The Return of the Zeph!

[Pepisolo]

Just a heads up for fans of the long-running Starward Rogue Let's Play series by Windless Zephyr, which has been on hiatus for a while -- it's now back!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P5wpo8ZS4U

Episode 36: Firelord.

Looks like a crazy run so far. Taking the Creator usually ensures this.

Bit of a weird issue with the Flamethrower there, it should be possible to swap those weapons around but it seems something went wrong. Looking at the stats, the Flamethrower is weaker than the Flame Tank starting weapon, but it does do some burning DOT, so there is that.

I'm super looking forward to any more videos, which are also going provide some really interesting feedback. Flame on!

[Misery]

.....took Creator right away?

Well, that should get.... interesting.  I'm not even sure what happens with increased spawns when floors 6 and 7 comes into play with their much more dangerous enemy patterns.   I take no responsibility for undodgable nonsense in that case.  For once it's probably not my fault.

Well, he better hope to find some darn good weapons if that's the case though.  At least now there ARE good weapons.... with the build he played last there sure wasn't too much reason to ever switch guns.

I really need to try that on Hard mode though, that Creator item.

[Pumpkin]

For once it's probably not my fault.

ALWAYS blame Misery.

This shoudl ba an achievment.
"Blame Misery
Die XX times"

I already love this meme.

[Misery]

For once it's probably not my fault.

ALWAYS blame Misery.

This shoudl ba an achievment.
"Blame Misery
Die XX times"

I already love this meme.

The funny thing is, it's not applicable to JUST this game; there's things in a couple of other Arcen games that you can blame me for.   Just not nearly as much in each, mostly a single difficulty mode in a couple of them and the Obscura enemy patterns in TLF.

A Creator run though...  That's like holding a sword by the blade and expecting to not get cut up at least somewhat.  Especially later on.... I mean, double Sideshots would be problem enough, but things like double Flak Cannons....?  Good luck with that one.  All I'll do is laugh in that case, if the player proves to not be ready for it!

[Draco18s]

I know you can blame me for AI War's transport out-of-supply attrition-on-warp.

I haven't won a game since. ;_;

[Misery]

I'm not entirely sure what that means, but okay, I'll make sure to blame you for that.

[Draco18s]

You know how transports have a 35% attrition?
That was added mere days after I posted on the forums about using 15+ transports to smuggle units 7 hops deep in AI territory, took a planet just to repair back up, then hopped another 7 systems out.

My (and my friend's) territory was defended via one entrance with two player caps worth of fortresses, turrets, and other miscellaneous units, including a super-fort and mark 4 heavy bean canon.

[Pepisolo]

Next episode is up...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O38QrmG52TQ

SPOILERS


... and the run's over! The Creator 1, WZ 0.

To be fair, that was actually a pretty good run from WZ considering The Creator was picked up early. It looked like he was going to make it to The Warden. I'm very interested to see how WZ does on a less crazy run. A run right through to floors 6 and 7 should be interesting, especially given some of the feedback that Atlar gave in one of the other threads, regarding the game possibly becoming easier post Warden.

One more thing: Chompers....maybe these guys need some slight tweaks? Maybe slow the chomping speed so you actually have a chance to react and run through the jaws if necessary?

[Misery]

Next episode is up...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O38QrmG52TQ

SPOILERS


... and the run's over! The Creator 1, WZ 0.

To be fair, that was actually a pretty good run from WZ considering The Creator was picked up early. It looked like he was going to make it to The Warden. I'm very interested to see how WZ does on a less crazy run. A run right through to floors 6 and 7 should be interesting, especially given some of the feedback that Atlar gave in one of the other threads, regarding the game possibly becoming easier post Warden.

One more thing: Chompers....maybe these guys need some slight tweaks? Maybe slow the chomping speed so you actually have a chance to react and run through the jaws if necessary?

I do intend on giving the Chompers a couple of tweaks, yes.  They're going to certainly remain dangerous though.  They're not super common so I'd like to keep their threat level relatively high.

[windlesszephyr]

I'm very interested to see how WZ does on a less crazy run. A run right through to floors 6 and 7 should be interesting, especially given some of the feedback that Atlar gave in one of the other threads, regarding the game possibly becoming easier post Warden.

The next run is considerably more successful, and while I don't think things got super easy post-Warden, it's kinda hard to tell given the build I was running and how I was playing.

I do intend on giving the Chompers a couple of tweaks, yes.

Far as I'm concerned, at the very least the range at which they can bite is what drives me nuts and I feel could be modified, but at the same time since they're very rare (and I had creator during this run) I suppose my frustration with them might be a little unfounded. Subjective might be a better term there, but you know what I mean.

[Misery]

Nah, it's well-founded frustration, honestly.  I see problems with their pattern design but simply haven't DONE anything about them; too much time needed to be spent fixing rooms, bah.  One issue is that it's actually possible for the "chomp" to appear on you if you are at the wrong angle (for example, due to dodging something else).

I'll figure something out for them.

[Pepisolo]

The next run is considerably more successful, and while I don't think things got super easy post-Warden, it's kinda hard to tell given the build I was running and how I was playing.

Cool. The game shouldn't be as easy it was in the old version, but maybe floors 6 and 7 might need to be made a little harder. Although it's probably still too early to tell.

[Pepisolo]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB9NNsCLvUg

Next episode: Set to Stun

This is an interesting episode as there is a point in it where I was thinking that the run was becoming a little OP, as runs would usually do in the old version, but in this version Dark Abberration still provided some challenge at least, especially considering that the double damage consumable was used. However, FTL module was swapped out for Corrosive module on that floor which may have made a difference, although I'm not that familiar with the relative strengths of each module.

The Rapid Pelt Pistol makes a brief appearance early on, although the Phase Gun is preferred. Other notes, Invader first form can be mostly cheesed with the Phase Gun....which is...yeah, okay, we can maybe let the player enjoy that sneaky tactic.

For the next video I'm most interested in seeing whether the next bosses get stomped, or put up a fight. Phase Gun is pretty strong on normal enemies, but the power is pretty low, I think, so the bosses should still provide a challenge.

[Misery]

The next run is considerably more successful, and while I don't think things got super easy post-Warden, it's kinda hard to tell given the build I was running and how I was playing.

Cool. The game shouldn't be as easy it was in the old version, but maybe floors 6 and 7 might need to be made a little harder. Although it's probably still too early to tell.

I am pretty certain at this point that floor 6/7 HP is off in many cases.  Not just from this one comment but once I actually had a real look at the general HP of enemies appearing at that point, well... yeah, it's a bit off. And also from my own testing, patterns were about where I wanted them but some enemies were too prone to melting while others absolutely weren't.  But it's not just that, but those floors still use a whole pile of enemies that appeared much earlier in the game too; their HP doesn't change though so they die too fast later on.  I have an idea to fix that though and will be experimenting with it.   Yay, !!SCIENCE!!

[Pepisolo]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgTbbOM3S60

Next Episode: Sleep Drunk

SPOILERS



Thoughts from this video. Warden tankiness seems about right. The build was pretty strong, but Warden still put up a decent fight. Generally, the enemies on floors 6 and 7 seemed to get wasted a little too easily, although not nearly as bad as in the old version. Wallmaster V2 proved to be an absolute joke, though, needs a big HP boost from the looks of it. Defender Drone was in action, seeming reasonable. Maybe a touch too powerful although I don't think it's far off. Fusion drone made too brief an appearance to draw anything from. There was a pretty cool, very scary, fight with Arcoris X4 -- man, that was a close one.  Those Arcoris can pose a lot of problems unless you know the "secret technique". Terminus.....well, better than before, but yeah needs more HP definitely. The first and second stage versions especially. I barely got to see the first form.