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General / [Spoilers for potentially everything] Minimum Level To Complete Dominating?
« on: February 22, 2018, 11:23:36 am »
Hi! I've enjoyed this game very much, approximately 200 hours worth so far. I'm sure this will strike many players as weird, but I approach this game as a puzzle game in optimization.
So far, I have only ever played variations of one build (assault rifles with core feats commando / suppressive&opportunist / full-auto / concentrated fire) and on one patch (current / 1.0.3.20; not sure if I played on a slightly different version before that). I have done several full run-throughs (starting with normal difficulty and proceeding to dominating). For my runs (and purposes of discussion here) no Export/Import of characters, CheatEngine, file editing, bugs**, etc. are involved.
I have just today completed a run at Level 16* on Dominating but was able to confirm that at least 1 (and likely 2) feats are unnecessary, though I'm not sure about how many skill points can be cut. So far I am not having to save/load an outrageous amount (almost certainly less than 1000 loads throughout the whole run, Deep Caverns from elevator to elevator only took ~2.1 hours real time). Tchort itself only took 3 attempts (no mutagen puzzle).
To be clear though, I am not optimizing for time, only minimizing level for now. Has anybody else attempted this or theorycrafted on the topic? I admit I didn't search too much because I believe Dominating is relatively new and I also wasn't sure whether this is the same as a "challenge run" or other terminology. The only challenge involved should be the optimization and planning. In fact, the execution has gotten extremely easy for the most part as each piece has been figured out in detail (though this will probably change at lower level).
Is there a different build that I should attempt for lower levels? My goal is probably 14 with stretch goal of 12. It's actually not even clear to me how exactly I should best proceed below 14 right now, but I believe 14 should definitely be doable with very close to the approach I am using now. I don't have much evidence but based on my limited experience it is hard to imagine sub-12 being possible even with perfect luck (unless there is some insanely broken item or skill I am unaware of). Am I wrong here?
Lunatic Mall and Tchort seem to be the two gatekeepers so far, though the IRIS Core Fight is probably going to become non-skippable and might be an issue (I've embarrassingly never tried that fight in any play through). Though painful and arduous, I can imagine at least the Lunatic Mall being completed at Level 11 with copious traps and patience (including the patience to obtain and craft level-optimal House-buffed gear). I'm not sure about getting past the other two.
Many thanks in advance for any input or knowledge this forum can share! I have really appreciated both this site and the wiki for reference during my most recent run especially.
*Level 16 points were the last points spent and my Save Files indicate Level 16 but the Character Sheet will show 17 due to gained experience.
**At least as far as I know, certainly hard to be certain since I don't know exactly how to define a bug, but nothing that clearly trivializes the game or is explicitly indicated as not intended via GUI. For example (almost certainly not a bug but hopefully this conveys the idea), if Rathound Regalia working in Deep Caverns is a "bug" that could only be confirmed by the developer I think.
So far, I have only ever played variations of one build (assault rifles with core feats commando / suppressive&opportunist / full-auto / concentrated fire) and on one patch (current / 1.0.3.20; not sure if I played on a slightly different version before that). I have done several full run-throughs (starting with normal difficulty and proceeding to dominating). For my runs (and purposes of discussion here) no Export/Import of characters, CheatEngine, file editing, bugs**, etc. are involved.
I have just today completed a run at Level 16* on Dominating but was able to confirm that at least 1 (and likely 2) feats are unnecessary, though I'm not sure about how many skill points can be cut. So far I am not having to save/load an outrageous amount (almost certainly less than 1000 loads throughout the whole run, Deep Caverns from elevator to elevator only took ~2.1 hours real time). Tchort itself only took 3 attempts (no mutagen puzzle).
To be clear though, I am not optimizing for time, only minimizing level for now. Has anybody else attempted this or theorycrafted on the topic? I admit I didn't search too much because I believe Dominating is relatively new and I also wasn't sure whether this is the same as a "challenge run" or other terminology. The only challenge involved should be the optimization and planning. In fact, the execution has gotten extremely easy for the most part as each piece has been figured out in detail (though this will probably change at lower level).
Is there a different build that I should attempt for lower levels? My goal is probably 14 with stretch goal of 12. It's actually not even clear to me how exactly I should best proceed below 14 right now, but I believe 14 should definitely be doable with very close to the approach I am using now. I don't have much evidence but based on my limited experience it is hard to imagine sub-12 being possible even with perfect luck (unless there is some insanely broken item or skill I am unaware of). Am I wrong here?
Lunatic Mall and Tchort seem to be the two gatekeepers so far, though the IRIS Core Fight is probably going to become non-skippable and might be an issue (I've embarrassingly never tried that fight in any play through). Though painful and arduous, I can imagine at least the Lunatic Mall being completed at Level 11 with copious traps and patience (including the patience to obtain and craft level-optimal House-buffed gear). I'm not sure about getting past the other two.
Many thanks in advance for any input or knowledge this forum can share! I have really appreciated both this site and the wiki for reference during my most recent run especially.
*Level 16 points were the last points spent and my Save Files indicate Level 16 but the Character Sheet will show 17 due to gained experience.
**At least as far as I know, certainly hard to be certain since I don't know exactly how to define a bug, but nothing that clearly trivializes the game or is explicitly indicated as not intended via GUI. For example (almost certainly not a bug but hopefully this conveys the idea), if Rathound Regalia working in Deep Caverns is a "bug" that could only be confirmed by the developer I think.