old player looking for new challenge

[delarado]

Hi Guys

I completed this game a couple of times back in 2013. Once @ 4 runes with a DEFE of Vehumet, and again 15 runes with a GrFi of Okawaru/TSO.

I'm looking for a new challenge - something that doesnt involve pressing tab repeatedly (GrFi) or casting the same spell repeatedly (DEFE Vehumet Firestorm)

I've never really branched out much from those two races to be honest. Ive tried a TrBe, and MiFi/Gl but not completed the game.

Do any of you have suggestions of fun combinations I can try that differ from the pure melee / blaster mage play styles?

I've been trying an OpTm for a while but finding it very hard..maybe a little too hard?

Thanks!

[Siegurt]

Well the the third classic "power build" is the SpEn, which plays differently from the other two.

I would add TrWr or TrHu as another very strong build at the outset.

OpTm is pretty far on the other side of the difficulty scale, very fragile at the outset, possible to get ultimately very powerful, but there is a lot of places where death is a far too easy mistake to make, and it remains the case that the difference between a win and death is slimmer than it is for many builds for a long time.

I like DrCj and DsGl as solid, strong char types that can provide interesting choices, not quite as strong of the bat, but with easily enough tools to get the hood done regardless of what the rng gives you, and they both provide the ability to adjust your self to what sorts of opportunities you have available, and give you the chance to use different tools for different situations.

[ajon]

I think OgAK was really fun when I ran it. Also agree that DsGl makes life interesting depending on what mutations you get.

[ZoFy]

You can try out DrTm, it's not as hard to start as OpTm because you get some armour and a breath weapon. You can potentially become a dragon too, that's fun.
It's hard to come up with a build that doesn't use the tab key or blast dudes with spells though (besides a stabber one). If blasting with wands and rods sounds different enough to you, try out xxAr of Pakellas.

[delarado]

well i guess what i mean is that my two play styles before were polar opposites.

DEFE is run away if anything notices you, and blast the crap out of it with a fireball if not. If its not dead before it takes two actions, you are doing it wrong!

gargoyle is really just not getting surrounded and hitting tab mindlessly, as far as i remember. I'm playing a minotaur gladiator at the moment just to "remember" the game and I'm already at lair 7 without being taken below half health. The only thing that's even given me any kind of moderate challenge is when i found the entrance to spiders nest and got surrounded by jumping spiders and a redback.

I like spells and hitting things, but I want to do something that requires a bit more thought than "if(mana>50%){Firestorm};"

Of course, having said that I'm sure I will die helplessly in a few moments

I'll try all of your suggestions, thanks! Ive always heard people were a fan of draconians so might give one of those a try.

[delarado]

also, i actually find optm's hard generally by the time i get to lair. I manage to get there probably 4 out of 6 times i play one. Most stuff is simple enough to kill, but then i meet a hydra and it always 1 or 2 shots me and i dont know how to deal with it. It runs faster than me, resists all of my wands, and chopping off its heads with axes of flaming gets me killed before i get two shots in...

Even in spider form it kicks my ass, and i thought the evasion would help a lot.

[ZoFy]

... i meet a hydra and it always 1 or 2 shots me and i dont know how to deal with it. It runs faster than me, resists all of my wands, and chopping off its heads with axes of flaming gets me killed before i get two shots in...

Even in spider form it kicks my ass, and i thought the evasion would help a lot.

Ice Form is the best one out of the Tm's starting book to fight hydrae in but this also requires buffs and not getting unlucky. It's a better idea to blast them with draining/acid/invocations or just walk away to the stairs (they move at 10 speed just like you).

[delarado]

... i meet a hydra and it always 1 or 2 shots me and i dont know how to deal with it. It runs faster than me, resists all of my wands, and chopping off its heads with axes of flaming gets me killed before i get two shots in...

Even in spider form it kicks my ass, and i thought the evasion would help a lot.

Ice Form is the best one out of the Tm's starting book to fight hydrae in but this also requires buffs and not getting unlucky. It's a better idea to blast them with draining/acid/invocations or just walk away to the stairs (they move at 10 speed just like you).

Thanks, I thought they were faster. I stand corrected!

[Siegurt]

... i meet a hydra and it always 1 or 2 shots me and i dont know how to deal with it. It runs faster than me, resists all of my wands, and chopping off its heads with axes of flaming gets me killed before i get two shots in...

Even in spider form it kicks my ass, and i thought the evasion would help a lot.

Ice Form is the best one out of the Tm's starting book to fight hydrae in but this also requires buffs and not getting unlucky. It's a better idea to blast them with draining/acid/invocations or just walk away to the stairs (they move at 10 speed just like you).

Thanks, I thought they were faster. I stand corrected!

They do move faster in water, be aware of your terrain.

[ThreeInvisibleDucks]

OpTm is in my opinion one of the easiest Op starts, when you know what forms to use when, and what monsters to avoid (hint: never fight hydras in melee until Statue Form.) After Statue Form an Op using UC becomes the most powerful build in the game and 15 runes is easy peasy. Clear a few Zigs while you're at it, if you bothered to switch to Makh, and put your excess skill points to disc of storms or Tornado.

But IMO, felids are a real challenge because of HP-40%. Most dudes get to a point where they can take a good hit or two, but felids don't. Tm after Dragon Form makes it play quite like the others, but with a much more powerful melee attack, but until then, it's luring after luring after luring, and running away if too many strong dudes show up. They get "extra lives", but because they lose an experience level when dead, it's a hit on max HP which makes felids hard in the first place.

So win a 15-rune felid without losing lives. That's a nice challenge that requires extra careful play.

[ZipZipskins]

After Statue Form an Op using UC becomes the most powerful build in the game

This is a bold-ass claim TID

[ThreeInvisibleDucks]

After Statue Form an Op using UC becomes the most powerful build in the game

This is a bold-ass claim TID

Just my opinion, of course, but an octopode in statform with those attribute-enhancing rings is like a Cheidude without the drawbacks. I've never lost a statformer in extended, apart from getting paralyzed once, but really, if you can kill everything in ~3 turns, the boss dudes in a few more with buffs, what on earth could touch you?

I've done 15 with a demigod wielding a +9 bardiche of chopping and Spectral Weapon. Quite fine. But with Statue Form, it's easy mode, not just because of HP+30% but with 50% torment protection and superior damage. It's hard to lose a statueformer in extended, it takes quite a lot of effort--especially with Makh, the god everybody without a holy weapon should switch to. My DgTm did great without even that, and it was way easier than bardiche + spectral weapon.