Underrail: The Incline Awakens

[Trashos]

So is some investment into crafting a given when you guys decide on a build or is it an all or nothing thing?

When I play Guns, I usually aim for Mechanics 118, Electronics 118, Chemistry 98, Biology 70, Tailoring 118. These are effective values (the second number on your skills screen). With the 15% bonus from the crafting benches, these become:

Mechanics 135 (for near top tier shotguns)
Electronics 135 (for near top tier energy shield and other electronic gizmos)
Chemistry 112 (for best grenades)
Biology 80 (for bullhead)
Tailoring 135 (for near top tier clothing)

But depending on what you want to do, you can adjust accordingly.

 

[Zariusz]

Im just doing Abandoned Waterway Facility and damn...
SO
MUCH
FUCKING
LOOT
Im now in full Al Fabet mode

 

[Sykar]

Im just doing Abandoned Waterway Facility and damn...
SO
MUCH
FUCKING
LOOT
Im now in full Al Fabet mode

 

[Zariusz]

My haul so far, and its only after 2 zones and that passages with electric spoiders, from what i looked at wiki there are still 2 zones left. How tf im going to even sell all of this.

 

[Zariusz]

Btw do explosive .44 bullets have explosion radius or its just additional damage?
EDIT:Nevermind it has, damn why i only found scheme for these bullets so late in game this would be a game changer in fighting with savages.

 

[Parabalus]

I was wondering if I will severely regret not investing anything into crafting?

Yes you will, probably. Technically, without investing into specific craft perks you can buy desired weapon and other gear (with immense luck or by extensive re-stocking via cheat engine) and even some hight tier grenades/traps but in practice it's so much more convenient to craft gear not to mention real advantages with using said perks (like gun nut etc).

So is some investment into crafting a given when you guys decide on a build or is it an all or nothing thing?

"Some" invenstment regarding secondary skills like chemistry or biology but when it comes to mechanics or electronics it's all or nothing usually in order to craft the top stuff in late game.

Electronics 15 is decent enough for the taser, nowhere to be found as loot and very useful on melee throughout, but especially in the beginning.

Usually people take crafting because the system is extremely cool and fun. It's not needed even on DOM, and with higher mercantile skill you can buy some of the goodies from the special stock, including all grenades and traps.

 

[Zariusz]

I was wondering if I will severely regret not investing anything into crafting?

Yes you will, probably. Technically, without investing into specific craft perks you can buy desired weapon and other gear (with immense luck or by extensive re-stocking via cheat engine) and even some hight tier grenades/traps but in practice it's so much more convenient to craft gear not to mention real advantages with using said perks (like gun nut etc).

So is some investment into crafting a given when you guys decide on a build or is it an all or nothing thing?

"Some" invenstment regarding secondary skills like chemistry or biology but when it comes to mechanics or electronics it's all or nothing usually in order to craft the top stuff in late game.

Electronics 15 is decent enough for the taser, nowhere to be found as loot and very useful on melee throughout, but especially in the beginning.

Usually people take crafting because the system is extremely cool and fun. It's not needed even on DOM, and with higher mercantile skill you can buy some of the goodies from the special stock, including all grenades and traps.

Yeah taser is super useful i used it even on enemies in black sea, it saves a lot of health and turns.

 

[AdamReith]

Yeah, initially I thought I'd just do a zero crafting as my first run but it would seem a shame to completely miss out on the mechanic entirely, especially as it seems there is a lot to learn.

Did a new 7 int build so will hopefully dip into crafting a bit without being overwhelmed.

 

[Trashos]

Usually people take crafting because the system is extremely cool and fun. It's not needed even on DOM

Eh, define "needed". Tygrende beat Dominating with a damn crowbar.
It is strictly suboptimal to not take crafting for a lot of builds (although I haven't played Shotguns, specifically), and newer players should be aware that crafting is a major boost. Veteran players know what they want to do, so they can do whatever the hell they want.

 

[Zariusz]

Those Waterways Facility logs are interesting
"looking forward to just-declared Biocorp Industries takeover and repurposing of this facility..." Could there was somekind of civil war inside biocorp near the times of destruction of Lemuria? Maybe this was why Undernavy was disbanded.
"to be used against evil..."some remnant of Biocorp propaganda against lemuria, something with shadowlith maybe or just fabricated lies?

 

[Ol' Willy]

Yeah, initially I thought I'd just do a zero crafting as my first run but it would seem a shame to completely miss out on the mechanic entirely, especially as it seems there is a lot to learn.

Non-crafting run is interesting, but definitely not the easy one. I planned to do one sometime.

Basically, you pray to the gods of RNG to gift you precious goods through loot or barter

 

[ItsChon]

I just got Plasma Beam and I must say I'm really disappointed that it doesn't work with Thermodynamics. With Tranquility, and 5 Spec points into Thermodynamics, I was really hoping to make a Heavy Armor Metathermic Machinegunner, where by using Premeditation to proc Thermoyndamics, I would knock my Cryokinesis/Plasma Beam down to 4 AP a piece, and be able to (theoretically) shoot off 13 Cold/Heat bolts per turn. The actual number would be lower because of the sheer Psi cost of Plasma Beam, but there are work arounds to this and I was super excited. On the wiki, Plasma Beam is labeled as Energy/Heat,

so I figured it would work. I guess the Wiki has its type labeled wrong, or Styg purposefully made sure that Plasma Beam wouldn't work with Thermodynamics because he thought this combination would be too OP. Either way, kind of annoyed now, and it has sapped a lot of my motivation to finish this play through. Styg Did the wiki fuck up on the type of attack this is, or is this a bug, or did you intended for it not to work with Thermodynamics?

Im just doing Abandoned Waterway Facility and damn...
SO
MUCH
FUCKING
LOOT
Im now in full Al Fabet mode

This joke was hilarious though, made me laugh out loud and feel a little better.

 

[Sykar]

Right, that's the method I have been using. But there have been times where I was only attacked by the stalkers, and there was even a time when the stalkers attacked me while I was planting my traps (before throwing the grenade -and no, I had not opened the shortcut door for them).

In my successful try on Dominating, after I threw the grenade the stalkers attacked the plasma sentry, while the Industrial Bot came alone to check the noise. There are many different scenarios that can take place down there.

I have done this a dozen times. I come from the east elevator, wait until the bot is close to the big entrance, shoot it, hide in one of the adjacent rooms which are relatively close and listen to the fighting noise. Once I hear the death sounds of Deathcrawlers I come out and collect.

 

[Spark Mandriller]

I guess the Wiki has its type labeled wrong, or Styg purposefully made sure that Plasma Beam wouldn't work with Thermodynamics because he thought this combination would be too OP.

It does heat damage, so the wiki is right. Has to be deliberate. Ice wall didn't work with thermodynamicity at first, but then 1.1.4.1 fixed it so it did. If plasma was meant to work too then they would have fixed it at the same time.

 

[Tygrende]

It is strictly suboptimal to not take crafting for a lot of builds (although I haven't played Shotguns, specifically), and newer players should be aware that crafting is a major boost. Veteran players know what they want to do, so they can do whatever the hell they want.

It is strictly suboptimal to not take some crafting on any and all builds. There's not a single one that doesn't get huge benefits from it. Electronics alone means 4 digit energy shields which everyone wants and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

That said, there's a few builds that won't feel the lack of crafting that much. Mostly depends on the weapon. A mobile hammer build that makes do with found/bought hammers before getting Balor's and wears rathound regalia for the STR bonus is the first thing that comes to mind.

 

[Trashos]

Mostly agreed. It is just that Crafting is also a major investment, so for certain builds it could be debated that all those skill/ability points might as well go elsewhere to bring different advantages. That's why I avoided a sweeping statement. (Plus, I haven't played ALL builds!)

 

[lukaszek]

everyone should go through game once with mercantile instead of crafting

 

[toro]

everyone should go through game once with mercantile instead of crafting

i always go with both

 

[lukaszek]

everyone should go through game once with mercantile instead of crafting

i always go with both

while indeed thats superior option to get uber items, its quite intensive on char planning.

What I meant however was different way of metagaming, as in which builds can get similar results with mercantile as with dedicated crafting while spending waaaay less points

 

[Trashos]

Finding Raul looked tough (all those health points!), but I got it on 1st try (doors are OP). The 6 Goliaths outside Azif almost gave me a heart attack, but I got it after taking some time to think about it.

Spoiler

I sneaked to the east, planted traps on the corridor bridge and attacked from there. I do not see any other way of doing this, other than the old kill-them-slowly-with-traps, which would take forever.

mercantile

Speaking of Mercantile, has any of you ever tried playing Dominating without it? I have invested heavily in it, I am a cheapass psi build, and still my finances are nowhere near as comfortable as I would like them to be. So I am questioning whether I should play without Mercantile (in ADDITION to crafting) ever again.

 

[Parabalus]

Finding Raul looked tough (all those health points!), but I got it on 1st try (doors are OP). The 6 Goliaths outside Azif almost gave me a heart attack, but I got it after taking some time to think about it.

If you forget TNT/Jackhammer in Finding Raul you have to clear 6 Goliathuses to get it, but in a small, constrained area. Very tricky if unprepared.

Speaking of Mercantile, has any of you ever tried playing Dominating without it? I have invested heavily in it, I am a cheapass psi build, and still my finances are nowhere near as comfortable as I would like them to be. So I am questioning whether I should play without Mercantile (in ADDITION to crafting) ever again.

Not fun, especially after Chems freighter trick was patched. Doable if you don't need super steel, but the penny pinching sucks the joy out. Especially the raw charons from increased rewards are noticeable, and nn Ray's shop.

 

[Tygrende]

Speaking of Mercantile, has any of you ever tried playing Dominating without it? I have invested heavily in it, I am a cheapass psi build, and still my finances are nowhere near as comfortable as I would like them to be. So I am questioning whether I should play without Mercantile (in ADDITION to crafting) ever again.

Not too bad but forget about buying a lot of super steel and/or top tier jets. Pickpocket is a very good money maker. All money issues disappear after selling the reef glider and especially the acorn nonetheless.

Also, psi is not that cheap anymore, at least early. Inhalers are pretty expensive, so are mentors.

 

[lukaszek]

as others said, i feel like main factor for mercantile is to generate charons to get some supersteel.

Problem is that infused leather armors arent that good anymore, also if you have bad luck it migh be easier to get mid tier quality from nagas.

Melee builds that need only light crafting for grenades or such are fine without mercantile even on dom. I think its actually harder other way around - mercantile without crafting. It felt like I was lower on funds when I had to buy mk4 grenades and such

 

[Trashos]

And to think that, back in the day (before Dominating came to life), I was one of the players lobbying for harsher economy. My only suggestion ever apparently that Styg was on the same page with (surely by pure coincidence).

I am not entirely certain that the economy should be that harsh for crafters. I think crafters should be perfectly fine without Mercantile, able to buy their super steel and their Devastator. Anyway, I will take a too harsh economy over an EZ life economy.

 

[Zariusz]

WHO FOR FUCK SAKE THOUGHT THAT AMAZEMENT WAS A GOOD IDEA????