Xindaris
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1756
Registered: 06-13-2015
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Okay, I'm not so much stuck, as trying to prevent being stuck later, and want a little help understanding how seriously I should take what note-taker guy tells me.

My first run wasn't great, because it was blind. I spent all the keys to get all the stats and be flush with health, and he says I don't have enough keys. Fine, so I started over, and spent keys only when absolutely necessary. Now he says I don't have enough stats and I think "okay, I guess I should spend green keys for those +3 gems". But he still says I don't have enough stats when the only ones left are two instances of +1 attack behind a yellow door, which sounds to me like an exceptionally bad trade. I tried going and getting them, and then he says I don't have enough health--obviously, because I didn't get those stats as soon as possible, and that cost me a bunch of health.

I'm going to start over again and rectify that, but before I do: Should I really take those trades of yellow key for a measly 1 attack? Aren't future levels likely to have some much better rewards for those two yellow keys, that'll be worth the slight loss of health?

Basically, I'm wondering whether someone like me, who isn't great at this kind of game, should take the note-taking guy's advice as absolute, or as mild guidelines.

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109th Skywatcher

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[Last edited by Xindaris at 08-13-2025 04:48 PM]

averagemoe
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 569
Registered: 03-22-2012
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I'd say the advice that Chaco gives you in 3S3E are some pretty solid words to play by. Gems and equipment are also a good idea to collect.

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Nuntar
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5446
Registered: 02-20-2007
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If you're used to holds with backtracking, then to some extent you have to adjust your expectations when playing a hold without. Sure, there may be better things to get with keys on later levels, but you can also collect more keys on later levels to get them and then you have both key rewards. If you leave ATK behind on an early level, you can never get it.

It's not essential for completing the hold, but certainly for a first playthrough I would recommend getting all the stats.

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50th Skywatcher

Xindaris
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1756
Registered: 06-13-2015
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What I imagined in my head was a future situation where these particular keys would afford me some +2 or more attack per key, which without these particular keys would be completely unavailable. That doesn't have to do with backtracking particularly, and feels like something I have encountered in some level sets before.

But, having made it to the warehouse now, nothing like that has happened. And so far, I've been able to meet the note-taker's expectations by the time I get to him in each level since the first! Not that I'm not resetting, but I'm spotting that I did something wrong before reaching and killing the main bosses, at least.

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109th Skywatcher

Here are some links to Things!

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[Last edited by Xindaris at 08-14-2025 04:58 AM]

Doom
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 3390
Registered: 07-05-2004
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If a hold is stingy with keys and/or ATK-threshold gaps are large (so small stat gains have less value), it can sometimes be a good idea to skip a gem like that.

ACR chapter one isn't really either of these. What happens in practice: You start taking periodic extra damage due to lower ATK. Eventually this extra damage accumulates enough that you end up spending that same yellow key on HP instead. From there on you're in the red for the rest of the chapter.

Incidentally there's a non-zero number of gems in ACR that I think are good to skip. But echoing Nuntar, that's more of an optimization/challenge-run question than something to worry about on a first playthrough.