# 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:** 39

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**Author:** ![Iosyn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/iosyn/32/35_2.png) [@Iosyn](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Iosyn)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 5:31am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/761 "2013-05-12T05:31:51Z")

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Indeed. Nailbat is one of the best bashing weapons early on, although I’ve a tendancy to just go straight with the crowbar (nice and fast, does the job and you can pry doors with it, saves the weight of carrying around another weapon.)

Of course, as soon as your cutting skill is up the combat knife is a wonderful weapon. Just go knife stuff with it or a machete, then read up the spetsnaz knife techs book once you’ve finished that you should be well on your way to shanking the apocalypse in the ass.

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**Author:** ![drake1storm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/54ee81/32.png) [@drake1storm](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/drake1storm)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 5:47am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/762 "2013-05-12T05:47:12Z")

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> [@i2amroy](#):
>
> [quote=“drake1storm, post:758, topic:42”][quote=“Miloch, post:757, topic:42”]How do combat knife and butcher knife compare for butchering?

They all call the same function, and are thus equally effective.[/quote]  
True, but for the wrong reason. Said function is called by all tools, but returns a value that is modified by the tool’s weight, volume, and cutting damage. Both combat knives and butcher knives both return very low values (negative ones in fact) and are thus automatically raised to the same value.

@Miloch:  
Bash and Cut are damage types; Higher is better  
Moves per attack is how long it takes you to swing; lower is better.  
To-hit bonus is fairly self explanatory; higher is better.  
In this case “+Weak Block” means the weapon has the ability to block small amounts of damage, with your ability to block determined by your skill in the weapon.

In this case I would say that unless you are highly skilled in cutting weapons you go with the nail bat.[/quote]

I’m pretty sure he was asking specifically in the context of butchering corpses.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![i2amroy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/i2amroy/32/909_2.png) [@i2amroy](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/i2amroy)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 6:13am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/763 "2013-05-12T06:13:21Z")

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> [@drake1storm](#):
>
> I’m pretty sure he was asking specifically in the context of butchering corpses.

In that case you can’t butcher with a baseball bat, nail bat is horrible, crowbar is better then the nail bat and the combat knife is the best. Also for butchering anything rabbit or squirrel sized the crowbar and the combat knife function identically.

And as a follow up to my previous statements, for most rabbit sized animals it doesn’t matter what you use to butcher as long as it’s better then a crowbar. For bigger creatures generally lower volume, higher weight, and more cutting power = faster butchery.

As such the top butchering implements are:  
1)Powered on chainsaw  
2)Machete  
3)Butcher knife  
4)Broadsword  
5)steak knife  
6)combat knife

And if you have multiple ones don’t worry about dropping them since it will automatically select the best one.

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**Author:** ![Miloch](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/miloch/32/1339_2.png) [@Miloch](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Miloch)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 11:49am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/764 "2013-05-12T11:49:16Z")

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If a weapon has both types of damage, how does that work?

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**Author:** ![Mrnocamera](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/mrnocamera/32/61_2.png) [@Mrnocamera](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Mrnocamera)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 12:00pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/765 "2013-05-12T12:00:25Z")

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It sometimes does an attack in one, sometimes a attack using the other.

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**Author:** ![Iosyn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/iosyn/32/35_2.png) [@Iosyn](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Iosyn)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 12:19pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/766 "2013-05-12T12:19:22Z")

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Also guys lets get back ontopic, newbie questions and advice for players new and old alike.

Here’s a little nugget. In your head, rename “public works” as “777 Jackpot.”

A vehicle in very good state of repair, jerry cans and more tools than I’ll ever need.  
Even a welder and some goggles.

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**Author:** ![drake1storm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/54ee81/32.png) [@drake1storm](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/drake1storm)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 12:31pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/767 "2013-05-12T12:31:34Z")

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Office towers are NOT your friend.

Not only are they empty of anything worthwhile, they are crawling with zombies, while offering no good choke-points.

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**Author:** ![Miloch](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/miloch/32/1339_2.png) [@Miloch](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Miloch)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 1:17pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/768 "2013-05-12T13:17:54Z")

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> [@Mrnocamera](#):
>
> It sometimes does an attack in one, sometimes a attack using the other.

If that’s the case they accordingly this…

[quote=“Miloch, post:759, topic:42”]How does one compare weapons?  
For Example:  
Baseball Bat  
Bash: 28 Cut: 0 To-Hit Bonus: +3  
Moves per attack: 133  
+Weak Block

Nail Bat  
Bash: 28 Cut: 6 To-Hit Bonus: +3  
Moves per attack: 133  
+Weak Block

Crowbar  
Bash: 16 Cut: 3 To-Hit Bonus: +2  
Moves per attack: 99

Combat Knife  
Bash: 2 Cut: 22 To-Hit Bonus: -2  
Moves per attack: 77[/quote]  
Shows that occasionally a nail bat will do a really weak attach where a baseball bat will just keep doing a strong attack… How does that make sense?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mrnocamera](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/mrnocamera/32/61_2.png) [@Mrnocamera](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Mrnocamera)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 2:12pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/769 "2013-05-12T14:12:43Z")

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Or it does a mixture of both, I don’t know.

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**Author:** ![Miloch](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/miloch/32/1339_2.png) [@Miloch](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Miloch)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 2:45pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/770 "2013-05-12T14:45:40Z")

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Anyone looked at the combat code?

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**Author:** ![AxisKiller](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/axiskiller/32/15_2.png) [@AxisKiller](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/AxisKiller)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 4:40pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/771 "2013-05-12T16:40:33Z")

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Which is a better melee weapon - a broadsword, awl pike, or a mace? Or something else? I’ve always done ranged characters but I haven’t found hardly any ammo this run (even though I’m swimming in guns) and I’ve set up camp in a mansion in the middle of the woods. Got two swords, one pike, one mace and I’m currently using the broadsword for its attack speed, though the pike’s pierce damage looks ludicrous. Suggestions?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![drake1storm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/54ee81/32.png) [@drake1storm](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/drake1storm)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 4:45pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/772 "2013-05-12T16:45:32Z")

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> [@AxisKiller](#):
>
> Which is a better melee weapon - a broadsword, awl pike, or a mace? Or something else? I’ve always done ranged characters but I haven’t found hardly any ammo this run (even though I’m swimming in guns) and I’ve set up camp in a mansion in the middle of the woods. Got two swords, one pike, one mace and I’m currently using the broadsword for its attack speed, though the pike’s pierce damage looks ludicrous. Suggestions?

The mace. Cutting an piercing weapons have a chance of getting stuck while attacking, and it takes several turns to pull it free. This is a non-issue when it is only 1 big target, but it leaves you vulnerable to death by bug bites.

Also, side tip, the current github version, while having most jsons nearly completed, is broken. All consumables, currently, can only restore quench and hunger, but all other effects do not work. Mutagen and purifier currently have no function.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![AxisKiller](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/axiskiller/32/15_2.png) [@AxisKiller](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/AxisKiller)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 4:47pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/773 "2013-05-12T16:47:12Z")

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Alright, I’ll give the mace a go. And good thing I’m playing 0.4 stable right now. 😛

Another question - is there a reliable source of large quantities of nails? I was planning on building another room or two but it’s kind of daunting when each roof tile requires a whopping 40 nails.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![drake1storm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/54ee81/32.png) [@drake1storm](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/drake1storm)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 4:51pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/774 "2013-05-12T16:51:55Z")

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[quote=“AxisKiller, post:773, topic:42”]Alright, I’ll give the mace a go. And good thing I’m playing 0.4 stable right now. 😛

Another question - is there a reliable source of large quantities of nails? I was planning on building another room or two but it’s kind of daunting when each roof tile requires a whopping 40 nails.[/quote]

You could create a recipe in recipe.json to turn scrap into nails.

If you can’t get your hands on a working source version to do that, you could always try burning down houses. The resulting rubble can be hazardous for your health, but you will get hundred of nails from burning only 1 house.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![i2amroy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/i2amroy/32/909_2.png) [@i2amroy](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/i2amroy)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 8:38pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/775 "2013-05-12T20:38:48Z")

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> [@Miloch](#):
>
> [quote=“Mrnocamera, post:765, topic:42”]It sometimes does an attack in one, sometimes a attack using the other.

Shows that occasionally a nail bat will do a really weak attach where a baseball bat will just keep doing a strong attack… How does that make sense?[/quote]  
Weapons will simultaneously attack with all of their damage types.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![vultures](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/vultures/32/69_2.png) [@vultures](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/vultures)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 8:53pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/776 "2013-05-12T20:53:15Z")

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Just to make sure about one thing :  
How much STR does my character need to keep a strong cutting weapon while wielding it? There is a noticeable gap midway a good solid combat knife, and a somehow slow two-handed sword. There is no way to keep that small blade in your hand if up against a few armored foes. Also, my big axe never gets stuck; cause of its volume.  
Guess all we need to know is - if a had a machete, and wanted to cut my way through five metal-shielded oppos, how much is enough? Can I be an average (STR 9) dude and never worry about it if I had something like level 6 in cutting / 3 in piercing?

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**Author:** ![Ferodaktyl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/ferodaktyl/32/56_2.png) [@Ferodaktyl](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Ferodaktyl)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 9:23pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/777 "2013-05-12T21:23:03Z")

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[quote=“vultures, post:776, topic:42”]Just to make sure about one thing :  
How much STR does my character need to keep a strong cutting weapon while wielding it? There is a noticeable gap midway a good solid combat knife, and a somehow slow two-handed sword. There is no way to keep that small blade in your hand if up against a few armored foes. Also, my big axe never gets stuck; cause of its volume.  
Guess all we need to know is - if a had a machete, and wanted to cut my way through five metal-shielded oppos, how much is enough? Can I be an average (STR 9) dude and never worry about it if I had something like level 6 in cutting / 3 in piercing?[/quote]  
there is a lot of info here [http://www.cataclysmdda.com/smf/index.php?topic=1203.msg13598#msg13598](http://www.cataclysmdda.com/smf/index.php?topic=1203.msg13598#msg13598) if you can make heads or tails out of it 🙂

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kilozombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e274bd/32.png) [@kilozombie](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/kilozombie)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 9:54pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/778 "2013-05-12T21:54:54Z")

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```auto

why the flying fucking fuck does this happen
i was doing so well
```

why the flying fucking fuck does this happen  
i was doing so well

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![acidia](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/acidia/32/2347_2.png) [@acidia](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/acidia)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 10:05pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/779 "2013-05-12T22:05:00Z")

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[quote=“kilozombie, post:778, topic:42”]`Your breathing stops completely.`

why the flying fucking fuck does this happen  
i was doing so well[/quote]  
Bwahahahaha, I wasn’t familiar with this one so I looked it up in the code. You either OD’d on painkillers or stimulants… heart attacks are possible under the same code. One heck of a surprise 😃

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![vultures](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/vultures/32/69_2.png) [@vultures](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/vultures)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 10:19pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/780 "2013-05-12T22:19:07Z")

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> [@Ferodaktyl](#):
>
> there is a lot of info here [http://www.cataclysmdda.com/smf/index.php?topic=1203.msg13598#msg13598](http://www.cataclysmdda.com/smf/index.php?topic=1203.msg13598#msg13598) if you can make heads or tails out of it 🙂

That gives a lot. Win!

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