Faster Than Light > Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup >> Tales of Maj'Eyal
recently tried all 3, still playing FTL, haven't had this much fun with a game in a long time. I don't even like sci-fi/space.
Biggest problem with the game is the boss. You're told at the beginning that the objective is to run a message to the other side of the galaxy (or however far 7 sectors is), but once you get there you're forced to fight a monster ship that breaks all the rules. Not once but multiple times (no indication this would happen, at all), and it takes some good luck just to have the firepower to have a chance at winning. Fighting through bad luck with craftiness and balls just to get utterly wrecked at the end because you didn't have big guns feels like a waste of time.
Edit: Best way to win as the stock ship Type A (Kessel Runner) seems to be foregoing upgrades completely (except maaaybe the Blast Doors upgrade) and spending everything when you hit shops. Buy all the new systems, starting with the teleporter, then fill out your weapons. Upgrade the ship all the way at the end, don't spend anything on hull repairs unless you can't survive another combat encounter. I wouldn't buy crewmen or augments either, maybe the long-range scanner if your hull is in critical condition and you want to hold off repairs. Crashing and burning early is better than hitting the end boss and getting stuck in a stalemate.
Best way to win (with the Kessel Runner) seems to be upgrading engines to level 4 or 5 (last level before dodge starts to drop off), then getting shields to level 2 and upgrading your doors. After that you should be able to survive most things while hoarding scrap for the shops. I took drones before teleporter because I had no crew joining events until later on, also weapons selection in the shops was pitiful. I came across plenty but at the end I was using the starting weapons, the weakest Ion Cannon, and a crappy beam weapon I only picked up right before the final encounter. I winged it by using 2 anti-ship drones to help pierce shields but the boss fight was very close and I only barely pulled it off.
This wasn't a very lucky or perfectly played run at all. I lost 4 crew members in a row at the end (they weren't manning any equipment, though) and spent a bit replacing them, but I managed to pull it off. Some runs are doomed for failure but you can pull through without too much luck I think. Upgrade the engines and you have a shot.
So, very fun game. I like how hectic the late game fights get. The different ships are more straightforward, they have well defined strengths and all you really have to do is build on them, can see myself getting bored. The differing weaknesses of the layouts and starting crews are interesting to work with, though.
