One of the more interesting things about Monster Hunter World is how your perspectives shift as you level through the game and ultimately get better at it. There was a time during the pre-launch demo that I considered Great Jagras to be challenging, and now that encounter doesn’t even bear mentioning. I’ve beaten that monsters several times before it even had a chance to run anywhere as a way of testing out new weapons. Similarly I remember a time when Tobi Kadachi invoked fear in me, and now it is just a chill electrical squirrel lizard that I largely ignore unless I specifically need parts from it. Similarly I used to run from Legiana and now… if it really wants to start some shit I will end it.
So the question is… what changed? Ultimately the answer is that I did. Sure I have better gear but also I have a better understanding of each of those fights. I also understand how the higher progressed players are always willing to take on whatever happens to be that fight that you are currently considering difficult. I remember being terrified of Anjanath but just recently farmed it to help folks get tickets for the Aloy appearance and bow event. It is all a matter of perspective and each time you move up in the game you reach a new plateau of difficulty… that tends to make everything below it pale in comparison.
This moves us forward to last nights activities. Nergigante was one of those encounters that I never thought would ever reach a point where I was comfortable with it. For me at least it was an extreme challenge to get through this fight when I needed it to move the story forward. In the meantime I have been fighting other elder dragons, that in truth are way more annoying than Nergi or at least have the potential to be more annoying. One of the weapons I have wanted in my elder dragon slaying arsenal is a Nergal Reaper… which does some dragon elemental damage but more importantly has high elderseal. This unfortunately would require me to farm Nergi… and that is just what I did last night.
Bel, the patron saint of questionable decisions
— x1101 (@x1101) March 13, 2018
Instead of throwing myself at this encounter solo… I decided on the nonsense option. That means I threw myself at SOS roulette over and over until I farmed the components I needed from Nergigante. This also means that there were more than a few times when a single newer player used up all of our faints and I failed at my mission. However even then… I walked away with a point of pride because during none of the MANY times I did this last night… did I actually faint myself. I managed to get in… deal significant amounts of damage with my new friend the poison blade and get out each time Nergi’s gaze turned to me.
Once again I had climbed to the top of the pile through repetition and experience… and even more importantly perspective. I’ve now fought things way harder than Nergigante and as a result the fight while mechanically the same seemed way easier. This is the aspect of Monster Hunter World that I think I like more than any, the feeling that I grew as a player more than my character did. Sure I am methodical when it comes to tackling new content, and sure I seem to be moving at a snails pace… but I feel like I am continuing to move the needle forward. Nergi has now entered the realm of things I feel comfortable farming… which is good I guess since my friend Grace is sitting at that step in the process meaning the cycle continues.