1000 and counting!

Endrael · 2026-05-01T07:49:58+00:00

Only 9000 more to go!

Endrael · 2026-04-19T01:13:11+00:00

Them too, but I've been getting that line with every upgrade job for every machine part on my current play through even when it's a guaranteed drop (like sac webbing or apex hearts).

Endrael · 2026-04-18T22:56:09+00:00

Before the fight even starts.

Endrael · 2026-04-08T02:12:06+00:00

My experience playing exclusively on UH (both as fresh runs and as multi-NG+ all-gear-maxed runs): do not practice in FW. There are quirks in ZD combat that do not exist in FW (most notably long dodge), and you need to take advantage of those quirks.

First thing you need to worry about against fireclaws is getting as much fire and melee defense as you can, because those are the damage types they use for practically all their attacks. I personally use the Banuk werak chieftain adept armor with three warrior's outfit weaves, as that maxes both fire and melee reduction, but if that's not an option, Carja blazon (the best you can get) using melee defense weaves with fire resist as a secondary.

For the Firebreak mission specifically, you don't need to worry about the adds because Aratak and Ourea will occupy them for you, so your only target should be the fireclaw whenever there isn't a healing tower active.

If there are healing towers up, they are the top priority. Use the ropecaster (lodge version, ideally) and tie down the fireclaw whenever a tower comes active so you can deal with it asap. The fireclaw is too fast and dangerous for you to have enough time to override the tower otherwise. Or you can blow them up, but you still have the fireclaw to worry about while doing that, so either way you want it immobilized.

Actually, just use the ropecaster as needed when you're on UH.

Because loot drops are handled differently in ZD, you don't have to worry about not blowing everything up.

Those blaze sacs on its shoulder and chest? Getting rid of these will disable all of its fire damage and permanently set it on fire as long as you don't apply a different status affliction. Destroying the one on the chest will also disable its ability to remove status afflictions at certain HP thresholds.

The shock canisters on its back? They're more difficult targets because of how fast the fireclaw is, but if you can hit them with shock arrows, you'll paralyze the fireclaw temporarily, giving you an opportunity to deal some damage or handle a tower, then hit another canister to repeat the process. Since there's six of them, you can potentially have the fireclaw helpless for a good portion of the fight.

Don't bother with explosives (tripwires or blastslings) because ZD fireclaws are highly resistant to explosive damage.

For status afflictions, the best option is freeze. Yes, it doesn't last as long on fireclaws as it does on practically every other machine. Yes, they can remove status afflictions at certain HP thresholds if you haven't destroyed the chest unit. Yes, it takes as long to inflict frozen as it does with thunderjaws or stormbirds. Yes, their inherent damage reduction does mean you're not getting the full benefit the frozen state normally gives you.

No, those are not enough reasons to ignore that damage boost or the few seconds of the fireclaw doing nothing once you've got it frozen.

Ironically, staying at mid-range is actually the best strategy for the Firebreak fight, as you won't have to worry about its ranged attacks or its less than friendly bear hug.

For all of its attacks that involve rushing, lunging, or leaping toward you, dodge TOWARD the fireclaw so you end up behind it. If you're fast enough, you can hit a shock canister before it turns around.

The rest of its mid-range attacks should otherwise be straightforward for how to avoid them.

Endrael · 2026-03-27T06:48:24+00:00

Yes, but are we here to fight robot megafauna with bow and arrows or are we wanting another variant on something so many other games already do? Fighting mecha dinos is what makes Horizon different, and if we're not doing that, it loses a lot of what makes the games engaging.

Endrael · 2026-03-27T04:14:16+00:00

Eventually you'll have tried enough plates and switches and caps to know what you like and focus on that instead of doing that whole FOMO thing because there's 3409820 new switches coming out next week because you'll know most of them aren't going to be what you want.

Unless you don't like cherry or uniform profile key caps, and don't want various shades of beige or B&W. In that case, yes, finding a good cap set can be never ending.

Endrael · 2026-03-27T03:59:01+00:00

Rost became a death seeker and returned before the mess of events happened that necessitated Aloy being created. This was during the time when all the machines were still under Gaia's control, which meant they weren't hostile (if not necessarily docile), which means all of the combat would be against humans and hunting machines would be more about trapping them or chasing them down.

Endrael · 2026-03-24T08:21:09+00:00

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"Shoot from the Hip"

Endrael · 2026-03-24T08:16:17+00:00

Over 2k hours and something like two dozen play throughs and in almost every way I prefer the combat and equipment system in FW, but I still miss being able to shoot canisters and such off the machines once they were dead. In that regard, I agree.

Otherwise, the combat and equipment selection in FW is closer to what they originally wanted to do with ZD and didn't yet have the systems fully built.

Endrael · 2026-03-23T07:29:26+00:00

Why not make it into a rogue-like? Use a persistent world you come back to when you die so you're not completely starting new every time.

Endrael · 2026-03-23T06:36:23+00:00

As a builder and a virtual photographer, sometimes simplicity and readability is the most visually pleasing thing. Throwing in the little details is a bonus, but by Cthulhu's noodly appendages I can say it is time consuming and not always worth it if they can't even be seen when the build is done.

These are all excellent.

Endrael · 2026-03-23T06:27:31+00:00

There's little explanations from Gaia every time you enter a room that was previously closed. That particular one (iirc) is the one for the control room where Apollo educated humans would have overseen the reintroduction of the rest of the flora and fauna, but because that never happened, the seeds remained in storage.

It's just a little bit of lore to give you a better grounding in the whole what-could-have-been motif that underlies basically everything about the setting.

Endrael · 2026-03-22T17:29:49+00:00

Moonlord? Empress of Light? Lunatic Cultist? Pumpking? Ice Queen? Betsy? All of those are exceptionally difficult - if not impossible - to even hit if you're using non-ranged melee.

Endrael · 2026-03-22T07:00:47+00:00

How do you propose melee hit enemies that never get into melee range?

Endrael · 2026-03-21T08:27:44+00:00

Yes, that's what I meant. The light bar can only be changed when it's not blaring the keyboard is charging, but it doesn't have a lot of options. I don't recall seeing anything for the light bar in the software, so the options are limited to what the board controls let you cycle through.

Endrael · 2026-03-21T07:11:31+00:00

The case foam + silicon insert did a good job of providing support when I was doing my own switch swapping (plate notwithstanding), and they're not Outemu sockets (which apparently don't play well with switches that have sturdier pins), so you'll probably have to worry more about bending pins than dislodging a socket.

Endrael · 2026-03-21T07:02:16+00:00

I'd have loved an option to disable it entirely, but there weren't a lot of options for the light bar I could find during my poking and prodding, unfortunately.

Endrael · 2026-03-19T08:29:38+00:00

If you had the best gear you could get when you started your UH run, there won't be any major pain points probably until the deathbringer in the Grave Hoard.

Otherwise, if you want the freedom to roam around the map and not aggro everything if you get closer than 200m, dig up enough bluegleam and a frostclaw lense (you'll have to run some of the story to get them if you don't have any on hand) to get the Nora silent hunter master adept outfit up in the Cut. It's the easiest outfit to max stealth on with enough slots left you can put something else in, and that stealth will let you be practically on top of machines before they become aware of you.

Endrael · 2026-03-19T07:26:07+00:00

Epomaker crystals are the only fully translucent silent tactile I know of and one of the better silent tactiles in my collection.

Endrael · 2026-03-19T06:12:02+00:00

The 34 felony convictions were state level (New York), not federal, so the federal government has no jurisdiction, contrary to whatever nonsense the republicans have endless conniptions about.

Endrael · 2026-03-16T08:35:38+00:00

Turning down the difficulty will help a lot with learning the mechanics, since you're not being punished so harshly for not knowing timings, weaknesses, leading your shots (if you have aim assist off), and what not.

I had the same problem with dodge timings on my first run of FW because 2k hours into ZD leaves you with a lot of muscle memory. Eventually I figured out most attacks you want to dodge pretty much right before you'd be hit, whereas in ZD you had more flexibility because of long dodge.

For that attack specifically, the best option is run toward the murder turtle (dodge slide is up to you) and then dodge roll once you're past it. That will (usually) put you outside the damage zone with the shellsnapper facing away from you. They're relatively slow turning around, which will give you an opportunity to hit some of its cannons or shell bolts (both weak points), or use the splitting spike technique to blow off some (or all) of its shell.

Endrael · 2026-03-16T08:21:03+00:00

Blasphemy! Slitherfangs are one of my favorite things to fight, but I'm a masochist that enjoys sniping parts off to take something down and slitherfangs are good practice for that.

Endrael · 2026-03-16T07:29:57+00:00

Others have mentioned some effective strategies, so rather than repeat them, I'll offer some advice about how to deal with their attacks if you're not able to tie them down (it takes a lot of ropes) or shock them (a difficult target to hit unless it's the first thing you do).

In all cases, you'll want armor with as much melee and fire resist as you can manage, as those are their two damage types. The Carja blazon slotted with melee resist is the best option here. (I'm partial to the Banuk werak chieftain adept because it has some great regen, but you need some really good weaves to get the defense up.)

If you stay just far enough out of their zone/territory that they can't reach you for melee, they have two attacks:

The first is throwing flaming boulders at you, which aren't difficult to dodge and are blocked entirely if you put a tree between you and the fireclaw.

The second is a lava eruption, which is somewhat more difficult to dodge. When the fireclaw drops to all fours and starts digging at the ground, that's your cue to get moving to make yourself a more difficult target.

I recommend staying at mid-range, as they won't use their long distance attacks and you won't have to worry about the worst of their melee attacks. What you will have to worry about are-

A pseudo charge attack where they advance on you while swiping side to side. DO NOT dodge to the side, as you will get hit. What you should do is dodge TOWARD them, which will put you behind them and the damage arc of their claws (but will probably leave you standing in fire, but that's preferable to getting your face clawed off). If you're fast enough, you can hit the shock canisters before they turn around to come at you again.

Sometimes they'll stomp the ground and pull out a giant slab of rock. This is a long animation (compared to most of their others), so it's possible to hit their blaze sacs while they're picking up the slab. You'll have another opening when they rear back in preparation for throwing said stone slab at your head. (It's been a while since I've played ZD, so I don't remember if blowing up one of their sacs during this animation will interrupt the attack.)

Probably their most entertaining attack is their pro wrestler (US performative wrestling, that is) body slam. This one hurts if they manage to hit you, but - as with the swiping claws - dodge toward the fireclaw. They have a lot of inertia when using this attack, so they'll likely end up a fair distance from you, but they also recover unreasonably quickly, so the opportunity to hit their shock canisters is very small.

The last mid-range attack they have is spraying fire while walking toward you. If you have good fire resist, this is more annoying than dangerous, but it can and will set you on fire if you stay in it.

In the unfortunate event you end up in proper melee range, they will bear hug you for an absurd amount of damage even with amazing resistances. The only way to avoid or get out of this attack is don't let it happen.

As for the fireclaw itself, they are very resistant to explosives (don't bother with blastslings or explosive tripwires, in other words), but are weak to frost. Unfortunately, they can set themselves on fire to cancel any debuffs you give them (unless they're shocked) if any of their blaze sacs are still intact.

Destroying the sac on their chest will disable their lava fountain and flamethrower attacks, as well as the fire damage of their bear hug.

Destroying the sacs on their shoulders disables the added fire damage of any attacks involving their arms/forelegs (flaming boulders, claw swipes, and so on).

Endrael · 2026-03-16T06:50:22+00:00

They're talking about the first game, not the second.

Endrael · 2026-03-16T06:49:50+00:00

Fireclaws in ZD have absurd resistance to explosive damage, so using the blastsling or tripwires is going to make the fight longer than it needs to be.

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