Underrail: The Incline Awakens

[TwinkieGorilla]

A happy meal would probably have greater depth than this game.

We get it, you're the silt of the earth. Deep Caverns? Sure, all those complaints (including my own) are valid. Your dumb ass, however, is your own dumb fault.

 

[Celerity]

I think you might be confused with something else. How about this.

RhodokMasterRaceOfficial can go over on the Derpest thread and complain that children's toys are superior. I'll come over here, as this game seems interesting in a not watching train wrecks live way. Deal?

 

[oneself]

This game could not compel me to go beyond the second quest and I almost want to refund it and buy something I actually want to play.

Mostly because nobody actually gives you any directions and I had to google where the bloody quest location was. I highly doubt he wanted me to walk around in circles in the caves for two hours. Another reason is that the game world just is not immediately interesting the way its immediate comparison in Fallout is. They should've aimed for more STALKER than Metro (which is another boring game) in that regard.

Nostalgia cash-in 0/10 would not recommend

Essie gives very general directions about where to go. Exploring is another matter. I could not for the life of me find where to go until I mapped it myself.

I think the lack of automap and auto-travel is intentional by the maker, to discourage FO4 players such as yourself.

But forget that. Sell me on this game. I'm looking for tactics oriented difficulty that doesn't come at the sacrifice of variety and versatility, meaning no just spamming the same obvious best build or dodging hundreds of noob traps. It need not be the MOST HARDCORE CHALLENGE EVER but if I can go in blind and sleepwalk through the highest difficulty I will not be amused. The setting is not my favorite but I can see past post apoc if the game mechanics are good enough. I heard this game doesn't coddle or casualify, is that true? Does the combat get repetitive or grindy and if so how much?

I think that difficult games sacrificing variety and versatility is unavoidable, because hard games do set a bar and if you do not reach the bar you will have a hard time. This game's bar is honestly not that high, but I can say however that some builds will noticeably have more trouble than others. And it isn't because the build itself is bad because the player spread himself too thin instead of having a keen focus, but because the route you have chosen is simply a treacherous one. The frustrating part about this is that you have no real way of knowing this until you tried it yourself.

This game offers a lot of exploration and getting lost moments that are pretty rare nowdays, and you will have plenty of this before the game ends. This create a fine illusion of a open-world until you've explored and mapped everything. The merchant system is very interesting. Not because it is more convenient, but because it is a unique and quite realistic take. Merchant only buy what they want to your inconvenience, and you have to find ways to make it work.

Odditie system for EXP I think it is brilliant. A lot of games tried to balance EXP from exploration/stealth with combat, but they often fall short from a perfect balance. A lot of times grinding is still better because exploration/stealth misses out on experience.
Odditie system pretty much removes grind from the game and allows fine tuning balance between exploration and combat.

Combat getting much better than exploration? Remove an oddity. Exploration not awarded enough? Increase experience on an oddity.

On top of that, having cool lootz is cool.

The only thing I don't really like about this game is that I expected more conversation checks and skill checks from crafting, but those are rare outside of hacking and repair checks. I only found a single biology check. This game was much more combat focused than Fallout1/2 IMO. But regardless, while it doesn't offer a pacifist solution, it does offer a path that someone that is weak in combat can take for the boss.

 

[Cazzeris]

IIRC if you move right next to it while it's stunned, it'll turn neutral. Then you can talk to it and complete the quest. It has to be pretty low on HP though, like <20% or something.

No, I try using flashbang and tasers, but even if it was incapacitated, it didn't work. I hit the creature two times with my hammer. The second time it got stunned, and the option to calm the creature appeared.

So, only stunning it works? The wiki says otherwise...

Fuck this quest, then. I don't think my character can stun anything easily.

 

[Zetor]

Incapacitate works too... I ended up tagging it with a tranq bolt, fucker kept resisting my flashbangs. If you incap it at low hp, it gets a permanent stun debuff, allowing you to end combat. After that just move next to it and 'talk' to put the shock collar or whatever on.

 

[RhodokMasterRaceOfficial]

automap and auto-trave

Wanting to have a game map in general makes me a FO4 player. Interesting.

 

[Wolfe]

Yeah, I can't be bothered with the Deep Caverns anymore. Excellent game up to this point, where everything comes apart.

 

[oneself]

automap and auto-trave

Wanting to have a game map in general makes me a FO4 player. Interesting.

I personally prefer to have a map as well. But I understand that it is a direction they chose, and me not liking it doesn't mean it is bad in the sense that Styg didn't think enough about the decision itself.

Want a game map in general doesn't make you a FO4 player. Expecting everything to be in the way you like makes you a FO4 player.

 

[oneself]

Yeah, I can't be bothered with the Deep Caverns anymore. Excellent game up to this point, where everything comes apart.

I nearly lost it there too. I think most people's willpower take a hit there. The debuff be real.

Spoiler

If your problem is low on supplies, there is a depot south of Arke power station, north of the eastern Faceless blockade that contain as much ammo as you would need to proceed.

Yes, that means culling the faceless if you have to.

 

[Blaine]

...in the sense that Styg didn't think enough about the decision itself.

From what I've gathered, he's thought about it plenty, and is strongly disinclined to implement a map. When you use language like "didn't think enough about the decision" knowing full well that in your opinion the only proper outcome was to decide to implement a map, you're being a bit of a cunt.

I must have a truly exceptional memory, because I have no issues steadily working my way through all the caverns and districts of Underrail while recognizing landmarks when retracing my steps and retaining a general sense of which direction the closest station(s) lie in.

 

[Cazzeris]

Incapacitate works too... I ended up tagging it with a tranq bolt, fucker kept resisting my flashbangs. If you incap it at low hp, it gets a permanent stun debuff, allowing you to end combat. After that just move next to it and 'talk' to put the shock collar or whatever on.

Well...

Spoiler

As you can see, the critter remains hostile even if I managed to incapacitate it while it's weakened (notice the red circumference below the insect). At this point, shooting the bastard to death is the only way I can interact with it.

 

[oneself]

...in the sense that Styg didn't think enough about the decision itself.

From what I've gathered, he's thought about it plenty, and is strongly disinclined to implement a map.

I must have a truly exceptional memory, because I have no issues steadily working my way through all the caverns and districts of Underrail while recognizing landmarks when retracing my steps and retaining a general sense of which direction the closest station(s) lie in.

I get lost two streets from my house IRL. So I'm pretty fucked down there.

Granted, I just moved. Still, no excuse.

 

[Blaine]

I get lost two streets from my house IRL. So I'm pretty fucked down there.

Granted, I just moved. Still, no excuse.

Should he cater to the blind by releasing a Braille version? Underbraille, perfect!

If your sense of direction is really, truly awful, there's a fairly decent map on the wiki or someplace.

 

[Zetor]

Incapacitate works too... I ended up tagging it with a tranq bolt, fucker kept resisting my flashbangs. If you incap it at low hp, it gets a permanent stun debuff, allowing you to end combat. After that just move next to it and 'talk' to put the shock collar or whatever on.

Well...

Spoiler

(snip)
As you can see, the critter remains hostile even if I managed to incapacitate it while it's weakened (notice the red circumference below the insect). At this point, shooting the bastard to death is the only way I can interact with it.

Hmm... yea, that's strange. Actually it may be that you're killing it too quickly, maybe? I know that I slowly ground its HP down to 20%, at which point it closed its wings and started running away (this also increases its damage resistance a lot). Follow up with tranq bolt, it got the stunning debuff and I could exit combat (enter) and move next to it to complete. Do you have a lower-damage sidearm you can use to whittle it down?

edit: forgot to mention, I kept it in a bear trap during the "whittle down" part to avoid getting fucked by bilocation

 

[Wolfe]

Yeah, I can't be bothered with the Deep Caverns anymore. Excellent game up to this point, where everything comes apart.

I nearly lost it there too. I think most people's willpower take a hit there. The debuff be real.

Spoiler

If your problem is low on supplies, there is a depot south of Arke power station, north of the eastern Faceless blockade that contain as much ammo as you would need to proceed.

Yes, that means culling the faceless if you have to.

Spoiler

I found those warehouses, stealthed past the Faceless blockades. That's not the problem though. There are multiple problems, actually:

- absolute lack of directions beside "go north, behind a gate lies Tchort", which is completely different from the rest of the game, where I didn't really have issues finding stuff. But it's no problem, I can try to find my way somehow and still enjoy the excellent combat, right? Wrong.
- sudden artificial increase in the HP of mobs. How the fuck and why do you go from enemies with maximum 300-400 HP to enemies who have 700HP almost all the time. It makes the combat a chore. But not a problem again, at least if the story would convince you to push onwards despite this slow going? Nope.
- the story is not compelling in any way, and despite the fact that it was serviceable so far because all the other game systems worked perfectly well and encouraged you to keep going, now it can't stand on its own. Six really fucking annoyed me, and that's only one of the smaller issues.

And I haven't even reached the good parts yet, from what I read in toro's posts. GG.

 

[oneself]

I get lost two streets from my house IRL. So I'm pretty fucked down there.

Granted, I just moved. Still, no excuse.

Should he cater to the blind by releasing a Braille version? Underbraille, perfect!

If your sense of direction is really, truly awful, there's a fairly decent map on the wiki or someplace.

I drew maps maself

 

[oneself]

Spoiler

I found those warehouses, stealthed past the Faceless blockades. That's not the problem though. There are multiple problems, actually:

- absolute lack of directions beside "go north, behind a gate lies Tchort", which is completely different from the rest of the game, where I didn't really have issues finding stuff. But it's no problem, I can try to find my way somehow and still enjoy the excellent combat, right? Wrong.
- sudden artificial increase in the HP of mobs. How the fuck and why do you go from enemies with maximum 300-400 HP to enemies who have 700HP almost all the time. It makes the combat a chore. But not a problem again, at least if the story would convince you to push onwards despite this slow going? Nope.
- the story is not compelling in any way, and despite the fact that it was serviceable so far because all the other game systems worked perfectly well and encouraged you to keep going, now it can't stand on its own. Six really fucking annoyed me, and that's only one of the smaller issues.

And I haven't even reached the good parts yet, from what I read in toro's posts. GG.

Spoiler

Valid concerns. The mechanical res. of the mobs really fucks with specific gun builds unless you have loads of armor piercing rounds.

Industrial bots are gay.

 

[Cazzeris]

Incapacitate works too... I ended up tagging it with a tranq bolt, fucker kept resisting my flashbangs. If you incap it at low hp, it gets a permanent stun debuff, allowing you to end combat. After that just move next to it and 'talk' to put the shock collar or whatever on.

Well...

Spoiler

(snip)
As you can see, the critter remains hostile even if I managed to incapacitate it while it's weakened (notice the red circumference below the insect). At this point, shooting the bastard to death is the only way I can interact with it.

Hmm... yea, that's strange. Actually it may be that you're killing it too quickly, maybe? I know that I slowly ground its HP down to 20%, at which point it closed its wings and started running away (this also increases its damage resistance a lot). Follow up with tranq bolt, it got the stunning debuff and I could exit combat (enter) and move next to it to complete. Do you have a lower-damage sidearm you can use to whittle it down?

edit: forgot to mention, I kept it in a bear trap during the "whittle down" part to avoid getting fucked by bilocation

But it makes no sense that the course of action I followed in the screenshots isn't working. That's the way I've played through the whole game and there is no reason why this quest should require different measures. There must be some kind of bug..., or perhaps the quest's logic is just fucked.

Thanks for the tips though. I'll try using an SMG, even if that is a way more difficult and annoying thing to do.

 

[Celerity]

But forget that. Sell me on this game. I'm looking for tactics oriented difficulty that doesn't come at the sacrifice of variety and versatility, meaning no just spamming the same obvious best build or dodging hundreds of noob traps. It need not be the MOST HARDCORE CHALLENGE EVER but if I can go in blind and sleepwalk through the highest difficulty I will not be amused. The setting is not my favorite but I can see past post apoc if the game mechanics are good enough. I heard this game doesn't coddle or casualify, is that true? Does the combat get repetitive or grindy and if so how much?

I think that difficult games sacrificing variety and versatility is unavoidable, because hard games do set a bar and if you do not reach the bar you will have a hard time. This game's bar is honestly not that high, but I can say however that some builds will noticeably have more trouble than others. And it isn't because the build itself is bad because the player spread himself too thin instead of having a keen focus, but because the route you have chosen is simply a treacherous one. The frustrating part about this is that you have no real way of knowing this until you tried it yourself.

This game offers a lot of exploration and getting lost moments that are pretty rare nowdays, and you will have plenty of this before the game ends. This create a fine illusion of a open-world until you've explored and mapped everything. The merchant system is very interesting. Not because it is more convenient, but because it is a unique and quite realistic take. Merchant only buy what they want to your inconvenience, and you have to find ways to make it work.

Odditie system for EXP I think it is brilliant. A lot of games tried to balance EXP from exploration/stealth with combat, but they often fall short from a perfect balance. A lot of times grinding is still better because exploration/stealth misses out on experience.
Odditie system pretty much removes grind from the game and allows fine tuning balance between exploration and combat.

Combat getting much better than exploration? Remove an oddity. Exploration not awarded enough? Increase experience on an oddity.

On top of that, having cool lootz is cool.

The only thing I don't really like about this game is that I expected more conversation checks and skill checks from crafting, but those are rare outside of hacking and repair checks. I only found a single biology check. This game was much more combat focused than Fallout1/2 IMO. But regardless, while it doesn't offer a pacifist solution, it does offer a path that someone that is weak in combat can take for the boss.[/QUOTE]

That's not necessarily true. I have seen games that set a high bar on difficulty, then had a variety of different means of overcoming it. Most though do sacrifice variety for difficulty and in those cases being difficult actually harms the game as it spotlights how one dimensional the mechanics ar.

Still, this is an encouraging post.

 

[oneself]

That's not necessarily true. I have seen games that set a high bar on difficulty, then had a variety of different means of overcoming it. Most though do sacrifice variety for difficulty and in those cases being difficult actually harms the game as it spotlights how one dimensional the mechanics ar.

What games are those? Because if it actually offers a variety of ways to solve them, then the game can be considered easy because the solutions themselves are easy to find and consequently stumble on.

Personally I have never encountered a game like that.

 

[toro]

Yeah, I can't be bothered with the Deep Caverns anymore. Excellent game up to this point, where everything comes apart.

I nearly lost it there too. I think most people's willpower take a hit there. The debuff be real.

Spoiler

If your problem is low on supplies, there is a depot south of Arke power station, north of the eastern Faceless blockade that contain as much ammo as you would need to proceed.

Yes, that means culling the faceless if you have to.

Spoiler

I found those warehouses, stealthed past the Faceless blockades. That's not the problem though. There are multiple problems, actually:

- absolute lack of directions beside "go north, behind a gate lies Tchort", which is completely different from the rest of the game, where I didn't really have issues finding stuff. But it's no problem, I can try to find my way somehow and still enjoy the excellent combat, right? Wrong.
- sudden artificial increase in the HP of mobs. How the fuck and why do you go from enemies with maximum 300-400 HP to enemies who have 700HP almost all the time. It makes the combat a chore. But not a problem again, at least if the story would convince you to push onwards despite this slow going? Nope.
- the story is not compelling in any way, and despite the fact that it was serviceable so far because all the other game systems worked perfectly well and encouraged you to keep going, now it can't stand on its own. Six really fucking annoyed me, and that's only one of the smaller issues.

And I haven't even reached the good parts yet, from what I read in toro's posts. GG.

Take a deep breath

 

[Donaroriak]

How the fuq do you kill the Shadows of Jookhela in Core City Sewers as a non PSI??

Just stumbled into the damn Ancient Rathound myself. She is scripted at several points (e.g. if you enter the sliding door unstealthed, she appears, locks the door and haunts you with her shadows).
I managed to stealth my way to the power generator, but no matter what I do she always appears on the bridge after I turn it on and proceeds to swiftly annihilate me with her shadows.
I tried reading the mysterious pillars but I don't have enough will.
The wiki is super-vague and does not mention any tactics or ways of further evading her.

 

[Celerity]

Most Roguelikes (the real ones) have more than one viable build but will still kick the shit out of you no matter which you pick.

 

[toro]

Most Roguelikes (the real ones) have more than one viable build but will still kick the shit out of you no matter which you pick.

 

[Roguey]

I like how every fanboy crumbles one by one when they reach Deep Caverns.

I'm particularly enjoying it after I was called a troll for coming here with prophecies from Something Awful.