10-19-2005, 05:59 PM
Hi Chaostheory
I took a first read through your guide. First of all, I like that you chose such a difficult task, and that you had the nerve to do it in HC. :)
However, that does give you a bit of a problem in writing a guide for outlining the various tactics possible, because the cost of a mistake is awfully high. In softcore, you can say "Darn, that didn't work", and try a new tactic next time, and then evaluate what is most effective under those circumstances.
The first thing I would suggest is that you do your utmost to finish the game in all difficulties before you finish the guide. Tactics that make sense in Normal can be of limited value in Nightmare and Hell. (Of course, it may be that this particular kind of Variant Scum⢠is not viable in those modes. That doesn't mean it is not a fun challenge for other players to try. :D )
For some specific comments on the guide as it is:
1) Do your best to clean up the spelling and grammar errors in it. I know this sounds like a nit-pick, but they do make reading it harder.
2) Section III should have a different name; I found the title confusing. It seems to me that it should be more like "Mission and Rules for this variant".
3) In Section IV, I would recommend re-phrasing the comment on blocking to "I have yet to have any need for it."
4) In Section V, on skill point investment, on Summons: I found "You will never need them" to be a bit confusing. After all, you do allow use of Summons when found on gear items, and make it clear later that it is the only way to get past the first few quests. How about "Skill point placement in the Summoning tree is not permitted for this variant." ? I would suggest the same for Poison and Bone Spells.
On the specific curses:
5) Terror: Have you not used it because you didn't think it would be useful? Or you have not experimented with it? It seems to me that for a team with no meat shield/tank involved, that is playing solo, there could be considerable value at times.
6) Attract: Same comment as above.
7) Lower Resist: I suspect that eventually you will meet a Stone Skin Physical Immune, where elemental damage from your mercenary's bow (augmented by Lower Resist) will do more damage than physical damage (augmented by Amplify Damage). Perhaps a single point might be of value. You will only be able to test this later; it may be a point worth evaluating later in the game.
8) In Section IV, I would rename it "Tactics".
9) For Quest 2, I was a bit confused by the suggestion of hitting the skill shrine more than once. In my experience, once hit, skill shrines do not re-set.
10) In section VII, I suggest you discuss useful bow attributes for the mercenary, instead of specific bows. For one thing, it is not always possible to have an Ort rune by the time a character is 21, to make Zephyr. Additional discussion of the various item attributes that your character should seek would be useful too - not a wish list of wonderful uniques or rune words, but a list of the attributes that help the most.
Thanks for a fun read.
I took a first read through your guide. First of all, I like that you chose such a difficult task, and that you had the nerve to do it in HC. :)
However, that does give you a bit of a problem in writing a guide for outlining the various tactics possible, because the cost of a mistake is awfully high. In softcore, you can say "Darn, that didn't work", and try a new tactic next time, and then evaluate what is most effective under those circumstances.
The first thing I would suggest is that you do your utmost to finish the game in all difficulties before you finish the guide. Tactics that make sense in Normal can be of limited value in Nightmare and Hell. (Of course, it may be that this particular kind of Variant Scum⢠is not viable in those modes. That doesn't mean it is not a fun challenge for other players to try. :D )
For some specific comments on the guide as it is:
1) Do your best to clean up the spelling and grammar errors in it. I know this sounds like a nit-pick, but they do make reading it harder.
2) Section III should have a different name; I found the title confusing. It seems to me that it should be more like "Mission and Rules for this variant".
3) In Section IV, I would recommend re-phrasing the comment on blocking to "I have yet to have any need for it."
4) In Section V, on skill point investment, on Summons: I found "You will never need them" to be a bit confusing. After all, you do allow use of Summons when found on gear items, and make it clear later that it is the only way to get past the first few quests. How about "Skill point placement in the Summoning tree is not permitted for this variant." ? I would suggest the same for Poison and Bone Spells.
On the specific curses:
5) Terror: Have you not used it because you didn't think it would be useful? Or you have not experimented with it? It seems to me that for a team with no meat shield/tank involved, that is playing solo, there could be considerable value at times.
6) Attract: Same comment as above.
7) Lower Resist: I suspect that eventually you will meet a Stone Skin Physical Immune, where elemental damage from your mercenary's bow (augmented by Lower Resist) will do more damage than physical damage (augmented by Amplify Damage). Perhaps a single point might be of value. You will only be able to test this later; it may be a point worth evaluating later in the game.
8) In Section IV, I would rename it "Tactics".
9) For Quest 2, I was a bit confused by the suggestion of hitting the skill shrine more than once. In my experience, once hit, skill shrines do not re-set.
10) In section VII, I suggest you discuss useful bow attributes for the mercenary, instead of specific bows. For one thing, it is not always possible to have an Ort rune by the time a character is 21, to make Zephyr. Additional discussion of the various item attributes that your character should seek would be useful too - not a wish list of wonderful uniques or rune words, but a list of the attributes that help the most.
Thanks for a fun read.
And you may call it righteousness
When civility survives,
But I've had dinner with the Devil and
I know nice from right.
From Dinner with the Devil, by Big Rude Jake
When civility survives,
But I've had dinner with the Devil and
I know nice from right.
From Dinner with the Devil, by Big Rude Jake