Underrail: The Incline Awakens

[Wulfric Pinewood]

Today i realised that i have enough autism to enjoy this game.

 

[Tigranes]

OK, so after like 50 playthroughs, I might be ready for a non-pure Sniper

Could TC/Sniper work, my friends? Mass Enrage then shoot 'em down? Well enough for Dom cruising early/mid game? (Not super concerned about level 20+)

1/ Stat distrib: I can imagine 5/3/6/3/MAX/10/6 as a way to squeeze in PER & WILL, but is it worth it/viable? Obviously there's a major sacrifice to max PER, but could it still function?
2/ Feats: apart from essentials like Shooting Spree and LOC - could focus on classic Sniper builds, or lean into things like Cerebral Trauma + Neural Overload? Too much? Could just stay at Tranq instead.

Rough draft:
https://underrail.info/build/?FAUDBgMMCgZuAAAAAABuS1oAAGRkCgBGbhkANwAAAAE5Kz8xNWR-MyFLwoXCh9-_

Sniper rifles are... loud. I'd suggest xbows or melee instead as addition to TC. Also I'd still trade PK/Chemistry for throwing and squeeze ambush because otherwise many killing sprees would go to waste.

e: No idea how you're supposed to get through there without a healthy amount of stealth. And even then it was annoying dodging those stupid robots.

Avoiding them with stealth is pretty annoying because of cameras. Templar would giggle himself to death over how many times one could reload there with that approach. It's much, much easier to just kill them all with a good build/few EMP.

Yeah, TC/Sniper definitely isn't ideal, but at this point I've tried psimonks and most other tried and true combos.

I've been squeezing in throwing, and I might do the same with Ambush - key question will be whether Snipering can get over that threshold of efficient 1hko.

 

[Fedora Master]

NPCs friendly fire you: lol just a prank brah
You accidentally friendly fire them:

 

[Tigranes]

OK, so after like 50 playthroughs, I might be ready for a non-pure Sniper

Could TC/Sniper work, my friends? Mass Enrage then shoot 'em down? Well enough for Dom cruising early/mid game? (Not super concerned about level 20+)

1/ Stat distrib: I can imagine 5/3/6/3/MAX/10/6 as a way to squeeze in PER & WILL, but is it worth it/viable? Obviously there's a major sacrifice to max PER, but could it still function?
2/ Feats: apart from essentials like Shooting Spree and LOC - could focus on classic Sniper builds, or lean into things like Cerebral Trauma + Neural Overload? Too much? Could just stay at Tranq instead.

Rough draft:
https://underrail.info/build/?FAUDBgMMCgZuAAAAAABuS1oAAGRkCgBGbhkANwAAAAE5Kz8xNWR-MyFLwoXCh9-_

Well, I gave this a whirl, and I can confirm that Depot A was quite smooth on Dom/Oddity. Went in Level 8, came out Level 10. Almost no reloads. To be fair, with psi flexibility, that's probably true with many other combinations.

The key will be to stay ahead of the curve on sniping enemies. Accuracy's not a problem so far but damage is, at least with a stock rifle I bought (didn't see great parts in shops). I dislike Ambush but really might need it.

 

[Tygrende]

NPCs friendly fire you: lol just a prank brah
You accidentally friendly fire them:

It's up to you to go completly apeshit and purge factions as soon as one member grazes you with a single shotgun pellet, is it not?

 

[CHEMS]

Put a bullet right into that stupid head of Gorsky's

 

[Whisper]

NPCs friendly fire you: lol just a prank brah
You accidentally friendly fire them:

NPC friendly fire NPC: no reaction, all good

 

[blessedCoffee]

NPCs friendly fire you: lol just a prank brah
You accidentally friendly fire them

Reminds me of how your allies react if you hurt (intentionally or not) them in the first Fallout.

Ian won't give me the benefit of the doubt, even if I give him medikit, and a f#ckton of stimpacks. If I wanted to erase him, I wouldn't let him waste healing items, that would be moronic...
The devs fixed that in Fallout 2. Maybe it will be fixed in Underrail's sequel, as well.

 

[Sykar]

OK, so after like 50 playthroughs, I might be ready for a non-pure Sniper

Could TC/Sniper work, my friends? Mass Enrage then shoot 'em down? Well enough for Dom cruising early/mid game? (Not super concerned about level 20+)

1/ Stat distrib: I can imagine 5/3/6/3/MAX/10/6 as a way to squeeze in PER & WILL, but is it worth it/viable? Obviously there's a major sacrifice to max PER, but could it still function?
2/ Feats: apart from essentials like Shooting Spree and LOC - could focus on classic Sniper builds, or lean into things like Cerebral Trauma + Neural Overload? Too much? Could just stay at Tranq instead.

Rough draft:
https://underrail.info/build/?FAUDBgMMCgZuAAAAAABuS1oAAGRkCgBGbhkANwAAAAE5Kz8xNWR-MyFLwoXCh9-_

Sniper rifles are... loud. I'd suggest xbows or melee instead as addition to TC. Also I'd still trade PK/Chemistry for throwing and squeeze ambush because otherwise many killing sprees would go to waste.

e: No idea how you're supposed to get through there without a healthy amount of stealth. And even then it was annoying dodging those stupid robots.

Avoiding them with stealth is pretty annoying because of cameras. Templar would giggle himself to death over how many times one could reload there with that approach. It's much, much easier to just kill them all with a good build/few EMP.

Yeah, TC/Sniper definitely isn't ideal, but at this point I've tried psimonks and most other tried and true combos.

I've been squeezing in throwing, and I might do the same with Ambush - key question will be whether Snipering can get over that threshold of efficient 1hko.

Sniper works well with Meta, Destabilization -> Aimed Shot -> BOOM!.
TC Sniper is more about being able to silently take out some goons before the big show down. Queitly thinning the herd so to say.
Also Sniper does not need much PER. 13-14 is usually enough even for endgame. Will is harder. People claim that 75 TC and base WIL of 3 is enough but that is nonsense. TC CC all rolls against resolve and you need a really good value in TC to consisttently make it stick. Your most powerful combo will be LoC+Berserk but with low TC you are more likely to see resists than success. 12 WIL is recommended.
This is a big advantage of Meta and specifically destabelization. You can go with lower WIL and so long as you get to the threshhold of 100% of enemy HP to damage you are golden. Even better Crystasis does not allow resits and the slow from Crykinesis does not allow one either so you have some nice CC available. Take Pyro for the fear effect and Cryo feat which give 1 more round of CC plus Shatter against frozen targets and you are golden. No need for anything else in Meta. Cyro Shield could be nice depending on you final Meta value.

Here is a basic skelleton build with plenty of leftover feats, attribute points and skill points to flesh out.
https://underrail.info/build/?HgUDBwMKCgbCoAAAAAAAwqAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMKgAAAAACsBOT8dKjUuCn4zSwLfvw
I am not sure about the exact order for the feats but Premed at 6 is an absolute must. Interrloper because it really helps getting around in stealth but if you feel comfortable without it take something else like Paranoia for example for the extra initiative for example, Pack Rathound is never wrong either. Nimble could be taken for more Snipe damage and better stealth values. Meditation and Optimization are uneccessary since you will use your sniper rifle more than anything else. Try to use PSI as much with Premeditation as possible.
Aimed Shot might outshine Snipe later in the game when you get a lot of extra crit damage but it really helps early game especially depot A. Still you can forgoe Snipe if that is a concern.
Your biggest concern will be Death Stalkers which you have to cheese since those fuckers are so overtuned it is not even funny. Also important get HP from your armor. With the belt and the HP food you can easily boost your HP by 50%+ and even 100% at low levels.

 

[Fedora Master]

Get DOMINATED you goddamn eelniggers.

 

[CHEMS]

View attachment 19225

View attachment 19226

Get DOMINATED you goddamn eelniggers.

There's one of them that spits rusting acid. Goddamn styg.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

I loved the ritualized mutation of the Somibaeren peoples. Brought an entirely new level of weird and strange to the game, emphasizing things like crystals even further.

 

[Stavrophore]

Shadowlith emit some low frequency electromagnetic radiation that alter DNA and turn people into snake. There are some actual real world studies about low frequency EM waves causing DNA alterations. Styg often intertwine real science with the underrail lore.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

Yeah, but the Natives do something, psionic possibly, to enhance it further and maybe even speed up the process.

Also, I love how Magnar is essentially a badass physically, without mutations (known anyway) though he has obviously been affected by the Shadowlith in some way or another due to the Void creature that emerges from his corpse and attacks you.

 

[c u in da ballpit ashren]

I want to play this game so bad but I can't justify the lack of roleplay in this game to bother reinstalling. If I want to play Underrail, I'll just play Fallout 1 and 2. At least there, there are more systems at work to convince me that I'm not simply Vault Man or a tribal.

 

[blessedCoffee]

I want to play this game so bad but I can't justify the lack of roleplay in this game to bother reinstalling. If I want to play Underrail, I'll just play Fallout 1 and 2. At least there, there are more systems at work to convince me that I'm not simply Vault Man or a tribal.

A lot of development time was spent in Underrail's combat mechanics ("I think it's very important for a game that focuses on combat, to have a long development time").
He didn't want Underrail to have "very simple combat".*
Knowing that, and the size of the team, it would be unrealistic to expect amazing role-playing options that could rival with Fallout (not NuFallout) or Arcanum.
Even the team behind Fallout Tactics Brotherhood of Steel couldn't do it, and they had more $ and more employees. They didn't aim for that, just like Styg's team, so it's not shocking to see how things turned out.

* - https://youtu.be/p5C1Dj_v_Uk?t=756
and
https://youtu.be/kj3TcNKffZU?t=599

 

[Ghulgothas]

UnderRail is distinguished by its combat. Every aspect of character creation and development feeds into it directly or indirectly.

The potential for good RP and player characterization is there, but I'm not holding my breath we'll get it. The game's already plenty compelling whether or not I can roleplay a cave savage or dig up a shitload of exclusive narrative with Thought Control.

 

[jackofshadows]

At least there, there are more systems at work to convince me that I'm not simply Vault Man or a tribal.

Like what?

 

[ItsChon]

At least there, there are more systems at work to convince me that I'm not simply Vault Man or a tribal.

Like what?

No fucking lol. Let's wait and hear, how much you want to bet it's going to be retarded.

 

[lukaszek]

At least there, there are more systems at work to convince me that I'm not simply Vault Man or a tribal.

Like what?

No fucking lol. Let's wait and hear, how much you want to bet it's going to be retarded.

porn star

 

[Zeem]

Yeah, but the Natives do something, psionic possibly, to enhance it further and maybe even speed up the process.

Also, I love how Magnar is essentially a badass physically, without mutations (known anyway) though he has obviously been affected by the Shadowlith in some way or another due to the Void creature that emerges from his corpse and attacks you.

Natives are using shadowdust infused potions to mutate. Yngwar refers to them as "changing potion" or something to that effect and says it's a part of ritual to get the "other skin" (scales).
You can also see a reference to "neoreptilians" in Abyssal Station Zero and some detailed logs about the effects of shadow waves of different frequencies on humans before and after inhalation of shadowdust. The effects get stronger with higher frequency (likely due to waves carrying more energy). Without shadowdust effects are largely benign - relaxation, mild hallucinations, improved cognitive and psionic performance. No effects below 0.5 Hz (Shadowlith itself emits at ~0.4 Hz) and some exhaustion-related dangers above 42 Hz, mainly in non-psionics. With shadowdust inhalation effects are immediately negative (terror, violent hallucinations, insanity, brain hemorrhages). The descriptions of drawings by test subjects heavily imply precognitive nature of early test (non-shadowdust) hallucinations and instructive nature of later ones (descriptions of violent rituals and depictions of Flottsormir).
Shadow waves in general are very fucky in terms of how they behave, especially at extancy limits where they affect all 4 fundamental interactions, not to mention exotic non-virtual particle generation and full object negation experiments.

On topic of Magnar: I like to think he was one of the original ASZ researchers/test subjects that got a Void parasite embedded in him. He has a chest full of electronic and mechanical components - something normal Scalers wouldn't touch in the first place.

 

[Ghulgothas]

Is there any sign as to how many years have passed between ASZ being abandoned and the Expedition touching base? Given Todd's age I always thought it couldn't have been more than three or four generations, depending on how long it took those still in the ASZ to die off. Truly a testament to the power of Flottsourmir's influence that the Atlanteans degenerated into the Sørmirbæren within a little over a hundred years time.

 

[Twiglard]

Where'd you get all that from? Persuasion with the Ferryman? 8 INT with Yngvar? It's like the base game apparently, you can miss all the good stuff and in the end have no idea what's going on. Cool.

 

[lukaszek]

one timestamp to look for is end of biocorp, per wiki 189 years ago. Afaik we dont know when lemurians got gassed before that or when split in station zero happened. Given shadowlith influence it was likely within 1st generation already? If they emerged while biocorp was still a thing they would likely come back to finish their job.

little over a hundred years time.

If my chain of thought holds true then it would be like 150 years

 

[Zeem]

Is there any sign as to how many years have passed between ASZ being abandoned and the Expedition touching base? Given Todd's age I always thought it couldn't have been more than three or four generations, depending on how long it took those still in the ASZ to die off. Truly a testament to the power of Flottsourmir's influence that the Atlanteans degenerated into the Sørmirbæren within a little over a hundred years time.

Around 120 years ago. Thanks to the Health Center's receptionist and thorough logging by lemurians we have a good timeline of events.
All the dates mentioned by Lemurians fall into 3 formats - Old Era (aka what we use IRL today) - life on surface, Lemurian Era (LE) - 0 LE likely marks the establishment of Lemuria and migration of NFT underground, Lemurian Era After Descent (LE-AD) - 0 LE-AD marks the Biocorp attack and its survivors finding refuge in ASZ.
The Biocorp attack happened a little under 250 years ago, as suggested by receptionist in Health Center (Receptionist standby: 249 years, 7 months, 14 days and 12 hours). It is also dated in lemurian logs as occurring between 17th and 18th of October 122 LE (Black Sea camp log and JSHQ log respectively). This puts the date of Expedition events around early June 372 LE at the earliest.
When describing the Disunion (the civil war between Shadowlith-aligned subislanders and everybody else which resulted in the former leaving to the Black Sea surface and establishing Serpentborn society) Todd alludes to the special lab personnel gradually visiting other areas less and less before staying inside 24/7 for a while. It sounds to me like that was on the scale of months, as they did not have access to food processing facilities (or at least there was a shortage of them in R&D dome), and the lack of access to Food Processing dome is explicitly mentioned in one of Special Lab terminals describing planning stages of an all-out attack to reach submarine bay. This suggests that the amount time passed between the start of Shadowlith corruption of Special Lab personnel and their exodus from ASZ is likely no greater than a couple of years.
There is no date given for the start of corruption, but there are strong hints of it beginning in 129 LE-AD (251 LE). It is the date of a catastrophic shadow wave emission incident that wiped out a lot of data pertaining to the Shadowlith. The last entry in recovered notes describes preparations to cut it open, and seeing how we can find a chunk of it in Serpentborn temple the attempt was successful. This has led to several things: the already mentioned shadow wave emission, the destruction of/damage to the Strongman doing it and the outpouring of shadow dust - most likely the culprit behind corruption.

On a related note, Todd's date of birth is given as 19.10.226 LE-AD (328 LE), which makes him 43 years old when player meets him.