trial of the sekhema

sanctum enjoyer here. i think sekhema is experiencing a lot of pain points due to it going from a lv66-83 activity to a lv28-80 activity.

i'll try to make this quick:

- the starter relic should at least inform the player that it's possible to get relics with honour resistance, maximum life, increased defenses, or monsters take increased damage to help them if they are struggling to complete the run.

- maybe even change honour resistance to an implicit present on all relics, since it's such a powerful stat and pretty much mandatory.

- overall i like the changes to relics. i like that there are now feasible alternatives to glass cannon freezers.

- i do not like the forbidden tome system - i only run 68 and 83 sanctums, all levels in-between might as well not exist. you could simplify djinn barya and inscribed ultimatums to a smaller number of tiers - this would also allow these items to be on the currency exchange since they will no longer have item levels.

- i would like to see balbala give free entry to the first sekhema even after the first ascension is completed so that people have a low consequence/low reward way to practice and learn sekhema if they wish to (sanctum has a significant learning curve), and also farm more relics to help them when the time comes for third ascension.

- the "contains a cache" reward feels like it might as well be a blank spot. you not only need to have the correct key on hand, but you need to hope the cache is a type that you actually want to use a key on.

- accursed pacts also feels really bad now. 2 of the pact slots are almost always gain/lose random minor boon/affliction which are just unappealing. lose boon/affliction is good if you have a lot of bad afflictions and few good boons, a scenario you actively try to prevent in the first place. gain boon/affliction just has too much risk and too little reward, random minor boons rarely make a run but random afflictions can deal you run-killers like deceptive mirror or worn sandals. it's also common in sanctum to take an accursed pact solely for the item reward, which no longer exist in sekhema.

- i wish the chalice trial map's layout was mirrored so that you start at the bottom left of the map and fight up/right. currently you start at the top right and fight down/left and your view is often obstructed by your health and mana globes. (i would like to use the centered UI but the game does not let me.) alternatively, could we get an option to mirror the UI so that health/mana is at the top?

- gauntlet trials feel much longer than all other trials, even escape trials even though they're essentially the same go from point A to point B. there's also one trap in gauntlet trials i find very annoying, the pyramid that spins and shoots slow projectiles - the projectiles travel in a curve and not a straight line!

- i like hourglass trials but they have some performance issues and become very dangerous when your fps is hiccuping.

- i mostly like ritual trials. i hate when there's a spike trap making it difficult to approach the ritual (but is fine, just a skill issue) and i hate when rituals spawn enemies who summon raging spirits (not fine, please erase from existence).

- please don't reuse assets for door switches and trap panels on floor 3+. you can still tell them apart (door switches will have an identifier nearby to tell you which door they are opening) which makes it seem like it was a conscious decision to be lazy and not bother making a different floor panel for each.

- the end-game content pitch was that different mechanics have rewards that are exclusive to it and you will likely need to do all of them, but i've found jewels outside of sekhema which i found disappointing... but understandable given how many people are violently opposed to having to play sanctum. idk it feels like there could be a better way.

- the boon that gives honour on shrine use could be worded better. it specifies "maraketh shrine" but all shrines are maraketh shrines even though they are just called shrines.