# Tips, Tricks, and Newb Questions!

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42>\
**Category:** The Bunker\
**Created:** [January 3, 2013, 3:04am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42 "2013-01-03T03:04:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 213

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**Author:** ![KA101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/278dde/32.png) [@KA101](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/KA101)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 1:02am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/4241 "2014-08-23T01:02:38Z")

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> [@The Lone Badger](#):
>
> What’s the best way to survive seeing a tank drone? I immediately took good drugs and ran like hell, but it’s got too much dakka.

It IS designed to wreck vehicles and serve in a frontline capacity, you know. I can only make defense contractors so corrupt.

It’s got VIS50 so if you see it at the borders of your vision, you should be able to run. There’s a reason it’s indicated in dangerous red text.

The primary cannon is designed to wreck you and your vehicle, but it’s not very good at tracking fast-moving targets, especially if you’re running straight at it (ramming can be effective if you’re in a heavy vehicle) or straight away. 60-70+ MPH is the way to go.

It’s got an (in-game, not a bug, I wrote it deliberately) AI glitch. The primary’s minimum engagement range is farther out than the MGL’s maximum. About three or four tiles of space where it shouldn’t be able to shoot at you at all. Roughly 31-34 tiles, IIRC.

And if you had a rocket launcher, you might live to see another day.

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**Author:** ![The\_Lone\_Badger](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/the_lone_badger/32/8063_2.png) [@The\_Lone\_Badger](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/The_Lone_Badger)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 3:41am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/4243 "2014-08-23T03:41:15Z")

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> [@KA101](#):
>
> [quote=“The Lone Badger, post:4240, topic:42”]What’s the best way to survive seeing a tank drone? I immediately took good drugs and ran like hell, but it’s got too much dakka.

It IS designed to wreck vehicles and serve in a frontline capacity, you know. I can only make defense contractors so corrupt.

It’s got VIS50 so if you see it at the borders of your vision, you should be able to run. There’s a reason it’s indicated in dangerous red text.

The primary cannon is designed to wreck you and your vehicle, but it’s not very good at tracking fast-moving targets, especially if you’re running straight at it (ramming can be effective if you’re in a heavy vehicle) or straight away. 60-70+ MPH is the way to go.[/quote]

I wasn’t in my vehicle, unfortunately ☹

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**Author:** ![acehawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/65b543/32.png) [@acehawk](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/acehawk)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 6:04am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/4244 "2014-08-23T06:04:57Z")

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What’s the best way to farm plutonium?

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**Author:** ![Arek\_PL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b77776/32.png) [@Arek\_PL](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Arek_PL)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 9:31am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/4245 "2014-08-23T09:31:23Z")

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> [@acehawk](#):
>
> What’s the best way to farm plutonium?

acces melchior in lab without computer skills broken manhack after dismantle can give plutonium cell causing alarm and siting near eyebot and farming cop bots work too

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**Author:** ![DG123](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/54ee81/32.png) [@DG123](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/DG123)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 4:23pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/4246 "2014-08-23T16:23:49Z")

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So… I just managed, through extensive use of weapon mods, to make the Ganz-Rustung siege crossbow have zero dispersion, making it into a viable weapon.

However, it’s doing surprisingly shit damage. It’s loaded with metal bolts and it adds on 30 damage so I thought it would be better than this.

Anything I can do about it? I’m not sure what bolts can be crafted now. Can I get explosive bolts or make steel bolts at least?

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**Author:** ![Arek\_PL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b77776/32.png) [@Arek\_PL](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Arek_PL)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 5:38pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/4247 "2014-08-23T17:38:51Z")

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better use accurized reflex recurve bow i do over 120 damage without headshot or critical with heavy wooden arrows

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**Author:** ![FunsizeNinja123](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/funsizeninja123/32/118_2.png) [@FunsizeNinja123](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/FunsizeNinja123)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 5:42pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/4248 "2014-08-23T17:42:37Z")

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> [@Arek\_PL](#):
>
> better use accurized reflex recurve bow i do over 120 damage without headshot or critical with heavy wooden arrows

Hehe, bows are awesome.

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**Author:** ![KA101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/278dde/32.png) [@KA101](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/KA101)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 6:18pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/4249 "2014-08-23T18:18:07Z")

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[quote=“DG123, post:4246, topic:42”]So… I just managed, through extensive use of weapon mods, to make the Ganz-Rustung siege crossbow have zero dispersion, making it into a viable weapon.

However, it’s doing surprisingly shit damage. It’s loaded with metal bolts and it adds on 30 damage so I thought it would be better than this.

Anything I can do about it? I’m not sure what bolts can be crafted now. Can I get explosive bolts or make steel bolts at least?[/quote]

Would like to see a screencap, but sure, I can look into that.

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**Author:** ![DG123](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/54ee81/32.png) [@DG123](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/DG123)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 6:28pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/4250 "2014-08-23T18:28:03Z")

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… I was just about to give you a screenshot and my game refused to load up.

I can’t load my save. I assume it’s corrupted. So is the backup…

Well, I’m confused. I reset my PC, restored a previous version of my save backup folder that was in the Recycle bin, named it as “save” and the game won’t load that either.

Any ideas? It just crashes out without an error message when I try to load the saved game.

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**Author:** ![KA101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/278dde/32.png) [@KA101](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/KA101)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 7:14pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/4251 "2014-08-23T19:14:41Z")

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None ATM; sorry. Compared the siege to the standard and the range might well be the problem: at close range it gets up to 40-50 damage with metal bolts, underbarrel laser, holosight, gyro, and ergonomic furniture. Problem is that you won’t get a second shot. Will buff it a bit.

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**Author:** ![acehawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/65b543/32.png) [@acehawk](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/acehawk)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 8:09pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/4252 "2014-08-23T20:09:14Z")

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Where is Hydrogen commonly found?

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**Author:** ![Catfoodbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ee59a6/32.png) [@Catfoodbob](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Catfoodbob)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 8:25pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/4253 "2014-08-23T20:25:18Z")

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> [@acehawk](#):
>
> Where is Hydrogen commonly found?

i tend to find it on scientist dead bodies and labs, but labs are kinda dangerous.

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**Author:** ![Daidalon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/77aa72/32.png) [@Daidalon](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Daidalon)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 8:29pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/4254 "2014-08-23T20:29:33Z")

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> [@Catfoodbob](#):
>
> [quote=“acehawk, post:4252, topic:42”]Where is Hydrogen commonly found?

i tend to find it on scientist dead bodies and labs, but labs are kinda dangerous.[/quote]

Bring chain lightning. Its bugged, so if you can get a few clumped together, they will all get multishocked and likely die. Also does wonders for blob swarms and bot hordes.

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**Author:** ![DG123](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/54ee81/32.png) [@DG123](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/DG123)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 9:44pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/4255 "2014-08-23T21:44:00Z")

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Holy crap, that was close.

I got a slightly older save working (and while I was doing that I switched to the new experimental for that lovely toolbelt). All I’ve lost is basically the killing of a Jabberwock. Wasn’t even all that hard. I took it out with a Ganz Rustung bolt, three repeater crossbow bolts and a couple of blasts from the Masterkey shotgun I have stuck to the bottom of said repeater crossbow.

It looks like my other save was corrupted DURING the back up being created (by copying the save file)… I think I need a new system for making my back up saves.

Anyway, as for siege crossbow damage… I can’t help but feel that the reload time is ridiculously long considering you only get 30 bonus damage. The weapon description kind of implies the weapon should be comparable to the Piecemaker from Discworld. As things stand there seems to be no reason to use this thing when you can use a repeater crossbow on Burst mode…

My issue isn’t that the Rustung isn’t doing the advertised damage values. It’s that said value isn’t actually high enough to make up for the reload time and all the other disadvantages.

Maybe we could put in a crafting recipe for an autoloading (not repeating) version? Put an electric motor on it to winch the string back, thus removing the requirement for ridiculous strength to load it and thus loading it faster. Runs off UPS power.

(I’m not sure how strength ACTUALLY factors into reload speed for it…)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KA101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/278dde/32.png) [@KA101](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/KA101)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 10:33pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/4256 "2014-08-23T22:33:06Z")

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[Reduces dispersion and buffs damage](https://github.com/CleverRaven/Cataclysm-DDA/pull/8667).

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**Author:** ![DG123](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/54ee81/32.png) [@DG123](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/DG123)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 10:41pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/4257 "2014-08-23T22:41:21Z")

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One shotting zombies is definitely what I was hoping for…

I have a question regarding the latest experimental. Sheathes. They say they are for knives and other small weapons. So what item do I need to do the same thing with a katana?

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**Author:** ![jimboblordofeskimos](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/jimboblordofeskimos/32/2_2.png) [@jimboblordofeskimos](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/jimboblordofeskimos)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 11:07pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/4258 "2014-08-23T23:07:45Z")

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[quote=“DG123, post:4257, topic:42”]One shotting zombies is definitely what I was hoping for…

I have a question regarding the latest experimental. Sheathes. They say they are for knives and other small weapons. So what item do I need to do the same thing with a katana?[/quote]

Scabbard.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DG123](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/54ee81/32.png) [@DG123](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/DG123)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 11:11pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/4259 "2014-08-23T23:11:38Z")

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Ah ok.

Also regarding the experimental… why the heck has it respawned items when I transferred my save to it? Broken windows are still broken, stuff lies where I left it. But some things like food and one of those hand presses, and ammonia etc have respawned in houses I already looted before switching to the experimental.

I’m not sure what the game reset and what it didn’t.

Also… where do I get pipes from other than breaking lockers?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![acehawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/65b543/32.png) [@acehawk](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/acehawk)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 11:33pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/4260 "2014-08-23T23:33:47Z")

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How do I make a Diamond Katana? I have all of the stuff, have the recipe, I’m standing right next the the bigass CVD machine, but when I go to craft it the Requires CVD is in red and I can’t craft it. Is this a bug or am I doing something wrong???

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Daidalon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/77aa72/32.png) [@Daidalon](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Daidalon)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 11:50pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/4261 "2014-08-23T23:50:16Z")

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never had 1 myself, but here are 2 possibilities:

1. ‘e’ it and see what happens.
2. Pick it up and try crafting. If that fails, try and activate it.

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