Underrail: The Incline Awakens

[Blackmill]

I've got a few questions about the Power Station:

Spoiler

1. After allocating power to the mutagen tanks, I didn't notice anything different, except there seemed to be eggs near the tanks. Did I miss something? Go to the wrong mutagen tanks?

2. When you first enter the Deep Caverns after the elevator breaks, you can go east, and there's a place with no power. Where should I send power to turn that area on? It seems too far south to be part of Hollowed Earth but I see no other option. I could guess and check but that seems like a waste of time.

3. Is there any way to send power to places like Tartarus which have broken "nodes"?

Spoiler

1. Probably not actually the place that you allocated power to.

2. If you mean the small map with a locked door and a powerless electronic lock then it won't be powered. Simply open the door from the other side when you get there.

3. I wasn't able to do so and it wasn't needed so very unlikely.

Spoiler

Could you tell me where the other Mutagen tanks are? For reference, the Mutagen tanks I went to were underground a few cells before the Gate. In there I found Detrius.

 

[Nines]

Man, playing a tri-spec psion (maxing persuasion/intimidation, even) is freaking insane in comparison to crossbowgimp. It's amusing how EVERYTHING in the arena - including C - dies to the same spell combo... at level 13.

Slaughtered everything in the Arena, including C, at level 13 as a "crossbowgimp", with the same combo (mostly, sometimes wasn't even neccesary).

 

[Declinator]

Spoiler

Could you tell me where the other Mutagen tanks are? For reference, the Mutagen tanks I went to were underground a few cells before the Gate. In there I found Detrius.

Spoiler

As far as I'm aware allocating power to the Mutagen tanks (A or B or something like that) powered the electronic locks of the place southeast of the gate. There were two entrances into that place: a set of doors and a more cavernous entrance. I think I didn't find anything particularly useful there though except lots of gas and valves that brought forth even more gas. Possibly mutagens if you are going to be into that (not obligatory.) However I reiterate that I'm not certain that was in fact the place that was powered by that choice.

 

[Zetor]

Man, playing a tri-spec psion (maxing persuasion/intimidation, even) is freaking insane in comparison to crossbowgimp. It's amusing how EVERYTHING in the arena - including C - dies to the same spell combo... at level 13.

Slaughtered everything in the Arena, including C, at level 13 as a "crossbowgimp", with the same combo (mostly, sometimes wasn't even neccesary).

Yea in retrospect it wasn't bad for my crossbowdork either, though I only did it at level 20 (when everything pre-DC was a breeze anyway). At least my enemies sometimes got a turn after the first one then... Master Exploder got quite a few (not that it helped him in the end). Plus I had to use tactical positioning and tranq bolts / traps. Psion, though? Premed + Mental Breakdown -> do anything for 2 turns (ie deal with the adds or just twiddle thumbs) -> Bilocation -> TK punch -> Forcefield -> Fear and cryokinesis spam if enemy is still alive somehow -> dead every time, with no damage taken other than their alpha strike.

 

[Blaine]

I've been poking around DC for a couple hours total now. I tend to do a few scouting runs, then pause the game for a few hours and come back later, because standing around all day waiting for that shitty debuff to wear off is immensely boring game design.

I may install that CheatEngine jobby in the hopes that it can speed up the game clock 5x. Fuck's sake, I can't get over how stupid that debuff timer is.

Spoiler

I'm super-glad I have psi abilities rather than crossbow, and I've played both extensively. So far, after clashes with shroomlings, cuttlesnails, and an abortive encounter with worms, I've used 0 consumables.

I saw a Tchortling once but, for the most part, I try to avoid getting to that point because I gather it just turns into an unwinnable miss of HP-bloated endless respawns.

 

[MrBuzzKill]

I'm super-glad I have psi abilities rather than crossbow[/spoiler]

You always mention how you came super well-prepared and most of your build works fine/great. Yet you still find huge problems with DC. Can you imagine what a guy without huge amounts of supplies and with a shitty build may find himself in? It's going to be literally unplayable!!!
I like your posts btw. The way you phrase stuff is neat

The whole of DC is definitely not an "obvious" design decision, but I'm starting to feel its integrity and even an amount of masochistic enjoyment one can get from it. I feel like we're going to look back at it with fondness and anything less will be treated as casual

 

[Zetor]

"Deep Caverns is the Citizen Kane Dark Souls of CRPG endgame areas."

 

[Blaine]

You always mention how you came super well-prepared and most of your build works fine/great. Yet you still find huge problems with DC. Can you imagine what a guy without huge amounts of supplies and with a shitty build may find himself in?

I've found one huge problem with DC, and that is being forced to stand around doing literally nothing for long periods of time, on top of an enormous amount of backtracking.

After 24 scouting trips, the player will have stood around for 20 minutes waiting for the debuff to wear off. 20 minutes of doing jack shit! It's indefensibly bad design. When constant backtracking is included, over half of your time in Deep Caverns (at least to begin with) is pure downtime. Holy God in Heaven, that is some shit design.

Yes, I can certainly see how someone who's under-prepared and has a sub-optimal build would throw in the towel (although I should note that my build is by no means min-maxed). Many of the enemies are far easier for some combat disciplines and builds than for others with the same investment of skill points and feats, and because this is the ultimate (or penultimate) area of the game, the way in which Deep Caverns shits all over some builds thoroughly sabotages one of Underrail's greatest strengths: the wide range of choice in character progression.

 

[KazikluBey]

Spoiler

I saw a Tchortling once but, for the most part, I try to avoid getting to that point because I gather it just turns into an unwinnable miss of HP-bloated endless respawns.

Spoiler

It doesn't, I've met at most one or two tchortlings at a time. I didn't realize at first that the debuff would spawn enemies and just plowed through those areas with the full debuff stacks. Although the scanners and sowers are a bit annoying to fight, it's probably less annoying than waiting out the debuff all the time.

 

[Ziem]

Many of the enemies are far easier for some combat disciplines and builds than for others with the same investment of skill points and feats, and because this is the ultimate (or penultimate) area of the game, the way in which Deep Caverns shits all over some builds thoroughly sabotages one of Underrail's greatest strengths: the wide range of choice in character progression.

it only shits all over crossbow builds, every other build has a way of dealing with high mechanical resistance either inherently (like energy/chem weapons or psi), by using armor piercing ammo (every firearm) or by picking up a feat which helps with that (knives/unarmed)

 

[I'm Big Into Anal]

 

[Jack Dandy]

Blaine, do yourself a favor, install that Cheatengine. Easy as fuck to set-up, you won't look back.

Also, turn off Autosave on area transitions.

I can't stress this enough. This fixes nearly EVERYTHING.

 

[Blaine]

I'd say about 100-150 hours of that is leaving the game on all night at various points over the years, though.

 

[Gord]

Guys/girls/trannies, I'm starting to feel stupid.
I just can't find out how to continue the main quest. Tanner wants me to find out what the Faceless are searching for. If he told me anything more specific, I don't remember and that's all I have in my journal.
I have resolved the Faceless situation in RC by letting them read my mind, but couldn't prevent Buzzer dying (it seems Buzzer would give you some info if he were alive?).
I have done most obvious quests in CC: the arena up to the first fight against a human enemy, all of Gorsky's quests and as many quests for Coretech as possible (last one was the warehouse attack). Eventually they told me that they don't have anything to do for me right now, but will call me when there's more. They never did, though.

I even tried talking with the Faceless at the blockade, but they directly attack me, so that's obviously not working.
I've also the "Find the missing merchants" quest open, but I wanted to see if there's more info to be found than just

Spoiler

the keycard of the dead guy and the amnesiac woman in the Hanging Rat bar.

What am I missing here?

 

[KazikluBey]

What am I missing here?

Continue with the Arena.

 

[Ziem]

you have to help foundry if buzzer dies

 

[Gord]

What am I missing here?

Continue with the Arena.

I guess I should try that. Would be a pretty strange way of limiting main quest progress, imo.

 

[Blaine]

I'd be interested in knowing what happens to the main quest if you euthanize all three of the oligarchs and their enclaves before hunting for Cornell.

Guess I'll find out in the next playthrough.

 

[Gord]

you have to help foundry if buzzer dies

I hadn't seen any hints so far that I should travel to Foundry, so that's something I had on my list for later. If continuing the Arena fights (and then hopefully the faction quests) doesn't help, I'll just go there.

 

[Blaine]

The fruits of 130 Hacking, folks.

 

[Gord]

The crowd is chanting Daka Daka.
And here I was trying to use my chemical pistol in the latest fight. Too bad I died during the cutscene from exposure to my own acid.

 

[Nines]

I'll tell you what I think of it...

 

[epeli]

The whole of DC is definitely not an "obvious" design decision, but I'm starting to feel its integrity and even an amount of masochistic enjoyment one can get from it. I feel like we're going to look back at it with fondness and anything less will be treated as casual

I sure hope you're right. So far the DC reactions ITT have been incredibly negative, I never expected that from codex. By now anyone reading this thread is conditioned to hate DC no matter what their own opinion might've been.

Many of the enemies are far easier for some combat disciplines and builds than for others with the same investment of skill points and feats, and because this is the ultimate (or penultimate) area of the game, the way in which Deep Caverns shits all over some builds thoroughly sabotages one of Underrail's greatest strengths: the wide range of choice in character progression.

it only shits all over crossbow builds, every other build has a way of dealing with high mechanical resistance either inherently (like energy/chem weapons or psi), by using armor piercing ammo (every firearm) or by picking up a feat which helps with that (knives/unarmed)

Crossbows are the most affected by mechanical resistance, true. But they also have their ways of dealing with high mechanical resistance. And in DC they get a way to debuff all resistances and thresholds by up to 70%.

As far as crossbow viability in DC goes, the only thing I'm worried about is whether they can get that sweet armor-melting corrosive acid. So far every crossbowski who has struggled in DC has skipped the solution to their resistance problems.

 

[Blaine]

Corrosive acid as a solution to mechanical resistances in Deep Caverns is problematic because it requires you to have Biology 100 for a start, and also requires you to defeat some of the nastiest critters in Deep Caverns in order to obtain it, since it's inside of them.

Whereas my Jedi emerged from the tunnels fully capable of smashing through the homosexual resistance stacking and HP bloat of the resident creepy-crawlies, as would an AR or SMG guy with the appropriate ammo (or energy pistols, etc.). What's more, psi can do it without burning through tons of consumables.

If you need two or three crafting skills and tons of rare consumables for a primary attack skill to even be viable, there's probably an issue there.

 

[Nines]

About tasks for JQ...

Spoiler

Is there any way to get Hercules drug without buying it (other than stealing)? There is a hint that some of the buyers died outside Core City, but the territory is fairly big.

Is there any way to get information on Patrick Pierce without buying it from Jon and joining Praetorian?

Spoiler

I have resolved the Faceless situation in RC by letting them read my mind, but couldn't prevent Buzzer dying (it seems Buzzer would give you some info if he were alive?).

Spoiler

He will, actually, reveal very useful information, specifically what to look for and where. I don't know what to do if they'll kill him though.
And still, I feel myself a little bit lost in CC too.

Yea in retrospect it wasn't bad for my crossbowdork either, though I only did it at level 20 (when everything pre-DC was a breeze anyway). At least my enemies sometimes got a turn after the first one then... Master Exploder got quite a few (not that it helped him in the end). Plus I had to use tactical positioning and tranq bolts / traps. Psion, though? Premed + Mental Breakdown -> do anything for 2 turns (ie deal with the adds or just twiddle thumbs) -> Bilocation -> TK punch -> Forcefield -> Fear and cryokinesis spam if enemy is still alive somehow -> dead every time, with no damage taken other than their alpha strike.

At level 20 poor C probably won't be even able to finish his speech. To be fair, alpha strike is the only real problem while dealing with him.