Tips on how to not suck?

He's talking about trap sight radius, not trap affinity. You can get through the game pretty easily with trap affinity of 0 (not being able to disarm traps isn't that bad, since you can just walk around them), but if you can't see them until you're one square away from them, you will step on them. A lot. And they will kill you, a lot. It only takes one thaumite nest at the wrong time to seriously mess up your chances of survival, especially if you're not a tank.

 

Indeed, this not this . Even the psycho kinetic shove can't save you if you never see the trap in the first place.

Also, Gargle Blasters, while nice, are probably one of the weaker examples of an item that will save your life. Things like inky hoglantern, instability and invisibility potions, rock wands, zodiacal wands/potions of purity, and bolts of squid all mimic a skill of some sort and can be life saving in a pinch.

 

Things that will save your life:

1 - Potions of purity / Zodiacal Wonds: These remove all harmful effects from you. Thaumite nest? Dispell it! Acid trap? Dispell it!
2 - Healing potions / potions of replenishment: Instant health = AWESOMENESS. (replenishment also gives mana)
3 - Potions of invisibility / Inky Hoglanterns: Invisibility is often your best friend. Eating doesn't cancel it, but attacking does.
4 - Food / Booze: The best long-term replenishment for health / mana. Consume the crappy stuff ASAP, and try to get a nice stack of a couple good items. (I often end up with 8+ Applewood cheese)
5 - Wands / Bolts / Thrown items: Dealing ranged damage is great. Use your AoE attacks (like the acid wand / Bolt of Squid) from at least a few spaces back. These things clog your inventory, so use them ASAP. After a few games, you'll have a few favorite items - keep large stacks of those, and use up everything else quickly.
6 - Potions of instability. These work sometimes - but not much.

 

I agree. Invisibility is way underrated by most players, I prefer it to teleportation in most cases. Not mentioned here is the fact that using any wand or casting any spell counts as "attacking" as far as the game is concerned, and will make you visible, as I've learned to my great (fatal) chagrin.

 

I never really payed too much attention to invisibility until one time I meleed dreadmor. The ability to pop an invisibility potion and 3-4 healing potions and then use a stun ability was amazing. Now whenever I get to 25% (50% for dreadmor) health invisibility is now my go to option. Also its nice for when your knockback fails on a named monster.

 

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this yet-- when you're invisible, you can eat as much food as you want and you will stay invisible. That alone has saved my hero a few times.

 

This game is almost entirely about having the right tool set, understanding stat system and combat mechanics, and playing patiently.

That said, it's still a feat to beat the game because the game is very long. I often get to level 8-10 with the tools to easily beat the game and then end up playing recklessly taking an unecessary risk and dying. Often you find yourself making a combat roll knowing there is a very small chance you'll get attacked/countered/crited and won't block/dodge/counter either hit and die. But since there are many many combat rounds in a game, eventually that small risk becomes an inevitability and you die.

My biggest problem is I'll get really high dodge/counter/block and forget the .1% chance of a bad roll will eventually happen.

 

Jhffmn, I would suggest newer players avoid the heavy dodge/block/counter builds and go more tanky until they are more familar with the game.

 

I do enjoy high and/or builds. They start very weak and then starting to shine at about level 15. I normally play the game where I started to go on the defensive anytime I hit 50% hp or lower. That is when I pop healing spells/potions, turn invisible or teleport away. As long as you keep yourself about 50% health you should be in a situation where you have a chance to die.

 

If you are playing melee, try taking geology. If you use siesmic uppercut in melee range, you also perform a free melee attack. It's a great way to painlessly deal with anything in melee (on a cool down of course). An easy way to deal with problem enemies can make a huge difference. But it sounds like you are having a hard time in the really early game.

If you are really having a hard time on the first few levels a pet can litterally carry you through the first several dungeon levels. In fact, pets like the wyrmling can probably solo any enemy up until about DL 6-7 or so. If you are playing a caster, rushing pyromancy and grabbing the wrymling first thing will get you to midgame and you can grab the pet pretty quick.

 

Siesmic uppercut is even better than you think. A dazed enemy can't cast spells. That means that Battle geology has 2 anti-magic skills. That makes the last part of zoos and dreadmor MUCH easier.

Also use the first battle geology skill on your pets (preferably zombies) and you vastly increase their damage.

 

On Going Rogue I'd put this threshold at 66%. One or two bad turns can do you in, especially on the later floors. On floor 15 it's more like 75%. That floor is scary.

 

Another simple one that might help: don't walk into a square that's adjacent to a monster (apart from monsters that normally try to avoid you, as they tend to be fodder in melee). Pressing the spacebar will pass your current turn; let the monsters come to you without giving them a free hit.

 

This is especially true for enemies like Blink Batties, who will wind you the hell up if you don't do this.

Blink Batties, Gnomes, Wraiths/Dead Heads, Octos and possibly those pumpkin things are best dealt with this way or via ranged abilities, otherwise you will spend hours running around after them whilst they annoy you to a literal death.

 

This is IMO the single best piece of advice in this thread. To put it another way:

Guy goes to his doctor and says, "Doc, it hurts when I do this." Doctor says, "so don't do that."

Not that other advice (on skills, equipment, etc.) isn't valuable. I enjoy reading it! But most importantly: play slowly, and when you die, pay attention and think about how you'll avoid that fate next time.

 

I would say that ranged monsters with chicken ai (run away from you rather than engage) should be chased down. each turn you waste not moving next to them is a turn that they can use to pelt you with missiles. waiting a turn to see if they'll close the gap is like presenting your face to have it punched.

 

This.

Fun fact: Monsters that are adjacent to you cannot run away from you, unless knocked back or inflicted with a fear effect.

Pumpkinns are an exception to this rule, however. They're particularly annoying because in addition to casting an AoE poison cloud DoT they're also pretty decent fighters in melee. However, they don't actually have that high of a chance to cast their one spell, so in their case it's not a bad idea to back them into a corner and force them to move adjacent to you, thereby giving you the first attack.

 

I didn't know you could cast that skill on your pets. I suppose it makes sense given that it's targeted. I guess I just assumed the targeting was bugged.

That makes me really want to take the line with fungal arts and build a melee build cause the slime with that on it would actually not be that bad. I'll probably wait till the expansion though,

 

If they're in near-melée range, chances are they'll move towards you if they not fleeing. If they're fleeing, bolt them. If they're not near you, bolt them.

 

If you have a skill that turns you invisible (such as Going Commando or Ninja Vanish) use it whenever you open a door, and never open the door from the center. That way, if there's something powerful like a boss, a zoo, or Dredmor behind the door, you can close the door and prepare yourself for the fight. Much better than eating all your buff mushrooms and potions before opening a door.