Anosognos wrote:
I do try to protect merchants if I can get power to their rooms.

Is this the same standard you'd hold for a merchant deep in the dungeon? It seems a bit inefficient to hold out for 5 rooms worth of power (50 dust) to buy an item worth 2 rooms (20 dust). I don't really have a fixed 'rule' for merchants so much as I notice my tendencies are more conservative.

the_cous wrote:
i tend to invest more in my heroes than i to base building, all i really need is one fully defend-able room to fall back to if needed

I suppose I should have probably mentioned this in my own post as well. My general feeling is that heroes are better investments than turrets because they're the only thing that follow you to the next level (well, plus resources generated, but buildings reduce that). But this is something of a false dichotomy because merchants don't accept industry and so your choices are more "do I invest in heroes and defenses?" not "do I invest in heroes or defenses?"

It really just depends on whether or not they have something I want/need. Usually I visit them to sell gear I don't need, and if I see something I'll want in the future (say I'm about to go to the next floor and have some dust to spend) I'll buy it. It really just depends if he's got a lot of good things on sale, stranger!

i use them very often, and I'll sacrifice a lot to buy a decent weapon. There's a bunch of weapons that can double your character's damage!

My use of merchants is constrained by their fairly high mortality rates in my dungeons. I've noticed I have a very cautious play style and so they will often die before I am in a position where I am comfortable enough to part with my dust.



Perhaps the prices reflect their insurance premiums

systemchalk wrote:
My use of merchants is constrained by their fairly high mortality rates in my dungeons. I've noticed I have a very cautious play style and so they will often die before I am in a position where I am comfortable enough to part with my dust.



Perhaps the prices reflect their insurance premiums

This is exactly what I do. I do try to protect merchants if I can get power to their rooms but, by and large, I find dust too valuable for defense until I've cleared out the level.



I'll only give some up early if an item can give a character a huge boost at the cost of only 1-2 powered rooms.

I like the risk of spending it there and then on something(s) I want at that moment if it is not viable to protect the merchant; if it is viable I will probably just protect the merchant then spend my dust when the exit is found.

i tend to invest more in my heroes than i to base building, all i really need is one fully defend-able room to fall back to if needed

Yeah, I usually have one room with super defenses, and (hopefully) it is just outside where my crystal is. I'll also put out a few "harassment" defenses just to tone down enemies before they hit the big guns.

Bendercade wrote:
Yeah, I usually have one room with super defenses, and (hopefully) it is just outside where my crystal is. I'll also put out a few "harassment" defenses just to tone down enemies before they hit the big guns.

Some enemies will attack your turrets, though. And turrets don't last too long by themselves. Isn't this a waste of money? I'll always defend the front room(s) in the line with full on turrets, shifting my heroes around as necessary.

red_locust wrote:
Some enemies will attack your turrets, though. And turrets don't last too long by themselves. Isn't this a waste of money? I'll always defend the front room(s) in the line with full on turrets, shifting my heroes around as necessary.

Yeah, after getting too many of my turrets knocked out I started using my heroes as mobile emergency backup.

Just curious, as I find their cost to benefit ratio not really worth the expense; at least right now.

systemchalk wrote:
Is this the same standard you'd hold for a merchant deep in the dungeon? It seems a bit inefficient to hold out for 5 rooms worth of power (50 dust) to buy an item worth 2 rooms (20 dust). I don't really have a fixed 'rule' for merchants so much as I notice my tendencies are more conservative.

That's exactly what I mean. If they're right next to a room that's already in my powered-room-chain anyway, I'll power their room and put defenses in it so I can come back later. If they're 3 unpowered rooms away, it's just not happening.



I suppose "If I can get power to their rooms" should, more accurately, read: "If powering their rooms is a cheap investment."

Anosognos wrote:
That's exactly what I mean. If they're right next to a room that's already in my powered-room-chain anyway, I'll power their room and put defenses in it so I can come back later. If they're 3 unpowered rooms away, it's just not happening.



I suppose "If I can get power to their rooms" should, more accurately, read: "If powering their rooms is a cheap investment."

I usually put in a lot of effort to defend merchants if the items are good, like running most of my heroes to the merchant if he's in danger but I can't reach him. The great thing is that if the merchant survives till the end of the mission (like, if you can get some turrets in his room), you can power off a bunch of non-essential rooms and spend your dust before you make the final run.

I buy all the merchants good items right when I'm going to leave the level, that way I don't use all the Dust to divert from my rooms. I also don't normally go out of my way to protect them.

I usually buy up w/e my heroes need on site, but I rarely power up more than a 3 or 4 rooms on a floor, leaving me a plethora of dust.

Have to power up the heroes if I'm going to turtle

red_locust wrote:
Some enemies will attack your turrets, though. And turrets don't last too long by themselves. Isn't this a waste of money? I'll always defend the front room(s) in the line with full on turrets, shifting my heroes around as necessary.

I haven't had issues with turrets being destroyed, as they usually defeat the creatures who stay back to hit them.. I only use this strategy when I have enough industry, and have blueprints for the high-powered defenses. It hasn't failed me yet on any of my last four go-rounds. Sure, it'll fail eventually, but every strategy can fail if the situation is right. I adapt to each floor, which is the most important thing to do... If a strategy fails, come up with a new one, that's the joy of tower defense/offense games.

Bendercade wrote:
It really just depends if he's got a lot of good things on sale, stranger!

It saddens me that NO ONE has caught my reference...

Spending dust at the merchant is a major decision for me, the commodity is just too precious to waste on only small boost items - so something offered has to be really worth it, and give my heroes an edge at survival to warrant handing dust over, or even shutting power off from rooms. I like the current balance, and the fact that a purchase becomes part of an important decision in compromise, but sometimes you do get several merchants, and a lot of the time, you just haven't got the dust to spare.

When i found the exit and i'm ready to leave, i spend all my dust at the merchant when he's got something useful. Dust is getting reset after a level anyway.

In fact, i use the merchant only to sell my stuff. I never have all the ressources he want ...