How does Color affect a new game?

[Sines]

So, I've thoroughly enjoyed this game on the PC with Crimson Court, and with the new DLC, I want to pick it up. However, I'm not a fan of mods, and I'd like the portability of the Switch. And I think Red Hook could stand a bit more of my money anyway. I don't know when the new DLC will be out on the Switch, but I'll probably want to start before it is, which makes me wonder how well the DLC fits into a pre-existing campaign.

For contrast, the Crimson Court works best if you play it alongside a regular campaign. Put it on the end of a game that's already been beaten, and you'll find yourself tediously farming up invitations, and having to throw lower level parties at the first two fights. Not to mention the lack of Flaggelant and that lovely first district you can get early on. You don't want to install Crimson Court much later than around the time of your first Veteran dungeons.

So I'm wondering if Colour has a similar situation, wherein it's best to have it alongside your campaign the whole time (or relatively early on, anyway). I have other things to amuse me, so I could certainly wait for it to come out for the Switch, but if it's not a big deal to start up later on, I could start my new campaign now.

Oh, and if it matters, I intend the campaign to be Bloodmoon difficulty. Which leads to the question of weather trips to the Farmstead are 'worth it'. What do they return in terms of preparing me for the Darkest Dungeon? I understand there are cool trinkets, but if there's not enough gold or XP, it might be best used sparingly, or for me to just play on Normal difficulty so that I can jump into the Farmstead more than might be advised for Bloodmoon.

[Yeapal]

I guess, thematically, the CoM DLC works best when activated later in an existing game.
This is simply because it's a comet that has impacted the farmstead and doesn't make sense for every event to happen simultaneously at the start of a new game.

Mechanically it works best later also, as it's essentially end game content and only the intro mission is a low difficulty. Anything thereafter is at the darkest difficulty.

Enabling it on a new game won't expose you to any serious negative effects like the Crimson Curse.
There is a new currency for the new trinkets, so that right there is a great reason to have it enabled on a new game so you can slowly stock up on the trickle of new currency and purchase trinkets along the way whilst progressing through the main game.

So basically, enable it whenever you like, it adds a lot of positive things and honestly, no negatives.

[Sines]

Sounds good. I'll probably hold off on buying it until next weekend where I got some traveling going on, but if I feel the itch before then I guess there's no harm in grabbing it early.

So, if everything past the first two explorations is at Darkest, then I'm guessing the only real early game bonus is whatever trinket or two you grab from those explorations, and then nothing until you've got yourself a party of Champion level characters?

[Toad]

The first two missions of Color of Madness are Level 1 and 3 respectively but after that is the main Endless Harvest content which is Level 6. It's fine to activate it at the start of a campaign though because you can just hire Mercenaries to do runs until you get your own Champion-level heroes. As for rewards, it depends on how far in you get. More bodies, more money. The crystals you get can be used to buy trinkets but they can also be traded in for heirlooms which can make building upgrades a littie easier.

[Sines]

Originally posted by Zaka:

The first two missions of Color of Madness are Level 1 and 3 respectively but after that is the main Endless Harvest content which is Level 6. It's fine to activate it at the start of a campaign though because you can just hire Mercenaries to do runs until you get your own Champion-level heroes. As for rewards, it depends on how far in you get. More bodies, more money. The crystals you get can be used to buy trinkets but they can also be traded in for heirlooms which can make building upgrades a littie easier.

Mercenaries? So, what, can you just hire random level 6 Heroes for the mission alone to gather the Crystals for you?

And on the 'more bodies, more money' subject, does that mean that you do indeed get Gold from this, and not just the Crystals? And how much do the mercenaries cost? I'm finding it's difficult to gather the basic facts about this DLC.

[Toad]

Originally posted by Sines:

Mercenaries? So, what, can you just hire random level 6 Heroes for the mission alone to gather the Crystals for you?

And on the 'more bodies, more money' subject, does that mean that you do indeed get Gold from this, and not just the Crystals? And how much do the mercenaries cost? I'm finding it's difficult to gather the basic facts about this DLC.

Yes, once you complete the introductory missions you unlock a special hire menu where you can recruit special Shard Mercenaries. They come at Level 6, but can only be used for the Endless Harvest mission. They don't take up normal hero roster slots, but they are capped at a maximum of 6. They don't cost anything to hire but each one will take 10% of your earned crystals as payment after the mission. You do get gold and experience from Endless Harvest as well.

[Sines]

Well that sounds quite nice then! Sounds like the Farmstead really 'starts' at Veteran (once you access Eternal Harvest), and simply becomes better (effective +11% shard gain) once you have your own Champion level heroes. I like it, it lets the content run as end-game content, but still lets you enjoy it mid-game at a modest penalty of shards and XP.

Still, no experience (via using Mercs) might make it less of a bargain when in Bloodmoon, but that's not a big deal, and it's only one resource out of the three (XP, Gold and Herirlooms) it generates, so it's probably not a big deal, especially if it's a bad week where your party is all crazy, missing, diseased, etc... and you can't field any decent parties.

Now I'm just wondering when Color comes to Switch. I'm wondering how likely it is that I won't be able to get the DLC until I've beaten the Heart and the Countess :P

[No One]

The mercenaries take 10% each, so max of 40%.

[Sines]

Oh, right. Stacking. That makes it probably not a good idea on Bloodmoon, unless you're confident you can get really far and want some of the unique districts.

By the way, does anyone know if the Switch version is using the most recent balance patch to the base game?

[maury's cameraman]

The balance and quality of life changes have no effect on whether or not you have the DLC, IIRC. The patch is a thing even if you don't have CoM. Good luck. :))

[ZaydinTTV]

Originally posted by Zaka:

Originally posted by Sines:

Mercenaries? So, what, can you just hire random level 6 Heroes for the mission alone to gather the Crystals for you?

And on the 'more bodies, more money' subject, does that mean that you do indeed get Gold from this, and not just the Crystals? And how much do the mercenaries cost? I'm finding it's difficult to gather the basic facts about this DLC.

Yes, once you complete the introductory missions you unlock a special hire menu where you can recruit special Shard Mercenaries. They come at Level 6, but can only be used for the Endless Harvest mission. They don't take up normal hero roster slots, but they are capped at a maximum of 6. They don't cost anything to hire but each one will take 10% of your earned crystals as payment after the mission. You do get gold and experience from Endless Harvest as well.

This is news to me.

I've gotten events offering me 'special' heroes at a costt of comet shards but I am not sure that's the same thing.

[Sines]

Originally posted by mccree's mom-in-law:

The balance and quality of life changes have no effect on whether or not you have the DLC, IIRC. The patch is a thing even if you don't have CoM. Good luck. :))

That I did know. But it could be that the Switch is not using the most recent patch yet in spite of that. Doesn't seem like it would be that difficult to update the switch, but you never know with these things.

[maury's cameraman]

Possibly. That would suck if that truly IS the case.

[Skinny Pete]

Originally posted by Zaydin:

I've gotten events offering me 'special' heroes at a costt of comet shards but I am not sure that's the same thing.

I got an event offering me some Tonic made from Comet Shards but had already traded them in for heirlooms. The Tonic would supposedly cure one disease on every hero in the roster. Pretty sure that wouldn't include the Curse, which is the only disease any of them have.

[ZaydinTTV]

Originally posted by Skinny Pete:

Originally posted by Zaydin:

I've gotten events offering me 'special' heroes at a costt of comet shards but I am not sure that's the same thing.

I got an event offering me some Tonic made from Comet Shards but had already traded them in for heirlooms. The Tonic would supposedly cure one disease on every hero in the roster. Pretty sure that wouldn't include the Curse, which is the only disease any of them have.

Of course I haven't killed the Miller the first time yet so that could be why I haven't seen this roster yet.

[ZaydinTTV]

That being said, if you go to the Farmstead, you want to bring heroes with Armor Piercing abilities (Only ones I know of right now are the Shieldbreaker and the Grave Robber) and/or Blight abilities as you'll run into enemies with high PROT there.