Underrail: The Incline Awakens

[Grunker]

Seconded, which character?

Post was prompted by finding Lora Baker. Now it seems Tanner is also up to no good, though more than this I don’t know yet.

It was kind of a decent twist for this playthrough especially because I’ve been playing as a staunch South Gater - only reason I sided with Free Drones was to keep SGS out of Protectorate reach, didn’t give a fuck about the Free Drones. Even delivered the Acorn to Tanner.

 

[Grunker]

BTW the free drones must be the most boring Faction in the game - underdescribed, underutilized and nothing about them is unique. Their “philosophy” is completely stock which is a stark contrast to the other factions. The betrayal plot and Kokoschka were the only memorable things about them, and even then, the betrayal didn’t really have any impact because you knew next to nothing about these characters and what you knew certainly wasn’t enough to care. I can’t even remember the betrayer guy’s name even though it was a really hard quest to solve without a guide, so it should be memorable for that reason alone. In fact I can’t remember the name of a single FD character except Kokoschka

 

[ItsChon]

BTW the free drones must be the most boring Faction in the game - underdescribed, underutilized and nothing about them is unique. Their “philosophy” is completely stock which is a stark contrast to the other factions. The betrayal plot and Kokoschka were the only memorable things about them, and even then, the betrayal didn’t really have any impact because you knew next to nothing about these characters and what you knew certainly wasn’t enough to care. I can’t even remember the betrayer guy’s name even though it was a really hard quest to solve without a guide, so it should be memorable for that reason alone. In fact I can’t remember the name of a single FD character except Kokoschka

Hard disagree here. Kokoschka is great of course, but Beckett and his constant comments, hyping you up, is also super memorable. Man is your biggest fan fr. Outside of that, there is another character that stands out as memorable if you go about things a certain way before the Free Drones, and I thought the Bate/Trenton dynamic was pretty memorable as well. Even the bartender, Darlin, is memorable because of how much Kokoschka hypes her up and nice she is. Regardless, there is a definite divide between FD and Protectorate split pretty evenly, so you might enjoy them more.

 

[Grunker]

BTW the free drones must be the most boring Faction in the game - underdescribed, underutilized and nothing about them is unique. Their “philosophy” is completely stock which is a stark contrast to the other factions. The betrayal plot and Kokoschka were the only memorable things about them, and even then, the betrayal didn’t really have any impact because you knew next to nothing about these characters and what you knew certainly wasn’t enough to care. I can’t even remember the betrayer guy’s name even though it was a really hard quest to solve without a guide, so it should be memorable for that reason alone. In fact I can’t remember the name of a single FD character except Kokoschka

Bate/Trenton dynamic

They had a dynamic..?

Compare these guys to Ladelman and Marcus and it should be obvious to everyone how dreadfully boring they are.

But the problem is faction-wide in my opinion. Every other faction in Underrail feels wholly unique to the setting. So much care and detail poured into making them feel part of the cave world, of creating unique twists on their tropes specific to the way Underrail functions as a framework.

Hell, even your basic bitch starting base SGS whose very name shrieks of throwaway base faction has tons of stuff going on and multiple interesting characters with backgrounds that tie in to the broader Caveverse. Even some random paranoid gatekeeper that you do 1 quest for has more personality than the entirety of Free Drones. I hadn't at all planned at making a Dixie gal bent on defending her new family but SGS was just so damned endearing that's what ended up happening, organically.

In contrast, Free Drones are as basic as your freedom fightin' anarchists get. There's no twists, nothing uniquely related to the Underrail setting, nothing to discover and nothing to catch your interest. Besides the spy, the quests are as basic as they get.

 

[Grunker]

Btw question: there is one plot thread I didn't quite catch. When the professor was kidnapped, Briggs' said it was the work of a sec-trooper and Seeger, and my character also implicated Seeger.

Then I went to free the professor (in a Top 5 Persuasion check RPG dialogue of all time, by the way, single-handedly making that skill investment worth it. The only thing I would have wished is that you wouldn't be able to check in with the captain whether the deal was satisfactory, it made the scene less tense), but when we came back, Seeger was just back in business like nothing had happened.

I think it's obvious I just missed something or misunderstood a dialogue screen, so if anyone could elaborate?

 

[ItsChon]

They had a dynamic..?

It was interesting seeing the hyper neurotic Trenton, who people didn't really care for, compared to the much cooler Bate who is friendly and charming right off the bat. When Bate turns out to be the traitor, it's a bit of a disappointment, and it makes you reflect on just how utterly committed Trenton is to the cause that nothing can sway him.

Overall though, I do agree that they are a bit underdeveloped. I just like the Free Drones because of how unique Southern Underrail is compared to the unified North and West, and I'd prefer for the stations to keep their autonomy. Free Drones goes ahead and does this. Also, once you play the Protectorate, you'll get to see a bit of why the Protectorate are so hated. I originally sided with the Protectorate, but after finishing their quest line, I vowed to never play as them again. That's also what makes Protectorate so cool though, and Aegis/Professor expand upon all of this.

Btw question: there is one plot thread I didn't quite catch. When the professor was kidnapped, Briggs' said it was the work of a sec-trooper and Seeger, and my character also implicated Seeger.

Then I went to free the professor (in a Top 5 Persuasion check RPG dialogue of all time, by the way, single-handedly making that skill investment worth it. The only thing I would have wished is that you wouldn't be able to check in with the captain whether the deal was satisfactory, it made the scene less tense), but when we came back, Seeger was just back in business like nothing had happened.

I think it's obvious I just missed something or misunderstood a dialogue screen, so if anyone could elaborate?

I'm pretty sure there is a bit of dialogue that states Seeger is innocent. The person who helps orchestrate the kidnapping is someone specific, and he can actually be identified before the kidnapping starts to prevent the whole thing.

 

[Grunker]

They had a dynamic..?

It was interesting seeing the hyper neurotic Trenton, who people didn't really care for, compared to the much cooler Bate who is friendly and charming right off the bat. When Bate turns out to be the traitor, it's a bit of a disappointment, and it makes you reflect on just how utterly committed Trenton is to the cause that nothing can sway him.

Overall though, I do agree that they are a bit underdeveloped. I just like the Free Drones because of how unique Southern Underrail is compared to the unified North and West

That's exactly why I was disappointed though. The culture Styg has developed for the South is incredible, it's really fun. Everything from their language to their identity to the regional differences within the South itself. And then their freedom fighters are just these copy-paste anarchists, that was disappointing to me.

I'm pretty sure there is a bit of dialogue that states Seeger is innocent. The person who helps orchestrate the kidnapping is someone specific, and he can actually be identified before the kidnapping starts to prevent the whole thing.

Yeah I guessed as much. It's amazing how many problems can be solved earlier if you're aware of them, it's fantastic quest design. I'm reneging a bit on my earlier "good but not great"-description of Underrail quests. I do think some require baaaasically impossible foresight on the player's part though, maybe Styg could have eased it just a tad. For example: the betrayal during Free Drones I didn't uncover until after the last mission, but when I did, it made me go "oh, I could have totally seen this earlier if I paid attention." Other times it feels more like "ok styg nobody would ever think of doing that contextually, you'd only discover this if you're the type of player to just randomly pickpocket everyone all the time for no reason."

I must have missed that line about Seeger. I do know who was responsible (I just can't remember the name), but I got the impression

 

[ItsChon]

That's exactly why I was disappointed though. The culture Styg has developed for the South is incredible, it's really fun. Everything from their language to their identity to the regional differences within the South itself. And then their freedom fighters are just these copy-paste anarchists, that was disappointing to me.

Yeah it's understandable. To be fair, I think a lot of the Free Drones cell are people from North Underrail that have moved down to the South to oppose the Protectorate expansion, but I do think there could have been some more fleshing out for both factions. A non-combat quest a piece for either faction would have done the job well. Combine that with some more varied characters that perhaps referenced the colorful locations and types of Southerners, and the same for the Protectorate but in regards to the North of Underrail. But the game is already pretty massive so I shouldn't complain too much. Plus, the two factions were done earlier in the game, where a lot more of the focus was on the combat. There truly has been a lot of growth from Styg and his team in regards to writing/world-building/etc from when the game first released to now, and the DLC is a good reflection of this. Can only imagine how much better Underrail: Infusion and Underrail 2 will be in this regard.

Yeah I guessed as much. It's amazing how many problems can be solved earlier if you're aware of them, it's fantastic quest design. I'm reneging a bit on my earlier "good but not great"-description of Underrail quests. I do think some require baaaasically impossible foresight on the player's part though, maybe Styg could have eased it just a tad. For example: the betrayal during Free Drones I didn't uncover until after the last mission, but when I did, it made me go "oh, I could have totally seen this earlier if I paid attention." Other times it feels more like "ok styg nobody would ever think of doing that contextually, you'd only discover this if you're the type of player to just randomly pickpocket everyone all the time for no reason."

I must have missed that line about Seeger. I do know who was responsible (I just can't remember the name), but I got the impression

Haha, well the way you'd discover the plant is through pick pocketing, though there is a subtle clue that differentiates the culprit from the rest of the camp which makes it not random. If you're referring to pick pocketing Bate to find out who the Spy is, there is a different way you can figure it out without ever pick pocketing anyone just to note. But yes, there are a some quests that are very difficult to do/require foresight/luck. When you finish the game, we will mention a HUGE example of this, but I think it only adds to said example and the game, versus takes away from it.

 

[Grunker]

No, that's what I meant. With Bate specifically, it is reasonable to expect that someone paying very close attention will be able to pick it up. That was my example of where it is subtle but possible

 

[Trashos]

The thing that impresses me the most with the Protectorate vs Free Drones situation is how balanced they are presented. They both have their cool people, the people who believe in the cause, their ideologues, their assholes, their NPCs (metaphorically too!), the good and the terrible in them. It is very Jungian (the duality of man and all that jazz), and I generally have started seeing Carl Jung influences in the game (incl. the Ferryman). It is very refreshing that it was not a good guys vs bad guys situation.

Other than that, you did miss the earliest chance to meet the Free Drones, which is a nice touch. I have only done the Free Drones questline once, so I will not comment further because I am bound to misremember things. I usually go the Protectorate route. What I am going to say is that you should absolutely do the Protectorate questline at least once.

 

[Trashos]

Lora Baker

He is DC, guys! Buckle up!

 

[Grunker]

I would guess I'm 1/3 through the Deep Caverns now. While I can certainly see aspects of it that could frustrate or annoy certain players, I am absolutely, absolutely loving it so far. It focuses on the game's best asset: exploration and level design. The only thing I am missing - and that might be what people hate? - is a just a teenzy little bit more direction. When I found the first hydraulic pieces I kindda got "ok, so this is sort of an open world gather the McGuffins section", but it couldn't hurt to have Six tell you just a few details about that hunt.

The disclaimer here is that obviously I could have just started with the good parts and the parts people apparantly complain about are upcoming.

 

[Parabalus]

I would guess I'm 1/3 through the Deep Caverns now. While I can certainly see aspects of it that could frustrate or annoy certain players, I am absolutely, absolutely loving it so far. It focuses on the game's best asset: exploration and level design. The only thing I am missing - and that might be what people hate? - is a just a teenzy little bit more direction. When I found the first hydraulic pieces I kindda got "ok, so this is sort of an open world gather the McGuffins section", but it couldn't hurt to have Six tell you just a few details about that hunt.

The disclaimer here is that obviously I could have just started with the good parts and the parts people apparantly complain about are upcoming.

It was changed (nerfed, streamlined) with patches a lot, the initial version had mobs respawning whenever you enter/exit an area.

You also have stealth right? Makes it much better.

 

[Grunker]

I would guess I'm 1/3 through the Deep Caverns now. While I can certainly see aspects of it that could frustrate or annoy certain players, I am absolutely, absolutely loving it so far. It focuses on the game's best asset: exploration and level design. The only thing I am missing - and that might be what people hate? - is a just a teenzy little bit more direction. When I found the first hydraulic pieces I kindda got "ok, so this is sort of an open world gather the McGuffins section", but it couldn't hurt to have Six tell you just a few details about that hunt.

The disclaimer here is that obviously I could have just started with the good parts and the parts people apparantly complain about are upcoming.

It was changed (nerfed, streamlined) with patches a lot, the initial version had mobs respawning whenever you enter/exit an area.

You also have stealth right? Makes it much better.

Yeah ok, that sounds horrible. I haven't used stealth at all except when I realized the mobs would infinitely respawn @ Arke. So that was mostly to save bullets.

 

[Grunker]

Also I wish I had realized how godly useful the nightvision part of my goggles were earlier

 

[Trashos]

Well, there are still more things to complain about, but if you are not throwing fits already, you can be hopeful. Arke, for example, is my absolute worst dungeon in the whole game. (On the other hand, the mushroom forest is one of my favorites!)

I will second that a lot of changes have been made since the early days to soften some edges, in addition to having to deal with DC at a lower level before the cap was raised with the expansion (what level are you currently, btw?). But a lot is still there to complain about if one wishes to do so, and you are certainly taking it very well.

 

[Grunker]

I liked bits of Arke, though not the respawning enemies. That shit is always a chore. Even with stealth it was pretty meh

Edit: just reached level 26

 

[Trashos]

Have you been to Caerus Residential yet? (the place with the spiders)

 

[Trashos]

I am going to write a minor spoiler for Caerus Residential here, because I don't think you are going to get this chance in your next playthrough. It is up to you, but I suggest you read it when you are ready to leave Caerus.

Spoiler

Don't forget to walk around in the shafts.

 

[Grunker]

Have you been to Caerus Residential yet? (the place with the spiders)

Yes, that was cool. Confined but interesting, nice format with messages, enjoyed reading those

 

[Grunker]

okay, labyrinths definitely wasn't my favourite thing in the universe. I liked the navigation challenge, and I even like the worms as an enemy, since they don't always come up if I Stasis so they tested my build.

However respawning enemies suck - and those enemies respawning? That was not fun. Why not just let the player clear the enemies - that's a challenge in and of itself - and then the navigation challenge is its own thing?

 

[Grunker]

I am going to write a minor spoiler for Caerus Residential here, because I don't think you are going to get this chance in your next playthrough. It is up to you, but I suggest you read it when you are ready to leave Caerus.

Spoiler

Don't forget to walk around in the shafts.

Spoiler

You meant Vasilica? Kind of underwhelming tbh, wish they'd given him dialogue. After those cool text messengers have an old man shout randomized taunts at me during a short gun battle wasn't exactly epic.

 

[Trashos]

Spoiler

I got goosebumps when I saw him. To each their own. Anyway, you need PER to find his place, that's why I thought you should know in this playthrough.

 

[Trashos]

I don't think the worms respawn, there are just many of them in each screen. If you kill them, they are dead on the way back. Not sure what happens if too much time passes or if you return to the labyrinth later.

 

[Grunker]

I don't think the worms respawn, there are just many of them in each screen. If you kill them, they are dead on the way back. Not sure what happens if too much time passes or if you return to the labyrinth later.

I killed a lot of them and when I returned to a screen, their corpses would be gone and sometimes there'd be new ones. Maybe I was just mixing up different similarly looking screens, but after killing a metric fuckton I kind of just went "fuck it" and stealthed.