: At the time I was playing this level, I was still under the impression that I
: could not recharge using the Mace beyond 3x shields. So at least starting
: with 3x shields, I have survived the final room on DeathWish twice.
: Unfortunately, both times I could not survive the final level.
: I think we have to make a decision with this level. There are several
: options, depending upon whether we keep the Mace the way it is or not. If
: we abandon the recharging capabilities of the Mace, then I recommend we
: have a 3x canister (or perhaps 2x) available at the beginning of the next
: level and a PB somewhere within the level. It's just unfair to the player
: to navigate that difficult final room of END GAME, and also expect the
: player to survive the final level as well. Again, this is assuming we
: abandon the Mace recharging. If we keep the Mace the way it is, or tone it
: down a bit, then I would still recommend a PB somewhere on the final
: level.
If we do go this route, I'd suggest giving the final level a "time out" room in which you initially arrive, containing a pattern buffer, a charger/canister, and a teleporter to the final room. This is a convention used by other games before major boss fights, and since that's essentially what the last level is...
(Of course, this is only if we tamper with the mace.)