Combat feels like a chore

[Akash]

Anyone else feel like enemies are damage sponges? I've turned down the enemy health setting as low as it will go on the server and it still feels like a chore. The weapons you get dont feel impactful at all. We are using Thermal hammer, Welding spear, and disc thrower.

Do the enemy health settings actually work on the server?

Also, enemies respawn way too quickly at the lowest setting adding to the annoyance.

Not to mention the hit box on melee weapons is janky af. I will be swinging at something right in front of me and it will miss.

[Ethical Lune]

Seems fine to me on default settings, most things die quickly if you hit them in the head and other things might go down easier if you use explosives or traps.
You can also check the entries for various enemies to see if they're weak or resistant to certain damage types.

[Klingenmeister]

The trip mines that use screws and the electric trap are really op. I got to labs by using spears, the 9mm and setting ambushes with traps. After I got the tesla cannon combat felt completly trivialized, especially robots.

But I agree, enemies respawn as soon as you leave and reenter a region, which is nuts.

[Cannon Fodder]

Originally posted by Ethical Lune:

Seems fine to me on default settings, most things die quickly if you hit them in the head and other things might go down easier if you use explosives or traps.
You can also check the entries for various enemies to see if they're weak or resistant to certain damage types.

lol what "most things" i have to unload 5 to 6 rounds into the heads of HUMAN BEINGS to get them to go down...in a normal game not such a big deal, but we apparently play a main character with parkinsons.

[Reysol]

You're a scientist not a soldier. Use the shock traps, use the trip mines like someone mentioned, use the nets and it's upgraded counterpart the net gun which shocks enemies as well as stuns them, and also make those grenades for enemies that are particularly annoying. Me and my friend were killing things with ease without any health adjustments. Enemies start dropping fast as your weapon skills go up.

[Cannon Fodder]

Originally posted by Reysol:

You're a scientist not a soldier.

Nah i specifically picked the soldier-y class from the get go.
And Soldier or Scientist.... bullets don't discriminate skulls based on occupation :)

[RSS| Bloogonis]

The options are HR, Scientist, and Paul Blart mall cop. I do want to see some Gatekeepers though. The emails, holos, and scientists have been hyping them up and I wont be satisfied until I see an aging 80s action hero who can wrangle one of those Flathill giants.

[Boss]

Three shots with the spear. One shot with the scrapshot. Three shots with the crossbow. Accuracy 7.

Seriously, why is this a thing for this game? Whining about... "bullet sponges"? Have none of you played, I dunno... The Division? THAT is a bullet sponge game. Or Destiny.

If you want this to be Stalker: Anomaly/Gamma, then sure. But then you should be able to be one shot right back. You cool with that?

[Basho]

seems fine to me so far.

[Robert]

I agree but I would say "seems fine for me" because the blatantly overpowered tesla gun exists the moment I unlocked that all combat in the game became trivial.

Some enemy types are way overtuned like the soldiers I remember before I got the OP gun I had to wack them for what felt like a long time. I prefer more "skill" vs bullet sponges like make my enemies do a lot of damage and use different types of attacks but let me do a lot of damage to them as well so I don't just sit there wacking at them for what feels like a full minute.

The robots too before I was able to kill them in 6 seconds with the OP gun I had to sit there for 2-3 minutes wacking them with my other weapons or use the spinning blade trap and even the blade trap felt like I was "cheesing" them and avoiding the intended combat mechanic.

Don't even get me started on the giant purple monster thing I had to fight that one I literally had to cheese for like 30 minutes what am I supposed to bring a full inventory of weapons for that fight if i don't cheese it?

[Yaridovich]

Not really, no.

Using the Welding Spear, Crusaders die in a few headshots. Same with Pistols, 3-4 headshots kill them. Similarly, using power attacks with a Thermal Mallet, 3-4 headshots will kill them. Even a few headshots from the Crossbow will take them out.

The crystal enemies will often die in a single hit using a power attack from the Thermal Mallet. Otherwise, 2-4 power attacks will do the trick.

Early game enemies (Pests, Peccaries and Exor Monks) become trivial once you have access to the Thermal Mallet and Welding Spear. Pests die in a single hit, Peccaries and Exor Monks with 2-3 headshots.

I haven't noticed any issues with the hitbox, you might be miscalculating your attacks. Blunt weapons generally have wide swings but short range, except for the power attack with is usually an overhead slam, which lacks reach both in width and length and is generally used for high damage against a single enemy. Spears are the opposite, long range but it's a poke, so no wide range.

I imagine this probably goes without saying, but just in case, remember to always aim for the head.