0.4 update, in review

[Mc Mcarthy Jones]

………The new update has finally finally FINALLY come out, and I thought I’d review it after 5 days of playing. (Yes, I’m one of the poors, I stand with you.) Of course, when talking about this update, the first topic anyone should mention is obviously that THE QUARTER HAS BEEN NERFED! THIS IS A RED ALERT! THE QUARTER HAS BEEN NERFED!

………Anyone who's played 0.3 and earlier, would know that you get loaded in Here School. Clearly all the students are rich kids because they be leaving quarters everywhere. However, it seems that inflation has reached the Baldis Basics universe sadly, as there are significantly less quarters in this version. I did a little testing to see just how much the drop rates have been nerfed, and let’s just say the results are indisputable!

………I did 4 runs in explorer where I kept track of how many quarters I got. (I also kept track of my BSoda and ZestyBar count.) On my first run I got a measly 2 quarters, my second run had 2 quarters again. My third run had 0 quarters, although I got like 7 ZestyBars and 3 BSodas, and my last run had a whopping 6 quarters! 6 Quarters was around how much you got on floor 3 of 3.0, so the fact that all 3 floors gave me that much and it was the outlier made me quite happy.

………This nerf however, did not go by without a buff, ZestyBars are now significantly more common. They’re basically on the same tier as dry chalk erasers. Which I’m less happy about, and not because I think they’re overpowered. (Although I still think that.) But because they’re just very boring, I don’t get excited to see a ZestyBar like I do when I see a principal whistle for example.

………On that note, I was initially disappointed by the lack of a new item. (Especially since we haven’t seen a new one since plus’ release.) But with the adjusted item weights, we essentially got a new item since the principal whistle isn’t unnecessarily rare! The faculty name tag is also much more common which is good since I’m a big fan of both those items.

………Alright let's talk about the actual big addition in this update, the new sound system! Sound propagation makes the game way more atmospheric and suspenseful. My favorite side effect of this is the test lockdown event, which now has an eerie quiet to it since all the pathways sound travels get blocked too. And when you can hear something, it’s all the more nerve wracking since you know you’re trapped in there with them.

………This also makes evading Baldi way more fun since there’s much more guesswork as to where he is. In the old versions I could disrespect Baldi easily, looping him around hallways multiple times till he screwed off. But now I have to treat him with much more respect, and he can genuinely take me off guard. The jump scare is a real jump scare now!

………Hmm let’s see… what other big things were added to this update. I know! The new room layouts! The new layouts offer way more variety in how levels generate, not just in exploring rooms. Way more often do rooms connect sections of the map instead of just hallways. Way more often do I find myself surprised by what the level gives me! There are also less long stretches of hallway, which is another thing I’ve wanted for a long time as it nerfs the dreaded BSoda. (And the grappling hook.)

………Alright, how else can I not talk about the new character… well I’ll just talk about the old ones! Beans gum now has more presence, it immerse’s me into the world better. TPoTTs knocking adds more variety to the soundscape? (I have no idea why I just typed that, like what does that even mean? I like it that’s all.) Chalkles is way more of an active threat, and ItsABully actually helps you now! (They’re still bad but they’re better!)

………Okay fine, Dr. Reflex, where do I begin? First off visually they’re amazing. I mean, do I even have to say it? The way they get draped in red light when they’re angry looks awesome, and the sound design when they chase you is genuinely suspenseful. Although the punishment for leaving them is not that impactful. You can still open doors, grab balloons, and most importantly use items! I think it should be way more punishing, is there even a single reason to play his game once you’ve grabbed all the notebooks?

………He also avoids the Mrs. Pomp problem where seeing them is a guaranteed catch most times because not only do they have line of sight, but he also pauses a bit before chasing you to give you a little time to get away. I was confused at first why Dr. Reflex specifically should have line of sight, but it really adds to his character.

………My absolute favorite thing about Dr. Reflex is how he gets more difficult the more they catch you. It’s a great deterrent for staying in the level too long. Since I’ve been playing this update I’ve been trying to avoid spending 5 minutes setting up each floor, and it’s been a lot more fun! I really hope other characters get mechanics like this, I think Playtime increasing the amount of times you have to jump rope would be really cool!

………Overall this update has been a blast! Unlike other characters, Dr. Reflex feels way more polished on arrival. (*cough* *cough* Mrs. Pomp *cough* *cough.*) The new generation makes levels more distinct, and the new item balance makes the gameplay more varied. All the characters feel like the best version of themselves. (Except Cloudy Copter, please show some love to my cloudy boi.)

After playing the update for a few days my first impressions haven’t changed. It is still a So Cool/10

[typervader]

What ive gathered from this is you dislike mrs pomp lol

[Mc Mcarthy Jones]

Originally posted by typervader:

What ive gathered from this is you dislike mrs pomp lol

I actually do like Mrs. Pomp. When she was first introduced she was pretty bad, but she got better. Shes definitely still a flawed character, but not as bad as ItsABully or Cloudy Copter.

[typervader]

Originally posted by Mc Mcarthy Jones:

Originally posted by typervader:

What ive gathered from this is you dislike mrs pomp lol

I actually do like Mrs. Pomp. When she was first introduced she was pretty bad, but she got better. Shes definitely still a flawed character, but not as bad as ItsABully or Cloudy Copter.

Bully i think is fine, but i defeintly agree with Cloudy.

What makes her flawed?

[Mc Mcarthy Jones]

Originally posted by typervader:

What makes her flawed?

………My only real problem with Mrs. Pomp is how once she sees you, there’s not much you can do, as I mentioned. Your only real option is to enter a locker which is extremely limiting. Plus, once you enter a locker she slows down to her usual speeds, so you might have to wait a long while before it’s safe to exit. In most instances you just have to bite the bullet and go to her class.

………This is not to say that it should be easy to avoid her, I think with the way they work she should be hard to avoid. I just think that there should be more options. Maybe she won’t stop you if you’re in a classroom, assuming that’s your current class?

[typervader]

Originally posted by Mc Mcarthy Jones:

Originally posted by typervader:

What makes her flawed?

………My only real problem with Mrs. Pomp is how once she sees you, there’s not much you can do, as I mentioned. Your only real option is to enter a locker which is extremely limiting. Plus, once you enter a locker she slows down to her usual speeds, so you might have to wait a long while before it’s safe to exit. In most instances you just have to bite the bullet and go to her class.

………This is not to say that it should be easy to avoid her, I think with the way they work she should be hard to avoid. I just think that there should be more options. Maybe she won’t stop you if you’re in a classroom, assuming that’s your current class?

Thats fair.

As for Cloudy or bully what would you do?

[Mc Mcarthy Jones]

Originally posted by typervader:

Thats fair.

As for Cloudy or bully what would you do?

I'm going to do a character tier list soon so I'll talk about them in more detail then.

[typervader]

Originally posted by Mc Mcarthy Jones:

Originally posted by typervader:

Thats fair.

As for Cloudy or bully what would you do?

I'm going to do a character tier list soon so I'll talk about them in more detail then.

Cool. I do agree with everything else you said, though i am still iffy on the audio changes as i feel its a tad too hard to track baldi spefically at the moment. But the idea is cool, and i love the new maps