage. Then I can save up shadow-blocking items for the upcoming zombie level, etc.
5) Change gate control so that players can pick the next stage from within the clockworks. Spend 700 energy reviving against the zombies, or 500 energy to go to the lichen level at the same depth.
In short, I don't mind that there are special damage types to plan for, but it should be possible to navigate through a gate (at the depth that matches your equipment) that deals all special damage types.
*The swiftstrike buckler still seems to have all 4 types like it did before. Is this a bug?
Tue, 11/23/2010 - 14:26
#2
For point 5, I don't count
For point 5, I don't count "jiggling the mouse for 10 minutes so I don't log off" a valid method of choosing the next level. I could see waiting maybe as much as a minute for a shift to happen. Longer than that, and my attention span is done. Too much longer than that, and I'm running into dinner time or bed time or whatever.
Tue, 11/23/2010 - 14:46
#3
On point 5: agreed. The timer
On point 5: agreed. The timer used to be shorter, but it was changed in order to... uh, actually, I have no idea why it was changed. In theory, every level at the same tier should be equally desirable. If not, and people decide to skip it- well, that's important information for game design, and the players should be trusted to make good decisions.
Tue, 11/23/2010 - 18:07
#4
As I recall from forum posts,
As I recall from forum posts, the level-change timer was lengthened to prevent people from selecting the level that they wanted.
...
which I always thought was the POINT of the setup in the first place.
Wed, 11/24/2010 - 04:41
#5
the point?
If the point is to make a player pick a different path through a gate everytime (not to cherry-pick what levels they'll play), then it would be better to map out the entire path as soon as the player enters the gate instance. Want a different path; return to town and try again. But as long as the clockworks swap the levels in realtime, I'm waiting at the elevator for the Treasure Vaults to go away.
I don't want to derail this thread into only skaf's point 5) though. He had a few other interesting ones as well.
Wed, 11/24/2010 - 17:50
#6
(Last derail: The scarlet
(Last derail: The scarlet shield also has all 4 defense types)
1) Improve/clarify gate construction: yes. It's hard enough to make a coordinated effort to make a gate reach the core (and even then it's doubtful whether the effort pays off). We don't even know what we're working towards. I never understood why we're supposed to figure out gate construction ourselves. With gate construction clarified, it would be easier to unite players in building them. And it would be feasible to actually build a gate with different levels on a floor.
2) Allow more frequent gear swaps: yes. Again I don't understand why this isn't the case right now. They could make gear-swapping take time. Or even just gear swaps at terminals. But strategic choices are currently limited by the inability to swap gear.
3) Less special damage: no. Not if we get gear swaps. Plus, see point 5.
4) Consumables that give temporary protection: sounds cool.
5) Ability to pick your next level: this already exists. You can wait at the elevator till the destination changes. Sometimes this takes a minute, sometimes over ten minutes. But eventually the destination always changes. Upcoming destinations are visible on the Gate Map.