Decay feels like an arbitrary punishment rather than a threat you can outplay

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VolcanoElixir wrote:

"

One area where this is a real issue is in placed memories within the nexus.
Lets say you're using a + shaped memory, entering from the bottom and intending to go to the right arm to place your next memory and move towards whatever you're going for.
The game decides "safe path, left/top" and immediately consumes the right hand side with decay.
You now either simply abandon that memory, try to get to the right somehow and most likely fail, or follow the path the game wants you to go and end up somewhere you don't want to be.

I don't usually get this problem because I will have my memory placed where I need it already most of the time, but if I do need to dynamically change memory pathing as I go, I find it easiest to teleport to the nexus first and then make changes from there before I start any decays.

I assume there's some sort of smart system that encourages the decay to let you go a certain direction, if that direction has a placed (or maybe even planned) memory.
But that would have been implemented before they added the ability to move placed pieces.
So now you need to get to the correct stabilizer in order to move a piece (if you're trying to use up pieces or use one with some nice stacked memory mods).
You have given me an idea to try though, placing a planned memory in the direction I want to go, and seeing if that makes the decay lead in that direction, I can then use the stabilizer to place the piece I actually want.

"

Frostride wrote:

My personal problem with the decay is, when you "win" its like meh. What did you even gain again? E.g. in an incursion there is a feeling of changing something possibly important, and there is enjoyment of having downed something in a limited amount of time.

But when you lose it always feels like bullshit. Because really who can't run to the stabilizer if its not some stupid maze layout with retarded decay pathing?

I completely agree with this eloquent sentiment.

It is the times when you are inadvertently cornered by the blue with one wrong turn, or you have a 4 port memory where even if you get to the last one VERY Fast that happened to be the side that decayed first and most rapidly, that hurt the most. Bullshit, indeed.

I don't know how to solve it, there does need to be some sort of risk. And it is easy to focus on the negative occurrences, but sometimes you gotta take your licks, rage a bit, and move on.