Wasteland Wasteland 2 Thread - Director's Cut

[Szioul]

I'm at the codex shrine and so...

Spoiler

What's the entrance code? I've tried everything. I can hack the door but I'm curious.
Also, wtf is "hopw roewur ne"? Can I know? I almost have brofisting rights...
Edit: It's only the two floors? Any secret in there? I probably missed something but I expected more... At least, the experience from the two shrines was nice.

You're asking what the unlock code is? Really?

 

[Bradylama]

The 0.5x combat speed is pretty cool. In parts.

 

[Tigranes]

What's the deal with the Beatrice chick in Rodia?

Spoiler

I got to telling her to meet Dante in the shed, but she doesn't move, and disappears soon after I leave Dengler's lobby - but Dante himself just repeats, tell wife to come to shed. Not only that I can't even access the shed area (where the possums are, surrounded completely by the fence) and then I can no longer find Beatrice at all.

 

[SniperHF]

What's the deal with the Beatrice chick in Rodia?

Spoiler

I got to telling her to meet Dante in the shed, but she doesn't move, and disappears soon after I leave Dengler's lobby - but Dante himself just repeats, tell wife to come to shed. Not only that I can't even access the shed area (where the possums are, surrounded completely by the fence) and then I can no longer find Beatrice at all.

Spoiler

You aren't at the "shed". Yeah I thought the possum shed where you were was the shed too. It's not.

Head down to the crater farms where that locked door is

 

[Shadenuat]

I think one area where the writing and the design could've been improved is the way that choices are presented

I'm on second playthough and I am butthurt

Spoiler

- Killing Vargas breaks game since to get into choppa you need to talk to Vargas
- Folks at Prison get all killed with trigger in main plot, what you do there doesn't matter, might just kill and loot whole area (exception - trader with the wagon)
The quest cockblock with 4000hp turrets is idiotic, it's just extra area, why not make it extra area as it supposed to be
- If you pay off Pitbull RSM leader still threatens you (bug probably though)
- There is no different way to solve Rail Nomads really, stealing golden spike just makes them hostile, ect., it's either peace or you start murdering
Stealing spike would be funny way to solve quest in my opinion, since both of them cannot have it, none of them will have it, so they maybe unite in hunting the thief - Rangers, would be funny
- The LeftTeunant in LA came from Neverwinter Nights, meaning he's totally invulnerable to all damage
- Killing farmer at Salt Lake doesn't give you access to his explosives even if he shoots you with them
- Killing or not killing robots stealing cows doesn't seem to do anything, overall all these extra locations doesn't seem to do anything
- Rodia is total bullshit. you save mayor you fight the jerks. you lock jerks you fight jerks. you help jerks - you still fight jerks! that scripted ambush happens at about 4 different occasions!
at least you can use Repair to fix radio without doing that strange Virgil/Dante dance
And I am waiting for that trigger to happen with Mayor's son, but I think I either blew it or it bugged out for me

Overall as I'm trying to play game in some sort of different way I played it first time I get nothing really. Compared to that choices you made at Vault City/Gekko or working for mob bosses in New Reno was an unbeaten pinnacle of non linearity and choice.

Thanks to person who designed Titan Canyon, at least there I have a choice of storming/not storming Monks lair and finding extra secrets, and who do I help there and what quests I do... for now I am left with a few more choices to make before I call absolute bullshit on all that revolution of choice and C&C and more words than War&Peace:

Spoiler

- I will try to fuck up Mannerites by siding with folks who say "fuck" a lot
- Will try to storm fanatics in LA using local's help
- Will try side with Mattheas

My butthurt is lessened by some new options that seemed to be opened with patch 1 that I didn't get before however.

 

[Invictus]

Dont know if this is the correct thread for reporting bugs but I have 3 ones;
The person who you are supposed to deliver the Letter in railroad camp keeps appearing if you enter her wagon...sort of a creepy deja vu given that storyline
The usable items set on the hotbar randomly disappear and have to be added again
If you refuse to add a new compasión the first time they offer to join you you cannot change your mind ever, but once recruited once they can be recruited again without problems
The sick person on the prison cannot be healed
Sometimes when switching weapons the game freezes
Damn is that "super movement" bug annoying

 

[cvv]

Thanks to person who designed Titan Canyon, at least there I have a choice of storming/not storming Monks lair and finding extra secrets, and who do I help there and what quests I do... for now I am left with a few more choices to make before I call absolute bullshit on all that revolution of choice and C&C and more words than War&Peace:

Spoiler

- I will try to fuck up Mannerites by siding with folks who say "fuck" a lot
- Will try to storm fanatics in LA using local's help
- Will try side with Mattheas

Why should the 4k HP turrets be idiotic? There are 3 different ways to get past them, plus, as you said, it's an optional area. It's fine.
And as for the main plot trigger at the Prison, afaik you can prevent that through the peaceful solution, again I don't see any problems here.

I definitely agree tho the game clearly doesn't like you making "evil" choices. I didn't side with the Jerks at Rodia, is it really all the same? But if you want me to spare you the work of siding with Matthias:

Spoiler

Ok, here we go...

Spoiler

Ok, he basically wants you to murder everybody in California (well, not everybody, but to "clean" Rodia, Oracle, Hollywood and Bastion and to kill the Ranger radio dude). And then he tells you to come to Seal Beach where he simply blows you up with a nuke. The ending slide says something like "You sided with a bad guy, you killed everybody so fuck you, here's a lame and anti-climactic ending for you.

And I agree with Haba too. Not all choices are binary and empty, oftentimes you have a pretty good idea who are the good guys and who are the villains, but there are definitely quite a few of the faux "choices".

 

[Shadenuat]

Why should the 4k HP turrets be idiotic?

Because they are the most powerful beings in W2 universe. Not even Scorpitron has so much hp and dmg.
Also, what's the 3d way? As I heard there is another scripted cockblock for people who want to try and force them through.

it's an optional area

Not it's not, you follow it to get suits and main plot, aka Vargas on radio, tells you to clean place - but only after you finished main plot in Arizona, since options to finish it get unlocked by a few invisible triggers (the dogs get poisoned no matter what you do).

afaik you can prevent that through the peaceful solution

Did you? Prove it.

But if you want me to spare you the work of siding with Matthias:

there are definitely quite a few of the faux "choices"

DBM vs Monks, Mannerites vs Rednecks, Whores vs Priests?

I didn't side with the Jerks at Rodia, is it really all the same?

Spoiler

At the end of their dull questline (pay 40 bullets for farmer, get booze recipe) they ambush and try to kill you

Also, 2 acts-bioware collect allies fly to end level-stuff is really bad. Splitting game like that means 50% of locations are do-and-forget. I guess synths actually attacking cities you helped would have been too hard to script.

 

[Darth Roxor]

(the dogs get poisoned no matter what you do).

Even if you waste the rogue farmer before heading out to Titan?

also

But if you want me to spare you the work of siding with Matthias:

 

[Shadenuat]

Even if you waste the rogue farmer before heading out to Titan?

https://forums.inxile-entertainment.com/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=8627

 

[Razor]

Why should the 4k HP turrets be idiotic? There are 3 different ways to get past them, plus, as you said, it's an optional area. It's fine.


I bitched about this a while ago. Copy-paste:

Spoiler

What was otherwise a nice nostalgic ride into the games of ye olden days came to a screeching halt when I discovered, that the turrets of doom from beta have made a triumphant comeback. Where we had about 200 damage now we get 200-300 damage*5. Per round... Where we had 999 life we now have 4096. 4096. FOUR THOUSAND AND NINETY FUCKING SIX.

When I saw those stats immediately any sense of continuity and coercion of the in-game world narrative collapsed. Like why does a former high-security prison have ultra-turrets when the Citadel, which before the war was a high-tech top of the line military facility has their cheap chinese cousins. Jesus, those prison things could probably chew through a Scorpitron like wet paper. While in the beta the same artifical wall situation made me cringe I was able to overpower them before Damonta by literally scraping together every AT rocket I could get my hands on in whole of Arizona. Even then it was rather tight and only possible with hit and run tactics. Of course that time I discovered, that even if you manage to disable the turrets there were killer mines planted that dealt 1500 dps per pop and there were like 20 of them. Oh and they required a perception and demolition of seven or higher to detect and disarm.... Although now I cant get past the turrets without Damonta I am pretty fucking sure the mines are still planted there. Hell, considering the power creep of the turrets lets raise the perception and demolition requirement to 10 minimum. Oh and damage per mine to 3000 because why not.

Seriously though this literal brick wall just baffles me- for what? So that you are forced into a "twist" that literally happened because it was impossible to get past that wall in that particular stage? And yes, I hate with every fiber in my body that forced Damonta connection. Specially now because I have slaughtered all the "Scorpion" gangbangers outside the prison which I did because I thought that the mega-turrets were some weird leftover from the very first beta version and were not final design. Boy was I wrong. Anyway this now means that when I return most of the villagers will be slaughtered because of the events of the "twist". All the while my party will be blamed for their deaths because I did not wipe out the militia when I first came through there. And no I will not pay their fees or hide from them when I see women forced into dog kennels and then raped on a regular basis, also farmers enslaved and hung on electrical poles because they could not pay the flavour of the day taxes. I rather will gut the gangbangers, scavenge there equipment and after a difficult but possible fight overpower the prisons defences, get in there and break that little turds neck. For that it would be reasonable to balance the prison turrets and mines to be stronger then their regular counterparts but most certainly weaker then for example the citadels counterparts. Not to mention it would fall in a more logical line in the general game narrative.

TL;DR: they dont fit into the general game-world continuity and only serve as a artifical wall. A jarring one at that. As it currently stands its only real purpose is to force you into a big twist but ironically changes are that once you get to that stage you are already so pissed off at the wall that you miss it entirely because you march in and finish the RSM off.

The twist could have been a nice bonus for those who choose a more diplomatic playthrough: get a nice suprise and the "optimal" ending for that area. Otherwise a combat approach could have gone what you expect: first time you are in the prison (before Damonta), you get to the gates, encounter maybe a bit beef-ed up versions of regular turrets (still doable) and a regular minefield. Plow through them and finish the RSM off.

If Inxile was so hell-bent on forcing you into that whole dog mess then what is the point of presenting a illusion of choice as it currently stands? Its a prison! Put some heavy steel doors on the gates and descriptions that clearly say, that you cant open them from this side. Then add a description to the broken bot that reads something among the lines: "Upon closer examination you discover a old manufactures plate: "Serial number bla bla, Produced by Friendly-bot inc. For problems and technical support please contact Damonta Air- Force base 12111 AZ etc". Its done: player sees that you cant get through here because of a more logical reason and you have a direct clue on how to solve it.

 

[cvv]

If Inxile was so hell-bent on forcing you into that whole dog mess then what is the point of presenting a illusion of choice as it currently stands? Its a prison! Put some heavy steel doors on the gates and descriptions that clearly say, that you cant open them from this side. Then add a description to the broken bot that reads something among the lines: "Upon closer examination you discover a old manufactures plate: "Serial number bla bla, Produced by Friendly-bot inc. For problems and technical support please contact Damonta Air- Force base 12111 AZ etc". Its done: player sees that you cant get through here because of a more logical reason and you have a direct clue on how to solve it.

Ok, that would make a lot more sense, I admit.

I still think tho this is way too nitpicky. Plus, do you really have to enter the actual prison? Can't you just have a chat with Red, have a few fights in the second area and gtfo if you don't wanna mess with the turrets and shit?

 

[Eyeball]

I'd just like it if the guy whom the description text clearly identifies as being black would actually have a portrait of a black guy, instead of a Spider-Jerusalem looking motherfucker in tea shades.

Which person is that, and can I please get a screenshot so I can report it? And any more anyone can find, in general, would be super helpful. I've reported a few post-release and the more, the merrier!

It's the leader of the "militant" faction of the Christian fundamentalists. Described as being a scarred black badass, portrait is of a weedy white vicar.

 

[Ovplain]

And any more anyone can find, in general, would be super helpful. I've reported a few post-release and the more, the merrier!

Here's a weird one:

Traveling merchant in LA. Patrick Klempner?:S

 

[Razor]

If Inxile was so hell-bent on forcing you into that whole dog mess then what is the point of presenting a illusion of choice as it currently stands? Its a prison! Put some heavy steel doors on the gates and descriptions that clearly say, that you cant open them from this side. Then add a description to the broken bot that reads something among the lines: "Upon closer examination you discover a old manufactures plate: "Serial number bla bla, Produced by Friendly-bot inc. For problems and technical support please contact Damonta Air- Force base 12111 AZ etc". Its done: player sees that you cant get through here because of a more logical reason and you have a direct clue on how to solve it.

Ok, that would make a lot more sense, I admit.

I still think tho this is way too nitpicky. Plus, do you really have to enter the actual prison? Can't you just have a chat with Red, have a few fights in the second area and gtfo if you don't wanna mess with the turrets and shit?

The Prison area in general IMO is probably the most badly designed area in W2 and needs some overhaul. For example it starts with the RSM "toll" fees. If it were my doing I would have presented, that in addition to paying the weapon carrying fee you can pay extra for a travel pass which means that with it you can pass through the checkpoints unmolested. You could buy it from the RSM taxman you encounter in the first area. As it currently stands the whole area feels so disjointed- you can pay the weapon tax to get through one checkpoint but at the next one the RSM attacks on sight. Then when you force yourself though the checkpoints you get to the slave farm where everyone is again neutral to you. Even when you just chopped a patrol to pieces at the gates of the farm. So what, Danforth dosent give a flying fuck that you just slaughtered over 50% of its effective stationed garrison and the civilians in the area just disappear when you return from Damonta. But if you kill also his field-duty lieutenants (taxman, Chaos and Pitbull) he goes apeshit and decides to also slaughter most of his present salve force?

So IMO the following are needed:

a) free pass fee as described above.
b) additional ways of breaching the prison: for example in the caves below the prison their could be a additional hidden entrance that you can get access to if your perception is high enough. Also the first time if you choose to wipe out the RSM you are presented diplomatic options that provoke Danfort to disable the defences and come out of the Prison with his bodyguards to fight you. Prison defences itself balanced into reasonable parameters.
c)bonuses for actually bending to RSM laws: additional RSM locked quests, vendor and healer.
d) additional wasteland entrance in the second prison area for convenience

If done as above the prison area would have at least three main ways to approach it. The first is the most natural: wipe out the RSM on first go, the whole RSM sequence with Vargas after returning from Damonta is disabled. If you decide to turn on the RSM after getting the request from the slave farm you could directly deal with the prison and then the rest of the RSM would disperse after you kill Danforth. Much like the leather jerks in Rothia after you deal with their command. The third option would be to bend to RSM laws and ignore the slaves pleas. After that it would follow the questline as present: deal with prison after Damonta. The pretext for Danforths attacks against the Desert Rangers (even if you hadn't killed a single RSM soldier) would be the poisoned dogs. For choices and consequences the area in general would present a wider dilemma: on short term it would be the right thing to wipe out the RSM. Slaves are free and a major threat to Desert Rangers disabled. In the longer term the farmers after losing a effective protection force would be wide open to attacks from the outside, leading to further misery. A additional condition could be set that if you deal with Danforth of the prison but leave the tagged lieutenants on the outside alive (taxman, Pitbull and Chaos) then the RSM remains would rally and return to the Valley either enforcing a even more brutal rule or whole sale wiping out the former slaves. Also they would engage in a all-out insurgent war against the Rangers. The third and most "optimal" way would be one of the endings currently present: put up with RSM brutality, reason with Danforth and lead to a harsh but reasonable balance. In gameplay terms the prison area would also have more options: wipe out the RSM for xp and funds, bend to them the first time around for a healing and vendor station+additional quests or finally ally with the RSM to get them to help you out in the final Citadel fight.

Just my two cents.

 

[Shadenuat]

My butthurt levels came to normal for a while once I figured out how to screw mr. Manners, since Maximisers are obviously true powerplayer's bros since they're about maximizing everything

Spoiler

instead of doing "right thing" and getting most XP, since Maximisers would not trade, you can't fix toaster for 'em etc, after you talk to Elizaveta you talk to another guy near safe. then go follow tracks and talk to guy near water tower, who wasn't there before I had patch installed (or just didn't want to talk to me)
Get Flinster's location, walk there, save Flinster from robots, persuade him to come with you
When you get back Manners will sacrifice him with two trucks, which is kinda awesome. you get the last chance to do the good thing - you can pass a few 10 level speech checks to make him stop.
but don't
Tori gets the croud and they chase Manners from the city
You then can get his head for Tori and also his white suit and pants for your most ranger (same quest and location as to get Robinson's head). obviously cat litter is yours too

It is also a little bit bugged since all that time you can follow "Fake Rangers" and they all talk about Mr. Manners while his head is right there on a spike at city' entrance. Also if you got trading ticket from Mr. Manners for Rodia I think you will be able to get them trade with Oracle even if you killed Manners.

You get a lot less XP and quests that way, but it does change a few radio messages and probably will change one of ending slides, I hope.

The Prison area in general IMO is probably the most badly designed area in W2 and needs some overhaul

What should have been really expanded there are the lieutenants. Their "houses", their domains, their actions, dialogue. How you deal with them should count for what will happen later. W2 is it's own worst enemy sometimes, even when it does present you with options they are often too buggy to count for - like if you pay off Pitbull, Danforth still gets pissed at you and says you killed him.

And you know what? Give Rangers a small innocent quest to actually poison their dogs. Like finding poison for that farmer. Maybe he could lie and say he needs it to poison evil badgers or something, but actually takes revenge on RSM. Now that would be funny.

 

[Bradylama]

I'm going to second that Titan's Canyon was the best designed area, and the Mad Monks are by far my favorite faction. It's a shame how easy it is to tell which areas received more work than others. I was really expecting more out of the Pistol Packing Priests, but what you get is barebones.

Ag Center is also a favorite. I was expecting the amount of detail put into Ag Center for the rest of the game, and was a little let down that it didn't. Ag Center felt like a realized universe of its own, which is what made the Fallout and Fallout 2 locations so memorable.

As far as choosing Ag Center vs. Highpool goes in long term consequences, saving Highpool gives you an extra ammo vendor for the early game who restocks. This is very important if you're going to be using a ton of one particular kind of ammo, like an all-heavy weapons squad I'm using or an all-AR squad.

Recruitable NPC

I will also give it up to Vulture's Cry, because her skills make it much easier to plan your squad, and if you take the right Ass skills you can pick up her G-43, which makes a mountain of a difference in the early game.

 

[Shadenuat]

After you save either it's time to go Rail Nomad's, and you can get 50% discount there, ain't that a lot better?

 

[Visperas]

I'm at the codex shrine and so...

Spoiler

What's the entrance code? I've tried everything. I can hack the door but I'm curious.
Also, wtf is "hopw roewur ne"? Can I know? I almost have brofisting rights...
Edit: It's only the two floors? Any secret in there? I probably missed something but I expected more... At least, the experience from the two shrines was nice.

You're asking what the unlock code is? Really?

Yup, didn't really expect to get it answered but there you go.

 

[Bradylama]

After you save either it's time to go Rail Nomad's, and you can get 50% discount there, ain't that a lot better?

You've got to trek in order to reach Rail Nomad's. Having the ammo vendor in Highpool can be the difference between having or not having ammo for toads and Wastewolves. In an iron man playthrough that counts.

 

[Black]

Where's that gosh darn skill book in Highpool?!

 

[TwinkieGorilla]

Just popped in to say that the second half of the game has thus far pleasantly surprised me. A more enjoyable experience for sure. I even laughed out loud at some of Adrian Gordon's floating dialogue.

 

[Razor]

The Prison area in general IMO is probably the most badly designed area in W2 and needs some overhaul

What should have been really expanded there are the lieutenants. Their "houses", their domains, their actions, dialogue. How you deal with them should count for what will happen later. W2 is it's own worst enemy sometimes, even when it does present you with options they are often too buggy to count for - like if you pay off Pitbull, Danforth still gets pissed at you and says you killed him.

Now that is something that could fit into the "bending to RSM laws" quest framework as described above. For example when talking to RSM you are exposed to a internal power struggle between three field-duty lieutenants: taxman who wants to navigate the RSM towards more of a feudal enterprise in everyday dealings, Chaos who wants a more heavy focus on activities reminiscent of Red Scorpion raider days and Pitbull who wants a more heavy focus on slavery. The actions you take help each of respective party gain favour with Danforth and push the other lieutenants aside.

Now to not be butthurt all the time W2 also has neat areas in my book. My favourite by far is Hollywood and Griffin park: lots of colorful characters, quests and hidden agendas. The contrast between those two are specially nice when you choose the peaceful path for the areas main storyline:

Spoiler

I mean c'mon: a priest who is basically the head inquisition torturer and the leading Dominatrix in Hollywoods brothel industry discover love through S&M, then decide to take over their respective factions. Hardcore priests and hookers, holding hands and marching together into a brighter future. What's there not to like.

God's Milita also has some hidden backstory if you read the novella "All Bad Things", further expanding on its complexity. Also special mention goes to french Rambo: "you see a guy watching a old VHS that is labeled "First Blood". When it finishes you see a single tear rolling down from his cheek"

 

[Greatness]

Did inXile really use art assets from half-life 2?

Spoiler

No comments on this? I'd have thought it would be a big no-no, since I've seen many (free) mods get shutdown for using textures from other games.

 

[Tigranes]

LA definitely seems better. Actually, it would have been far better if the game started with the Rangers arriving into California and finding all these radio transmissions and factions, and investigating Ace's fate happens basically concurrently. The problem is that all the early game areas have some weakness or other; Highpool is boring, Ag Centre has a good concept but the gameplay is plodding, Rail Nomads has good concept but end up just walking you back and forth.

Can't wait to get to Hollywood and som eof the other LA faction areas.