Ice cave ridiculously easy compared to jungle

[Plot Seeker]

I have died about 48 times in caves, 174 in jungle, 2 in ice and 4 in temple (I rarely get to temple thanks to the damn jungle). Is it just me or is ice caves extremely easy? I've only died twice. Once because of a alien explosion and another time because of a yeti throwing me into the abyss.

[Jakkauli]

There's definitely a difficulty spike on Jungle. It's actually intentional.

[Plot Seeker]

Originalmente postado por Jackayl:

There's definitely a difficulty spike on Jungle. It's actually intentional.

The difficulty spike is a bit too large. It's like going from skyrim to dark souls.

[Sneaky Tomato]

The ice caves are indeed pretty easy, if you play your cards right you can basically just drop down and be done with it. Compared to the jungle, that's a cakewalk.

[SendMoreCops]

Ice seems easier alright but you probably have more items by the time you reach it also. Ice with no climbing gloves or spikes especially is trickier.

[Plot Seeker]

Originalmente postado por SendMoreCops:

Ice seems easier alright but you probably have more items by the time you reach it also. Ice with no climbing gloves or spikes especially is trickier.

All you pretty much need is ropes

[Hardûn]

I agree that the ice caves are easier than the jungle, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. The ice caves presents a different kind of danger, more about platforming while the jungle seems full of enemies. And it's a welcome break before the Temple, otherwise I think if the Ice Caves were harder by the time you reached the Temple you would be at risk of overload.

[Plot Seeker]

Originalmente postado por Hardûn:

I agree that the ice caves are easier than the jungle, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. The ice caves presents a different kind of danger, more about platforming while the jungle seems full of enemies. And it's a welcome break before the Temple, otherwise I think if the Ice Caves were harder by the time you reached the Temple you would be at risk of overload.

True, ice caves are like the calm before the storm.

[VDZ]

Difficulty-wise, once you get experienced enough, I'd say Hell = Jungle > Temple > Mines > Ice Caves. Temple is really hard when you're not used to it, but almost all of the danger is predictable and it's just that not paying attention results in instant death. The jungle, on the other hand, is full of unpredictable danger that'll screw you over even if you're on your guard.

I've only been to Hell twice, but both times it was pretty much a cakewalk with the items you have there - you'll lose 2-3 health going through it but I've never been in genuine danger there (excluding the final boss, of course). The mines are mostly easy, but spiders can be dangerous, and it's the second most difficult location to fight a shopkeeper (jungle being the hardest, ice caves the easiest and hell and temple being pretty easy as well).

[Mumblez]

I think one thing people need to keep in mind though, is theres LOTS of stuff which does LOW damage in the jungle (cave men, monkeys, paranas, boomerang users, bees) but the ice caves has less things which can kill you pretty much instantly (mines, the abyss, exploding saucers, frozen and trambled) So its hard in an entirely DIFFENT way.

[Plot Seeker]

Originalmente postado por VDZ:

Difficulty-wise, once you get experienced enough, I'd say Hell = Jungle > Temple > Mines > Ice Caves. Temple is really hard when you're not used to it, but almost all of the danger is predictable and it's just that not paying attention results in instant death. The jungle, on the other hand, is full of unpredictable danger that'll screw you over even if you're on your guard.

I've only been to Hell twice, but both times it was pretty much a cakewalk with the items you have there - you'll lose 2-3 health going through it but I've never been in genuine danger there (excluding the final boss, of course). The mines are mostly easy, but spiders can be dangerous, and it's the second most difficult location to fight a shopkeeper (jungle being the hardest, ice caves the easiest and hell and temple being pretty easy as well).

I wouldn't know anything about hell. I've been to the temple only 4 times.

[Misery]

For me, the difficulty is sort of like this, from hardest to easiest

Hell
Temple
Mines
Jungle
Ice Caves

I don't know why, but the Jungle I find to be really easy in comparison, because it's mostly just large gaps, and Tiki Traps are hardly an issue with experience. All the enemies are easier, though that might just be because the level generator puts them in easier positions nearly all the time.

I placed the Mines higher because the generation is tougher, enemy placement is tougher, and because starting out makes you a bit underpowered, opposed to the items you'll have later.

[Bluddy]

I think the Ice Cave is much easier in the new Spelunky than it used to be in the freeware Spelunky due to several factors:

1. The level is now full of explosives which can be triggered by monsters.
2. Full-level simulation (which was not available in the original) means that monsters go about blowing themselves up before you get to them.
3. The ice seems less plentiful than in the freeware version, and the physics are easier (less slippery, and acceleration and deceleration are now both muffled)
4. The auto-grabbing makes falling to your death much less common. Slipping to your death or slipping into the arms of a yeti was one of the main dangers in the original.
5. Even grabbing the idol has been made much easier. You used to have a few precious seconds to do it before you fell to your doom, and now you can do it at a leisurely pace.

All of these factors combine to make the ice caves far far easier than they were in the original. I do think that in the original they may have been too hard, but I also think it's gone too far in the other direction.

[Nowhe]

Originalmente postado por Rent a mop:

I think one thing people need to keep in mind though, is theres LOTS of stuff which does LOW damage in the jungle (cave men, monkeys, paranas, boomerang users, bees) but the ice caves has less things which can kill you pretty much instantly (mines, the abyss, exploding saucers, frozen and trambled) So its hard in an entirely DIFFENT way.

Mines are still pretty easy to deal with you can just pick it up and its going to be deactivated then just throw it away.

[Mumblez]

Originalmente postado por Nowherekiller_QC:

Originalmente postado por Rent a mop:

I think one thing people need to keep in mind though, is theres LOTS of stuff which does LOW damage in the jungle (cave men, monkeys, paranas, boomerang users, bees) but the ice caves has less things which can kill you pretty much instantly (mines, the abyss, exploding saucers, frozen and trambled) So its hard in an entirely DIFFENT way.

Mines are still pretty easy to deal with you can just pick it up and its going to be deactivated then just throw it away.

Not if you get stunned next to one, or a monster detonates if before you.

[Bluddy]

Just played old spelunky for comparison's sake. Ice caves were definitely harder. A few more reasons:
- Aliens were highly explosive. If you whipped them, they'd take you out. If you try to knock them down, chances are they'd take you out as well.
- Alien laser blasts could kill you right away if they hit you. Now they don't.

With so many changes (including the ones I outlined above) it's no wonder the ice caves are so easy.