It was like any other day for my Commando on Hardcore Elite. White and Yellow mobs melting from exposure to flames and being purified by the Light of Empyrion. Hero monsters happen to have a slightly-higher melting point.
Shortly after my debut into the Plains of Strife on this difficulty, I had a vexing thought. “I’ve never actually run into Loxmere Nightmage, when does he show up?” This was a mistake. The question was answered “mere” seconds later, as he appeared in the bits as I circled around to the south.
I paused the game. (Should I actually try to take this guy?). Against my better judgment, and the tales told right here on the forums, I engaged.
In about 3 seconds, this terror burned through all of my health, my potion, and roughly half-a-dozen defensive cooldowns. By the time I had realized my folly, it was too late. Or was it?
By some astronomical stroke of luck, I paused the game at the exact moment I hit 0HP, and was not granted a death. Not that I make a habit of pausing to cheat death, but I wanted to know if Loxmere was as terrifying as the stories say.
For Burny Sanders III, it is not yet his time. Burny Sanders IV must wait for another day to embark on his journey. Here is a dark, grainy screenshot of my character’s closest call.
I treat each death as an opportunity to improve my character’s build or try a new one, which is why I’m on the 3rd iteration of this one. In the words of Ivan Drago, if he dies, he dies.
For me personally, backups are reserved for my softcore characters to protect against data corruption/loss. While pausing the game is sort of a gray area for hardcore, at least I ended up with a story to tell.
I mean it is up to every player to decide how to play and enjoy the game. I just play softcore since I know that I will die to some bullshit frame rate loss or being distracted by my girlfriend or whatever - and thus will likely use backups and stuff.
Imo, backups are made to prevent deletion of the save files by accident (no matter if made by me, or by the program(s)). I only backup my characters for this one reason, and I am not even a hardcore player.
Looking at the attachment, I think you stumbled upon a developer’s Easter Egg.
It’s the level at which it happened: anything on that level can be reversed.
) … just kidding.