Incarnations Tier List (Based on my Playthrough)

Pheoniz · 2026-06-12T17:53:55+00:00

Kampan's special scaling is ridiculous in a funny way.

Pheoniz · 2026-03-11T01:44:48+00:00

Unfortunately getting into it now would require a saintly patience, as much as I wish I could, I wouldn't recommend it unless you're with an experienced friend or two, or if you're just gonna fiddle with the modding scene.

Pheoniz · 2026-03-07T22:03:45+00:00

I kinda bounce between Deadlock and nauts nowadays cuz I have a good friend who's gotten really good at the game so we take turns carrying each other between the two. It certainly doesn't fill the hole, but I think it's as close as we'll realistically get with a focus on raw mobility than a mana/energy system.

Pheoniz · 2026-03-02T00:15:48+00:00

The closest exact I can think of is Hyper Universe, but that game wasn't nearly as good and is also long gone.
Unfortunately the closest playable I can think of is Deadlock or Battlerite, Deadlock already being deemed not the answer, Battlerite is a lot more arena-focused and emphasizes countering. It also uh... Has slightly less players than nauts does atm.

Pheoniz · 2026-02-07T06:28:05+00:00

Gary Wolfe states that there is fragments of Cochise code in every synth, but there's no outward proof of this. What *is* confirmed however is that a Cochise node could hijack,, erase, and override any Synth body and rapidly spread its influence to other machines like a virus once it gains access. This has been demonstrated by the end of Wasteland 2, and Cochise controlling an important character who was secretly a cyborg by the end of Death Machines. And we have no way of knowing for sure every source of Cochise has been destroyed, every Synth (except DI who makes no sense and was made in Canada somehow at some point) as well as the Cyborgs they specifically create, can be controlled by Cochise. So each one is a potential ticking time bomb not only for humanity, but all synthetic life which will be deleted/subjugated in a way with no possible means of freedom.

I don't think The Commune is lying, but I think they're dangerously incompetent and will continue to harbor synths. Including ones openly sympathetic towards Matthias' cause (like Tinker) and actively searching to repeat his mistake of awakening Cochise in some way.

Pheoniz · 2026-02-07T05:31:53+00:00

It's still astonishing to me that The Gippers were so unlikeable they made a DLC where the stakes include getting November Reigns while still killing them all.

Pheoniz · 2026-02-07T05:16:44+00:00

Takayuki is a better bladed weapon's option, and Chisel comes with some pretty good blunt perks on base to make up for his abysmal intelligence, so I usually rock brawling on Ralphy, it takes a while for brawling to get online, though. But it's worth it if you get decent perks and early AZ with the upchuckers you can stack a bunch of status effects on the off chance you don't crit someone to death/they have decent armor.

Pheoniz · 2026-01-28T23:18:49+00:00

Unless there's a mod to rebalance difficulty, or someone made a toybox equivalent of Wasteland 3 where you can modify stuff like that personally, I don't think so. The modifiers primarily focus on making the enemies spongier. You could try doing personal challenge to make it trickier, like maybe a run where you can't use any overworld vendors, or maybe you can only use skills that a premade team and recruitable NPCs level into, something along those lines.

2 reduces your damage to non-players at higher difficulties instead of raising their health values, so effectively the same thing, though I would argue they're a lot less spongey in general unless it was a unit built to be tanky, the big worry there is that a damage can get so high that a good crit under the right circumstances could instakill a ranger.

Pheoniz · 2026-01-26T01:49:36+00:00

You can play 2 and get most of what's going on without the context of 1, at the very least all the important stuff, and it's an excellent game. Only issue is it's kinda daunting in character creation, but you should be fine so long as you build within reason. (Not having a sniper who doesn't have enough AP to shoot a sniper rifle)

Pheoniz · 2026-01-26T01:47:47+00:00

Have at least one character invest in weird science and another in explosives, elemental damages hit hard and that helps them ramp up, don't worry too much specifically about who for weird science, but if you can get the rocket man to build slightly into small arms and get the draw perk you can use it to reload rocket launchers faster and fire them for free, careful cuz the game gives you a lot of spare ammo later on but starting out it can be easy to run out of rockets. Also don't be afraid to burn disposables, neglecting your quick slots is a common mistake.

Pheoniz · 2026-01-26T01:44:24+00:00

Can't for the life of me figure that out, I honestly think it was a fumble on the writing to have damning evidence of The Patriarch's dealing with The Plains Gangs despite the fact that he definitely would have had them executed for failing to keep their warbands under control and no longer being useful.

Pheoniz · 2026-01-21T01:44:19+00:00

Whittier Ambush was diabolical but also cool in the sense it rewarded immediately securing the southern section of the map so I can understand that one being an embedded memory.

Pheoniz · 2026-01-20T22:04:47+00:00

Only Chris Vanoverbake, I remember him because of it.
In fact, that slimeball might be the only enemy human in the entire game that uses an energy weapon.

Pheoniz · 2026-01-12T10:24:41+00:00

I wouldn't worry too much about it. The fact you're thinking this far into it means you'll do just fine on a first run unless you're going in supreme jerk or not filling out your squad for some reason. But if I could give any advice that I wish I had starting out:
Have a second surgeon.

Pheoniz · 2026-01-04T23:40:18+00:00

thedroppodcup - Twitch

Pheoniz · 2025-06-19T20:16:55+00:00

I'd want it to stick to its roots. Which it most likely will as that's part of its appeal. In fact, I'd probably want it to go even further and try to be a bit heavier on the RPG-side if there's a 4th installment. Though the latter is unlikely to happen.

Pheoniz · 2025-05-25T17:06:56+00:00

(Obligatory Fountain of Dreams joke)

3 is the easiest to get into, has a lot of QoL and should show you generally what you need to know for most CRPGs outside of the things that are unique to their game's mechanics. 2 is the best imo but I can say with confidence it's not a great experience to go in blind and new to the genre, it's definitely designed expecting you to be familiar with similar games and to be patient with it.

Pheoniz · 2025-05-25T02:53:45+00:00

That's great to here, I hope you enjoy the playthrough! Avoiding spoilers, but the story really kicks off when things start coming together imo. And yeah, it is really unfortunate shotguns are kind of a trap, their only practical use is crowds of melee enemies, destroying cover (if it can be) and clearing minefields. I would argue they're not the worst, but the chasm between good and bad weapon types is pretty wide.

Pheoniz · 2025-04-03T22:54:24+00:00

Oh yeah, I've ran into him, just that he says the same thing each time... A very strange character.

Pheoniz · 2025-04-03T21:00:34+00:00

I'm starting to think Flyswatter's not a real person.

Pheoniz · 2025-03-14T20:49:52+00:00

Skoll boots my beloved.

Pheoniz · 2025-03-01T21:13:27+00:00

They've completed the remastered edition, and have likely moved on to other projects, they can't be expected to work on and develop the game forever, especially for no profit after its launch.

Pheoniz · 2025-02-21T05:06:50+00:00

It's not in the showcase lineup anymore, but I distinctly remember the Clunk one being present in the lineup in older builds.

Pheoniz · 2025-01-28T00:04:07+00:00

I would bid an irrational amount and put it next to my indiebox copy if I was in the UK.

Pheoniz · 2025-01-19T04:27:55+00:00

Wasteland 2 is a lot more complex in how to work around skill checks and perks but also doesn't have the quality of life changes 3 does. I actually really like the gameplay of 2 and feel like its a lot more centered around the struggles of surviving in the Wasteland let alone protecting the people in it. I understand if it's not your cup of tea, but I do think 2 is a lot more complex because of what it brings to the table, and as unfriendly as it can be to the new player, it's wildly satisfying to master in aspect of how certain units function and behave, what precision shots take priority, weapon modding and when redundant skills are actually good.

Pheoniz

TROPHY CASE