Concise Challenges Writeup
Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 2:45 pm
So, before I do the late gam writeup, here's the missing challenges writeup ^^ Fingers crossed the devs pay attention
Fighter
Bronze - It's fine.
Silver - It's fine.
Gold - is godawfull, difficult and requires a very precise way of handling as well as probably requiring a RBS. It also unlock before you unlock the RBS and is the only one that can actually cost you gold (and has cost me a hefty 1000). Yes, it was nerfed, and, no, it didn't help enough. Also, I couldn't do it with RBS, I completed it with heaps of GETINDARE abuse.
Berserker
Bronze - It's fine, and I loved the flavour.
Silver - It's fine, and I loved the flavour.
Gold - It's one of the 2 dungeons which have VICIUOS dungeons as unlock prerequisites. This is annomalous and very jarring. And it doesn't even have the awesome flavour! (The challenge itself is fine)
Warlord
Bronze - It's fine, and I loved the writing.
Silver - It's fine, and I loved the writing.
Gold - It's way more difficult than the majority of the challenges (or vicious dungeons for that matter). Could be toned down by a lot and still be fun, or if going for a more subtle toning down, the biggest issue for me was inventory space, so a compression seal on the first boss kill would be a good place to start.
Thief
Bronze - It's fine.
Silver - I did it with heavy reliance on GETINDARE, so no clue about actual difficulty. EDIT: Avatar's vid showed what was the problem for me - too many chests.
Gold - The new balanced Dagger seemed to have fixed it for FDru. I remember only managing it with old GETINDARE abuse.
Rogue
Bronze - It's fine.
Silver - I beat it using the greatest GETINDARE abuse gimmick ever, which is not viable right now. I suppose it was ment to be done some other way, lifesteal and overheal I think, but in that case it unlocks too early.
Gold - It's fine, did it without GETINDARE. It did drop a pair of Midas Gloves in the end for some reason.
Assassin
Bronze - It's fine (or rather was before the poison changes, but it's probably still fine)
Silver - Same, most likely.
Gold - Looked intimidating turned out to be the easiest gold challenge, most likely. It's probably fine.
Priest
Bronze - It's fine.
Silver - was done with heaps of GETINDARE abuse and might be a tad too difficult.
Gold - It's fine and I liked it a lot.
Monk
Bronze - It's fine, and I loved the twist.
Silver - It's fine.
Gold -I used old APHEELSICK and it took me a bunch of tries. Maybe just a tad too difficult, or it seems so because of the general lack of familiarity with Slime Pits.
Paladin
Bronze It's fine.
Silver Is the only silver challenge which requires a vicious dungeon unlock, and that particular one requires a Berserker Labyrinth run which is NOT easy. This is my biggest gripe with any challenge, with the Fighter and Thief difficulty being second. The challenge itself is surprisingly easy.
Gold It's the most difficult challenge out there. You have to juggle too many things to win it, and it needs toning down.
Wizard
Bronze - it's fine.
Silver - it's fine, except the MAge Plate unlock can screw up the buyout quests.
Gold - it's fine.
Sorcerer
Bronze - It's fine.
Silver - Not sure. Last time it was very difficult, this time I ran into GG and did it with ease. If GG's a guaranteed spawn, then it's fine, if not then it might be too tough.
Gold - it's fine, but I don't remember if there was any GETINDARE involved.
Bloodmage
Bronze - it's fine and appropriately gothicky.
Silver - it's doable, but it's also the most difficult silver challenge, most likely. That's probably fine, though.
Gold - it's fine and I liked it a lot.
Ok, so most of it works, some of it needs tweaks, and most of it doesn't need too much fiddling with. However:
1) The unlock prerequisites for Berserker Gold and Paladin Silver have to go. Either that, or all gold should have the same type of exploration prerequisites, depending on how early do the devs want veto slots to be unlockable. But the way it is now is unintuitive, annoying and wrong.
2) Fighters gold needs to stop being able to drain your cash. It's also too hard and needs a nerf. So do thiefs silver and gold, Paladin Gold, Warlord gold and priest silver, at least. How much of a nerf - depends on the dungeon. But some of them are impossibly annoying and/or impossible, some are just quite a bit above the difficulty curve in their category.
3) The early available silver unlocks can cause difficulties with the buyout quests, but how early they are available has certanly changed now that GETINDARE can't be abused so hard.
4) The "suggested" gear label is misleading, as most of the suggested stuff is actually MANDATORY, and attempting these challenges without it will just lead to frustration, and in fighters gold case, loss of gold. I suggest either: making them unavailable before the required pieces are unlocked, unlocking the required pieces just for the sake of the dungeon (yes, even altars), or, in case of relevat gear starting the player off with it.
Fighter
Bronze - It's fine.
Silver - It's fine.
Gold - is godawfull, difficult and requires a very precise way of handling as well as probably requiring a RBS. It also unlock before you unlock the RBS and is the only one that can actually cost you gold (and has cost me a hefty 1000). Yes, it was nerfed, and, no, it didn't help enough. Also, I couldn't do it with RBS, I completed it with heaps of GETINDARE abuse.
Berserker
Bronze - It's fine, and I loved the flavour.
Silver - It's fine, and I loved the flavour.
Gold - It's one of the 2 dungeons which have VICIUOS dungeons as unlock prerequisites. This is annomalous and very jarring. And it doesn't even have the awesome flavour! (The challenge itself is fine)
Warlord
Bronze - It's fine, and I loved the writing.
Silver - It's fine, and I loved the writing.
Gold - It's way more difficult than the majority of the challenges (or vicious dungeons for that matter). Could be toned down by a lot and still be fun, or if going for a more subtle toning down, the biggest issue for me was inventory space, so a compression seal on the first boss kill would be a good place to start.
Thief
Bronze - It's fine.
Silver - I did it with heavy reliance on GETINDARE, so no clue about actual difficulty. EDIT: Avatar's vid showed what was the problem for me - too many chests.
Gold - The new balanced Dagger seemed to have fixed it for FDru. I remember only managing it with old GETINDARE abuse.
Rogue
Bronze - It's fine.
Silver - I beat it using the greatest GETINDARE abuse gimmick ever, which is not viable right now. I suppose it was ment to be done some other way, lifesteal and overheal I think, but in that case it unlocks too early.
Gold - It's fine, did it without GETINDARE. It did drop a pair of Midas Gloves in the end for some reason.
Assassin
Bronze - It's fine (or rather was before the poison changes, but it's probably still fine)
Silver - Same, most likely.
Gold - Looked intimidating turned out to be the easiest gold challenge, most likely. It's probably fine.
Priest
Bronze - It's fine.
Silver - was done with heaps of GETINDARE abuse and might be a tad too difficult.
Gold - It's fine and I liked it a lot.
Monk
Bronze - It's fine, and I loved the twist.
Silver - It's fine.
Gold -I used old APHEELSICK and it took me a bunch of tries. Maybe just a tad too difficult, or it seems so because of the general lack of familiarity with Slime Pits.
Paladin
Bronze It's fine.
Silver Is the only silver challenge which requires a vicious dungeon unlock, and that particular one requires a Berserker Labyrinth run which is NOT easy. This is my biggest gripe with any challenge, with the Fighter and Thief difficulty being second. The challenge itself is surprisingly easy.
Gold It's the most difficult challenge out there. You have to juggle too many things to win it, and it needs toning down.
Wizard
Bronze - it's fine.
Silver - it's fine, except the MAge Plate unlock can screw up the buyout quests.
Gold - it's fine.
Sorcerer
Bronze - It's fine.
Silver - Not sure. Last time it was very difficult, this time I ran into GG and did it with ease. If GG's a guaranteed spawn, then it's fine, if not then it might be too tough.
Gold - it's fine, but I don't remember if there was any GETINDARE involved.
Bloodmage
Bronze - it's fine and appropriately gothicky.
Silver - it's doable, but it's also the most difficult silver challenge, most likely. That's probably fine, though.
Gold - it's fine and I liked it a lot.
Ok, so most of it works, some of it needs tweaks, and most of it doesn't need too much fiddling with. However:
1) The unlock prerequisites for Berserker Gold and Paladin Silver have to go. Either that, or all gold should have the same type of exploration prerequisites, depending on how early do the devs want veto slots to be unlockable. But the way it is now is unintuitive, annoying and wrong.
2) Fighters gold needs to stop being able to drain your cash. It's also too hard and needs a nerf. So do thiefs silver and gold, Paladin Gold, Warlord gold and priest silver, at least. How much of a nerf - depends on the dungeon. But some of them are impossibly annoying and/or impossible, some are just quite a bit above the difficulty curve in their category.
3) The early available silver unlocks can cause difficulties with the buyout quests, but how early they are available has certanly changed now that GETINDARE can't be abused so hard.
4) The "suggested" gear label is misleading, as most of the suggested stuff is actually MANDATORY, and attempting these challenges without it will just lead to frustration, and in fighters gold case, loss of gold. I suggest either: making them unavailable before the required pieces are unlocked, unlocking the required pieces just for the sake of the dungeon (yes, even altars), or, in case of relevat gear starting the player off with it.