Advanced Start Option?

[bio_hazard]

Maybe I'm alone in this, but I (generally) have a pretty easy time with the very first quests* once I've been through them a number of times with a certain type of character, but then die in the mid-game visiting somewhere new. Since this game is so good at keeping track of your previous characters' progress, I wonder if it would be possible to add an "advanced start" option to race/class combos that you have already played a number of times. Here's what I'm imagining:

For example, after successfully defeating the two opening dungeons with my Dwarf Fighter on Roguelike difficulty N times (maybe 5 times), if I start up another Dwarf Fighter I'd have the option to Advance Start. My character would start in the dwarf city at whatever level one would normally have after doing that, with stat and skill points ready to distribute, and an inventory full of stuff to keep or sell. This stuff would include the guaranteed artifact from the first dungeon boss, one additional artifact, maybe one rune/infusion, and then a random assortment of gear.

I understand this is a pretty radical suggestion for a roguelike. The opening dungeons are great if I'm trying out a new character, but I'm starting to find them less exciting if I've already been through with a certain build several times.

*Except the archmage quest, which is always pretty challenging (and fun!)

[Hedrachi]

Hrm... or maybe alternative starts, like how the X-Universe pilots start out. As a challenge you could be a dwarf trying to purify a catacomb of some sort from the risen bodies and spirits of his/her ancestors. Would be a single start dungeon significantly harder than the start dungeons.

Could have Archmage advanced start be "Telos' Legacy" where the player tries to quell a village's anger at mages over how Telos treated them, and now they have a new mage (not the player) harassing them too. If the player fails to quell the village's anger (or destroys the village/kills the inhabitants, hah) the player has to do an extra quest to set LH's faction relation to Angolwen to Neutral again, as failure will make all those halfling/human patrols... not so friendly.

[Grey]

Won't this simply be a recurrent problem with all parts of the game? You'll get bored of the next bit and want a mid-game start, then want an East start, then want a final boss start...? ;)

If you're bored of certain things then I suggest acting differently. Though the first dwarf dungeon is mandatory it doesn't take long to rush through, and after that there are several different dungeons you can tackle. Don't feel like you're constrained to take everything in a certain order.

[bio_hazard]

Won't this simply be a recurrent problem with all parts of the game? You'll get bored of the next bit and want a mid-game start, then want an East start, then want a final boss start...?

If you're bored of certain things then I suggest acting differently. Though the first dwarf dungeon is mandatory it doesn't take long to rush through, and after that there are several different dungeons you can tackle. Don't feel like you're constrained to take everything in a certain order.

This is true, although the difference is the first dungeon/quest IS mandatory, and also seems less variant than other levels (I've never seen a vault of any kind in the starting dwarf dungeon, archmage quest, etc). Even though the maps, monsters, and drops are randomized, they seem like they are randomized within much narrower constraints than the other dungeons I've visited. When I hit the Old Forest again there's always the chance of something new and unexpected, but I don't have that same feeling about the starting dungeons.

Even if you added multiple advanced start points, they would be optional, and could be available to only the builds you have played many many times over. I guess I haven't made it far enough to know if I would want other points though!

[Grey]

Only dwarves have a mandatory starting zone. Everyone else (except yeeks I guess) can straight away leave for the world map and try out a different starting zone.

I agree that there could be more variety introduced into the dwarf zone and some others though. This would certainly be a better solution than a "skip early game" option. If there's something wrong it should be fixed, not skipped ;)

[Canderel]

And undead... whose dungeon is probably a little too long, but they need it to be able to beat the giant (which they don't need to kill I guess)...

[Postman]

Solution could be in introduction of more difficulty settings: between Adventure and Roguelike and between Roguelike and Insane. The amount of lives could be the same but monster level and diversity could be higher.

[Final Master]

Solution could be in introduction of more difficulty settings: between Adventure and Roguelike and between Roguelike and Insane. The amount of lives could be the same but monster level and diversity could be higher.

What's the point of more difficulty options if the only change is total lives? That's just useless clutter.

[bio_hazard]

Solution could be in introduction of more difficulty settings: between Adventure and Roguelike and between Roguelike and Insane. The amount of lives could be the same but monster level and diversity could be higher.

I don't know that this would be an improvement for me. I'd spend more time in the areas I know fighting harder monsters, and probably be more likely to die quickly once I get to new areas.