New changes since the last update

[SullyTheUnusual]

Maelstrom Quarry in Crux Prime: The peril seems to have been amped up a bit. The first thing I noticed is that Skeleton Engineers have upgraded their mining lasers with rapid fire capabilities. Nuckal still spawns about every 1m40s, but in different spots around the quarry. He still drops only power-ups and bricks, though. What's the point of randomizing his spawn point to dissuade camping, when he still bestows nothing worth camping for? They also smoothed out the one step that used to separate the quarry from Caldera Mar, and skeletons can now occupy it.

Apes: Anchors no longer insta-smash. Roo Moorg takes a lot longer to smash, unless you have a team of Bash-O-Matics surrounding him. Like Nuckal, Roo Moorg still drops junk, even after granting him anchor resistance.

Dragons: It would seem the attack pattern for both Maelstrom Dragons and Dragon Invaders has been changed. I noticed this while fighting Butterscorch recently. If you kept your distance, she used to throw four fireballs at you with short pauses between each volley. Now she throws the one big fireball out in between every volley of four. Makes soloing her a whole new ballgame.

Anyone find anything else? I'll add more to the list, or remove anything that's found to be in error.

[Jayko]

Faction Reps now give more fun and challenging missions, and reward you with your choice of a surprise pack, a gem pack, or a model box. (this is an awesome move, because you could get 10 or more tokens durring the old mission, deeming the mission pointless.

It appears that BONS enemies will try to swarm you more then normal. Maybe it was just that battle?

A side note: Not sure if they updated it, or if its been this way, but the bird houses in pet cove do not count toward the build achievement. I didn't check if they counted toward the smash achievement though.

[Hamsterman]

Maelstrom Quarry: The skeletons now detect you from farther away, and spawn faster. Engineers actually move towards you. Nuckal sometimes gathers a posse.

Apes: Not only does Roo drop less, but so do the Invader Apes. Come on, a couple of bricks and some power-ups???

Daily Missions: Kurt Tussel (by the Jawbox) gives out a daily mission to donate 50 bricks, and gives out the same reward choices as the Faction daily missions.

By the way, going to Pet Cove to smash things seems a bit, well, like vandalism. Not that I don't like a well-placed Big One in middle of the doghouses, but still...

Hamsterman aka EmceeSquare

[MsRowdyRedhead]

I am really really starting to NOT have fun any more.
And I now have NO hope of ever smashing butterscorch.
I am not looking forward to the new weapons either, because the devs will undoubtedly make further enhancements to the enemies abilities as well.
I am just getting annihilated...

There is no fun in that.

[Hamsterman]

I am really really starting to NOT have fun any more.
And I now have NO hope of ever smashing butterscorch.
I am not looking forward to the new weapons either, because the devs will undoubtedly make further enhancements to the enemies abilities as well.
I am just getting annihilated...

There is no fun in that.

I admit, it now requires new tactics in the various areas. Don't get (too) discouraged:

Caldera Mar apes (Roo and the invader):
Initial approach at an angle, and jump as the boulder is about to be thrown.
Hit 5 times ( 2 2/3 combos for most weapons)
Run away until out of range of the ground-pounds.
Turn around and either throw a firecracker or use the Evergiving Goblet while it pounds.
Repeat until all the armor is gone and it is dazed.
Build the quickbuild.
Continue hitting as above until it is smashed.
Result: a few powerups, coins, maybe a maelstrom infected brick or two.

Maelstrom Quarry (skeleton area):
Growler (skeleton speaker): run past the speaker, then start spinjitsu while moving back. Release to destroy the miners and growler, quickbuild before gathering power-ups.

Watchtowers/Watchmen:
Go to the watchtower, and take on any skeletons that arrive. Leave if a crowd of pit bosses arrive. Hit each tower leg 6 times (3 combos), so none of them break and reform if you get interrupted. Take out each skeleton if it interrups. Then either whack each leg, or (from what I've seen) spin up next to the 'spine' to bring down the tower.

Mining Rig:
Go near the smashable that builds the quickbuild, and fight off the pit bosses and/or engineers that show up. Then you can smash it and build the jumper. Press the left or right key while building to face the bouncer while it is being built. If interrupted by a pit boss' spin, do NOT continue the quickbuild until it is done spinning or you will get hit again, and again...

Also, one rig will blow you off with a blast of maelstrom in a random direction, and if it happens while the video of the drill rig coming up happens, you'll have no idea where, and by the time you get back the drill will go back down. Try, try again.

Bone Fracture Bomb:
Spinjitsu's blast is slightly larger than the bomb's blast. I suggest practicing first from 2 minifig lengths away, and get closer until you find the right spot. That way you don't have to try to change weapons while under attack.

That's all for now.

Hamsterman aka EmceeSquare

[Jayko]

Roo does require new tactics, but I think another side of Red's point was that its no fun, because the rewards aren't high enough. I find that roo, and other apes, are currently bugged, where the quick build anchor wont even let you build it.

[MsRowdyRedhead]

It's not just the rewards, it's more a factor of how many times I get slaughtered before it gets old. Anyone who had teamed with me knows I don't give up easily. Anyone who has watched me trying to get a flag or a brick knows the same thing.
The game is getting way to much about battles and monetary transactions. I am not really feeling the "LEGO" lately. I don't much like what the game is turning into. It makes me sad to know I will probably leave if it goes any further into the WoW zone.

[Hamsterman]

It's not just the rewards, it's more a factor of how many times I get slaughtered before it gets old. Anyone who had teamed with me knows I don't give up easily. Anyone who has watched me trying to get a flag or a brick knows the same thing.
The game is getting way to much about battles and monetary transactions. I am not really feeling the "LEGO" lately. I don't much like what the game is turning into. It makes me sad to know I will probably leave if it goes any further into the WoW zone.

The best experiences I've gotten on Crux has been on teams. While pointless, 'Battle Royals' by Point Zeta let you battle and recharge your teammates. I get a similar experience taking on dragons in Forbidden Valley. Teams are also useful for flags and such:

If you want to get the flag behind Butterscorch, just so you know, after I fell for the 15th time my son took the controls and got it in 2. If you can put together a team, you should be able to get it:
1. Engineer drops a fortress, then runs around until smashed. This distracts the dragon.
2. Meanwhile, 2nd & 3rd fig run to the green box, smash it, and build the quickbuild.
3. 3rd fig takes the platform to the 1st island, then walks to other side. Let the platform pass, but be ready.
4. Engineer and 2nd fig wait on safe area until turret is ready and green box reforms.
5. Repeat step 1&2&3 without fig 3
6. Fig 3 jumps on platform, jumps off to last island just as platform falls apart.
7. Fig 3 gets the flag, bounces back, rejoining engineer at step 4.
8. Now fig 2 does what fig 3 did, and vice versa.

To be honest, I will soon be trying to build some properties, now that my computer can handle 'brick mode'. I'll let you know what I come up with. I lose so many coins when I smash that I've reached equilibrium, and I'd rather spend them than grind to buy the new valiant weapons.

Hamsterman

[MsRowdyRedhead]

Sully & Jedi spent quite some time watching me miss the jumps behind Butter very gallantly and without laughter (at least that I could see) but I still don't have the flag.  lolz
In fact I am missing two.


IMHO any rank 3 player should be able to do the Sensei's daily's without getting slaughtered half a dozen times. Up until the last Nerf, I have been able to do them all without getting smashed once, and most of the other Crux daily's with the exception of the dragon.  I do not always want to do them alone... I enjoy teams with my friends or new acquaintances that try to do their part. But I should be able to.
Even the horsemen and spiders are a challenge for me all of a sudden. 

It seems they really are catering to professional gamers .... sadly... and ignoring the loyal LEGO fans.


So bottom line, it is now more like work than fun. And if I have to work, the pay has to be better. 

[Flipz]

Sully & Jedi spent quite some time watching me miss the jumps behind Butter very gallantly and without laughter (at least that I could see) but I still don't have the flag.  lolz
In fact I am missing two.


IMHO any rank 3 player should be able to do the Sensei's daily's without getting slaughtered half a dozen times. Up until the last Nerf, I have been able to do them all without getting smashed once, and most of the other Crux daily's with the exception of the dragon.  I do not always want to do them alone... I enjoy teams with my friends or new acquaintances that try to do their part. But I should be able to.
Even the horsemen and spiders are a challenge for me all of a sudden. 

It seems they really are catering to professional gamers .... sadly... and ignoring the loyal LEGO fans.


So bottom line, it is now more like work than fun. And if I have to work, the pay has to be better. 

You tell 'em!

[MsRowdyRedhead]

*blushes* =P

[RBull]

In addition to Roo Morgg and the various apes on CP and GF, Kinga Hurl in the BoNS is also harder to smash now.

This ordinarily wouldn't be that much of a problem (as he's still not that difficult to defeat), but the amount of time it now takes might well adversely affect anyone who hasn't yet gotten the second time-based achievement for Kinga Hurl (the Banana Gun), as well as the ones that come after (for Whack Bliddo and the Horsemen).

Previously, Kinga Hurl smashed instantly when you built the anchor.  Now, the anchor only stuns him, and you'll probably spend an additional 10-15 seconds depleting the rest of his health normally (or more, if he's glitchy -- last time, he kept disappearing after his health was depleted, then reappearing with a tiny sliver of health -- we had to re-smash him 2 or 3 times to finally get rid of him for good).  Unless you're on a super-efficient team, it'll be harder to finish smashing Kinga Hurl under the time limit now -- the first time I did it a few months ago, I beat the time by just 3 seconds, after missing it by a couple of seconds on a number of tries.

[Flipz]

A tip for MSRR:

This in no way justifies the change to the Maelstrom Quarry, but if you put the Enchanted Dragon's Tooth as your Slot 5 item, you can stun the Skeletons in a fairly wide area.  Time it right, and it makes the daily missions MUCH more manageable.

Also, 2 Spinjitsu blasts will destroy a leg of a tower, so if you stand between 2 legs you will hit them both AND damage any nearby skeletons. 

[MsRowdyRedhead]

A tip for MSRR:

This in no way justifies the change to the Maelstrom Quarry, but if you put the Enchanted Dragon's Tooth as your Slot 5 item, you can stun the Skeletons in a fairly wide area.  Time it right, and it makes the daily missions MUCH more manageable.

Also, 2 Spinjitsu blasts will destroy a leg of a tower, so if you stand between 2 legs you will hit them both AND damage any nearby skeletons. 

 Thank you!

[Silver352]

Roo does require new tactics, but I think another side of Red's point was that its no fun, because the rewards aren't high enough. I find that roo, and other apes, are currently bugged, where the quick build anchor wont even let you build it.

I can live with the apes being harder. BUT WITH NO GOOD LOOT?!!?!?!?!? The only explanation is that it is a bug.

[MsRowdyRedhead]

What did they do with this weeks update??
The only thing I noticed was uuber lag in Nimbus. I didn't dare go to Crux.

[Trijhak]

This weeks update -hasn't- come yet.

[MsRowdyRedhead]

Yesterdays maintenance.

[Trijhak]

Still hadn't come when you had posted.

EDIT: Again, still hadn't come.

[MsRowdyRedhead]

Oh.. it happened last night for us. Midnight to 2 am.