I’m running a heavily modded, fairly high power game right now (max item spawns with increased enemy spawns to up the threat). My character has solid mid-to-end game gear, and while I’ve yet to find a Barret I do have a 3-shot Russian sniper rifle that fills the function nicely.
So, I’m driving around the map and see a location I know from previous experience is mod added (the Slave Fighters from Cata++). I poke my nose in, and discover that some of them are still alive. A quick mid-battle conversation, and I’m through the wall and going all Spartacus to help liberate my new friends.
The initial fight was OK. I was left with three surviving npcs, all of which have decent skills and aren’t too badly hurt. I patch up their wounds, and head towards the equipment storage area.
En route, I see another enemy Slave Fighter hanging around waiting for us. OK, I say to myself, we can handle this. Reloading my. 50, I take careful aim…
And that’s how the fight started.
No idea what they were feeding this one, but it closes FAR too fast for my comfort. I have enough time for one shot (solid hit) that doesn’t even slow the bastard down before its come to express its disappointment in my life choices. Two of my friends intercept, and the fucking Terminator takes a moment between thrashing me to show them the love. As it mulches them, I’m desperately unloading my remaining. 50 rounds into it - it absorbs two more shots without blinking. So you understand - I’ve NEVER seen an NPC take more than two 50 cals without dropping, and normally one will do it.
I tried to break contact to reload, and no luck. The Booty Warrior is still on top of me, having killed two of my friends and mauling me something fierce. Dropping the rifle, I get out my. 223 and empty the mag into it. No dice, it takes the bullets and keeps coming.
FINALLY, I managed to put down the Incredible Non-Zombie Hulk here by point blank casting Magic Missile at it repeatedly. I’m limping along with one functional leg, no torso health to speak of, and PTSD.
Apparently makeshift mahacultis(?, spelling) are lethal weapons. Pretty sure this enemy was heavily mutated too, the armor it had was scrap, but I didn’t check its mutations prior to the fight.
So…dont get in a punch up with Npcs. It’s a good way to learn what shoes in a clothes dryer feel like.
But why didn’t you try actually meleeing him? Ranged build?
e: also, NPCs seem to outright ignore limb damage - I had one of my followers-to-be run faster than my char(106 move cost) with both his arms and legs broken. And since can’t target specific body parts, probably RNG screwed with you, and most of your shots went to his arms and legs.
Funny enough, I am melee specc’d, though not optimized. Medieval Swordsmanship, Kelvinist flamberge at hand. I used the 50 cal because I thought it would kill the bastard quickly. All the Red Team slave fighters hit hard in melee, but normally don’t go full Fist of the North Star like this.
I did have a similar experience once with a random bandit in a military outpost - that character WAS melee focused, heavy survivor gear and zweihander, but some random jackoff with a barbed wire bat ruined his day. This was after I’d been lucking out and reaping through everything else there - close range meant I could catch them .
Your limb damage explanation makes a lot of sense. As there’s no damage overflow from limbs, RNGesus probably just decided to screw with me, leading to the Juggernaut scenario here.