Difficulty is MASSIVELY overtuned.

[Alexfrog]

I really like a lot of things about the game. The setting, dialogue, role play elements, etc seem amazing.

However, I am completely unable to even play the game because I cannot win a single combat, with the exception of like 1 extremely easy one against a single opponent. I have literally spent hours just reloading over and over again trying to get excellent RNG in some fight so I can make any progress, but this is NOT how I want to play the game. It

I am not a casual player and I am used to hard games. I've played tons of difficult permadeath roguelikes. This game feels like you are playing Nethack but with no trash mobs early on to get any exp/skills/gear on.

I saw in the reviews some people complaining about difficulty. I took that as a good thing. Usually when the only bad reviews I see are people complaining about difficulty, I buy a game, because there are people who will die one time and then want to refund. :D
But this time they are correct.


The current difficulty should be maintained as a hard mode, for experienced players who want to go in with an optimized build, who already know where everything is and want to test themself. But there desperately needs to be some way for people playing this for the first time to actually be able to get into the game and accomplish anything.


Additionally, the game could use some more tutorials/explanations, and also some page to show you what all the controls are. Before I read on here about holding Tab highlighting interactables, I was struggling to figure out where I could move, find doors, etc. Also I didnt understand the stealth mechanic. I literally took one step and got attacked by the frogs, who basically 1 shot me. :D

But I think that is secondary to the difficulty.

TL:DR: Instead of playing the game all I am doing is loading over and over for RNG in combat, and it is breaking the experience.

[Vince]

Originally posted by Truen:

"no offense, but in my view itt's a problem if you are limited to a small set of "builds" in order to play the game.

I suppose most people like me want to be able to play a game on their own without having to get "help" from people on a forum telling them how they should efficiently play the game, how to build this and that, in order to progress. "

Excellent point.

It's great to see someone who was disappointed enough to post a negative review still sticking around. Maybe I ask which fights forced you to give up? Post your character screen, please.

[Lisin]

Originally posted by Vince:

Which builds couldn't progress in your opinion?


We wouldn't have released the game if we thought that only few builds work. We pay attention to feedback that says the game is impossible to play but in order for us to do anything about it, we must identify the exact problem first - which builds don't work and why.

I have AoD (completed) and Rats in my library, and I also have similar problems with my newbie-intuitive-built Ezekiels getting wrecked here and there.

I'm trying to roll out with combat/diplo hybrids after the INT/stealth hybrid proved to be unreliable in 2/3 (roughly) of the encounters. And I am only having some amount of success after taking a unique combat PERK and recruiting more party members (who turn out to die just as easy as my hybrid). Armor & gadgets didnt save characters from being focused - the main problem seems to be hybrid character squishiness & lack of shelter in some of the encounters (first frog pack in the armory for example).

I also agree that playing the game sometimes feels like Edge of Tomorrow with Tom Cruise - the amount of savescumming required to learn the right order of encounters (talking about passing the Persuasion/Streetwise checks in ascending order) feels tedious.

It would be nice to receive an introduction that explains (and shows) the importance of gadgets & grenades. Maybe an intro combat sequence, after which the character wakes up in his appartement?

[Lisin]

I understand that the character is supposed to spend 1000 starter credits on proper equipment - something, a newbie cannot do by himself, since he has no idea where the money is better spent. Maybe its better to give player some starter protective equipment, instead of credits? Also, from thematic point of view - why would a guy with 1000 credits saved, go out of comfort and take risky jobs?

[Ahne]

Originally posted by Alexfrog:

I really like a lot of things about the game. The setting, dialogue, role play elements, etc seem amazing.

However, I am completely unable to even play the game because I cannot win a single combat, with the exception of like 1 extremely easy one against a single opponent. I have literally spent hours just reloading over and over again trying to get excellent RNG in some fight so I can make any progress, but this is NOT how I want to play the game. It

I am not a casual player and I am used to hard games. I've played tons of difficult permadeath roguelikes. This game feels like you are playing Nethack but with no trash mobs early on to get any exp/skills/gear on.

TL:DR: Instead of playing the game all I am doing is loading over and over for RNG in combat, and it is breaking the experience.

I think the game is reasonable hard in the very beginning but drops off pretty fast in difficulty once you reached a certain gear treshold. I even think that one skill is busted and op compared to anything else you can do, and that is charisma and having a full party of followers. Without a full party at any time the game is way harder.

Here is my character screen after all missions i could find and almost lvl 4.

Main Character [imgur.com]

Very nice game and amazing potential for future updates and the final release! Will be amazing! :)

[Vohnn]

Not a problem for players that have finished AoD, or dungeon rats, you need to make specialist builds, if you want your character to be good in a fight you need to focus on 1 weapon only, (altough reaction mechanic allows you to pick a secondary without losing out in your main skill) and pick feats that boost that combat role, its actually a no brainer, I had no problem in any fights in chapter one in my first blind playtrough, only place I had trouble was the Mercy fight.

My only grip is that the ai will always focus the same character, has if they were a hive mind, makes group fights artificially hard, a "real fight" would be more chaotic.

[royalwright]

The problem here is not any one thing specifically. The problem is the new player *is* going to assume that if he dies the problem is their character. After you start a dozen times, you eventually start looking at other options. Without any meaningful guides you are going to keep bleeding 99% of your potential players.

I mean really, your first adventure sends you to a computer you cannot fix and frogs that kill you without breaking a sweat. Your first workaround leads you to the courts where you cannot beat the second wave. After you figure out there are more missions you get led to a lot of places where there are no obvious solutions to anything at all. This is where I currently am. I was about to blow my entire stash on a new character to beat those frog, until I read here that they are not even protecting anything worth the cost of beating them. I read another posts that suggests if I steal from the shops in the proper order I *might* get enough gear to maybe do something useful.

Heinlein has a quote about this, on the topic of assassination. Basically you can either keep shooting horses and eventually get what you want, if you have enough horses. Or you can be more selective in your targets. IOW: I am fine with games that weed out the unmotivated players, but... I am a mildly OCD electrical engineer logic nazi that loves complicated games and this game is pushing MY patience.

[Vince]

Originally posted by royalwright:

I mean really, your first adventure sends you to a computer you cannot fix and frogs that kill you without breaking a sweat.

Then sneak past them. You should be able to do it even without any points in sneaking.

Your first workaround leads you to the courts where you cannot beat the second wave.

Why not? What exactly is the problem? Did you kill any of them? 1 out of 3? 2? 0? Did you have Evans with you? Which weapons and tactics?

Can you post your character screen?

Not trying to annoy you but it's impossible to fix a problem if we don't know what this problem is. Too hard is a poor description.

I read another posts that suggests if I steal from the shops in the proper order I *might* get enough gear to maybe do something useful.

Stealing is nothing but flavor. You start the game with 1000 bucks, enough to buy a better weapon, which is all you need at this point.

[royalwright]

Originally posted by Vince:

Originally posted by royalwright:

I mean really, your first adventure sends you to a computer you cannot fix and frogs that kill you without breaking a sweat.

Then sneak past them. You should be able to do it even without any points in sneaking.

Your first workaround leads you to the courts where you cannot beat the second wave.

Why not? What exactly is the problem? Did you kill any of them? 1 out of 3? 2? 0? Did you have Evans with you? Which weapons and tactics?

Can you post your character screen?

Not trying to annoy you but it's impossible to fix a problem if we don't know what this problem is. Too hard is a poor description.

I read another posts that suggests if I steal from the shops in the proper order I *might* get enough gear to maybe do something useful.

Stealing is nothing but flavor. You start the game with 1000 bucks, enough to buy a better weapon, which is all you need at this point.

I had Evans after the first time. Tactics is an amusing subject, did you know if your characters are behind the bar and Evans is the one next to the enemy melee he cannot attack due to having two ranged weapons and you cannot shoot past him, so you just have to watch him die? And you cannot change his weapon until *after* he joins.

Character screen, well, as mentioned I am a tad OCD, I delete characters that are no longer useful. But yes I always have a level in a weapon, unless there is some way to get 2 I do not know it. I generally have a 10 int and the implant to give me an 11. Yes, I know perception increases weapon accuracy, and dex adds action points.

I know the tricks to boost bio skill and electronics (med and power plant) I used streetwise the first time (Evans encounter) to avoid the combat but decided to fight it out for the exp after that. I tried stealth only once and got killed, but have read that guide since then so I likely went in too heavily armored. Equipment, I have purchased a better gun on occasion or better armor but not the shield since there is zero indication if it is a one shot device or not. But, again, reading here I am guessing it is not single shot(?)... I have not tried massive amounts of expendables, in most games this is bad (so you might have to overcome player training). I know about the better vest and the jackets. I know about two hydroponics missions, two factory missions (yet no factory map given). Do not know how to get into scavenger area either, if there is one.

(I am hoping you are not doing as your tone suggests and dismissing the "stupid player." It would be a shame to lose a game with potential due to poor communication skills. As I never said "Too hard" that is your projecting.)

[Bishi]

You can snap shot at super close range.

[royalwright]

Originally posted by BishiDe:

You can snap shot at super close range.

Did not let me, with either of his weapons. Possible I missed something but he had full action points since he literally was not allowed to do anything at all.

[Bishi]

Originally posted by royalwright:

Originally posted by BishiDe:

You can snap shot at super close range.

Did not let me, with either of his weapons.

I'll have to launch the game and test to confirm, but with the pistol, I am 99% sure you can snap shot someone that is in your face, it is an option from your regular attack window selection. Not sure about the rifle though.

[royalwright]

Originally posted by BishiDe:

Originally posted by royalwright:

Did not let me, with either of his weapons.

I'll have to launch the game and test to confirm, but with the pistol, I am 99% sure you can snap shot someone that is in your face, it is an option from your regular attack window selection. Not sure about the rifle though.

Pretty sure the rifle gave me a "snap shot not allowed with this weapon" or something to that effect, so I changed weapons and it still did not allow him to fire. Also possible I missed some other option since it only happened that once and I might not have thought of everything.

[Bishi]

Originally posted by royalwright:

Originally posted by BishiDe:

I'll have to launch the game and test to confirm, but with the pistol, I am 99% sure you can snap shot someone that is in your face, it is an option from your regular attack window selection. Not sure about the rifle though.

Pretty sure the rifle gave me a "snap shot not allowed with this weapon" or something to that effect, so I changed weapons and it still did not allow him to fire. Also possible I missed some other option since it only happened that once and I might not have thought of everything.

You are right, you can't snap shot pointblank with a rifle, but you can with a pistol for instance. Here is a screenshot.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2451656803

[nottrusted]

You are right, you can't snap shot pointblank with a rifle, but you can with a pistol for instance. Here is a screenshot.

I immediately thought it would be nice to have an option to hit with the rifle stock in melee distance, or a push back that check's against strenght...

[William Shakesman]

That's a real annoying edge case. Evans starts with a pistol in his alternate slot but if he can't swap as a guest, that sucks.

Shields and disruption devices can be used once per fight and recharge freely. They can even be used before the fight in the planning phase at a slight cost to your first turn's AP (I do not know if this is the intended behavior.) so they are definitely good buys for essentially free buffs. Hopefully a tutorial can explain those better.