Some starting events are much harder than others.

[Caeruleus Mors]

Cataclysm for example is much harder to deal with on first 2 events than heat, cold or fear.

It takes more time to research the building that counteracts it and the building needs advanced food varieties you can't gather in a bush needing even more research and build time, and those foods are less efficient to gather.

Simply remove cataclysm from the first round of disasters. It'll do us all some good. Or at least the first 2 events because it's impossible to adequately prepare for cataclysm on the first two prophecies without severely damaging your start of the game.

Unnecessary and harmful RNG. It's not merciless, just makes you abandon settlements DAYS into making them before you're invested to see the disaster trough.

[Catman]

Cataclysm I like because it starts stronger, but is not tied to mechanics such as Death or Hunger, hence it rises less due to that. We'll see later, too early to tell!

[Attelso]

Originally posted by Catman:

Cataclysm I like because it starts stronger, but is not tied to mechanics such as Death or Hunger, hence it rises less due to that. We'll see later, too early to tell!

If you have hunger or death by the time the first event comes around, then you have already lost.

[Kayral]

Originally posted by Catman:

Cataclysm I like because it starts stronger, but is not tied to mechanics such as Death or Hunger, hence it rises less due to that. We'll see later, too early to tell!

Cataclysm in mid and late game is no problem at all (at least on normal). However, at the start of game if you didn't get the mix of fear/cataclysm mitigating rug, you have to gather offerings for the temple. Which is not that difficult but requires some preparation. As beginners learn the game and struggle to feed peps and avoid hunger, this is probably the reason it feels much more difficult than other events.

That said, I feel like cataclysm pushed me hard to learn proper food management and stability for further development of the village, which is why I learned appreciate it.

[Caeruleus Mors]

The issue isn't the midgame. The issue is that it's impossible to research the nature building, research the food production building, have the time to gather the advanced food types AND then also turn it into nature protection on the very first Omen. There's not enough time.

All other protections

Pip does 1research turn on 200% difficulty. Even if you have 2 - Altar is 9 research, a food gatherer is another 7 turns. You need to build the gatherer which is another 2 turns. 1 Turn to build research buildings. And then you're doing 1 chicken meat per turn.

Even cold needing a well and pool is 2x as simple to do.

[Kayral]

Haven't played on 200% so I might be wrong here, since the event probably kicks you harder. Since you start with 20 food, you have 4-3 turns before you have to think about food. If you expand fast, by turn 4-5 you have 6 pips and a few incoming for next days. Gather food around to survive and put everything you can into research. If you have 4 pips doing research, getting to altar and hunter/fisher is possible within 4-5 days. By then the unavoidable event is over and the "challenge" begins. While it takes time building, if you do multiple altars and pull out of research, the last few days of event should be enough to counter.
It is doable, however is not as easy as other events. But if you play on 200%, you do it for the challenge anyway.

[lethminite]

It is really really tight on 200%.
Research is longer, and the initial threat is 2 strong, meaning you need two shines up to start decreasing it.
you need to research water, so you can actually sow crops (since they cost water and seeds), 9 research
you need to research the crops, 9 research, because it needs time to grow, then while it's growing you need to research the shrine, 9 research, then build two shrines, then start getting nature to reduce the odds. (maybe one of those was 6 research)
Some how in all of this you need be getting wood, getting food, getting houses.
There is so much research needed though, that I actually think you can afford to upgrade your science, or maybe even there is so much that you can't afford not too.
Allowing the shrine run off your starting food would make it a lot more manageable, but also, it already has a million recipes. maybe just reducing the shrines research cost a little, to give you 1-2 more days.

I haven't actually mapped out the days perfectly, but I got close to trying to making a decision tree for opening moves to see if I could find a way through it. I think I ended up just lucking through it.

[Rithrin]

Originally posted by lethminite:

It is really really tight on 200%.
Research is longer, and the initial threat is 2 strong, meaning you need two shines up to start decreasing it.
you need to research water, so you can actually sow crops (since they cost water and seeds), 9 research
you need to research the crops, 9 research, because it needs time to grow, then while it's growing you need to research the shrine, 9 research, then build two shrines, then start getting nature to reduce the odds. (maybe one of those was 6 research)
Some how in all of this you need be getting wood, getting food, getting houses.
There is so much research needed though, that I actually think you can afford to upgrade your science, or maybe even there is so much that you can't afford not too.
Allowing the shrine run off your starting food would make it a lot more manageable, but also, it already has a million recipes. maybe just reducing the shrines research cost a little, to give you 1-2 more days.

I haven't actually mapped out the days perfectly, but I got close to trying to making a decision tree for opening moves to see if I could find a way through it. I think I ended up just lucking through it.

Cataclysm events are a disaster, you are right that everything has to go perfectly to get two shrines going, you have to somehow have an alternate food supply chain going while running the shrines as even 1 or 2 pips in hunger for a single turn can trigger a reckoning cascade, and keep two tier 2 research stations going constantly to have the tech you need. Plus you cannot get a stun, sick, or injury as either first or second omen or you reckoning cascade spiral since you can't cure them. It's absolutely brutal.

I found this post after bashing my head against half a dozen 200% difficulty Captain runs. Most are over around day 30. Furthest I got was day 105, but it seems to be just RNG in my favor.