Xindaris wrote:
I didn't use anything that should require the 1.3 update in this, but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Xindaris wrote:
Replies to Red-XIII:

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I don't really know what you mean by "there aren't many choices". Or, I guess more specifically, I don't know what you define a "choice" as being to say there aren't very many? The multiplier changes make every decision to pick something up before getting to them a decision, as well as the decisions of which monsters to kill in 1N, for example. 2N1W has you deciding whether to try to get the attack and defense before or after the sword, or to pay 300 health again so you can come back later. Going to 3N1E early (to get the resources sooner) or late (to be able to afford all of them) is a choice. I know you didn't touch it, but 2N2E is, alone, a myriad of choices. 3N1W has a fairly meaningful decision, and 2N2W has some as well: Do you go north or south, do you take the keys out or use them to get the stats? And so on.

Anyway...My goal with the multiplier trick is to surprise new players; people who've played the level even once before will undoubtedly already know about it. The idea of surprising new players is also my reason for the placement of the "full map reveal scroll". I'm reasonably sure that any non-challenge run that's ignorant of that at first can still beat the level. Is this really a bad way of designing things? Also, the multiplier starts at x2; it doesn't actually change in 1N.

In 2N1E, you have to pick one of the three lanes to go east through, and then can't backtrack west that same way, so you have to go back one of the other two remaining ways. It doesn't sound like you did anything unintended, but you almost surely took more damage plowing through the three mud babies than you would've just taking the soulless' sword hits--unless you did this room much later than when it was first available. Unless you're saying that you somehow returned west through the mud baby passage without killing them? It is also possible, at least in theory, to save the shield until very late, and then only have to go west through this room a single time.

In 1N1E, you can kill all the mad eyes from behind, that is intended--but if you arrive there without enough health to do so, then you have the option of instead picking up a health potion earlier, at the price of then not being able to kill some of them from behind.

Red-XIII wrote:
I tried the challenge and failed miserably! I managed to get the sword and shield and open all the rooms, but the health was always very low. If it's possible, I think it would be really really tight and hard.

Xindaris wrote:
The challenge seems maybe tighter than I would like. Perhaps I can increase the size of (at least some of) the health potions in 2N2E, and also the one in 3N? Or add a potion or two elsewhere...maybe add another blue door with health behind it in the "late game" to give the skeleton key more value?

Xindaris wrote:
So I'm alright with it feeling a bit on the easy/linear side, although I do have the opinion that it (rather intentionally) opens up a little in 2N, and a lot in 3N.

Xindaris wrote:
Update:
Tweak to 2N2W, basically just taking the monsters that used to be present and doubling each. I don't think this will actually increase the cost very much, but please let me know if this makes the challenge scorepoint unattainable.

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