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Thread: Speedrun Strategies

  1. #1
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    Default Speedrun Strategies

    I was wondering what general strategies are good for speedrunning in the latest versions. I'm new to speedrunning in ADOM (although I've done some elsewhere; Kingdom of Loathing, Phantasy Star Online Challenge Mode) but I have a few ideas.

    I understand Teleporting Wizards are the traditional strategy but teleport nerfs have made them somewhat worse. I suspect teleportation is still important though.

    I'm currently playing around with Gnomish Elementalist with Heir planning on doing an early ToEF, sort of a Brimstone-lite strategy. Possibly killing Crime Boss + minions for an early XP boost. I tried killing the Barbarian but it just takes way too many turns. I'd like to work out something involving an early Darkforge for SoRS but it seems insurmountable in the early game right now; at least ToEF you can capitalize on the weakness to Frost Bolt.

    All ideas welcome.

  2. #2
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    My current plan involves taking advantage of the crumbling cave. It's high DL enough to do some very interesting things.

    As a caster, you maybe able to kill a couple things (say an ancient red/white dragon if you have the matching bolt) that give mountains of XPs and gain a bunch of levels that way. If you're lucky enough to run across some chaos knights/warriors, you can get some eternium gear. If you roll-scum a character with a scroll of familiar summoning, you can get companion like a greater moloch, emperor lich, or great wyrm. Emperor lich is very nice, since you can get him to summon, then kill all of the summons with him, in hopes of getting some easy high DL loot. A named wyrm (preferably not karmic since they don't regenerate) or greater moloch can clear Darkforge for you if you're careful/lucky, so you can get the SoRS and the other items there, plus maybe sip the pools for hopes of TCtrl or a wish. If you get a fire immune companion, then immediate ToEF run is also an option from this point since pretty much any fire immune monster except a greater fire elemental can kill the ACW easily.
    Hoping to win with every class, doomed. Archer, Barbarian, Bard, Beastfighter, Druid, Elementalist, Farmer, Fighter, Monk, and ULE Priest down.

  3. #3
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    Any viability to a good roll on alchemy recipes for booze and supercharging the guaranteed wand of tele?
    Alchemy is notably rare but assassins start with it and otherwise provide a very nice skillset and class powers.
    "Hell is empty and all the devils are here."

  4. #4
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    Having good starting stats helps greatly. Training stats with herbs consumes thousands of turns, so you can't really do that in a speedrun. To get better starting stats, you can use the question system or a reroller (depending on where you draw the line regarding cheats and so on).
    You steal a scroll labelled HITME. The orc hits you.

  5. #5
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    For speedrun, scumming for a good start seems a bit cheatish. On the other hand, if the .svg for the start were shared, we could all try playing it (per platform?) and compare results.

    Challenge game anybody?

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mobius View Post
    For speedrun, scumming for a good start seems a bit cheatish. On the other hand, if the .svg for the start were shared, we could all try playing it (per platform?) and compare results.

    Challenge game anybody?
    For a really fast speedrun (say, <20k turns), a great start, or some rare starting item is pretty much required, IMHO. For a <40k run, you can probably get by with a fairly conventional start, at least for a reasonably powerful PC.

    [edit]Challenge game is a good idea though I was just thinking the other day that it's probably about the right time to start up a new forum challenge in honour of Steam release.
    Last edited by JellySlayer; 11-27-2015 at 08:52 PM.
    Hoping to win with every class, doomed. Archer, Barbarian, Bard, Beastfighter, Druid, Elementalist, Farmer, Fighter, Monk, and ULE Priest down.

  7. #7
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    I suggest peeking into the first level of Darkforge. Pretty good stuff for such a low commitment place.

    I'm not a record holder, but I do have a pretty good looking 34k non-wizard from a lucky devastating eternium long spear drop.
    Quote Originally Posted by AlterAsc View Post
    Lifespan that allows not you cower in fear and equip 'ring of hide me', 'wand of get away from me' and 'arrows of please don't hit me'.
    - AlterAsc talks about the problem with Trolls.

    Quote Originally Posted by JellySlayer View Post
    Worst case scenario, grab the shield of raw steel and laugh your way through the tower.
    - JellySlayer carrying one of my characters.

  8. #8
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    Hmm... I managed to get a wizard to level 13 in the ancient caves in about 2000 turns then did Pyramid right away. Was thinking I might grind my way up to 15, visit IQD real quick and then see if I could do the greater vault in a decent amount of time, but got myself killed by a mimic hivemind. Grinding to 15 isn't very turn efficient even in the high DL areas unless you can manage to kill something really strong, but you can get to ~10 really fast. If you picked up Lightning ball, you might be able to do Ancient Cave -> Darkforge -> Pyramid -> IQD -> ToEF. In an ideal world, maybe you could skip IQD and just do ToEF.

    I'm currently playing around with Gnomish Elementalist with Heir planning on doing an early ToEF, sort of a Brimstone-lite strategy. Possibly killing Crime Boss + minions for an early XP boost. I tried killing the Barbarian but it just takes way too many turns. I'd like to work out something involving an early Darkforge for SoRS but it seems insurmountable in the early game right now; at least ToEF you can capitalize on the weakness to Frost Bolt.
    Consider killing swamp hydras. They give about the same or better xp than the guys you're aiming for, and you should be able to kill one with frost bolt + starting wands.
    Hoping to win with every class, doomed. Archer, Barbarian, Bard, Beastfighter, Druid, Elementalist, Farmer, Fighter, Monk, and ULE Priest down.

  9. #9
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    Ancient Cave -> Darkforge -> Pyramid -> IQD -> ToEF. In an ideal world, maybe you could skip IQD and just do ToEF.
    IQD is a no teleport, no fire magic area. Seems like total waste of turns for me.

    Low level elementalists might have hard times in ToEF cause grues shrug a lot and no invisibility. No teleport again is terrible waste of turns.

    In general I think between starting gear and Black Market [assuming character is able to rob it] a char needs to get Teleport, ball spell [non fire], invisibility [can wait until pools, I guess], means of dispatching the village druid. If ball spell is not lightning, SoFM and luck to get something decent will be needed.

    Essentially I would check/rob BM, kill druid [need acid/MM, as far as i remember], get some levels, use lightning ball-pet to get into DF.
    Get shield [don't need to activate quest before killing druid], grind IQD starting golems for levels if needed [shield also gives =ice], stashes behind ice statues might be worth checking if no knives of endurance have been generated as late game HP regen will be needed. [I'd probably wield knife for To boost along shield anyway].

    Once in DF drink pools, I would aim for +para, +invis. +Tp control can be istalled in ID. Once tp and control is obtained I guess you can do Pyramid and head to CoC. For ~10k wizards used to get water orb before ToEF, cause otehrwise healing will be very limited [ToEF is about place hp casting should become an issue - so I would delay it for final push and do as much bookreading as possible before it].

    So basically, roll for great selection of books, push char into DF, get shield and lucky with pools. I would also aim to be N at DT for ice ring. RoI+ steel shield allows alchemy blasts in mid game [picking herbs along way is not much worse than reading fireball book few times, I think].

    Book Identyfing might be an issue at some point as char seriously doesn't want to read Greater Identify or something like that.

  10. #10
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    What are the options for ACW killing with the wizard? It shrugs bolts and can probably instakill in single turn so even Ice Ball seems too risky. I tried getting few wizards with RoDS and frost bolt, get them in dwarf town for altar, wish for RDSM to level up in ToEF. It is all fun until that giant throws a rock... But with invisibility and some means of digging it may be possible to get to the temple, but I still have no idea of what to do with the wyrm.

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