Yes, the difficulty will indeed pick up. No need to worry there.
Right after I typed the above, I finished up the ruins and on my way to a new area I got ambushed. I burned through 2 of the free resurrects that you get on normal difficulty. I probably used them up because I think you only get two by level 8.
Expansion #3, Forbidden Cults, is now available.
https://te4.org/blogs/darkgod/2018/05/news/tales-majeyal-forbidden-cults-now-released
Gird your tentacles and prepare to lose your sanity.
Nice, I will have to eventually revisit this game.
Someone please sell me on TOME?
I love roguelikes such as Brogue, I played a ton of Angband a million years ago. I dabbled in DCSS and can see the appeal. Dungeonmans is nice.
Beyond roguelikes I tend to like thoughtfully-crafted games with focused designs, like Into the Breach and Invisible, Inc. I’d even put Xcom in this category. Darkest Dungeon. Etc.
Everyone tells me I should love TOME. And… I dunno.
TOME is visually stunning… in terms of how unbearably hideous it is. I can’t think of a game that looks uglier to me. Not just the putrid tileset, but the carelessly endless line lengths without any thought given to readability. Everything about the game looks awful.
And the game design, at first glance, looks very… sloppy? Everything-but-the-kitchen-sink-y?
I have dinked around with the tutorial a couple times and bailed early to prevent vomiting.
Should I persist?
Is it not for me, or could it be for me?
Now that’s how to use the phrase “visually stunning”!
TOME is all about the detail and variety. I think that can be hard to appreciate when you first start playing. So as much as I hate to say it, you have to play moar. Basically, try a couple of the classes and if their differences aren’t enough to catch you’re interest, the game probably isn’t going to work for you.
-Tom
If the aesthetic or user interface is a deal-breaker, it’s probably not for you. Things don’t get any better as you go further into the game. Personally, I got used to it fairly quickly, but then I’m an IT guy who is used to terrible interfaces.
I keep going back because there’s so much to do built into the various campaigns, and so many different character races/classes that play very differently.
You could play the game in ASCII if you find the graphical… “style” a problem. And in a smaller window.
After all this time, this game still confuses me, in the way I am confused in front of Pinball FX’s menu: what table to pick?! So I would start a character and then basically suicide like I’d drop the ball in a Pinball FX game, because I want to try the next thing. I think this might be the opposite of tight designs @justaguy2 is universally known to enjoy.
Yes, I do alot of ‘suiciding’ near the start of the game too. It’s completely intentional.
TOME is weird in its mix of old-school roguelike mechanics and full-on RPG mechanics. I can definitely see where its design would turn people off.
For me, personally, TOME is the best roguelike I’ve ever played. But hey, nothing is for everybody.
I am trying this game out this week amongst others while I am home on vacation.
What would be a good starting class to try and get a feel for the game?
It’s been a while since I’ve played, but if I remember right the Bulwark is pretty good to start out. It’s a defensive melee class, so you stay alive a bit longer (but not too long, it is a roguelike) and it’s fairly simple to play.
Dwarf bulwark gonna let you hurt a bunch of stuff pretty bad. Watch out for magic and the like.
Thanks everyone!
I got all the way to the last boss as an Archmage and then died. I had a bunch of active defense spells that made me very tanky. I could usually 1-shot trash mobs but the elites and mini-bosses could take 2-5 hits.
Beware of the Goo Dungeon. I almost died in there. (infinitely re-spawning enemies!)
Replying to @geewhiz brought TOME back to mind and so I reinstalled it. Been playing a Dwarf Bulwark named Amnesiac in honor of the fact that I’ve forgotten most of what I learned about this game. :) Been fun through level 25-ish, and only had a couple of close calls!
They really need to make a mobile version of this game.
And he finally died in the 40s because I opened a vault with a level 71 (!) boss that trapped me in a corner. Couldn’t get out and eventually it killed me. Perfect timing, since the new Path of Exile league starts tomorrow anyway!
Yeah, don’t open that vault. Didn’t you read all the warning signs? That is like a post-end game optional mega-boss.