The other side of the coin: worth it?

Several questions, several answers.

- Is it worth buying the DLC ?
If you like coop, I think it is. It is true that The Other Side of the Coin is really disappointing, because the campain is very short and because there are practically no improvement (only a new robe, and it is rarely usable... no new spell, no new weapon, etc). However, there are 4 new challenge maps (and all are usable now, I tested them), even 5 if you count the campain as a challenge. A classical challenge map DLC costs 1$ ; so 5$ for 5 challenge maps and half a new robe is fair, isn't it ?

- Alucart's weapons make the game impossible to win.
I strongly disagree with that. Indeed, your spells are immensely more powerful than your weapons in this game. Even if you were completely naked, you could win just as easily (and just as hardly if you owned Kratos' sword and whip). Just invoke an earth armor or whatever. That's all what Magicka is about : creativity. Use your spells well, and you will not need any particular weapon, even if Alucart's weapon are indeed very bad. Furthermore, even if playing Alucart is very difficult (mainly because he can't heal himself), I don't think at all that it is a bad thing : the classical campain is really too easy...

- There are many bugs in this DLC.
Although I have never seen what you describe, I easily believe you : every game has some bugs at its release. Just as usual, I'm certain they will be fixed later. Just be patient, and for the moment play with it. I don't think you will encounter them often.

- Vlad is impossible to beat.
Just like you, I vanquished him in its first form but was crushed when his ghosts appeared. I agree with you here, this boss is horribly difficult, even worse than Cthulhu (which is a great challenge in solo, but can be beat with patience and attention : he is more predictable than Vlad, Vlad being extremely swift and tough). However, I think that Vlad is conceived to be killed with several players. Just create an open multiplayer game, and wait for two or three other players ; they will come pretty quickly, and they will change everything if they are not beginners. 3 or 4 players will finally beat Vlad in its second form, I am certain about that.

Was a bit dissapointed with the length of the DLC too...

The boss fight is quite easy if you use the right combinations:

okyriosy said:

Was a bit dissapointed with the length of the DLC too...

The boss fight is quite easy if you use the right combinations:

Spoiler

Just spam fire + earth aoe. The fire damage will get bigger and bigger and bigger and the earth aoe will perma-stun him. Also it is usefull to put a shield on you (for example earth-earth-ice-ice-shield) to be fully protected.

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That tactic is all well and good for Vlad's first form, but I find the Nullifies come in far too quickly for any spell-based attack/defence to be worthwhile.

Maxicka said:

That tactic is all well and good for Vlad's first form, but I find the Nullifies come in far too quickly for any spell-based attack/defence to be worthwhile.

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You do not need the defense, just shift-spam away...

Now I would be fine with this, but I recently noticed this:
If I pick up a weapon to replace the godawful rapier (in this case the hidden fire sword near the 3rd... I think... checkpoint) if I die with it, then I respawn with the good ol horribad rapier. Now I have rarely died in normal magicka gameplay, and it never has been with a picked up weapon, so I dont know if this is just how it is, or if its exclusive to this DLC... but anyways, it forces me to restart because when I go back to pick it up...
its gone.
So I get to RESTART the whole game because now i have no chance in winning.

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No offense intended, but I have a hard time seeing how you die multiple times in OSC and seldom at all in the main campaign (where multiple enemies have multiple ways to flat out kill you), but that you hold this to be true while seemingly relying on melee weapons. I don't think there's any weapon in the game that can really outperform clever use of the game's elemental system; even the much lauded guns can't compete with a good 'ole FQFQSSA. Basically, if you find the rapier to be even remotely limiting, then I don't think you're playing the game quite as it was intended to be played.

The other side of the coin, 5$. You are paying for 4 challenges (i only see 1) which is 1 chapter long essentially (with a quite unfair boss at the end (atleast I think it is, spells barely effect him)

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I agree that Vlad's second form is pretty bloody unfair. What makes it more frustrating is that he's probably the single most luck-based boss in the game, with the constant streams of nullify that can either save your life or destroy you. My strategy, and I've found it works pretty well, involves the use of life mines, which can hit multiple Vlads for considerable damage. It's not without its problems; at least half of your mines will be nullified through the course of the fight, and you run the risk of detonating yourself if you lay them at the wrong time. Aside from that, the only thing I can suggest is to try and never be caught between two Vlad's, avoid melee range at damage at all costs, and don't rely on defenses or status effects to win the day.

Here is my humble opinion:
I personnaly didn't find it worth it until the boss because there was just zero resistance in front of me. (I like a little bit of challenge).
Vlad though, was quite enjoyable. The handicap of playing alucart+the constant spamming of nullify forced me to find another way to fight than usual, which is good.
I finally defeated him (well kind of, when you see what happens next the fight) when I remembered that:

Bomx said:

So far I dont think so, Magicka itself is 10$ normally, with a good amount of stages and playtime...
The other side of the coin, 5$. You are paying for 4 challenges (i only see 1) which is 1 chapter long essentially (with a quite unfair boss at the end (atleast I think it is, spells barely effect him)
One of the features is playing as alucart, who is just a reskinned robe with slight resistance change and a horrible starting weapon. Apperently I can play as a necromancer in PvP but I dont see it anywhere.

Now I would be fine with this, but I recently noticed this:
If I pick up a weapon to replace the godawful rapier (in this case the hidden fire sword near the 3rd... I think... checkpoint) if I die with it, then I respawn with the good ol horribad rapier. Now I have rarely died in normal magicka gameplay, and it never has been with a picked up weapon, so I dont know if this is just how it is, or if its exclusive to this DLC... but anyways, it forces me to restart because when I go back to pick it up...
its gone.
So I get to RESTART the whole game because now i have no chance in winning.

another thing ive ran into is this: Ill be fighting some enemies, suddenly, alucart freezes in place, cant be hurt, and all I can do is mess with spells. His turning is very delayed, but the rest of the game isnt, I cant cast any spells and I cant move. It was very odd, and once again, forced me to restart the challenge.

By the way if anybody could give me some tips on beating vlad, it would be appreciated, ive beaten his first form but his second form is just the same exact thing but with 3x of them D:

Yeah so thats my rant, feel free to not take it seriously.

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Is TOSOC worth it? Hell NO!!! While it can be argued that none of the expansions for Magicka has a good value - TOSOC is worst expansion to date. There are various reasons for that, here are my complaints:

1. TOSOC, just as previous expansions, is way too short.
2. There are only two new weapons (please correct me if I missed something) - beside starting equipment. For example, MV at least has a solid offering of new weapons that you can toy with (although not start game with - i.e. you are able to pick up weapons that opposition drops). True, TSAL is very limited in that regard too - two "drop-able" weapons, if I am correct (of which Frost Cleaver isn't even a new weapon but rather "returning" weapon from the main game) - plus around (can't recall exactly) four weapons that you could find out. On the other side, I have not found a single weapon that opposition would drop and only two that could be found in TOSOC...
3. Previous expansions had, albeit very limited number of, new spells. Again, anyone can feel free to correct me but in TOSOC I was not able to find a single new spell to play with.
4. In TOSOC, just as in TSAL, the limited equipment that you have at your disposal plays a huge role in the final boss encounter. To the point where it is much easier to defeat final boss by using specific equipment. What is worse, in TOSOC you have no alternative for gauntlet item, anyway. This is just wrong and against what original game was about - i.e. equipment is more cosmetics while gameplay is about conjuring element-combinations.
5. Final boss in TOSOC, and slightly less in TSAL, are way too much luck dependent. Sure, you have to concentrate and execute precisely movement and element-combinations, but all is for naught if exactly in the right moment one of the opponents you are fighting removes your shield/conjuring spell/any-other-effects, interrupts your action, etc... Considering that you are fighting multiple opponents it is highly likely that something will unable you to execute your action/s and that your character will end up dead. Now, this is where greatest frustration kicks in - while in first form TOSOC boss is easy, it takes time for you to pass it, and once it assumes second form if you die fighting it you will have to repeat whole encounter again...

I love Magicka, I want to support ArrowHead, but if they continue with this practice I will not be buying their products in the future. No point, and no value. In additions, and as I said some time ago, I play games to relax and enjoy my free time - not to waste it and frustrate myself by repeating a single encounter over and over again just because it is luck and not wit dependent.

ZozmaSage said:

No offense intended, but I have a hard time seeing how you die multiple times in OSC and seldom at all in the main campaign (where multiple enemies have multiple ways to flat out kill you), but that you hold this to be true while seemingly relying on melee weapons. I don't think there's any weapon in the game that can really outperform clever use of the game's elemental system; even the much lauded guns can't compete with a good 'ole FQFQSSA. Basically, if you find the rapier to be even remotely limiting, then I don't think you're playing the game quite as it was intended to be played.

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I agree with this statement entirely. You stole the words out of my mouth.

ZozmaSage said:

I agree that Vlad's second form is pretty bloody unfair. What makes it more frustrating is that he's probably the single most luck-based boss in the game, with the constant streams of nullify that can either save your life or destroy you. My strategy, and I've found it works pretty well, involves the use of life mines, which can hit multiple Vlads for considerable damage. It's not without its problems; at least half of your mines will be nullified through the course of the fight, and you run the risk of detonating yourself if you lay them at the wrong time. Aside from that, the only thing I can suggest is to try and never be caught between two Vlad's, avoid melee range at damage at all costs, and don't rely on defenses or status effects to win the day.

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I dunno about unfair. Just cast EDF on yourself immediately after he uses nullify the first time, then spam QWER+Shift+M2. You'll insta-kill at least 2 of the second form. Then killing the last one should be no problem.