Messages

91

Suggestions / Re: Alternatives to Lockpicking/Hacking

« on: July 05, 2020, 03:13:11 pm »

Honestly, this just sounds like complexity for complexity's sake.  Not a big fan.  No builds are so starved for skill points that they can't get some Lockpicking and Hacking.  Even if you are a 3 Dex, 3 Int build, 50 points in each plus buffs will get you 80-90% of all unlocks in the game, and every build has 100 points to spare.  As it is, anything locked that blocks quest progression can be circumvented in a variety of ways - keys, alternate routes, that sort of thing.  There's nothing anywhere in the game that you have to have, which can only be accessed by hacking or picking something. 

If you make it so X can stand in for Y, then there's no longer a need to have Y.  Without Lockpicking-only interactions, there's no point in having Lockpicking.

92

General / Re: High quality bison leather?

« on: June 28, 2020, 08:07:32 am »

120 should be fine.  You won't get higher from the bison - they drop double digit quality leather.  I feel like I got a 102 or 104 once, but otherwise it's all been double digits.  And going much higher isn't hugely helpful anyway, since presumably you're planning to infuse that, and the diminishing returns get really punishing after 130 quality.  Bison leather's resistance scaling tapers off noticeably after 115, too.  Basically, don't sweat it.  You probably can't beat that 120, you almost certainly won't, and you definitely don't need to.

93

Builds / Re: In search of sneaky crossbow/traps builds

« on: June 28, 2020, 08:00:22 am »

If you go back to page 4 (as of the time you posted this) there's a stealth + traps + crossbow build post by Kiruha that sounds like it might be just what you're looking for.  Typical builds would have Snipe, but that post shows a valid alternative build.

94

Builds / Re: An Average Explanation of Outstanding Psi Builds

« on: June 24, 2020, 09:48:26 pm »

I do not recommend advanced psi empathy for light/medium armored mages.
On paper it sounds ok, but in practice it is not worth it IMO.

With the health cut I feel like I am back in the early game where everything would chunk the shit out of me.

Full psi builds have a ludicrous number of options to just not get hit.  If you're getting hit hard regularly, then you're not playing psi well.  It's really that simple.  Little hits here and there, sure; but you should only be getting hit when you want to, if you're playing full psi.

Hide behind a force field; set up mirror images and cryo shield; debuff enemy hit chances so they have no prayer of landing a shot; slow and chill melee enemies so they can't get to you; AoE incapacitate/fear/enrage enemy groups; stun organics and robotics alike; lay down powerful stunning traps; make yourself immune to fire damage; make yourself immune to all damage.

There's so much.  Your HP pool is just a curiosity piece once you know how to play psi reasonably well.  And once you begin taking advantage of Thermodynamicity, you'll be able to trigger 8, 10, even 12 abilities a turn.  You'll want all the psi cost reduction you can get, at that point.

I know you mostly show up to troll the forums both here and on reddit with stories of your own failures, but if your concern is genuine, then know it's because you haven't learned how to play psi well yet.  Keep at it; there's plenty of advice out there to get you up to speed.

95

Builds / Re: Strange website for Build links, Good Sniper\smg or sniper\AR build

« on: June 23, 2020, 06:20:29 am »

The character builder has moved.  Remove the .tm from the URL and you'll be fine.

96

Bugs / Re: Expedition Help -- Professor Quest Bugged?

« on: June 22, 2020, 08:29:23 am »

You have the hand with you, or did you put it down somewhere?

97

Builds / Re: A build centered on the PSI Crab Carapace

« on: June 22, 2020, 07:04:54 am »

I think you're going to have to sell me a bit more on the DEX > STR brawler argument, at least when you can't use Lightning Punches

Is there something I'm missing?

Well, you sort of want to get to 12 attacks per turn to maximize your output.  Attack #12 will give you your third Pneumatic Strike on the same attack that you get your fourth Combo for the turn, making that attack a real monster.  Without Lightning Strikes or tabis, and without Blitz or Expert Sprint, I don't know a way to get 12 attacks per turn without getting to 14 Dex - 13 plus food buff, probably, since many combats you won't need 12 attacks per turn.  With your restrictions, you need 96 AP to make 12 attacks, and you can get that with psi haste (+2 spec) plus Magic Voodoo Amphetamines.  If you did roll a 16+1 or 15+2 Dex character (or 13+2+2, but damn that would be terrifying min/maxing), you'd only need 84 AP, which would be normal psi haste + adrenaline with 6 AP left over.

Also, your damage will scale up with effective skill.  If you're making a Strength-built brawler, you still need some Dex, and that pulls down your stat ceiling.  But a Dex-build brawler can dump Str as much as necessary to get that 13-14 Dex, and your higher effective melee skill will boost your damage almost as much as the lost bonus damage from Str.  If you're concerned about carry capacity, well, that's what Pack Rathound is for.  You aren't shooting, so you don't have to carry ammo; you aren't using sledgehammers or spears, so your gear weight isn't too bad.  I don't think carry weight will be a huge problem.

98

Builds / Re: Psi Build - Thoughts?

« on: June 22, 2020, 02:43:26 am »

You're actually slightly overinvested here and there.  You could take 20 points out of Mechanics and 10 from Tailoring and still craft everything you want to.  The only reason you'd need to go higher than that would be for metal armor or leather armor, and it doesn't sound like you're too worried about those.

If you assume Jackknife, Huxkey, and Lemurian Engineer Suit, you can pull 30 points out of Lockpicking and still open every lock in the game with Dex food buff.

I always argue that any investment in Thought Control past 75 is a waste unless you're building for Neural Overload, which you clearly aren't.  You could pull some points back from TC if you wanted.  You won't see hardly any resolve checks at 75 skill, because your effective will be over 200 with 75 points in.

What to do with those leftover skill points?  I dunno.  Personally I'd probably stick a few into Chemistry, because I like being able to make MK IV grenades.  Other than that, I'd probably mac out Temporal Manipulation.  I like Entropic Recurrence and Temporal Distortion enough to use them regularly, and they do indeed benefit from additional skill.

I wasn't impressed with Mantra.  If you have nothing else you want, sure, get it, by all means.  But by the time you can get it, 5 regen really isn't impressive for a full psi character like you've built.  Your concern will really be stacking psi cost reduction rather than working with regen.  If you need more psi points, you just pop a booster.

99

Builds / Re: A build centered on the PSI Crab Carapace

« on: June 21, 2020, 08:17:42 pm »

Find one additional point for Int and get Premeditation. Until you do that, any other changes you make are wrong, because the entire build is wrong.  Any psi build without Premeditation is wrong.  You can build without Force User, without Locus of Control.  They're incredible feats, but you don't have to have them.  But you have to have Premeditation, or else your build is wrong.

Dropping the Dex to lose Grenadier and throwing any leftover points into Con wouldn't be a bad choice.  Having Sprint is awfully nice, though.  Even with psi haste, there will be a lot of situations where you're glad to have the extra 30 movement points.

edit: I didn't even look at the build properly.  Another fundamental problem here is that Strength-built brawlers are mostly poor builds, and strictly inferior to Dexterity-built brawlers.  Gloves are light weapons and get AP cost reduction from Dexterity, so you get way, way more actions per turn.  That more than makes up for the increased damage per hit of a Strength-built brawler.

100

Builds / Re: Help with my build

« on: June 21, 2020, 08:13:32 pm »

That's a fairly general build.  UnderRail rewards specialization.
7 Will means your psi won't be very strong.
10 Dex means your melee will only be average - and using swords, you're not benfitting from a high-ish Dex so much because swords don't have AP reduction from Dex.  Also, only 40 points in Melee at level 14?  That's never going to work.
7 Agi on a build with no Agi feats and minimal investment in Dodge and Evasion is a waste of both stat and skill points, further hurting your character.
You really need to focus this build.  Better stats to support your main skills, full investment in those skills, and better feats (Hypothermia is pretty poor, as feat go; Recklessness isn't any use for psi so is only barely useful for psi hybrid builds)

Why are you struggling on Depot A but also talking about post-Depot content?  If you haven't cleared the Depot, there's no reason you should be worrying about Carnifex or Coil Spiders or JKK missions.  If you have manged to get into the world without clearing the Depot first, then do the easier stuff in the world before going to the harder stuff.  Foundry is nice because it's only hard until you figure out the trick, then it's easy no matter what your build, what level you are, what gear you have.

Basically, this is a terrible character, and unless you're playing on Easy I wouldn't even recommend you try to recover it.  I'd recommend you just reroll.

If you want to play a primarily psi character, I'd recommend following my psi guide: https://underrail.com/forums/index.php?topic=4149.0   If you want to add melee in to that, there's room in my suggested build for that, or you could ask specific questions in that thread if you'd prefer.

If you want to play a psi/heavy melee hybrid, I'd personally recommend something more like perhaps this build: https://underrail.com/forums/index.php?topic=5526.0   It's spears, not swords, which I think is a better choice for a psi hybrid build.

If you really want to play a sword build with psi support, there are several threads about that.  Start there and work your way toward something you want to play.

101

General / Re: Stealing from Ray's Shop

« on: June 17, 2020, 10:23:10 pm »

You can afford the Devastator even on DOMINATING with no trouble, though you do have to plan for it a bit if you've also tricked out your house and bought some Super Steel.  On Hard and lower difficulties, you can accidentally end up with enough money to buy everything.

Get an effective Tailoring and/or Mechanics score of 50 and you can make improved repair kits, which will mean you can turn your trash tier equipment into large profits.  With Expedition, every build can spare enough points to get at least 50 effective in both.

If you're a crafting-heavy build, the Disassemble feat will pretty much solve all your money problems, if used well.

102

General / Re: underrail.info

« on: June 17, 2020, 12:06:09 pm »

I don't know if you can know this, so apologies if it's something beyond your control.

Will old build links work at the new address if the .tm is cropped from the URL?  Or should we assume that all old build links are now unreliable?

Sorry to hear about the hosting trouble =(

edit: looks like they work, anyway.  8/8 checked so far are unchanged at the new URL

103

General / Re: XP for quests in Oddity

« on: June 15, 2020, 06:52:45 pm »

Well, just going off the top of my head -

Directing you into the Underpassages for the first time opens up the various oddities down there, plus the secret area right next to Blaine's shop. (~ 5 oddity XP, I think, from the stuff in the map stub due north of where you come in, plus the stuff in the map east with the Lurkers, and the disk in the secret area)

Depot A tunnels includes an oddity in a broken stalagmite (-ctite?) container

Wiping out the Scrappers base nets you at a minimum two oddities you can't get while peaceful with them

Plus you get the quest reward, however meager.

104

Suggestions / Re: Boots

« on: June 12, 2020, 06:08:59 am »

tl;dr tabis are basically Recklessness for your feet, and probably should stay that way

Tabis get you critically hit more often.  That's not a tiny consideration.  I'm not sure tabis need a nerf, given that they provide very minimal protection and increase the damage taken by the player.

Sure, probably a bunch of people wear tabis for the movement points, but a really good set of springs will give you more move points and move speed than tabis - mid-30s isn't unattainable, and I'm not sure you can get tabis that high without Skinner.  So, really, people wear tabis because they either don't know how good boots are, or are simply content to play suboptimally.

Besides, if you want the bonus carry capacity of infused pig leather, you have to wear boots.  Who doesn't want more carry weight, especially since it adds "smarter" than Pack Rathound?  If you want the improved punchy crit of infused ancient rathound, you have to wear boots.  And if you want to be immune to caltrops without spending a feat, you need metal boots.

I guess I just really don't think tabis need to be nerfed compared to boots (especially since infused siphoner tabis already got hit so hard), and your suggestion sounds like a direct nerf to tabis.  I wouldn't mind seeing all boots give a +carry bonus as a competing  bonus to the +move of tabis, though.  Good boots that lace up over your ankles give palpable support all the way up into your knees (unless you're so young you don't notice that you have knees, in which case, enjoy it while it lasts) and make it much easier to carry a heavy pack on long walks.

105

Builds / Re: Noob questions: Building an "Inventor"/"Engineer"

« on: June 11, 2020, 01:21:05 pm »

Will having a lower dex but higher INT incentivize to employ a more crafty use of the chem pistol and consumables instead of just blasting away and dealing high crit damage with the energy pistol

Not really.  Energy pistols - specifically laser and plasma, but to a lesser extent electroshock as well - are pretty much one-hit-kill devices when you build to them.  Their critical damage multiplier becomes absurdly high, and most things don't have terribly high energy resistance so once you get past a shield (if applicable) you're going to land a large fraction of your theoretical damage.  Early on, it's nice to have that high Dex so you can get several shots in a turn.  Your gear and your feats aren't fleshed out, and unlike, say, ARs or sledges or psi or unarmed, you really need both a good set of gear and a good set of feats for energy weapons to really show off their power (but with grenades and traps, you'll do fine in the early game as well).  By later in the game, you're going to be doing absurd damage so the damage boost from higher Int will often just be wasted.  The most efficient use of energy pistols is getting to that one shot one kill point, and then having a lot of shots.

edit: you won't likely get to the point where using utility items becomes inefficient.  Energy pistols only really have one trick when it comes to crowd control, unlike say chem pistols which are CC central.  You may find that you don't use damaging grenades as often, but EMPs and flashbangs and incendiaries are going to absolutely be high-priority items for your entire playthough