ISOLATION Skill confusing : What condition prevent it from working ?

[dprijadi]

I am playing 1st time as bounty hunter and im aiming to get ISOLATION (in social tree). I dont plan to use companions in combat most of the time so i would prefer lonewolf style playthru.

but when i read about ISOLATION in google search , ppl said this and that and i got confused..

- ISOLATION wont work if you got companions but having VASCO is fine , is this TRUE ?

- ISOLATION wont work on certain companion quest even if the companion are not following ? (stay in ship)

- ISOLATION damage bonus will it stack with Ballistic skill and Rifle skill damage bonus ?


My first skills is Piloting , Targetting and Booster Pack. I am aiming to get Security , Stealth , E-Commerce , Thievery and adding more to booster pack levels

is this correct path ? currently lv3 and got 2 unspent skill points

[Kosevich]

Unfortunately I'm 350+ hours in game and still don't check on isolation details =(
Isolation is most definitely high end content skill for extreme difficulty and New Game 10+ (+100% incoming damage and enemy health).
Before that going with a companion is way more effective, especially if you give your companion a particle weapon (for some weird reason it almost newer miss in companion hands).
+ companion can distract enemy fire
+ companion are easily healed once it down by using a med pack
+ companion sometimes give you some valuable junk

But once you reach hier difficulties, experience all available dialog options and companion replies you are free to go stealth isolation high level build.

So I strongly not recommend isolation on new game (as far a I understand you are lvl 3).

[dprijadi]

Originally posted by Kosevich:

Unfortunately I'm 350+ hours in game and still don't check on isolation details =(
Isolation is most definitely high end content skill for extreme difficulty and New Game 10+ (+100% incoming damage and enemy health).
Before that going with a companion is way more effective, especially if you give your companion a particle weapon (for some weird reason it almost newer miss in companion hands).
+ companion can distract enemy fire
+ companion are easily healed once it down by using a med pack
+ companion sometimes give you some valuable junk

But once you reach hier difficulties, experience all available dialog options and companion replies you are free to go stealth isolation high level build.

So I strongly not recommend isolation on new game (as far a I understand you are lvl 3).

thanks for pointing that isolation benefit mroe for higher level combat.

yes i was thinking combat (at normal) is not hard and ISOLATION perk would make it like trivialized

but i can see higher difficulty would benefit from this perk

[Langkard]

E-commerce becomes trivial fairly quickly. You'll have no trouble making money without it. I only get it when I want to go deeper in that skill tree and need the skill points to do it.

You should put some points in your chosen weapon type. So if you're going ballistic rifles you'll want ballistics plus rifles. Laser rifles needs lasers plus rifles and so on. Basically you need to put points in the weapon type (laser, particle beam, ballistic) plus the weapon size (pistol, rifle, heavy weapon) or unarmed and melee weapons if you choose knives/swords.

If you plan on using sniper type skills, then work your way up stealth and the weapon skills and also some sniper skills deeper in the weapons tree.

As a bounty hunter, it doesn't hurt to take a point or more in the persuasion skill too. You'll have chances to convince the bounty target to to surrender.

[momopovich]

In doubt you can always check your damage resistance on the character stats menu. The value will display the bonus if it applies.

Crew mates on the ship (that dont follow you) dont count as companions when it comes to that perk.

Havent checked but Im pretty sure Vasco does count if hes following you.

Isolation bonuses do stack with other bonuses.

Its more of an end game skill yes, companions are excellent early game (since they have free ammo) but +40% damage will scale a lot better with all combat skills and maxed out weapons.

[Vlad 254]

I take the Isolation Skill on every playthrough and I do so early in the game because it starts working immediately if you do not have a companion. Level doesn't matter as far as the reductions and increases it gives. All it care ab out is that you don't have a companion assigned to you at the time.

[momopovich]

Originally posted by Langkard:

E-commerce becomes trivial fairly quickly. You'll have no trouble making money without it. I only get it when I want to go deeper in that skill tree and need the skill points to do it.

Commerce is always relevant for building ships. Very useful for 1M + credits builds.

[Langkard]

Originally posted by momopovich:

Originally posted by Langkard:

E-commerce becomes trivial fairly quickly. You'll have no trouble making money without it. I only get it when I want to go deeper in that skill tree and need the skill points to do it.

Commerce is always relevant for building ships. Very useful for 1M + credits builds.

True, but by the time I want to build the big ships I'm usually flush. I tend to hold off building the big ships until I hit 60 and have access to all of the level-gated ship parts.

[momopovich]

Originally posted by Langkard:

Originally posted by momopovich:

Commerce is always relevant for building ships. Very useful for 1M + credits builds.

True, but by the time I want to build the big ships I'm usually flush. I tend to hold off building the big ships until I hit 60 and have access to all of the level-gated ship parts.

Then it will be very relevant for your second build, or after going to NG+. I typically lvl commerce after ending my usual Ng+10 pilgrimage

[dprijadi]

Originally posted by Vlad 254:

I take the Isolation Skill on every playthrough and I do so early in the game because it starts working immediately if you do not have a companion. Level doesn't matter as far as the reductions and increases it gives. All it care ab out is that you don't have a companion assigned to you at the time.

this isolation skill works if you only use VASCO and no other comp ?

[dprijadi]

Originally posted by Vlad 254:

I take the Isolation Skill on every playthrough and I do so early in the game because it starts working immediately if you do not have a companion. Level doesn't matter as far as the reductions and increases it gives. All it care ab out is that you don't have a companion assigned to you at the time.

i wonder is there major quest that need copmanion to tag along and thus disabling ISOLATION skill ? thats a bummer

[momopovich]

Originally posted by dprijadi:

Originally posted by Vlad 254:

I take the Isolation Skill on every playthrough and I do so early in the game because it starts working immediately if you do not have a companion. Level doesn't matter as far as the reductions and increases it gives. All it care ab out is that you don't have a companion assigned to you at the time.

this isolation skill works if you only use VASCO and no other comp ?

No it shouldnt work if you have Vasco with you.

[momopovich]

Originally posted by dprijadi:

Originally posted by Vlad 254:

I take the Isolation Skill on every playthrough and I do so early in the game because it starts working immediately if you do not have a companion. Level doesn't matter as far as the reductions and increases it gives. All it care ab out is that you don't have a companion assigned to you at the time.

i wonder is there major quest that need copmanion to tag along and thus disabling ISOLATION skill ? thats a bummer

There are a few quests that require you to be with a specific companion. But they don't take much time to complete.

Temporary companions (like Emma wilcox at the beginning of the FC questline) do disable the bonus, iirc.

[dprijadi]

Originally posted by momopovich:

Originally posted by dprijadi:

i wonder is there major quest that need copmanion to tag along and thus disabling ISOLATION skill ? thats a bummer

There are a few quests that require you to be with a specific companion. But they don't take much time to complete.

Temporary companions (like Emma wilcox at the beginning of the FC questline) do disable the bonus, iirc.

thanks for the heads up !! i will get the perk anyways as i love the bounty hunter roleplay