Nah, this is clearly set up by Mr. Hearts’ design. Remember, it’s goal isn’t to create the most skilled and efficient poisoners in the Neath, it’s goal is to study the transitory moment between life and death. Hearts already offers to reward you with a Distinction for taking the Embalmer’s Mark, and thus making the whole thing more difficult for yourself. Specifically.
What better way to study that moment than to financially motivate all players to prolong the moment of fatal poisoning indefinitely?
No, but they nerfed it so its not guaranteed on a failed check. Just did a 7/8 run with Flames, Talons, and Tallow where I only failed one check, which resulted in the one lost round, but don’t recall gaining any Counterplay.
Just closing the circle on a previous comment of mine in this thread. I was pretty put off Hearts’ Game by the counterplay mechanic, but I think the recent rebalancing is a big improvement! I still get hit with it once or twice a run, but I haven’t been getting banged with four popups in a row and I actually completed a successful full run this current season after multiple failed attempts last season. For whatever reason I can’t seem to track what is going on with counterplay while playing but it is sufficiently less punishing now that it doesn’t seem like an impediment to actually enjoying the game again. So yay!
Got my final distinctions! Pages was the last which I did with teeth, gambits, and smiths (for prep). Very balanced team- sometimes based off the draws and the lack of poison tolerance I’d ride Teeth no-prep actions almost to the end, sometimes I’d rely on gambits. Smiths is not a great prep generator but it’s what I could draft.
Embalming also wasn’t that hard - I made a team that used the main stats and then spammed a lot of second chances. Technically that tanks the epa but it’s fine for the distinction. The team had two kings, I think spines and knuckles? Plus something for prep.
For knights, I had flames, talons, and I think livers? Again not sure on the prep accomplice, but flames kept the poison tolerance in check so talons could generate enough progress to finish the job.
I won this season distinction with Skins + Roses combo (and Ribs as a random bad pick). Was pretty easy 7/7. Not going to play until next season. I hate this d____d time gate.
Damn. Almost forgot there was a new season at all. Currently playing a very lopsided Roots/Cod/Knuckles team in which Knuckles either does basically nothing but tread water or is the only reason the team wins each run. Somehow won 2 runs in a row with it.
It’s strange, the d___d time gate is demotivating me for continuing the sapling grind even though it’s objectively speedier than getting Cider or goats in total game time. But the illusion of control and at least being able to progress at my own place helps keep me more engaged than having to remember to play a specific thing every month, especially when it’s not like there’s any variance in the reward like with Ambitions.
At this point, there is absolutely nothing that sapling can do to live up to the attention I’ve put into getting it. I mean think about it logically, Cider is the best form of immortality you can get in FL proper and the Heptagoat is literally The Goat Messiah. What could the sapling conceivably offer to match that? DOUBLE immortality? Free Master infusions for everyone instead of the lucky Heart’s Desire folks?
I don’t see why it’s compared to Hepta / Cider, which require 10+ months of actions. While sapling is merely 2+ weeks. Just make a reminder in calendar for annoying time gate and chill.
The knowledge there’s nothing I can do to accelerate that time gate I guess? I did mention I realise it doesn’t make sense in total EPA, it just bothers me I literally can’t do anything to contribute to it other than the regular run.
We haven’t had a full cycle of seasons until now so its not really clear yet. I believe they said the reward that requires each of the seasonal distinctions would first end up being available around September, so a season a month sounds about right currently.
I guess we have to think of it as a seasonal item, alongside the rewards from FotR/FotZ/Sacks/Hallowmas/Whitsun/Estival, rather than a purely grindable item like Cider, Hellworms and various gradations of goat.