Game gets boring because it is too damn easy.

[roshan]

So I'm playing Underrail on Hard Mode, with a knife build. Classic XP system. One thing about the game - after a while, you just end up sick and tired of it because there is absolutely no challenge. So I built this amazing character, but what in the world do I do with it? And the thing is, there are so many tools at one's disposal that you never really need to make use of. So I have a taser, energy shield, morphine, adrenaline, eel sandwich, lots of other items I carry around in case I need it. But I almost never do!!!

Partially the XP system is to blame. My previous game I played on Oddity with a pistol build, but in that game I had to clear the whole of Lower Underrail + Caves to get to Level 18. So I was mostly lower level and that too with a gimped build so I was challenged more. But it was also my first playthrough so I didn't use drugs, energy shields, and other things that would have made the game so much easier. But even then I hit a point of no challenge around level 16 or so.

The best part of the game was Depot A, but it got nerfed! I want more challenging areas for high level characters, encounters with more and tougher enemies that will actually make you use the resources and tricks at your disposals, more monsters with interesting and powerful special attacks that are a challenge to kill, more variety in attacks directed against you and your character.

 

[toro]

There is no challenge once you acquire the proper perks for a build. And you can have them by lvl 14 if you plan properly (in most cases).

I don't think the leveling system has anything to do with it. Classic or oddity is the same thing.

I think one solution would be to introduce trainers in the gameworld which could teach you those perks. And the best perks should be located as far as possible from the avatar starting point.

 

[Parabalus]

So I'm playing Underrail on Hard Mode,...

I think you got "unlucky" in the sense that knife/light unarmed is one of the strongest builds. You can finish the final encounter in the initial round, which probably isn't possible with many builds.

I think high level difficulty is very tricky because (especially on hard with lower hp) high level characters/perks are extremely lethal. My experience was that I mostly one shot stuff but I'd easily get one shot in return, which leads to easy "standard" encounters since you usually get the jump on ppl, but if you didn't account for something or eat a stray stun it's reload time.

A good example I think is the arena champion, first time you fight him you will likely get stunlocked and die. OTOH I can just locus his combo if I survived the first round and onehit him with a neural overload or similar.

The system works really well for the main chunk of the game, but does kinda break down by the end, which is why most mobs in DC do have special attributes (crit immunity, stacking debuff, endless respawns...), meaning Styg noticed it. Humans in DC are food compared to critters.

I'm really interested in how he will approach this in the future, considering there is huge variance in player skill, where probably the average player doesn't use any of the stuff Roshan mentioned. This is always a problem in RPGs but especially in single char.

 

[Sykar]

It was fairly balanced for my PSI/Sniper/Infiltrator build. I killed fast but was also killed fast if I made a mistake, just the way I like it.

 

[Severian Silk]

I had a real hard time in the Deep Caverns. I can't remember what my build was, but I used an electric bleeding serrated knife (I think) mostly toward the end. My firearms were mostly useless. I had a hard time with Carnifex in the arena at the end and just reloaded over and over until I beat him.

 

[Lurker King]

Initially I thought that the problem was on the abundance of oddities and cheap encounters. However, the real problem is the lack of well-placed encounters that requires better planning. You have some few scattered across the game. The fact that the game world is open doesn’t help, because you can ignore most of them until you are overpowered. Deep Caverns didn’t came across as challenging, but as annoying and inconsistent with the rest of the game.

 

[Lurker King]

Maybe is precisely the strengths of Underrail (its many perks, combos, variety of builds, awesome items) that make the combat system broken. How can you expect the game to be challenging if you can craft a sniper rifle that can instantly kill every target? This is BG2 all over again. To enjoy this game you have to ignore how broken most of the combos are and enjoy its sheer variety.

 

[GuiltyofBeingTrite]

I quit probably 2/3 of the way through Deep Caverns, seems like one giant fetch quest.