An Average Explanation of Outstanding Psi Builds

[TheAverageGortsby]

Hey, just wanted to say thank you.
You basically made a game for me. Had a really good ~150 hours.

Well, I had no part in the making of the game - I'm just a beta tester. But if the build outline here helped you enjoy this great game, I'm happy to have helped.  Be sure to let Styg know you like his game! =)

[Kilgore Trout]

Hi TheAverageGortsby,

Thanks for recommending that I follow this guide. I have been playing a tranquility build and it is great fun so far. I recently got to level 16 and have no idea how to invest my specialization points. Maybe force user or locus of control?

Is there anything you would recommend? Thanks again.

Cheers

Edit: Premeditation also looks like a good option.

[Shredded Cheddar]

Hi Kilgore Trout,

I would recommend investing in Locus of control duration & CD, Premeditation CD (and psi reduction if you'd like), and after that free reign. Those are really your most powerful abilities as a full psi user.

Another good option may be future orientation, but TBH I haven't even taken FO on a character because Ive been running hybrid psi builds and the increased AP cost is not appealing to me since I want to use my spec points elsewhere on those builds.

Also, Idk how the math checks out but maybe thermodynamicity could be good for getting off an extra metathermics spell, you'll have to check for yourself

[Kilgore Trout]

Hi Shredded Cheddar,

Thank you for the reply and the suggestions. I think I might put my first point into Premeditation CD and take it from there.

Thanks again 

Cheers

[TheAverageGortsby]

I agree with Shredded Cheddar on Premeditation. I think it's the best 2 points you can spend as a full psi character.  Conversely, I really didn't like LoC spec becuase I very rarely had fights go long enough to use LoC twice unless I was deliberately stringing them out, and the extra turn of duration is pretty meaningless.  So I can't agree with SC on that, but it'll come down to how you play your character as to whether you get any use out of those spec points or not.

I really do like Thermodynamicity spec for min/maxing.  It's the greatest output-increasing specialization you can have, and I'd always put 5/5 there before putting anything into LoC.  Remember that the Thermodynamicity AP reduction is applied to the base ability cost, then the flat tranquility reduction is applied to whatever the modified AP cost is.  So, for Tranquility builds, 5/5 Thermodynamicity can enable you to throw 8-9 abilities in a turn.  It's simply devastating, if you have enough psi reduction to make it all work.

My Tranquility specialization point loadout, in order, is:
Premeditation cooldown reduction 2/2
Future Orientation 5/5
Thermodynamicity 5/5
(whatever I feel like) 3/?

If you have no other idea what to do with your points, try that.  It'll probably impress you.

[Kilgore Trout]

Thanks for the detailed reply TheAverageGortsby, it has given me a lot to work with.

Cheers!

[N0vasurge]

Fist off, thanks a lot for the guide, I am currently on my first run trough the game, enjoing the psi build massively.

Now secondly, could you show what lvl30 should roughly look like? I am way past lvl16 and kinda afraid of either over or underspecing my skills, i.e. wasting points I will never need or ending at lvl30 with no chance to craft / buy the high end gear I want to have.

What should I aim for in equipment? Psi Headband, Psi Vest and Tabi Boots?

[TheAverageGortsby]

Now secondly, could you show what lvl30 should roughly look like? I am way past lvl16 and kinda afraid of either over or underspecing my skills, i.e. wasting points I will never need or ending at lvl30 with no chance to craft / buy the high end gear I want to have.

What should I aim for in equipment? Psi Headband, Psi Vest and Tabi Boots?

I didn't really want to give a level 30 build in this guide because I was hoping people would explore the game in their own style rather than follow a complete cookie-cutter build.  I can honestly say that if you've followed either of my build recommendations to level 16, and just put the rest of your stat points into Will and kept your psi skills topped up, you've got a good enough character that there's nothing to really worry about.

If you want to know what the skill thresholds are, I still think the best resource is probably destroyor's FAQ on the Steam forums.  Here: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=843557165  There's a skill threshold section in the section index on the side.

Psi headband is always yes (I suggest Muffled Uni-Psi headband with an extra component of your choosing - I usually use the TK Punch module, myself, but Cryo Orb or either bonus crit module can be very nice for Psychosis builds), tac vest with psi beetle (or possibly psi crab) is yes, footwear is more of a "whatever you feel will be most helpful" situation.  Tabis are an obvious and easy choice. Personally, I prefer Infused Pig Leather Striders for the bonus carry capacity and bonus Con, but that's not really an option if you're relying heavily on stealth.  Even TiChrome or Super Steel boots can be helpful if you find yourself taking physical damage hits regularly or walking across caltrops all the time - and if you've gone with psi crab carapace, your armor penalty is already so high that the extra from the metal boots is really meaningless.

[Artyom]

 I'm trying to work with the Psychosis build, but i'm being shredded like cabbage by the rats in the first mission, they usually go into really big numbers and the pack bonus towards me.

[TheAverageGortsby]

I'm trying to work with the Psychosis build, but i'm being shredded like cabbage by the rats in the first mission, they usually go into really big numbers and the pack bonus towards me.

Even with high Constitution, psi isn't a great choice for face tanking.  How about you play in such a way that the rathounds don't get the chance to bite you at all?  You've got psi powers, and rathounds don't have opposable thumbs.  Try to keep a gate between you and them at all times, when possible.  For the one place there where you can't do that, bring a flare to buy yourself two turns.

[cypherusuh]

Remember that regardless of build, you still able to use bear trap.
Technically, you could clear SGS Outpost with only bear trap and stealth (and maybe some ranged attack to explode the barrel).
But for psi, cryokinesis should be good enough to stall them, and TK punch usually 1-shot / almost kill rathound

[Artyom]

Gotta try, it's my first time playing this game and i'm still getting the feeling of the game, it's a bit regretable but the rathounds in question are camping the transition after i run away, hahahaha.

[cypherusuh]

Don't worry too much about it. Makes sure to play on Normal / Easy difficulty until you grasp the general mechanic. Also, focus on Metathermics and Psychokinesis, they have the big number early on compared to other Psi School.

Tbh I recommend Tranquility build for beginner, it's much more "fun" compared to Psychosis, due to more lenient skill spamming vs min-max 1shot damage on Psychosis, which usually ends up just using very few skills to optimize psi usage

[Artyom]

  Thanks bro, i tried to start with the Jug Spear build in the topic, but the Psi really hooked me.

[cypherusuh]

Ye, psi becomes much more fun after you unlock other town, since there's so much psi skills that could do many OP things, you can't get bored with the combination and possibility