Early game improvement suggestion

[tomeaddict-T4]

I only play rougelike, and I guess I'm not that great, so that means I play the entry-level dungeons quite a bit.

I've been thinking that a way to dramatically improve the thrill of the early game would be an increase in the variety of useful artifacts.

To be clear, I'm not suggesting an increase in the average number of artifacts or high-power items, but just that I would like if there were more individual artifacts which are each proportionally more rare.

Specifically---playing lots of archmages, I once found penitence relatively early on and that changed the game quite a bit.

I think my point is that a cool piece of gear very early can change the game's trajectory, and makes things more interesting and varied even if not much has changed. Seems like Kor's fall doesn't always have to be Kor's fall. Doesn't need to be better all the time, but just a little variety would make the game more fun.

There seems to be some kind of higher order to the provision of artifacts such that all characters find something big and heavy or a nice sword or knife or whatever. This preemption of the RNG seems quite deliberate. Is it really necessary?

There was always that 10^(-x) chance you would find Sting in the BarrowDown (probably a mage) or even a killer randart that you would have carried to the end that makes the eventual demise of the character just a little more tragic...

[edge2054]

More artifacts have been getting added to the game. Just this last release saw five, all early or mid-game.

I've also been working on making egos more interesting which in turn should make finding even non-artifact gear more exciting.

[BasiC]

All the entry levels need a lot more variety in general since they are played so much...
Its not even about items its about making more quest types, adding more random encounters and different ones and adding even more veriety to the tiles and locations found within these low level areas...

[edge2054]

Yeah, I'd like to do more low level unique monsters too (personally).

Though all of your ideas are valid things that would help BasiC

[eliotn]

A good early game improvement would be to have more varied starter zones, and make the ones available dependent on race and class. Random bosses would also be fun.