Dev Log #56: Experimental Branch with Version 1.0.3.13

[Bruno]

Wonder what to do with the lump of coal I just found...

That's your christmas present

I knew I should have behaved myself at the company christmas party

[TheAverageGortsby]

The game is always intended to be playable as is, no level 30 what-ifs.

OK, but don't miss my point completely and then act like I'm babbling nonsense.  Did you even see the last few lines of destroyor's long data post about the new crafted item results, to which my post immediately followed and replied?  He was talking specifically about the end-game viability of dodge and evasion based builds on DOMINATING in light of the direct nerfs to +skill and damage thresholds from crafted items.  We'll have not only five more levels (and the +HP from them) of skillpoints to put into dodge and evasion, but also probably specialization points (and AFAIK we haven't been told for sure what their exact, final effects will be).  I was cautioning him not to judge endgame scenarios from the perspective of current skill thresholds, and thus not to worry too much about the new top-end item scaling while we still don't know (*we* don't.  I have no idea if you do) how everything's going to be implemented.  Even if it's unbeatable today, that doesn't mean that, ceteris paribus, it'll be unbeatable with five more levels, new gear, specialization points, and who knows what other character option changes will come with the expansion.

[destroyor]

@TheAverageGortsby - so correct me if I'm wrong, you are saying (even tho epeli pointed out we should judge this based on the game as is without expansion) player who are not getting the expansion should not be able to beat dominating difficulty with a dodge+evasion centric build?

[Hazard]

Thinking about the hypercerebrix some more, if it's only available for those who have the expansion, wouldn't that be, uh, kind of a dick move? Small one, but still. Especially if it's freely available in a shop somewhere, the 3 INT crafter remains a mid-game option for expansion owners, but not for others. Which feels a bit unfair, considering it used to be an option for everyone.

[MirddinEmris]

player who are not getting the expansion should not be able to beat dominating difficulty with a dodge+evasion centric build?

Sorry, mate, but that sounds a bit like bull. You can get evasion and dodge pretty high on a dodge+evasion centric  build, so high, in fact, that on Hard difficulty with such build i don't even use any boosters like jumping beans because i already have more than twice in defense skills than most (or all) enemies have in offense skills. +30% is not such a radical change that it can make those builds obsolete. Though i imagine that it will push a point where you reach you effective ceiling further down the line and make a start more difficult.

[destroyor]

player who are not getting the expansion should not be able to beat dominating difficulty with a dodge+evasion centric build?

Sorry, mate, but that sounds a bit like bull. You can get evasion and dodge pretty high on a dodge+evasion centric  build, so high, in fact, that on Hard difficulty with such build i don't even use any boosters like jumping beans because i already have more than twice in defense skills than most (or all) enemies have in offense skills. +30% is not such a radical change that it can make those builds obsolete. Though i imagine that it will push a point where you reach you effective ceiling further down the line and make a start more difficult.

My 0 dodge max evasion char is not at the end game yet. We'll see how things work once I reach the pre-DC elevator fight.

[MirddinEmris]

My 0 dodge max evasion char is not at the end game yet. We'll see how things work once I reach the pre-DC elevator fight.

Can you give  a link to your character and say what gear/meds are you using? I want to have a point of reference when you say how it ended

[destroyor]

Planned energy pistol build:
http://underrail.info.tm/build/?GQMNBwMKAwfCh8KHAAAAwodxADIcKFt2SzBwAAAAAAAAARkxMB5RWRZLAj4zwppa
Progression: https://i.imgur.com/kGTxBwc.png

Gear:
Weapon: laser + electro + plasma pistol w/ smart + circular enhance
Armor: 10% armor penalty tact vest (health+stealth), padded (high den) infused rathound leather armor (black) overcoat, infused (pig/siphoner <- haven't decide yet) leather tabi boots, smart goggles
med: biology to 81 w/ bench so all meds up to bullhead

Edit: need more play testing on end game Ambush to see if I can drop infused rathound leather armor entirely, if yes then replace w/ infused pig leather armor.

[Hazard]

Do the new random events work on existing saves? I've been filling out the map and haven't encountered any so far.

[TheAverageGortsby]

Sorry TheAverageGortsby. It seems we're talking across each other here. I'll try to explain myself again.

Well it takes two to tango.  Your "What" made me think I was speaking Klingon, or perhaps having a stroke.  So apologies to you for my share of that misunderstanding.  I get what you mean, I think.

ben law' batlhmey wo'vaD!

[Morm]

Do the new random events work on existing saves? I've been filling out the map and haven't encountered any so far.

Same here, I have filled the entirety of Lower Underrail, Lower Caves and Lower Passages and haven't encountered any either.

[Bruno]

Mechanics

• On hard difficulty EMP will drain energy (and subsequently deal damage to the holder) from all items in the inventory (not just equipped ones)

This took me by surprise. Quite fun.

Quests/Maps

• Reworked a lot of encounters to scale with game difficulty (from easy to dominating). Normal was mostly kept as it is, but some encounters (typically mid-late and late game ones) were made more difficult on that level.

I usually play on Normal and are now trying Hard. Very fun with scaled encounters! Have to play with renewed alertness after being used to Normal.


Love the patch. Good to see the game isn't finished yet.

[Hazard]

Do the new random events work on existing saves? I've been filling out the map and haven't encountered any so far.

Same here, I have filled the entirety of Lower Underrail, Lower Caves and Lower Passages and haven't encountered any either.

They do work, I just encountered one in Core City.

[Morm]

Ok nice. Good to know that we can encounter some in cities too.
And what was this event ? I'm really curious about all this.

[Hazard]

That one was a conversation initiated by an NPC. I also got ambushed by an industrial robot at a place where I definitely did not expect to encounter one, which I assume was another random event.