# 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:** 468

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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 25, 2015, 1:38pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9342 "2015-07-25T13:38:05Z")

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None?  
Think what John Rambo would wear.  
Seriously that’s the same issue military is wrestling with and there are no good choices, just trying to min/max protection, warmth and storage.

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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 25, 2015, 2:30pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9343 "2015-07-25T14:30:51Z")

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> [@troll from behind](#):
>
> So how do the vehicle parts take damage, is it straight “hit points”?

It’s hitpoints, but bashing damage has to be high enough to get through (fire damage doesn’t). If damage is physical (only bashing at the moment), lower than 20 and lower than part hp / 10, it is ignored. This isn’t damage reduction, so 20 damage hit will still deal 20 damage and 19 damage hit will either deal 19 or 0 damage.

When a car tile is bashed, a random part on it is picked to be damaged. If there is an armor there, the damage for part is halved (before the damage threshold above), but the armor takes a hit for full damage. Roof and on-roof (turrets, solars) receive full damage even when armored (armor still takes damage).

Collisions are a bit different: collision will only target one part and will always pick armor if it exists. The part picked depends on how was the vehicle created (it isn’t random and may not be easily predictable).  
However if the damage gets too high (above 100) all vehicle frames take a hit with damage depending on initial damage and distance from collision point. This frame damage can make the vehicle hilariously fragile without actually damaging any non-structural parts, to the point where a cat could bite an engine off it (without actually scratching the engine).

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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 25, 2015, 3:25pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9344 "2015-07-25T15:25:05Z")

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So the only real effect of stronger armour is it takes more to beat it up, shoggoth is still going to ruin your tank?

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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 25, 2015, 3:34pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9345 "2015-07-25T15:34:44Z")

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> [@Nickal](#):
>
> Any suggestions for not basically basting in my own clothes during the summer. Never had a problem with winter, then summer decides to be a \*\*\*\*\*.

Usually so long as your total warmth per body part is 5 or less, you’ll only get intermittently warm. Some bone, metal, and other properly barbarian-style gear and just about manage that.

Knee and elbow pads also add that tiny extra bit of protection for 0 warmth, which is good.

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**Author:** ![Nickal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Nickal](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Nickal)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 3:50pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9346 "2015-07-25T15:50:56Z")

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Well, I tore off the sleeves on my Leather Jacket, exchanged my Army Winter Pants for Cargo Pants, then put on some Leather Chaps, and upgraded my belt into a tool belt. In all, I can actually carry more than before and have better protection on my legs.(albeit downgraded protection on my arms) Now if I can just find some Drop Leg pouches, or a plastic mold.(which would allow me to make some) in other words, I did not go the route of John Rambo, but the route of John Wayne.

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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 25, 2015, 4:30pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9347 "2015-07-25T16:30:32Z")

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Meanwhile my favored warm-weather solution has been to take the standard barbarian loadout and trade the fur hat for a cowboy hat.

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**Author:** ![Depri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8797f3/32.png) [@Depri](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Depri)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 10:45pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9348 "2015-07-25T22:45:22Z")

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So today, full of exitement, I tried to wear my first suit of light power armor, but after putting it on and activating my Power armor interface Mk.II I’m still stuck witch 40 encumbrance on all body parts(except head/Eyes), what am I doing wrong? Do I need a helmet for it to work?

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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 25, 2015, 10:54pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9349 "2015-07-25T22:54:05Z")

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Do you have an active UPS or the UPS bionic?

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**Author:** ![Valpo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/valpo/32/341_2.png) [@Valpo](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Valpo)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 11:24pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9350 "2015-07-25T23:24:06Z")

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I never actually used power armor. But shouldn t the pa interface work as a more efficient replacement for the ups just for pa use.  
Drawing directly from bionik energy. Either thats broken or you do not have any bionik energy?

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**Author:** ![ShinQuickMan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/shinquickman/32/2516_2.png) [@ShinQuickMan](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/ShinQuickMan)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 12:35am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9351 "2015-07-26T00:35:17Z")

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Did you 'a’ctivate the power armor as well?

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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 26, 2015, 12:40am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9352 "2015-07-26T00:40:30Z")

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Right, you need to do that too. :V

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**Author:** ![BeerBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@BeerBeer](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/BeerBeer)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 7:18am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9353 "2015-07-26T07:18:46Z")

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Might also want to wait a single turn after activating all the stuff. IIRC the encumberance or temperature stats might not update immediately when it comes to clothing with power switches.

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**Author:** ![Dlightfull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@Dlightfull](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Dlightfull)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 7:22am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9354 "2015-07-26T07:22:20Z")

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> [@Depri](#):
>
> So today, full of exitement, I tried to wear my first suit of light power armor, but after putting it on and activating my Power armor interface Mk.II I’m still stuck witch 40 encumbrance on all body parts(except head/Eyes), what am I doing wrong? Do I need a helmet for it to work?

yes, you need a power armor helmet for it to work (not sure if it should be the same as your armor, i.e. light, basic or heavy)

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**Author:** ![Malkeus](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/malkeus/32/12037_2.png) [@Malkeus](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Malkeus)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 7:40am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9355 "2015-07-26T07:40:39Z")

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> [@troll from behind](#):
>
> So the only real effect of stronger armour is it takes more to beat it up, shoggoth is still going to ruin your tank?

The ludicrously fragile vehicles, even when using heavy frames and armor, is what drove me to increasing all vehicle parts hp by a factor of ten (I literally just tacked a 0 onto the end of every parts durability, painful to implement, but I feel it toughens things up enough so I don’t need to spend a day repairing EVERYTHING after any collision). I got tired of my armored behemoth being destroyed by charging through a crowd of zombies. Honestly, if I have a cow catcher on the front, the rest of the vehicle should take little or no damage when plowing through a crowd of squishy human flesh at 30 mph.

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**Author:** ![Depri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8797f3/32.png) [@Depri](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Depri)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 8:50am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9356 "2015-07-26T08:50:13Z")

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> [@ShinQuickMan](#):
>
> Did you 'a’ctivate the power armor as well?

I…feel so very stupid now…  
Thanks for the help.

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**Author:** ![Stekcs](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/stekcs/32/428_2.png) [@Stekcs](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Stekcs)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 8:58am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9357 "2015-07-26T08:58:41Z")

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What’s the range on control laptops? I recently made one for the first time and got a chance to try it out on a military blockade, hoping to declaw the turrets blocking the road, but even at 30 squares away, I couldn’t interface with them. Can control laptops even work with turrets, or do you just have to be really close?

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**Author:** ![Dlightfull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@Dlightfull](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Dlightfull)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 9:06am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9358 "2015-07-26T09:06:55Z")

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> [@Stekcs](#):
>
> What’s the range on control laptops? I recently made one for the first time and got a chance to try it out on a military blockade, hoping to declaw the turrets blocking the road, but even at 30 squares away, I couldn’t interface with them. Can control laptops even work with turrets, or do you just have to be really close?

it works with turrets, but it has a somewhat close range, not sure how close though. All turrets have 18 tiles range (last time i scienced this). I am fairly sure that control laptop has a less than 18 tiles range, so you have to hide somewhere close to the turret to hack it.

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**Author:** ![Nickal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Nickal](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Nickal)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 12:03pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9359 "2015-07-26T12:03:36Z")

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Any advice for someone who seems to keep getting sick.

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**Author:** ![Dlightfull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@Dlightfull](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Dlightfull)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 12:27pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9360 "2015-07-26T12:27:47Z")

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> [@Nickal](#):
>
> Any advice for someone who seems to keep getting sick.

eat vitamins. twice/day. Drink herbal, dandelion or pine needle tea. Avoid eating junk food and old/rotten food. Avoid eating uncooked food (wild vegetables, especially). Don’t drink uncleaned water

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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 26, 2015, 12:38pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/9361 "2015-07-26T12:38:51Z")

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Also, try wearing a gas mask or stacking environmental protection on your mouth. If you have enough to render you immune to smoke inhalation, you shouldn’t catch any ambient diseases.

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