ForumsGamesI Can't Stand Cursed Treasure 2

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Reton8
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Reton8
3,173 posts
King

Quests, I enjoy collecting quests. I hope to soon have them all and I do feel obligated to play the games that have quests and collect the those quests. I enjoy getting quests about 91% of the time, about 8% of the time It becomes frustrating, and 2% of the time it's an absolutely wretched, abysmal chore (I based this off of real numbers).

What makes up that 2% of the time, Cursed Treasure 2. Now let me at least say this, Cursed Treasure 2 isn't that bad of a game, if and only if you don't strive to get three stars on every level (night and day). The game is probably an 8, but does suffer from a few bugs, far too long waves, and repetitive gameplay. However, those problems aren't too bad, if you are not trying to be perfect on every level.

But, I'm going for the quests. I have to be 100% perfect. Well there's absolutely nothing more frustrating than grinding through, ridiculously long waves only to have some enemy just barely, just so barely touch a gem and then die. I will be playing a level for 10 to 20 minutes and then a gem gets touched and I have to restart. Then, when you finally beat a level after 1 to 2 hours (of completely repetitive, no strategy boredom where luck decided the conclusion of the level) you have to play the same exact level again at night.

Night levels... Night levels end up being no different than the day levels at the later stages. The whole map ends up covered in towers so you build in all the same place you would in a day level. The only difference is that you can't build in all the same beginning locations. So, I have to repeat the process of watching (what seems like) endless waves enter the field, die nearly instantly, but some enemy will get close to the gems (somehow) touch them, and ruin the three star rating.

The game loses all strategy as you just end up putting towers everywhere (and yes that happens all the time in the later stages), and you then watch as almost every enemy dies instantly, thus making the last 15 waves or so absolutely boring and pointless. When you fail you think there is a strategy you can use. Barely, it usually boils down to hoping enough mana containers drop so you can use a spell on the tough enemy that is getting to close to the gems. Almost all luck.

I spent so much time, ripping my hair out, getting the quests the first time. I rejoiced when I finished, making a promise to myself never to play this wretched game again, but no, a level expansion was released and it was worse than the entirety of all the original game. They introduced Amazon enemies. These horrible enemies release a charm when they lose their armour, locking all the towers within the blast (this stops your towers from attacking). By the way, the charms blast radius is phenomenal and the game loves to send in five or more Amazonians at a time. Just sit back and watch as all your towers become locked. Now you can use the Terror spell to remove the charms, but you will never have enough mana to dispel the effect and have it be useful. Dispel the effect from your towers and another Amazonian will soon lose it's armour and lock your towers again. You can't win.

I beat those levels though and I was so happy. I thought, "I will never have to play this abysmal piece of a game ever again." I happy at the thought of not having to play such a wretched contrivance every again. But no, they released more levels and they're practically just as bad.

I can't stand Cursed Treasure 2.
________________________________________________________________

Here are some comments, from only the first three pages, of other users who also had similar complaints.

Calidron says:
Nice to see that the new levels are just as based on luck and random chance as all the others. I think I'll pass on this game from now on. The devs have suddenly gotten into artificial difficulty and a lot less into actual strategy.

TheOnlyOutsider says:
I am at lvl 18... and lost nearly 1000 times. Only won once with 1 gem left. And thine one time it was only luck that i got a potion a call a meteor.
It is impossible for me and that doesn't make fun..

tomntm says:
Please add more skills in the skills menu. The last levels, especially the 3rd one on the Pirate Land is difficult.

velocio says:
New levels boring

BojanSimoski says:
The new lvls are sooooo boring

scole86 says:
New levels are okay... Just not fond of situations where you're at the mercy of sheer luck more than anything.

Saulon says:
The new levels requires too much luck to find the correct combination of mana/coins... Not to mention the last level which disappoints me a lot because of the new ship bombing combination: that is another game! Quite bad...

c00per says:
Oh boy... It was hard enough for me to get 18 stars on levels 16-17-18, but these new levels are killing me... Anyway, thanks for new levels and reduced graphics.

jackel402 says:
The new levels are SO hard

coolmanjolly6 says:
[Ugh,] stage 18 is so hard to get 3 stars!!!!!!!!

enanon says:
It wouldn't be difficult to get three stars in the three new lvls., if it weren't for the lags during the critical moments when u want to cast spells and got delayed just because of those, resulting in your gems being touched.....frustrating

TheEvidence says:
Level 20 really seems to depend too much on getting lucky.

varanusniloticus says:
Wow, the pirate bay is INSANE. I could only get one star :O

scarstar says:
Level 18 is way too difficult. I give up.

  • 51 Replies
stinkyjim
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stinkyjim
470 posts
Shepherd

I usually see the same type of comments under every single game. It's impossible to have 100% positive reviews.

Reton8
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Reton8
3,173 posts
King

I usually see the same type of comments under every single game. It's impossible to have 100% positive reviews.


This is not the point of my post, I was trying to demonstrate that the game relies on luck far too much and also trying to alleviate the frustration I am currently receiving from said game.

Also, if you do play the game you will know that it is not only monotonous and boring, when trying to three star a later stage, but the game could have easily reduced the amount of luck involved and greatly reduced the frustration.
Gantic
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Gantic
11,892 posts
King

I usually see the same type of comments under every single game. It's impossible to have 100% positive reviews.


Winning at a skill or strategy game shouldn't be based on luck and chance. I would not continue playing any game where the results are too heavily dependent on a random number generator if I don't intend on gambling or playing a game with cards, dice, tiles, dominoes, etc. It simply shouldn't be that way in skill and strategy games. Whatever happened to using actual skill or strategy for winning?
jackel402
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jackel402
9 posts
Farmer

I can't even beat level 16.

jackel402
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jackel402
9 posts
Farmer

3 enemies that are WAY to hard on level 16:
Amazon
Water Elemental
Lighting Elemental

yielee
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yielee
618 posts
Shepherd

Quests, I enjoy collecting quests. I hope to soon have them all and I do feel obligated to play the games that have quests and collect the those quests.


Some people can enjoy collecting quests but not everyone has the ability to collect them all. Rather than blaming others, or just making some excuse for why you can't be perfect, you should just enjoy the achievements that you're able to accomplish.
Reton8
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Reton8
3,173 posts
King

There's something else that Cursed Treasure 2 absolutely fails at, there is a huge memory leak. I can only play about two levels before the lag becomes unbearable. I am confident that this is a memory leak as refreshing the browser fixes the problem (at least for two more level play-throughs anyway). After two expansions and version updates, they still have yet to fix this issue.

zzxxzz3
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zzxxzz3
72 posts
Jester

I have gotten 3 stars on every level (day/night) except 20. Level 19 night took a few tries, and level 21 took 2 tries for day. I have tried level 20, however, probably 30 times, and I've concluded that it's impossible. Even with extraordinary mana drops, the divers (or smugglers) from the spawns will get you, and if you dedicate everything to stopping the normal enemies, the ship divers will eventually get through. Probably the first TD level I've ever thought needed a rebalance.

TheEvidence
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TheEvidence
9 posts
Farmer

I hardly ever post on these things.

L20 is just badly designed. In terms of RNG reliance it is a total outlier compared to the other levels.

Levels 16 &18 had a bit of a learning curve but it at least felt interesting: The choices you make in how to spend mana and position towers feel like they make a difference (ie. your decisions matter). There is still some luck involved, but if you work the levels over and plan for waves you can nearly guarantee a brilliant.

Level 17 was kinda straightforward.

Levels 19 and 21 honestly don't feel very interesting, kinda like L17.

But 20... there don't seem to be any genuinely good decisions you can make. The mana-load for Brilliant is staggering, when you consider that you MUST build up mana to deal with champions due to the low tower density and short mob paths. You need at least 140 for smugglers (less with a lucky scroll or freeze proc) and at least 300 for golems. If anything slips through that's 70 mana you have to burn on a fear. And that 70 mana takes an awful lot of waves to generate back. Of course, in order to stop regular mobs from being a continuous issue you also have to spend 315 mana to drop a lighthouse or 450 to take a ship.

It's easy to get 1-2 stars on it, but 3 is just a grind.

I'm prepared to be proven wrong though. If someone comes up with a walkthrough for L20, I'll change my tune. Up until now though, all the data says "bad level designer, no cookie."

yielee
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yielee
618 posts
Shepherd

You guys should QUIT BLAMING OTHERS and accept that you're just not that good at gaming.

Saturnus72

Tricks to completing level 20 with Brilliant rating

Order of build and take outs:

1) Build 2 dens and 2 towers on the 4 outer places first.
2) Upgrade towers asap when gold permits
3) Build the crypt and last den on the open spots as fast as gold permits
4) Take out bottom light house first.
5) Take out top light house after
6) Build crypt on top left position
7) Take out top pirate ship
8) Build tower and den on bottom left position
9) Take out bottom pirate ship

General considerations.
1) if there are no drops of gold or mana in first 2 waves. Restart.
2) reserve scroll drops near pirate ship for divers
3) reserve scroll drops on main path for golems and "carriers" (forgot real name)
4) keep mana reserve before each chef/diver wave for a fear
5) keep mana reserve before each "carrier" (forgot real name) for 2 fear, do these early when they are in range of light house
6) keep mana for a meteor before each golem
7) do not take out pirate ships first as you will need the drops and the XP to towers
Reton8
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Reton8
3,173 posts
King

You guys should QUIT BLAMING OTHERS and accept that you're just not that good at gaming.


Seriously? How can you even say that when you can't even get most of the hard quests for Cursed Treasure 2?

theEvidence has obtained 3 stars on the last three levels (as indicated by theevidence's quests), you haven't. Also, looking at the number of quests I have (especially compared to you) should be enough to show that I have a decent leveling of gaming skill.

So don't go blaming our skill set when the game involves luck.
theEvidence summed up the balance issues for level 20 nicley on page 1.
And to restate those issues

- Players don't get enough tower placement choice and are limited further to what type of tower they can build, depending on the ground type. This leaves for little strategy and mostly luck. (So stop telling us we don't have the skill.)

- The amount of mana required to gain the upper hand is staggering and mostly dependent on random mana potion drops. (A.K.A Luck.)

- The paths from the enemies entrance to the gems is very short, it makes the level difficult but the game creators put it at a level of difficulty beyond most other stages, pointing toward poor level design.

You should learn that some games aren't tested properly, don't go through enough quality assurance, have bugs, need patches, are simply unbalanced, or some combination of those things.Also, Cursed treasure 2 falls victim to quite a few of those things.
Reton8
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Reton8
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King

General considerations.
1) if there are no drops of gold or mana in first 2 waves. Restart.

This means the player must rely on luck here. No strategy or skill whatsoever will be enough to get a brilliant rating if they do not get the random gold or mana drops. You must restart.
2) reserve scroll drops near pirate ship for divers

Again luck, if enemies aren't dropping scrolls in the right spots, which happens at random, your chances of a brilliant rating are reduced. This again is an instance of luck and not skill.
3) reserve scroll drops on main path for golems and "carriers" (forgot real name)

This is a strategy, but it still relies on the randomness of scrolls being dropped.
4) keep mana reserve before each chef/diver wave for a fear
5) keep mana reserve before each "carrier" (forgot real name) for 2 fear, do these early when they are in range of light house
6) keep mana for a meteor before each golem

Again, your mana reserve will be dependent on how wisely you spend it (skill and strategy), but it will also depend on how many random mana potions have dropped (luck).
7) do not take out pirate ships first as you will need the drops and the XP to towers

This last one is strategy.

So, even these tips you quoted point to how luck and randomness is part of the level.
yielee
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yielee
618 posts
Shepherd

Not it just means that Saturnus 72 knew that there were good drops and bad drops from beating the previous levels, and he made a strategy based on the game's play. This is how you're supposed to do it!!

But you decided to quit.

Reton 8

I have tried level 20, however, probably 30 times, and I've concluded that it's impossible.


Saturnus 72 could do it. He kept working and finally figured out how to win it since he's a better gamer than you are. All you did was decide that it was someone else's fault you couldn't beat it and gave up.

So next game this happens, and it will, trust me. You should just appreciate the quests that you can win, and accept the ones you can't. Don't blame the others because there are better gamers than you who can get the quests that you can't.
Reton8
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Reton8
3,173 posts
King

All you did was decide that it was someone else's fault you couldn't beat it and gave up.


Don't be so certain that I quit.

Regardless, I feel we're looking at the same glass, you're saying it's half full (it's up to the player to form a strategy, even if the game itself is broken), but I'm saying the glass is half empty (It's up to the developers to make a strategy game that is actually based on strategy).

1) if there are no drops of gold or mana in first 2 waves. Restart.


This means the player must rely on luck here. No strategy or skill whatsoever will be enough to get a brilliant rating if they do not get the random gold or mana drops. You must restart.
Reton8
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Reton8
3,173 posts
King

Wow and on top of that you're quoting someone else and crediting me with it. The original person who said that was:
TheOnlyOutsider and I took that from the game comments.

TheOnlyOutsider says:
I am at lvl 18... and lost nearly 1000 times. Only won once with 1 gem left. And thine one time it was only luck that i got a potion a call a meteor.
It is impossible for me and that doesn't make fun..

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