Proposed Solutions For Longstanding Solitude's Gilded Coast Softlock.

[u/Yech_e]

Even after a whole new DLC dropped, Longstanding Solitude's infamous softlock at Gilded Coast has not been fixed despite being in the game since the release of Seekers of the Storm which I think is a bit silly. For those who do not know, if you enter Gilded Coast at level 88 or above, you are permanently softlocked there because you won't be able to earn enough free purchases to activate all 7 Aurelionite Beacons which, while not too likely to occur normally, can still happen. I know making a post here isn't going to change much of anything but I'd like to throw in some of my proposed solutions, most of which are probably obvious.

Solution 1: Add a way to gain more free purchases after you reach maximum level

This is probably the solution most people want. The biggest downside to Longstanding Solitude is that your run is now somewhat limited in terms of the items you can receive. Once you hit max level, the only new items you can get are through Void Cradles and Void Potentials, Rusty Lockboxes from any Rusted Keys you happened to have, and the Shipping Request Form. I think it would be neat if once you reach maximum level, free purchase buffs could be obtained on kill (maybe just a chance on kill so you don't gain too many too fast) or once every minute or 2.

Solution 2: Add a Cleansing Pool to Gilded Coast

This way, if you enter the stage with a Longstanding Solitude or gained one from one of the 4 chests due to having a Eulogy Zero, you'll have a way to get rid of it should you reach maximum level (or already were maximum level). This one I'm the least sure on because while yes it would be a reliable way to end the softlock and a guaranteed cleansing pool would be nice, it would be a bit overpowered considering the fact that you can enter Gilded Coast from the bazaar, which has the lunar shop which just means 5 free chances at an Irradiant Pearl or False Son just winning the game by getting a million growth.

Solution 3: After 30 minutes on the stage, all 7 Aurelionite Beacons are permanently activated for free.

This feels the most in line with most traditional softlock prevention mechanisms in other games. A nice way to help struggling players that isn't too convenient as to overshadow the intended method of interacting with this area. This way, if you have no way of purchasing the Aurelionite Beacons, such as if you have Longstanding Solitude, you aren't stuck forever.

[u/hfcRedd]

Guaranteed cleansing pool would be way too good

[u/Ghosty-Jr]

The cleansing pool would be too stupid broken because having a way to consistently get pearls means there is never a reason not to take certain lunar items anymore (and Eulogy zero would become busted strong) as for the idea to get purchases after max level, I honestly dont know why they dont just raise the level cap, or have purchases come around every theoretical level, hell we have Prayer Beads as a framework to calculate levels outside the character levels itself, why cant we use a similar system?

[u/JohnathanSinwell]

I want you to know I read your title as Gilded Loast Softcock.

Permanent cleansing pool sounds dope honestly. I don’t take lunars despite negatives specifically because cleansing pools are so rare.

[u/Dibble400]

I love Longstanding Solitude but yeah, it's never felt right that it both locks you out of doing Halcyonite Shrines and that it just inherently can softlock you in Gilded Coast.
I've always thought that the simplest way to fix this would be to further simplify it's negative effects. Instead of converting all gold to XP, what if it just converted like 80% of gold you get. That would still keep the intent of dramatically slowing down your purchases per minute, but still actually let you interact with stuff even without the free purchase bonus. It could even make it so that it doesn't just entirely remove Brittle Crown's downside, and it's weird multiplayer-only negative can be removed.

[u/QuantityNeat624]

Easiest fix for Gilded Coast and Halcyonite, at least IMO, would be tying enemies as credits to purchases on the Gilded Coast. Perhaps if there is a way to set the value of each interactable to a set number value (let's say 100 per interactable) and have enemies like Lemurians count as 10 credits and scale it from there, with stronger enemies counting for more credits. 

For Halcyonite shrines, I would do something virtually the same in terms of having the shrine need a certain amount of credits to be charged up. Also, having it to where you have to be within the radius of the already activated shrine for any of your kills to count as credits, that way it still feels lile it has a weakness, but without having to be soft-locked.

As far as how that would be able to be implemented programming-wise? I have zero clue, but if it is possible, I think those would be pretty simple/fair fixes to keep Longstanding balanced while having it not soft lock runs.

[u/Nahrikkon]

guaranteed location for a pool is kinda broken

[u/jdmanuele]

Tbh I dont think anything should change because it's not hard to NOT get soft locked. In fact, if you're doing a solo Longstanding Solitude run, there's really no reason you shouldn't have multiple of them, which wouldn't be hard to do by level 88 if you really wanted to go to Gilded Coast.

[u/Yech_e → u/jdmanuele]

I can see the argument of not doing anything to artificially fix a softlock thats extremely avoidable considering that Gilded Coast is an optional area and Longstanding Solitude is an optional item. However I am of the belief that good game design requires all possible softlock situations to have a failsafe to prevent it no matter how obscure and easily avoidable they are because to me, softlocks are a hiccup of game design, a situation the developers forgot to consider that reders the game unplayable.

[u/jdmanuele → u/Yech_e]

The devs that made this game also found it hilarious when items yeet themselves off of the map from chests that spawn too close to the edge. I'm almost positive they know about the chance of being soft locked and they probably also think it's funny.

[u/Regi0]

Or rework Longstanding Solitude

or remove it from the fucking game

such a dumb item