ELEX ELEX RELEASE THREAD

[Tigranes]

"in a setting with both pointy sticks and energy weapons the choice is pretty clear cut to me."

In a video game where melee is about 8,000 times more fun than ranged, the choice seems pretty clear to me, but *shrug*

But yeah, it's incredible how bad they are at pretty much anything to do with ranged weapons after 20 years of making these games

 

[Eyestabber]

Could it be possible for the game to have like a laser pistol with lower requirements and lower damage so you can do stuff a bit earlier?

the weakest laser rifle you find has like 25 dex/20 int requirements

wtf are you even on about

Try 39 Dex, 27 Int. Not easy or cheap. Now let's do the math: 39 Dex is 21 + 16 (stats go from 1 to 2 stat points at 31, in case you're wondering) = 37. Int adds up to 17 points. So 54 points just for the sake of being able to wield the weapon. Now add some basic armor like the Hunter set you take from Geron at the beginning and you need another 6 on STR and 9 CON. That's 69 stat points. 69 points are the bare minimum for a complete beeline for laser weapons and a person starting blind (like me) obviously won't make a perfect beeline. 7 levels worth of stats assuming a perfectly optimized character just to be able to use the most basic cleric stuff.

OTOH a bow and sword character picks up the pace much faster since melee weapons and bow use the same stats (STR and DEX) and the INT investment early on is a complete "dump" since you can't use your blue bar until you join a faction. Following the path of the Vikings is clearly the way the developers intended for you to play (even if you don't actually join them). So my point stands: Cleric power progression is terribad and could've used some smoothing. And ofc we're ignoring the fact that the very first laser doesn't do much against anything other than very basic enemies. You STILL won't be able to defeat all the mutants in the cave that is MANDATORY for joining the Cleric faction.

The lack of "love" for the Clerics is evident both from a mechanics perspective (as explained above) and from a quest design perspective. In Goliet you have a shiton of quests with alternative solutions that may help or harm the Zerkers, thus improving/reducing your faction reputation. This is, IMO, huge .

In Tavar you have a handful of quests following the same logic. I must add that being forced to do questionable things in order to remain on your chosen faction's good side (eg: killing Kid, killing Bertram/Stormson, betraying Olgrim's secret etc) is a nice mechanic. It's a shame that none of that applies to the Clerics. Hort's quests provide very little room for boning the clerics and even if you do (like fingering the wrong person as the drug dealer) the results are inconsequential. It's clear to me that developers gave their best in designing the Berserkers/Goliet, played safe (but still showed some competence) when designing the Outlaws and then when it came to the Clerics...

- "We still need to make one more faction"
- "Dudes with laser weapons! Oh...and MECHS! Everyone loves mechs!"
- "So...just like every sci-fi trope ever?"
- "Shit...ahn...make them worship a weird god. Yep, a weird religion that doesn't affect them in any way other than enforcing their secular discipline"
Karl Marx likes this.

So, yeah. If I ever replay ELEX (will there be DLC/expacs?) I'm saving myself the trouble of trying a path that was clearly not what the devs intended for you to play.

 

[Darth Roxor]

Try 39 Dex, 27 Int. Not easy or cheap.

p sure there's a "laser blaster" around that is weaker than "laser rifle"

edit: in fact, darth roxor is right yet again: http://game-maps.com/ELEX/ELEX-Weapons.asp?WEA=5

Laser Blaster LSR-T 27 dmg 25 dex 20 int

And ofc we're ignoring the fact that the very first laser doesn't do much against anything other than very basic enemies.

i'm not ignoring it which only puzzles me all the more as to wtf you're actually even blabbering about

 

[Haplo]

So my point stands: Cleric power progression is terribad and could've used some smoothing. And ofc we're ignoring the fact that the very first laser doesn't do much against anything other than very basic enemies. You STILL won't be able to defeat all the mutants in the cave that is MANDATORY for joining the Cleric faction.

Why do you generalize about the Clerics? My Str/Con focused Cleric did just fine. Sure, Clerics get some nifty ranged skills... but they also get the best melee kit IMO. Well okay, they won't 1HKO as much as the Berserkers, but no other faction beats the Clerics in terms of staying power and decoys to keep the enemies busy while you slash them to tiny pieces. The Power Wave or whatsitcalled is also pretty cool at point blank.

"in a setting with both pointy sticks and energy weapons the choice is pretty clear cut to me."
How about a Light Saber and a Sith outfit then?

 

[Zlaja]

Winners don't do drugs man

No, they just chug Elex potions like soft drinks.

- Live in an ugly shithole

Wut? Outlaw base looks great. Loved prancing around there.

- Are constantly robbing and cheating other people

Gee, god forbid anyone in the game would behave like the player character. BALANCED!

The lack of "love" for the Clerics is evident both from a mechanics perspective (as explained above) and from a quest design perspective

And there you go. Don't join the clerics folks.

 

[Paul_cz]

Clerics had the most cool looking armors, but I dislike religion and brainwashing so they were out

Outlaws were good, but for all their "freeedooom" cries they still live under something of a dictatorship, plus they focus on guns and guns are meh

Berserkers be best

 

[Elex]

So my point stands: Cleric power progression is terribad and could've used some smoothing. And ofc we're ignoring the fact that the very first laser doesn't do much against anything other than very basic enemies. You STILL won't be able to defeat all the mutants in the cave that is MANDATORY for joining the Cleric faction.

Why do you generalize about the Clerics? My Str/Con focused Cleric did just fine. Sure, Clerics get some nifty ranged skills... but they also get the best melee kit IMO. Well okay, they won't 1HKO as much as the Berserkers, but no other faction beats the Clerics in terms of staying power and decoys to keep the enemies busy while you slash them to tiny pieces. The Power Wave or whatsitcalled is also pretty cool at point blank.

"in a setting with both pointy sticks and energy weapons the choice is pretty clear cut to me."
How about a Light Saber and a Sith outfit then?

elex also have chainswords!

 

[Zlaja]

plus they focus on guns and guns are meh

Shotguns are great. I loved using them later on in the game. And both rocket launcher and grenade launcher are fun to use and fairly effective once you level them up a bit. One of my favorite moments in the game was entering the domed city when shit went down and mowing down legions of alb soldiers with my rocket launcher. Felt like an 80's action movie.

 

[Paul_cz]

plus they focus on guns and guns are meh

Shotguns are great. I loved using them later on in the game. And both rocket launcher and grenade launcher are fun to use and fairly effective once you level them up a bit. One of my favorite moments in the game was entering the domed city when shit went down and mowing down legions of alb soldiers with my rocket launcher. Felt like an 80's action movie.

Right, I found some unique named shotgun and also use it from time to time, it is pretty strong

Also using flamethrower on occasion

 

[Eyestabber]

plus they focus on guns and guns are meh

Shotguns are great. I loved using them later on in the game. And both rocket launcher and grenade launcher are fun to use and fairly effective once you level them up a bit. One of my favorite moments in the game was entering the domed city when shit went down and mowing down legions of alb soldiers with my rocket launcher. Felt like an 80's action movie.

So you whined about my playstyle only to reveal you also use stunlocking guns, just not the plasma rifle?

Why not just admit the combat in this game is shovelware tier and focus on the good things the game offers instead? It's not even like action combat is held in high regard here anyway...

Speaking of good, I just finished the Domed city. Excelent display of C&C and the results of my choices were very satisfactory. Not gonna go into spoilers but...


Alois did nothing wrong.

Finished Big Bang as well. Clerics are the best faction. Everyone else gets played for a tool.

Side note: as much as the "Clerics" seem to be focused on religion, it is the Zerkers that are actually hindered by their beliefs. Cleric religion just adds an extra layer of derp on top of a pretty down-to-earth military organization. Every member of the Clerics seems reasonable while Zerkers sound impractical and borderline unhinged. The Outlaws are too predictable. "Hurr durr, that guy looked at me wrong. Here is some money, go murder his entire family and rape his dog!". The quest for the Scrap Baron (Mad Bob) was the most glaring example. OMG, THERE WAS A BOMB IN THE BOX!? I NEVER WOULD'VE GUESSED! I saw that coming a mile away.

OTOH I did NOT see Falk's true nature coming, so.... Konrad is what would happen if Miltiades devoted himself to studying science. Can't bring myself to kill the guy. No way.

 

[Paul_cz]

The bomb in the box was disappointing in that as far as I know there was no alternative solution to it.

 

[Jacob]

Yeah, in 2017 it's embarassing to have a combat system which makes you look at some bar to launch a basic three hit combo.

 

[Eyestabber]

Yeah, in 2017 it's embarassing to have a combat system which makes you look at some bar to launch a basic three hit combo.

Since I'm playing ranged, the thing that annoyed me the most were the bonker hitboxes. You NEED a gun that has some AOE because otherwise 1/3 of your shots just pass through the enemy w/o dealing any damage. Pretty sure someone already did a video of it, so I won't bother. I remember that in 2002 I had some shitty TPS shooter for my Playstation 1 that was really bad, but its hitboxes actually worked. ELEX's ranged combat is shamefully bad. It makes Bloodlines look good in comparison.

The melee combat is a bit better, but still very bad. Stamina management is off and as much as the combo system is decent, the way dodging works is terribad. Rolling with a fuckton of iFrames against enemies that telegraph their intention to attack 5 seconds before doing so looks bad and feels bad. The Witcher 3 has a mediocre combat system, but compared to ELEX it's fucking amazing. Dodging in TW3 can actually be done without rolling and adrenaline works much better than ELEX's combo meter.

ELEX has a lot going on for it, but combat isn't one of these things. I think it's best to give ELEX the Bloodlines treatment: pretend combat isn't really there. Because otherwise you're stuck pretending shit isn't shit, which is never nice.

 

[Darth Roxor]

the bonker hitboxes

player hint: disable any and all targeting assistance

 

[unfairlight]

What the rat said, the same applied to Risen 2/3 so I doubted it would be different in this and I was correct.

 

[T. Reich]

the bonker hitboxes

player hint: disable any and all targeting assistance

But then you still have to git gud at manual aiming.
I eventually got gud enough with any forward-firing gun to achieve at least 90% manual accuracy, even vs moving targets on uneven terrain.
Getting gud with bows is another story entirely, though.

 

[hiciacit]

Yeah, in 2017 it's embarassing to have a combat system which makes you look at some bar to launch a basic three hit combo.

Since I'm playing ranged, the thing that annoyed me the most were the bonker hitboxes. You NEED a gun that has some AOE because otherwise 1/3 of your shots just pass through the enemy w/o dealing any damage. Pretty sure someone already did a video of it, so I won't bother. I remember that in 2002 I had some shitty TPS shooter for my Playstation 1 that was really bad, but its hitboxes actually worked. ELEX's ranged combat is shamefully bad. It makes Bloodlines look good in comparison.

The melee combat is a bit better, but still very bad. Stamina management is off and as much as the combo system is decent, the way dodging works is terribad. Rolling with a fuckton of iFrames against enemies that telegraph their intention to attack 5 seconds before doing so looks bad and feels bad. The Witcher 3 has a mediocre combat system, but compared to ELEX it's fucking amazing. Dodging in TW3 can actually be done without rolling and adrenaline works much better than ELEX's combo meter.

ELEX has a lot going on for it, but combat isn't one of these things. I think it's best to give ELEX the Bloodlines treatment: pretend combat isn't really there. Because otherwise you're stuck pretending shit isn't shit, which is never nice.

You can sidestep instead of roll in Elex as well.

 

[Zlaja]

So you whined about my playstyle only to reveal you also use stunlocking guns, just not the plasma rifle?

I never mentioned your playstyle (whatever it is) or plasma rifles. I only said that black hole ability is kinda cheap. And joining the clerics in order to get that ability is just dumb (which some people have done).

Clerics are the best faction. Everyone else gets played for a tool.

Clerics are just boring. Berserkers have their rigid persona and Outlaws are plain assholes. Clerics are just.....there. And the hole Kalaan thing is like a practical joke. The only good thing I have to say about them are their mechs which do look cool. Also, Konrad's betrayal was kinda cool but he paid dearly for it when I came after him with my bleeding Slaughterblade.

 

[Haplo]

I played a Cleric and honestly never used the Black Hole. Found it neither interesting or particularly powerful. It's only benefit is that it is safe and available very early. Power Wave is way more fun! And a hammer combo.

 

[Lahey]

Outlaws were good, but for all their "freeedooom" cries they still live under something of a dictatorship, plus they focus on guns and guns are meh

Outlaws are lawful good.

 

[Erikolaz]

What do you do in ELEX? You basically act as a mercenary, accepting jobs from all factions in exchange for elexit. You scavenge everything you come across in the wilderness. You sneak around and steal nearly everything that isn't nailed down. You pick locks and hack safes. You likely join the Claws (thieves guild). You pragmatically use the most efficient gear you get your hands on. You pursue your own selfish goals.

All of this suits being an Outlaw. You may join the Berserkers, but you won't be living by their rules. You may join the Clerics, but you won't be living by their religion. If you join the Outlaws though, you can go all-in and it'll feel right.

 

[Haplo]

Perhaps. But you won't have Jedi-powers

 

[Kyl Von Kull]

So you whined about my playstyle only to reveal you also use stunlocking guns, just not the plasma rifle?

I never mentioned your playstyle (whatever it is) or plasma rifles. I only said that black hole ability is kinda cheap. And joining the clerics in order to get that ability is just dumb (which some people have done).

Clerics are the best faction. Everyone else gets played for a tool.

Clerics are just boring. Berserkers have their rigid persona and Outlaws are plain assholes. Clerics are just.....there. And the hole Kalaan thing is like a practical joke. The only good thing I have to say about them are their mechs which do look cool. Also, Konrad's betrayal was kinda cool but he paid dearly for it when I came after him with my bleeding Slaughterblade.

okay... clerics getting a bad rap here, so spoiler alert:

Spoiler

Calaan IS a practical joke; or really he's like scientology. The leaders know it's nonsense. The whole religion is just a means of controlling their gullible population. The Clerics are downright Orwellian and it is fucking awesome.

Also, they have fucking mind control. I rarely used any of the combat abilities, but suggestion is a lot of fun.

 

[Eyestabber]

Wow...

finally got to the Nasty bit of the story and...wow, what a shitshow. Obv spoilers:

Spoiler

The Clerics need a Commander for their troops. Like...why? Their entire YUGE military organization doesn't have someone to lead a bunch of robots? And it can't be COMMANDER Jax, even tho I end up following Nasty anyway? And the Judicator dude tells me I just "walked through the door" even tho my character is a max rank CLERIC? MOTHERFUCKER WHERE WERE U WHEN I SOLVED ALL YOUR PROBLEMS?!

So instead of going with the natural and obvious choice of naming REGENT/PALADIN (devs failed to make up their minds about the title for rank 3 clerics) the appointed commander, they went with a former enemy whose resume is simply "she took over the fort once, lol". So obvious railroading aside, Nasty is a terribad character.

But the question is "why, tho"? Every NPC companion in ELEX seems a reasonable fit for the setting and they even have personal motivations that provide them with an excuse for not being so anal about their factions. Suddenly, here comes this crazy shit straight out of a porn movie cursing all the time and trying REALLY hard to look tough.

It almost feels like they wanted to "balance" out Caja's more feminine and believable persona with a straight up "stronk woman" that does all the manly things, but better. To make matters worse, when talking with Nasty Jax goes completely out of character, playing along with her ridiculous porn star persona. It feels very similar to the idiotic lines that you can choose with Strauss in Bloodlines (and only when dealing with him).

Nasty is a terrible, TERRIBLE addition to the game. Someone took a tumblr blog post about hate fucking and turned the woman into a vidya gayme character.

 

[Erikolaz]

To make matters worse, when talking with Nasty Jax goes completely out of character, playing along with her ridiculous porn star persona. It feels very similar to the idiotic lines that you can choose with Strauss in Bloodlines (and only when dealing with him).

Speaking of which...

Spoiler

Btw. there's something bizarre going on with her left hand fingers...