Underrail: The Incline Awakens

[Tigranes]

Once detected, quick tinkering can fuck them on its own

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Parabalus]

2. When it comes to detection, my character is 26 level, has 14 perception points, picked paranoia feat, wears +90% detection googles, and he still cannot spot crawlers. I repeat... 600+ detection is not enough to spot crawlers.

This crawler nonsense has been taken way too far.

If you've got extremely high PER, Paranoia, and motion-tracking NVG goggles—peak Detection, or close to it—yet cannot detect the enemies that are most essential to detect because they're protected by an invincible developer shield, well... the value of very high Detection is DRAMATICALLY reduced. Frankly, it's a rip-off, because you can't know how badly you've been fucked until you're most of the way through the game.

I don't expect characters with low, mediocre, or even somewhat high Detection to be able to see the strongest crawler strains, but Batman-level detectors absolutely should be able to do it. Like yeah, here's the very best reason to be able to see stealthy creatures—but you can't, even with a min-maxed score. You can see the weaker, far less deadly enemies, though. Yeah.

Note, I'm not saying that crawlers are too difficult to beat, or anything of the sort. The funny thing is that far more primitive tactics requiring much less investment work much, much better.

The issue is that without stealth (or forcefield/fire blocking etc.) crawlers will beeline and attack you before you get enough detection ticks in, no amount will help you there.
I've seen a few death crawlers with <200 detection because they hesitated in attacking due to the environment.

On that note, are there even normal crawlers on dominating?

1. Is there a way to avoid getting the "Body Horror" feat? Can you remove it somehow?
Playing a character with minimal Willpower makes your resolve very low even without this 30% debuff. Psionic users are probably the most difficult enemies to deal with for my build.

Spoiler

You can kill the strongman which is trying to get escort you to kill the doctor instead going with him. You can then leave the medical center but won't "help" the doctor.

I had the option of just not going with him, but had high WILL.

Thoughts on this sword build?

I just happened to be outlining mine for when I get into it, crafting and all, maybe it will make you less retentive about maxing dex

or not

Why not take Ripper if you already have 5 WILL? Though I guess that with the 7 INT you're still planning to move some feats around.

If they attack you out of stealth your dodge is reduced to 0, he should have uncannied it.

 

[Fenix]

Goys rate thsi spear build. Stat focus str/con.
no throw. riot shield+iron grip.

Focusing on sweep for offbalance then Impale. THrow got nerfed hard so whatever.
Due to stat requirement cannot into 18 str

I'd say focusing on block just isn't worth it for spear builds, especially since it only works for melee damage anyway.
That and you sacrifice 15% damage and a good amount of feats for a worse defense than what tactical vests or metal armor offer. I just don't see the point.
Spear guardian is still worth it though, it's quite reliable with its +2 spec.

Recklessness and Weaponsmith are also quite nice for getting occasional massive crits, especially since you have cheap shots and critical power already.

There's no need to max out Tailoring, Mechanics and Electronics. You can get a 15% bonus from your house so you'll want to reach 140 in those stats. (not invested, but total ofc.) Most crafts shouldn't exceed 160, but a few exceptions are possible if you get luckly on 150+ qualities.

I'd personally also highly recommend going part psi for Psycho Temporal contraction + Psycho Temporal acceleration feat for that sweet 3 turn +30 movement and +20 action points instead of sprint. Even if it lowers your max hp and requires some temporal skill points.

I didn't try high evasion / thick skull on this build yet, but those look extremely valuable given how often I got snared and stunned.

And bring a ton of grenades ofc, a few optional enemies in expedition can't even be meleed with a spear.

crawlers and knife homos are very annoying, this build is made to DOMINATE them. Also taking nimble and the veteran feat to reduce armor penalty so that with good boot springs its alright to move and stuff.
This build is more of a defensive build. Taking recklessness would be counter productive in that case.
Cheap Shots and Critical Power is to buff Impale and other occasional crits. weaponsmith would be somewhat lackluster, unlike for knives and swords. Also requires 6 int.
For the crafting; yeah i agree partially. but for making drugs/mk iv grenades in DC that much chem/bio is threshold i think.
I guess 25 PK for force field and 70 TM for Stasis si doable.

With your 5 INT you can get by with 90 skill investment in crafting (outside of DC), what you put in is way overkill. Traps is also overkill by 80 points.

I'd def take Grenadier earlier than 22.

Paranoia is a waste, you won't see Death Stalkers either way, and you're spear block so they shouldn't be an issue, you also have thick skull. Nimble also seems pointless.

Adding TM would def strengthen the build, it's just OP.

I would add that speccing in Shield Bash so it take 0 Ap is probably better than in Thick Skull.

The best strategy so far seems to throw one flare under your feat, at the beginning of every single turn, in order to detect if something tries to sneak upon you.

Exactly. This is ultimate weapon, very cheap and useful.

f you've got extremely high PER, Paranoia, and motion-tracking NVG goggles—peak Detection, or close to it—yet cannot detect the enemies that are most essential to detect because they're protected by an invincible developer shield, well... the value of very high Detection is DRAMATICALLY reduced.

The problem usually is not your detection is low, but your stealth is low, thus you have no time to use your high detection.

only that it sure feels like it when playing the game, or maybe there's something funky about how detection is calculated during turns that makes it near worthless

In combat enemy's detection is lowered, possibly same for PC.

 

[Tigranes]

Finally getting to do Expeditions content, entered the area at level 16, tough but doable. Done a couple of locations and rescued a dude.

I think some folks said they liked how the writing had improved. Really? So far I see a great deal of 'find old datalog full of superlong loredump monologues', and a lot of in-dialogue narrations, both of which are too often written like some pretentious undergraduate's paean. OK, it makes sense to find a dead scientist's log and it's 10 pages of nerdspasming about science, but that doesn't make it good storytelling for the player.

On the other hand, where Underrail's writing has always excelled - real living characters with simple, well executed characteristics - has been great in Expeditions as well. On that front there can be no complaints whatsoever.

The art style has definitely improved with some quite atmospheric areas.

 

[Lyre Mors]

I think some folks said they liked how the writing had improved. Really?

I was referring more to the improved use of the language. Less grammatical and spelling errors, improved sentence structure, better word choice, more naturally flowing, etc. It's still Underrail. I'm not coming to it for an enthralling story or anything.

 

[hell bovine]

BTW. A motion tracking device, inspired by the one from Alien movie series, could be a nice addition to the game (maybe).

I like this idea. Though crawlers don't move until they attack you. Maybe something detecting neural system activity? (I mean, they aready have brain-power enhancing headbands...) So you couldn't see robots with this, only living beings that have a nervous system.

So far I see a great deal of 'find old datalog full of superlong loredump monologues',

Depends who wrote that datalog. Speaking from experience, unfortunately that's how plenty of scientists write. You'd think scientific writing be concise and to the point, but no, let me add two paragraphs how I am saving humanity first...

 

[Spark Mandriller]

Though crawlers don't move until they attack you.

Yeah they do. Use stealth and watch some who haven't noticed you. They do the usual random wandering around thing that other animals do.

 

[Tigranes]

For Joint Security Headquarters,

Spoiler

Do you need to go to the health center first to pass the bioscan? That's what I'm guessing, but jesus, in that case why tell me to go to any of those two and make me jetski back and forth

 

[Candide]

For Joint Security Headquarters,

Spoiler

Do you need to go to the health center first to pass the bioscan? That's what I'm guessing, but jesus, in that case why tell me to go to any of those two and make me jetski back and forth

Yes

 

[Elephantman]

Sometimes I let out a silent prayer..

Mind sharing your build please?

standard psyker with 7 per for e x p l o r a s h u n reasons, 7 int for larp and electronics, 4 dex because negative modifiers in skills rub me the wrong way, 6 agi sprint
early in the game i was temped to lift con to 7 while leveling up to get the feat the turns HP into PSI but i didnt know the conversion rate so i didnt go for it

l1: sprint, +35% energy cap (60 in electronics will give you shields better than anything you can buy or find, muffled headband, cloak... maybe best l1 feat for psyker)
l2: tranquil - ap cost reduction turned out to be important but much later and keeping full hp is easier than i thought
l4: force user - 2nd best feat
l6: premed - best feat because of doors, universal, stronk
l8: pyro - aoe fear and i dont think there is another ability or school specific feat that provides this much value
l10: meditation - why not, nothing else to take
l12: neurology - stacking psi, 100 + 25 + 15 + spear + philosophy = 165+
l14: locust - dont use it, its cheating
next: with 15+10+15=40% psi cost reduction and 165 psi, action points become the bottleneck in the first turn of a fight so
thermodynamics or lti cooldown reduction might be the next feat, specialization goes into premed cooldown reduction

 

[Elephantman]

Don't know why would I be "bullshitting"?

Because over 9000 detection and fails doesnt sound right. Now that I have tried it with 220 it is a little bit more believable but still not really.

I really like crawlers and people crying about them are gigantic faggots.

 

[Candide]

I think I'm done exploring everything in the Black Sea, i.e. they are all dead Jim. Well done Styg and the team. It's a ridiculous amount of entertainment for 10 bucks.

 

[Spark Mandriller]

The clothing update has made the gauntlet look pretty weird. The other two guys run in in their jumpsuits, and my guy's in his shorts. And then I finish it and have to leave in my shorts again since they immediately took my jumpsuit back (and then I stole it back anyway because fuck you I wore it for a few floors so I view it as my property now).
I realise this is kinda old but I hadn't done the gauntlet for a while so this is the first time I saw it. Looks weird.

 

[Damianus_NT]

I really like crawlers and people crying about them are gigantic faggots.

I see that you have an interesting mindset.
First, you consider an opinion like "I like tricky enemies in RPGs but im not fond of the crawlers." as crying.
Second, if someone does not like something you like, you consider them as "gigantic faggots".

Because over 9000 detection and fails doesnt sound right.

Did you just prove our point? ; )

I should rectify though. "Not fond of crawlers" is kinda bad wording on my part. I find these monsters very interesting and really like the concept. It is the encounters themselves which are frustrating sometimes, for the reasons already discussed. Im sure many share the same sentiment. But we would not spend hundreds of hours with the game if we were so butthurt over this, now would we? There is place, in RPGs, for annoying enemies too.

 

[Alexios]

It's either one of the words in the key, for example, "Swan One Ballet" means it's just a 1.
You can also get the number literally in the key, so "Something 8 Notes" is obviously 8.
It may also be possible that there's a 3rd variant that is more of a hint, but I only had the 2 variants above myself.
And I just brute-forced the 10 options for the 4th key as that was faster than the alternative.

So look if a key has a single note in it. For example, in AbGGBD# B D#BbE you don't really need to decypher anything other than B.
Focus on 3-5 letter words otherwise, since 0-9 spelled out are all in that length ofc.
If that fails translate the entire key ofc.

Good luck.

Wow.... that makes perfect sense now. How could the ingame explanation be so opaque?

 

[BING XI LAO]

Just got the game, very hyped (last rpg I played was Avernum, love subterranean stuff). Managed to last 3 hours before the game forced me to finally install cheat engine.

For speedhack, specifically. How in the hells can people make an entire fleshed out game only to fuck up literally the most basic thing, walking speed, that they only needed to double or something?

 

[Elephantman]

Im sure many share the same sentiment.

Good argument, breh.
Crawlers are not annoying. They are one of the few enemies you fight differently than the rest of the garbage. They should be made more annoying and really unfair so that even OP builds would avoid them. As it is, there are too many cheap and easy ways to deal with them.

Annoying and retarded are hives and the trash they spew out. Makes me think I am playing Pillars of Shit 1.

 

[Blackmill]

The issue is that without stealth (or forcefield/fire blocking etc.) crawlers will beeline and attack you before you get enough detection ticks in, no amount will help you there.
I've seen a few death crawlers with <200 detection because they hesitated in attacking due to the environment.

On that note, are there even normal crawlers on dominating?

Yeah, there are normal crawlers. Also, at level 20 I had 15 PER, +130 detection goggles, and 240-ish stealth. Death Stalkers still got the jump on me most of the time. At best I caught their shadow 2-3 tiles away. Maybe if I paused every 2-3 tiles I could always detect them before they attacked. But doing that in a very large cave with 8+ death stalkers is not fun.

 

[Marten Broadcloak]

For Joint Security Headquarters,

Spoiler

Do you need to go to the health center first to pass the bioscan? That's what I'm guessing, but jesus, in that case why tell me to go to any of those two and make me jetski back and forth

I'm stuck right before that myself. Can you tell me how you

Spoiler

managed to pass by the four plasma turrets at the entrance?

Just got the game, very hyped (last rpg I played was Avernum, love subterranean stuff). Managed to last 3 hours before the game forced me to finally install cheat engine.

For speedhack, specifically. How in the hells can people make an entire fleshed out game only to fuck up literally the most basic thing, walking speed, that they only needed to double or something?

Normal people press + on their numpad but no, might as well install a cheat engine and rant on the Internet that the game is deeply flawed.

 

[Parabalus]

For Joint Security Headquarters,

Spoiler

Do you need to go to the health center first to pass the bioscan? That's what I'm guessing, but jesus, in that case why tell me to go to any of those two and make me jetski back and forth

So you can get

Spoiler

ambushed while naked by the Naga Protector.

I thought it was a nice touch.

For Joint Security Headquarters,

Spoiler

Do you need to go to the health center first to pass the bioscan? That's what I'm guessing, but jesus, in that case why tell me to go to any of those two and make me jetski back and forth

I'm stuck right before that myself. Can you tell me how you

Spoiler

managed to pass by the four plasma turrets at the entrance?

I'm pretty sure you have to kill them. Best help I found is to LoS them, easy if you're ranged.

Im sure many share the same sentiment.

Good argument, breh.
Crawlers are not annoying. They are one of the few enemies you fight differently than the rest of the garbage. They should be made more annoying and really unfair so that even OP builds would avoid them. As it is, there are too many cheap and easy ways to deal with them.

Annoying and retarded are hives and the trash they spew out. Makes me think I am playing Pillars of Shit 1.

If you one-shot the Hive you'll only face one wave of locusts, easy with cryo-orb as PSI.

 

[Fenix]

Yeah, there are normal crawlers. Also, at level 20 I had 15 PER, +130 detection goggles, and 240-ish stealth. Death Stalkers still got the jump on me most of the time.

You doing it wrong then, because I have like 13 Perception, and 60% detection goggles, 200 stealth and can detect them just fine.

At best I caught their shadow 2-3 tiles away.

And what the fuck else do you need?

not fun

Well, meaybe it's fun to die and reload, then complain here?

 

[TwinkieGorilla]

Jesus goddamned christ to the amount of mapspace given to these annoying fucking locust hives.

 

[Parabalus]

Fenix

Where's that PSI beetle brain in a jar?