maybe work on balancing the crucible more? no matter what lvl you go in at, you will die in 1-2 hits unless you invested in a full build. when i first started playing i would die in 1-2 hits. i understand that learning to parry is a huge mechanic you need to master but im not very good at that yet. but now i have a melee build that has alot of physical defense built in and the mobs are pretty easy to tank/kill fast. it just takes awhile to get the materials needed to make a full build so early on it feels pretty unfair especially when there are multiple enemies grouped together. i would suggest maybe making floors 1-5 easier and maybe add in a floor 5 boss instead of the chest room so early on players can try an easier version of the boss as well. so that way we dont make it all the way to wave 10 and get 1 tapped before the fight even begins. adds a way to practice the boss without getting frustrated about dying rlly fast.
I feel like that’s the point? The Crucible scales with you, so it’s always more challenging than regular gameplay. It’s supposed to be a gauntlet.
I do agree that there could be an easier aspect to the crucible, maybe when those other crucibles become available? Imagine the first one is scaled such that you can get through the first half on no build, but the last half and boss are more lethal. Meanwhile the second crucible starts off where the first one left off, being lethal at the start unless you’re built.
I do think the balance of the crucible is fine, especially since it helps you hone your build. If you are not built well enough, you can still do the rest of the game. In the current state, the crucible is the closest thing we have to endgame content. If it were easier, there would be no way to test your build. You could just do everything with common gear and no concept of synergy.
Also, there is an easier version of the crucible boss you can fight in the world once you unlock the pestilence. You can absolutely practice and easier version of the boss in a more friendly environment, if you just do all of the non-endgame stuff first.