Why has no one talked about Dominion base Act 2, where the first opponent has 3 provinces at the start and you have 3 curses. I did gardens and came 1 point from winning the first time and never got close again. That is just a cruel way to have an adventure game.
I would not try those levels with no zaps. You get free zaps though, usually five. Just click on cards to zap them. It's a decision as to what to zap - although using three on Provinces is mostly automatic. At first I was upset by it, but I mean, in the end it's a variant and there's nothing especially wrong with it.
Now about halfway through an Act 2 (dunno about the base set one which I haven't played), it becomes very hard to get through any level with only free zaps. Some campaigns have the cards you need, cards that let you beat the computer despite the edge; especially, the Prosperity ones with Goons and Colony. Sometimes there will be a Bridge engine or something and the computer will miss it and you'll get it built in time to win. But some of those levels, well Kirian can correct me, but they seemed unbeatable with no free zaps.
The zaps that aren't free are well free. You buy with them with Dominion coins which you get for playing Dominion. I can certainly afford a ton of them just from playing through act ones. But for me all interest goes out of the level once I need those zaps. If I try to use just enough zaps to win, maybe I'll lose, and then I'm out those zaps. So I overkill on zaps and then what is this pointless exercise.
Possibly the solution is to have zaps be permanent by level - you spend one non-free zap and now there's always an extra free zap. Then I could use just enough to keep it challenging and use more if I guessed wrong.
I have not looked at an act three yet.