I think this has mostly to do with the changes to monster generation generally. Vault is several levels higher than the base DL of the area, so occasionally you can get quite nasty things. I've seen gorgons in PC:6 before.

whatever is causing it, it needs to be fixed - you shouldn't need to deal with a level 15+ monster on PC:6

Gorgon is ~12?

I meanmob generation is not items, it depends on char level too. Something like molochs (normal ones) can be generated for lv50 char on DL1 area, and they are DL25ish, so you need to add like half char levels to DL anyway (so for char lv12 gorgon on PC6 is likely possible to be generated outside of vault).

I don't think you can run into 15+. The DE priestess that killed you is only DL9. I think the PC:6 vault can spawn up to DL12 or DL13, which does give gorgon, greater mimic, gray slayer, wall beast, acid vortex, and revenant all of which are quite nasty at the level you're likely to do that vault (I don't bother even attempting the PC vault if it is mixed anymore). I'm pretty sure that this was always the case though--you're just more likely to see the tougher monsters because the DL distribution is weighted differently.

It used to be that the worst you could see in PC:6 was werewolf lord, but they've been buffed to higher DL and shouldn't spawn there any longer.

Acid and lightning vortices are the worst, especially when you play low To chars.
It's pretty much guaranteed that if PC:6 spawns a mixed vault, there will be a vortex in there.
Lightning lizards are quite deadly at this stage too.
I did get gorgons and DE royalty/priesthood.
Like Jelly, I got smart and I avoid PC:6 vault entirely if it's mixed, it's just not worth it.

I'd leave this as is. As for PC:6 problem in particular - I think it is meant to be tough and character isn't meant to be able to clean it at low levels...

If it's filled with orcs, there is no simpler thing to clear.
It's the disparity between difficulty levels that's annoying.
Considering the fact that PC is an early game dungeon, which is at least partially meant to introduce the player to how things work in this game, decreasing the mixed vaults' difficulty/monster DL there would be reasonable.

I don't think I'd be averse to making normal vaults a little harder and mixed vaults a little easier.

But I kinda like the OH MY GOD RUN effect when I open a mixed vault and see a cavalcade of horrors awaiting my poor character. Gets the blood flowing.

Yeah, please improve regular lesser vaults. Pretty, please.

Seriuosly orcs/kobolds/lesser undead/gnols and hyenas are more or less punching bag with good item drops... They could use at least one serious boss monster (I wanted suggest using player submitted bosses but these are also pushovers). Problem of course is the whole balancing thing, but I think orc vault having 4-5 experienced hill orc sergeants would at least be more entertaining.

I think some of the player submitted bosses can actually cause problems, I wouldn't mind having a boss to be guaranteed off of a normally easy lesser vault.

I have understood that the puppy cave quest is an add-on for more experienced players, who don't have that much challenge in the early game otherwise. There's the ant colony and other a bit more challenging stuff.

Nobody forces you to clear every vault the minute you see it. If it's too tough when you are lvl 8, come back once you are lvl 16. I like the idea that there are considerably more dangerous mixed vaults. Also they can be used strategically - I usually leave all mixed vaults untouched until I've gotten the random monster quest from Thrundarr.

Yes, I have always seen the puppy quest as a challenge for skilled players, not a dungeon for noobs (who should go to the VD or DD instead). The puppy achievement in the game log is something to brag about, it should be hard.

Except there is no point. Mixed vaults are sparse so have little treasure compared to most regular vaults.

Random monster trick is a nice one but if Thundarr is approached at low levels it will almost always be caveman/troll...

I'm pretty sure that mixed vaults have the same possible configurations as normal vaults. Some are sparse, but some are not.

Oh I frequently skip areas I know I can't handle. But despite this, such a variation in difficulty for as early a stage of the game as PC, is not a good thing.
Level has nothing to do with it, I've cleared that vault with wizards at level 6 and perished with paladins at level 12.
Of course, different classes are differently suited to deal with the vault, which is fine.
As for the puppy quest, I have no idea where you're getting the notion it's an add-on for more experienced players.
It has always been one of the two starting caves for me and I have always played adom with that in mind.
That vault in PC:6 is the only thing that stands apart, which is why we have this thread at all.
I universally ignore the puppy itself; the cave is the real prize for this quest.
I will typically have a spare wish on my way out of drakalor chain when the gate is closed and wishing for the dog puts the achievement on the list all the same.
Why some people bother with it at the start of the game is beyond me but whatever floats your boat.

The random monster quest can be done within 100 turns of getting it (or less in my recent game), that's what kinds of monsters thrundarr asks for these days.
Sparing a random mixed vault just to complete the quest seems like an overkill to me.
It's fine to have mixed vaults in UD or CoC, but in PC, I think it is a bit too harsh.

Just because you've done it, doesn't mean that level wouldn't affect it heavily. It does.
There are also other variations of difficulty in the early game. You can end up having a 5-square wide river on UD:1. Not all of the early game needs to be extremely easy. If you don't want to risk it, avoid those places.

A hint about that has been in the official ADOM FAQ since forever.

No, the ant colony and the cavernous level are just as dangerous. Even more likely to be so, actually. Especially PC:5.

Blasp, the point is that no one forces you to clean the vault on PC6 at start. It isn't necessary to save the dog. You don't have to do it right away. You don't have to visit PC early and you don't have to visit it at all. Finally there are people who enjoy this challenging dungeon woth all its aspects.

I just said earlier I know I don't have to clean the vault. Indeed, if it's a mixed one I skip it and return later.

In fact, I personally have nothing against PC as it is now but my whole point was that I can understand when somebody else complains at the excessive difficulty of a mixed vault there.
It is difficult and seems a bit unfair when one time you only have orcs which can be cleared blindfolded, another time you have vortices, gorgons, werewolves and lightning lizards which are vastly more dangerous.
My point was that perhaps mixed vaults are a *little* too difficult while regular single-type vaults are a *bit* too easy.

Ants' threat is exaggerated, I don't remember the last time I had any difficulties with them at all.

Vault monsters are 5 levels out of depth at most in mixed vault (those were the monsters are not predefined).

In which dungeon did you encounter the vault? On what level?