The best strategy to learn/train tribulation mode?

[Luthan.5236]

What's the best strategy? What strategy did you use?

Personally I played SAB back then in 2012/13 and now this is my first time since back then. Back then I did everything with videos and guides from Dulfy. I completed tribulation mode only once.

Now I'm trying with video guides again. I don't want to use tools like TACO and trial and error on my own ... would take much more time. Since I'm planning to get a few skins (eventually I want all but I doubt I'll manage that this year) I wondered if it was better to do a full run with the video guides. Then doing the full run (from W1Z1 until W2Z3) again.

Now when I noticed that W2 seems to take much longer in tribulation mode. (Videos 2-3 times the length.) My current plan is do only go for W1. I might finish the full set here since it is not that fast and I noticed W1-Z1 and W1-Z2 felt easier than years ago I think. (Can't really remember years ago that well though.) I did W1-Z1 once with the vid. Then tried it again a day later (multiple times a day gets boring) without the vid. (Needed minor vid help again.) Day 3 again W1-Z ... and I managed without vid help. Still some places where I died a bit. But gets better and better.

I guess training each zone a bit ... then moving to the next (while doing the previous again to keep it trained) seems to work best for me. First the W1. Then not doing W1 anymore (if all skins finished) and moving to W2.

[hugo.4705]

Try and learn, you try a path, it doesn't work? Take another. But always think what path you would take to make the level the longest possible: no easy path, no shortcut...Frankly I can't say that w2 are like x4 times longer, only w2-2 feels that way, w2-1 and w2-3 have sections with 0 traps. The thing that can be infuriating is w2-2 with its push blocks puzzles, all the octopuses sections and pagodas... There are videos that take the time, but see world 2-3 you can use the 133133 song to make your run easier.

[Setz.9675]

My strategy was to do one zone x16 in a row before moving to the next one.So world 1 zone 1 16 times in a row then world 1 zone 2 16 times in a row etc. After clearing the same zone a few times you will get the hang of it and be able to clear it faster.Either use 2 screens or alt tab between video guide and tribulation mode is the best way to go if you dont intend to use TacO.

[Arcaniaxs.4519]

Yeah i did the same too just do them x16 time in a row so u wont need to touch them ever again and head on to next zone... i started doing SAB for first time this year and today i finished all w1 zones x16 times... took me 3 days to finish... and some of my brain cells died too but i was extremly patient. Just if u want the infusion dont give up cuz then u have to wait 1 year to start again

[Mad As Hell.2168]

The best way is to use TaCo with Tekkit. Even with that it isn't Easy Mode. It just doesn't go to 11.

[Paradoxoglanis.1904]

Be willing to die. I died over 1000 times getting the 2 infusions. Make sure you dont get burnt out though, if you only do 1 zone at a time you might get bored or frustrated enough that you stop caring, its called tribulation mode for a reason. In my experience, most of the difficulty comes from a few specific jumps per level, so if you want you could practice those in regular mode to avoid the respawn time. After you finish the levels a few times you wont need the videos anymore and you can just focus on perfecting the jumps and fights.

[Ashantara.8731]

@Mad As Hell.2168 said:The best way is to use TaCo with Tekkit. Even with that it isn't Easy Mode. It just doesn't go to 11.

Yeah, some of it truly is pixel walking, so even with TacO is takes a lot of patience and an inner calm.

[Naxos.2503]

Never trust Anything you see. Ever. Especially if the path looks straightforward.

To note : Tribulation often uses the start of paths to secret areas to lead you forward. So if you remember secret paths on other modes, try those.

[nosleepdemon.1368]

I did every zone individually - I had to clear 16 runs per zone as I wanted the infusions. In the end you get a feel for what's probably safe, and what isn't. Videos help a lot, w2z2 is painful though for sure. My first clear on trib took 55 minutes. Eventually I got it down substantially and was averaging just one or two deaths. By the way, find a way to reliably hit space and dodge at the same time for that all important distance enhancing dodge-jump.

[Qaju.2058]

TaCo but with disabling famous markers paths and doing your own pathfinding, flagging, marking. Try it out, it's quite fun and not that hard to do. Gives a MS Windows Minesweeper vibe hehe

[Luthan.5236]

Seems a lot of people used TACO or did the zones individually.Regarding the dodge jumps: They barely work for me. Must need a gaming keyboard or it isn't exatcly dodge key + jump at the same time.

I found that the first time Dulfy recommended them was in W1-Z2. (Which other than those 2 parts where dodge jumps where used had less annoying jumps than zone 1.) But I found a fairly good way for both parts to do them without dodge jump. I "bait" the rock face guy into a jump but quickly move away and then quickly go past it - at spot 1. At spot 2 I come from the other side and dodge into him (he'll stop me so I just stay nearby) then after the dodge quickly jumping upwards and away in to continue.

I'll later try Z2 again. Maybe Z3 in the next days. World 2 I might try next week (still 2 weeks with the festival running for 4 weeks). Might also be okay to finish W2 only once for the annual achievement (2 or 3 bauble bubbles or so). Then getting that infusion next year and finishin only some of it while only completing W1 fully.

It's good to see other people struggling. I always feel bad when I see the super pros (some people even want a no death achievement lol) ...I consider myself good at jumping though - even though at the harder normal jumping puzzles it takes me some tries. (More finding the way is annoying though. Clocktower which is straightforward gets easy though I'm often barely making it at the beginning and a bit behind the usual other 1 pro that runs up fast ... better stafe and slower.)

[Linken.6345]

nah you press jump abit before the dodge key mate

[nosleepdemon.1368]

The thing with dodge jump success is believe it or not - your frame rate. GW 2 is very sensitive to frame rate drops especially with pixel perfect jumping. A low framerate in SAB tribulation mode (even one that seems OK) will lead to missed jumps and landings, and almost certainly death by floor spikes and lava in sections that leave you very little space to move. Drop all of your settings to lowest, even if regular gameplay is fine to you. Those dodge jumps will suddenly become more feasible. You could also find other ways of ensuring those keyboard combos come out first time every time, if you get my drift.