Own
Moderator
So, what's the point of arcade? The only part of it that actually matters? Beyond just having fun, the actual goal.
It's either A) To beat the True Final Boss, which requires Catalyst 3.
or it's B) To set a high score worthy of crushing the competition, which largely requires Catalyst 3.
This means Catalyst 2 doesn't matter. It's just there to better prepare you for 3. Just like Catalyst 1 is to ease you in gradually closer to 3. Catalyst 0 is meant to be an easy mode to let you get through the dungeon to begin with. Rescue NPCs, do quests, fight the bosses, learn the challenge rooms, experiment with pins. Catalyst 0 wants you to beat it again, and again, and again if needs be to lay the groundwork for clawing your way to C3 and reaching the end, the only part of arcade that matters.
Unfortunately, most people are going to tap out before ever clearing C0 and seeing what the mode has to offer. Which is why I propose changing the catalysts to better emphasize the fact that C0-2 exist only as training wheels being hammered off one by one, by making the early catalysts much more casual friendly.
Current Catalysts
C0: Normal Difficulty, Healing is Strong
C1: Higher Difficulty, Healing is Strong
C2: Higher Difficulty, Healing is Weak
C3: Hard Difficulty, Healing is Weak
Proposed Change
C0: Normal Difficulty, Healing is Strong, Enemies drop normal health orbs when low on HP
C1: Normal Difficulty, Healing is Strong
C2: Higher Difficulty, Healing is Weak
C3: Hard Difficulty, Healing is Weak
You get health orb drops on C0 on normal rooms to better ensure you can reach the bosses, but otherwise fight the bosses as normal. C1 disables the health orbs but stays at Normal Difficulty. If you can beat C0 and C1 you've proven you're capable of handling enemy patterns and know all bosses, so ramping up to Higher Difficulty + Weak Healing on C2 isn't that far a jump up.
It also presents C0 as a mode for people who just want to screw around with friends and have no great ambitions toward C3.
I don't want arcade to be easier, for note, I think C3 is perfect. I just want people who aren't very good at the game to be able to get a feel for the basics in the hopes that those basics guide them towards advanced gameplay.
It's either A) To beat the True Final Boss, which requires Catalyst 3.
or it's B) To set a high score worthy of crushing the competition, which largely requires Catalyst 3.
This means Catalyst 2 doesn't matter. It's just there to better prepare you for 3. Just like Catalyst 1 is to ease you in gradually closer to 3. Catalyst 0 is meant to be an easy mode to let you get through the dungeon to begin with. Rescue NPCs, do quests, fight the bosses, learn the challenge rooms, experiment with pins. Catalyst 0 wants you to beat it again, and again, and again if needs be to lay the groundwork for clawing your way to C3 and reaching the end, the only part of arcade that matters.
Unfortunately, most people are going to tap out before ever clearing C0 and seeing what the mode has to offer. Which is why I propose changing the catalysts to better emphasize the fact that C0-2 exist only as training wheels being hammered off one by one, by making the early catalysts much more casual friendly.
Current Catalysts
C0: Normal Difficulty, Healing is Strong
C1: Higher Difficulty, Healing is Strong
C2: Higher Difficulty, Healing is Weak
C3: Hard Difficulty, Healing is Weak
Proposed Change
C0: Normal Difficulty, Healing is Strong, Enemies drop normal health orbs when low on HP
C1: Normal Difficulty, Healing is Strong
C2: Higher Difficulty, Healing is Weak
C3: Hard Difficulty, Healing is Weak
You get health orb drops on C0 on normal rooms to better ensure you can reach the bosses, but otherwise fight the bosses as normal. C1 disables the health orbs but stays at Normal Difficulty. If you can beat C0 and C1 you've proven you're capable of handling enemy patterns and know all bosses, so ramping up to Higher Difficulty + Weak Healing on C2 isn't that far a jump up.
It also presents C0 as a mode for people who just want to screw around with friends and have no great ambitions toward C3.
I don't want arcade to be easier, for note, I think C3 is perfect. I just want people who aren't very good at the game to be able to get a feel for the basics in the hopes that those basics guide them towards advanced gameplay.