New "Nightmare" Difficulty Mode

I'd prefer optional challenge content or unlockable quests.
even better if not confined to the rules of the difficulty they are in, so you are encouraged to come back.

example
my main char in Grim Dawn is in Ultimate Difficulty right now. starting Act 3, and not dying as many times as I thought he would.
so I went back to Normal Difficulty - of all places - to pick a fight with the one guy who I left unbeaten there: Avatar Of Mogdrogen.
yep he's a god and all, but I'm in Ultimate! on the difficulty that's exponentially harder than Normal I beat the insane end boss, beat a challenge zone (Steps Of Torment), and almost beat another one (Bastion Of Chaos. got to Sha'zul but he was too much for now)... then got to Act 3 in the hardest mode which is even more brutal.

so how hard can it be?

... yeah he fkn destroyed me even though he was actually my level this time, compared to the +20 levels in the previous time. was a fair fight rather than a 1-shot at least.

you can bet I'll try again.


so much better than having to run from Hillock to Malachai and back a billion times.

just imagine, what if you could have side areas and ultra-insane bosses unlock in Normal Act 1 after you beat Merciless? and even harder versions of them appear in Cruel?
and that's just the obvious option.
there's so much more that can be done with challenge-based / gameplay-based unlockable content.
Alva: I'm sweating like a hog in heat
Shadow: That was fun
Last edited by johnKeys on Apr 27, 2016, 11:45:52 AM
For hard mode, see: http://ssf.poeladder.com/
shameless self quote from Mar 21st
thread: https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/1625581/page/3

"
LStanley1982 wrote:
Back in 96' ... Id's DooM had "Nightmare"
NOTHING stayed dead, NOTHING.

Add a 4th play-through, starting at level 68-69, ending around 86-88 (higher difficulty sure)

Yeah, run it parallel with maps.

The kicker;
ALL mobs re-spawn after 5 seconds dead. ALL of them, BOSSES TOO. For the main sequence of the game, there aren't any bosses or levels where "2 or more" need to be "dead at the same time" save for the Fetid Pool (adjust the quest for "kill the necromancer only?") and Daresso's Dream (as much as I can remember) However, if they all get killed once (even if respawning after) it could still grant passage to the final arena... or they could be exceptions to the re-spawning rule.

For some balance; Killing a mob initially rewards loot and exp, every succeeding kill is "just so its dead, another 5 seconds"

Collecting drops will prove ... daunting playing solo. You'll likely need to have parties (multiplayer! HOLY CRAP!) running this play-through just so that you can take turns grabbing drops and not getting ganked by re-spawning Devourers

Bonuses for running the play-through; (some new quest rewards- maps, more ++ linked gear (5 and 6L) unique items too?, even some *might* be OK as passives (notably less than the first 3 runs) so that out max 125 passive tree is ~130 or so)

2 more Ascendancy passive nodes!!

Death = 15% exp loss

Suprise elements; White Rhoa something... (get creative?) Fairgraves as a rouge exile running around and attacking you sometimes with lots of undead minions...? You can even add "new attacks" to old bosses... let Hillock do something, twisted... I mean, he's the boss zombie of all boss zombies and he's a freaking joke... set him belching Essence Drain every 2 seconds in a burst or something...

Maybe a "similar" to graphic enhancement like micro-transactions for completing it. Something regarding "nightmare" and the "embodiment" of it... bloody footsteps with the bubbling spouts of blood like when you are attacked by Malachi maybe...

More aggressive sound-track? with all creatures re-spawning, could be well fitting.

YES, I know the game has corpse explosions, freezing/shattering/consumption to zombies/food and "vaporization" perandus mobs etc. I suppose, you could re-spawn/re-animate the creatures regardless of "has usable corpse" or not, just remove the previous corpse if it exists... That way its not just a "better have a means for corpse disposal" to play it.

Ultimately, it's truly, hard... You "can't" stop. There is no "safety."

Fear the dead.



That was my 0.02$ on a 4th playthrough....
Last edited by LStanley1982 on Apr 27, 2016, 12:04:33 PM
Only if Hilock is stronger than Uber Atziri there. And you cant clear it solo, you NEED a maxed out group for it.
"
LStanley1982 wrote:
Death = 15% exp loss
Why not just make it Death = Dead?

Add in a script/macro ban and 2 second log out timer.
Stop using overpowered builds and boom, you have your own personal nightmaremode. Beat Atziri with Dominating Blow. Do it.
"
For hard mode, see: http://ssf.poeladder.com/


that's not hard mode, that's just "grind 6x more time with some uninspiring cookie cutter build since you can't get any worthy unique without 879 hours played"
Exiled mode = Monster level is scaled to your character level +2 or in a group highest character level +3.
Sound the dread alarm, through the primal body! Sound the reveille, to be or not to be. Rise! Stay the grand finale! Stay the reading of our swan song and epilogue. One drive to stay alive! Elementary, muster every fiber. Mobilize! Stay alive!

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