Messages

91

General / Re: Vanishing Powder Grenade

« on: November 16, 2020, 01:31:00 pm »

I must admit in so many playthroughs, I've never thought of using those grenades. In what context should I consider using them? If your Stealth skill is low, won't you just immediately get found on the enemies' turn?

I suppose it could be useful with high stealth if you can't LoS or incapacitate your enemies, but you have enough distance to be safe. It could also help activate stealth abilities, like Snipe.

92

General / Re: Best shield emitter?

« on: November 14, 2020, 03:14:53 pm »

It really depends on your build. If you have high evasion but low dodge, I'd go low. Being able to save 4 damage on every melee attack can stack up (though I guess knives and fists are even less than that).

Otherwise, I tend to always go Medium. It might save you from a sniper rifle Aimed Shot once in a while.

93

Development Log / Re: Dev Log #68: The Psi Question

« on: November 13, 2020, 02:32:02 pm »

I haven't gone through a full psi playthrough since the change yet, but it seems to me that every time your reserves go low, you have a free opportunity to tweak your slots a bit. Really, if you're having an encounter that could use a niche spell, the only cost to using it is a desaturated psi inhalant, regardless of your current reserves.
If you have a minimal investment in biology, that cost is just 3 Mindshrooms and a bunch of stuff you find in barrels.
In my opinion, that doesn't sound much worse than changing your equipment before a fight.

94

General / Re: About to do Deep Caverns for the first time

« on: November 11, 2020, 07:53:01 pm »

I actually forgot to bring TNT charges, but fortunately, I was friendly with the Faceless and found plenty in their warehouses. I do agree that the stealth gear was not as useful as I expected, since Eye of Tchort seems to behave as if a camera was constantly pointed on you: the enemies just "smell" your presence and bump you pretty fast.

I ended up finding the jackhammer more useful than the TNT - seemed to attract less tchortlings for some reason.

Overall, I feel like doing DC after Expedition content might make it easier than expected? Maybe I'll try doing it at level 25 next playthrough just to see the difference.

95

Builds / Re: Recommendation for a high agility build

« on: November 11, 2020, 05:24:24 pm »

Having a Sniper as a source of high damage for low evasion, high DR targets seems like a good idea.

I didn't realize shotguns had Leading Shot to greatly reduce the effects of Evasion. I've never played shotguns, how reliable is Leading Shot across the entire game? I can imagine certain encounters with a swarm of melee enemies and high evasion ranged targets might be annoying, such as Locusts + Serpents in Expedition. Though I'll probably have enough stealth to just TNT my way through locusts.

So I'll probably want 10 PER for Snipe and/or Sharpshooter, 5 STR for sniper and shotgun requirements, 6-7 INT for crafting. I'm not sure whether I want 3 DEX / 16 AGI or 7  DEX / 12 AGI. The latter would give me access to Escape Artist and grenade feats, and would allow me to easily get a few points in Throwing, Lockpicking, and Pickpocketing. The former would ensure I have access to all the AGI checks, and crazy high dodge/evasion/stealth

96

Builds / Recommendation for a high agility build

« on: November 11, 2020, 02:23:59 pm »

Agility is that one stat I never raise above 6 in any build I play. All the other stats either directly boost an offensive skill, or have a feat or side effects that makes them increase your damage output. Agility doesn't have much beyond Ambush and Blitz, at least it seems to me.

I get that having access to very high dodge, evasion, movement points, and stealth is kind of useful, but I don't know if that's going to help carry an entire playthrough, at least on Hard and above.

However, I'm curious to try a playthrough that has access to all those agility checks, especially the absurdly high Expedition ones.

I'm thinking of maybe a versatile shotgun / crossbow stealth build?

Also, I usually play Oddity, but I get that it's probably the kind of build that's not going to be able to afford to grab Hacking/Lockpicking/Pickpocketing and crafting at the same time. I can try to play classic xp for once.

97

Suggestions / Re: Power management on regenerative vest bug? Drains 1.35x the energy for nothing

« on: November 11, 2020, 12:20:43 pm »

I do wish Power Management came with some minor EMP resistance, just to bring the damage equivalent to how it would be without the feat.

I also think the feat shouldn't affect Regenerative Vest, since no energy core is involved.

Another approach would be to change the feat to instead reduce energy consumption on crafted items, leaving capacity untouched.

None of the other crafting feats have drawbacks like this, as far as I know.

98

General / Re: Unreachable box in Water Facility

« on: November 10, 2020, 04:43:41 pm »

Come on, I buy a Torpedo for that sick melee damage, a Freighter for hauling stray jets, and now I need a Devastator too?

Because of the trap in the tunnel under the waterway facility, I ended up doing most of the area on a stolen scooter with scavenged pieces anyway (which was an extremely awesome adventure, by the way). What other area could really use a Devastator?

99

General / Re: Unreachable box in Water Facility

« on: November 10, 2020, 12:49:24 pm »

I have to admit, I did not figure out that one either. I thought there was a special jet that could traverse this, but turns out that wasn't it (unless that was a secret perk of the Reef Glider?)

Unless there's a secret jetpack or swimming suit I missed somewhere in the game, I'm going to assume a Perception check

100

Suggestions / Re: Some suggestions for mechanical pistols.

« on: November 10, 2020, 12:50:44 am »

I think the "reliable low-investment sidearms" part is represented by a Versatility build. Since guns usually require base skills (not effective skills), pistols are usually your only option if you've focused on melee or crossbows on a versatile build.

Granted, people usually use energy or chem pistols, but firearms can still be used.

101

General / Re: Otto's random quest

« on: November 09, 2020, 02:25:35 pm »

While I do feel Otto's quest shouldn't be random, due to the unique rewards that a player may want to rely on, I do like the random quests for the starting area.
Underrail is a game you replay a lot, meaning you'll be playing intro quite a few times. Having a few surprises here and there really makes the difference without being too distracting.

102

General / About the "Core City" endings (spoilers, of course)

« on: November 08, 2020, 12:10:06 pm »

The wiki lists the conditions for the "Core City in Chaos" ending as "Archibald Knight is alive" and "Archibald Knight knows Miland Simmons killed Edmund Knight".

I'm curious if there are alternative ways to fulfill the second condition. For sure, if you join the Praetorians, then doing the Cube quest will give you an opportunity to inform him. But given that this fact can influence the ending slides this much, I feel there has to be other ways.

103

Bugs / Re: Crafting in combat mode

« on: November 07, 2020, 07:51:46 pm »

Mother... all this time, I was trying so hard to organize my inventory so I could craft everything within 30 seconds. Thanks for the trick!

104

Bugs / Re: Locust hives

« on: November 07, 2020, 07:49:54 pm »

Locust hives are structures, not creatures. This is evident by their special interaction with TNT.

No other structure can be critically hit, as far as I know. After all, I always open with Impale without thinking, so I've noticed every time something was immune to crit.

105

General / Re: DLC components quality

« on: November 06, 2020, 06:23:07 pm »

I've found plenty of 159-161 materials in the Abandoned Waterway Facility. I got myself a 159 black cloth, 161 Tungsten Plate, ~160 cloaking components. I skipped the psi stuff, but I think I found some really good ones too