That was supposed to be the dangerous route?

I picked a harder battle early in a run and found a lone mage that barely threatened me. That was not much of a risk. A scary icon on the map doesn't make the encounter behind it any harder.

Hard fights now have stronger minimum groups, ranged support, tougher stats and shorter score gaps before enemy magic. They also offer more gold and a better chance of an item or relic carrier. That is a chance at extra loot, not a promise that every hard fight hands out a relic.

I still want an early risky choice to be survivable, but choosing it should mean something. Bosses need more work as well. There is support for more disruptive boss mechanics, but the current bosses are still using their existing curse behavior and placeholder looks. I'm not calling the boss design finished just because the run can reach an ending.