What build should I try next?

[The Saint]

I'm very satisfied with my actual expedition build - stealth shotguner. Shotguns are fun, they do a lot of damage, and are able to take down multiple enemies at once. I also use traps for crowd control. Char is not a glass cannon, because of 6 CON, which is just enough  to survive even massive crit. The only minus is low DEX, what makes you always to move last during the fight, but it is your choice to put your points in DEX or AGI (I don't like slow chars, so my choice was obvious).

[Bruno]

Stealth give you the advantage of scouting the enemy undetected. You find out their numbers, positioning, patrols, equipment. Then you can devise a good plan to take them out on your own terms, selecting the right weapons, utilities, armor etc for the job, place traps, use a good position and get a deadly first strike. This is an awesome ability, that you pay for by being lightly armored.

When played well, planning combat from stealth means you have already won when starting combat. Sun Tzu would be proud. Feats like Blindsiding or Snipe just enhance the power of stealth even further.

[Threeeightnine]

Stealth give you the advantage of scouting the enemy undetected. You find out their numbers, positioning, patrols, equipment. Then you can devise a good plan to take them out on your own terms, selecting the right weapons, utilities, armor etc for the job, place traps, use a good position and get a deadly first strike. This is an awesome ability, that you pay for by being lightly armored.

When played well, planning combat from stealth means you have already won when starting combat. Sun Tzu would be proud. Feats like Blindsiding or Snipe just enhance the power of stealth even further.

Maybe it's my lack of experience showing, but that only seems to be true for the beginning round of combat. After you've broken stealth, you are a squishy sitting duck. Someone tosses a grenade and you are reloading the fight. It's why I'm usually reluctant to play low health low armor characters.

[Bruno]

Stealth give you the advantage of scouting the enemy undetected. You find out their numbers, positioning, patrols, equipment. Then you can devise a good plan to take them out on your own terms, selecting the right weapons, utilities, armor etc for the job, place traps, use a good position and get a deadly first strike. This is an awesome ability, that you pay for by being lightly armored.

When played well, planning combat from stealth means you have already won when starting combat. Sun Tzu would be proud. Feats like Blindsiding or Snipe just enhance the power of stealth even further.

Maybe it's my lack of experience showing, but that only seems to be true for the beginning round of combat. After you've broken stealth, you are a squishy sitting duck. Someone tosses a grenade and you are reloading the fight. It's why I'm usually reluctant to play low health low armor characters.

Oh it is true. After you break stealth, you are a squishy, unarmored grenade target. It is worthwhile to invest heavily into evasion, as it will help you evade AoE damage from the occational grenade, and save your bacon when stepping on the inevitable landmine. Decent health/Constitution is also a very good idea. The benefits of stealth is worth it.

[Threeeightnine]

Stealth give you the advantage of scouting the enemy undetected. You find out their numbers, positioning, patrols, equipment. Then you can devise a good plan to take them out on your own terms, selecting the right weapons, utilities, armor etc for the job, place traps, use a good position and get a deadly first strike. This is an awesome ability, that you pay for by being lightly armored.

When played well, planning combat from stealth means you have already won when starting combat. Sun Tzu would be proud. Feats like Blindsiding or Snipe just enhance the power of stealth even further.

Maybe it's my lack of experience showing, but that only seems to be true for the beginning round of combat. After you've broken stealth, you are a squishy sitting duck. Someone tosses a grenade and you are reloading the fight. It's why I'm usually reluctant to play low health low armor characters.

Oh it is true. After you break stealth, you are a squishy, unarmored grenade target. It is worthwhile to invest heavily into evasion, as it will help you evade AoE damage from the occational grenade, and save your bacon when stepping on the inevitable landmine. Decent health/Constitution is also a very good idea. The benefits of stealth is worth it.

Well, I'm definitely looking forward to playing a crossbow character, I'm just worried it will be frustrating learning to play as one.

[TheAverageGortsby]

Well, I'm definitely looking forward to playing a crossbow character, I'm just worried it will be frustrating learning to play as one.

Well, carry a lot of flashbangs. Most of your damage is single-target, so you safely let several enemies at once ride out their incap timers.  Open with a frag and a flashbang, then if somebody is nearly dead hit adrenaline and wrap up the turn with a crossbow shot and some relocation. Next turn, three shots and more relocation. When the adrenaline wears off you can hopefully LOS any remaining enemies so they have to get up close and personal where you've laid down some acid traps or bear traps, then when they're all gathered up at a corner, your frags will have come off of cooldown.  Crossbow combat is at least as much about what you do that isn't immediately damage-dealing as what you do that is.

[Bruno]

And remember that crossbows are completely silent - perfect for taking out lone patrols and isolated targets. Use a stun bolt in round 1 to have more time to finish them off if necessary.

[Threeeightnine]

Thank you very much for all the advice.

[Riggs]

Well, I'm definitely looking forward to playing a crossbow character, I'm just worried it will be frustrating learning to play as one.

We'll learn together. I started a fresh playthrough this morning with this suggested skill setup that Gortsby provided and am now preparing to take on Depot A. It's been... interesting so far adjusting to the demands of a stealthy character. I'm still getting the hang of well, not doing the dumb shit I could do on my psi character and still succeed. Preparation of traps, bolts, and grenades are paramount, to say the least.

[Threeeightnine]

Well, I'm definitely looking forward to playing a crossbow character, I'm just worried it will be frustrating learning to play as one.

We'll learn together. I started a fresh playthrough this morning with this suggested skill setup that Gortsby provided and am now preparing to take on Depot A. It's been... interesting so far adjusting to the demands of a stealthy character. I'm still getting the hang of well, not doing the dumb shit I could do on my psi character and still succeed. Preparation of traps, bolts, and grenades are paramount, to say the least.

What gear do you use as a stealth crossbow character?

[Riggs]

What gear do you use as a stealth crossbow character?

Well I'm only Level 8 now, haven't started Depot A yet, wanted to shore up my supplies a bit first and get a better Xbow. I started the game using padded hopper leather armor and hopper leather boots and got lucky finding a scoped Zephyr early on. Using a black balaclava as well. I've transitioned however to a mutated dog leather armor (for Depot A) and ninja tabis now (have a pair of mutated dog tabis as well just in case), and a scoped pneumatic Monsoon that I just found while rescuing Jenny from the burrowers (oh man what a crazy ordeal that turned out to be). Too early for a shield yet, but I'll shoot for a High/High when I can get one crafted. Other than that, I keep a stock handy of Shock and Incendiary bolts at all times, and a nice pile of every type grenade I can get my hands on, but especially Flashbangs and Molotovs. I also use lots of BTs/BPBTs and frag/HE mines. Adrenaline shots when I feel I need them, think I've used 3-4 total so far. I'm shooting to be as mobile and stealthy as possible while packing as much dangerous ordinance as I can. Setting up ambushes and choke points for packs is the route to success, if you plan out trap placement correctly you can severely limit the combat effectiveness of packs. The most dangerous fights are the ones you cannot prepare for. Lone mobs don't stand a chance as long as you control the terms of engagement.

I'm still figuring out what my final "endgame" gear will look like, but I'll definitely be exploring a few different options as far as choice of bows and armor goes as the char progresses while sticking to the "be silent, be patient, and then unleash hell" doctrine of warfare. Oh and once I have decent enough electronics I'll probably craft a taser too, though I'm not sure I'll need it nearly as much as some other builds considering how amazing shock bolts have turned out to be.