Now what is the thread consensus for Pillars time? Comfy vacation or grind for more power?
We can do a few things:
Are the super buffs better than ++All Stats, ++Progression or a flat Rank increase? Almost certainly not. The guaranteed logistics (healing, available level-appropriate enemies, Curse semi-vacation etc) are the main benefit, and they are incredible, but all 25 Arete options are.
Guaranteed physical healing, level-appropriate enemies, do things with our Curses significantly more mitigated. Notably, we can look for specific enemies, which helps for getting something like Feat: Orb, or perhaps TKSA or Slice Fate.
Pillars is still incredibly good, the ability to access enemies of whatever level you need for your current risk/reward target Progression curve is almost impossible to get otherwise, especially on a consistent basis. Plus you have easy access to unlimited healing right next to them, and it's great for morale or (depending on timing) gives you massive prep time before major events. And you can finally fix your eye, arm, lung and old age!
It's great for morale, and once more we can optimize our Progression curve.
Note that, as with any other source of indirect mitigation, the effectiveness of the Pillars' anagathic serums on your companions' lifespans will eventually dwindle with time and repeated exposure to the Decimation. So it's not a permanent solution on either front, though it can certainly push back the hours significantly.
Anagathic serums for Letrizia, who probably has had some part of her lifespan sheared off by her time in Versch, as well as general life-extension for everyone.
Pillars does a wide range of things really well -
1) Supports almost any type of build with intrinsic scaling. Whether you go for another 7-point immediate power or potential-based purchase, whether you pick Azure Moon or Pitless Maw, it can help advance your build. You don't have to mono-focus on Rank (and lose out on interesting options!) and maintain thread discipline or give up on hyperexponential gains.
2) Supports the mental and physical health of Hunger's party. Don't you guys want him to happy? Get those relationship +s in a conducive environment!
3) Curse Mitigation. Really quite powerful mitigation options for your most distressing Curses.
4) Gives you more time to do things. Having 7 extra days per month in which your Curses are heavily mitigated has a wide range of applications.
5) Miscellaneous utility from ingesting the divine reagents that you can grow there. Synergizes well with some form of alchemy magic, super farming or the like.
Helps builds with intrinsic scaling. This is one of the reasons why I want to get Accursed Implement, so that we can buy Ruling Ring and absolutely cream it in the hyperbolic PIllars chamber. Mental and physical health is always a plus, and the alchemy bonus is definitely amazing for Gisena's artifice research as well as overall signs research. Signs are already heavily tied to our cloak, so I imagine a realm made of the same stuff has some symbolic potency. It's also why I'm not very worried about not getting signs fast enough.
Though it'd be unlikely for Hunger, one must also take care not to overindulge in the ambrosial luxuries and become a lotus-eater pining away for Evening's Realm! It's a sad, dangerous thing to see heroes hollowed away by such stupefying opulence.
Something to consider. We might get too lazy, but honestly with how much of a determinator Hunger has recently been, some rest and relaxation might be a good thing. Since this quote has been said, we've gotten some pluses to Willpower and mental contamination from the grim relentless 4bear himself, so I'm not all that worried.
Not every fish can yield the advancement to Fisher King!
This was in response to Strange9 stating that we can use Pillars to spawn fish. So, probably an implicit yes to the fact that we can spawn fish. If we get Fisher King, then we get +50% stats to taking down fish (meaning we can summon fish that are 1.5 times physically stronger than what we would normally fight) as well as increased chance of proccing Huntress' Moon.