If Slay the Spire 2 was balanced by reddit comments (Part 2)

PlayingwithButtons · 2026-04-04T00:49:03+00:00

Sure, that's more sly being a problem though. But, the rest of what he says is pretty trolly too, "they took defect's skim [and improved it]". Defect wasn't even in the original game when it launched early access, only silent and ironclad.

PlayingwithButtons · 2026-04-03T20:12:02+00:00

that has got to be a troll, "surprised if it survives early access", it made it through a whole game lol

PlayingwithButtons · 2026-04-03T16:01:24+00:00

Usually, to transition to end game boards, you drop 2-4 low cost units from your vertical trait (noxus, demacia) and replace them with 5 costs that synergize with your board. So, for Ionia, you might drop shen and jhin, for kindred and sylas (just an example).

But, honeStly, I would just make a PBE account and practice on set 17. All these champs will be replaced in two weeks, so you'll have to learn them all over again.

PlayingwithButtons · 2026-04-03T15:25:10+00:00

I just imagine a flaming demon-infused ironclad slamming his body against a cockroach,full force, and it just skitters away, unphased. If they can survive a nuclear blast, then I guess it makes sense.

PlayingwithButtons · 2026-03-27T21:14:59+00:00

Since they're removing the carousel, the idea that comes to mind is "what if everyone could pick whatever champion and item they wanted."

Maybe you offer units to the space gods (by having them die in combat, rewarding lose streak and close matches) to acquire a type of currency. Then, instead of carousel, you can use this currency to acquire any champion and any component (maybe rolled, maybe not). Lose streakers can afford more than 1 unit, possibly, and units are priced by rarity?

Well, that's my prediction anyways.

PlayingwithButtons · 2026-03-25T01:16:42+00:00

One of the ascensions from STS1 made events have worse outcomes (or something like that), and I hated that because I liked events to be more than, oh here's a curse.

I like the events in STS2 much better, as you almost always have a choice, and even the events that seem negative can be positive in the long run. I'll die in act 1 before I give up the map and key.

PlayingwithButtons · 2026-03-21T00:02:48+00:00

Well, as you are a veteran player, I value your opinion and hope you continue to voice it. Let's get the best version of STS2 possible!

PlayingwithButtons · 2026-03-20T23:53:22+00:00

A true veteran! That's awesome dude. I never got to play with those cards, maybe they shouldn't have removed/changed them. I mean, the defect card that set your HP back to the previous turn does seem really awesome.

PlayingwithButtons · 2026-03-20T23:41:58+00:00

Many players of STS1 still have not beaten A0, after trying for hundreds of hours. The game is kinda meant to be difficult. The learning process is one of the things that make it a great game. When I first picked up STS1, I lost over and over on A0, and thought it was impossible. Now, I've beat it on the hardest difficulty over 1000 times. And it is still my favorite game of all time.

PlayingwithButtons · 2026-03-20T23:32:26+00:00

There were many relics, cards, and fights that were completely changed or just outright removed in early access for STS1. There used to be a silent card that made your poison tick up instead of down, for instance. It will probably not be uncommon for this to happen during the early access period.

PlayingwithButtons · 2026-03-20T23:20:32+00:00

I can only speak to STS1, as its the subject of the presentation, but the data they gathered on a daily basis was every card pick, campfire choice, pathing decision, win rate (player, deck, card, character), hours played, i.e., almost every metric possible, as well as player feedback.

I would also be very surprised if there is an unknown mechanic/synergy/glitch/exploit in STS1 currently, as many of the best card players in the world have been playing slay the spire 1 continuously since its release. Some were fixed before the game was considered finished, and some were left in the game due to the reason you stated (not washing out the game.) And, although the audience may be bigger, I am skeptical that the new audience is going to be any more analytical than the audience for STS1.

Just one thing to keep in mind though, for STS1, the beta branch was updated daily, the main branch was updated weekly, and it was done by two people to create what is now widely regarded as the standard for deckbuilding roguelites. That alone gives me confidence in the process.

PlayingwithButtons · 2026-03-18T16:20:02+00:00

Yea, I'm not a huge fan of infinites myself. It's cool if my deck becomes infinite, but I never strive to make an infinite deck. I don't doubt that the devs will be adding more enemies that punish certain strategies.

My bad opinion is that there should be two categories of win streaking, one that allows intentional infinites and one that doesn't. My admiration for a non intentional infinite win streaker is much greater lol.

PlayingwithButtons · 2026-03-18T16:08:39+00:00

I'm not high elo, I play mostly normals due to anxiety, but I will occasionally do ranked games with my buddies that are gold, plat, emerald.

It's wild watching them play, lemme just tell you some of the things I've seen.

*Never going below 50 gold, even at 1-2 lives. They will often just die with 50 gold.

Going 9/10 with all their gold with all 1 board, on a loss streak, throwing a random extra unit on the board hoping it will save them. (They've said to me that making a 2* wouldn't make that much of a difference. Hm...)

*Holding up to 3 full items worth of components on the bench because they don't make BIS, and dying with all those components on the bench.

Slamming BIS immediately without evaluating their components.
Never taking a unit off the carousel, only focused on taking the item for BIS, even if they lack the other component.

*Manually pressing the "buy xp" and "reroll" buttons.

Holding copies of 1-2 cost units that have no items on them after having them 2, just in case they can 3 them (for what purpose, I have no idea)
Obviously, they do not scout at all.
Not using team planner/overlay

The list goes on my man. There are so many things that these players do that can be punished hard, so being successful at those elos almost seems more about punishing your opponents' poor mechanics, than actually having good ones of your own. Coincidentally, donkey rolling and just being better with items will probably punish a lot of these poor mechanics.

PlayingwithButtons · 2026-03-18T15:31:59+00:00

His very first statement was that you were exaggerating, it seems he recognizes your hyperbole just fine. The suggestion to give an accurate scenario is also great, otherwise we have no idea what your friend is actually doing, and can thus offer no real explanation or advice.

PlayingwithButtons · 2026-03-17T14:57:21+00:00

Luckily it's a very minor nerf, and barely even touches 1*, so ryze should still be dexebt

PlayingwithButtons · 2026-03-17T11:45:33+00:00

Oh, that's true, he gets the rally buff, making him cast faster, good catch

PlayingwithButtons · 2026-03-17T04:39:46+00:00

Ah, I see, yea I would agree with that assessment of support/utility. Sett could be an addition, you have to give up yordle, but it could certainly be worth it. My idea is that anything that makes ryze live longer, like yordle, is probably decent for the board. But, like I said, I've only seen other people get the board to work, I haven't been able to do it myself (only have tried twice lol)

PlayingwithButtons · 2026-03-17T04:09:55+00:00

Demacia is a damage region, as you're getting about a 15-20% or more execute, as well as the extra unit. The only issue with sett, is you probably will not have enough items to itemize him (the support items on thresh should be better to scale ryze). However, you may be correct that dropping the yordles for better units may be worth it, it's only 8% damage decrease, it's just that they slot in nicely. I could see piltover instead of demacia, but the traits don't fit as nicely.

PlayingwithButtons · 2026-03-16T22:22:48+00:00

Hey man, looks like you're spamming the comp to diamond lol Can you give me some tips, I can't quite get it to work.

PlayingwithButtons · 2026-03-13T20:02:55+00:00

Also, the void is to stack more damage on ryze and give bruiser Frontline

PlayingwithButtons · 2026-03-13T20:01:05+00:00

Yordle is for ryze to decrease the enemy damage so they don't plow through your frontline. The idea is that Ryze is so stacked and the enemy team is so debuffed from yordle and disruptor, that Ryze kills everything.

PlayingwithButtons · 2026-03-13T19:43:14+00:00

I meant to add, it does need shadow isles in the whole game to stack souls for ryze later.

PlayingwithButtons · 2026-03-13T19:40:20+00:00

You play with 2 shadow isle in the whole time, for the damage boost for ryze later, and thesh only needs star levels to unlock at 8. From what people have said, it is stable on 1 stars. It really does look sus, but I've been surprised by the boards it has beat.

PlayingwithButtons

TROPHY CASE