The Gnawed Key sucks

[Sammich]

I died against the rat on my first try (that's a tough fight!) but now I'm having a lot of frustration trying to get the key and fight him again.

Even if I buy NOTHING from the shop, I keep finding myself beating the boss of floor 2 with about 70-90 casings, not enough to buy the gnawed key even with the pilot's passive ability. I've restarted from the end of floor 2 seven or eight times now waiting to get lucky and it's just really frustrating.

So devs, could you please change the gnawed key to make it easier/more consistent to pick up without getting lucky? Thanks.

[wafflekitty]

Avoid getting hit. You'll earn more money if you don't take damage. Also, run the Oubliette for more income. I've bought things like +1 Bullets or Casey, a key or two, and still had enough to buy Gnawed Key as well.

[Sammich]

Even if I take no damage at all I often still find myself beating the 2nd boss with less than a hundred casings.

Also, I can never get two keys for the oubliette without spending for them. The only cheap way in is by using the lockpick and that's a coin-flip.

[wafflekitty]

Keys cost about 28 coins on floor 1. You will definitely make more than that in the Oubliette.

[Sammich]

That's not even factoring in things like enemies spawning directly on top of/next to the water barrel in the fireplace room, which happens to me all the time.

Everything revolving around the gnawed key just seems too RNG-dependent. In my current run just now I got lucky and had the vampire lady show up, but if she HADN'T been there I would've had 112 casings at the end of floor 2, without taking a hit.

[wafflekitty]

You can also put the fireplace out by luring Blubulons near it if they spawn in the room. Shooting it with any liquid gun or activated item. Or rolling a barrel in from another room.

[TheKidsAreAllDwight]

I've had this complaint as well, but all it takes is going to the Oubliette to consistently gain the amount of money required. It's quite a sacrifice getting the Gnawed Key though, and I believe it's meant to be. Not every run is designed to be a rat run imo.

[Matthew]

use the bullet and activate the curse shrine, the bullet is super op so the curse enemies should be no problem and cursed enemies drop a insane amount of money, also if you have full health when you walk into the rat fight just stay on his ass with blastphemy and you'll have a lot less trouble, if you don't have any of these thing, what the ♥♥♥♥ are you doing trying to fight the hardest boss in the game? hope this helps

[Shiro]

Originally posted by wafflekitty:

Keys cost about 28 coins on floor 1. You will definitely make more than that in the Oubliette.

25 on floor 1

When you stop water barrel, just make sure enemies don't shoot at its direction. There are usually ~2 barrels in chamber so you often can save at least one.
Lockpick helps. Sure, there is 50% chance you fail on first padlock but then you just restart on spot - if you want to get to the rat, then why not. Second padlock is usually opened with proper key, unless you don't mind another 50% chance for instant restart

Cursed run might help with money. Not only enemies drop more money, many chests are mimics saving you keys. BUT be aware that this adds notable chance of bosses being Jammed. And if you had problems with non-Jammed Rat...

Also note that Gnawed Key can be stolen (but not via Grappling Hook), if you get stealing item you can spend cash more freely

One last thing that guarantees you can afford the key if you meet it. This new vampire NPC. If you don't take much damage, her(?) service will come real handy. If you have any discounts, half-heart in shop costs less than vampire pays you for same half-heart, but even without that using all those health you would otherwise leave lying on the floor...

[Sammich]

The vampire, sell creep, items that let you steal, these are all good ways to get the gnawed key but none of them address my main complaint: they're all entirely up to CHANCE.

I spent over an hour restarting runs to get to the rat and lost, and honestly I just don't want to go back to running the first two and a half floors with no shop items over and over again.

[Hex: UrTilted]

i do pilot/bullet runs all the time i can get the key easily 99% of the time unless its a ♥♥♥♥♥♥ run were i get hit alot ive gotan the key at least 30 times now and i still have not beaten that rat :(

[LisaIsBraces]

I've gotten over 100 casings on the first floor multiple times, I don't know what you are doing.

[1337Walrus]

Pilot's Disarming Personality doesn't affect the Gnawed Key's price. Might as well play as your favorite character. Kill the Past as them first and do cursed runs to get more money from Jammed enemies. Go Oubliette if possible, otherwise just keep trying.

[Shiro]

Originally posted by 1337Walrus:

Pilot's Disarming Personality doesn't affect the Gnawed Key's price. Might as well play as your favorite character. .

not really. While discount doesn't apply to key, it does apply to other thingies you want to buy, and since you have less money verall it really helps. Plus lockpick, which means more items (since keys are not bought/used to get to Oubliette and then Rat)
Pilot is always the best character to get to desired place, provided you are able to survive the venture

Originally posted by 1337Walrus:

Pilot's Disarming Personality doesn't affect the Gnawed Key's price. Might as well play as your favorite character. Kill the Past as them first and do cursed runs to get more money from Jammed enemies.

does Jammed rat drop more, I wonder?

but, that is non-random way to get to the rat, actually

Originally posted by Sammich:

The vampire, sell creep, items that let you steal, these are all good ways to get the gnawed key but none of them address my main complaint: they're all entirely up to CHANCE.

cursed run is immune to chance, it only requires SKILL. Fancy how you miss advice to do cursed run
besides, chances of those helpers are quite high.Might as well try if you encounter them

[mellamoger]

This is from two different runs from yesterday:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1457852977
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1457732230

Of course not every run can be like one of these, but come on: since I "unlocked" the key I haven't had a single run where I didn't get it.

Yes, there are runs where it will require sacrifice, like not opening that chest you really want to open, but it's suposed to be like that.

[Syro System]

Going obluiette is basically required otherwhise you'll never get enough money other then pure luck. Good thing there are now less keys in shops am I right?