Tips, Tricks, and Newb Questions!

[TooDAMNMuch]

[quote=“Azrad, post:17100, topic:42”]Dunno, but from what I recall, the safes in bank vaults contain:

-money bundles and diamonds
-gold and silver
-power armor
-rare bionics
-purifiers
-some rare recipe books

In general, aside from the purifier which is stored in glass flasks, the items that are contained inside a safe won’t be damaged from smashing them.

Item spawn rate has been tweaked. From what I’ve heard, the old 1x default is now like 4x. Playing on 0.5x item spawn and so far I’ve only found like three good safes out of at least thirty banks.

Also, some labs have final rooms that have some very good CBMs.[/quote]

is there a use for money bundles anyway? NPC bartering is all that comes to mind, then again, maybe you can cash deposit at ATMs as well… can’t say i’ve ever tried.

i did see a power armor helmet just hanging around in the vault, not really interested in that though with how limiting it is, it’s just weird to see aluminum bars since from what i was used to seeing the metals in the game are limited to steel and tin cans as well as copper for some electronics, i honestly didn’t think aluminum existed in cataclysm as such and it’s even more strange suddenly seeing what i assume have to be crafting materials of a metal i was sure didn’t even exist.

[Azrad]

Certain stuff use aluminum for repairs/reinforcing instead of scrap metal.

Also, if you can find a sledgehammer you can smash open safes. Even an 8 strength character can do it. 'course, it’s a whole other matter for metal doors and walls.

[TooDAMNMuch]

now that i look it appears aluminum is actually what pretty much all swords are made out of to a point, which… couldn’t be any less accurate to RL, but oh well.

http://cdda-trunk.estilofusion.com/materials/aluminum

As far as weapons, I think aluminum would be too soft. It probably couldn't hold an edge, and a lot of aluminum weapons would bend under the stress of battle. Perhaps some things where weight is a factor might be practical -- a spear shaft, maybe. I certainly don't think aluminum would have been world-changing in that an army outfitted with aluminum weapons would have conquered the world.

Aluminum doesn't hold an edge as well as steel. It's a less dense, softer metal. A sword blade made from aluminum will lose its edge very fast. You don't want to make weapon tips out of it.

hmm… actually, i bet i know why this curiosity is like that, are the standard cheap imitations of zweihander/mjolnir/etc in the base game even without the mod to add the real ones? that would make sense since from what my research shows aluminum would be suited to show pieces, but very poor for making a blade that’s intended for actual use.

[Azrad]

On that list of stuff that has aluminum, the weapons listed down there are replicas. No cutting power for most of them.

Like, here’s the stats of a replica broadsword, which has aluminum instead of steel.
http://cdda-trunk.estilofusion.com/broadsword_fake

And the one that uses steel.
http://cdda-trunk.estilofusion.com/broadsword

Furthermore, some cutting weapons are inferior versions. Slightly weaker than the geniune non-replica stuff, but stronger than the replicas - but they can’t be repaired.
http://cdda-trunk.estilofusion.com/broadsword_inferior

[TooDAMNMuch]

so long story short, it is indeed a booby prize not really worth opening the safe to get to. heh.

that at least makes sense on the weapon materials though.

that’s one thing about being melee and thrown only, you start hating pawn shops for all the useless decoy replicas you spot and hope aren’t garbage there, i honestly think the legitimate ones can as well but with a very small chance, i’ve found the real zweihander a few times (can’t remember from where though) and it’s so much better it’s not even funny.

i think i actually concluded a mop is a better weapon than a lot of the replicas at one point, then again, i am currently using a crappy imitation katana with a dull blade and the techniques do definitely still help, it doesn’t hold a candle to the rapier i had last life though.

[Azrad]

Well, you’ll never know if it’s a dud or the real thing unless you open it.

Anyway, for most part, medieval bashing weapons don’t have replicas or inferior versions. Maces are pretty nice; fast and good damage, got some decent moves in them but sadly is not compatible with most melee martial arts.

[TooDAMNMuch]

if it ain’t a sword, i’m not swinging it at zombies personally, i don’t use guns either.
has to be throwable, or something too large to be man portable, or something that’s built in an area like a turrent, i will use rocket launchers and such though.

i will use other weapon types as means to an end sort of thing like sledgehammers and such, but i’ll never keep one as my personal weapon.

[TooDAMNMuch]

just want to be clear on this before i really commit in case some of you guys can answer for me, if i want to go with marloss and mutation my options are:

1. mutate post threshold
2. mutate before eating the first berry
3. impossible

i’m unclear which is correct here, i’ve read that the marloss mutations will purge normal ones, but doesn’t that mean i can go back to rolling in nuclear waste after i’ve gotten the post threshold marloss to have my radiation mutations as well? or is just not possible to have both at all?

also, from what i understand, once i’ve gotten the carrier mutation i can only puss out with royal jelly? purifier has no effect? or i’ve already decided?

[Rysith]

[quote=“TooDAMNMuch, post:17108, topic:42”]just want to be clear on this before i really commit in case some of you guys can answer for me, if i want to go with marloss and mutation my options are:

1. mutate post threshold
2. mutate before eating the first berry
3. impossible

i’m unclear which is correct here, i’ve read that the marloss mutations will purge normal ones, but doesn’t that mean i can go back to rolling in nuclear waste after i’ve gotten the post threshold marloss to have my radiation mutations as well? or is just not possible to have both at all?

also, from what i understand, once i’ve gotten the carrier mutation i can only puss out with royal jelly? purifier has no effect? or i’ve already decided?[/quote]

Having only briefly experimented with marloss (since that character died (I think) before I had gotten all the way through), I suspect the problem is that berries purge mutation and become your only food source once you’ve committed to marloss - so any mutations you pick up will get slowly purged out by the need to continue eating.

I keep meaning to play a ‘sucessful’ marloss character, but fungus annoys me so much I always just end up burning it…

[deoxy]

I keep meaning to play a ‘sucessful’ marloss character, but fungus annoys me so much I always just end up burning it…

I keep hating the thought of playing a marloss character of any kind, BECAUSE “fungus annoys me so much I always just end up burning it…”

[TooDAMNMuch]

[quote=“Rysith, post:17109, topic:42”]Having only briefly experimented with marloss (since that character died (I think) before I had gotten all the way through), I suspect the problem is that berries purge mutation and become your only food source once you’ve committed to marloss - so any mutations you pick up will get slowly purged out by the need to continue eating.

I keep meaning to play a ‘sucessful’ marloss character, but fungus annoys me so much I always just end up burning it…[/quote]

oh, so the berries work as purifier for other mutations? hmm… and you can’t eat other stuff if you go deep enough from what i understand, makes sense.

also for what it’s worth, i don’t really like the fungus either, they kinda annoy me as well, but at the same time, marloss is a very powerful thing that i hadn’t tried yet and there was a rift with some berries just sitting there on a bush, it’s pretty hard to refuse infinite food to be honest.

[Rysith]

also for what it’s worth, i don’t really like the fungus either, they kinda annoy me as well, but at the same time, marloss is a very powerful thing that i hadn’t tried yet and there was a rift with some berries just sitting there on a bush, it’s pretty hard to refuse infinite food to be honest.

I was annoyed by the slowness, mostly - for an early-game character speed is king, and by the time I’ve got the skills to be comfortable with a slowdown I’ve normally /also/ got a pile of mutation benefits that I don’t want to give up.

[TooDAMNMuch]

that makes sense then, personally i found the rift really early game and my starting evac shelter was in a really crap location so i didn’t bother to loot or craft it’s materials more than a knapsack and then immediately start beelining for a city, if not for marloss berries this character may have nearly starved already to be honest.

i had to fix up a few cars just to be on the road due to distances, thankfully found a car with some upgraded solar panels in not bad condition.

[deoxy]

[quote=“TooDAMNMuch, post:17113, topic:42”]that makes sense then, personally i found the rift really early game and my starting evac shelter was in a really crap location so i didn’t bother to loot or craft it’s materials more than a knapsack and then immediately start beelining for a city, if not for marloss berries this character may have nearly starved already to be honest.

i had to fix up a few cars just to be on the road due to distances, thankfully found a car with some upgraded solar panels in not bad condition.[/quote]

Literally the only time I have ever starved is in a lab start. Food is CRAZY plentiful - find forest or swamp and start foraging. Done.

The only time there MIGHT be a problem is winter.

[TooDAMNMuch]

[quote=“deoxy, post:17114, topic:42”]Literally the only time I have ever starved is in a lab start. Food is CRAZY plentiful - find forest or swamp and start foraging. Done.

The only time there MIGHT be a problem is winter.[/quote]

right, but it wasn’t just not starving, it was more like see that the evac shelter is deserted in the middle of bumfuck nowhere, meaning, i had to travel a huge distance while also not starving.
sides, other food types require effort.

[pisskop]

IN CDDA, FOOD ATTACKS YOU

[Rezalex]

Is there a fast way to gather up stones? I want to make a stone fireplace (for aesthetics) but don’t want to scrounge around fields for a good half hour.

[Azrad]

Is there a fast way to gather up stones? I want to make a stone fireplace (for aesthetics) but don’t want to scrounge around fields for a good half hour.

Smash some boulders, as they often provide more than one rock. Or go underground and jackhammer some of the solid rock there.

Statues you sometimes find in cities - mainly in some restaurants, provide some rock as well.

[Lesseps]

I though you could just ram a building with a car and then clear rubble?

[_k1]

Burning down a house gives many rocks.