When do i switch to TVHM? (Or should i do it at all?)

[MaxDoomSWE]

Playing pt 1 (story mission) was very frustrating because it was way too hard (especially when i passed lvl 25 or so). Now (at level 32) i can switch to TVHM but i feel discouraged to do it because if "normal" mode was too hard, then i fear that TVHM would be impossible. Should i continue playing the dlc´s in "normal" mode until i feel that i am able to handle the difficulty? Or can i expect that TVHM will give me better gear so it will balance out the increased difficulty?

I just want a good, sufficiently challenging and enjoyable time playing through all of the game and all dlc and its not necessary for me to reach the highest level just for the sake of it. And what i mean with "sufficiently challenging" is to be able to progress through mobs and bosses without dying 10+ times until i find a glitch on youtube that i can exploit.

[Deadrecon]

If the game is too hard keep doing side missions on normal and level up, or ask somebody to level you up if it goes to slow. When you are arround level 34/35 TVHM should be doable.

[trukr]

If you are at or above level 30 and have TVHM unlocked, I think you should try it. You can always switch back. Maybe hit that chest up in Sanctuary for some gear or do some of the side missions etc that reward with unique items (red text items). I think a lot if it may be, don't be like the 1700's British army and go out in the open to be a bullet sponge, use cover. The right elements help, fire on flesh, corrosives on armor, shock for shields. Replace old gear, if it is much lower level than you it may well be too weak to do much.

[Grim Revan]

Whenever I feel the areas I am going into are getting too tough I go and farm the most recent boss. If you have beaten the 1st playthough then farm the last boss till you get some better gear. Maybe you will get lucky and get a Legendary off of him, but the odds are bad. Still you can easily farm a lot of Purple gear. Hopefully you have the Game of the Year edition with all DLC. You can always run through those too.

Also it sometimes is how your char is spec'd with skill points. You may need more skill points in survival based skills. I myself like tinkering with builds and don't mind dying if my idea sux. That and a different build can freshen up gameplay.

Do you play in Co-op? That can make a huge difference on bosses as they do not reset as long as 1 person remains alive.

[ApeWithPC]

Did you notice the level of your enemies once you had past 25?

You can somewhat control the difficulty during a normal or tvhm playthru by taking or leaving side missions. You level up doing side missions which makes the main story easier once your return to that track. Or to make it more difficult, skip all side missions so you're underleveled compared to the enemies in the main story line.

I think that the game is at its best in tvhm when it come to difficulty, and the additoinal skill points you add to your build really start to make gameplay much more interesting and fun. I'd suggest you giving it a try at some point if you like the game.

> Should i continue playing the dlc´s in "normal" mode until i feel that i am able to
> handle the difficulty?

I don't think you can get gear past level 35 in normal mode? Different DLC are set to differnt levels: captain scarlett and torgue's start at level 30 while hammerlocks and tiny tina's start at 35.

http://borderlands.wikia.com/wiki/Borderlands_Wiki
http://borderlands.wikia.com/wiki/A_Warm_Welcome
http://borderlands.wikia.com/wiki/Tiny_Tina%27s_Assault_on_Dragon_Keep_mission_flow

Sounds like your not comfy with your character yet and why not hang out in normal mode playing a DLC or four until your are. Some of the DLC specific unique weapons are really pretty good and can help alot when starting tvhm and you can buy a harold with torgue tokens in that DLC.

[Waste_of_skin]

Originally posted by Vapor:

Different DLC are set to differnt levels: captain scarlett and torgue's start at level 30 while hammerlocks and tiny tina's start at 35.

Actually, those are the max levels for those DLC's in Normal Mode. The first two have a minimum level of 15, and the last two have a minimum level of 30. And, FWIW, the Headhunter DLC's range from 15 - 35.

[Mihryazd]

Having up to date gear is important. Use some Golden Keys if you need to, the loot from the chest is always scaled to your level.

Don't worry if you don't feel comfortable with your character at first. I personally didn't learn to play mine well until level 72.

[ApeWithPC]

Originally posted by Waste_of_skin:

Originally posted by Vapor:

Different DLC are set to differnt levels: captain scarlett and torgue's start at level 30 while hammerlocks and tiny tina's start at 35.

Actually, those are the max levels for those DLC's in Normal Mode. The first two have a minimum level of 15, and the last two have a minimum level of 30. And, FWIW, the Headhunter DLC's range from 15 - 35.

Ok, thnx for setting me straight!

The complications with leveling is why i mostly wait till after beating tvhm to play the DLC. That way it's easy, they're all pegged to level 50.

[Keesinator]

Originally posted by Vapor:

Did you notice the level of your enemies once you had past 25?


I don't think you can get gear past level 35 in normal mode? Different DLC are set to differnt levels: captain scarlett and torgue's start at level 30 while hammerlocks and tiny tina's start at 35.

I started torgue's at 15 and the enemies were all at 15.Same with Scarlette's.

If this is talking about a level limit, please call me out on it

[Trehek]

The switch to TVHM shouldn't feel too overwhelming. Enemies are a bit stronger relatively but the early enemies in the campaign are easier than the ones you encounter in the late game areas so the change isn't very noticeable in my opinion. The jump to UVHM is another matter.

If you're repeatedly getting your entrails handed to you, check the enemy/mission level. If it's several levels above you, try doing something else first. Then check your gear levels. If your stuff is five or more levels behind, try to find some upgrades.

If everything seems fine and Hyperion loaders are still being awarded the ability to be proud of [defeating the vault hunter] far too often, try to think about what is going wrong. Enemies shrugging off bullets like they were made of rubber? Synergize your weapons and your abilities and try to find effective combinations. Do your shields go down and you never get them to regen? Try a faster shield. Are you getting one-shotted or two-shotted a lot? Make sure your shield is good enough and pay attention to your fighting rhytm.

The fighting rhytm is something you only ever learn when things go wrong. I found normal mode and TVHM to be easy enough but when I switched to UVHM, I started dying. A lot. That was because I was being overconfident. You need to deal damage and withdraw into cover to recover your shields. If you're too aggressive, you die. If you're too passive, you get cornered and die. You need timings, a sense of where to hide and who to kill first to stay safe. You learn this by dying a lot. Don't be afraid to do it. Eventually things will click and you'll start doing better.