Halls Hopper
Posts: 79
Joined: Sunday, 24th November 2013, 04:12
Timed vaults are fun and there should be more
Personally, I think they're one of the most interesting aspects of the early game. They're a great break flavorwise from the early dungeon, which is somewhat bland. For a newer player, entering something like ossuary is a really exciting experience; it feels mystical and scary in a way that dungeon does not. I also like ossuary specifically because it's a much safer preview of tomb and is also virtually the only place in the game where traps are tactically important.
Generally, I think offering the player extra loot at extra risk is fun, even if going for the loot is suboptimal, i.e. ice cave without rC+ or Elf:3. Making timed vaults risky is good for balance: if the loot usually isn't worth the risk, more vaults can be added without fear of making the game too easy for players who find them. Hard vaults also help with the concerns from people who dislike timed vaults and want to see them (especially labyrinth) removed.
Anyway, I think adding a few more timed vaults would really improve the game. Has anyone had ideas for new vaults? Going back to ossuary, I think it could be cool to add other miniature versions of late game content. Perhaps mini-Pan? It could be some sort of temple to a Pan Lord, with humanoid acolytes and weak demons. I think giving new players who can't get past lair a glimpse of endgame content could be really fun.
EDIT: I should add that I don't the fact that they're timed is what makes them fun, so new vaults need not necessarily be timed. What makes them good is that they are optional, and a sharp departure from dungeon in terms of both tactics and flavor.