Nuclear Throne, the coolest Bullet Hell/Roguelike I've ever seen

[Oralordos]

Although we might want to avoid the one secret level for a while if Misery is calling it hard.

[Misery]

Updates!

Development continues, with more and more cool stuff being added.  Such as the new Flame Shotguns, and more lightning weapons (good luck using the lightning shotgun though). Things get more and more balanced (except Rebel, who continues to suck) and the level generator is getting more refined, with the exception of level 5_3, which can end you if it goes bad.  The Throne itself, already a tough fight as it is, now has a second form, which is.... unpleasant.

With the constant balance updates recently, this is a great time to pick this one up if you havent already.

Although we might want to avoid the one secret level for a while if Misery is calling it hard.

Neh, I suppose it's not THAT bad, I can get through it pretty much every time now without too much trouble.  With a hammer.  Just a hammer. 

No, what's HARD is the game's second loop.  Like any proper shmup, beating the final boss opens a portal which takes you too.... level 1_1.  Except it's utter freaking chaos, as ANY enemy type can now appear in ANY level, and they tend to appear in extreme numbers.  Even the IDPD guys can spawn without requiring the presence of a Proto Statue. 

[Shrugging Khan]

I just want to say that I bought it, played way too much, turned out to be very bad at it, reached the throne only once - with Rebel - but never beat it.

The game got better over time. I didn't. Weird, huh?

[Kahuna]

By far the best roguelike I've played or heard of: http://te4.org/

[Misery]

I just want to say that I bought it, played way too much, turned out to be very bad at it, reached the throne only once - with Rebel - but never beat it.

The game got better over time. I didn't. Weird, huh?

Just takes alot of practice.  It's not an easy game at all and it can take players a great many hours to get through it the first time.

I think the best piece of advice I can give is to take it slow; trying to rush is a stupid idea, but it seems to be what happens the most.

Other bits of advice I might come up with are:

1. Get at least one health-related mutation

2. Get Boiling Veins if possible

3. Find some sort of hard hitting weapon... something that has impact. Something like the Slugger.  There's certain enemies later on that you'll really want to be able to take out in a single hit, such as the crystal spiders, or the damn snowbots.  Dont drop said weapon until you find something else that can fulfill the same function, but better (such as gatling slugger, or auto crossbow)

4. The two "damage on contact" mutations are worthless... never get those.  Utterly terrible.

5. Snowbots suck. In the snow zone, they should always always be your priority target.  A single one can end you.

6. Always get Scary Face if it's available.  It makes EVERY enemy in the game easier to kill.  Even the Throne.

Stuff like that.  It's all just practice otherwise.... I've beaten the game with everyone except Melting, myself.  It gets REALLY interesting once you've beaten the Throne.... I'll not spoil it, but the Throne isnt quite done after that fight. And there's a couple of unique bosses that appear in the second loop, such as the really nasty one that appears in the sewers.  As if the second loop wasnt hard enough already!.  And the IDPD never stop chasing you after the Throne is defeated.  EVER.   They'll just keep coming, no matter what you do...

[Shrugging Khan]

By far the best roguelike I've played or heard of: http://te4.org/

For real. I was utterly addicted until I managed to beat it.

Now, I admit I beat it with an overpowered Doombringer (who promptly got stomped on by a certain golem after winning (After successfully running away and coming back for more)), but still. I couldn't stop until I won, and now I don't dare pick it up again because I know that I won't stop again until I've won with a Cursed, a Berserker, or on Nightmare difficulty.

Excellent Roguelike-like. Much recommend.

[Kahuna]

Yep^^ I just got addicted too. Tales of Maj'Eyal is the reason my Peacemaker/Raid Engine / Alarmist/Quadratic game is getting delayed. I've already played ToME for 124 hours. Now I'm trying to win on the Nightmare difficulty. Then I'm going to read all of the lore.. which is a lot.

[Misery]

So, we've hit the new year, and there's been alot of updates to this since I last posted.

More importantly though, I have an extra copy I can now give away.  Nobody I personally know IRL would want it, because it's not an FPS with the awesomest graphics either or a JRPG with 1000000 cutscenes, so I figured I'd offer it up on here and see if anyone wants it.  First person to ask for it can have it.  Unless it takes way too long to get a response, at which point I'll take it elsewhere.



As for what's going on with the game itself, there's been a new character, new hidden stage added (good luck figuring that one out without looking it up), a pile of enemies and things to go with that stage naturally, about a bazillion guns, "ultra" versions of the basic weapons, which have unique mechanics, new ultra-mutations for each individual character (you pick one at level 10) and a pile of other stuff.  Alot of balance changes as well, and for the most part the "unfair spawns" that it had sometimes generated before are now gone.  There's also "daily runs" now, similar to what Spelunky has, where everyone gets one shot at it, and plays the exact same level and all with the same seed that everyone else plays that day, and you can see your ranking afterwards.

Also, I have now beaten the whole thing with a shovel.   Just a shovel.  I just thought I'd point that out.  I was quite pleased at this the first time it happened.

[Mánagarmr]

Granted, my own standards for the difficulty of anything whatsoever shmuppy are a little.... warped...

No shit? Anyone who can handle max diff japanese/korean bullet hells and thinking it easy is rather nuts on pattern recognition and reflexes.

[topper]

So, we've hit the new year, and there's been alot of updates to this since I last posted.

More importantly though, I have an extra copy I can now give away.  Nobody I personally know IRL would want it, because it's not an FPS with the awesomest graphics either or a JRPG with 1000000 cutscenes, so I figured I'd offer it up on here and see if anyone wants it.  First person to ask for it can have it.  Unless it takes way too long to get a response, at which point I'll take it elsewhere.



As for what's going on with the game itself, there's been a new character, new hidden stage added (good luck figuring that one out without looking it up), a pile of enemies and things to go with that stage naturally, about a bazillion guns, "ultra" versions of the basic weapons, which have unique mechanics, new ultra-mutations for each individual character (you pick one at level 10) and a pile of other stuff.  Alot of balance changes as well, and for the most part the "unfair spawns" that it had sometimes generated before are now gone.  There's also "daily runs" now, similar to what Spelunky has, where everyone gets one shot at it, and plays the exact same level and all with the same seed that everyone else plays that day, and you can see your ranking afterwards.

Also, I have now beaten the whole thing with a shovel.   Just a shovel.  I just thought I'd point that out.  I was quite pleased at this the first time it happened.

Sounds like nice advances in the game development. I have been watching this game for a while.

Is the key still available Misery? For PC with Steam?

Thanks!

[Misery]

Sounds like nice advances in the game development. I have been watching this game for a while.

Is the key still available Misery? For PC with Steam?

Thanks!

Yep.

If I recall correctly, in order to do the gift-giving thing, a friend request is necessary.

I am Misery on there, same as here.  That name though is used by a few others as well, just look for the same avatar image as the one I use on this forum.

You'll want to remind me with a message of some sort as to what it's about, either on Steam or on the forum here, as my memory is absolutely terrible.  I'll not be back online until later tonight, as I"m about to go to bed currently.

Granted, my own standards for the difficulty of anything whatsoever shmuppy are a little.... warped...

No shit? Anyone who can handle max diff japanese/korean bullet hells and thinking it easy is rather nuts on pattern recognition and reflexes.

Yeah, I"m good at reacting stupidly fast, and tracking tons of things at once.  Useful for gaming in a general sense.   Aint very good at much else though.  Those two things arent the most useful IRL, really. 


As for the game, the nice thing is that it's balanced very, very well right now.  The developers very much dont want players to achieve a victory that they did not earn, so yeah, it's going to be a pretty darn tough game for many players, but at the same time you dont need insane speed or something like that to beat it.   Whole thing is done in such a way that there's all sorts of different approaches you can take to it.  My own way of doing it is sort of a perpetual berserk rush, particularly if I've gotten a melee weapon.  Even against the throne, I stand right in front of it for most of the fight (in front of the guns on the left, not in front of the big one in the center, that's a bad idea). But that sort of thing isnt necessary... you can also take an extremely cautious, defensive approach to it, using weapons that strike at extreme distances or have very rapid fire rates, and using mutations that keep your health high and allow you to protect yourself easier.

It's bloody brilliant about that sort of thing.  So many ways to deal with every situation the game can throw at you.

The real trick to it is being able to deal with what the RNG gives and throws at you (it can be a tad mean at times), and also not giving in to frustration after dying for the 1000th time. 

[topper]

Sounds like nice advances in the game development. I have been watching this game for a while.

Is the key still available Misery? For PC with Steam?

Thanks!

Yep.

If I recall correctly, in order to do the gift-giving thing, a friend request is necessary.

I am Misery on there, same as here.  That name though is used by a few others as well, just look for the same avatar image as the one I use on this forum.

You'll want to remind me with a message of some sort as to what it's about, either on Steam or on the forum here, as my memory is absolutely terrible.  I'll not be back online until later tonight, as I"m about to go to bed currently.

Done, and thanks again!

[Wingflier]

Granted, my own standards for the difficulty of anything whatsoever shmuppy are a little.... warped...

No shit? Anyone who can handle max diff japanese/korean bullet hells and thinking it easy is rather nuts on pattern recognition and reflexes.

He beat the entire game with a shovel.

Misery is officially beyond Godlike.

[Misery]

Sounds like nice advances in the game development. I have been watching this game for a while.

Is the key still available Misery? For PC with Steam?

Thanks!

Yep.

If I recall correctly, in order to do the gift-giving thing, a friend request is necessary.

I am Misery on there, same as here.  That name though is used by a few others as well, just look for the same avatar image as the one I use on this forum.

You'll want to remind me with a message of some sort as to what it's about, either on Steam or on the forum here, as my memory is absolutely terrible.  I'll not be back online until later tonight, as I"m about to go to bed currently.

Done, and thanks again!

Allright, I've gone and sent it now, should be available to you.

Granted, my own standards for the difficulty of anything whatsoever shmuppy are a little.... warped...

No shit? Anyone who can handle max diff japanese/korean bullet hells and thinking it easy is rather nuts on pattern recognition and reflexes.

He beat the entire game with a shovel.

Misery is officially beyond Godlike.

I havent beaten it with a screwdriver yet though, though that sounds more annoying than anything else.

Also need to try a shovel run while playing as Melting (he has 2 HP, everyone else starts with 8.  Has a stupidly powerful active ability though).

[Misery]

Okay, so, I found a weapon I hadnt seen before. 

It's a Gatling Bazooka.

Think about those two words.  Combine them, preferrably without your mind imploding. 

Did I mention this game has the best selection of weapons ever?

Every game needs that particular weapon, really.

....and a Gatling Nuke Launcher.  I'm half expecting that weapon to be added at some point (there's already a normal one).  It'd be the absolute worst choice you could make in terms of what weapons to grab during a run, but it'd be so freaking epic that I'm not sure this actually matters one bit.


I ended up not really using the Bazooka thing at the time.  I found it AFTER the Throne had been defeated, and once the game loops, every single level can then contain any enemy in the game, and there's typically way more than double the number of enemies in a level as a whole.  Absolute freaking chaos.  Not the best time to not only try out a weapon I hadnt seen before, but one that also is explosive, particularly when I didn't have Boiling Veins (you cant take damage from explosions or fire if your health is at or below 4 HP).

Furthest I've gotten so far is the Scrapyard, which is world 3, in the second loop.  Something always goes wrong at that point.  Either that or I die in the sewers to the nightmare of a boss that appears there (doesnt appear before the Throne, only after).  Though even if I got past the scrapyard, would probably lose in area 4, where a new boss awaits that I've never seen, sounds absolutely horrid.