Something different: An annotated game of kingdom management
Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 1:11 am
Since the example playthrough thread was such a hit (be sure to check out the corresponding wiki page), and since there have been a lot of new players complaining about the confusing maze of options confronting new kingdoms, I thought I'd try doing an annotated playthrough that focuses more on management decisions rather than the details of adventuring. I don't know if this concept will end up being interesting enough to justify a whole thread, but it's worth the experiment.
I'm laying down some rules for myself. No grinding allowed. Every adventure must advance the game state in some way, either by unlocking new assets, solving quests, or even just obtaining new badge/class completion bonuses. This isn't to say that I won't do any scumming. Scumming is one of those high-level management decisions that you make before the adventure begins, and so I think it has a place here. However, I'm not going to do any gruesome "perfect storm" scumming, where you search for some incredibly unlikely conjunction of dungeon features. Here, scumming means pulling out early when confronted with a bad map, and also engaging in limited "raids" to snatch up key assets quickly.
The secret to succeeding in the early game is to unlock key passive assets quickly and efficiently, minimize your overhead, and snatch up as many badge bonuses as possible. Preparations are very powerful, but their benefits only last for one round and they cost money to use. In the beginning, you really want your cash going into long term investments. Fortunately, there are several ways that you can make your adventurers more powerful without buying preps:
1) Improve your bank. Adventurer allowance makes a huge difference in power without costing you much money. As long as your adventurer gets back home, you can recover all or most of your cash. Nothing else in the game has better money-to-power ratio than adventurer allowance. Much of my long term planning is going to revolve around getting the bank quests quickly.
2) Increase your shop count. The Bezar quest line is very important, and is interleaved with the bank quest line.
3) Improve your item pool. While the starting lineup of shop items is actually really good, having access to all-star items like the Venom Ward, Soul Orb, Trisword, and Crystal Ball can really turn a struggling dungeon crawl around.
4) Expand your pantheon. The number of altars that spawn on the map depend on how many gods your kingdom venerates.
1-3 gods = 1 altar
3-6 gods = 2 altars
7-9 gods = 3 altars (and unlocks the 4 altar prep, if you feel like spending money)
Obtaining multiple altars is a huge quantum leap in power, almost like playing another game. Plus, it doesn't cost you money. If you have Tikki Tooki, you can actually gain money!
5) Unlock more monster types. This is a subtle effect that most people don't even consider. The starting monster roster consists of Goblins, Warlocks, Zombies, and Meatmen. This is a very harsh lineup. The Goblin and the Zombie are standardly regarded as the two hardest 'normal' monsters in the game, and none of these creatures are particularly soft. Diluting the pool with more monster types will make your games easier on average.
6) Enable the hidden bonus subdungeons. Once you get the tinker, bonus subdungeons will start spawning in addition to the normal ones. While there is no 100% reliable way to find them for non-Tinkers, stumbling across one gives you a nice chunk of exploration, and the contents of the subdungeons are always good.
7) The Witch's Hut. Another super important quest line, the Witch expands the pool of potions available to the shops and grants you extra potion slots.
I'm laying down some rules for myself. No grinding allowed. Every adventure must advance the game state in some way, either by unlocking new assets, solving quests, or even just obtaining new badge/class completion bonuses. This isn't to say that I won't do any scumming. Scumming is one of those high-level management decisions that you make before the adventure begins, and so I think it has a place here. However, I'm not going to do any gruesome "perfect storm" scumming, where you search for some incredibly unlikely conjunction of dungeon features. Here, scumming means pulling out early when confronted with a bad map, and also engaging in limited "raids" to snatch up key assets quickly.
The secret to succeeding in the early game is to unlock key passive assets quickly and efficiently, minimize your overhead, and snatch up as many badge bonuses as possible. Preparations are very powerful, but their benefits only last for one round and they cost money to use. In the beginning, you really want your cash going into long term investments. Fortunately, there are several ways that you can make your adventurers more powerful without buying preps:
1) Improve your bank. Adventurer allowance makes a huge difference in power without costing you much money. As long as your adventurer gets back home, you can recover all or most of your cash. Nothing else in the game has better money-to-power ratio than adventurer allowance. Much of my long term planning is going to revolve around getting the bank quests quickly.
2) Increase your shop count. The Bezar quest line is very important, and is interleaved with the bank quest line.
3) Improve your item pool. While the starting lineup of shop items is actually really good, having access to all-star items like the Venom Ward, Soul Orb, Trisword, and Crystal Ball can really turn a struggling dungeon crawl around.
4) Expand your pantheon. The number of altars that spawn on the map depend on how many gods your kingdom venerates.
1-3 gods = 1 altar
3-6 gods = 2 altars
7-9 gods = 3 altars (and unlocks the 4 altar prep, if you feel like spending money)
Obtaining multiple altars is a huge quantum leap in power, almost like playing another game. Plus, it doesn't cost you money. If you have Tikki Tooki, you can actually gain money!
5) Unlock more monster types. This is a subtle effect that most people don't even consider. The starting monster roster consists of Goblins, Warlocks, Zombies, and Meatmen. This is a very harsh lineup. The Goblin and the Zombie are standardly regarded as the two hardest 'normal' monsters in the game, and none of these creatures are particularly soft. Diluting the pool with more monster types will make your games easier on average.
6) Enable the hidden bonus subdungeons. Once you get the tinker, bonus subdungeons will start spawning in addition to the normal ones. While there is no 100% reliable way to find them for non-Tinkers, stumbling across one gives you a nice chunk of exploration, and the contents of the subdungeons are always good.
7) The Witch's Hut. Another super important quest line, the Witch expands the pool of potions available to the shops and grants you extra potion slots.