Risk vs Reward

I read the release notes that Skeletons just do not die, I am sorry that is just ridiculous. There should be risk vs reward for everything. Games are suppose to be fun and when you are constantly fighting something that never dies, then it is only risk and I am sorry that is not fun. It is just down right annoying. Take Spectral Mines, I go in to kill things and at the same time I get a reward, but now all I get is skeletons that keep popping up that I have to kill again and again, seemingly never able to advance any further into the dungeon because I am surrounded by 6 to 8 Skeletons. Where is the reward and the fun?

 

The assumption we have to make here is that continuously respawning undead is part of a broader picture that hasn't yet been fully developed. Right now, magic kills skeletons permanently after just one respawn (by design). I believe it takes several other "kills" using non-magic. (by design)

But I think the larger argument here is the question of how players want the game to challenge them. Personally, I enjoy the respawning undead as a concept. But like many parts of the game (right now) it's not entirely "fun" because the systems are unfinished, the combat system is unbalanced, and to be successful as players we all have to make compromises that may be outside of our comfort zone.

For example, I don't know how any solo players can get through the Spectral Mines without being leveled to about 30 or above and using Death and/or Life Magic. I don't think it's really possible any other way because of the ghosts. This isn't particularly fun, but it does get you through the scene which I suppose is more fun than not getting through the scene.

The point I'm trying to make is that I think your problem may be more about the state of development we're in and not the respawning undead. My expectation for launch will be that there's more than one way to accomplish completion of any one scene, and Death Magic will not always be a viable alternative.

 

I've never had to kill the same skeleton more than twice, with magic and with a weapon build. They get back up after the first time I slay them, the second time they know better.

Also they appear to have drastically reduced the max health of skeletons, now that they're getting back up after their first death. Dunno if you noticed that or not.

 

Moved to R16 Feedback from the bug forum as this was not a bug.

 

I agree, I've never had to kill one more than twice, after the first kill, they stand up but are very weak and 3 hits later they're down permanently (until they naturally re-spawn again)... If you strip all the loot off, they re-spawn faster too, so I leave their weapons behind to slow their re-spawn a bit, then move to the next area...

Sounds to me like your (OPer) taking too long to kill the group and they start re-spawning new ones, before your done...

 

While I too have not seen any skeletons get up more than once I must admit that it's a game design choice that I have found to become more "annoying" than "flavourful" which I'm sure was the original intent. All this system really does is give us an "undead tax" on our gear durability having to go through it again and make fights take twice as long. It feels great to go kill a spider afterwards since you know they aren't getting back up. Yet the XP/treasure has not been increased for skeletons in any way.

Overall I like the concept of the undead being hard to put down permanently as a story element. Makes sense why the undead forces are so dangerous and why the guards have so much trouble with them. They just keep on coming. But I feel the fact that they respawn and going back into "cleared" scenes and seeing more skeletons kind of reinforces that point more than them arbitrarily getting back up once per fight. I mean why do they only get up again once? Why not more times?

So thinking on it the things I have been thinking for this are:

• Only allow undead to rez in the manner they do now when accompanied by a necromancer or lich.
• Failing that, if they must be kept in the same manner allow enchanted weapons (ie with fire or electricity buff) to permanently kill them in the same manner as magic spells
• Or perhaps add the previously mentioned "Undead Slayer" enhancement that specifically keeps them down
• Allow crushing weapons to permanently destroy skeletons
• While you're at it, even though this somewhat screws my own build: shouldn't skeletons be immune to bleeds?

 

Greymarch, I'd agree with you except that they also reduced the Undead's HP. Even getting back up after the first kill, they really don't have much more "tax" than they already had.