Stralgaez

I'd be more of getting rumors from traders about abandoned mineshafts that could give you the materials you want, but not in abundance - If you are willing to brave them. I figure traders won't be very good in processing infos about rock strata or sedimentary rock coverage and be viable enough to pass it on reliably, but instead know of old locations like abandoned mines, quarries or logging places since its more tangible information for them to use and pass on.

The path to it is definitely a major time investment, and perhaps not able to be done in a single session, depending on your patience and skill with the said puzzle. And that's definitely a location you would do good to have a outpost/base nearby set up and to fall back to.

I know, and I appreciate the notion to possibly work on something to make it more accessible at some point. Ideally, you shouldn't need to, alas ...

Maybe they should fill those gaps first and future proof them before working on other systems. And leave the mods for adding other amazing things rather than plugging holes that have been left behind.

At the risk of sounding like a vanilla-hardliner : This honestly should be balanced without the implementation of mods and/or any changes in the Standard settings to side-step the current problems with the encounter itself.

It's possible to select 'keep inventory' enabled, but we need to balance such things based on the most average setting that gives you the fastest entry to a new game - Standard, without customization, without mods. I am aware that its generally dangerous out there, but if you can manage the Archives up until the boss .. then the boss itself shouldn't be a massive jump in difficulty. You are already trapped in the room with it until either is dead so no need to to make it extra hard, suddenly requiring Tier 3+ and honey sulfur poultices when you managed to clear the place before the boss with Tier 2 stuff easily.

It's also because it's a room you are dropping in without escape unless you defeat the Eidolon. Or die. And the latter is not ideal due to the potential loss of all the loot you might have gathered so far, along with your equipment. And if you didn't set your respawn point right at the entrance of the Archive, you are guaranteed to lose it all. And even you did set a point, you need several seconds to reorganize your equipment you picked up from your last death (which is in itself a weird game feature that you pop open like a piñata upon your death), all the while you are trapped in the room again and fighting the boss - And that can cause a death spiral like the above being mentioned, dying to it 20+ times and more. It does sound frustrating and tedious as hell. Of course, you could put up a camp in front of the Archive and get back to it before dropping the first time into the room, so you got nothing to lose outside what you bought to the trip. But I think not many might be that savvy to see the potential danger if you do that, since you also drop into the underwater lake a little earlier and you came out of it unharmed (if maybe wet and with a extinguished torch). The loot itself might not be valuable to make something out of it, but you bring something else from the Archive - A souvenir. Something that shows you have been there. And has quite the personal value after you have trekked for so long to reach it for those who go for it for the first time. However, if the Eidolon claps it all out of your inventory, and can you cannot reliably recover it, or have the needed skill to defeat it .... I wouldn't bother anymore. Or cheat. And that would make it a bad design when those solutions are the ones considered the most.

It does say a lot when people tell their tale about the boss and mostly have opted into a battle of attrition either by throwing themselves repeatedly onto it until you wear the boss down, come back with gear far above what is needed for the place, or resort to cheese tactics. They praise the Archives for its atmosphere and fair levels of danger and rewards, but the Eidolon encounter is a sour point for many because it is far above what you would expect from a Chapter 1 Story location - Something what you SHOULD consider making it accessible as possible within a reasonable/"relaxed" level of challenge, instead of making them the most difficult.

Possibly so. I did issue a refund because, along with the current situation regarding this and how its handled, there are certain directions of development I do not find agreeable.

Which is interesting - I thought we have the forums specifically to not directly need other social platforms for communication if you don't feel for dealing with their issues. Yet everywhere else but the forums get official statements posted. This all feels backwards.

I'd say that's fine because they'll wander either way until they find their perfect spot to settle down (if the Temporal Stability isn't ruining it for them), or take a gamble and zap themselves thousands of blocks away by the use of a teleporter for a change of scenery. If they are determined to reach the Resonance Archive because it interests them, they will make the trek regardless and prepare accordingly. For everyone else, they just want to build their little world of their own wherever want to and get lost in the chiseling.

I don't offer a lore reasoning to it, I just say what I would rather have, gameplay-wise. Just as it is acceptable to have stacks of solid rocks in your inventory and not get weighted down by it, or your bags suffering from carrying so much - People don't question it, either. It just works. Basic vanilla gameplay functions don't need much of a lore reason to exist, nor should be gated behind a item that is based on RNG where you have a chance you never would get your hands on it.

Because temporal gears are not a guarantee. Just like finding specific resources, you either hit the jackpot on day one, or you slog through for months or perhaps even years to find even a single piece of it. Or you don't.

Which is interesting since usually you would make the Main Story as accessible/approachable as possible, adding a small measure of difficulty so the most would go through it. And making the optional content for those who want a extra challenge. Here it feels like the other way around.

Fell down a partially covered hole. A deep, 25+ blocks drop. And survived without a scratch, apart my near-heart attack feeling of vertigo when I fell into the darkness.