"True Vault Hunter Mode" Versus "Normal Mode" Weapons

[ZorkFox]

I recently finished the game for the first time, unlocking True Vault Hunter Mode. I wound up starting the campaign over on this setting, but figured I'd give some of the DLC a try.

When I got to Oasis I found all the enemies about two levels higher than me (no biggie) but their hit points and shields and resistances were so over-the-top that I died several times just trying to get into town. (Proof positive that levels shown beside enemy names are not necessarily a fair indication of their actual power. Just ask a badass pyro thresher sometime.) When I mopped up the pirates and soldiered on, it took every bullet I had in several gun types to kill the stalkers.

Is there some kind of happy medium I can reach? If I return to "Normal Mode" I can beat the enemies easily, but all the quests are 20 levels below me. Any advice from the community would be appreciated.

[cfteague2]

First, you are gonna get some comments from ppl who have been playing UVHM for years, who will tell you how easy TVHM is. ignore them. It's all about perspective.

TVHM is harder than Reg, but the enemies are not particularly scaled to your level. not sure if you finished normal a little "early" or if you just started a slightly hard quest.

tho wait, I take part of that back. DLC does, sort of, scale to your level. when you first goto a DLC map, it freezes that map at that level, ish. so, yeah, maybe the DLC scaled to your higher level.

In the main TVHM game, things won't scale, they have a set level based on your mission. so, if the baddies are 5 levels higher than you; you could go somewhere else and gain 5 levels and then they would be even.

That said, TVHM is harder than Reg. The baddies have shields more often, and they are MUCH better at shooting through your shield.

I don't mean this as a taunt, I mean this as actual advice -- get used to FFYL mode, and the occassional death. In Normal, I always felt like I had totally messed us if something killed me (half the time it was cause I thru a grenade wrong and it blew up in my face).

In TVHM, they are going to take down your shield. depending on which class you're playing, how much ability you have to self heal or whatever, you are going to get knocked to FFYL mode.

So, frist thing, plan for FFYL. If there's a big baddass and a wimp, don't kill the wimp first. focus on the badass. eventually he will knock you into FFYL mode, THEN kill the wimp to get a revive.

And, like I say, change your mindset about getitng killed. The New-U station is there for a reason, this is no perma-death-challenge game. Don't TRY to die, but if you do, don't let it ruin your night. get back, and shoot the bastard who killed you.

As for needing too many bullets, it kinda sounds like your guns may be out of date. If your guns are more than 5 levels below you, you MUST replace em. If they are more than 3 level below you, you really really should replace em.

If you are in a catch-22 where you can't get drops to replace your weapons, til you get better weapons, then maybe now's a good time to spend a handful of keys and see what you get. Or, if you have millions of cash, goto the slot machine at Moxxi and gamble it to get some extra eridium and maybe a cool weapon.

Or, try to find a coop partner online, to help you get over the "hump".

Once you're used to it, you'll start to think of TVHM as normal (maybe a bit hard), and reg as kinda easy. It's all perspective.

UVHM is even harder, but it IS doable. don't worry about that for now.

Have fun !!

[cfteague2]

ps. Oh, and "rabid" stalkers really are a huge pain in the a$$. especially if they are higher level than you. one of the harder baddies to kill, that you wouldn't really expect to be so bad.

[ZorkFox]

Originally posted by cfteague2:

TVHM is harder than Reg, but the enemies are not particularly scaled to your level. not sure if you finished normal a little "early" or if you just started a slightly hard quest.

Thanks for all the good advice. I don't know what's considered "early" for the end of the game. I was 35 when I got done with all the story quests. For most of the game, I felt ahead of the curve because almost all the side missions were marked as Trivial with a few Normals thrown in (primarily story missions).

I will also look at re-specing my character. I put almost all my points into things that improve Deathtrap rather than stuff that might help me do more damage myself.

[NewTroll]

DLC semi-scales to your level, while the main game does not. If the DLC is giving you a bit of trouble, you might jump into the base game to help you gain better gear (from the now under-levelled enemies/Missions.)

[Lajkos]

Had the same "problem" at first. But keep at it and a few levels, and new weapons, in it will get pretty balanced. And more fun than to do the DLC in normal mode, where you out level everything.

Also the "Message in a Bottle" quest in Oasis will give you a pretty good shotgun very early on

[HomeRnDrby1]

Playing as Gaige? Then consider a respec to having some points in Anarchy -> Blood Soaked Shields -> Discord alongside Robot Rampage. Anarchy is amazing if not complicated to manage and understand, that massive power spike builds quickly and Close Enough can help preserve some of the damage that doesn't hit something. Bloat Soaked Shields is a godsend for surviving in TVHM and beyond. Every kill with 5 points of investment means a complete shield recharge for only 5% of your current HP (not max HP), this alone makes Gauge the Queen of nova shields! Discord is basically an Anarchy upgrade and insurance policy - or a DPS boost when you need it!

[Mister Torgue Flexington]

Originally posted by cfteague2:

First, you are gonna get some comments from ppl who have been playing UVHM for years, who will tell you how easy TVHM is. ignore them. It's all about perspective.

TVHM is harder than Reg, but the enemies are not particularly scaled to your level. not sure if you finished normal a little "early" or if you just started a slightly hard quest.

tho wait, I take part of that back. DLC does, sort of, scale to your level. when you first goto a DLC map, it freezes that map at that level, ish. so, yeah, maybe the DLC scaled to your higher level.

In the main TVHM game, things won't scale, they have a set level based on your mission. so, if the baddies are 5 levels higher than you; you could go somewhere else and gain 5 levels and then they would be even.

That said, TVHM is harder than Reg. The baddies have shields more often, and they are MUCH better at shooting through your shield.

I don't mean this as a taunt, I mean this as actual advice -- get used to FFYL mode, and the occassional death. In Normal, I always felt like I had totally messed us if something killed me (half the time it was cause I thru a grenade wrong and it blew up in my face).

In TVHM, they are going to take down your shield. depending on which class you're playing, how much ability you have to self heal or whatever, you are going to get knocked to FFYL mode.

So, frist thing, plan for FFYL. If there's a big baddass and a wimp, don't kill the wimp first. focus on the badass. eventually he will knock you into FFYL mode, THEN kill the wimp to get a revive.

And, like I say, change your mindset about getitng killed. The New-U station is there for a reason, this is no perma-death-challenge game. Don't TRY to die, but if you do, don't let it ruin your night. get back, and shoot the bastard who killed you.

As for needing too many bullets, it kinda sounds like your guns may be out of date. If your guns are more than 5 levels below you, you MUST replace em. If they are more than 3 level below you, you really really should replace em.

If you are in a catch-22 where you can't get drops to replace your weapons, til you get better weapons, then maybe now's a good time to spend a handful of keys and see what you get. Or, if you have millions of cash, goto the slot machine at Moxxi and gamble it to get some extra eridium and maybe a cool weapon.

Or, try to find a coop partner online, to help you get over the "hump".

Once you're used to it, you'll start to think of TVHM as normal (maybe a bit hard), and reg as kinda easy. It's all perspective.

UVHM is even harder, but it IS doable. don't worry about that for now.

Have fun !!

or you could just build your own weapons from complete scratch, if this game uses a save editor like WillowTree.

For example, a buddy of mine recommended that I give it try after watching his farming guide to beat Crawmerax in the original game, not only can I keep my current weapons, but if I edit the levels on my current weapons and items, it upgrades their damage output. if I changed the prefix on my guns, it'll really upgrade the damage even further.