Underrail: The Incline Awakens

[notpl]

Oh, duh, the base cost for throwing knives is just absurdly high. I thought it wasn't applying because they cost 12 AP for me, the same as a base knife attack by sheer coincidence.

 

[Sratopotator]

Super late to the party, just playing Underrail for the first time now (bought it on release, but I kept pushing it down my backlog, cause I'm retarded).
And my god, it is magnificent!

It's the last game that makes me feel like I'm shooting black tar heroin up my veins when I play it.

Exactly this^, I haven't felt such orgasmic RPG stimulation in years.
Thank you, Styg and company, you created something really precious. You probably destroyed my current relationship tho, but fuck that shit, it's worth it.

For my first run, I went with stealthy SMG to learn the ropes. Y'all weren't kidding, it is indeed an easy mode build (just breezed through Depot A, got Black Ops feat at the perfect time).

Build question:
If I'm playing on Normal, did I gimp myself too much for mid/end game content by not going all-in in the DEX department? (SMG build).
I started with 8 DEX, and I will drop all my stat points into it going forward, apart from 2 points (wanna get 7->8 AGI and 6->7 INT for Uncanny Dodge and Gun Nut respectively).
So, is Normal hard enough later on to worry? Maybe I should drop out of my Uncanny Dodge and Gun Nut plans?

 

[Sratopotator]

Oh, yeah, also, saw this review on Steam. Poor casuals

"Sorry. This is just too painful! I spread my skill points over a few choices, but definitely put 12 points into guns. It shouldn't be so difficult to equip a gun and load it, but this game seems meant to be a pain in the ass. I'm in the training room. It took quite a while to get a gun loaded and ready to go. I'm shooting, and each shot takes about 20 points of damage off practice robots with 2000 HP each! And, in frustration, I set the game to easy difficulty. I'm giving up."

 

[CHEMS]

Don't worry about min maxing your builds too much, especially if you're playing on normal. Hell, not even dominating needs min maxed builds, so long you don't make em too bad. SMGs benefit from dexterity as it makes it more cheap to shoot for less AP. Both Gun Nut and Uncanny Dodge are wasted feats in my opinion. I would grab Gun Nut for snipers, but not SMGs. You should get expertise for a smg build, it really ramps up damage on leter levels. I'd ditch uncanny dodge for hit and run and sprint, getting out of line of sight is better than counting on enemies missing you.

 

[Twiglard]

If I'm playing on Normal, did I gimp myself too much for mid/end game content by not going all-in in the DEX department? (SMG build).
I started with 8 DEX, and I will drop all my stat points into it going forward, apart from 2 points (wanna get 7->8 AGI and 6->7 INT for Uncanny Dodge and Gun Nut respectively).

Gun Nut is useless because it adds only slightly over 7.5% of damage. Assuming you won't take it. Power Management is also not really worth it, even if it seems enticing. So save that 1 point.

BASE * (1 + .085*(ATTRIBUTE-4))

1+.7*SKILL/100[/code]

160

---

>>> 160*(1 + .085*(18-4))
350.4000000000001
>>> 1+.7*350/100
3.4499999999999997

>>> 160*(1 + .085*(16-4))
323.2
>>> 1+.7*323/100
3.261

# Damage decrease by 18 -> 17 DEX
>>> 1-3.261/3.4499999999999997
≈ 5.47%
# Damage increase by 17 -> 18 DEX
>>> 3.4499999999999997/3.261 - 1
≈ 5.79%

 

[CHEMS]

Cmon normie don't get angry at me, i like evasion and dodge, i just don't think they're very good on smg buids

 

[Sratopotator]

Good to know, thanks, wasn't sure if "no min-maxing", which was already mentioned here, applies to SMGs too (they seem weak if certain feats/stat thresholds aren't reached).
So I suppose for Normal it's already enough that I plan ahead a bit, right? Nice!


Regarding perks:
I already took the "SMG baseline" (mobility and other low requirements SMG centered ones) feats, so the choices I'm left with for the future are either traps/grenade focused (Grenadier, Tinkering, maybe some others) that I'm not really too motivated to take (I assume squeezing everything I can out of grenades/traps is not needed on Normal), status effect centered (which do not fit a generic SMG build, right? Maybe Opportunist for Flashbang situations?), or crafting centered ones.

From what I saw browsing the feat list, I still have space for like 2-4 limited-use/barely useful feats, or am I missing some mid/late-game feats that would be great for an SMG build? (already planning on taking Blindsiding and Commando). I even considered taking Pack Rathound, which seems like a waste if there are better alternatives (I'm ok with backtracking to dump items in convenient locations).
As for Uncanny Dodge (and maybe Escape Artist) my logic is simple - I assume that my main tactic won't be enough for certain fights. For real I will be able to outrun or outgun every enemy in the game, CHEMS? Sounds boring, maybe I'll restart due to SMGs being OP

EDIT: Amount of movement points gets super silly with Sprint, Hit and Run and Tabi Boots (and with any further bonuses, idk if there are more), so maybe the outrunning part will indeed be easy.

 

[CHEMS]

For real I will be able to outrun or outgun every enemy in the game, @CHEMS? Sounds boring, maybe I'll restart due to SMGs being OP

Most likely... i never ever finish the game on normal, my first playthrough was on normal and i ditched it mid game to start on hard. Pack Rathound is a great feat, but not a priority unless you're running a 3 STR build. If that's the case it's a must have, ammo weights a lot and you'll be carrying plenty around. 130 base carry weight is too little, you can get a +50 belt, a +30 infused pig boot, a +10 regalia and a +10 glove that you can equip for your Al Fabet needs, though.

 

[Spark Mandriller]

Gun Nut is useless because it adds only slightly over 7.5% of damage. Assuming you won't take it. Power Management is also not really worth it, even if it seems enticing. So save that 1 point.

Gun nut's value depends on what gun frame you're using. If it's one with a high damage range like hammerer/steel cat/vindicator then it can be ~11% more damage. Which isn't great, but it's not terrible. Though it's definitely not good enough to be worth increasing int for on its own, so yeah, bad choice here.

Maybe Opportunist for Flashbang situations?

Opportunist doesn't work well with flashbangs. Incapacitated ends the moment the target takes damage, so the first shot ends it and the other shots don't get the bonus.
If you can spare two feats then suppressive fire+opportunist is good. Suppressive fire counts as a slow, so all you need to do to activate opportunist is to burst fire. And as SMGs you're pretty much always burst firing.

 

[Sratopotator]

Ah, right, flashbang's effect stops on hit. Brain fart, my bad.
Thanks for the Suppressive Fire suggestion, makes sense.

Jeez, I shouldn't have asked for advice - playing on Normal with those wisdom nuggets will probably make the game trivial. But I do appreciate it, thanks bros

 

[BlizzardStockholmSyndrome]

Hi! I've grown a pair and decided to play on Hard after 4 years of owning the game (sadly, as my name indicates I had other addictions). I went with a basic bitch AR build with Time magic and Thought Control. I wanted to roleplay as honourably as possible, so no jewing people with mercantile, no thefts and no pickpocketing.
I'm going with a 3 con, stealth build, minimum throwing (compensated with the commando belt), dropped tailoring and chemistry (just enough for level 2 molotov cocktails) , dropped lockpicking (not hacking though, fuck the Depo A turrets), kept biology for the drugs and to make anticoagulant shots (to save cliff and his gf).
Let me say that playing as the Ranger of Southern Underrail is devouring my finances. I crafted a muzzled, 7.62 Marauder rifle pre-Depo A, looted from the Scavengers a 9mm Huszar and autistically storing all of the weapons from the junkyard fight is the only thing that is keeping me economically on the black. I lose between 70 and 90 points of durability per burst, the merchants are slimy fucks when you are playing on hard and I fear that I won't even have enough for crafting tables if I don't drop persuasion and start pumping mercantile. I'm stealthing through respawning mobs, not because I can't take them, but because the XP is not worth the cost.
Anyways, I'll currently level 13 and cleared the Rathound King quest through diplomacy. Some notable fights I remember are against the psyonic lunatics: gunners and cryomancers stay behind the fire when you throw a molotov cocktail; Brawlers go YOLO and preffer to take damage if it means that they can bash your head in. On normal, fire was a stopper for pretty much everyone.
Finally, I'm getting confused with some component descriptions: should I craft an AA scope on my rifle for the 35% crit damage or a Smart Module? I wanted to carry 2 rifles, an RR, muzled 7.62 Hornet to burst twice in a turn and a muzzled, AA, 9mm Chimera for the comando proc. I'll literally be shooting money but what else I'm going to do with it? Take it to my grave?

 

[Corbin Dallas Multipass]

Hi! I've grown a pair and decided to play on Hard after 4 years of owning the game (sadly, as my name indicates I had other addictions). I went with a basic bitch AR build with Time magic and Thought Control. I wanted to roleplay as honourably as possible, so no jewing people with mercantile, no thefts and no pickpocketing.
I'm going with a 3 con, stealth build, minimum throwing (compensated with the commando belt), dropped tailoring and chemistry (just enough for level 2 molotov cocktails) , dropped lockpicking (not hacking though, fuck the Depo A turrets), kept biology for the drugs and to make anticoagulant shots (to save cliff and his gf).
Let me say that playing as the Ranger of Southern Underrail is devouring my finances. I crafted a muzzled, 7.62 Marauder rifle pre-Depo A, looted from the Scavengers a 9mm Huszar and autistically storing all of the weapons from the junkyard fight is the only thing that is keeping me economically on the black. I lose between 70 and 90 points of durability per burst, the merchants are slimy fucks when you are playing on hard and I fear that I won't even have enough for crafting tables if I don't drop persuasion and start pumping mercantile. I'm stealthing through respawning mobs, not because I can't take them, but because the XP is not worth the cost.
Anyways, I'll currently level 13 and cleared the Rathound King quest through diplomacy. Some notable fights I remember are against the psyonic lunatics: gunners and cryomancers stay behind the fire when you throw a molotov cocktail; Brawlers go YOLO and preffer to take damage if it means that they can bash your head in. On normal, fire was a stopper for pretty much everyone.
Finally, I'm getting confused with some component descriptions: should I craft an AA scope on my rifle for the 35% crit damage or a Smart Module? I wanted to carry 2 rifles, an RR, muzled 7.62 Hornet to burst twice in a turn and a muzzled, AA, 9mm Chimera for the comando proc. I'll literally be shooting money but what else I'm going to do with it? Take it to my grave?

Wait... are you playing with classic XP? From what I understand, that's the easy mode of XP options.

And yeah lol, AR bursting does just chew through ammo and durability like crazy doesn't it.

 

[BlizzardStockholmSyndrome]

Hi! I've grown a pair and decided to play on Hard after 4 years of owning the game (sadly, as my name indicates I had other addictions). I went with a basic bitch AR build with Time magic and Thought Control. I wanted to roleplay as honourably as possible, so no jewing people with mercantile, no thefts and no pickpocketing.
I'm going with a 3 con, stealth build, minimum throwing (compensated with the commando belt), dropped tailoring and chemistry (just enough for level 2 molotov cocktails) , dropped lockpicking (not hacking though, fuck the Depo A turrets), kept biology for the drugs and to make anticoagulant shots (to save cliff and his gf).
Let me say that playing as the Ranger of Southern Underrail is devouring my finances. I crafted a muzzled, 7.62 Marauder rifle pre-Depo A, looted from the Scavengers a 9mm Huszar and autistically storing all of the weapons from the junkyard fight is the only thing that is keeping me economically on the black. I lose between 70 and 90 points of durability per burst, the merchants are slimy fucks when you are playing on hard and I fear that I won't even have enough for crafting tables if I don't drop persuasion and start pumping mercantile. I'm stealthing through respawning mobs, not because I can't take them, but because the XP is not worth the cost.
Anyways, I'll currently level 13 and cleared the Rathound King quest through diplomacy. Some notable fights I remember are against the psyonic lunatics: gunners and cryomancers stay behind the fire when you throw a molotov cocktail; Brawlers go YOLO and preffer to take damage if it means that they can bash your head in. On normal, fire was a stopper for pretty much everyone.
Finally, I'm getting confused with some component descriptions: should I craft an AA scope on my rifle for the 35% crit damage or a Smart Module? I wanted to carry 2 rifles, an RR, muzled 7.62 Hornet to burst twice in a turn and a muzzled, AA, 9mm Chimera for the comando proc. I'll literally be shooting money but what else I'm going to do with it? Take it to my grave?

Wait... are you playing with classic XP? From what I understand, that's the easy mode of XP options.

And yeah lol, AR bursting does just chew through ammo and durability like crazy doesn't it.

I tried a hammerer with oddity XP but I was too smoothbrained to get a decent tactic roling. I wanted a character that wouldn't make me ragequit a few hours in.

 

[jackofshadows]

Wait... are you playing with classic XP? From what I understand, that's the easy mode of XP options.

Not really. It's been tuned over the patches. Still, hitting the cap is much easier with the classic mode.

As for AR build - it's a pita to play w/o mechanics u to 50 in order to make mass repair kits. Another alternative - speccing disassemple although that's a tad extreme solution.

 

[BlizzardStockholmSyndrome]

Well, by some ungodly luck I managed to get a Rapid Reloader from Lucas' shop so I finally crafted my 9mm hornet with a muzzle break. Also, I forgot how useful a shield emitter was against eletrokynesis lurkers. I have a shitty one I found inside the GMS station Burrower nest but it has enough charge to resist the stunning chain lightning attack. It's a shame it doesn't stop Neural Overload or Telekinetik Punch.
Also, it's true what was said about classic xp mode being easy mode regardless of the difficulty. Just by walking from SGS to Rail Crossing I got almost 13K XP, enough to get me to level 14 and get the commando Perk. My strategy now consists of sneaking, burst, burst, burst, premeditation + break will or adrenaline + grenade to control my environment.
Finally, caltrops were a godsend against Cut-throats and Assassins, they lost all their movement points right as they approached me. Will caltrops also work on crawlers? I don't want to chuck my molotovs that easily.

 

[CHEMS]

They work, but crawlers fucking teleport and have a assload of MP. The only right way to deal with crawlers and death stalkers is setting everything on fire, including you and any bystanders nearby.

 

[agris]

They work, but crawlers fucking teleport and have a assload of MP. The only right way to deal with crawlers and death stalkers is setting everything on fire, including you and any bystanders nearby.

You don’t need a build for that friend, you just need molotovs!

 

[notpl]

They work, but crawlers fucking teleport and have a assload of MP. The only right way to deal with crawlers and death stalkers is setting everything on fire, including you and any bystanders nearby.

Crawlers teleport away from you, but they can't teleport to you. Also, once you find one or two of them, it becomes really easy to predict where they teleport to. It's always roughly the same distance away, and usually behind something, so if you look around you and you see any kind of a terrain block you can bet the crawler's waiting behind it.

 

[Spark Mandriller]

Finally, I'm getting confused with some component descriptions: should I craft an AA scope on my rifle for the 35% crit damage or a Smart Module?

Smart module got nerfed to not activate on bursts so there's no point to it on ARs. It only works with attacks which have a cooldown now. Same with smart goggles. At least it makes your choice easy.

 

[BlizzardStockholmSyndrome]

They work, but crawlers fucking teleport and have a assload of MP. The only right way to deal with crawlers and death stalkers is setting everything on fire, including you and any bystanders nearby.

The bystanders are definitely getting toasted. Anybody that willingly goes into a crawler den is up to no good and needs to be purged with fire.

Finally, I'm getting confused with some component descriptions: should I craft an AA scope on my rifle for the 35% crit damage or a Smart Module?

Smart module got nerfed to not activate on bursts so there's no point to it on ARs. It only works with attacks which have a cooldown now. Same with smart goggles. At least it makes your choice easy.

Thanks! I'll hunt for a middle-of-the-road Chimera Frame in Core City and plug an AA with a rapid reloader into it. Muzzle break makes more sense to me on my Hornet, the 2 extra shots guarantees the kill and commando proc.

 

[BlizzardStockholmSyndrome]

Sorry for double posting but I think that I "get" what people mean when they say this game is like Black Tar heroin. I spent the past few days just going into new squares of the map, making small notes on the enemies, loot, things of interest. Engaging in completelly unnecessary battles, then carefully cataloguing the loot, stashing it in crates for future financing. It was incredibly therapeutic to do a one man army assault on Lurkers, Iron Heads and the local wildlife.

What I enjoyed the most was finishing Rail Crossing, taking the stairs down on the screen south of the station, blowing up the cave in and arriving at SGS. 4 screens and I have found a shortcut between the stations. It really hit that pleasure center of my brain knowing I won't have to pay 25 charons to move all my loot between the dead drops and my SGS warehouse.

Now, I found a shitty jet ski in Camp Hathor and thanks to my mechanics skill I bought it for a steal. Suddenly I was 14 again and playing Golden Sun 2, the moment that you get a boat and can explore all of the world without a single direction of what to do next. I put the story on standby and just visited areas, killed monsters and grinded for xp.



I found out about a mutant experimentation lab just west of SGS that gave me acid and poison defense gear and 2.4K xp for killing the supermutants inside. This is the moment where I'm saying "fuck it" to the story and will spend my time and loot just to finance bigger and better boats to leave no stone unturned in the underrail seas. The best part is that it doesn't break my suspension of disbelief - I have waited for a long time for a game that encourages and incentivates my murderhobo instincts. I don't even want a house in Core City. Just give me a boat with enough cargo space that I can trade between the cities and I'm a happy man.

Maybe I'll finish the story? Maybe not? Something about the new spider enemies in Expedition triggers my fight or flight response.

 

[CHEMS]

Yeah man, Underrail is my favorite game ever. It's good from start to finish, Styg's the man.

Something about the new spider enemies in Expedition triggers my fight or flight response.

Yeah, they're a bitch to deal with. Bring a good shield and some bio protection. Expedition can be a lot of fun if you prepare for it. For example, the Tchortist Bioscrubber, CAU armor/Lemurian Armor and biohazard boots give you 100% bio resiste, meaning heartbreak serpents can't do SHIT to you. It's possible to obtain 100% acid resist if you rock the CAU armor and infused sea wyrm boots. With a good shield PSI crabs won't hurt you at all because their psi shock will bounce right off. One word about dealing with pretty much everything expedition has except for the automatons: fire. Expedition hates fire, so torch everything and if they survive torch some more.

 

[CHEMS]

It's alright, bro. You tried...

 

[Hag]

May have encountered a bug. When I raided the Protectorate warehouse I may have killed (stealthily) a couple guys, turning the whole warehouse hostile (why not). However, other protectorates outposts are now attacking me, while the fort Apogee guys don't, except those on the first floor. Using stealth I can meet the ambassador and then go talk to the Colonel, effectively joining the Protectorate. But as soon as the dialog closes, since I've become visible the colonel enters combat and shoots at me. Talk about a warm welcome.
Is there a way to clean that mess (I would be ok with cheats since the game is obviously broken) or do I have to deal with the consequences ? I did the warehouse mission long ago so rolling back is not possible.

 

[CHEMS]

Not a bug, the Port Protectorate and Waterways Protectorate are a different faction than mainland Protectorate.

But as soon as the dialog closes, since I've become visible the colonel enters combat and shoots at me. Talk about a warm welcome.

Unequip your weapons and combat utilities. They aggro if you're armed there.