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[UltimateChaos]

I'm sure there are a lot of players trying to make the jump from UV to N!  I myself haven't played N! in far too long, and was wondering if anyone had any tips?  I think a topic to compile N! specific tips is a great idea, if it hasn't already been done before (if so I apologize.)

Anyway, N! has evolved from version to version so... have at it!

[Game Hunter]

I'm sure there are a lot of players trying to make the jump from UV to N!.

Not as many as you'd think. There are plenty of veterans who barely ever touch N!, just because it's so dang hard (and not a lot you can do to make it easier). I myself am working on some possible builds that should show a better chance of survival getting through the game, but nothing too definitive yet.

As for some general tips:

• Respawning means you're not going to kill everything: there are no 100% completions in N!. Always be in search for the stairs rather than in search of enemies. Playing on easier difficulties may have gotten you used to hunting down every last demon, but there is no time for it here.
• Enemies are faster. It might just be a difference of 10/15%, but it is significant and they will mow you down if you're not careful. Remember Arachnotron caves? Now they're actually harder just to leave without trying to kill anything.
• Scaling's a lot faster. Caco vaults on floor 2 (which means AVOID), Arach caves could potentially show up as early as floor 5. More noticeable, perhaps, is the sheer number of enemies, which is just a pain because now you can't afford the time to kill even the little guys.
• Double healing for globes/med-packs and double durations on all the powerups means you'll be able to abuse them that much more. If you feel you're underleveled, use them as an opportunity to get some free experience.

Unfortunately not a lot can be said specifically unless we're getting into particular challenges and strategies. It's a severely buffed experience over UV, and it's simply cruel.

[RogerN]

Everything that GameHunter said is good advice.  I would also like to mention what I call "Corpse Management":

* If you kill monsters that are standing in water then they cannot respawn because no corpse is created.  Therefore it's sometimes worth it to herd enemies into a pool of water.
* Occasionally you'll get a level feeling indicating that there's a lever which can flood the entire level with water.  This is a great find on Nightmare, as it means you can clear the entire level without worrying about enemies respawning.
* If you kill a monster which is standing on top of another corpse then a new corpse is not created - you can reduce the potential number of respawns this way.
* Gibbing corpses with barrels / rockets can prevent monsters from respawning, but this is not 100% effective because gibbing is somewhat random
* Acid and napalm barrels are very effective at destroying corpses - napalm is 100% effective, while acid is somewhat less than that

[Fanta Hege]

Don't forget; killing an enemy on top of a door will also destroy the corpse.


Generally speaking, having played a lot and lot of N! mode my additional tips are thise;

1. Be fast. Enemies are faster then before, they respawn quite fast, Do think carefully what you do, but don't stay too many turns in a level. You need to try become faster than they are due of their numbers, speed is essential.

2. Kill as much as possible as early as possible as it might not be possible later. You need to get a lot of exp before you're swarmed by the higher level enemies so you can deal with them accordingly.

3. Abuse the health globes and other power ups. I cannot stress this enough.

4. Hope for some luck. Good unique/exotic makes this diffuculty a lot easier!

[DeathDealer]

I've got two early approaches to leveling my character when it comes to nightmare.

I try and build towards a trait set that lets me kill imps or weaker in one shot most of the time (EE + Chaingun, SoB + Combat Shotgun, Shottyman + Shotgun). Important to farm a little ammo in the early levels with this idea, cause you're basically counting on your ability to waste the resurrected enemies in quick order. I found that mixing up Fin and SoB, Fin>SoB>SoB>Fin... really gets more efficient than focusing on one.

Or I try to maximize my speed with HR and then move on to more utilitarian traits (HRx2>Shottyman, HRx2>WK, HRx2>Berserk) which won't take enemies out before they can act but mixed with the additional speed will build towards something specific, like Blademaster or Fireangel (cause those Viles/Mancubi/Revenants are just that much more deadly. The sooner you are moving quickly the fewer enemies you have to fight. Pray for Malek's Armor ;)

Leaving powerups for later is also not the best idea. If it's located somewhere you've got to return to (like near the exit) you might leave it be, but take a peek at the layout and see how many dead enemies you'll be seeing again on your way back. Usually you're better off grabbing it. And if you see one in a new room and decide you won't be coming back for it then run! You've got to abuse running when you enter new rooms, especially if you see a powerup that'll let you remove tired.

I'd suggest never picking up powerups until you're tired. Always hit run, just to train yourself, before getting that status restored. It'll save you health from lurking enemies, time with bonus health (which happens more often with the doubled powerups), extended invulnerability, and destroyed powerups from splash if you can get to them a little faster or those caco's miss you while you're standing next to it.

And lastly, explore the room thoroughly. Just cause you need the speed doesn't mean you should find out you passed the stairs half a level ago and every demon and it's mother is going to get a second crack at you.

[UltimateChaos]

Farming for ammo early is something I hadn't thought of, but makes a lot of sense.  One of my most likely causes of death is running out of ammo because I'm too damn careful/fast/scared to go pick up extra.

[Thomas]

Farming for ammo early is something I hadn't thought of, but makes a lot of sense.  One of my most likely causes of death is running out of ammo because I'm too damn careful/fast/scared to go pick up extra.

Farming ammo is something you do if you get lucky (or if you like spending 5 minutes on level 1 EVERY TIME YOU START A NEW RUN). If you're doing Ammochain runs, the chained court should have all the ammo you need. Shotgun runs have to wait a bit longer, but they're more ammo-efficient so you should be able to get to the halls of carnage just before you run out. If you're running out of ammo, it's probably because your kill rate is on the wrong side of 50%.

My Nightmare! success rate shot up like a rocket (From 1% to 10%!) when I started taking only the traits that make you faster. My usual N! AoSh build goes Fin->Fin->Rel->Rel->HR->HR->Whatever so take that as you will, Nightmare! runners.

Oh, another thing: Every time you get to be in a room by yourself with all the doors closed, savour the moment. Slowly map the surrounding area, closing the doors every time a monster shows up. Never underestimate how completely awesome it can be to get free exploration (and hence more chances to find useful items without an imp breathing down your neck) in Nightmare!.