some frustrations and things that are nice

[zidj]

some frustrations (i will add to this as i go)

- "levels are not close enough to combine" between this and losing random parts when you die, i get that the general message is not to get too attached to certain items, but i feel like this level restriction hurts the point of the customization system rather than enhancing it. is it also supposed to de-incentivize players from spending too much time kitting out their armor and guns? because that's what it feels like the game is trying to tell me

- "special items cannot be disassembled" i feel this is also a negative to the customization system

- the first dungeon towers did not have respawning enemies, but i just got shredded in a level 8 dungeon because they do respawn???

- just like 3079, mobility is a huge problem... i have dumped every single point into agility and it's never enough to catch up to my current weight. i also keep finding all these cool hoverboards and grapple hooks, but was only able to use my first hoverboard momentarily, now every hoverboard i find whether as an enemy drop or in the shops is incapable of supporting my weight. with the skill tree, and this being an RPG, i get the idea that i ought to be specializing, but with this narrow weight limit i feel like i'm being punished for wanting to experiment with multiple weapon types for different situations instead of just sticking to one weapon category and dealing with its pros and cons, or ditching my armor (which once again harms the customization system, since with this playstyle many of the weapon and armor parts you find will be for stuff you won't use, and dying is more painful because if your one gun breaks you don't have any alternatives)

- this game falls into the trap of many other games with procedural weapons- spread is also randomized. the player is already being challenged by the irregular movement of enemies, your weapon's effective range and projectile velocity, in the case of launchers trying to land direct impacts... that isn't to say that randomizing accuracy is inherently bad, but i wish it applied only to multiprojectile weapons like shotguns, where you could choose a tighter spread to make it more effective at a distance (but not as well as the single shot alternatives), or wider spread so that you're less likely to miss up close. potentially even attachments that behave like halo infinite heatwave or wave/wide/spazer beam in metroid, where spread is precise, but it takes some getting used to for getting most/all your shots to land on an enemy

- stunlock spam is kinda ridiculous at times

flipside; things i like

- i do still really like the armor and weapon customization systems, it adds depth that other games with procedural weapons lack

- the hoverboard is pretty cool, i like that it treats water like a hard surface so you can quickly fly across

- the quests are an improvement over 3079; you still get partial rewards for completing tasks of a quest, even if you don't complete the entire quest

- the dungeon towers are very fun and rewarding, i like that they contain bosses, reward you with skill points for completing them, and the game asks if you want to warp out if it notices you're fumbling around for the exit

- with the time stop mechanic this feels closer to the author's intention with 3079 of "minecraft + fallout"- it's a cool pseudo-VATS system, and it also helps for escaping those near-unwinnable fights that 3079 had, like getting spammed to death by an enemy ship or ganged up on by a group of hard-hitting enemies

- deus ex accuracy mechanic also helps a lot with precision, another issue that games with procedural weapons have

- the bunker doors are another nice addition for clearing out enemies if SHTF or you just want to keep things calm while you're moving about

[zidj]

i realized that running pistol and rifle was sorta redundant, but my complaint(s) about the weight system still stands because i have an energy pistol, rifle, dagger, full set of armor, and only consumables in my inventory. i checked, and even if i dropped everything in my inventory (leaving the rifle with no bullets to shoot) i would STILL be over my weight budget and hoverboards/grapples within my level would still be overburdened to use

[zidj]

kinda rescind how i feel about accuracy, i realize that it's not all too important of a stat thanks to the deus ex accuracy system, so when you need that precision you can just stand still a while for it

i also did manage to find a hoverboard i can ride now which is nice

[zidj]

i think it's clicked for me. if i want some headroom for mobility and inventory then i'll want lighter/lower level gear, or to sneak into a higher level shop. (timerip, grapple, hover, consumables help here) While i may want to run a bunch of different weapon categories, some end up being redundant, which piles on weight for weapons I'm not using much, and is only really planning for failure (dying and losing the best parts of my build). i choose what to specialize in. it's a tradeoff thing. this game is MUCH better than 3079 about bringing underleveled weapons and armor to fights, thanks to the skill point system and attachment system.

I find that I was just trying to play through the game too quickly- completing quests has helped me a lot. i take my time (encouraged by the time rip mechanic not being passively recharged, you need to stockpile time rip drops from the map), learn my limits, and pick my battles for the best chance of success, which means less dying, which means my build stays intact longer. finding extremely powerful rare attachments from enemies and the shop are incentives to try using different weapon categories, so I'm not necessarily locked into a single build the entire time. my weapons of choice ebb and flow.

though i am a little frustrated in that lately i've been clearing higher level dungeon towers but they don't have bosses like the earlier ones did so there's been no skill point rewards. the one i just beat did have a boss, the ones that didn't might be bugged i suppose