Tips, Tricks, and Newb Questions!

[quote=“deoxy, post:8356, topic:42”]Chain Lightning is EASILY the best way to go - kill a few fungaloids, zap the area to get rid of the spores. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Unfortunately, short of multiple mini-nukes, a large fungal infestation is going to grow faster than any one character can kill it.[/quote]
That’s what I first thought when unattended fungaloids rapidly multiplied in the vicinity of my main base. Then I hooked up a mounted flamethrower to my former loot cycle and went to town. You gotta fight fungus with fire, even beating each down individually and then hitting the spores with chain lighting can both take to long and just be a chore, plus it’s nowhere near as fun the flaming doom cycle.

Question about mutations: I’m currently plagued with my mutations flipping between Very Dextrous and Extremely Dextrous. Is that intended behavior? Is there any plan to make mutation chains uni-directional to avoid that crap?

I think its an intended limitation, put there to combat mutation scumming. But I dunno.

So instead of using a rollmat or making a bed, I decided to make a one tile vehicle that’s basically just a bed for a base. Can I drop some blankets under it and will it be as good as a regular bed?

I’m fairly certain that if it’s a bed or seat tile, and thus has storage, you’ll use clothing or blankets placed there as you’d use them on a bed. Dunno if draping blankets on a bare frame works. :V

Is it worth turning on random NPC’s?

Haven’t played with NPC’s since they crashed 3 hours of non-saved work. Are they fixed yet?

Any tips for bad day tweaker start? So far I figured out starting in military surplus store is best for the mres, sports drinks and first aid kits, but this crippling addiction withdrawal was still going on after 8 days and I died trying to get some food…

[quote=“Shr3k, post:8367, topic:42”]Is it worth turning on random NPC’s?

Haven’t played with NPC’s since they crashed 3 hours of non-saved work. Are they fixed yet?[/quote]

They’re still somewhat touchy and prone to spawning inside buildings you’ve already cleared and/or claimed as a base, resulting in ninja burglary. NPCs can now potentially flee rather than turn hostile if provoked, so that might mitigate matters.

Almost all of my characters haved live in a car. My driver’s seat is my bed. Get a reclining car seat, put a blanket in its storage, sleep. It’s the only way to live.
Edit: Pardon me, to clarify: Check the construction menu, and select ‘start new vehicle construction’. The seat-bed is basically just a single steel frame with a seat attached to it. I suppose you might be able to just drive a car somewhere, park it carefully and then just smash everything except one seat.

I’ve played three times as a shower victim + really bad day. The key, I believe, is to find a functional car ASAP. The character is lethally slow with all the illnesses and ailments. A car is a great weapon, too.

[quote=“Shr3k, post:8367, topic:42”]Is it worth turning on random NPC’s?

Haven’t played with NPC’s since they crashed 3 hours of non-saved work. Are they fixed yet?[/quote]
The last time I tried they were kind of an annoyance. It was my first time trying random NPCs, and it was version 3227 maybe?

  • Expect problems if you get one to follow you and you decide to drive a car. They might jump in and take a seat, they might not.
  • They pick up the weirdest stuff while ignoring some really helpful stuff. My last random NPC companion collected cash cards obsessively and ignored armor, which he lacked.
  • He later leroyjenkins’d himself into a legion of mall zombies.
  • He also liked to hit zombies with his revolver after running out of ammo, and he quit doing that only after I had crafted a nail bat and sold it to him. Never mind the fact that he could’ve picked up the unmodified bat long before I put some nails in it.

So yeah, don’t invite one to tag along and expect fully rational behavior. Someone might find hilarity in the madness but it’s not for everyone. One can’t fully appreciate the human intellect until one tries his luck with creating artificial intelligence.

Are there any differences between the reclining seat and regular seat, besides the reclining seat having less storage space?

I couldn’t say, but its probably got a better fall asleep bonus.

Or use a bed like a sane person. :V

Hi guys,

I’m new here, but i play the game for a couple of months now and i have to say i absolutely love it thus far.

A question though - how do these unarmed weapons (like knuckles of any kind and punch dagger) work? I don’t seem to get any bonus damage from them, maybe a couple of points, but definitely not the +~10 that a punch dagger should give. I was using Karate by the way.

Also, does taekwondo get any bonus damage depending on the boots? since all the hits are with legs, in my experience.

You’ve got it all wrong. Bed-users are the insane ones. What is wrong with you? Why wouldn’t you want to sleep at the wheel? It makes no sense. It’s like people have an aversion for sleeping at the wheel.

[quote=“Dlightfull, post:8374, topic:42”]Hi guys,

I’m new here, but i play the game for a couple of months now and i have to say i absolutely love it thus far.

A question though - how do these unarmed weapons (like knuckles of any kind and punch dagger) work? I don’t seem to get any bonus damage from them, maybe a couple of points, but definitely not the +~10 that a punch dagger should give. I was using Karate by the way.

Also, does taekwondo get any bonus damage depending on the boots? since all the hits are with legs, in my experience.[/quote]
Wiki says that the damage of unarmed weapons (I just love to be able to say ‘unarmed weapons’) is more random than a constant. AFAIK any footwear or leg armor does not increase damage. It might take a staggering amount of work to put such a mechanism in place. I mean, you not only have boots, but shin guards, knee pads, elbow pads, gauntlets… any of which could be used in a martial arts style, whether the mentioned armor pieces brandish menacing spikes or not. And then you’d have to decide which body parts are used in which styles. I mean, were not just talking about boots and simple kicking here, right? Anyway, from the wiki:

Unarmed damage is bashing and follows the same rules with one exception: unarmed “weapon” damage is rolled randomly rather than being set to weapon damage. Bonus damage from unarmed weapons is applied before this roll. As a result per-hit damage of unarmed attacks tends to be low. Unarmed attacks make up for it with martial arts techniques, high accuracy and reliable critical hits.

[quote=“BeerBeer, post:8375, topic:42”]Anyway, from the wiki:

Unarmed damage is bashing and follows the same rules with one exception: unarmed “weapon” damage is rolled randomly rather than being set to weapon damage. Bonus damage from unarmed weapons is applied before this roll. As a result per-hit damage of unarmed attacks tends to be low. Unarmed attacks make up for it with martial arts techniques, high accuracy and reliable critical hits. [/quote]

I understand what the wiki says, but from in-game experience, i didn’t notice an increase in damage with or without unarmed weapon (punch dagger that is).

Punch dagger has 10 cut damage, so if its damage would’ve been applied to my hits, than the difference would’ve been noticeable, but instead i found myself dealing no damage at all or in single digits more often than not even when wielding that punch dagger.

It’s possible you’re wielding the punch dagger as a carried item, as opposed to a weapon. It’s also possible the punch dagger cannot be used as a melee weapon with most styles. You would have to deactivate karate. Karate, btw, means “empty hand” if I’m not mistaken, and you’re probably not really expected to wield any weapons… I mean, were talking unarmed here. You’ve probably been punching zombies with the dagger firmly squeezed inside your fist. Punch dagger might work with ‘no style’ or brawling, maybe?

http://www.wiki.cataclysmdda.com/index.php?title=Martial_arts
If you’re wielding something that isn’t compatible with your selected style, pressing w and then the letter of your wielded item will unequip it, freeing you for empty-hand styles. In the martial-arts menu (default: _, you can opt to not wield items for carrying purposes by activating the “keep hands free” option, avoiding this problem.

It should tell you what you can and can’t use in the unarmed menu by pressing !.
If it works the style is blue, if not red.
In-game, that is.

The thing is, i get the same messages when i punch them with the wielded punch dagger as if i didn’t have a dagger at all. When i wield another melee weapon i get the messages from that assorted weapon.

So i assumed that the style works with the punch dagger too. The situation is identical when wielding some knuckles - the messages are the same as with fists and, surprisingly, the damage too :slight_smile:

i 'w’ield the weapon by pressing ‘w’, is there any other way?

These are the weapons that supposedly work with any unarmed martial art- http://cdda.estilofusion.com/flags/UNARMED_WEAPON
As for my experience, The difference is truly unnoticeable imo. That is unless you get used to using one, Then take it off. ( Or “Upgrade” to tigerclaws )

Personally i love the punch dagger, Being the best unarmed weapon you can sheath as a knife it’s a pleasant mid-game weapon.

[quote=“joxer, post:8380, topic:42”]These are the weapons that supposedly work with any unarmed martial art- http://cdda.estilofusion.com/flags/UNARMED_WEAPON
As for my experience, The difference is truly unnoticeable imo. That is unless you get used to using one, Then take it off. ( Or “Upgrade” to tigerclaws )

Personally i love the punch dagger, Being the best unarmed weapon you can sheath as a knife it’s a pleasant mid-game weapon.[/quote]

Well, the whole point of my post is to understand if it’s intended or maybe a bug? I should deal a good deal more damage with a punch dagger than with my bare fists and this isn’t happening for some reason. Is this as it should be, or this should be reported as a bug?