We can add it when someone has done a run. Adding an empty category does nothing for making a run happen. I agree that it would be a cool category, but mostly because using level 99 demons would not be the fast way to do it since it's only the compendium of the demons that are carried over, including their costs. Proper setup and routing would be needed to make it fast.
I'll admit we made the rules in a hurry and put in "NG+ is currently not allowed" because nobody wanted to talk about it at the time :P
I'm with PPJ in that high level demons are no good, they're too expensive. The ideal setup would be something like a high level Nozuchi that has Debilitate (enough MP to use it twice and will soon transform into a level 24 turtle with way more MP)
The problem with any NG+ category is that there is no standard initial condition and it would take forever to set up. I'm more interested in being better than 4th in Hard TDE right now than routing this perfect Goldilocks comp that is somehow both affordable, has absurdly good abilities and stats, and scales into lategame well. It would take sooooo long to do this theoretical setup playthrough that I could do so many actual speedruns in the same amount of time. Nocturne has minimal interest as it is, it seems, even in the wake of HD's release. (edit: HD players on Steam could pass around a save data file?)
It took me long enough to record good enough runs to justify creating the leaderboards for Merciful TDE and Hard any%, now my worries that the potentially interested will bounce off because they don't see a potential category they might be interested in, are relieved. NG+ being the thing that's actually requested has truly surprised me. Perhaps you know more than me and have the most insane NG+ route halfway planned out? Do a run or routing stream for us. Build it and they will come.
If dlc is allowed you could get the cash for the compendium rather quickly for ng+ category it would also make it so you don't need to farm all too long. You could also prep the ng+ file so only the necessary demons are in your compendium to cut down menuing through the compendium and a save could be made available. The only issue would be it would limit runners to the pc version unless we figure something out for consoles like hacking in max Macca for a ng+ save so you would just need to reach the compendium and buy your demons. Another thing that may be possible is to set the compendium costs to 0 on pc on one hand it would make it just an issue of routing which demons you will use for the ng+ run on the other it may get quite boring though rng can always happen.
The category will revolve around Surt. His normal attack is uniquely an elemental one, being fire, which works with attack all, fire boost and pierce. The only normal enemy in the game that reflects fire is Cerberus, who only shows up in Tower of Kagutsuchi. For bosses, I know Specter 3 reflects all magic, but I don't remember if there are any other ones. Surt also has exclusive access to Ragnarok, which is an extremely powerful skill on its own. With the extra press turn from NG+ you can have a party of just MC and Surt with 3 press turns to have Surt easily attack 3x per turn, which should take care of pretty much every random encounter up to ToK.
Personally, I would reject any run that uses hacks in the run itself, or has a compendium that could only be possible with hacks, such as having unique / body part skills on demons that can't normally have them (Archangel with Earthquake, Pixie with Hassohappa, etc.) Although when it comes to the compendium, you'll probably want 100% anyway since a 100% compendium is 1/2 price, and money is the main bottleneck of the run. Using hacks to prepare the save file is fine.
Surt is a strong candidate with Focus and Ragnarok for single-target fire magic for the Albion fight. That's the only other place to worry about repel fire, maybe Ice Breath or Focus on MC will get the job done. It will be funny to see Pierce work on the Diet Building's Surt boss fight :P
The extra press turn...you'll still have to get past Matador to unlock the Labyrinth and waste several minutes on a cutscene and a tunnel jump just to get the extra press turn, I don't think it would be worth it. Surt pass Surt sounds like a fine turn order to me. I'll need some time to think of good candidates to wield Debilitate and Tarukaja, probably Daisoujou so we can jump right into the Lucifer fight.
day_nava told me he's working on a NG+ Hard TDE route that requires prepping a 100% compendium for half price (DLC for HD makes this a lot less tedious). It sounds like Matador, Sarasvati, and Surt are going to be the team that goes the whole way. Half price Matador is affordable instead of Shiranui, Specter 1 will get killed by double Andalucia. Surt will have the expected skills: Ice Repel, Focus, Hades Blast, Attack All, Fire Boost, Ragnarok. Trafuri is not needed, Surt can clear random encounters faster because Cerberus is the only demon in the game with fire repel. I wonder what the strat for Albion is going to be?
