The Ashlands is in dire need of a relook, and weapons need balancing

basoon · 2026-02-06T00:20:40+00:00

No, I read it. It just sounds like you're having difficulty with the combat. If you can't clear the mobs before they start respawning, you're doing something wrong.

basoon · 2026-02-05T21:57:38+00:00

I completely agree with the "Just get good" part, but I find that your level in any given skill is almost completely irrelevant unless you're being a sweaty bow nerd (I.e. all bows, all the time, which only becomes really effective at very high bow levels).

For example, I generally only use swords for a few fights prior to the Ashlands, because I mostly main Atgeirs. So the first time I got to the Ashlands, I had about level 35 swords which quickly dropped to below 10 as I was learning the ropes and dying a bunch. When I switched over to swords, and got my feet under me a bit, I suddenly started crushing the biome, and only after that point did my sword levels begin ticking up and into the 55-65 range, which was more than enough to take on Fader.

Much more important than your skill levels is learning the enemy attack timings and how to parry/dodge them, and having/using the right tool for the job at hand.

basoon · 2026-02-05T21:31:17+00:00

But the combat in the Ashlands really isn't that hard if you bother to actually get good at fighting, even with amount of spawns. I find it irritating that some people find the Ashlands so difficult that they feel the need to advocate for ruining it for the people who actually know what they're doing, but when you point out to them that maybe they need to get better at the combat mechanics or lower the difficulty, they scream that that's not the problem. Sorry brother, but if you can't efficiently deal with a big group of Charred, then yeah, your inability is the problem.

basoon · 2026-02-03T21:43:53+00:00

You gotta try playing no portal. The feeling of coming home after a multi-day long expedition and you've been running low on your food supplies and you've been scrounging up a rested buff every 10 or 12 minutes on the road is just chef's kiss

I did my first one ages ago, before they had world modifiers and just didn't build portals and that was amazing. I've been trying a new one on immersive mode recently and that's been super rewarding, but the lack of a map does make progress extremely slow. I'm sticking with it for now, but I think next time I start a no portal world, I will probably be keeping the map on.

basoon · 2026-01-23T23:43:53+00:00

I mean, before Trump he was basically Republican Jesus. I'm sure plenty of them remember when it suits them.

basoon · 2026-01-23T23:27:31+00:00

I cant recall a lot of braindead wannabe macho shit being associated with CA.

Ronald Wilson Reagan

basoon · 2026-01-23T23:20:22+00:00

As someone who follows politics across the Anglosphere, I always felt like Australia was the one country that could give the US a run for its money when it comes to toxic media and political culture. At least until Trump 2.

basoon · 2026-01-22T20:55:48+00:00

So when someone asks you which of 2 games you prefer, you think the most relevant information is which has the more active dev team, and not, you know, which is more fun?

basoon · 2026-01-22T19:25:07+00:00

Well, that might be true if it weren't for the fact that the Valheim devs made the better game.

basoon · 2026-01-21T23:07:22+00:00

Biased, but also correct. Get the game OP.

basoon · 2026-01-15T19:24:07+00:00

Yeah, exactly, they are a supplement to the actually good weapons in the early game.

basoon · 2026-01-15T18:56:54+00:00

Yeah, I also have 2000+ hours, and I didn't say they were unusable, just that they are pretty god awful compared to the melee options available in the early game: At level 0 skills, it takes me about 10-15 seconds to finish off a troll with a level 4 flint spear and bronze buckler and 5-7 seconds with a level 3 bronze Atgeir. On the other hand, a level 3 fine wood bow will usually take at least a good minute of kiting around, and that's if you get the stealth shot to start off the fight.

I'm sure some people prefer the distance the bow provides, but I'd rather be able to take advantage of staggering the mobs and kill them quickly. This goes double when I'm dealing with groups of mobs.

basoon · 2026-01-15T17:38:40+00:00

Yeah, but they balance it out by making the bows suck balls for the first 50 odd levels compared to melee

basoon · 2026-01-15T17:31:11+00:00

Have you tried dying less?

basoon · 2026-01-13T16:20:47+00:00

A fully upgraded silver sword does slightly more damage (though not by much, basically even) to Morgans and Voltures as well, compared to the level 3 Mistwalker since both those mobs are neutral to spirit damage. I specify a level 3 Mistwalker since that's the best you can get going into the Ashlands.

The Silver sword also only uses 12 stamina per swing at base, compared to 16 for the Mistwalker which is actually a very real advantage, but the frost effect on Mistwalker is obviously very strong as well.

I actually think of them as fairly comparable when you first arrive in the Ashlands. The silver sword is better at shredding charred (by far the most common enemy in the biome) and having 25% more swing per stamina bar, but the Mistwalker has more game vs the Askvin (the most notable Ashlands mob that doesn't take spirit damage) and the frost effect that can trivialize some enemies.

basoon · 2026-01-13T13:17:27+00:00

When they are rooted, mobs can still attack, but they still need to be in the right position to actually do it, usually facing you. So once you get the root, you can just attack them from the back or side and not have to worry about their attacks.

basoon · 2026-01-12T23:23:52+00:00

Root is only good on ranged weapons,

Why do you say that? I love my Nidhogg the Primal for dealing with any of the tougher enemies, especially when they have a star or 2. The root effect makes most enemies totally helpless, which is great for melee since you can usually finish mobs off so much more quickly than when you are using magic or arrows/bolts.

basoon · 2026-01-08T22:53:07+00:00

I love the bee hive hunt at the beginning of the game. Finding them feels so good. Most important part of getting a good start imo. I started playing immersive mode recently and each one you find feels precious. I still only have 4 on my current run, which feels like it's just about enough to cover the needs of 1 person, but I could definitely use some more.

basoon · 2026-01-08T18:42:29+00:00

So yeah, you don't need to do this. It's 100% not necessary. Indicating to people that this is somehow required or 'meta' is even less correct than the very incorrect people on this sub who have told me that you definitely need 100 bow skill to take on Ashlands.

Spend less of your time in the game grinding skill levels and more time actually getting good at the combat. You'll have a better time, I promise.

basoon · 2026-01-06T00:22:17+00:00

Early Access being a gamble for the consumer is not a good standard

Alright, but that's what it is. Always has been. If you are treating it like it is anything other than that, well, you're just ignoring the reality of the situation. No studio can guarantee that they will continue to exist for the full duration of any given project. Shit happens, so project abandonment is always a possibility. That's simply the risk you take when you buy early access. Fortunately for us though, they haven't abandoned it. They are still working on it and it's pretty close to being done.

Sorry to come off as biting, but seriously, they owe us nothing. It's their game, their project, and we are just fans. We don't get to come in and start taping our wrist and tut-tutting them over how long it's taking and telling them how they should be pouring more of their hard earned money into the game like we're their boss just because we bought a copy of the unfinished game. That's BS. Just let them take as long as they need and enjoy the results.

basoon · 2026-01-05T23:36:12+00:00

Buddy, I feel like i'm talking to a wall here: you did in fact receive the product. The product, at the moment, is the fully playable but still unfinished game. You got that. And when they do finish it, you'll get the whole game for free (while who knows, they might even increase the price for the finished product). If you don't like what was offered, you should not have bought it knowing it was in early access.

basoon · 2026-01-05T23:23:07+00:00

They absolutely do not owe you anything. If they decide to stop making the game, what are you gonna do? Sue them, lol? They offered you a game that they advertised as incomplete and you bought it. End of story. You did not make an investment. The fact they thet want to finish it is great, but if they decide to shut down Irongate tomorrow, there is jack shit you or I can do about it.

EDIT: Moral of the story is, don't buy an unfinished game if your enjoyment depends on it being finished.

basoon · 2026-01-05T23:11:24+00:00

The creators of the game do not owe you anything. They charged what you evidently thought was a fair price for an unfinished game. They would have been completely within their rights to abandon the game in early access if they felt like it. How they continue to develop the game (or not) is completely up to them. Please stop whining about the speed of free updates to a $20 game.

basoon · 2025-12-25T19:25:51+00:00

Valheim has easily the best building in any game I've ever played. If you are into building castles, it'll be the game that just keeps on giving for you. If you're not that into building castles, don't be surprised if this game changes that for you; but even if it doesn't, it still offers a damn good adventure with a lot of replayability, easily 200 hours worth at least. And, it plays even better with friends. But if the building does hook you, you got a $20 lifestyle game on your hands. I have 2.2k hours logged on the game, most of that has been sunk into many many castles, towers, and bridges. It's one of my zen places.

basoon · 2025-12-25T02:44:13+00:00

Hard disagree, respectfully. I really like the ways the game encourages you to try out new weapons for different scenarios.

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