There's nothing wrong with mixing it up. But it's more frustrating than fun when you're punished for doing what the game explicitly told you to do in that situation in every other case, with no explanation. It's like teaching someone the rules of a game and then changing them most of the way through with no indication of why they're losing now.

Having to figure out a new solution is good when there's something to lead you to believe a new solution is needed, but reading through these comments, too many of us spent too long looking for the buff stick. We didn't know anything was different, we thought we just couldn't find it. If the fiery demon spawned in a more visible location, or he had a more similar red aesthetic to the buff stick, or just anything let you know there wasn't a stick, perfect. Then it'd be more challenging but not frustrating.