AAR / Some observations

[UnLimiTeD]

So, I decided to write up what I did in the game and why I did it.
I'm not through yet, I just wanted to post it up because I'm rather annoyed at the state of things atm and had to take a break.
I never got past the GSM complex, so past that, it's very much a first playthrough.
Some conclusions down below.

Contains spoilers. Maybe.

Starting a melee character, imaginatively named "Grunt".
High Constituation, a bit of strength and agility;
I'll have to get 2 points of strength for Sledgehammers at some point.
Conditioning grants me some decent resistance.
Spent points into psionics because it's free power.

Did the firing range quest.
Gun is basically done just when I am.
I briefly consider selling it for some money, but I don't really have anything to spend it on.


I decided to reroll to draw a point of Intelligence for a point of Strength.
If I make a dumb melee character, I should really make a dumb melee character.
It'd cost me a few skillpoints a level, tops.

... Actually turns out it costs me all tailoring and mechanics, but I'll catch up, I won't level all the psionics in the future.
Probably mainly Psychokinesis, but I never got far enough up to be sure.
I really wish for a Gamma Option, when the lights are out, I really don't see anything.

The 'help screen' with the annoyingly blinking questionmark doesn't tell me how to close it again. ESC obviously works.
.... Turns out I actually forgot a point in agility this time and dumped it into constitution instead. Well, it certainly makes me sort of tougher.

Target practice isn't done with 10 shots. It seems to require ten hits, or something. I reload because I can basically throw away the pistol now. On the plus side, it started with 170 durability.
Maybe I can savescam for more?
..Yup. Three reloads later, I get 170 again. I'll get the target close to get those ten hits faster.

Got my first lesson from Ezra.
Health Regenerates? Neat.

Into the caves.
Managed to kill the first rathounds with a mix of psionics, crossbow and fists.
I'd really like me some brass knuckles now.
Or later maybe a Power Fist. Or Psionic Gloves.^^
Could kill the rest easily with mad skills shooting my Crossbow through the fence.
I really want shroomhead, but I picked Snooping for now, I need those secret passages or a lockpick skill worth the name.
Dumped 11 points into mechanics, might end up being useful.

Managed to grab a Combat Knife. The Perk is already worth it.
Off to the station to heal. I could swear the old man has Dialogue lines he didn't before.
The Tissue samples got me 800 xp, not bad. Not bad at all.
As I don't plan to learn much in the way of metathermics, I immediately used the freebie.

Killed a few more rathounds to the left of the first cave, totally forgot to get the compensator or whatever.
Well, off to heal again, so why not.
Flux Controller was it's name.

Went north from the generator cave and took quite a beating there.
Can someone tell me how a knife degrades when I miss?
Is the air really that corrosive?
Time to step by the doctor again.
On the way I can turn on the lights in 2 more rooms.
Damn, that trader has a Scoped Crossbow with 275 Durability.
Not that I can use crossbows, but it's nice to see. Now if only I could get a Knife of that quality.
Traded him my Pistol for Credits, my armor won't last forever if I'm facetanking my enemies.
Went to the armory, and traded my current suit, damaged crossbow (got a fresh one),
remaining bullets and 60 credits for a suit of rathound leather armor with 21%/4 mechanical, and some cold.
Should provide enough protection to facepunch the rathounds.
Decided to just attack the guy in the Outpost. I mean, who is he, sitting on all that juicy loot and probably not letting me pull that switch.
It's around 150 Credits?
First try, I opened with an Ice needle, and got tagged with a poisonous bolt.
Reloaded, opened with a telekinetic punch, stun, crit for 42 damage.
Managed to kill him second round without him shooting any of those valuable bolts.
Lost 6 durability on my new armor, 304 to go. Fists kinda work.
Levelup.
Got Mechanics up to 15, then tailoring to 6. Melee and Dodge are obviously full.
I'll probably stop leveling other psionics than kinetics to save more points for that, though I suppose a point of Intelligence is really missing now.^^
149 hp now. 100+9+20/level? Nice.
Once I got the outposts up, I suppose I can afford an actual melee weapon again, a dagger or serrated knife might be neat.
Had plenty of good feats to choose from, but picked up shroomhead.
Keeping around 70 Psi ready might come in handy way more than an occasional stun kick.
The mushroom in the outpost will immediately be put to good use.
Moved down the elevator and through the tunnel.
The next outposts shelves contain blueprints for leather armor and crossbows, not a bad find.
While I'm annoyed I can't open anything, it's a tradeoff I made for the character I chose to play.
I gave Jonas his Watch for free.
Silly choice given he has nothing I need, nor do I have money to buy it, but it might pay of in the future.
Might be a bit out of character, but I really didn't need what he offered, either.
As expected, repairing an item can increase it's worth by far more than the repair kit costs.
Sold off my Zephyr and repaired the looted Hurricane, even a melee character needs a Crossbow from time to time.
(8+14)/2*4 = 44
(17+27)/2*2 = 44
Looks like bar excessive strength, a Combat Knife and a Sledgehammer have the same Damage.
With 9 Strength, it's 44 * 1.08 for the knife, and 44 * 1.1 for the Hammer.
Looks like I don't need to hurry to get one of those.
Ok, at least not one that bad.
...
If I get the Deflection Perk, and switch to unarmed after every turn before continuing, do I get permanent dodge Bonus?
Didn't manage to convince Modre to give me two Hypos. I found it hillarious the one time I got there so far.
Bought a fishing rod, couldn't do anything with it. Reloaded.
First Mindbug killed. Got the drop on me, took quite some damage. Lucky I so much health.
I love fighting the Psibeetles. Despite dishing out massive damage, they never hurt my armor. Granted, they might bypass it, as well, but hey, it's value that lasts.^^
And Level 4.
I picked Opportunist and raised my Tailoring to 16.
Was a really tough choice wether to take 8 strength or 5 Intelligence, I decided on the strength based on the fact I have only 3 skills for Int skilled, that would only gain 1 point each from the change.
Strength only granted my 3 pts melee, as well, but it might in the future allow the use of sledgehammers and metal armors.
Went north in the mushroom cave and into a Rathound Alpha. Stealth was pointless, and they'd have surely killed me.
Autosaves make sense, and a lot of it.
After reloading, I tried out caltrops. Ended up standing in their middle, darn that was a shitty idea.
After trying two more times, I beat them, but the caltrops killed me more then them. I'll try again, despite wasting a few perfectly good crits.
This would be far less of an issue if I got full health in the station again.
...
Around ten times later, I've come to value the one time I won. Given the health I had before the fight, that was a near perfect outcome.
...
Finally, I beat them.
Threw the caltrops in the way, seperating them, could take one out, then hit and run till they were dead.
Damn, that was challenging.
Back to base.
Took a break at a mushroom.
When I got back 20 minutes later, there seemed to be a sort of traffic Jam at the hopper Holes.
A new day.

On my way to the next mission with those annoying robots (Never got any further yet).
I choose to learn Forcefield, because why the heck not. A mechanical repair kit sits well in my bag just in case that knife corrodes again.

Below the Underrail, found a guy with a Sledgehammer. Remembered him as pretty lethal from my first char (demo) that got here.
Chilled him from stealth, one crossbow bolt and three knife jabs later he's down.
I suppose he isn't that dangerous with 169 hp, managed to hit me once.
After saving, I decided to spend the mechanical repair kit on the Hammer, and replace the Knife. Damage is just ok.

Killed another guy in the tunnel, gave him the hammer. He dropped a Frag, first for this char.
Might come in handy.
After sneaking around a bit more, i found two more Stalkers. Attacked them before I saw it was two, and sadly first the one with the knife,
not the one with the Pistol. On the bright side, I critted the first one for 71 damage the second turn, considerably easing the fight.
The second one had the decency to use my health hypo in the fight, though on the plus side it saved me from two bullets, potentially improving the quality of the loot he'd drop afterwards.
I'm drained, I need to find a Mushroom.
Found a door in the tunnels, just where it should be.
An EMP Grenade, Burrower Poison, and Poisoned Caltrops. Good stuff.
On the way back to the station, I attacked the rathounds that'd be in my way anyways.
Stupid idea, with half health and no PSI left, but sometimes, stupid ideas work beautifully. Critted the first, then two hits (1 round) for every other.
Decided to kill the rest of them there as well.
Kinda hard to be exactly in the right space when innitiating combat, a point of movement is one attack less.

I think this game needs housing.
I'd decorate my room with my very own mushroom.
Seriously, topping off in the caves is no fun when you're on the other end of the station. But what has to be done has to be done.
I park Grunt in the shroom cave and go eat.
Took some time, took a nap... seems like stuff respawns?
When I came back, the Rathounds were back, too.
Sigh. Back to grab a repair kit.
Killed a few more Rathounds.
The Sledgehammer loses 9 Durability in 2 hits? wtf?
I can't afford that, I'll go back to a knife for now.
I mean, I'll have to buy repair kits every second engagement if that goes on.
On the other hand, my armor has survived me being beaten to shit around 3 times now, and is barely scratched.
Maybe I can Wrap a Metal Armor, should I aquire one, around an Iron Pole and use that to smack my enemies?
Doesn't need to be directed, the pure weight is fine.
South the station, another group of rathounds with an alpha. I tried a few times, but I can't beat them.
Maybe with a Sledge, but I plain can't afford that.
The security bots are outright annoying.
I can't sneak past them, I can't destroy them in a fight, and i can't hack either.
Had a reload a few times because of unsatisfactory situations.
I suppose going for Kinetics was a retarded choice, I should have spent those points in proper skills and just
level metathermics enough to chill enemies for opportunist.
And having to have a crowbar equipped to open the ventilation shafts is ********.
I don't have to have a multitool in hand to open it, either.

Just when I thought I was stuck, I managed to sneak up the body in the second level and grab everything, then rush off again.
Looks like the key might be matching that trap door.
I sure hope it does.
...
I am amazed to find out that a successful persuasion check actually gets me in a fight with more enemies than just attacking them outright.
Who would have thought that putting points into social skills literally gets you killed?
Oh well, reload.
Well, duh, that Crossbow girl hits like a Truck.
Actually had to use a health hypo this time, and even then it was close because she also crits every second turn.
Now I'll have to sneak back past those annoying sentries to heal up at the station, and I probably need some repair kits as well.
Just imagine I had spent all the useless 20 points into thought control
(more control over your body? I thought that'd help me in melee at some points) into hacking,
I might actually have useful equipment now and could activate that turret.
Crap.
So I got back up, camera locks me, sentry bot is nearby.
...
I'm stuck.
I can't beat the bandits with that low health and damaged weapons, I can't fight the sentries without going through roughly
everything in my inventory, and by moving up, I have no autosave anymore. ....Shit.

So, what did I draw from this:
- High life and melee is definitely easier than what I tried so far, earlier on. Life is free, after all.
It seems to hit a few walls through the game.
- Crap, Durability is annoying. Why does my knife degrade on a miss? Armor, on the other hand, can apparently stop bullets and not take a scratch. Meanwhile I do.
- Going back to refill resources is just a bit annoying.
- The level with the bots requires either top notch equipment, including lots of electricity, or mad skills at stealth, hacking, lockpicking (pick 2).
I know life isn't fair, but hey, game; Maybe that should somehow be communicated before? As a melee specialist that was stupid enough to skill some psionics and social skills over science, I kinda feel I might as well go in naked and blind.

Overall, I still love this game, though.
Edit: Changed from code to Quote.

[UnLimiTeD]

Saved for continue. I might have found a way back that doesn't involve dying.

_______________
I managed to slip past the camera, reload, quickly move north through the door, close it. up in the shaft.
I decide to take down the cameras, which is surprisingly easy: I pop through the opening, initiate combat, shoot the crossbow twice, then end combat and shoot twice again;
4 Shots and the camera barely turned.
Now I also know what's the downside to the Crowbar, and not being able to close the Grates again:
You can't look through them when they are open.
... wait, what?
I use the elevator back up, trying to get back I stumble upon two more rathounds. With the crowbar equipped, I barely beat them back, but I find the key for the security room
and a blueprint for Pistols.
Only later I notice I'd have run into a third one did I beat them one turn later.
Even though I totally expected that, I'm a bit astounded that I come back there on a limp,
with 7 hitpoints and my armor actually showing signs of damage now, and not only knowledge that the security system is working,
but there's also a band of armed raiders on the third floor, and I can't talk about it.

Continue:

I read that shrooms regrow after around an hour.
Also found out I can regen from the one in the Agriculture Center, so I don't need to go into the Caves everytime.
Still went there to grab the shrooms, now that I know they will be back.
Azuridae have respawned, as well, so I killed three.
Even took a Health Hypo because I just couldn't be arsed to get back. 750 xp is something.
They crit way often.
By now I think that going pure, heavy melee, maybe with enough metathermics to slow enemies, would have been a lot preferable,
but maybe I can at least create a sort of psionic monk.
I just wonder what the hell I took all that strength for.
Sold a bunch of scrap at the Armory, including a full dusability Hammerer that I apparently found somewhere.
Used the money to grab a nice dagger and stock up on repair kits.
I still have 8 Health Hypos, so that ought to be enough.

Went back to the GMS compound, through the vents, and started cleaning the rooms. Of valuables, for now.
I was rather shocked that my stealth is apparently high enough to not be seen by a camera 4 hexes away in bright light.
Edit: Found the surveilance room. Maybe there's just no one looking at the cameras.

I actually managed to take them out one by one with telekinetic punch and a few jabs.
Not to bright, these raiders, or at the very least, not too sharp eyes. Earned a levelup.
Found out I'm apparently not able to just attack the raider leader, only talk to him, upon which he immediately orders everyone to kill me.
Who thought that was a good idea?
Next try, I started of by kicking the leader in his crown jewels, then stabbing the shit out of him.
Even survived a point black burst of his compagnion, thanks to him somehow missing half the time.
Sadly, I didn't know hypos had cooldown, and against the female raider, that was my end.

After trying a few more times, but being wrecked by a devastating critical or hillarious miss, I
resorted to savescamming and trying out that frag grenade I had with me for just such an occasion.
Sadly, that made the other folks around hostile as well, might have hit one. Shit happens.
While normally, I wouldn't care, I want to see content, and dialogue and background is mor interesting than plain experience. Reload.
Next time I hit them properly, only to practically die in one round because they crit like no tommorrow.
184 damage in one round, from just two guys? I'm mad.
Took a PSI Booster instead of a Grenade now, that did it.
Only to find out that the survivors didn't have much to say, and the key I need was apparently one I picked up already. -.-
F*cking BLING. Sold all the crap from the raiders, no idea how I can even carry that much. Repaired all the weapons before selling for a nice profit.
Got enough money now to actually afford PSI Boosters, should I need them.
A new day.
I accepted the quest from that ominous trader to get the package to the GMS compound.
3 Bandits.
First time tried to judge their strength, they seem beatable.
Reload, try to kill them for real this time.
The third one fired a total of 6 or 7 shots, with 5 crits among them. Seriously.
I got no time for this shit, so next time, I open the combat witha  grenade. I take some damage as well,
but they are apparently concussed enough they miss nearly everything.
I manage to wrap it up by the end of round two.
Looks like I earned myself a Level up.
I pick hit and run. Then I notice that might suck for unarmed, but this one time I didn't save before. -.-

Found the "contact" in the warehouse. I suppose I got good equipment from it. Even a better Sledge.
Used a mechanical repair kit on one of the found guns, then sold it for 98 credits, 5 bolts and an HE grenade.
Because you never know when you'll need an HE grenade.
I learned Force emission.
The PSI cost is insane. 12 points per attack?
Why wouldn't I just telepunch them and then beat them up the old fashioned way?
Only thing I can think of is in combination with very heavy armor, where range counts, or when unarmed (how, exactly?)
gets strong enough and PSI plentyful enough I can not give a shit.
Well, it's just been 200 credits, and it's a decent dps move in a pinch, I suppose.
I can't fail to note how the blueprint to recycle stuff was a waste of money given I don't have the skill to actually recycle stuff.
In the Junkyard, I trader sold two rathound leathers with thermic overcoat.
One of them featured high density padding, it cost 3x as much, featured 5% higher encumbrance, and it had (yay) one % more mechanical protection.
Note to self: Never use that stuff.
Forgot to write a bit. I suppose I really get into things when that happens.
Took the quest to get fish, but I frankly can't find the place.
Then took the hint to break into a house, finished some rathounds opening with poisoned caltrops, then fought a retreating battle.
Earlier, I was afraid at the Alpha Rathounds, by now I have so much hp I don't care about their rend attack.
Got to that doctor to heal before finishing off the last one. He's slightly suspect, yes he is.
...Painkillers are for the weak! I got 208 hitpoints, after all.
I get back into the tunnel, combat mode on, but the bloody rathound still gets first attack.
Afterwards, I start out my round with only 35 action points....
The place the Rathound Alpha died hat remains, though after he died, they were gone. Was he corrosive or something?
WHY the hell is my health sometimes regenerating, and most of the time not?
THREE PSI mushrooms! That's awesome for the regen!^^
The house owner found me. Told me I chose the wrong house to bust into, followed by a sharp chirping sound like a combat turn, and a loading cursor until I killed the game.
Yeah, that was truly dangerous, I give him that.
I used the autosave and got the owner a nice kick in the balls.
Damn he was rich.
Also: The heck? That knife is godlike.
Well, it's probably not above a good sledge, given I can use that, but don't have the stats for the good knife skills.
Still, that's rich. Maybe I should just never visit my "employer" again?
... Gave him back the knife. 2500 XP beats a good weapon.
Got to Eddy, asked for his quest, well, I'm no thief.
Went back, tried to place a rod by the pond, game crashed.

Edit: Ok, I got the the conclusion that I completely missskilled my character.
Stealth is totally my personal style, but in this case, I went for a Tank in Metal Armor, and stealth just won't do anything there. Neither will Dodge, or Evasion.
I could have spent the remaining points into crafting, and have higher Int. Easier game, more money, and still fun beating shit up.

[UnLimiTeD]

Third part:

Decided to go on anyways.
Took the jobs from both the Scrappers and the Eels.
First I went to the Gambling House.
Was Afraid Elwood would put up a fight, but it took him just a boot to the groin and a Sledge to the Head and he fell asleep.
Forever.
Now onto that extortion.
Killed Grover. I kinda feel bad for him, I suppose that's Mafia work.^^
Went onto the silent isle.
Nice idea with the "Hallucinations".
But I figured if there's a copy of me, one of us is getting out alive. So fair deal.
NICE! A Mechanic of "Stay in the light, where shrooms are save havens! Always love that, if used with judicion.
Also, I walked into my own Caltrops. Feel like a dork, but then again, the healths regenerating. Dunno why, though.
Three Psi Beetles. I don't have the grenades for that kind of fight. Well, or maybe the hammer will do. I should try at some point.
I met some mysterious rocks in a cave. Seem to be the source of the shanagans here. Can't do anything about it, though.
Back up, I think I'll try to lay waste to the beetles.
Edit: Nope. Hammers too damaged. Can't take on those beetles without a good opening grenade.

I got myself a slice of bread. When i got back, the beetles had dispersed, so I snuck between them and took the cargo.
Found a nice Overcoat on a dead man, more or less the same as my armor, but +14 Stealth is a bonus to be factored in.
3000 XP! That was easy.
I could level up by now, but I'm still not sure what to get.

Also turned in the quest for Eddy. By now I have 13109/6000 xp, I suppose I could actually level up twice?
Darn.
I found Steel Plates and a Black Overcoat in a Shelf, after a reload it was 3 bullets and an empty syringe.
I continued to reload until I got at least one useful item out of it again. I feel cheated.
Over the next attempts, it gets less: 3 bullets, 2 bullets, 1 bullet.
Finally a Tranquilizing Bolt. After an other reload, an Incendiary Bolt mk.II.
Thungsten Steel and an Incendiary mk2. I take that.

Finally leveled up to 7 before engaging two junkyard muties.
First one spotted me, his smg burst took over 80 health off me. Seriously.

Ok, I think I can't continue. With 90% health, I was taken out by a single mine. Over 180 damage. How am I supposed to get through here?

I managed to beat the three muties and three dogs with a mk2 HE and poisoned Caltrops.
Also used a few hypos.
At this rate, I'd get poor just from fighting, definitely nothing I look forward to.
Needless to say, I don't even want to try to engage the auto turrets.
Back in the Junkyard, I managed to repair a Laser Pistol with Plasma Core I found earlier.
That thing's worth 15k! Well, guess I'm rich now, but I still won't get any further.
A bit earlier, I saw a trader offering a Thungsten Sledge, but it's gone now. Then again,
I also already saw a Regenerative Vest, and I probably won't ever be seeing that one, either.
Tried to enter the Old Junkyard through the Wormhole.
Got out the other side of the Autoturrets.
Turrets that apparently shoot only me, and not anyone else in this damned place. Yeh, I suppose I'm stuck.

Right now, I really don't know how to continue, I've got not-good-enough crafting skills, no throwing, I can't detect mines that can nearly rip my 238hp self to pieces in a single explosion (maybe two close to each other?), and more than two enemies in the old yard are rather lethal, as well.
No hacking/lockpicking, either, and if I want to get tougher I'll have to give up stealth.