Ever since I started playing Cataclysm, my favorite thing to do is explore labs. I know the typical layout of almost any lab and know the areas players should avoid and what players need to look out for. So, I though it would be nice give explorers, both new and experienced, a few tips on safety (in an apocalypse, ikr) before entering the dark, mysterious, multilevel basement that makes up a Laboratory. Keep in mind that everything below this paragraph could be considered as SPOILERS, SO YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED (however, the game is always more fun when you are NOT dead.)
[spoiler]
[ul][li]If you are planning on entering a lab by breaking down the door, just be ready for the turret on the other side. If you have a science ID card, enjoy your stay![/li]
[li]Almost every Lab has a big bedroom on the ground floor in which you can store loot, sleep, heal, read, and make your stay a hell of alot better than sleeping on the floor. So use your dressers to organize your loot, store items you’ll need, and make exploring easier.[/li]
[li]If you don’t already have super night vision, then you’ll need a flashlight, because there is absolutely zero lighting down there save the computers and turrets.[/li]
[li]Speaking of computers, you can hack one to reveal a section of your overhead map. Or you can read the lab notes, which are super interesting if your searching for answers as to how the Cataclysm began (or part of it anyway.)[/li]
[li]There are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many bottles of clean water. Seriously, this is why I recommend you use those dressers.[/li]
[li]Not everything is safe down there; I have lost track on the number of times I have died at the hands of unearthed horror’s running wild in the depths of Labs. So here’s a good rule to follow: As soon as you see a message saying “A beam of light pierces forth!” GET THE FUCK OUT!!![/li][/ul]
[/spoiler] Follow these tips, and your stay at DDA Laboratories should (hopefully) be a pleasant one.
If you’d like to add some, or have any questions, just ask them in the section below. But just for the record, they might contain SPOILERS, so exercise caution.
The only possible problem I face is leaving my flashlight on when opening a door-- only to be shot in the face by a turret. It’s happened a lot, but thankfully they’re pretty inaccurate and usually my armour can block a good bit of the damage. Just that for rooms filled with CBMs…? Jackpot. <3
Also test chambers filled with soldier zombies can be a bit of a surprise. My latest excursion ended up with integrated tools, mini flamethrower, battery unit and a joint torsion ratchet-- and a whole load of other stuff I didn’t want to install just then. Could have installed a metabolic interchange too if I wanted.
Safe Mode is essential to avoid being gunned down by turrets. You can close the door again without being shot at, even with your flashlight on. (The mental image of that is hilarious)
Personally, I like getting to the lab finale that has 32 mininukes in it. What could possibly go wrong?
Yesterday I went through a lab that was below 100 degrees F, and found something rather interesting on the bottom level, no spoilers though. I found the lab and me being me, wanted to go through it. I ended up with about 8-12 encumbrance on any part of my body from an obscene amount of apparel, and a rather large amount of radical mutations.
By the way, did I mention there is a ton of Mutagen and purifier in every Lab. 'Cause there is. Also, why is there so much royal jelly. Seriously, whats the point of bee hives?
And FUCK YOU AMIGARA HORROR’S!!! YOU FUCKING ANIMALS!!! (Yeah, not all lab adventurers turn out all hunky-dory.)
[quote=“SKiPPY, post:9, topic:3111”]By the way, did I mention there is a ton of Mutagen and purifier in every Lab. 'Cause there is. Also, why is there so much royal jelly. Seriously, whats the point of bee hives?
And FUCK YOU AMIGARA HORROR’S!!! YOU FUCKING ANIMALS!!! (Yeah, not all lab adventurers turn out all hunky-dory.)[/quote]
Yep, Labs are where the fun stuff hides out. Royal jelly, because it’s being produced and/or it’s a cure for Fungal problems (which Lab workers might get…).
Amigara Horrors in a Lab are a new one, though. Those used to be Mine finale-only, and with the paralysis-on-sight, Nasty critters. I’d much rather fight a Flaming Eye or even a Flying Polyp. I hope they’re in a Portal finale?
[quote=“KA101, post:10, topic:3111”][quote=“SKiPPY, post:9, topic:3111”]By the way, did I mention there is a ton of Mutagen and purifier in every Lab. 'Cause there is. Also, why is there so much royal jelly. Seriously, whats the point of bee hives?
And FUCK YOU AMIGARA HORROR’S!!! YOU FUCKING ANIMALS!!! (Yeah, not all lab adventurers turn out all hunky-dory.)[/quote]
Yep, Labs are where the fun stuff hides out. Royal jelly, because it’s being produced and/or it’s a cure for Fungal problems (which Lab workers might get…).
Amigara Horrors in a Lab are a new one, though. Those used to be Mine finale-only, and with the paralysis-on-sight, Nasty critters. I’d much rather fight a Flaming Eye or even a Flying Polyp. I hope they’re in a Portal finale?[/quote]
Yeah, I was wondering whether or not you could accidentally teleport your self to another dimension, like the notes mentioned. Also, all the unearthed horror’s are usually kept together in labs. So f lamming eye=nearby Amigara=GTFO!
There should be a cure finale, where you can help one surviving scientist complete his research for a cure y doing a bunch of missions for him. But that requires alot of coding soo…I don’t have a clue as to how to go about that.
I forgot to mention that Labs have lots of computers, so computer skill is recommended to gain maximum loot and knowledge from a Laboratory. Intelligence couldn’t hurt as well.
Used to be that most useful terminals, such as CBM locks and map/lab notes, could be handled with 4-5 Computer and 12 IN. Not a trivial amount, but not SICP either. Dunno if that got upgraded.
The barracks one needed noticeably more skill, but on the other hand by the time my character had the skill to get it open, I didn’t need any of the stuff that was there. :-/
Used to be that most useful terminals, such as CBM locks and map/lab notes, could be handled with 4-5 Computer and 12 IN. Not a trivial amount, but not SICP either. Dunno if that got upgraded.
The barracks one needed noticeably more skill, but on the other hand by the time my character had the skill to get it open, I didn’t need any of the stuff that was there. :-/[/quote]
There is a quick way to gain lots of computer skill without a book. In the lab there is a terminal with “Upload to Melchoir” or something like that. Failing doesn’t cause the terminal to short out or signal an alarm, and the computer skill to unlock the last one is high. Therefore you can effectively spam your computer skill to 4-8 before you get the ‘network access is required’ message, which is enough to unlock simple doors and research computers, and with some luck, the barracks doors.
Just use that computer to grind your computer skill. Its one of the first things I look for, if I have a character without computer skill entering a lab.
Used to be that most useful terminals, such as CBM locks and map/lab notes, could be handled with 4-5 Computer and 12 IN. Not a trivial amount, but not SICP either. Dunno if that got upgraded.
The barracks one needed noticeably more skill, but on the other hand by the time my character had the skill to get it open, I didn’t need any of the stuff that was there. :-/[/quote]
There is a quick way to gain lots of computer skill without a book. In the lab there is a terminal with “Upload to Melchoir” or something like that. Failing doesn’t cause the terminal to short out or signal an alarm, and the computer skill to unlock the last one is high. Therefore you can effectively spam your computer skill to 4-8 before you get the ‘network access is required’ message, which is enough to unlock simple doors and research computers, and with some luck, the barracks doors.
Just use that computer to grind your computer skill. Its one of the first things I look for, if I have a character without computer skill entering a lab.[/quote]
Computer skill also comes in handy when you need to hack other computers, like the one’s in missile silos or in banks. So computer skill deserves more credit than it usually gets.
Other items that I love finding in labs:
ass loads of clothing
Fire extinguishers
books
Crates
Jumpsuits
Teleportation gun
Bandages
Hacksaws
Glasses
drugs
The only thing lacking is food, which is a bummer.