Metroplexity

I can confirm that the Imperial conduct isn't broken by installing cyberware, or using equipment without actually equipping it. I was able to consume a first aid kit to restore some HP, and sell a watch of tomorrow for credits and neither of those kept me from getting the conduct.

No change to "charge him" with full diving gear, and 51 reflexes; he still thinks it's a game.

Looking at opponent flags lately, and it still doesn't make 100% sense yet, but starting to shape up. For physical characteristics, we have:

• "Crunchy" (which probably needs a better name) — which is generally means "fleshless", or things that you wouldn't ordinarily call a living "creature". These are opponents made out of holograms, office furniture, bones, etc.
  • No Organs (which probably needs a better name) — which does actually apply to a lot of creatures with organs but also some without; generally creatures without a normal animal vascular system (robots, snowmen, etheric creatures, and everything Crunchy)
    • Air Filter — protects from lung damage. Includes guards with gas masks and everything No Organs.

• Stone Opponents — Seems independent from the above. Horrific spider has organs but is stone.
• Dynamite immunity — Seems independent from the above. Mostly seems to be used so defeating "puzzle bosses" is not sidestepped, but Helidrone and Pile of Secrets are also immune, for some reason.

• Midgard Drone — autonomous robots produced by Midgard; see also mysterious drone signature
  • Drone — autonomous robots; includes all Midgard Drones and others (needs clarification on which are which)
    • Electric — susceptible to electricity damage; includes all Drones and some others

Further complications:

• Flying Eye gave: You stab the eye with a metal fang. It digs hungrily into the eye's flesh for 8 melee damage. (vs. Etheric)
• Living Sludge: You stab the sludge with a metal fang. It digs hungrily into the sludge's flesh for 12 melee damage.

So it doesn't look like it is No Organs. Possibly Crunchy again?

• Wall turret: You stab the turret with a metal fang. It digs into it like a starving beast for 19 melee damage.
• Slags guard: You stab the guard with a metal fang. It digs hungrily into the guard's flesh for 16 melee damage.
• Pile of secrets: You stab the papers with a metal fang. It digs into them like a starving beast for 23 melee damage.

And overgrown cubicles couldn't be tested for Crunchy before because they have a custom Ghoultouched message, and have Parasitic Vine so couldn't use implant seed.

• You stab the cubicles with a metal fang. It digs into them like a starving beast for 27 melee damage.

I managed to sneak past today at as low as 10 Stealth Power and 15 Reflexes. Possibly there's some RNG involved, and higher stealth power gives you better odds?

Edit: I think that probably is the case. I had that one success, then failed 3 or 4 times, then succeeded again, all with 10 stealth power, and minimal change in most of my other power/defense values, and reflexes only increasing.

I've also failed 6 times with 9 stealth power, so 10 may be the minimum.

Podcast #38:

Q: Grinding Mortar seems to require both an Etheric effect and a sub-optimal offhand equipped for a 6-base damage Etheric attack. This seems like a pretty weak tradeoff overall. Is there something else we are missing there?

A: It's always possible. It's always possible there's things that are unbalanced too. More than just the 6 base damage.

Could use investigating further.

Thanks xKiv!

Longshot, but since there's an avatar for eating your gang warfare opponents, I would love to find an avatar for infecting enough gang warfare opponents too.

if any bonus for having Fae Eyes?

Not that I can tell. Tested etheric (fae sighted) inside, outside, shoreside, underground, caverns.

This technique seems somewhat limited — I wonder if any bonus for having Fae Eyes?

Hmm, this page and Organ Grab claims it works on Long distance, but that can't be right because (if it being chain 1 is correct) that would mean it would only trigger on chain 11 or greater techniques, which don't exist.

If it is based on distance at all, it must be short distance, right? (grabs vs. chains 5 or lower?)

Reminder to myself to investigate further, (I apparently had the same idea 6 years ago) this seems suspiciously like the ocean equivalent to Fragile Puffball for mushroom stuff.

EDIT: Nothing from:

• Burning Vision (15)
• Undersea Stalking (15)
• Icy Demeanor (30)
• Ocean Voice (40)
• Cold Depths (50)
• No Pain (52)

I now realize this is technically an unearthly derivative (forgot that kraken ink and octopus ink were different).

See also: Stringy Eclipse?

Did a quick tag cleanup pass, consolidate a lot of categories that were slightly worded differently or redundant.

I've been using needs_mechanics lately for pages that are content-complete but need nailing down of an exact formula or number. Examples:

• finding exact stats needed to chase down the Fleeing Pool Shark
• how exactly you learn new techniques from an unearthly item (often with diminishing chance).

Keeping needs_spading for more general mysteries. The needs_spading are things to look into that would most likely result in new discoveries. Examples:

• An encounter seems to be hinting that you can do something but we haven't figured out how to do it
• A quest item that has no known use
• A set of items that seem related but some are missing parts

And the needs_content and needs_text for when things are obviously missing from the wiki, eg. a choice encounter doesn't have some branches documented. (Not quite clear what the difference between them is).

Needs_salvage, needs_multiuse, etc cleaned up and fairly straightforward.

(needs_chains, needs_power_values, needs_defense_values were my early attempt to help with opponent spading but largely outdated, would probably delete.)

It looks like I did this after having saved the old woman and brought her back to the hut. Note that the results text includes her reaction, which also doesn't seem to be on the wiki page. It's possible that she might have more interesting reactions to other cauldron results.

Looking into Mag's old comment above, the woman shaking her head is the only reaction I can find when it goes up in smoke and you get Coughing Fit. (Haven't a gas mask on, there's no comment about the woman, nor with mislit mask).

I can't figure out how to make the woman "at peace" with her new hut, nor to unlock the AROTPBY. Killed skeleton (2 shard reward), brought her over, gave her a mask, strands, mushrooms, made various cauldron mixtures, including reflected mask, coughing fit. Perhaps need to get 3 shard reward??

Trying to chat still results in her heading off, even after completing Ghostly Aid.

I tried talking to her about computers in my full hacking outfit, with Simple Coding and Handscripting, and got the listed result. Went and got Efficient Hacking and it didn't change things.

This page claimed that, with a lot of Dripping with Gore, you would lose 2 energy from this encounter instead of just one. With over 500 Dripping with Gore, I am still not seeing this, so assuming it was documented in error and removing from page.

Does not count as scrubs bottoms — too wispy.

This seems likely from an army drone model I would guess?

You make your way outside, exchanging hails of bullets with both sides as they get too close for comfort. Eventually your tactics up with you, catching a bullet from an unguarded flank, but learning an important lesson.

The world seems clearer when you awake, bereft of the cloud of dust lingering at its edges.

You learned a new Technique: Cutting Crossfire

No change with charmed shirt and Charmed Defense.

No change with National Crown.

Having gotten the Time of War skill today, no change to "just chat"ing with her.