# 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:** 453

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**Author:** ![Random\_dragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4da419/32.png) [@Random\_dragon](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Random_dragon)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 7:01pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9042 "2015-07-06T19:01:56Z")

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> [@troll from behind](#):
>
> Been there, tried that to no avail.☹

Let me go searching the game files. =w=

EDIT: Ahah.

`},{
  "type" : "recipe",
  "result": "recharge_station",
  "category": "CC_ELECTRONIC",
  "subcategory": "CSC_ELECTRONIC_PARTS",
  "skill_used": "electronics",
  "difficulty": 8,
  "time": 50000,
  "reversible": true,
  "decomp_learn": 6,
  "autolearn": false,
  "book_learn": [["textbook_mechanics", 8] , ["textbook_electronics", 7] , ["advanced_electronics", 7] , ["textbook_robots", 6]],
  "qualities" : [{"id":"SCREW","level":1,"amount":1}],
  "tools": [
    [
      ["soldering_iron", 35],
      ["toolset", 35]
    ]
  ],
  "components": [
    [
      ["power_supply", 2]
    ],
    [
      ["processor", 2]
    ],
    [
      ["scrap", 5]
    ],
    [
      ["cable", 8]
    ]
  ]
},{`

Books are…Mechanical Mastery, Electronic Circuit Theory, Advanced Electronics, Robots for Fun & Profit.

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**Author:** ![troll\_from\_behind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@troll\_from\_behind](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/troll_from_behind)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 7:07pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9043 "2015-07-06T19:07:38Z")

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Thx random, had too low skill.

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**Author:** ![Random\_dragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4da419/32.png) [@Random\_dragon](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Random_dragon)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 7:12pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9044 "2015-07-06T19:12:26Z")

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Plus it can be difficult to remember which books are needed. XP

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**Author:** ![Random\_dragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4da419/32.png) [@Random\_dragon](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Random_dragon)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 8:49pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9045 "2015-07-06T20:49:27Z")

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NPCs are still rare, and you need to find a refugee to locate the majority of quests. Or a Fun thing under a city of the dead…

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**Author:** ![BigLie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f14d63/32.png) [@BigLie](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/BigLie)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 9:25pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9046 "2015-07-06T21:25:24Z")

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> [@Jarpasmannen](#):
>
> [quote=“Random\_dragon, post:9045, topic:42”]NPCs are still rare, and you need to find a refugee to locate the majority of quests. Or a Fun thing under a city of the dead…

How do those NPC’s spawn? Are they static NPCs? Or are they randomly generated by having random NPCs On?[/quote]  
The NPCs at the Refugee Centre spawn if you have the ‘static NPC’ option enabled.  
Do not forget to check the working console at the initial evac shelter. It will give you the RC location. Sometimes it will even be near you.

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**Author:** ![Murders1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@Murders1](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Murders1)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 9:52pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9047 "2015-07-06T21:52:27Z")

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I recently started Cataclysm after being recommended by fellow Dwarf Fortress players and I have to say I love it so far. I just can’t seem to find the perfect balance in the options. What is everyone’s recommended options?

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**Author:** ![Shopkeeper](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/shopkeeper/32/453_2.png) [@Shopkeeper](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Shopkeeper)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 10:47pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9048 "2015-07-06T22:47:40Z")

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If your still trying to get your feet wet. I’d recommend starting a world with City Size 7, just big enough to give you proper cities all around, but not so large that you can’t go out and live in the forest if you want.

Static spawns enabled and wander spawns off. Dealing with hordes can easily be overwhelming even for an experienced player, static spawns let you choose when and where to fight, along with allowing you to explore the world at your own pace.

NPCs can be hit or miss at times, but I’d definitely say put static NPCs on, otherwise some specific safe zones will be entirely devoid of life. Random NPCs add a spice of variety and randomness to a world without causing to much trouble for the player, so turn them on to if you want. Leave everything else at the default levels unless your feel like experimenting.

This is the setup I ran when I first started playing Cataclysm and it served me well enough. Come back here or check the wiki if you need any specific advice and you’ll be an instant expert in no time.

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**Author:** ![Kadian](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/kadian/32/214_2.png) [@Kadian](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Kadian)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 10:53pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9049 "2015-07-06T22:53:13Z")

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> [@Shopkeeper](#):
>
> If your still trying to get your feet wet. I’d recommend starting a world with City Size 7, just big enough to give you proper cities all around, but not so large that you can’t go out and live in the forest if you want.

7 is proper cities…? I always find 7 much too big, those cities are enormous, I usually go with 5…

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**Author:** ![Shopkeeper](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/shopkeeper/32/453_2.png) [@Shopkeeper](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Shopkeeper)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 10:56pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9050 "2015-07-06T22:56:28Z")

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> [@Kadian](#):
>
> 7 is proper cities…? I always find 7 much too big, those cities are enormous, I usually go with 5…

I dunno, its always felt right for me. Cities/Towns are big places with lots of buildings/people (most of which are zombies now…) at City Size 7. But not so large that you can’t go out and explore the countryside without running into another urban area right away.

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**Author:** ![Random\_dragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4da419/32.png) [@Random\_dragon](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Random_dragon)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2015, 10:58pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9051 "2015-07-06T22:58:49Z")

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Also, if you’re just getting started, boosting starting points is always a Fun idea. owo

EDIT: For the Vehicle Additions Pack, anyone know what parts you install treads on? I seem to be having trouble getting it to work.

EDIT 2: Nevermind, I’m a derp and forgot this world I was testing a thing in didn’t have blazemod enabled.

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**Author:** ![Zero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a88e57/32.png) [@Zero](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Zero)\
**Post date:** [July 7, 2015, 7:12pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9052 "2015-07-07T19:12:04Z")

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The refugee center has a 3x3 block of grid as its icon. It may be a fair distance from the evac shelter you started in.

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**Author:** ![troll\_from\_behind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@troll\_from\_behind](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/troll_from_behind)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2015, 9:22am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9053 "2015-07-08T09:22:34Z")

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Is the Fusion Blaster Arm worth losing an arm for a Dragon style martial artist?  
Would like to keep gear low and not to pick up arrows after every engagement.

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**Author:** ![Coolthulhu](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/coolthulhu/32/2446_2.png) [@Coolthulhu](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Coolthulhu)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2015, 9:50am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9054 "2015-07-08T09:50:41Z")

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Nope, blaster arm is quite crap. One arm less won’t affect your unarmed combat, but it makes handling some stuff harder, for example lifting high-volume stuff.

Get a laser pistol or craft the blaster into a rifle.

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**Author:** ![Murders1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@Murders1](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Murders1)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2015, 2:41am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9055 "2015-07-09T02:41:11Z")

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Okay so I played ‘really bad day’ challenge and finally succeeded in surviving (for now anyways), and I got over the flu and infection. Now I keep getting messages of having a heavy cough and my veins feeling scratchy but I don’t know what is causing them. Nothing is showing in my effects screen besides chilly. Any ideas?

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**Author:** ![Sehn\_Knight](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/sehn_knight/32/404_2.png) [@Sehn\_Knight](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Sehn_Knight)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2015, 2:42am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9056 "2015-07-09T02:42:48Z")

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You’re Recovering from the infection if you used a first aid kit.

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**Author:** ![Murders1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@Murders1](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Murders1)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2015, 2:45am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9057 "2015-07-09T02:45:15Z")

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Thanks, I did use a first aid kit. I was hoping I didn’t get some spores or something like that haha

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**Author:** ![Coolthulhu](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/coolthulhu/32/2446_2.png) [@Coolthulhu](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Coolthulhu)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2015, 2:48am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9058 "2015-07-09T02:48:07Z")

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Scratchy veins sound like a parasite.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Murders1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@Murders1](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Murders1)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2015, 2:51am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9059 "2015-07-09T02:51:34Z")

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> [@Coolthulhu](#):
>
> Scratchy veins sound like a parasite.

Just in case it is what medicine would I look for? Is it just called anti-parasitic medicine or something?  
EDIT: I did some research and parasites can cause symptoms such as those without showing up in the effect screen

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**Author:** ![Coolthulhu](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/coolthulhu/32/2446_2.png) [@Coolthulhu](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Coolthulhu)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2015, 2:55am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9060 "2015-07-09T02:55:16Z")

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Yeah, anti-parasitic, but possibly also royal jelly or bark tea (bark tea is crafted at high survival).

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Random\_dragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4da419/32.png) [@Random\_dragon](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Random_dragon)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2015, 6:26am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9061 "2015-07-09T06:26:10Z")

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Are diesel engines by any chance louder than their gasoline equivalents?

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