VideoGameCritic wrote:This thread has obviously generated a lot of interest and is much-needed.
My question is, what does it say about a game that requires a thread like this?
Is it a knock against the design of the game? Or maybe the lack of a manual?
It's not a knock against anything. Different games require different strategies and mindsets, and DaHeckIzDat is just pointing out what works best for this one.
Of the OP's eight items, three of them are purely motivational (#1, #6, #8), three concern the basic mechanics of character classes, stat leveling, and attack patterns (#2, #3, #4), and two concern the basic strategies of dodging and attacking from behind (#5, #7). None of the information should be new to anyone who has played the game (or even played a game). This is not to discount DaHeckIzDat's effort in putting the OP together, only to say that the game's difficulty does not come from design issues or a lack of information. The game is hard because it has to be played precisely and persistently, and the OP lays out specific priorities in where and how to build those qualities. It's an approach that can be figured out purely through experience, but DaHeckIzDat has given people a bit of a shortcut.