Underrail Forum

Underrail => Development Log => Topic started by: Styg on October 25, 2013, 12:11:47 am

Title: Dev Log #23: Expanding the Business; Balance Changes
Post by: Styg on October 25, 2013, 12:11:47 am
Hey guys, here's an update on what's been happening since the Steam release.

It will be a while longer before a new version is ready, sorry. The reason for that is that I've been somewhat busy with trying to expand the business. The game did well enough on its Steam (pre-)release that I can now afford to hire some people now that will assist with content creation. Unfortunately, this means interviewing, office space hunting, taxes, logistics, and other stuff that's cutting into my development time. So while development is a bit slow until all this settles down, it will pick up pace and go even faster afterwards.

However, I did manage to add some more Lower Underrail areas and I also made a number of balance tweaks, bug fixes and the like:

That's all for now. Be sure to let me know what you thought of the balance changes so far.
Title: Re: Dev Log #23: Expanding the Business; Balance Changes
Post by: Kaerius on October 25, 2013, 01:40:06 am
Looking good, I especially approve of the player no longer obstructing targeting of enemies!
Title: Re: Dev Log #23: Expanding the Business; Balance Changes
Post by: Eliasfrost on October 25, 2013, 09:23:25 am
Good stuff. This was actually faster than I expected! Man, I don't know where you find the time to keep up with all the forums/SoMe, expand your business and work on the game! :P

I have my suspicions, my most sensible theory is that Styg is in fact an android with game dev enhancements.
Title: Re: Dev Log #23: Expanding the Business; Balance Changes
Post by: UnLimiTeD on October 25, 2013, 10:08:37 am
So now he has to switch them out for Bizniz-Enhancements?
Nice to hear that you can get some help now! Don't expand too far, Two's a party, but ten.... :P
Also a great list of changes, even if we have to wait for them for another while.
Very interesting idea on the Dexterity, this could make high Dex characters outright viable. :D
Well, or overly munchy, is the % additive or multiplicative? With feats and the like?
Title: Re: Dev Log #23: Expanding the Business; Balance Changes
Post by: Styg on October 25, 2013, 11:00:29 am
Very interesting idea on the Dexterity, this could make high Dex characters outright viable. :D
Well, or overly munchy, is the % additive or multiplicative? With feats and the like?

It's additive, though there's only one feat that affects weapon AP cost currently and that's Gunslinger which has a flat modifier. The flat modifier is applied at the end.
Title: Re: Dev Log #23: Expanding the Business; Balance Changes
Post by: seb sky on October 25, 2013, 11:41:39 am
yay i've been playing it all day glad its moving along nicely another hub area would be nice also a toaster reference  but the new stuff looks good
Title: Re: Dev Log #23: Expanding the Business; Balance Changes
Post by: UnLimiTeD on October 25, 2013, 12:57:52 pm

It's additive, though there's only one feat that affects weapon AP cost currently and that's Gunslinger which has a flat modifier. The flat modifier is applied at the end.
Lightning Punches (http://www.underrail.com/wiki/index.php?title=Lightning_Punches)
Just sayin 8)
Title: Re: Dev Log #23: Expanding the Business; Balance Changes
Post by: Kaerius on October 25, 2013, 04:35:09 pm
I might have a go at extreme gunslinging when I get home... 11 dex + gunslinger should take plasma pistol down to 25 AP, 9mm hammerers and acid blob guns to 16, I forget, but I think 7.62mm hammerers should drop down to 11-12 (4 shots per turn). Also need less points into lockpick/traps as I usually do, saving enough skill points to invest in an additional skill at slightly reduced capacity(giving me 5 picks apart from the must haves to work with).

3 str, 5 con, 3 agi, 11 dex, 8 per(+2 just in time for sharpshooter at lvl 8), 5 will, 5 int, or something like that, for starter stats. Pick up psychokinesis because extra stuns synergise so well with pistols(opportunist, execute, kneecap shot). Some throwing wouldn't go amiss either, being a dex skill and all...
Title: Re: Dev Log #23: Expanding the Business; Balance Changes
Post by: Styg on October 25, 2013, 04:40:23 pm

It's additive, though there's only one feat that affects weapon AP cost currently and that's Gunslinger which has a flat modifier. The flat modifier is applied at the end.
Lightning Punches (http://www.underrail.com/wiki/index.php?title=Lightning_Punches)
Just sayin 8)

Right, forgot about that one.

I might have a go at extreme gunslinging when I get home... 11 dex + gunslinger should take plasma pistol down to 25 AP, 9mm hammerers and acid blob guns to 16, I forget, but I think 7.62mm hammerers should drop down to 11-12 (4 shots per turn). Also need less points into lockpick/traps as I usually do, saving enough skill points to invest in an additional skill at slightly reduced capacity(giving me 5 picks apart from the must haves to work with).

3 str, 5 con, 3 agi, 11 dex, 8 per(+2 just in time for sharpshooter at lvl 8), 5 will, 5 int, or something like that, for starter stats. Pick up psychokinesis because extra stuns synergise so well with pistols(opportunist, execute, kneecap shot). Some throwing wouldn't go amiss either, being a dex skill and all...

Keep in mind these changes won't go live until next content patch.
Title: Re: Dev Log #23: Expanding the Business; Balance Changes
Post by: Kaerius on October 25, 2013, 04:53:53 pm
Oh right, d'oh! I thought it was already patched!

As for opinions on the balance changes, looks good on paper, we'll see how it is in practice. The increased chemical skill for hexogen is a little bit painful, mainly because skillpoints are so scarce and crafting takes up so many of them. (I liked how fallout for comparison has just science and repair, ok survival too for cooking, still less than underrail). It looks like it's on a more correct skill requirement, but it compounds the lack of skillpoints. We really could do with one more skill worth of points(15 more at chargen, 5 more per level). And dodge/evasion should probably be merged to one skill, since dodge/evasion builds are less reliable than heavy armor builds anyway(which requires no skill, only attribute points). I'd argue that chemistry and biology should probably be merged too.
Title: Re: Dev Log #23: Expanding the Business; Balance Changes
Post by: UnLimiTeD on October 25, 2013, 07:50:30 pm
Well, the skill things can be fixed on the skill things, now can't they?
Add 5% extra synergy, and suddenly you need a bit less. ;)
Title: Re: Dev Log #23: Expanding the Business; Balance Changes
Post by: Kaerius on October 25, 2013, 07:57:00 pm
Not 5% doesn't really fix anything, there's more craft skills than you have points to invest in, after you take the bare essentials. Even a pure crafter can't afford to take them all, and means you're not taking a bunch of other powerful/useful skills.

Honestly I'd like to pare them down to 2-3, instead of 5. At minimum merge mechanic and electronic (new name suggestion: engineering), and chemistry + biology (subsume biology into chemistry).
Title: Re: Dev Log #23: Expanding the Business; Balance Changes
Post by: Elhazzared on October 25, 2013, 08:20:08 pm
I had already sugested that the problem with crafting was the need for multiple skills given that we are already severely limited in what we can take then having multiple crafting skills needed to do mostly everything just makes it really problematic. This sugestion do is a little bit better than mine, mine was simply just just make nothing use multiple skills. all guns just use mechanics and go on into that perspective. Still this one does looks good too. It would allow the usage of one single skill for some stuff and a mix to get a rather good deal of stuff. To get all would require specialisation that would hurt you a lot elsewhere but would be more feasable.
Title: Re: Dev Log #23: Expanding the Business; Balance Changes
Post by: MetaSieg on October 27, 2013, 12:36:27 pm
Changes look good, I'm especially fond of the nerf on the bandits during the package quest. For some characters that fight is just brutal and not in a fun and challenging way. Good luck with the business expansion as well. 
Title: Re: Dev Log #23: Expanding the Business; Balance Changes
Post by: Spambot on November 26, 2013, 07:00:33 pm
Looks really good! By increasing minimal dodge, does it mean you will be spotted easier or harder?
Title: Re: Dev Log #23: Expanding the Business; Balance Changes
Post by: Styg on November 26, 2013, 07:08:11 pm
Looks really good! By increasing minimal dodge, does it mean you will be spotted easier or harder?

I assume you mean "minimal stealth". What it means is that you can attempt to sneak by enemies with lower stealth than before. They will still detect you at the same speed as before in regards to stealth-detection ratio, but you will avoid triggering instant detection mechanics (which are triggered when character's stealth is way below the opposing detection value).
Title: Re: Dev Log #23: Expanding the Business; Balance Changes
Post by: Spambot on November 26, 2013, 07:15:29 pm
Thank you for clarifying! That bit always felt a bit dull.. Even with a sneaky character some places simply did not allow for it...
Sounds like this will be very helpful to stealth system.. Thanks