Loop Hero: What if Progress Quest had Gameplay?

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I picked this up after the effusive praise on Giant Bomb and Waypoint. I figured I would start a thread here for tips and tricks.

Finally going to play something on my new Macbook!

What are the opinions on if card combos are a spoiler?

I have had fun. I beat two bosses so far, have no idea what I am doing, but it seems to be working.

I've put a few hours into Loop Hero and I'm not quite sure what keeps causing me to return to the game, but I am. It seems so very simple, but there's definitely something alluring about looking for geographic card placements that interact, trying to build a super-broken loop, while also kitting your character out to be as tough and/or resilient as possible.

I've built the bottom 2 rows (almost) of town buildings, but I haven't upgraded any of them yet. I've unlocked a second character class, which is nifty as a change of pace, and I've only paid a visit to a boss once (and got quickly obliterated). With what little knowledge and experience I have so far, it seems like it should be nearly impossible to defeat that boss, so clearly I must be missing something; maybe I just need to get a lot more runs in, and get some town buildings upgraded?

To help GWJers finding this thread weeks, months, or years later, here is a massive copy from discussion already had on the @ Roguelike games catch-all:

Robear
Posted: March 5, 2021, 1:30 PM
Decided to give Loop Hero a try, should know how it is this weekend. Any thoughts?
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Eldon_of_Azure
I really enjoy the game, but I like resource management and deck builder games, which Loop Hero has elements of both. I like how sometimes tiles have transformations when placed in a certain way or next to other specific tiles, it keeps me from selecting the same tiles each run to try and discover new combinations. Between the demo and launch, I've logged nearly 8hrs and I've only scratched the surface. I look forward to putting more time into it soon.
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Robear
Thanks Eldon! Looking forward to it.
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Neutrino
I'm looking forward to trying out Loop Hero too. I've got the demo for now, which offers a lot of gameplay apparently. A friend of mine has played a load of LH and has started a series of tutorials and play-throughs on YouTube. The publisher Devolver liked what he did and featured him on the game's Steam page.

If you wish to take a look here's one of his playlists, https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL...

Robear
Started it, I like it! Good retro feel but you can also make the text and graphics a bit more clear.

Robear
Posted: March 6, 11:50 AM
Loop Hero is a great variant on the push-your-luck roguelike mechanic. Engaging and thoughtful.

polq37
Posted: March 8, 12:50 PM
Loop Hero is a really fascinating mish mash of genres. I guess it is a rogue-lite more than anything else, but it borrows heavily from idle and tower defense games and ARPG looters. And, of course, it is a deck builder. And it's got city building elements.

The art style references both SNES and C64 pixel art.

And the resource system seems to borrow from Fallen London / Sunless Sea.

Robear
It gets deeper as you get more cards, and can change the focus of the deck you're playing with. I think it's got legs. The additional character options are good, too. You can make big-enemy decks, or healing decks, or mob decks... All sorts of variants that play differently.

Malor
I'm pretty mixed on Loop Hero, because it seems extremely grindy, and the actual play mechanics don't thrill me. New cards are very, very slow to show up, so it gets into this relentlessly samey do-four-loops-and-start-over, maybe five, because you lose 70% of your accumulated stuff if you die.

Robear
Posted: March 9, 8:25 AM
Six loops, at least in the early game, is where I see progression happening. I can gather enough for a new building with 2 runs at six, and I can do at least seven if I build and populate carefully. There's also a trait that lets you drop off 10% of your loot each loop, once you get to traits and XP. The game is only really grindy if you don't take risks. It's also less exciting.

Card placement is important for setting up the loops to be survivable. Also, you don't have to summon the boss; just don't place that last card. And then there's the mix of cards; you can get a longer run without Vamps, for example, but less loot. Villages really open up survivability, too, I'm still pushing to figure out how many loops I can get with a decent Village setup.

My big issue right now is that I need to move an encampment to build the building that gives me Rogues.

Stealthpizza
I like how loop hero has a lot of pick your own difficulty. I am currently working on a combo that is very strong if you can beat it 3 loops in a row. I have discovered I need to set up only one and as early as I can. I still cannot consistently beat it.

I need to focus on crafting as the bonuses are pretty good.

Card combo

Spoiler:

village plus vampire manor

Robear
Whaaat? Why was I not informed?!

Stealthpizza
Because it has killed me more than saved me?

Eldon_of_Azure
Posted: March 10, 10:__ AM
Building an Intel Center is a game changer, gold cards really increase the variety of options in the game. I'm currently up to three playable classes and have made it to the third chapter. I'm curious is anyone has found an interaction between the [spoiler] tiles yet? I'm beginning to wonder if there isn't one...

Spoiler:

Desert/Dunes

Stealthpizza
Posted: March 9, 10:42 AM
I have been building up my base but I am not that far yet. I feel like we are going to need a full thread of card combos. I have yet to find a combo for goblins or bandits so they are just annoying with little rewards.

Eldon_of_Azure
The only interaction I know of with a Goblin Camp is:

Spoiler:

Put a Swamp tile in front of it. This may be the only interaction with the swamp tile except for the synergy with the Vampire Mansion turning the Vampire's life steal effect against all of the affected creatures.

Bandit Camps usually get my Oblivion because of their abilities to steal character items, so I unsure if they interact with anything.

polq37
Watch towers are fun. I like trying to maximize monster production within range of my watch towers.

Carlbear95
I don't want to be burned like I was with Monster Train

Is Loop Hero another card-based roguelite that can be "beaten" after 2 hours and after that its just harder/different?

For reference I enjoyed StS. I've beaten it exactly once and have rarely picked it up again but I still got 35 hours out of it. . Hades, beat it once.. got 30 hours of it and haven't touched it since October (per Steam), still in my top 10. Monster Train I also beat exactly once, and I got about 90 minutes out of it and swore off card-based rogue lites :). I know maybe my POV is different on how I like roguelites, but does Loop Hero fall more like an StS or Monster Train as far as "time to beat once"?

A_Unicycle
Beating Monster Train once and never trying the harder difficulties is like beating the first level in Mario and saying you finished it.

The game is a lot better once you start on the later "ascensions" (can't recall the name, but it's just like StS).

Carlbear95
Sure, and I probably wouldn't buy any more Mario games if that was how I felt

However in the case of card-based roguelikes that's precisely how I feel, which is why I'm asking about Loop Hero. As I mentioned my POV may not be typical, but it is my POV, and I don't want to go through what I went through with Monster Train. As I mentioned I have also only beaten Hades and StS exactly once, I got over 25 hours in each, I enjoyed it, and if I never play an Asension level in StS or a game with +1000 modifiers in Hades, I'm totally fine with that.

A_Unicycle
Posted: March 10, 3:43 AM
Apologies, I was in a bit of a mood earlier and realised how rude the above comment must have sounded. MT is one of my favourite games, so I would genuinely encourage anyone reading to push a little further with the card/class unlocks. I think the comparisons to StS set it up poorly. It's both incredibly similar and quite different at the same time.

Anyway, that opinion doesn't help with your question! I've heard that Loop Hero is a one-and-done sort of game, but I haven't played it myself so I'll let others answer.

Robear
Carlbear, it’s not one of those “do the whole game in one run and then repeat harder/with another character/etc” games. It’s a long-form game where you are opening up new cards and skills and opponents, and building your base, over many 10 minute or so “runs” of a procedurally generated loop. Each run is an “expedition”, so the way to think of it is that you have your camp to rebuild to help the other survivors, and you’re essentially going into the countryside many, many times to gather the resources you need. So the repeated gameplay loop happens in the Expeditions, and progression happens in the camp. In STS and MT, the tower/train is the entire playable game, and the thing that changes over time is your starting conditions.

Loop Hero does allow you to loosely structure a run, using a buildable card deck to change things up, and that greatly affects the play of each Expedition. You will do 6-8 loop circuits in a typical early game run, by the way. 10-20 minutes I’d say, for each Expedition. The ending condition is a “push-your-luck” choice of whether to face another loop, but eventually you’ll encounter a boss and that will end that Expedtion (I *think*).

So if you build your camp up all the way, you’ll have finished the game, while having probably run hundreds of Expeditions. Make sense?

Robear
Opened up two more classes, and wow, the gameplay choices are totally different. Great stuff.

Nimcosi
Something, something Chapter select. Nevermind, but thanks for the response EoA.

So Ancestral Crypt or Arsenal? I am thinking crypt for farming and arsenal for boss runs? Thoughts?

Eldon_of_Azure
Resource gathering is much easier in the second and third phases with the trade-off being stronger creatures and a bunch more tiles needed to spawn each boss. I think that some resources are just not available in the first phase too.
I'm stuck at the moment because I'm missing a resource I have no idea how to get. I don't even know what it's called because hovering over it doesn't tell me, to unlock the Alchemist Tent. I guess I'll just have to farm enough slimes to see if the river will help me out. I'm very curious as to what causes the spawning of

Spoiler:

Cosmic Slime

polypusher
Posted: March 11, 10:50 AM
I accidentally summoned the monster you're looking for Eldon and looked it up to learn more if you'd like to know how.

Spoiler:

Dark Slime is a 'cosmic' type enemy like most of the bosses. You cause it to appear by killing a tile as it's spawning its critter. So Oblivion a Goblin Camp before the goblin reaches the loop tile, but after it spawns. Might be easier with something like a mountain or treasury.

Is the resource you're looking for the Time Shard / Astral Orb? The encyclopedia says they drop from 'mage' and 'cosmic' type enemies. Mage enemies are interesting. There's a fairly easy way to summon one

Place a Bookery, deplete the bookery. The 'book' monster is considered a mage. There are other mages that can combo with this.

Tagging in, mostly.

Only barely started (something like five or six loops and only one boss kill for the first chapter), but I'm digging the hell out of it so far.

Also, does anyone recall an NES game with a similar theme and style to the Wizards and Warriors games? This game brought back strong childhood memories of those games and something else, but I can't for the life of me remember what the other game was. (Not any of the Ghouls and Ghosts games, for what it's worth.)

oh no, this is going to take over my life.

Watching the Mr. Meatless(?) video loop. This would destroy me. Urge to buy rising.

Over in the @Roguelike thread, Keithustus was trying to figure out how to play Loop Hero away from their PC (Master of Kid Duties). I suggested Steam Link, but stated I had not tried it with Loop Hero yet.

Well, I tried it. Works insanely well.

Amoebic wrote:

oh no, this is going to take over my life.

This. So much this.

Stealthpizza wrote:

What are the opinions on if card combos are a spoiler?

I’d say yes. I have no problem with Village + Vampire Mansion = “Spoiler your answer”

staygold wrote:
Stealthpizza wrote:

What are the opinions on if card combos are a spoiler?

I’d say yes. I have no problem with Village + Vampire Mansion = “Spoiler your answer”

In that case I found a new vampire one. Kinda later combo due to buildings you need to unlock.

Spoiler:

abandoned bookery plus vampire mansion is scary

Almost got to the 1st loop boss.

I defeated the first boss earlier today, then delightedly observed that there's different dialogue when I got to the first boss a second time.

I heard about this on both the GWJCC and Waypoint podcasts and it totally seems like my jam. The Switch seems like the ideal console for this so I’ll be waiting for it to release there (which I assume will be happening).

Very interesting little indie game, having fun with it. Still just kind of winging it and haven't really figured out any specific strategy aside from the basic mountain combo and the spoiled one above.

After almost 20 years of purely console and phone gaming I have started a steam account on my clockwork driven PC to play this as it looked so good.

bbk, welcome to “gaming”.

Keithustus wrote:

bbk, welcome to “gaming”. ;)

Why thank you although we all know true gaming is only done on an Amiga.

Just beat the first boss I think I’m getting the hang of it so I’m going to start another save so I don’t take 10 expeditions to do it!

I caved on Friday and... oh yeah, this is delightful.

Getting the village card really helped me on the 1st boss loops.

Had a fun little rogue loop going this morning.

Stacked thickets on rivers to get up to 250% attack speed. And ran dunes/desert on the other half of the map (for a -35% hp). Combined with the Arsenal Gold Card (allows another piece of equipment at the expense of item quality) I had a magic amulet which ignores the HP decrease of the desert/dunes. Mowed through everything to the tune of 18 loops before I accidentally summoned the third boss. Given the speed with which things were dying I thought "sure! I can take the boss". Big NOPE. Got him to half health but with little in the way of damage resist and a build predicated on attack speed, once he debuffed me with -91% attack speed it was curtains.

One super important tip I learned: DON'T TAKE BOSS ABILITY UPGRADES

For clarity: when you defeat a boss you're offered a choice of three new ability upgrades (similar to the ones you get when you level up after you unlock the Gym), except these are put in the persistent pool of upgrades for all classes. It's much better (in my opinion) to take the resource reward as certain classes (Necro) have bonkers upgrades to begin with.

You're much better off taking the Resources as a boss reward than diluting the upgrade pool.

One super important tip I learned: DON'T TAKE BOSS ABILITY UPGRADES

Counter point: maybe sometimes do, though -- some are VERY strong. That said, the resources pool often contains items that are very, very hard to farm, so especially if you're still struggling to unlock

Spoiler:

alchemy, which I assume will make it much easier to change resources into what you need

the resource option quite easily could be the best.

That said, I only just managed to clear the second boss, so I'm not sure how the abilities I have chosen will scale in the third chapter.

staygold wrote:

Had a fun little rogue loop going this morning.

Stacked thickets on rivers to get up to 250% attack speed. And ran dunes/desert on the other half of the map (for a -35% hp). Combined with the Arsenal Gold Card (allows another piece of equipment at the expense of item quality) I had a magic amulet which ignores the HP decrease of the desert/dunes. Mowed through everything to the tune of 18 loops before I accidentally summoned the third boss. Given the speed with which things were dying I thought "sure! I can take the boss". Big NOPE. Got him to half health but with little in the way of damage resist and a build predicated on attack speed, once he debuffed me with -91% attack speed it was curtains.

Funny thing, I had a very similar thing happen with a rogue run with the first time I tried the second boss. That magic HP shield can make you feel almost invincible during your loops, but yeah, doesn't quite translate to the boss fights very well. I eventually made a successful second try with the necromancer, and while spreading out the attacks was a big help I think the real important change was that in the meantime I had unlocked forests and towns (not villages, towns), both of which are hugely helpful at keeping you ahead of the effects of the loop leveling up.

I’m waaaaay behind you all. Today I learned, thanks Polygon:

NEW PLAYERS!

Instead of destroying equipment, let your inventory fill up. Once you have 12 items in it, the oldest item will automatically turn into resources (and those get stashed in your resources pouch). Those resources are what you need to expand your camp.

The same thing happens with cards in your hand. Once you have 12 cards in along the bottom of the screen, your hand is full. Adding more cards will turn the oldest cards into resources.

Found that after accidentally destroying a level-4 weapon with a level-1 one trying to pull it back to inventory.

Now have been rearranging them to convert the higher level things I don’t need first before the lower level things I don’t need. More stuff from them?

Keithustus wrote:

Now have been rearranging them to convert the higher level things I don’t need first before the lower level things I don’t need. More stuff from them?

The Rogue is insane with the amount of stuff you get after each loop. I didn't know that about cards. Good to know.

Something I, sheepishly, learned yesterday: you can retreat mid-run! I always thought you could only retreat upon death or once you get back to camp.

30% resources kept on death
60% resources kept on mid-run retreat

SO MANY RESOURCES I'VE LOST OUT ON!!!!!

Currently farming to unlock all the base building cards in the camp tree. It's fun building decks and characters for specific purposes. I think Rogue with Arsenal is probably the best farming class because with relatively little work or RNG luck it's possible to clear 20+ runs on almost autopilot.

How do you retreat mid-run, away from camp? Asking for a friend.

merphle wrote:

How do you retreat mid-run, away from camp? Asking for a friend.

IIRC, you do a single left click on the retreat button (don't hold it down), but if you retreat away from camp you only keep 60% of your resources.

After more frustratingly fruitless runs trying to farm Astral Orbs (the drop rate is soooooo low) I had an amazing necromancer run at chapter 2 that more than made up for the doldrums.

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/JYbpZTs.jpg)
IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/HCSEF89.jpg)

I summoned and absolutely destroyed the boss by loop 7, and by loop 9 I filled every single non road or road adjacent square. I probably could have gone a loop or two more, but I carelessly let a goblin camp spawn, had a harpy land on the same square, and had a time watcher join in too which burned through both my resurrections, so I decided to call it quits after loop 10, taking home this haul:

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/olNyXEZ.jpg)

I came back and built the alchemist, which then let me finally get the river and upgrade a bunch of other buildings, which felt REALLY good after a very long patch of glacial progress.

For anyone who's curious, this is the deck I was running the entire time I was trying to farm the orbs:

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/oW2LiSu.jpg)

The basic idea is to build up a few watchtowers and then force the dangerous/rare monsters to spawn next to your camp where your archers will help overwhelm them.

The thing that finally made it click was getting a "Jeweler's Lens" tool, which improves the chances of good quality drops. That, combined with getting a solid run of suburb cards to crank out the experience and enough temporal beacons to cover nearly the entire road so that I would get extreme amounts of enemies to spawn, made it so I was off to the races and solidly ahead of the chapter 2 leveling curve (not to mention drowning in cards to spawn the boss quickly).

I think people that like this game are a little loopy.

Maybe I've missed something obvious here... does the Boss scale with what loop you are on? I'm usually a wrecking ball through loop 9 or so, but the boss still just takes me apart. Should I be loading up on meadows/rocks/mountains to spawn the boss as soon as I can?

I do think the boss scales based on loop like the other enemies. This theory is based on a card I unlocked.

Spoiler:

Maze. It does nothing but it does fill the boss meter. Only use I can fathom is to speed up the boss spawn so it is easier.

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