Here’s this week’s thread for quick Fallen London questions!
So now that we’ve had some time with the new Menace Reduction system, what are people’s thoughts?
Personally I’m finding I’m actually using the items more. I clutch my shiny cane and goldfish before I deal with the Mirror’s Hunger. And when my Aunt swings by I change into my street-fighting clothes and put on a helmet before she offers me tea! I think that’s neat.
On the other hand it’s very fiddly. Lots of clicking. The Helmet is the only item I have that I put into a regular outfit. Nothing else is worth the stat cost, so they’re custom gearings for specific situations, which is only when I’m expecting a whole lotta something. It just seems rather niche.
The update to the Manager is nice, though. Your punishment is actually worse nightmares for a week, instead of losing a card slot. I rather like it, even though it’s probably worse to me as a player.
Overall I think the biggest problem right now is itemization. The existing gear just aren’t worth wearing in most cases.
Not me, I’m using them less. Because of the fiddly clicking you described. And even before that, you have to think “oh wait, this might give me a tiny amount of Nightmares, so I better put on an item that gives me a 10 % chance of getting less Nightmares” - what? Nah, sorry. Too much bother.
I don’t like the change. It was cool to be able to visit the Mirror-Marches etc. with Nightmares 5+3 or whatever - or avoid them with 9-2. I liked being able to game menaces at least somewhat.
It’s not a big deal. But I don’t think I’ll have any use for an item like the goldfish anymore.
4 Likes
Without an extra outfit slot to two-click switch to menace gear I don’t think I’ll make use it of it day to day; slightly too inconvenient for a 10% chance with the Aunt or a ~30% chance with zee-dreams. Regarding Mirror’s Hunger, I don’t find the reduction matters all that much: 0->(20-2) is still 5+3CP which isn’t meaningfully better than 5+5CP to me; I’ll still be playing with the Hell-Worm 1 or 2 times.
Will revisit and temporarily cannibalize an outfit come Hallowmas, though. Might have been useful in the old Fruits of the Zee, too: reducing air-rolling rewards (the actions that are based on primary stats) to shelter oneself from mandatory menaces to be in better shape to get back fishing would have probably been worthwhile.
I like the Manager. One can still sacrifice the Card slot instead of engaging, although gambling on a Boon and freeing the slot sounds very tempting even if my current stats give me about 20% odds.