Difficulty Issues (Again)[G5]

[Contra]

It seems I keep lagging behind.

I have made my way into the Storm Plains, and cleared all zones around Stormhold. Playing a shaper, I now got a new Battle Alpha (though it isn't very effecive) and two plated Clawbugs, both around lvl 40.

However, this clearly isn't enough. Everywhere I go there's creations that are almost too much to handle. Those damn lightning-spraying dinos have just popped up in some zones, and on Torment they are too much for me to handle without some seriously cheap tacticts (they two-shot my creations), even the cryoas in Western Pass were a pain in the ass.

Is there anywhere I can go, or should head, so that I can quickly get some fresher and better creation types, perhaps War Thralls?

Astoria doesn't like me since I'm playing Pro Shaper, so that option is out of the question. My MM+SP is 14 at the moment, and my daze is sitll resisted around 75% of the time. Strong Daze anywhere to be found soon?

I'm sorry to bother with such simple questions, but since no walkthrough is available yet (that I have found anyway, they usually show up on Gamefaqs) I have nowhere else to turn.

[Acky]

This game rewards Shaper players by specializing in certin area's, but there are places where you can get bogged down. The Kyshakks are a problem, but using Glaahks or even better, Ur-Glaahks, are the perfect counter for Kyshakks. They resist Magic damage like its nothing, and are barely effected by the lasting lightning damage. The stun also helps. You may at this point need to begin exploring the Dera Reaches. There is a trainer there that cann train you in nearly every powerful creation, with the exception of Drakons and Gazars, obviously.

 

The Last Archon

[Contra]

I'm on my way south, but It's a painful trip and I keep running into hard spots wherever I go. I don't have any ghlaaks. since I don't use Magic Shaping. I'v never had a need in previouse games to mix and match diffrent aspects of shaping, and I wonder if this is truely necessary in G5 aswell.

[Acky]

It is. As you're not doubt seeing, Battle Creations are powerful and can get you through the first half of the game. However, a lot of things at this point do magic damage, which Battle Creations in general can't stand. If you can't afford in Skill Points to bugg magic Shaping, consider joining Alwan, and getting training from Shaper Marzan. Alternativly, you could create an Artifact that improves your Shaping Skills in general, eventually leading to 4+ in every Shaping Skill. See Strategy Central at the top of this forum and click on the link "Crafting for more details. However, at this point, you can make the most powerful version of the Artifact no sweat.

 

The Last Archon

[Acky]

It is. As you're not doubt seeing, Battle Creations

[Toby-Linn]

On a side note, you mentioned you didn't have a walkthrough?

 

Here's the forum topic regarding the G5 walkthrough:

http://www.ironycentral.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=148156

[Contra]

I haven't found a single object necessary for creating Artifacts so far (Solified Flame, Unmelting ice, etc), even though they may be in those areas that I as of yet can't handle (all Unbound areas, Western Pass, etc. Basicly, my creations are too weak)

[Acky]

If you really are having that much trouble, then you might as well lowed the difficulty to Hard instead of Torment, esspecially since you are actually being Tormented.

 

The Last Archon

[Lilith]

Have you been to Gazaki-Uss yet? You can sneak into the labs in the east and steal a few very powerful canisters, including Create War Trall (best battle creation in the game, and the only creation you really need for the endgame). It's difficult, but it's worth it.

[Alorael at Large]

With battle creations sometimes the best you can do is make a swarm, unleash it, and let it rampage until it or everything else is dead. Then recharge your essence and make another one. It's a more laborious but, in my opinion, more satisfying version of the picking off strategy used by infiltrators.

 

—Alorael, who alternatively suggests adding even a single ranged attacker to your army (or using some spells yourself). You need to draw enemies to you in small numbers so you don't have to charge their clusters and fight too many at once. Your bugs and alpha (you should definitely have more than three creations by now!) need to be able to gang up on and kill things before they get killed.

[Spddin Ignis]

i agree if you can make at least 5 or 6

[Neossokrass]

......Obviously.

 

Perhaps improving your equipment? At thiss point you can exchange a venom baton with an Acid Baton easily. Stalk the bandits in Thirstlewood. They aren't that hard, and provide nice EXP, coin, and equipment, plus a canister and an ingredient at the end of the area. An excellent addition to anyone's hoard.

[Contra]

No, I haven't been to Gazaki-Uss yet. I'v pretty much just gotten to Stormhold, and the areas around it.

I have around 700 Essence, around 550 which is bound up by three creations. Perhaps I should make more, less powerful creations than stick with a few, powerful (and steadily gaining more power) ones? My tactic has worked in every game so far, but alas, I feel that you may be correct. So many rule changes require a new way of handling things.

I will try the cheap tactic - Making Charged Thads and bumrushing everything, then approach with my regular force.

 

..And no, I most certainly will not play on anything but Torment. What kind of Spidweb player would I be if I did? I havent played any other games on anything but Torment, and I won't start now ^^

[Randomizer]

You can rent two creations in Perikalia if you have enough leadership. They aren't great and will probably die, but that might help you get a few more levels to build up intelligence.

 

I spent a lot of time doing hit and run attacks where I pick off a few rogue creations and retreat to recharge so I can buff with remaining essence.

[Student of Trinity]

Jeff has been steadily making Torment harder in his recent games. I never bother investing essence in evolving my creations. They get stronger automatically with experience, even if you don't give them a drop more. Boosting their stats with added essence does make them stronger still, but I don't think it's worth it.

[Mea Tulpa]

Jeff did make essence investment slightly cheaper in G5. It's still rarely worthwhile. The one exception is if you are using a very cheap creation at very high levels. The essence cost to buy a few levels of strength for a cryoa, in particular, can be worthwhile at very high levels only. This is less useful for clawbugs since the damage doesn't scale up as quickly.