Make the Flying Fortress a tad easier?

[The G-Meister]

Now don't get me wrong, I'm all up for a challenge. But the difficulty spike seems to go up pretty rapidly from Pumpkin Woods to the Flying Fortress. No matter how hard I try I can never find a skillset which does a good job there, even when I'm 12 levels higher than all the enemies and have the best gear in the game - let alone when I've just got there. A few small nerfs might make it less rage-inducing and more fun to stick around in.

Being able to stunlock Wisps and Guardians, even if it's only for a frame or 5, would make it so much easier to hit them well. Normally you've just caught up with one, you get a hit off on it, and it's gone again... now I have to repeat 5 times. Great.

Also, for the love of God, change that thing where multiple lock-on Wisp projectiles sap up your invincibility frames (when you take a hit and a projectile locks on to you and rotates around your body during your invincibility frames meaning you have to run away like 10 steps or be forced to take damage). If you gave them a turning circle that isn't a pixel long it would mean you can actually run away from them, as well as land some hits on a few enemies.

As a side note, in Arcade mode, I find it incredibly difficult to get an S rank in any room. I know people have done it - but how do you do it consistently? And would these nerfs make it too easy to S rank?

 

[GarlicJelly]

Also, for the love of God, change that thing where multiple lock-on Wisp projectiles sap up your invincibility frames (when you take a hit and a projectile locks on to you and rotates around your body during your invincibility frames meaning you have to run away like 10 steps or be forced to take damage). If you gave them a turning circle that isn't a pixel long it would mean you can actually run away from them, as well as land some hits on a few enemies.

The projectiles only lock onto the player like that when you play on Hard diffuculty. On Easy you have no problem out running them.

 

[The G-Meister]

As in, they have a turning radius, or they move slower? I'm pretty sure they just move slower, right?

 

[The G-Meister]

I just did the test. I don't mind the projectiles being quicker, but generally their turning radius is far too small such that if there's more than one Wisp you're literally running for your life the whole time.

 

[Own]

The key to dealing with pumpkins and wisps is your bow. A pop of one arrow knocks them out of attacking for a moment, I believe.

 

[Ardeof]

I myself would prefer a new feature than making a game easier. There are already two difficulty options, if you find Hard too "Hard", choose Normal.

 

[The G-Meister]

I spose the issue isn't really it being too hard, it's more that it's too boring. I'd love to whack some brawler bot face in, but if I'm always running from at least two projectiles just far away enough such that I can perfect guard them, I can only get one hit off and then I'm running away again.

If I try to perfect guard them while standing still, the brawler bot tends to slip a hit into the gap where my shield's down, then both of the projectiles are hovering around me trying to get another hit off, so I have to run away again. If not, then I'll perfect guard the brawler bot, then the two projectiles hit my shield, at which point the bot's come in for another hit, and I end up breaking my shield, which in a place like this.

If they had a turning radius of sorts I could step off to the side and kill the bot, while the projectiles circle around me, then when the next barrage that comes after me I can return to their "sparkling green faces".

[Edit]: Hey there's an idea, give all wisps and guardians these properties, and make the elite ones just like they are now! Sorted!

 

[Yuuki]

or you know dont try to prefect guard everything

 

[The G-Meister]

There's no point. My shield just breaks, even with a barrel shield.

[Edit]: It's like I'm using my shield as my primary weapon, which isn't fun at all.

 

[Ardeof]

There is very little to nothing difficult about Flying Fortress. It's a very noob friendly map, and has a similar difficulty level of the Forest. Wisps are probably the main common monster problem, but the projectiles can be dodged easily. They're a bit of a nuisance if you don't target the Wisps first.

 

[The G-Meister]

Not on hard mode. On a normal story mode playthrough, I tend to do my first major grinding session at the pumpkin woods to get some gear, and I don't usually die at all. I then go back through Evergrind fields and pillar mountains to get cards. And the death starts when you get to the flying fortress. I even tend to get gear from phaseman before I start grinding there. The fact that it's a necessity to to do this before I even attempt to grind shows you how difficult it is. it is no way near on par with the pumpkin woods.

When wisp projectiles move at your speed, as do brawler bots, stopping at all means you're gonna get hit by one or the other. And you can't even target the wisps first, as they move away from you on par with your movement speed. It's like everything is keeping out of your way while keeping you out of their way.

If you still feel that strongly that I have the wrong opinion, feel free to give me a demonstration of how to grind in the large room on hard mode, making sure you are the person making all the hits (EG, no snowbuddy, earth spike, warrior spirit etc.).

 

[Ardeof]

Wisp projectiles aren't that fast. The projectile turn radius is also terrible, so running at an angle is a guaranteed dodge. Maybe you just haven't spent enough time trying each monster?

 

[The G-Meister]

I have 400 hours in the game. It would be pretty safe to say I know them well enough.

 

[Ardeof]

I have about 1/4 that amount of time played on SoG, and apparently I know more about Flying Fortress monsters than you do. So either you're being stubborn about something when playing against the AI, or you're just stuck in a learning curve.

 

[The G-Meister]

That's quite a claim.

Wisp projectiles aren't that fast.

Um, yes they are.

The projectile turn radius is also terrible

If by terrible you mean 1 pixel, sure.

running at an angle is a guaranteed dodge.

I'm not trying to dodge, I'm trying to grind. If I'm dodging all the time because there's always 2 projectiles after me, I'm not doing any grinding. Also I'm pretty sure the Devs want to change that for this reason, combined with a few others (eg, you can outrun halloweeds on Hard).

If I haven't proved my point yet (well, you're clearly not buying it) this is what I'm getting at - shield fighting. It's boring. It's tedious. It hurts my little finger. My thumb is much stronger and that's the reason space bar is my attack button. "Kill the brawler bots so you can reflect the projectiles properly?" I can't, the projectiles keep hitting me. "Dodge the projectiles?" I'm trying to grind, not avoid. "Go attack the Wisps?" I can't they run away just as fast as I catch up to them. I've got video evidence of all of this if you think I'm being stubborn.

 

[Ardeof]

If you want a boring grinding game where you press a button for many hours, there are plenty of alternatives. Most are free, google-able.

I'd much prefer a game that sets the bar on how people have to play, instead of catering to the idiocracy that is beginning to plague this land. What's the difference between pressing 1 button and pressing 2-3? After a while the pattern becomes muscle memory and just as easy to accomplish anyway.

Edit: Perhaps there should be more of an effort being put into requesting a skill that allows for a "lazier" style of playing. Berserk could easily move over to the 1H and add damage/ damage reduction or something, at the cost of EP.

 

[The G-Meister]

I'd much prefer a game that sets the bar on how people have to play

By forcing them to use ranged skills in an area? It's just being biased, and I want to level it out a tad. My suggestions won't even make it that much easier.

If you want a boring grinding game where you press a button for many hours, there are plenty of alternatives.

I don't want a boring grinding game where I have to press 1 button over and over - but that's what it turns into when there's more than one Wisp around. Shield. Have I taken damage yet? No. Do I need to run away because I'm going to take damage? No. Is there another projectile and more Brawler Bots after me? Yes. Shield. Rinse and repeat.

What's the difference between pressing 1 button and pressing 2-3

Your fingers hurt less and it becomes less boring and monotonous, because the order in which you press them changes.

Perhaps there should be more of an effort being put into requesting a skill that allows for a "lazier" style of playing.

Plant summon. It's literally walk round in circles and put plants down. Plants which annihilate everything.