Did this blind after contest with my clan. Took us about 15 hours over the course of a week. Collectively, we gave up, and we were all mad when we looked it up and saw we were missing just the last step of picking up 2 shapes. Got everything else right, just ran out of patience.
My regular raid team has found that you can increase your odds of being inside or outside by moving to the area where the encounter is started or staying in the back. If you stay in the back, the odds are higher that you won't be pulled in, and if you move forward, the odds are higher that you'll be part of the 'inside' team. While we were learning the encounter (about 12 hours over several days), I had routinely not moved forward at the start of the encounter, and rarely got pulled in, so we started splitting into two teams of 3, and the odds were much higher (it wasn't 100%, though) that those who went forward would get pulled in and those who stayed in the back didn't. Sometimes 3/3 would get what they were trying for, but sometimes it would be 2/3 who would end up where they "chose" from each team.
If the devs didn't know what they were doing, it should have just been scrapped. Instead, we get the nightmare fuel encounter that should literally not exist.
Completely agree on how good this encounter is. However, there's a part of it which I actually think is one step too far and actually takes away from the design - "Removing Shadows". Almost no one knows about it because the most common strategy negates thinking about it - to the point where it wasn't even mentioned in your analysis. To the best of my understanding, the other two statues in a player's inside room need to have the shapes ("shadows") they are holding removed by that shape being sent into the room, prior to escape. This happens naturally if a player is given two of their own shape first, then gives them both away again. However, if the inside players communicate with each other to get the two shapes they need (without everyone "doubling up" first), those shadows aren't removed and no one can get out. So in this situation the encounter design rewards rote execution over efficient communication. I think the encounter would be better without this mechanic.
You're right, I completely forgot about the removing shadows mechanic... I think the only time I really interacted with it was for the challenge mode. Seeing as most people just don't know it actually exists probably means it doesn't actually need to exist in the first place!
Just FYI, you can "select" who plays which roles to an extent. If you send 2 people to the back of the room by the shadows when the encounter starts. Those 2 get pulled inside every time. Any more than 2 and it begins to be random again.
I struggle with ghost callouts... my eye sight id say is pretty good but sometimes its so hard to tell different classes apart even if they have different TMog on
It's honestly not bad if everyone just knows what to do. Got it 3rd try on an LFG, they were all speaking German too so I barely understood anything they said.
The hardest part of this encounter is the dissector keeping their cool and being able to ignore everything else but dissecting. As long as they do their job, everyone else can focus on just one task
Did this blind after contest with my clan. Took us about 15 hours over the course of a week. Collectively, we gave up, and we were all mad when we looked it up and saw we were missing just the last step of picking up 2 shapes. Got everything else right, just ran out of patience.
The mental asylum encounter
When I finished the step I screamed like I’ve finished the raid lmao
My regular raid team has found that you can increase your odds of being inside or outside by moving to the area where the encounter is started or staying in the back. If you stay in the back, the odds are higher that you won't be pulled in, and if you move forward, the odds are higher that you'll be part of the 'inside' team.
While we were learning the encounter (about 12 hours over several days), I had routinely not moved forward at the start of the encounter, and rarely got pulled in, so we started splitting into two teams of 3, and the odds were much higher (it wasn't 100%, though) that those who went forward would get pulled in and those who stayed in the back didn't. Sometimes 3/3 would get what they were trying for, but sometimes it would be 2/3 who would end up where they "chose" from each team.
If the devs didn't know what they were doing, it should have just been scrapped. Instead, we get the nightmare fuel encounter that should literally not exist.
Completely agree on how good this encounter is. However, there's a part of it which I actually think is one step too far and actually takes away from the design - "Removing Shadows". Almost no one knows about it because the most common strategy negates thinking about it - to the point where it wasn't even mentioned in your analysis. To the best of my understanding, the other two statues in a player's inside room need to have the shapes ("shadows") they are holding removed by that shape being sent into the room, prior to escape. This happens naturally if a player is given two of their own shape first, then gives them both away again. However, if the inside players communicate with each other to get the two shapes they need (without everyone "doubling up" first), those shadows aren't removed and no one can get out. So in this situation the encounter design rewards rote execution over efficient communication. I think the encounter would be better without this mechanic.
You're right, I completely forgot about the removing shadows mechanic... I think the only time I really interacted with it was for the challenge mode. Seeing as most people just don't know it actually exists probably means it doesn't actually need to exist in the first place!
The real twist is getting everyone to remain calm on comms
I always pushed this encounter aside but now that I can consistently clear it. It’s probably one of the most fun encounters I’ve ever done
Just FYI, you can "select" who plays which roles to an extent. If you send 2 people to the back of the room by the shadows when the encounter starts. Those 2 get pulled inside every time. Any more than 2 and it begins to be random again.
Absolute cinema of an encounter.
Great description of viewing a 3D shape from the side and top for the 2D components that make it up.
I struggle with ghost callouts... my eye sight id say is pretty good but sometimes its so hard to tell different classes apart even if they have different TMog on
i havent even got to this one and i dont want to XD
It's honestly not bad if everyone just knows what to do. Got it 3rd try on an LFG, they were all speaking German too so I barely understood anything they said.
The hardest part of this encounter is the dissector keeping their cool and being able to ignore everything else but dissecting. As long as they do their job, everyone else can focus on just one task
Gee, great, sounds like a lot of fun.