Start Golem with Runes

[lukep]

The golem starts with three Rune slots, which is often missed by new players. I think that golems starting with a few runes would help this out, at the cost of increasing them even more in power in the early game. My suggestions: weakest runes possible, 1x shield, 1x phase door, 1x lightning. This would give a good variety and show what is possible.

[Zonk]

Currently they only get a shielding rune. Giving lightning(or a random attack rune)isn't too shabby an idea, but DEFINETELY avoid making them start with phase door, please.

[Dervis]

No, no, a teleport rune... New player checks out his golem... ooh, what does this do? The Golem disappears into the other side of the map while the player figures out how to kill a Troll alone.

Now seriously... maybe a low cooldown Heat Beam and a 20% speed rune with 30 charges or so.

P.S. - Better yet... an Acid wave Rune. 'BOOM! All enemies dead! Err... where's my alchemist?'

[Aquillion]

I've given my golem an acid wave rune before. Like a summon, they'll be smart about using it and won't hit their alchemist (and it's not a bad idea, since if you're using your golem right they'll usually Rush way out of range of you as soon as they see an enemy.)

If you want to go for optimal, two shield runes, of course, but that might be too much -- let players find their second shield rune. Anyway, while it'd be good to make it more obvious to the player that they can put runes on them, I don't feel that golems really need to start with three runes -- players who know what the shield rune means will figure it out with even one rune, and other players are likely to assume it's just a natural part of the golem, if they don't possess it, investigate, and notice what's up.

[Grey]

I say we need an alchemist tutorial which mentions it whilst also providing other advice on how to use your golem and other abilities. Alchemists are one of the most interesting of all ToME4 classes (and probably the most interesting initially unlocked class), so they're perfect material for a tutorial.

[Dervis]

That's actually a good idea there... We should make custom scenario tutorials for some of the classes.

One fixed map with 3 or 4 rooms force feeding you xp to level 10 or so, while explaining the basics of the class. Alchemists, Summoners, Anorithils, Wardens and Reavers at least... Those classes that might not feel so natural to people used to the regular 'abilities cost mana and mana regens naturally' found everywhere.

P.S. - forgot Cursed/Doomed.

[Grey]

Well there's not much point having tutorials for classes like Doomed and Anorithil which start late in the game. Also the tutorials should be focussed on teaching specific gameplay methods, rather than simply levelling up to 10 and hoping the player learns something.

[Aquillion]

Well there's not much point having tutorials for classes like Doomed and Anorithil which start late in the game. Also the tutorials should be focussed on teaching specific gameplay methods, rather than simply levelling up to 10 and hoping the player learns something.

But there are some things unique to those classes that really ought to be better explained. Playing the game as other classes doesn't necessarily tell you about the custom features of late-unlocked things.

[Grey]

True, I guess I just don't see it as that important as explaining the initial classes or the easily unlocked ones. Cursed and mage tutorials would be good for instance, both to explain how they work a little and to show that there are cool classes to be unlocked.

[bricks]

Alchemists are really the only problem. They have a ton of features via the golem that are totally undocumented, apart from some confusing language in the Golemancy trees.

Why make a whole tutorial? Give alchemists a little "how-to-alchemist" lore when they start the game.