Lucky Packet

All things Desktop Dungeons

Lucky Packet

Postby Sidestepper on Thu Jan 19, 2012 8:27 am

No ever talks about this one, I think most people aren't even sure what it does. If you're like me, you tried it once, felt underwhelmed, and then forgot about it.

Here's the breakdown

Cost: 5 gold
Competes with Patches, Smuggler's Den, Bet on Boss, and Blackmarket
Removes all gold piles from the dungeon (average value for non-thieves is about 20 gold)

The packets are
A one-time 50% stoneskin effect OR a one-time +50% xp effect
15 gold OR 20 gold OR 25 gold
A random powerup
A partial healing effect (seems roughly equivalent to a health potion, not sure if it cures poison)
A trap that reduces mana to 0 and health to 1

This is an example of a preparation that is actually worse than taking nothing at all. The one-time buffs effects would be nice if you could control when you activate them, but you can't. Things like stoneskin, xp up, and healing are only really useful when you can plan around them. Given out at random, the are likely to just get wasted.

The gold comes out roughly equal on average, but I still consider this to be a net loss. Getting less gold hurts you more than getting bonus gold helps you. Moreover, there is a good chance that the gold chest will be in the last few squares of the dungeon, at which point buying stuff doesn't help you much anymore and you might as well have found zero gold instead.

The trap is completely unjustified. The prep is already a net loss, and the trap pushes it way over the edge.

The prep might be salvagable if the gold was even split among the chests, the trap was removed/replaced with a benefit, and the player was given the option to defer the effects of the boons until he needs them. It's still competing with superstars like Patches and Smuggler's Den but it would at least be a prep I would take every now and then.
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Re: Lucky Packet

Postby TigerKnee on Thu Jan 19, 2012 9:06 am

Thanks for testing the preparation out. Everyone knew it was a terrible preparation, now we have... mathematical proof, I guess?

That reminds me, I was going to write about preparations...
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Re: Lucky Packet

Postby Lujo on Thu Jan 19, 2012 3:00 pm

I got a one time poison ward and soul orb effect. It sticks with you intill the next time you get poisoned or mana burned.
I'm not sure which one it replaces. I'd like to see that effect added to the fortidude potion and burn salve in any case.

You can also get an empty chest, and there used to be a chest that steals gold from you.

Its quite a hazard, but I've taken it here and there for a lark.
I almost got pwned by Shifty Brickwork!
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Re: Lucky Packet

Postby Darvin on Thu Jan 19, 2012 6:09 pm

It's definitely more of a novelty than anything I'd take seriously. With Patches already the go-to choice for double-edged randomness, I don't see any reason to use Lucky Packets.
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Re: Lucky Packet

Postby The Avatar on Thu Jan 19, 2012 8:20 pm

Unless they worked like patches...

Perhaps giving a good and bad thing might not be too bad.
We made an expansion and it is awesome. Really, you should check it out, especially if you're looking for some extra challenge.

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