Silent Isle [SPOILERS]

[SagaDC]

There are absolutely spoilers for a minor quest in this post. Read at your own risk.

Wasn't going to put up another suggestion tonight, but that was before I died twenty times on Silent Isle. I'm sure it's been mentioned before, but the doppelgangers really need to be toned down. As it currently stands, the quest is almost impossible to complete for a PC that doesn't have Thought Control.

Given the placement of moderately difficult enemies (Rathound Alphas and Psi-Beetles), the player can't rush to pick up the Lost Cargo on the northern shore. In the time it takes to maneuver and fight through, at minimum, two packs of Psi-Beetles, the player is set upon by the doppelgangers.

As they currently are, the invincible doppelgangers can easily outrun the player and still inflict three unavoidable electrical attacks that cause an average of 10-15 damage per strike (or upwards of 25 on a crit). The doppelganger fades after three or four turns, but that still gives them time to inflict an average of roughly 100-150 damage to the player before they vanish - more than a single Health Hypo can heal. Then, before the cooldown on the Hypo is even finished, another Doppelganger will appear to finish the job.

I can understand the presence of the Doppelgangers to protect the Monolith at the center of the island, given the potential power of the Bi-Location ability, but they're a bit too daunting for the cargo recovery. They either need to be toned down (maybe a longer cooldown between Doppelganger appearances?), or the cargo needs to be placed closer to the zone entry point for faster recovery.

At the moment, 'in and out' isn't a very reliable strategy, because the Doppelgangers will swarm the player to death before they can escape.

EDIT - I managed to push my Gunner/Trapper through the quest eventually by using hit and run tactics. I ran in, killed a group of enemies, then ran away (ie, left the island entirely) to let the 'Strange Feeling' debuff fade (and to let the cooldown on the Health Hypos finish). It took a total of five trips and twelve Hypos (plus two bandages, which were inconsequential) to kill the Rathound pack, and two of the Psi-Beetle groups. I think I was attacked by roughly eight Doppelgangers during that time.

[Eliasfrost]

I managed to get through it by retreating into the pillar chamber where no doppelgangers spawn for a safe haven where I healed myself, reloaded and waited for cooldowns. That is, if you get past the rathounds.

[SagaDC]

I didn't have too much trouble with the pack of Rathounds, once I realized that I could easily lure them back toward The Captain. He ends up helping you take them out, with his assault rifle. I think there's a group of three Psi-Beetles right outside the Monolith Chamber, though, so I generally avoid that area unless I'm running a Psi-oriented character (since the bonus Psi Points / Bilocation power is worth the trouble).

[Elhazzared]

Another way yet to deal with the dopplegangers is to use stealth! Ocasionally you may bump into them and that will get you out of stealth, but it's possible to stealth all the way to crate, get the item and stealth all the way back without trading a single blow with anyone at all.

[SagaDC]

Sadly, I only have maybe one character with any significant Stealth skills. Stealth is one of those abilities that only really works if you dump everything possible into it, so most of my character builds ignore it completely.

What I dread, really, is trying to do Silent Isle with one of my slower characters. I haven't tried it yet, but it seems like the kind of place that will be certain death for my heavily armored melee guy. All the health in the world won't help him, when 90% of the enemies on the island have unavoidable electro-psychic attacks.

Of course, that might be more easily managed with some kind of new helmet type or helmet enhancement. Something that boosts the PC's resistance to psychic attacks.

[UnLimiTeD]

Honestly, the pack of three PSI beetles was my biggest issue.

SPOILER:

I noticed on my first playthrough that the "strange feeling" runs out if you're close to a lightsource, so I could easily get to the cargo by hopping from mushroom to mushroom.
I picked them up when I was done with the fighting.
Didn't have to fight any doppelgangers at all (well, aside when trying the cave, wasn't a psi character).

[Eliasfrost]

Does that mean you can use flares to interrupt "strange feeling"?

[SagaDC]

Huh, well, that would certainly explain why I had so much trouble. Being a big-time RPG klepto, every one of those mushrooms was in my inventory the second I saw them. Once they were gone, I was being attacked by a doppelganger almost every five turns / fifteen seconds.

I'll have to show some restraint next time I get to Silent Isle, I suppose.

[Styg]

Does that mean you can use flares to interrupt "strange feeling"?

[SPOILER]

Any light source will do. Just stand next to it until the debuff passes and then you're safe to roam until it stacks up again.

You shouldn't be able to hide from a doppelganger, though. Will probably change that, sorry.

[UnLimiTeD]

*That guy I'm hallucinating can't see me!* 

[Styg]

Another way yet to deal with the dopplegangers is to use stealth! Ocasionally you may bump into them and that will get you out of stealth, but it's possible to stealth all the way to crate, get the item and stealth all the way back without trading a single blow with anyone at all.

Have you actually managed to do this? Because I just checked and doppelgangers can see through stealth.

[Elhazzared]

Let's say I have managed to half do it Styg. I managed to get all the way to the crate once without actually getting attacked. The strange feeling just goes away and i imagine the doppleganger just doesn't appears or is somehwere invisible (in stealth as I am). I got there and I thought to get out but then I noticed the cave and went in. On another playthrough I was bumped once or twice out of stealth but even after the doppleganger timer to show up goes, i still manage to stay in stealth for a little bit... This leads me to belive that yes, it's more than possible to stealth all the way and back so if dopplegangers see through it, you might need to fiddle with the code a bit.

Since we are talking about stealth here's a question which mmight also be a bug or not. I've noticed that when I go into the junkyard sometimes dogs and mutants will treat stealth normally and other times it's like it doesn't works, once I get into detection range while in stealth they auto detect me... similarly on that small gang south of the GMS compound (the gang with the psiker in it) also seams to se right through stealth (well I only tested it once anyway, save and load will always get the same result but waiting for respawns or starting a new run might change).

[Phyroks]

[SPOILER]
I actually had to wonder how to kill those things, immune to bullets and stuff, then i realized "they are in my mind, maybe this works" zapped them to death with psi. When I was starting to run out of psi I was sure i was missing something and I was really happy that the light source at start gave some clues.

Was really happy about the island design overall, had to puzzle over the story and how the debuff resets ^^