Hard, doable?

[Caine]

i like to play on hard mostly but here i dont get past level 70 :D, i think im gonna try normal but somehow i want to not give up yet, any tips? the combat is really a tad too random?

[Soupy Doorman]

I got to Level 2, but didn't back out of a fight early enough

Then you gotta beat Hardcore

[brown29knight]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1177075703

Look at his guide. It is pretty much everything I'd advise, except I take the 2 accuracy points at first level and postpone 2 points in strength until the end.

To recap his guide: (and perhaps expand on it at points)

Use total mess and lucky bastard as your skills, craft hatchet, then staff, then glaive as you get the materials (staff requires workshop 2, glaive requires workshop 3) get the minimum stats for glaive (12 STR, 9 Spd, 16 Dex) and pump every other point into accuracy.

Recommended level/stuff:

Level 2: 7 Accuracy 7 Dex Unless you have only speed weapons, if so take speed 7 instead of 7 Dex , Optional: make a mop, if you have spare wood, and hatchet materials aren't showing up.

Level 3: 11 Dex or 9 Speed, 7 Dex (do not raise Speed above 9 ever, it is a waste)

Level 4: 15 Dex or 9 Speed, 11 Dex. Around this time you want to try to go back to the VIP lounge for the first time, upgrade the workshop, and make a hatchet. Brick can be scarce, so look at which blade recipe is better, given your inventory.

Level 5: 15 Dex, 9 Speed. Stats merge at this level, As most weapons you will want use Dex and speed. Hatchets works well, so do crowbars, and saws. But the ideal weapon at this point is a staff. Try to make one by this point, if not sooner.

Level 6: 16 Dex, 8 Str. Now you are trying to get the materials to upgrade the workshop a second (and final) time, and Build a Glaive. Glaives require a Staff, a Hatchet, Electrical tape, and a Brick. If you built the staff and hatchet earlier, and haven't lost them to total mess, than the glaive is simple to make. If you can make it now, do so. Even with the -33% penalty, it does more damage than the staff does. Also make any backup staff, hatchet, etc. that you can... Ideally you want a staff to swap to if the glaive is suddenly lost, and a back up glaive to replace it... some games you get all those materials, some games you don't. The Glaive is still FAR cheaper than any other weapon with even somewhat comparable damage.

Level 7: 12 Str. 9 Spd, 16 Dex, 7 Acc. The glaive now comes into it's full damage potential. Try to always have a backup one.

Level 8+ Every point into Accuracy. You already have the damage, now you just need to hit things with it.

Food: Level the kitchen when you have the spare brick for it. do not make food unless it only uses one ingredient (cooked fish/meat) or you are going to eat the food immanently. Better to lose one component of a dish to total mess, than to lose the whole thing.

Bed/Door: you will likely need to use these, so level them when you get the parts, but you should wait until you have the workshop, glaive, and kitchen up first. Otherwise you may lose needed parts.

Where to aim on a foe: Multiply the chance to hit with the average damage to get your average damage per attack... go with the best one, unless a more accurate attack will 100% kill if it hits, Examples:

For the ferals, aim for the head,
for the knife/gun guys, body.
Big Guys: Head, until Body is a one-shot.
Poisoners: You only get 2 attacks,
Big Arm: Go for the arm, unless 2 leg shots would kill, then go for them.
Women: Go for the most accurate attack.

Lucky Bastard: Use it on the first foe, then save the second use for the first giant you run into. if it has recharged by floor 70, you might also use it on an unavoidable poisoner or big arm guy between floor 70 and 65. It should recharge in time to use on a giant.

Elevator: repair every one, you'll need them to go back. Around floor 20, if you have plenty of healing items, you can forgo this, and dive for the exit... if you do so, I recommend not exploring the side rooms, just get down and out.

Vending machines: Use the tool one, unless health is needed, then use the medical one. The food one should only be used if starving. Extra gears, wire, and electrical tape can help you repair most elevators, but you don't want to waste the resources making them, because you could lose them to total mess. You may also save coins until you see what is needed.

Alcohol: A small medkit is 30 points health. drinking alcohol is 10 hunger. Starving deals 2 damage per step at 0 hunger. Therefore, as long as you have bandages, do not drink the booze, use it on medkits, even if starving. it is worth an effective 15 hunger that way.
Cocktails are inefficient for the same reason, drink the cola, as is, save the liquor for meds.

[Soupy Doorman]

Funny most of this I was already doing and I'm still struggling on hardcore, died like 20 times. One of the BIG problems is losing my kick ass weapons (Sai, clockwork axe) to total mess just a few moves after making it. That really sucks.

[brown29knight]

agreed, and it happens. Clockwork axe uses quite a few materials... I wouldn't recommend making it on a hardcore run, as using up all those parts makes it that much more likely that you'll lose the weapon.

Hardcore is doable, but not every time. with best practices, you can get to about a 25-30% win rate. But getting those best practices down can easily take 30-40 runs.

Keep trying is my advice. I have beaten hardcore, and have not got the "died 100 times" achievement, but It still took me many tries to get hardcore beat.