Hardcore Happenings

Crimbo Update!

2007-12-20T23:28:00.000+01:00

So, I've been playing a lot of Urban Dead lately, but that hasn't stopped me from also logging into the Ol' Kingdom, just to grab the Crimbo spirit.

In passing, I've also managed to slog through level 12 and 13 of the NS-13 content. And I do mean slog. It all just seems designed to generate immense amounts of clicking and has a very high "go there, fetch that" ProgressQuest feel. I did cut through it and a bit of the content was amusing, although it really is too much. The high-level area's of the Spookyraven Mansion were already somewhat too much for me, so NS-13 really isn't for me.

Anyway, I might even ascend though. Gaining a trophy here or there seems interesting enough a challenge. Also, I renamed my mallstore, in honour of Urban Dead.

Retired!

2007-11-03T22:14:00.000+01:00

This is just the official announcement.

I'm retired. Why? Maybe it was my new job. Maybe it was the game changing so much (less funny, more gamey). Maybe I just lost interest. Maybe it was NS-13. Maybe it was the fact that so many old players had gone and so many new players had come.

It's of no importance, really. KoL has been a game, and more importantly a community that I've enjoyed being part of for the past few years. I'll still be there, visiting on occasion. Maybe banning a spamming noob for old time's sake. I just won't be playing the game at the high performance end like I used to.

Which also leaves this blog, which started as an experiment to document a hardcore run and ended up being a tool for me to really hone my ascension skills, without a clear purpose.

I've decided to officially wrap up this blog. If you've ever read it, I hope you at least enjoyed my prose. If you read it now, I suggest skipping it as source of gameplay tips and only browse it if you're interested in how the game was played before NS-13.

Keypunch out. See you in the chats!

Bounty!

2007-07-14T22:58:00.000+02:00

Since a week, I've been logging in for a bit, mostly to chat.

But gameplaywise, it's fun to gather bounty for the bountyhunterhunter and collect filthy lucre. It's a fun goal even if ascending is old hat.

Although, now I'm getting to the point where new content will truly show up...so I'm kinda curious about it.

I plan to explore it somewhat and ascend into a regular run.

Temporarily Unavailable

2007-05-21T21:24:00.000+02:00

With a weekend being out of the running, after a month of basically using KoLmafia to play the game, I'm kinda out of it. Especially with lots of other stuff eating into my time.

I achieved my goals, but I'm going to discontinue the blog for the near future.

I hope some of you enjoyed it so far, and feel free to give me a shout-out in-game.

Keypunch (#30036), out.

Day 34: The butler did it

2007-05-14T23:45:00.000+02:00

Woot! Trophy. Now to get to level 30 in time for moxie days.

Keypunch
Level 28 Turtle Tamer

Day 30: On the Brink

2007-05-10T10:43:00.000+02:00

So, it's been 30 days. About a maximum of a week before I achieve the Trophy. And I'm on the cusp of Muscle day as well, so that ought to give my mainstat a good boost.

As it is, I've only got 62.7% of required stats. Which is a bit low. And I didn't particularly want to clover, but we'll see where the dual muscle days will get us. The aim is to be done before next Moxie days, so I can try and see if I can put in a decent attempt at a two-dayer...

Wish me luck!

Keypunch (#30036)
Level 26 Turtle Tamer

Day 27: Update

2007-05-07T12:10:00.000+02:00

I really enjoyed the Cinco de Mayo adventuring, and although I've been slacking a bit, I managed to pass the 50% mark of required stats.

Keypunch (#30036)
Level 25 Turtle Tamer

Day 21: Whoosh!

2007-05-01T17:05:00.000+02:00

My stats went up to 35% of target. Nice!

Don't know the exact cause of this speed increase, but good, good. Also makes me solidly level 23. ~34k muscle substats to go to 24.

The numbers game is boring though. And I'm starting to think that perhaps the "Butler" trophy is going to be the bottle-neck.

The new IotM is just a toy, if you ask me. Neat for those that weren't around for the Pumpkin bucket, but the bucket is better. You get some funny effect flowers, but except for the "half-orchid" they don't seem particularly useful, nor do the combat-effects seem to make a dent.

Oh well, can't all be winners...maybe next year, it will be the "May Bee".

Keypunch (#30036)
Level 23 Turtle Tamer

Day 20: Averaging

2007-04-30T12:09:00.000+02:00

Over the past few days I averaged about 25k muscle substats per day, which is not bad, considering I haven't been optimally spending all my turns.

I'm banking a bit for tomorrow, when it's a good grimacite day. After all, 20 more monster level, means 4 more stats from the ML alone per fight, +the bonus from the sombrero. Multiply by 150 fights and it gets to an interesting 600-800 or so of extra stats.

Keypunch (#30036)
Level 22 Turtle Tamer

p.s. I've got ~29.7% of required muscle now. About 20 more days to go for level 30.

The Next Day!

2007-04-27T11:09:00.000+02:00

134,718

So that's 27,027 muscle substats gained.

Which is shy of the 30k, but not terribly shy. At this rate it will take ~22 days. And I think I've got about that many days left to get Bookbat as well.

Not that bad.

Keypunch (#30036)
Level 20 Turtle Tamer

Day 16: No supergym

2007-04-26T12:28:00.000+02:00

I just realised, I don't have access to the muscle supergym.

Sigh.

I've booted up my old excel sheet, in which I can score progress. I've got about 15% of stats gathered.

If I can manage about 5% of stats (that's about 35k substats) daily, I'd be done in 17 days. I think I'm going to fall slightly short of that, but tomorrow is the first real test of progress on a non-stat day.

I start off with 107641 muscle substats. Let's see how it goes.

Keypunch (#30036)
Level 19 Turtle Tamer

Day 14: Heavenly

2007-04-24T14:20:00.000+02:00

My 555th post.

And I defeated the Sorceress.

Turns Played (this run): 725
Days Played (this run): 14
Sign: The Marmot

That's not bad for a not-so-paying-attention-to-detail run.

Now I can start the "fun" part. Leveling to 30.

Day 12: As I had foreseen!

2007-04-22T12:22:00.000+02:00

Pixel key is made, I've got a broken skull (and banjo strings). I have two lowercase N (and already received a barbed-wire fence), as well as a photoprotoneutron torpedo. So the NS Tower seems well-covered.

I went up the beanstalk and got 3 immateria, so it's only a slow, but sure plod towards the end. I'm hoping it will go speedily.

Keypunch (#30036)
Level 10 Rattlesnake Chief
Turns Played (this run): 611
Days Played (this run): 12
Sign: The Marmot
Path: Oxygenarian (Hardcore)

p.s. I also smithed a sword behind inappropiate prepositions. Ought to speed me up very minorly too!

Day 11: Ridiculous

2007-04-21T12:31:00.000+02:00

Picked up the Wand, got the dictionarrry (but not the facsimile) and got a Sneaky Pete's Breath Spray.

That leaves the pixel key and broken skull.

Tomorrow I expect to be able to chase up the beanstalk...then on day 13 I'll be in the Castle/HitS...day 14, Sorceress?

All quiet on the Western Front!

Keypunch (#30036)
Level 10 Rattlesnake Chief
Turns Played (this run): 560
Days Played (this run): 11
Sign: The Marmot
Path: Oxygenarian (Hardcore)

Day 10: And up to level 10!

2007-04-20T10:06:00.000+02:00

I'm saving the Bonerdagon's chest for tomorrow. Today was fun. My only annoyance is that antiques just don't drop like they used to. Blue snowcone, lavender heart, miner's helmet, phat loot, lucky rabbit foot, mad looting skillz and power of observatiogn...that should add a bit to the drop rate, right? But nooo.

Anyway, I got to level 10, finished 4 vacations, and now should focus on the traditional loose ends:
- a broken skull
- daily dungeon key
- dictionarrry (not really a loose end)
- pixel key
- zapping wand

Seems ideal for mysticality day.

Keypunch (#30036)
Level 10 Rattlesnake Chief
Turns Played (this run): 507
Days Played (this run): 10
Sign: The Marmot
Path: Oxygenarian (Hardcore)

Day 9: Amused

2007-04-19T09:31:00.000+02:00

I adventured a bit more and reached level 9. I suffered low antique drop rates, so no filling my spleen, but I did get the Frobozz Instant House and managed to smith a "trapper fur" shirt. It was quite the choice between the Yak Anorak (MP regeneration, and hey, there's also an MP regen. hat!), which also looks pretty detailed, the Tuxedo shirt, which looks just awesome and is also very moxious (+7 moxie!!) and finally, the hipposkin poncho, which looks awful (as intended, it's a poncho made from a hippopotamus skin!) but give +10 to monster level.

I settled for the hipposkin poncho, as it was at this point the most useful to me, but I'm really in awe of the other shirts and see a future in making them on other runs.

Keypunch (#30036)
Level 9 Bullfrog Overseer
Turns Played (this run): 447
Days Played (this run): 9
Sign: The Marmot
Path: Oxygenarian (Hardcore)

Day 8: The skinny

2007-04-18T18:08:00.000+02:00

Somewhere I lost the drive to play. That not-withstanding, I did play today, and I must say that the added skins/hides/furs and their recipes, as well as long-anticipated shirt-recipes have added a lot of flavour to the game. In a more enthralled period, I'd be ecstatic, now I'm merely really pleased. I smithed a "clownskin harness", which correctly describes itself as "It is also the single most horrible garment in the entire game." Hahahaha. A demonskin buckler as well, I'd love to make a demonskin jacket, but the clownskin fitted me better (LOL). Maybe I should have made demonskin pants, but I'm going to hold out for the penguin shorts, anyway. Maybe make a nice shirt from the trapper hides?

Anyway, smithing galore, I even sidetracked to South of the Border to make a Super Magic Power Sword X (bit stupid, since I've got a shilly).

All in all, not bad for a day's play:
Keypunch (#30036)
Level 8 Salamander Subduer
Turns Played (this run): 381
Days Played (this run): 8
Sign: The Marmot
Path: Oxygenarian (Hardcore)

Day 4/Day 1: Say no to food and booze!

2007-04-11T12:15:00.000+02:00

So, I, indeed, easily ascended, permed the Seal Clubber Trivial, and am now an Oxygenarian Turtle Tamer.

Having to start the Cheshire Bat from scratch is crap, tho. And I didn't play all that efficiently. Nor was I lucky enough to get a maiden wig, even while I wasted adventures looking for one. Oh well. I unlocked the Wizard of Ego quest, and probably will manage to get the book tomorrow. I'm starting to think that a softcore Oxygenarian lead-in is actually better than a Hardcore lead-in. I mean, the stainless steel is just a gimmick, likely to be able to be used when thinks are already well on their way. The air will give a huge starting boost on day 1.

Keypunch (#30036)
Level 3 Frog Director
Turns Played (this run): 80
Days Played (this run): 1
Sign: The Marmot
Path: Oxygenarian (Hardcore)

p.s. And now I start banking turns for stat days? Yawn :-/

Rant: On begging

2007-04-10T14:41:00.001+02:00

“Can sum1 gimme meat plz?" is the iconical representation of the ‘Meat Begz0r’ in the Kingdom. The typical on-line begger is a teen, who's just started the game, and finds it incredulous that he'll be able to afford buying hi mein for himself someday. After all, if you've just started, meat returns are often in the low double digits, rather than triple digits at which most items in the mall start. Never mind that "good" stuff quickly goes to about 10k meat.

This is the first sign of their lack of character and imagination. Any gamer worth their salt will realize that you start out in a weak position in the game, and you'll have to put in some time and effort to become in a well-established position. Do a little research, find out what the best place/item is. In fact, in a way, the typical fashion in which RPG’s work is almost a projection of the so-called “American Dream”. If you work hard, you can go from rags to riches. You start out as a weakling and you end up a well-rounded, powerful individual.

Which makes the practice of begging all the more strange. These kids are undoubtedly affluent. They live in an environment with access to Internet, a decent computer. They’ve got spare time to spend on-line pursuing leisure activity. In fact, I expect these kids probably look down on the homeless, or drug-addicted. Wandering down the city park, I doubt they’d even bother to give a panhandler a friendly smile. You know, acknowledge the existence of a man whose fortune in life has been lesser than yours.

But their knee-jerk reaction on-line, is to expect others to provide them with the items and currency that will make their gameplay top of the game. While they wouldn’t even dream of going out into the street with a hand-made sign and a Styrofoam cup asking for alms. In fact, while they are more likely to assault such a person for their pure entertainment, they will resort to this behaviour themselves in an on-line environment. It sickens me. Their hypocrisy is so blatant, they aren’t even worth to hold a candle to the the ‘bums’ and ‘hobos’ they despise so much.

Their mental weakness is even furthermore demonstrated by an oft-heard defense of their scandalously sad behaviour: “I wasn’t begging, I was asking.”.

I’ve got this to say to these punks: Next time a guy with a cardboard sign and a Styrofoam cup asks you something, perhaps you could oblige him?

Day 3: Penguin Folly

2007-04-10T13:59:00.000+02:00

I ran so low on meat, that I needed to farm the Peak for a bit. About 20 turns with my Cheshire Bat got me up to the 3k that I needed to move on.

I think I'm ending up disappointed with the Penguin. Even though at a few places I used the contracts to get out of trouble (not paying attention to MP reserves), it's just a gimmicky volleybal. I'm so glad I've got all resistances permed, it spares me the inconvenience of having to cast Elemental Saucesphere :-)

I closed off all the loose ends (including getting the Digital Key, farming it with my Sombrero, who will be taken through the gash). So tomorrow is only a matter of getting the proper stats, and fighting the NS. Seems like a lock-in.

All in all it was a good day, running high ML and getting away with it, but I find it hard to put into words. I'm convinced that if I had been running this run with the Cheshire Bat, it would've been a 3-dayer. On the other hand, this run I have had fun toying around a bit with different familiars, to compensate in places for the Penguin.

Keypunch (#30036)
Level 10 Moose Harasser (Hardcore)
Turns Played (this run): 588
Days Played (this run): 3
Sign: The Mongoose

p.s. I've considered which skills I'd like to add (besides trivials). They are:
Springy Fusilli (Pastamancer)
Jabanero Saucesphere (Sauceror)
Stream of Sauce (Sauceror)
Antiphon of Aptitude (Accordion Thief)
Symphony of the Jackass (Accordion Thief)

So, AT/Mysticality runs in the future. Ahoy, MMJ!

Day 2: Capisce?

2007-04-09T13:25:00.000+02:00

Low meatage keeps hurting me. I still see some possibility of this becoming a 3-dayer, although a safe 4-dayer seems way more likely. And smart.

Most importantly, I haven't run the DD yet. And I still need pixels (got some farmed). I did manage to get all the quests up to level 8 finished. Tomorrow I need to shore and visit the Island for a dictionarrry.

I'm already thinking about my next run, and the one after. I'm planning to get two trophies settled in one run (The Butler Did It and Turtle Tamer level 30). That's a full months worth of doing a single run. To ease the pain of non-ascending, I'd like to make it HCOxy. A good lead-in always helps though. So I could do a Pastamancer lead-in, so that I've got that great Solitaire for extra turns. Or I could just do the Seal Clubber lead-in and have a real easy time smashing monsters. Or a Sauceror lead-in to get more stats from fights.

Since the run is allowed to be a bit tardy, I'm going to discount the mathematically most effective option (Solitaire) since it makes life so much harder. Which leaves the Shillelagh and Solitaire. You know what, screw it, I'll go TT next run :-)

Keypunch (#30036)
Level 9 Caribou Smacker (Hardcore)
Turns Played (this run): 374
Days Played (this run): 2
Sign: The Mongoose

p.s. So: Cheshire Bat, Marmot Sign, Turtle Tamer, HC, Oxygenarian. Sold!

Day 8/Day 1: Drowning in paperwork

2007-04-08T13:16:00.000+02:00

Ascending was trivial, I decided to go Seal Clubber, no reason in particular, except upcoming muscle days and to perm yet another skill. Will be a minor achievement to have fully-permed an entire class. I'll probably get the trivial, haha.

I took the Sleazy Gravy Fairy with me through the gash, and decided to use my newly acquired Penguin Goodfella. So far, he's mostly a "flavoured" volleyball. I have no real need for his delevelling capability, nor for the contracts (of which I've got tonnes). I did use his service to terminate the boss bat, haha. But that only costs meat, meat which is scarce without my bat, as scarce as MP is without meat (or a Troll).

I did get him his neat bow tux, and with a little boozing and simple eating (spicy noodles, painful penne pasta, boring spaghetti and 2 enchanted bean burritos) I ended up with 108 adventures to bank for the muscle days.

Keypunch (#30036)
Level 4 Ermine Thumper (Hardcore)
Turns Played (this run): 68
Days Played (this run): 1
Sign: The Mongoose

Day 7: Short of a six-pack

2007-04-07T12:36:00.000+02:00

Day 6 was nothing special, nor was day 7. Except that my my boozetefarian runs now have a habit of stranding at the tower. I basically ran out of turns before finishing. Level 6 still needs to be done (let it not be a cow!).

Nothing special furthermore. Just some pondering on what type of run to do next. I'm tempted to get the Yuletide Troll out again. Or perhaps give the new Penguin familiar a try (both volleyball-types).

Keypunch (#30036)
Level 11 Bay Leaf Brujo
Turns Played (this run): 911
Days Played (this run): 7
Sign: The Platypus
Path: Boozetafarian (Hardcore)

Day 5: Obey the Squid

2007-04-05T21:24:00.000+02:00

Thanks to stat day, I reached level 10. Also finished the level 7 and 8 quests. Have to get the bridge/dictionary though. Already have got the swashbuckling getup.

And then, after running the valley, it's the home stretch, through the castle. I expect to spend a bit more time in the gallery to get my offstats in order, but it looks like a smooth ride from here.

Keypunch (#30036)
Level 10 Coriander Conjurer
Turns Played (this run): 630
Days Played (this run): 5
Sign: The Platypus
Path: Boozetafarian (Hardcore)

Day 4: Holy crap

2007-04-04T18:32:00.000+02:00

Today is my 3rd kolniversary.

I just gathered a bunch of booze and overdrank before PvP (haha). Tomorrow is the day of action.