Signigicant difficulty change at dungeon level 7?

[Soorg]

It took me a long time to overcome the level 6, and I resign do all myself and used some help for some puzzles or secrets. For one I knew the solution but couldn't trigger it, the cause is probably that controls are sticky even when the game has much lower setup. So I had check for a solution I had already found but couldn't apply, well perhaps some details found on the net help anyway. And I check external help for few stuff there where clearly something to find and I couldn't.

When getting that external help (but not purely following a guide to exploit any secrets of the level) I quoted one secrets part was involving quite rude fights, and after few tries I decided it was stuff only for replay when trying achieve find all secrets and stuff.

So I continue to level 7, first monster met was one of those monsters in secrets parts I gave up fight, and if I managed it by maneuvering and fighting only one, I noticed there was possibly two at this place. Right after I felt into an ambush totally surrounded by slimes when I skipped a part with that type of monsters during previous level.

The first comment is about the ambush, it's like pointless escalation to difficulty, a trap with 3 slimes and closed doors would have been rude enough a quite more fun even if probably ending in party death anyway, but at least a chance to have fun and even beat the ambush.

The second comment is, does that game require to find all secrets or mostly to keep the difficulty level descent?

And the third point is is it just me or there's a brutal difficulty change in level 7?

[Komag]

The fight with slimes at the start of 7 is tough but not to hard I think, just fight one at a time, don't let them get around you, back up a lot, heal on the level 6 crystal when needed, no problem

[Soorg]

The fight with slimes at the start of 7 is tough but not to hard I think, just fight one at a time, don't let them get around you, back up a lot, heal on the level 6 crystal when needed, no problem

Well no problem no problem, that's quickly said. I can fight more than one at same time, there's some memorable ambush fights in level 6, fighting 2 to 4 at same time and not moving and try face to face is certain death. That slime ambush is very pale in comparison. Ha well I need try again knowing there's an ambush and react asap and possibly avoid the ambush by rushing to an issue.

My question is about the equipments. I have the feeling that by not finding most of the toughest puzzles/secrets i low down a lot my party viability. And frankly running back to the crystal rarely is ok, very often is boring I won't continue play if I need constant rush back to crystal and make fights in successive fractions.

Ha well let try back to the game. My second feeling about that level 7 will be perhaps less dark.

[Dr.Disaster]

The first comment is about the ambush, it's like pointless escalation to difficulty, a trap with 3 slimes and closed doors would have been rude enough a quite more fun even if probably ending in party death anyway, but at least a chance to have fun and even beat the ambush.

If you feel being ambushed at the start of level 7 before entering the Maze of Shadows that's simply you being careless.

The second comment is, does that game require to find all secrets or mostly to keep the difficulty level descent?

No.

And the third point is is it just me or there's a brutal difficulty change in level 7?

It's just you. Level 7 is pretty straight forward and features only known monsters.

[Soorg]

Get surrounded by slimes isn't a detail, at second attempt I just rush to the exit and skipped entirely the ambush, it could have been quite better done with fewer slimes and possibly closed doors.

The maze of shadow? I don't even remember anything special here, at least I didn't get big troubles here.

It was rather fast to progress through level 7, that's right it could not be more difficult but I think that there's few more nasty stuff that was optional in previous levels and mandatory in this level. I hadn't fight a single fire elemental before that level and be forced to fight a bit too many slimes was a bit too much. Slimes are tedious to fight because they react too fast and are quite slow to kill so the dodging maneuvering is almost pointless and most often unsuccessful.

About the items in optional tougher secrets area it's paradoxical that players that don't feel good enough to make those optional parts get he weaker items and then get the tougher play. It's weird but ok anyway I can't compare I haven't yet tried make a run and find all stuff with some guide help if necessary so I can't compare.

[Dr.Disaster]

I hadn't fight a single fire elemental before that level and be forced to fight a bit too many slimes was a bit too much.

Then you obviously skipped at least parts of level 6. Some puzzles and(!) secrets there can only be done by dealing with fire elementals.

About the items in optional tougher secrets area it's paradoxical that players that don't feel good enough to make those optional parts get he weaker items and then get the tougher play. It's weird but ok anyway I can't compare I haven't yet tried make a run and find all stuff with some guide help if necessary so I can't compare.

Having better items is indeed optional. Otherwise playing Fistfighters using Unarmed Combat skills would be pointless.

[Soorg]

I mentioned I don't do all secrets I try find and solve as many than possible but for some I gave up instead of searching in some guides.The point is I skipped slimes and fire elemental before level 7 and that's quite possible but perhaps few isolated slimes.

Anyway I do agree level 7 isn't a brutal difficulty change, there isn't too many slimes in the level and it's ok with few stuff with a more nasty spirit, like fall into a hole and get a forced challenge to escape, or that slime ambush in my opinion not well designed.

[DrMadolite]

It should also be remembered that one is only barely gimped if one loses out on equipment and XP early on. Later in the game, you'll find equipment that usually renders that earlier equipment (that you didn't find) useless. Furthermore, the XP you get from late-game mobs is so much higher that the earlier XP that you didn't get will bleak in comparison.

The later you are in the game, however, the more it matters that you miss out on things.

[lordkevin]

Thanks for the nice post...

[thomson]

Another thing that is perhaps even more important than any specific gear is how you develop your champions. Try to specialize as much as possible. What works greatly for me is to have one tank, a heavy fighter (usually minotaur) with heavy armor (and very poor evasion), specializing in maces or axes. The second fighter is agile swordsman - trying get as high evasion as possible.

The same holds true for back row - a mage that has a bit of skill in each magic type, actually sucks at them all. If in doubt, fire magic is excellent for ease of use.

I haven't noticed any specific difficulty on level 7, even when playing on hard old-school mode. I was very thorough and found all secrets, so that perhaps is a factor here.