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Roguelikes are so tricky because failure is a requirement to learn them. The dystopian Tamogotchi-Esque Void Terrarium 2 is no exception. Every expedition begins with Robbie debuffed to Level 1. Then, it's up to you to guide Robbie through each wasteland floor, equip good items, make strong skill choices, and ultimately reach the end of the wasteland - or don't - you'll gain valuable resources either way.
During our ample time with VT2, we scoured many floors, answered our Pet Nanny gadget countless times, and scavenged hundreds of resources. This experience gave us several valuable tips and tricks that made each expedition slightly better than the last.
Use The Map To Quickly Scope New Rooms
Efficient time management is a must in VT2. After all, fewer unnecessary turns mean more energy for Robbie and less health depletion for Toriko. Therefore, knowing when you can skip a room altogether is good.
Regarding time-saving, VT2's map feature is an excellent resource. Once you enter a room, the map will display its layout. The green square indicates Robbie (i.e., yourself). Light blue squares indicate items. Dark blue squares indicate scrap piles (food). Light yellow squares indicate mystery rooms. Purple squares indicate traps. Red squares indicate enemies. And lastly, dark yellow squares indicate portals to the next floor.
So, if you enter a room and see nothing on the map, you can move on to a new area. But, if you notice some red and blue squares, you'll want to use the Free-Roam Cursor to get a closer look. Finally, if you see a yellow square, you'll know that room is essential.
Lead Groups Of Enemies Into Hallways And Corridors
VT2 mentions this tip in its tutorials, but it's worth repeating. Misdirecting enemies out of rooms is an innovative and effective way to defeat multiple enemies.
For example, suppose you unexpectedly enter a monster house. If you remain inside the room, you'll become subject to multiple assaults before your next turn. However, if you take a few steps back into the hallway, you'll only have to fight one monster at a time. Then, you can destroy one enemy after the other and watch your Levels soar!
As you can see, techniques like these showcase how vital spacial awareness is in VT2. If you accurately assess a situation and find comprehensive solutions, you can use your surroundings to your advantage.
Check For Traps Near Floor Portals
Checking for traps during expeditions is equally tedious and tricky. After all, attacking before moving across every space wastes time and energy. However, it's common to fall into an unchecked trap where you least expect it. Therefore, you have to start connecting patterns to how traps are placed. Or, since wastelands are randomly generated, acknowledge what situations make you more susceptible to them.
For instance, one situation that often leads us into traps is rushing to the next floor portal. When we enter a new room and see that dark yellow square on the map, we'll bee-line straight to it. Unfortunately, our anxiousness often leads to our demise, and we'll fall into a trap. That's why we made it a habit to always check the space before a portal for traps. This trick forces us to slow down and assess our movements.
Perhaps you're already mindful while near portals, and this tip feels redundant. What's more important is to consider what moments cause you to act carelessly in a wasteland and give them a higher regard. There's no need to punch at every tile. Instead, take a breath when you notice yourself rushing ahead.
Gather As Much Food As Possible During Good Weather
The cyclical nature of VT2 feels second nature. You go on an expedition, return to the terrarium, craft some items, clean the terrarium, perhaps decorate a bit, feed Toriko, and repeat. But, unfortunately, one component can significantly impede this cycle and endanger Toriko's welfare: mycelium contamination.
While cleanliness and entertainment are important, we argue that feeding Toriko is your most vital responsibility. After all, it's much easier for her to die from starvation than illness. However, contaminated foods raise Toriko's contamination level, thus inclining her toward ailments. So this necessity could essentially kill her.
Since you can't avoid feeding Toriko, it's essential to stock up on uncontaminated food when the weather is not negatively affecting the wastelands. If you leave for an expedition with no food in the vault during a weather blight, you'll have no choice but to feed Toriko contaminated food. In turn, it won't take long for her contamination levels to spike.
In short, use good weather for fast food scavenging runs. Save those longer runs for weather blights when you can equip enhanced contaminated items instead.
Use Memento Items To Help You In Your Next Expedition
One pro tip you won't learn about in the practice wastelands is the usefulness of Memento Items. Memento Items enable Robbie to save items and skills for his next expedition.
For example, Mement-item EX2 lets you leave an extra item behind in the last wasteland floor you were in upon incapacitation. Then, when you revisit the wasteland, your held-over item will be kept safe in an adorably wrapped gift box ready for you to reclaim.
Memento item blueprints are sold in the scarecrow's mystery room shop. So, you'll have to find him in a mystery room first. Then, he'll give you research challenges to complete. Data points you earn from these challenges can get exchanged with him on a later expedition for skills and items. You can equip the boost after crafting the memento item, and it will not take up space in your robot parts or inventory.