Extended?

[Daggtex]

Being rather new, the only concept I have of this game is that I need to get 3 of 15 runes, get the orb, and escape. However, on the forums, every now and then someone mentions playing 'extended', which from what I understand is different, but I am not quite sure what it entails. Is it like trying to get all 15 runes before zot or something? Could someone explain?

[Siegurt]

"Extended" are a number of harder areas of the game, several of which contain runes.

Generally going for "all 15 runes" is something that some people do. "Extended" is the portion of the game outside the easiest 3 (Or depending on your point of view "simplest 3") runes plus the levels required to get the Orb.

Depending on who exactly you're talking to "extended" nearly always means:
Pandemonium (5 runes),
Hell (4 runes),
Tomb (1 rune)
and some people consider some or all of:
Elf,
Slime (1 rune),
Forest/Crypt,
Abyss (1 rune)
to be also part of "extended"
Some players will say that the rune in Vault:5 is harder to get than the one in Slime:5

[delarado]

I believe yes, it's just getting 15 runes. I am attempting this myself at the moment, and have 6 or 7 so far.

[Tiber]

It is exactly like trying to get more than 3 runes. Most players tend to either get 3, 5 (so they go for abyss and slime, but not tomb, pan, or hells) , or all 15 of the runes. I try to go for 15, because I'm a completionist.

[Siegurt]

Well, if you get say, 10 runes, it would be fair to say you "Completed some, but not all, of extended"

[Daggtex]

Ok, so its not like there are things to do after getting the orb then, right? Just ascension?

[XuaXua]

If you pick up the orb, spoilers, you get perpetually attacked, so to do extended, most players clear zot:5, then leave the orb alone, and get the other runes, then come back and pick up the orb.

[Sandman25]

Perhaps most players don't enter ZoT5 if they are going to do extended. We'd need a voting to be sure.

[XuaXua]

Perhaps most players don't enter ZoT5 if they are going to do extended. We'd need a voting to be sure.

Start a poll.

[graffen69]

Non-extended (if you count Slime as non-extended) + regular 3 branches are the only rune branches where most of your enemies are still living.
Change tactics accordingly (Life Prot is helpful, ditch or switch Vampiric weapons to Holy wrath etc.) for the other 11 rune branches.

[and into]

Just to clarify, Daggtex:

1.) Don't pick up the orb unless you are ready to walk out with it. Certain areas are cut off completely once you pick up the orb, and certain other effects make it a very, very bad idea to dilly dally once you are holding it.

2.) Nearly everyone gets their 3 required runes from the lair branches shoals/swamp and snake/spider, plus vaults. The major exceptions to this are Lugonu or Jivya worshippers, who are practically given (respectively) the rune from abyss or slime.

3.) After getting those *required* runes, you can dip into Zot as much or little as you want, just don't pick up the orb on Zot 5. Zot 5 is extremely dangerous though, with lots of enemies you likely haven't seen anywhere else, so be careful.

4.) The other optional branches (like Elf and Crypt/Forest) should be done before Zot and before "extended" (Hells, Pan, Abyss, Tomb, Slime) in almost all cases—again, major exceptions being Lugonu or Jivya worship.

[rebthor]

1.) Don't pick up the orb unless you are ready to walk out with it. Certain areas are cut off completely once you pick up the orb, and certain other effects make it a very, very bad idea to dilly dally once you are holding it.

Or you could be hardcore and do an orb tomb run. This is generally a banner in the approximately bi-yearly tournament.