Great game, great design. SPD is very hard. I eventually unlocked all badges after winning with 7 Challenges (1,202,937 points) [version 2.0.2] and having to lose about 700-something times. I and another guy who's also beat the game with 7 Challenges are trying to figure out the strategy on how to beat the game with all 9 Challenges.
Right now I'm playing the Mage, ignoring armor upgrades unless I find the Great Shield. Upgrades go into the Mage's Staff with Magic Missiles to get the bonus to other wands. Warlock subclass for Soul Mark and gaining around 10 to 12 health every hit. So far on 9 Challenges I've made it to Floor 12 but only if I find two to three wands in the sewers so I can stay at a distance from everyone. I've been waiting to find a Great Shield in the sewers or, copy seed, and then work on my strategy to see if the Great Shield fully upgraded with take me to the end.
Neat Easter Egg with the Halloween pumpkin pie - I expect to see something at Christmas ;)
Found that I can get the Rat King's crown in exchange for the Dwarf King's crown, neat, but I like the Mage's teleportation too beacons too much to trade down.
Any tips for making it through on 9 Challenges? I'm almost at 1,500 losses now and it's pretty discouraging :*(
Has anyone out there reported beating the game with all 9 Challenges? If so what version? I was disappointed to see shields reduced in Block from version 1.3.2 to 2.02.
Take good care and thanks for such a well developed game.
PS: I'd send money in support, a lot of it actually, but I'm in prison and don't have much money on my account. I would really like to see SPD with a redesign to modern technology and graphics with a full-development team. Your game would do really well. Also, if there were multiple dungeons/locations to travel to and a city or town as a central hub would be really awesome. Something like a continuing storyline and time to rest and save between each conquered dungeon and gear loadouts. BTW, the hero is insane or suicidal for going into such a dangerous dungeon all by him-/her-self.
Cooper
Ok I'll bite... 9 challenges is hard. I understand the discouragement but it we l sounds like you have the perseverance you need to get it done. That's a hard-earned quality.
To get this done you either need to outheal the damage you take (with no armor) or not get hit to begin with.
For outhealing, mage will work but not until you can subclass warlock. It's tough to get to that point unless you have amazing weapons like corrupting or vampiric. You need something that hits hard and accurately. You can't afford to take extra hits.
For not getting hit, I prefer rogue because you can lean into evasion much more easily by augmenting the cloth armor for evasion because it works well with the free runner subclass. You have to be careful with your scrolls but at least 1 upgrade into cloth armor on rogue can increase evasion (str requirement on free runner) and gives stone of augmentation a boost as well. Freerunner with ring of sharpshooting and/or crossbow is amazing and can win you the game but it's always down to luck at times. A missed hit, an unseen evil eye, the wrong champion in the wrong place, all of those can still end your run. Sometimes you just have to run away rather than fighting.
Personally I prefer to not get hit but I've made both work. It's more about knowing how to use what you get rather than getting the exact thing you want.