So, what do you guys do during temporal storms?

[Khornet]

9 minutes ago, Maelstrom said:

Looks like I'll be perfecting drifter kill chamber design between now and stable 1.20 releases.

Good luck lmao 

Spoiler

the new ranged mobs run away from you when you're in their close proximity and they never actually approach you outside of their firing range. 

 

[Maelstrom]

Hmmm...   What's the range of them thar prickly boys?

[Khornet]

26 minutes ago, Maelstrom said:

Hmmm...   What's the range of them thar prickly boys?

 

Spoiler

Long enough for you to not see where they're shooting from during the night.
Don't take my word for granted because I haven't done formal testing but something like 10-15 blocks.
And since they run away from you they're a total game changer for combat classes metagame. Blackguard might just be trash now and Hunter might be in.

I can just BARELY catch up to them as a Blackguard wearing full steel plate (so that's considering a 25% reduced movement speed debuff). If you're a non-blackguard and wearing heavy armor... well, you're gonna need to invest into steel arrows.

I highly suspect Bowtorns (that's what they're called, since I'm just in a spoiler bonanza mode anyways) will get nerfed, the triple-shot is just devastating to unarmored targets, and they're too fast with their annoying running away behavior.

 

[Michael Gates]

On 11/25/2024 at 12:46 PM, Krougal said:

Oh, I have come out in the morning to drifter moshpit in my dry moat. They will aggro each other with rocks and it is fun to just watch.

There's always one left, and you walk up and flick it with a finger and it falls over.

[LadyWYT]

In regards to the shooty bois:

Spoiler

Are they actually that fast? Granted, I've been playing a Clockmaker when toying with the new stuff, and not actually gone monster hunting much, as I've not devoted a lot of time to it. However, the general impression I've gotten from the current build is that the Bowtorn pack quite a punch at range, but aren't particularly fast. They do try to headbutt you if you get close, but they generally will try to stay at range when possible. I wouldn't really call them especially slow either--they seem about on par with drifters.

The fast ones are the shivers, and I'd be more worried about those. You're not likely to outrun them, and despite having noodles for limbs they don't hit like noodles. They're also good at climbing. The main drawback of a shiver is the fact that they need a 2x2(I think) space minimum to be able to get to you; ie, they won't fit through a standard single door.

Overall, I'd expect the bowtorn to be most dangerous when there are other mobs to engage the player in melee, or in situations where they're in a spot that's difficult to reach. Blackguard I would still expect to be a very strong class, but Blackguards will need to be a little more careful when tackling multiple enemies at once, and will probably need to time their shield blocks a bit better than before. It's also worth considering inviting a friend or two to join your adventures as well(if possible), as having some ranged backup will be even more useful.

Of course, I'd also expect the new monsters to feel a little stronger at first, as most players won't have a lot of experience dealing with them, and then lose some of that perceived strength as players develop better methods of dealing with them. I'd also expect that in the event a monster does prove a little too strong, that it'll get smacked with the nerfbat. Outside of that, there's always the options of mods to season them to one's liking.

 

2 hours ago, Maelstrom said:

Hmmm...   What's the range of them thar prickly boys?

Spoiler

I'd say it feels roughly on-par with the player's range--somewhere between spear range and bow range, maybe? Probably similar to what the longer range for a spear is. They're not going to be shooting you from across the map, but they're also not keen on you getting within, say, 5 blocks of their personal space. Maybe around 10-30 blocks, if I had to put a rough number on it.

I will note that in my limited experience, they're quick to shoot at you if they see you, even if they don't have a very good angle to shoot from. They don't seem to fire incredibly fast, but they aren't especially slow on the reload either. They do seem to be pretty accurate, though they don't land every shot and have a bit more difficulty hitting some moving targets, so I would consider dodging a potential option when dealing with them. Timed blocks with a shield are probably still a better counter though.

 

[Maelstrom]

Quote

In regards to the shooty bois:

[They] pack quite a punch at range, but aren't particularly fast

@Khornet did say he/she was wearing plate armor.

So them rusted, rotted archers are slow, but powerful from range.  AWESOME design choice, force the player to either pick a light armor build for speed at the risk of death, or heavy armor build at the risk of a long, drawn out battle.  Think I'll have to download me 1.20.preWhatever and start testing different character builds.  Blackguard in chain?  Hunter in gambeson?  hmmm...

As for a drifter kill chamber?  that range makes it... challenging.

Edited November 27, 2024 by Maelstrom

[Thorfinn]

IME, @Maelstrom they try to keep the distance that still allows them to fire. Should be able to design something where the furthest spot that gives them eyes on is in your trap. Though I have not tried it yet. I'm looking for a more dynamic solution.

Wow, @Khornet, haven't see a slug like that since I was playing around trying to cave when I shouldn't have been. I take it that was towards the end of the storm? And you haven't been able to thin their ranks much?

The old "arena" setup might be waning in effectiveness. A flat cleared space works well when the worst of the missiles are rocks, but not with high damage ranged. Fortunately, higher levels don't appear to scale like drifter melee damage does. I'm not far enough along to have had a heavy temporal storm, but have not been one-shotted by any missiles yet.

The most promising new arena design I've found so far

Spoiler

Scads of modified "dragon's teeth" (2 vertical blocks, one block jutting out of the top one on as many sides as you like so it gives body cover) both for cover and to scratch off the face-huggers, who are my dominant threat, because their damage does scale with level. Build little catch spaces they can follow you into, but not easily out of.  Two-block deep bear traps might be enough, but why not leave them 3-deep so you can trap pesky bears, too. Just make sure to deal with the bears before the next storm.

The important thing is that these catch spaces are more than despawn distance from each other so that they are self-resetting.

The downside of an arena like this is so far, I have not been able to do anything useful during storms. Just kill guys who have nothing. Might be that once I get the pacing of the waves figured out, I'll be able to, but not yet.

 

[Maelstrom]

It would be truly terrifying if the face-huggers could climb vertical faces like small lizards and spiders.  From what I've seen of those things in stream/utoobs, it seems like a logical ability to give it.

/edit - the standard kill pit would require a HUGE perimeter "moat" around you to drive the ranged buggers into and flow beneath you into a kill chamber.  Seems like it is doable, but would require a massive amount of work to create a moat approximately 95 blocks in circumference.

Edited November 27, 2024 by Maelstrom

[Thorfinn]

26 minutes ago, Maelstrom said:

It would be truly terrifying if the face-huggers could climb vertical faces

I think it can, probably, though I've never really checked. It just takes enough time to give 'em the slip. I mean, I leave places they can get through, but it should have taken them longer go go back around. My old standard bear pit seems to hold them. (5x5, 3 deep, ring inside the inside of the top.) 

[EDIT]

Quote

the standard kill pit

I guess I don't know what that is.

Edited November 27, 2024 by Thorfinn

[Khornet]

2 hours ago, Thorfinn said:

Wow, @Khornet, haven't see a slug like that since I was playing around trying to cave when I shouldn't have been. I take it that was towards the end of the storm? And you haven't been able to thin their ranks much?

Well, no, that was around the middle. The problem is, with the constant barrage of arrows (or otherwise projectiles), between CONSTANT knockback and chipping damage, it's impossible to fight them in an open field. And chasing down a single one to kill it is like 30 seconds of effort in a full plate armor...
I had another heavy storm adventure today 

Spoiler

this time the Bowtorns (which stacked up to spawning to like a total of 20 again) were joined by a couple of Nightmare Shivers. I genuinely could not handle it. I died 3 times. With a steel shield + steel plate + steel falx, the best possible lategame melee tank and spank combo. 
Temporal storms are actual hell with the Nightmare Shivers and Bowtorns added in. Treating them as an opportunity to earn some gears by hunting Double-Headed Drifters for gears is pretty much not an option anymore.
UNLESS you do commit to some kind of arena. A long corridor or something? With a panic room that lets you de-armor and heal in peace when needed.

 

Edited November 27, 2024 by Khornet

[Thorfinn]

Right, @Khornet. Though I have not seen the heavy storm yet, the way forward looks to me as if it's going to have to involve both cover and a way to at least channel the face-huggers. You can't deal with more than one at a time. Or I can't anyway.  I really need to find something good enough to be able to stop and observe them to try to figure out how to counter them. How are they at targeting around fenceposts?

[Khornet]

1 hour ago, Thorfinn said:

Right, @Khornet. Though I have not seen the heavy storm yet, the way forward looks to me as if it's going to have to involve both cover and a way to at least channel the face-huggers. You can't deal with more than one at a time. Or I can't anyway.  I really need to find something good enough to be able to stop and observe them to try to figure out how to counter them. How are they at targeting around fenceposts?

Spoiler

Bowtorns are tall enough that they can, indeed, shoot ABOVE two-blocks high fences (while at ground level), depending on the angle between you and their position. If you have a height advantage, they have a better angle for shooting.
And yeah, they can snipe you from pretty ridiculous distances from below. Honestly might as well remove rock throwing from drifters now because it no longer serves the purpose it was implemented for.

 

[Thorfinn]

Spoiler

Huh. I was working in my garden with an ugly plucker at range. We were at the same height. He didn't hit me if I was close to the double-high fence, but some of his shots would go over and he would hit me when I was in the middle somewhere. Now that I'm thinking of it, I meant to add another course and see how that turns out, but, me being me, got distracted by something shiny.

What I was more wondering about was their ability to shoot around, not over. Can he shoot "around" a single fencepost, for example. Missing the post itself but traveling through the block itself. I might have to start a new game to find out, rather than wasting time opening up one of the caves I sealed off.

 

[Maelstrom]

@Thorfinn  Create a world to experiment.  Give yourself the necessary tools, shift from creative to survival and Myth Bust away!

[Thorfinn]

I could, but I think I'd rather just add a few fence sections to my farm next time and wait for one to show up. That way I can figure out what the rules are while doing something useful.

Honestly, I'm a bit surprised I haven't died in my 1.20.p13 world yet. I've been paying absolutely no attention to the rift activity, even while running around commando in caverns trying out the directional sound thing. Pluckers' aiming has apparently been seriously nerfed. Unless I'm ambling along, they mostly miss. 

[EDIT]

Incidentally, unless I have something messed up on my system, directional audio is not as great as I had hoped. For example, finding bees, it's loudest when you have your ear turned directly towards it, looking 90 to the side. But it's not that if you hear it in the left side, it's on the left. It's either to the left or the right. It still helps, as you can move along that axis and see whether it's getting louder or softer as you rotate, but I did kind of expect to be able to narrow it down more than that.

Edited November 29, 2024 by Thorfinn

[Khornet]

My temporary go-to strategy (because I don't WANT to build an ugly arena lmao) for temporal storms in 1.20 is simply "just go underground lol"
The bastards can't kite me if there's nowhere to run.  A couple of mine shaft corridors in four directions and it's almost as good as waiting for those Drifters to run into my falx.
Next world migration will probably make Hunter. Melee right now (or perhaps "still") needs a serious adjustment, the main problem is the obnoxious constant knockback and the incredibly odd hitboxes at close range (it's actually harder to hit them than shoot them...)

Spoiler

I really think the Bowtorn spawn rate is bugged during storms, or maybe just during heavy storms. It's like 90% Nightmare Bowtorns and they spawn like 3-4 at a time. And it's just them! I've killed like 25 Bowtorns and 2 Shivers + 4 Drifters last storm.

 

[Viceroy]

I run around in chainmail and whenever I spot a nightmare drifter or double headed I pillar up two blocks and try to kill it for temporal gears. Used a farm or trap you guys describe, but pillaring two blocks up is more cost effective.

Not very fond of the temporal storms along with rifts. Generally a bad mechanic that needs a rework so I play on servers that have disabled them. Luckily most have.

[Maelstrom]

On 11/29/2024 at 3:34 PM, Khornet said:

Next world migration will probably make Hunter. 

Not a bad idea.  Hunters still have excellent aim in chain.  Steel chain and the projectiles don't punch quite so hard, but still hard enough that you don't just walk around indiscriminately.  

[LadyWYT]

On 11/30/2024 at 7:16 AM, Viceroy said:

I run around in chainmail and whenever I spot a nightmare drifter or double headed I pillar up two blocks and try to kill it for temporal gears. Used a farm or trap you guys describe, but pillaring two blocks up is more cost effective.

Unfortunately, this strategy is probably going to be broken in the next update, given the new enemies.

On 11/29/2024 at 4:34 PM, Khornet said:

Melee right now (or perhaps "still") needs a serious adjustment, the main problem is the obnoxious constant knockback and the incredibly odd hitboxes at close range (it's actually harder to hit them than shoot them...)

Is that in the current 1.19, or in 1.20? When playing around in the 1.20 test patch I actually found the melee to be improved--the hits actually pushed the enemies back slightly, so it was possible to keep drifters and other things at a more comfortable distance without needing to backpedal as constantly.

Now that being said, I still expect ranged to be strong in open areas, and for dealing with threats in general. It's a lot safer to deal with the threat before it reaches you, than it is to get up close and personal...but of course, dealing with it at range isn't always an option either.

[Khornet]

1 minute ago, LadyWYT said:

When playing around in the 1.20 test patch I actually found the melee to be improved--the hits actually pushed the enemies back slightly, so it was possible to keep drifters and other things at a more comfortable distance without needing to backpedal as constantly.

I am talking about 1.20. 

Spoiler

Shivers have an annoying "hit and run" tactic, where they hit you once and... run... Coupled with the fact the higher tiers do knockback you rather significantly you makes them very hard to deal with. I think that because they're shorter (but "flatter") and you have to aim "downward" with your melee attack to hit them, that changes the vector of your knockback to them somehow?
I personally found shivers unable to be "kept at a comfortable distance" at all because of their speed. Drifters, yeah, good ol' drifters were and are easy to deal with. Even though the nightmare variety does send you flying with their homerun-tier knockback.
But the WORST part is adding knockback to the bowthorns' ranged attacks and constantly being pelted by them. By all means it makes no sense.
Honestly, I don't know WHY higher armor tiers don't provide knockback resistance. Or maybe they do and it's just buggy? If you happen to get hit by jump dodging by a higher tier attack you are literally sent flying.

 

[er3shkigal]

Sigh and do housework while drifters fall into my pit traps (either in-game or in real life lol). I've not had any spawn inside my hovel yet, though I'm sure that's coming when I expand beyond a single well-lit room. Once I have decent gear, I'll likely try going out in it... and then run back inside... screaming... the Shivers give me the creeps something wicked.