Underrail: The Incline Awakens

[Parabalus]

Anyway, while I'm back here, is there anything in recent patches (post-Expedition release) that's created interesting build types? I've done most combinations, I think. I don't know if the psi nerfs make psi interesting to play in some new way.

Versatility let's you use guns with 18 DEX.

PSI is more boring if anything, it's power didn't drop much. You just spam a single spell more.

And I don't overlevel on classic as I don't scour the Underrail for weaker enemies to kill or grind respawning mobs.

I do overlevel - I like being ahead of the curve. Although I never grind weaker enemies or animals, that's too boring, better gimme some tough motherfuckers

Haven't played on oddity even once, lol

I recommend you give it a try at least once, just to experience it. It really is the better XP system of the two. I like it a lot.
Just that on repeat playthroughs and with metaknowledge, optimized ways to progress emerge which are degenerative. And hard to avoid, because due to the limited XP in the world, those oddities will have to be picked up sooner than later. So why not sooner?

It's a novelty good for one playthrough. Outside of that either you meta-optimize around it, or you play normally, in which case it's the same as classic, just slower.

 

[Jason Liang]

immediately after the world opened up I could scrounge enough Oddities to vault to level 16

I never understand, why would anyone ever do this? Is your day job not pointless and menial enough?

I do that too when playing oddity
Although it usually takes me to lvl 12-14. I mean, there are a whole lot non combat oddities available. And the oddities are right there, ripe for picking. Why wouldn't I partake in sweet sweet XP nectar?

Well, instead of just playing the game, you now have to spend a lot of time dodging combat and combat-related quests going back and forth picking up the precious Pavlov pellets. So you now have a degraded experience where the game has lost some of its pacing/cohesiveness and you've wasted time on the functional equivalent of correcting errors on Excel. And then your reward is that, well, you're playing on God Mode half the time and blowing enemies out of the water when half the reason to enjoy Underrail is the challenge.

I suppose it makes more sense if you somehow enjoy the vacuum process...?

Dodge combat? I mapped and cleared all of Upper Underrail, Lower Underrail, Lower Passages and Upper Caves, Pool of Radiance style, mostly between lvl 8-10. By the time I went back to *find* Rail Crossing, I was already lvl 16.

 

[Jason Liang]

And then your reward is that, well, you're playing on God Mode half the time and blowing enemies out of the water when half the reason to enjoy Underrail is the challenge.

I suppose it makes more sense if you somehow enjoy the vacuum process...?

You have to self-gimp your character to get any challenge out of Underrail's silly combat. By the time you hit lvl 10 you are already God mode.

 

[Yaz]

It's time you beat the game with no deaths, then.

 

[Parabalus]

And then your reward is that, well, you're playing on God Mode half the time and blowing enemies out of the water when half the reason to enjoy Underrail is the challenge.

I suppose it makes more sense if you somehow enjoy the vacuum process...?

You have to self-gimp your character to get any challenge out of Underrail's silly combat. By the time you hit lvl 10 you are already God mode.

We get it, you were doorcamping and using 20 grenades per encounter with pre-nerf PSI.

 

[ciox]

So i'm level 8 and i can already kill Mordre with bilocation. I'm getting pretty powerful.

Bilocation should mirror the stats of its target, so it will always be powerful in that sense. You just can't use it on non-humans.

 

[Jason Liang]

It's time you beat the game with no deaths, then.

I'm not that autistic. Besides it's not like you can't get to God mode from tanking. The only actual challenges in this game are to beat it at extremely low level, or limiting yourself to the 8 worse skills.

I started a second playthrough on classic xp with 3 Willpower and skipping Psychokinesis, but the issues with the combat are not just poor balance and character progression, but are also partially structural.

 

[Jason Liang]

And then your reward is that, well, you're playing on God Mode half the time and blowing enemies out of the water when half the reason to enjoy Underrail is the challenge.

I suppose it makes more sense if you somehow enjoy the vacuum process...?

You have to self-gimp your character to get any challenge out of Underrail's silly combat. By the time you hit lvl 10 you are already God mode.

We get it, you were doorcamping and using 20 grenades per encounter with pre-nerf PSI.

Mostly just Imprint and stabbing things with a steel knife, and Enrage on bosses like Balor.

 

[Yaz]

I'm not that autistic. Besides it's not like you can't get to God mode from tanking. The only actual challenges in this game are to beat it at extremely low level, or limiting yourself to the 8 worse skills.

I started a second playthrough on classic xp with 3 Willpower and skipping Psychokinesis, but the issues with the combat are not just poor balance and character progression, but are also partially structural.

Don't flatter yourself by thinking I read everything you write but even a perfunctory glance tells me that yours is probably a text book example of Dunning-Kruger. You don't understand this game as well as you think you do.

There's nothing autistic in no deaths runs of RPGs. More like a lot of discipline and knowledge.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[CHEMS]

So i overleveled to level 10 before even depot A. Managed to kill all that psi bug fags at silent isle with though control. Did this only out of spite because i HATE underrail bugs and i will kill all of them.

Really funny seeing the Goliath run from you during 8 turns while you zap its brain. Not that good being on the receiving end now, eh?

 

[oldmanpaco]

And I don't overlevel on classic as I don't scour the Underrail for weaker enemies to kill or grind respawning mobs.

I do overlevel - I like being ahead of the curve. Although I never grind weaker enemies or animals, that's too boring, better gimme some tough motherfuckers

Haven't played on oddity even once, lol

I thought you were some sort of underail expert? How hard is the game (even on dom) when you can be lvl 20 before going to core city? Played a shotgun on hard/classic and was lvl 20 after doing hathor/railcrossing/foundry. On Dom you'd be even higher.

Game got so easy I had to restart.

 

[Parabalus]

And I don't overlevel on classic as I don't scour the Underrail for weaker enemies to kill or grind respawning mobs.

I do overlevel - I like being ahead of the curve. Although I never grind weaker enemies or animals, that's too boring, better gimme some tough motherfuckers

Haven't played on oddity even once, lol

I thought you were some sort of underail expert? How hard is the game (even on dom) when you can be lvl 20 before going to core city? Played a shotgun on hard/classic and was lvl 20 after doing hathor/railcrossing/foundry. On Dom you'd be even higher.

Game got so easy I had to restart.

You don't do them, except maybe foundry for super steel.

 

[toro]

And I don't overlevel on classic as I don't scour the Underrail for weaker enemies to kill or grind respawning mobs.

I do overlevel - I like being ahead of the curve. Although I never grind weaker enemies or animals, that's too boring, better gimme some tough motherfuckers

Haven't played on oddity even once, lol

Damn. I lost all respect.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Yaz]

It's random quest.

I actually think that flipping the broken switch is the better way of doing it. It powers the turrets down, you know.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Yaz]

It might, actually... I haven't done Free Drones shenanigans since forever because hail Frazer.

BTW, you can always prepare for the fire with heat immunity or 95 % resistance. There's one tick for 1k fire dmg.

 

[CHEMS]

abandoned waterway facility - best area in whole game for me and I just found it for first time.

I did it in wrong way, instead of lifting crane blockade I entered tunnels, layed napalm on my only way back and was forced to assemble new jet as I go... was quite cool actually. Eventually cleared everything and... was stuck. Then... somehow I was able to squeze through blocade that shouldnt be possible... and then I did lift it.
Being able to open entrance to junkyard is cool but... not sure what purpose it serves.

This facility was a Biocorp facility full of mutagen. Maybe is linked to junkyards incident. Also, in the locked room in the very final area you can find D5 mutagen! The same one used in the Gas the Drones mission. My guess is that this facility is where Ezra brought the mutagen from.

 

[Yaz]

When you go to Ezra with two rigged mutagen cannister and two unrigged ones.

''So you did make that psionic gizmo for Foundry, right...''

PS: weren't they making an entire mutagen warhead there?

 

[CHEMS]

When you go to Ezra with two rigged mutagen cannister and two unrigged ones.

''So you did make that psionic gizmo for Foundry, right...''

PS: weren't they making an entire mutagen warhead there?

Yes. To be launched by the Ceto Destroyer, i believe

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Yaz]

Ok, here's a question:

Can Hoddurform help you proc Ambush which you otherwise wouldn't be able to proc?

 

[Ol' Willy]

I thought you were some sort of underail expert? How hard is the game (even on dom) when you can be lvl 20 before going to core city? Played a shotgun on hard/classic and was lvl 20 after doing hathor/railcrossing/foundry. On Dom you'd be even higher.

Game got so easy I had to restart.

I overlevel a lot before Depot A - usually I hit it at level 12, to be higher means to actually grind and I don't grind - just explore and use all opportunities for combat. I gain a level or two there and shortly afterwards: this means lvls 14-15, and this is not much higher than people around can scrounge with oddities.
Then it's the usual business. In my gun builds I do quests and kill people rushing for lvl 20 to finish speccing disassemble and live like a white man should. I'm reaching institute at levels 25-27, and go down with 29 or already at 30 (including Expedition).

I hit level cap not long before going down, actually, so often XP scale is still filling when I'm in DC. This makes perfect sense - DC is full of respawning mobs, if you're not lvl 30 on Classic you shortly will be anyway. Expedition usually gives several levels easily - indeed it does, with its hordes of natives and robots. Without it I will be going down at levels 25-26. XP slows down a lot at the last five or so levels.

Also, I don't play well optimized builds. PER based energy pistols (when people reccomend DEX+INT combo), makeshift post-nerf full PSI and now 6 DEX SMG build.

But yeah, I can try Oddity at least for once. I know where to look for them, lol.

For the reference, right now I'm lvl22: did everything in the South, Rail Crossing, Hathor and most of the Core city - didn't touch Foundry, Protectorate and Oligarch quests, and left two Oculus quests. This means - Institute at lvl 24-26, as usual.

 

[Ol' Willy]

1 more random question: are ending slides affected in any way from doing actions like clearing protectorate presence? like junkyard embassy etc

I cleared Embassy once, slides still claimed it to be "besieged".