Underrail: The Incline Awakens

[Zetor]

I have nearly 20,000 Charons, there's still excess loot stuffed in my locker at SGS waiting to be sold, and my character's still not quite level 14. I have Hacking, and have been somewhat disgruntled by the comparative lack of hack-able stuff. There are special hacking dialogues, but I'm not sure there are enough of them to justify the disparity, especially since Lockpicking provides access to ventilation systems, which are absolutely everywhere. Meanwhile, there are blocks of houses to rob in many stations that are Lockpicking-only.

All of this is to say that Lockpicking (and Hacking) may seem indispensable, but they really aren't. It's better in the long run to take Lockpicking and Hacking for exploration purposes, and for ventilation access/the occasional special hacking dialogue. Also, Lockpicking > Hacking, from a game-y point of view.

As a dissenting opinion, I'll propose that Hacking is the better of the two and that Lockpicking could use some improvement. Hacking as a whole gives superior loot despite being far less common on lootables. When seen from a macroscopic perspective, Lockpicking generally only increases the character's access to goods that can be gotten from combat loot. Hacking provides more access to areas and more alternate solutions to problems - and these come up very frequently. The best aspect of Lockpicking can be gotten with ~20 points in it for navigating vents - an expenditure any character can afford no matter how skill-starved.

I still find both skills very helpful and useful - I would just argue that I find Hacking the slightly more useful. It's still perfectly doable to have a character with neither, but I would definitely still recommend both skills to new Underrail players.

I'll agree with this -- especially in the endgame areas, having 120/130 hacking becomes pretty useful while lockpicking only really gets you more loot that you really don't need at that point. Lockpicking is also not mandatory for ventilation ducts, crowbars work fine (though not stealthy at all). Earlier in the game there's a similar pattern with lockpicking getting you (way) more loot and opening up some secondary paths through levels that may make your job a bit easier, while hacking gets you access to exclusive options and sometimes completely alternate paths through a mission (for an early-midgame example, see the a stealth mission in Junkyard -- you either need super-high stealth or pass an 85 hacking check)

 

[flabbyjack]

Are there any torches/flashlights (For Americans) in this game?I have NVG, but I'm hoping for something with a longer battery life at the cost of drawing attention to myself. For some parts of the game I have to set my brightness to maximum.

There are night vision goggles, equip them and then drag them to the hotkey bar to use them.

Also, get a new monitor.

 

[Doctor Sbaitso]

In many games, crafting requirements are defined by the recipe, as the recipe uses fixed ingredients/components. Cleverly, Underrail uses difficulty based on materials used, since blueprints use classes of ingredient/component, each with a wide range of qualities and/or materials.

This is like the second time I've heard this complaint and it confuses the fuck out of me. I generally hate crafting in games - not my thing - but I found it easy and effective and useful in Underrail.

I'll walk you through how this annoyed me and you can tell me how I should have anticipated it having such trivial requirements.

So my build is kinda sucking and needs some spicing up, so I figured hey grenades seem pretty good. And I happen to have all these Chemistry points laying around so why not. So I go to a nice vendor a buy me an incendiary grenade blueprint. Then I go to a nice vendor and buy some gas and a bottle.

So I take the Gas and bottle, + a rag I had in my inventory and place it on to the crafting screen. Only then does it list that it requires more than one skill. Yet when I read the Chemistry skill description it says :

Represents your knowledge of chemistry. This skill is primarily used in crafting various items, such as explosives

Sure it doesn't say that you won't ever need more than Chemistry to craft an explosive item or grenade. But the skill that cock blocked me was Tailoring which says:

Represents your skill in tailoring leather and cloth materials into pieces of armor

So obviously my character with 0 tailoring is too retarded to stick a rag in a bottle. It might very well be a clever system. Unfortunately the game makes no effort at all to explain it until you are ready to actually use it. Having a 10 tailoring requirement on making a Molotov cocktail doesn't make it deeper, just more fiddly. There's already enough fiddly shit in this game.

Very fair statement. Now that you know though, you can just check the ingredients rather than the recipe for requirements.

 

[Blaine]

The Molotov cocktail Tailoring requirement is pretty funny and probably a case of simulation taken too far, but the vast majority of crafting requirements do makes sense. Grenades and mines require a modicum of Mechanics, too, for assembling the casing, and that's fairly sensible given that some people have trouble putting fresh batteries into a remote control.

Nitpicking probably the most nitpick-able blueprint in a game with many dozens of perfectly sensible blueprints isn't a very effective criticism of the crafting system, though.

 

[Commissar Draco]

The Tin Foil covered Coat + Molotovs = Much fun and ; just add Paranoid perk for total

Experience Comrades.

 

[hell bovine]

Underrail needs to cut the money you get from selling by half. And I think it's best to play within the constraints of the weight system - I freely leave guns and other loot without a second glance, because do you really need to carry 15 guns? When are you going to sell them all? Are you a Chinese gold bot? What are you even going to do with all that money? After Junkyard at least, you're nearly always going to have the money you need, unless that changes late game.

Lowering the buying prices is not not enough. I think making repairing gear unprofitable is necessary. Creating repair kits is too easy, repairing gear raises its value, and you end up with too much money too quickly.

Personally, I'd prefer a repair system where to repair your gear you'd need to sacrifice something related, e.g. to repair a psi headband you'd need to disassemble psi-related equipment, and not some generic electronic scraps made from whatever.

 

[DDZ]

I am level 10 and I am mostly broke all the time.

Must be doing something wrong.

 

[Blaine]

I am level 10 and I am mostly broke all the time.

Must be doing something wrong.

You're not nitpicking hard enough or judging the economy based solely on optimal money-making strategies.

I've made some comments about the game's economy in the past, but there are two large currency sinks now (enough to sink just about everything you earn, if you like); also, crafting skills are required to get the most out of repairing loot for profit, and in reality it doesn't particularly matter how much money you do or don't make. The strength of your gear is based on the quality of available components (or if not crafting, available loot/store items), which will cost you a fraction of a fraction of your hoard of wealth in any event, even if you upgrade fairly often.

There's very little that can be done to alter the economics of the game without making it completely obnoxious, and overhauling the loot, durability, repair, crafting, and trading systems for the sole purpose of "making sure players don't get too much money" is very silly.

 

[GloomFrost]

One of the best things for me in Underrail is ambient music, fits the game perfectly and they didnt even need to hire M Morgan for that lol. Waaaay better then in W2.

 

[Inf0mercial]

I am level 10 and I am mostly broke all the time.

Must be doing something wrong.

Ok, what are you buying? Your storage lockers should be full of shit do you sell some of it now and then? Shield generators are a big money maker, only sell to get charons, SGS credits are useless.

 

[DDZ]

I am level 10 and I am mostly broke all the time.

Must be doing something wrong.

Ok, what are you buying? Your storage lockers should be full of shit do you sell some of it now and then? Shield generators are a big money maker, only sell to get charons, SGS credits are useless.

Lot's of ammo and health hypos.

Have stuff in my storage lockers but the vendors hardly want any of it.

 

[SniperHF]

Lot's of ammo and health hypos.

Have stuff in my storage lockers but the vendors hardly want any of it.

Don't forget to use bandages too. The low level health hypos, especially on hard, are not very effective.

 

[Inf0mercial]

I am level 10 and I am mostly broke all the time.

Must be doing something wrong.

Ok, what are you buying? Your storage lockers should be full of shit do you sell some of it now and then? Shield generators are a big money maker, only sell to get charons, SGS credits are useless.

Lot's of ammo and health hypos.

Have stuff in my storage lockers but the vendors hardly want any of it.

Health hypnos are dropped everywhere and bandages are cheap as shit and will save you a lot of money, what type of ammo are you buying? At lvl 10 you should be on your final ammo type, as in assault rifles on 9m rounds and pistols on .44 rounds.
How many stacks of ammo do you have? I kept buying 9m constantly to the point where i have 5 stacks and about 60 health hypnos and 60 bandages in my locker with 30 of each on me and and i still had a ton of money, so i have no idea what you are doing differently.

Are you grabbing all high value things on the ground to sell?

 

[DDZ]

I have a sub with 9mm, 8.6mm assault rifle and 12.7mm sniper. I do use burst a lot and have the feat that gives burst 2 extra shots.

I pick up everything of the ground, and then when I am encumbered I lose some of the stuff I don't need.

I kept up my crafting but I am probably not using it enough, especially organs and stuff are pretty heavy, and I am always out of vials.

 

[Blackmill]

Carnifex is a total wuss when you're playing a psion.

Spoiler

Tank through his round 1 (because you have the points to invest into Con) and it's fine if he nets & damages you - as long as you have 1 hp remaining. Then it's just a simple of combo of Mental Breakdown (it's either auto-success or very low chance to fail - haven't seen anyone resist one yet) into Fear (thanks to the Breakdown, his resolve is now demolished and fear lasts twice as long that way). Then he just runs around for 8 turns, doing nothing. If you let him run for so long, of course.

Haven't seen anyone resist yet? Nigger, I have MAXED PSI build, and this fucking faggot nigger resists EVERY.FUCKING.SPELL i do.. every one

My thought control is like 700

Also, he kills you in like 2-3 hits with net. G-g.

My psi character has 5 CON and I was able to survive the first turn with a 20% DR armor. I bought one that gave me 42% versus melee and survival became fairly regular (15% chance maybe).

I don't think non-cold immune enemies can resist Cryostasis so that's a guaranteed three turn stun with the right feat. Also, Carnifex doesn't like fire, so he won't attack you if you have Exothermic Aura actived. Trapping him between your Forcefield and his doppelganger from Bilocation also functions like an irresistible 4 turn stun.

If you have good enough stealth you can also stun him, run behind a pillar, stealth, and break combat. You can then save of course and a series of careful hit and runs should kill him. Unfortunately, it wasn't until after several failed attempts at kiting him that I realized I could completely disengage from combat...

 

[Fenix]

You always should recycle cheap leather armor and knifes/sledgehammers, in short all cheap gear, then you should make Advanced repaire kits from scraps. Don't lug around gear that cheaper than 1000, in mid-game - cheaper than 2000, and you'll be swiming in charons.

Also - don't repaire cheap gear, because it still be cheap gear. Everything that worth less then 3-4 K should be RECYCLED.

 

[Inf0mercial]

I am level 10 and I am mostly broke all the time.

Must be doing something wrong.

Ok, what are you buying? Your storage lockers should be full of shit do you sell some of it now and then? Shield generators are a big money maker, only sell to get charons, SGS credits are useless.

Lot's of ammo and health hypos.

Have stuff in my storage lockers but the vendors hardly want any of it.

Health hypnos are dropped everywhere and bandages are cheap as shit and will save you a lot of money, what type of ammo are you buying? At lvl 10 you should be on your final ammo type, as in assault rifles on 9m rounds and pistols on .44 rounds.
How many stacks of ammo do you have? I kept buying 9m constantly to the point where i have 5 stacks and about 60 health hypnos and 60 bandages in my locker with 30 of each on me and and i still had a ton of money, so i have no idea what you are doing differently.

Are you grabbing all high value things on the ground to sell?

Disassemble the sub and the assault rifle make a 9m assault rifle sub machine guns are shit if you have the strength for assault rifles, you should be going for commando feat that gives and extra burst if you kill someone with the first one.

 

[Jarpie]

Looks like to play pistol build you gotta have 6 str for steadfast aim, 8 dex, 10 perception and divide rest as you want. Steadfast aim looks like a must as it gives 0,5% bonus to crit chance for each base ap cost for pistols above 10.

 

[Wolfe]

Is the quest with Rassophore Nevil bugged? He keeps repeating "Brace yourself, they're coming!" even after.. well, even after there's nobody coming anymore.

 

[Styg]

Styg, first mission for Gorsky in Core City is bugged for me.

Spoiler

After he said he needed the energy shields, I couldn't get the conversation option to get hints from from Sneaky. (Possibly related: I did acidentally step into Bob's room and killed him before finding Gorsky.)
I went and got the package regardless (couldn't lie/bribe anyone to get in but managed to get in with high subterfuge skills) but now I can't deliver the package.
Conversation with Gorsky is bugged, option 1 '...about Core City' gives an empty response; no option to give him the package.

We're looking into this.

 

[Styg]

Styg, infused siphoner tabi boots don't work against the net.

Fixed.

 

[Ein Axt]

Hi Styg.

What's the plan after ironing out the remaining bugs? DLC? A real expansion? Underrail II? Maybe a brand new game?

Spoiler

I'm hoping for a North Underrail expansion to continue the story

 

[Styg]

Hi Styg.

What's the plan after ironing out the remaining bugs? DLC? A real expansion? Underrail II? Maybe a brand new game?

Spoiler

I'm hoping for a North Underrail expansion to continue the story

Too early to say. For now we're focusing on ironing out bugs and tweaking other stuff.

 

[jagged-jimmy]

So how are people finding the economic side of the game? At the beginning it seemed like the 'limited merchant buying system' would be a great way to keep the player from getting rich to quickly, but aside from the very early game I have had no problems, and by mid game I am now swimming in cash with nothing to spend it on and lockers full of guns and armor to sell.

Don't worry, there are at least two huge sinks.

This. I spent a lot of time selling stuff. 40 hours in, while i am super rich, i can easily spend most of my money to get 4-5 of certain high level crafting components. So, i am glad i gathered all the monies i could so far... And i did not discover the second money sink yet.

Spoiler

3k charons = 1 super steel set, i.e. 1 component

 

[Sykar]

Is that useful for non-crafters?