Topic: Cold start on Vertigo?

[Kaiaatzl]

I know people try to do "cold starts" in D1 (starting a level from scratch with the default weapons on insane and seeing if they can beat it).  I'm curious if anyone has tried Vertigo.
Which levels were hardest?  I'd imagine level 12 and level 15; level 12 has lots of powerful robots and very few weapons, and at the start of level 15 you'd have to take out several fast missile firing robots and their spawn with level 1 lasers.  (However on level 15 there are a lot more robots that drop heavy primaries like plasma and helix).
I obviously don't have the skills to do cold start properly, but if someone has done Vertigo, post here.

[NUMBERZero]

I remember trying to complete your challenge on level 11 (I think) for a cold start. That was tough. That lava fall a little bit after the beginning is killer because the seekers behind it and around the corner won't ever come out. But if they do, they can see you through the lava.

[Kaiaatzl]

You mean level 16?  Yeah those seekers are the hardest part for me too (especially on Hotshot and above).  I suppose if you have vulcan you can shoot the lava in the middle.  I think they're close enough that it will damage them especially because of the Vulcan shots natural spread.

I just tested and yes, vulcan on the lava works (there's a vulcan cannon right before that part as well ).  You need to shoot at the very edge of the lava on one side, and you'll only have enough ammo to destroy one of them (but you can severely weaken the other), the good thing is that with one left it's not so much a problem.
Smart missiles or phoenix cannon would work too but with a cold start you won't have either.

[NUMBERZero]

I tried the lava, but it didn't work for some reason.

[Alieo]

Anyone ever try cold starting D1 Level 22? SUICIDE!! lol!

[Scyphi]

I would think D1 level 27 cold-started would be even more suicidal, but I think I've heard of people doing that (and succeeding) before.

[Kaiaatzl]

Level 27 has a lot of weapons and cloaks/invulns.  I wouldn't see it as so hard, especially by the time you get to the endboss you should have everything you need.  Same applies to level 7.  I've heard people say that level 11 is hardest, which is easy to see, you're stuck with level 1 lasers and vulcan and a couple of homers and smarts until you get to the blue key and get plasma.  There is a mega but with all the cloaked lifters everywhere and tight passages you'd kill yourself before you kill any robots.  The blue key (and thus the first good weapon) can be very hard to find too.

I could see a good player doing level 22 no problem, my idea to deal with the huge driller room would be, when you go into the room with the invulnerability and the 3 red hulks, take out the hulks quickly and then use your invulnerability to go down and take out all the drillers.  The spiral shaft is really easy if you do it right -- my suggestion: take out all the mine-laying drones first from the bottom, go grab the cloak in the blue area for the way up, then on the way down put a smart missile on each ledge to take out the drillers... there are a couple of secret doors part of the way down with more smarts to refill, so you should have enough.
That said, if you don't have a plan it would be hard.  You need a plan for that level on any difficulty.

[Foil]

Level 11 "cold-start" is difficult, definitely.

My favorite cold start is probably level 10, just because of the way it starts.

[Kaiaatzl]

I think D1 came with a demo of level 10 cold start .
The second room there is hell, for sure... I'd definitely need plasma.  Even then the heavy hulk will hit me at least once.
(My favourite cold start is level 1, because I'm pathetic).
Actually my favourite cold start in D1 is level 9.
Wouldn't level 15 be hard?

My favourite cold start on Vertigo is level 10 .  But I just love that level, period.  Even the name.  Citadel Station sounds like it would be the natural progression of the level names in D2 Counterstrike.
Although I can't do cold starts properly, since I can't do any level apart from D1 level 1 on insane.

Back to the topic, has anyone tried Vertigo?

[Alieo]

Actually, Level 15 isn't TOO bad because the hulks in the beginning are quite a ways away and you can hide in some corners right where you start.

I remember the first time I started level 6 with all those drones in your face I was like "What tha..." *FOW FOW FOW FOW FOW* with the missiles! lol

[Scyphi]

Level 11...isn't that the IO level? With all the lava filled caverns in the bottom? Yeah, it'd have to be...Hmm...

Well, first off, I should say I've never really been one to do cold starts...but I've played level 11 enough times to think that it wouldn't be that hard to cold start. It's one of my favorite levels, used to be so good at it that I knew it like the back of my hand.

Maybe I should try it then, see if I'm right about that assessment.

[Alieo]

I used to think it was "10 Sulpher Mine." I was like, "Ok, why don't they just make this one level 10?" Then I heard on the PSX version the computer voice reads the briefings and said "EYE-oh" and I was like, "ahhh that makes sense."

[Scyphi]

Oh cool! You get a computer voice to read the briefings in that version?

[Alieo]

Yep!

http://www.planetdescent.net/index.php?action=mgallery;sa=item;id=318

[Scyphi]

Awesome!