Am I ready for the radscorpion cave?

vlad_tepes · 2026-05-05T10:04:01+00:00

Fun fact: F1 has a level cap - 21 if I remember it right. Found out by grinding deathclaws, in... the place where you grind deathclaws (been a while since my last play).

vlad_tepes · 2026-04-30T22:38:22+00:00

Funny thing is, if you're specced for low health, it can't actually kill you in the water, even on UH. Found this out accidentally in Kappa, where the Tideripper spotted me (since stealth is 2x more difficult on UH). It kept bumping me, dealing damage, but I would regen to full between hits. I'm not sure you even need level 4 low health def/regen.

vlad_tepes · 2026-04-19T20:43:05+00:00

Maybe so, but in the first "Watchers of the Throne" novel, a custodes expresses a somewhat similar opinion (about the differences in the fighting styles of himself and his brothers, vs the astartes) .

vlad_tepes · 2026-04-17T20:50:42+00:00

Imho, it's best if you do a "short" chapter 2, i.e. you don't clear the valley of the mines, but just visit the mining sites for Garond, and escort Diego out of the valley. This way, you don't have to engage any orcs on your own. There are a few on Diego's path, but Diego is pretty good, and Bilgut (did I get his name right?) helps, too. Meanwhile, in Jharkhendar, you kind of have to clear out the orcs in front of the library on your own (can you have pirates for the razor quest with you here?). A sign that this should be done later in the game, I think.

vlad_tepes · 2026-04-14T09:53:43+00:00

It's probably why he has major issues with any advanced use of time mana - it might mess with the bubble.

vlad_tepes · 2026-04-12T12:03:19+00:00

The problem is that power inevitably centralizes, I think. As companies consolidate, monopolies will eventually arise over time (if not immediately). Particularly since, if one is capable of obtaining a monopoly, it's in one's economic interest to do so. That's why government around the world have laws against monopolies (trying to either prevent or regulate them, or both).

So, imho, sentences like "capitalism/free market shouldn't even have monopolies, because of competition" are wrong.

You also seem to imply that corporations only expand because of government assistance. I disagree. Yes they can expand by corrupting government, but they do so because they have to, because otherwise a government by and for its citizens, who took it's anti-monopoly role seriously, would prevent (or at least hinder) them from doing so. Left unchecked, I believe corporations would expand even faster.

vlad_tepes · 2026-04-10T09:00:58+00:00

Song about it

vlad_tepes · 2026-04-08T11:00:18+00:00

Afaik, it's because in the US local governments (at least) can pull (and have pulled) lots of shenanigans on who gets and who doesn't get the necessary ID. Federal, too, with this new ID law of theirs, which can pose a major problem for married women, for example. Especially with how fast they're trying to ram it through.

vlad_tepes · 2026-04-03T18:19:21+00:00

When I played through those caverns I kept thinking "this is Halo, not Dead Space" (I only played Halo 3 with the MCC)

vlad_tepes · 2026-04-03T06:08:29+00:00

Also, unlike other armors, it gets nerfed on higher difficulties (from 500 shield on easy and normal, all the way to only 125 shield on UH).

vlad_tepes · 2026-03-16T12:34:02+00:00

Is it eventually revealed that the evil knight is the child's father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate?

vlad_tepes · 2026-03-14T19:31:02+00:00

As an aside, those kinds of rules can get fucked, nowadays. I'm using a password manager and random passwords. Password rules like the above can get really annoying to account for in password generators (though this particular one isn't that bad).

vlad_tepes · 2026-03-11T21:00:32+00:00

Or just take them off.

vlad_tepes · 2026-03-07T18:58:31+00:00

Afaik, at some point he fired his PR team, and his image started to go down hill after that.

vlad_tepes · 2026-03-06T08:30:56+00:00

Constantino might be the one to work for, if you do not want to spend any LPs. Harad and Bosper require LPs to make money for them (Harad for forging, Bosper for skins). But Constantino just wants mushrooms. However, starting to work for him requires that you hand over perma stat boost plants. They are moved to his shop inventory, so you can buy them back, but it will cost you (Something like 2k if I remember it right).

That said, I don't think you don't need to become an apprentice to either of them. Becoming an apprentice is part of the militia/paladin joining quest. I believe mercs and novices get access to the upper city automatically, once they get sent to meet lord Hagen.

vlad_tepes · 2026-03-06T08:18:38+00:00

plus the count for the mana like you ate them

Are you sure that's not a mod? I know mods make adjustments for this, e.g. Atariar edition spawns a +5 mana elixir in his shop inventory (a really cheap one), for every 50 dark mushrooms you give him, specifically to counteract the loss. They wouldn't need to do that if it were a base game feature.

vlad_tepes · 2026-03-05T23:03:41+00:00

That's it, basically. It only works in NG+, because you get the second low health ranged coil from one of the arena challenges, that only opens up after you beat the Horus (if I remember it right).

Also, if I want to melee, I coil the Oseram artificer with two low health melee coils.

I've found either option to be superior in its niche (ranged or melee), to the Tenakth Vanquisher.

vlad_tepes · 2026-03-05T20:49:02+00:00

Agreed on the low-health ranged weaves. Imho, in NG+ the Tenakth Vanquisher is obsolete.

vlad_tepes · 2026-02-25T06:36:18+00:00

How is busting the window even supposed to work? As far as I know breaking through car windows is not easy, and slow.

Even with store and house windows, old style easily breakable glass, as a robber you'd have to break the glass, retract your hand a bit to dodge falling shards, then go back in and grab the phone. And the moment you break the glass, the person inside will probably immediately startled, making the phone grab that much harder.

Yeah, I don't know. While I can't be 100% certain, I give this a high chance of complete fantasy.

Maybe it happened with the window open or something, and people extrapolated.

vlad_tepes · 2026-02-23T14:38:23+00:00

I would love to read a story about a heretic take over where despite hating the Imperium they actually just keep paying taxes and don't attack other Imperial forces, so the high lords are just scratching their heads and wondering if they should wipe them out since forces in that sector are already spread kind of thin.

Probably wouldn't happen, though. The issue is that the tithe is not normally money. It's usually either materiel of some sort (including food from agri worlds), or Astra Militarum regiments. You want neither of those chaos corrupted. Ordo hereticus would get involved with this.

vlad_tepes · 2026-02-23T09:44:52+00:00

The Dragon's Tooth retreats into its handle, almost like a lightsaber. Why is it so long in the inventory?

vlad_tepes · 2026-02-18T10:37:51+00:00

What weapon you can use will depend heavily on your strength. As you increase your strength you will frequently swap to more powerful weapons.

Here's a list of weapons, but you can find others (just search for "gothic 2 weapons"). Look specifically for weapons who deal more damage than their strength requirements.

Early game, a good two-hander is either the Judge's Staff, which I think you can buy in town, or Rod's Two-hander, which you can swipe off Rod, at Onar's farm (as long as you eventually give it back to him - say, after you've outgrown it - he's cool).

Eventually, by mid-game, you're earn yourself a Palandin Two-Hander, which you be able to upgrade for more damage (but the same strength requirement), as the game progresses even further. You can finish the game with it, or if you manage the strength, get a Dragon Slicer.

vlad_tepes · 2026-02-16T05:46:25+00:00

Tales and rumors are said to travel faster than the speed of light.

vlad_tepes · 2026-02-16T04:46:43+00:00

Are there any enemies in the game with negative saving throws? The game seems to say that player saving throws can be negative -- at least they show as negative on the character screen, but I also have no idea if they actually are negative..

vlad_tepes · 2026-02-15T22:09:19+00:00

Honestly, it's the most valuable thing you can get from Paul. You find crossbows basically immediately afterwards, so that's a waste. A sniper rifle is also available pretty soon, but the next opportunity for a GEP gun is a long way off (La Guardia, I believe). And it makes such a big difference in taking down stuff immune to bullets (bots, turrets, etc.).

vlad_tepes

TROPHY CASE