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Live and Drink, Wayfarer! (CAVES OF QUD)

GundiGundi Serious BismuthRegistered User regular
What is Caves of Qud?

Caves of Qud is a game in which you die a lot. I mean, *cough*
Caves of Qud is a science fantasy RPG & roguelike epic. It’s set in a far future that’s deeply simulated, richly cultured, and rife with sentient plants.

~Freehold games (The guys who develop Qud.)

That's right, the trees can think and talk and they are all secretly judging you! Caves of Qud is a traditional roguelike, in that it's a top down turn based dungeon crawler with lo-fi graphics, indepth mechanics, and lots of getting murdered by things in the dark.

What is Qud?

Ahem,
"Qud is a strange and terrifying mesa where tainted rivers breed life in all its motley forms; her jungles shelter priceless relics of a forgotten past. She was home to a great and powerful people, known now only as the Eaters of the World. They built wonders bordering on magic, both delightful and obscene. It is said they journeyed the stars and conversed with beings beyond the sky. But that was long ago. The last sultan long dead, having abdicated his throne. Now all that that is left is their works, their ruins, their wonders, their mistakes. And the Spindle, oh glorious shining, a rising column of chrome visible from all of qud, which rises to the heavens. What could its purpose be?

But that is just the half of it, for Qud's most precious treasures -- and her most hideous children -- lie within the innumerable chrome caverns beneath the scarlet loam.
To ply those silver hollows -- a spry adventurer's dream!"



Who am I?

You are likely one of either two things.

It is possible your are a mutant, long ago descended from simple base human stock but long altered by the environment of Qud. Maybe you can shoot fireballs. Maybe you can teleport. Maybe you have narcolepsy. Regardless, beware the Putus Templar, inbred genetic purist fanatics who will murder any mutant on sight.
or
It is possible you are a true kin, humans who hid away long, long ago in sealed cities, only to emerge upon the ruins of Qud. With genetic code (relatively) unchanged from the Eaters of Old, you may use cybernetics and have an easier time interacting with the artifacts and serums of old. You must become, aristocrat.

Where can I get Qud?
It's available in early access on Steam, itch.io, and GOG

I just started playing what should I do?

You should hit F1 so the game can explain some things to you. Also beware baboons.

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    HobnailHobnail Registered User regular
    48fEpTV.png

    I don't feel right

    Also I am just now realising that after getting my feet cut off and thus regenerated I forgot to collect my sick kicks from off my severed feets goddamnit

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    milskimilski Poyo! Registered User regular
    So you have an arm on your face, three hands on your right arm, you have a tentacle eyeball, and you're quadrapedal?

    I ate an engineer
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    HobnailHobnail Registered User regular
    And a big greasy stinger and at least one of those faces shoots fire beams I dunno what the problem with mutation is seems like nothing but gravy over here

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    GundiGundi Serious Bismuth Registered User regular
    hobnail is a tumbleweed made of limbs

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    HobnailHobnail Registered User regular
    And the only people who care are the insular genocidal fascists who I must say I have barely encountered, there's lots of factionalism but like nobody in Qud cares if you are a crazy mutant supermonster or like a dude or like a plant

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    GundiGundi Serious Bismuth Registered User regular
    but man if you got a mushroom growing out your butt man those talking plants will be mighty miffed

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    Speed RacerSpeed Racer Scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratchRegistered User regular
    edited February 2021
    i've done a half dozen or so runs now and eat shit super early every time

    the last couple i've held my own longer but I think i need to learn to cut and run sooner

    if i clear out, say, one floor of a cave and then leave and go rest up and restock, will that floor repopulate while i'm gone?

    EDIT: although i guess there's not that much point in going back to town when you can just find a safe spot to camp out and regenerate

    hm

    Speed Racer on
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    GundiGundi Serious Bismuth Registered User regular
    nope, nothing ever repopulates in qud. if something dead it stay dead

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    HobnailHobnail Registered User regular
    For general tips I would say always engage at range as much as possible, always lure enemies into hallways so as to fight one at a time and having a companion can really take the heat off, if you start as a warden it doesnt take much to convince the warden of the Six Day Stilt to come with you

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    TofystedethTofystedeth Registered User regular
    edited February 2021
    Gundi wrote: »
    but man if you got a mushroom growing out your butt man those talking plants will be mighty miffed

    Yeah one case of mumble mouth and the merchant in Kyakukya wants to murder me on sight .
    Who are you to judge? You're a potted plant.

    Tofystedeth on
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    TofystedethTofystedeth Registered User regular
    I have never managed to get any of the really weird mutations like hobnails seeing. Any time I buy new mutations on level up my only options are just the same old starters. Is there a pool of glowing green sludge I should be swimming in?

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    GundiGundi Serious Bismuth Registered User regular
    It has to be because hobnail picked chimera. It doesn't tell you on the tool tip, but the big perk of chimera is any time you get a new mutation, whether it be from using 4 points to buy one or taking unstable genone at character creation, one of the three options will have the added perk of giving you a new random body part. The part can be a head/head equivalent (comes with extra face), just a face, an 'arm' (with hand/hand equivalent), just a hand, or a root. (Which actually allows you to equip a plant pot for +3 AV) I have never gotten extra feet or legs from it so I assume to extra legs are just from having the multiple legs mutation. The funny thing is the body parts can sprout from anywhere, not just where they make sense, which is why higher level chimera characters have such really, really weird body plans.

    Chimera is a real fun way to play. The name of the game is always using mutation points to buy mutations, and always picking the mutation that will give you an extra body part. The extra body parts will stack up a lot, plus it's a great way to learn the usefulness of mutations you never bothered getting. Chimera is how I learned photosynthetic skin and heightened hearing are actually quite good.

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    TofystedethTofystedeth Registered User regular
    Huh I haven't taken photosynthetic in a while. Not since I stopped caring about food in the early game. Is it just the buff? Or all the plant rep?

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    GundiGundi Serious Bismuth Registered User regular
    edited February 2021
    the quickness buff is... real nice. And it gives you cooking ingredients to give you the buff underground.
    CA7D54B8184F2A9BB167700845A65882B2662DEF
    Hell if I know furniture-sibling, hell if I know.

    Gundi on
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    TofystedethTofystedeth Registered User regular
    Have you used any of the companions you get from the patreon codes?

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    HobnailHobnail Registered User regular
    Something I've never seen instantly murdered me. Gyrohumor. rip in piss monstermash

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    Librarian's ghostLibrarian's ghost Librarian, Ghostbuster, and TimSpork Registered User regular
    Huh. This game looks interesting. Let's roll a random character.

    1st time: Huh a psychic warrior that can spit acid and is also a gunslinger with a sick revolver.

    Me: HELLO

    (Switch Friend Code) SW-4910-9735-6014(PSN) timspork (Steam) timspork (XBox) Timspork


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    GundiGundi Serious Bismuth Registered User regular
    Have you used any of the companions you get from the patreon codes?
    i'm not a patreon supporter I just bought it on steam like two-three weeks ago

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    GundiGundi Serious Bismuth Registered User regular
    edited February 2021
    Hobnail wrote: »
    Something I've never seen instantly murdered me. Gyrohumor. rip in piss monstermash
    Watch out for that elemental damage...

    ZAP, POW

    Gundi on
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    hatedinamericahatedinamerica Registered User regular
    Started playing this again on my laptop while I watch Netflix.

    First up: Photosynthetic Chimera Arconaut named Yamir. Gained the ability to phase and grew another right hand almost immediately. Also, a third leg has appeared. I put a shield on it.

    Just made my triumphant return from Red Rocks. Now it's time to get out there and die probably.

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    GundiGundi Serious Bismuth Registered User regular
    edited February 2021
    Playing as a Hindren Scout is pretty fun. Hindren are basically deer centaurs. They start with multiple legs at level 3, horns at level 3, heightened hearing at level 1, and thick fur, and start with good stats especially strength and agility.You can rename them before you switch to them too.

    I've been playing them as fast ranger with bows. My damage was terrible until I found a turbow though. Basically all bows are crap except for the turbow, which is potentially better than any not energy based firearm if you have high strength. I have not found a reliable way to get turbows though, you just have to get lucky.
    42BE730049A99B071D302F4DECB5F01C5548B78C
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    Horns are busted strong as a primary weapon so I'm not using them. I only leveled them up some to get the AV bonus.

    Oh and on an unrelated note, a very, very, very important tip that I've known about for awhile that any new player should know: If you find a tattoo gun and fill it with ink, you can tattoo yourself or a companion to change your/their sprite's primary and secondary color. You can also add a description for what the tattoo is. You may have to turn off the setting on the options that "changes sprite color based on level" to get it to show on all creatures. Unfortunately you can't tattoo robots, but maybe a spray can will be added at some point.

    Gundi on
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    TubeTube Registered User admin
    I took a look at the character creation and got freaked out.

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    GundiGundi Serious Bismuth Registered User regular
    just get quills tube

    and then boom it's you

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    TofystedethTofystedeth Registered User regular
    Gundi wrote: »
    Playing as a Hindren Scout is pretty fun. Hindren are basically deer centaurs. They start with multiple legs at level 3, horns at level 3, heightened hearing at level 1, and thick fur, and start with good stats especially strength and agility.You can rename them before you switch to them too.

    I've been playing them as fast ranger with bows. My damage was terrible until I found a turbow though. Basically all bows are crap except for the turbow, which is potentially better than any not energy based firearm if you have high strength. I have not found a reliable way to get turbows though, you just have to get lucky.
    42BE730049A99B071D302F4DECB5F01C5548B78C
    885BAD8A912E14B2EF57224D01E920F693826416
    1DCEB8CAFA19348568BA6E151705696AF855954E
    Horns are busted strong as a primary weapon so I'm not using them. I only leveled them up some to get the AV bonus.

    Oh and on an unrelated note, a very, very, very important tip that I've known about for awhile that any new player should know: If you find a tattoo gun and fill it with ink, you can tattoo yourself or a companion to change your/their sprite's primary and secondary color. You can also add a description for what the tattoo is. You may have to turn off the setting on the options that "changes sprite color based on level" to get it to show on all creatures. Unfortunately you can't tattoo robots, but maybe a spray can will be added at some point.

    I like my electrobow well enough, though I honestly barely use it, because running in and axing faces off has worked well enough in 99% of situations.

    I've also never really played a power based character. They just seem way more difficult and dependent on cooldowns compared to a melee build.

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    GundiGundi Serious Bismuth Registered User regular
    I wouldn't say an electrobow is really a bow, I also wouldn't call it very good. It just doesn't do enough damage, much like all the other bows besides the turbow. It is really accurate at least, and has the additional utility of being a light source.

    As for powers, i.e. active mental and pysical mutations, they are super strong but they do have a bit of learning curve. Though. the only power I've been regularly using in the above character is phasing. It's just useful if a stairway ends up being generated blocked, or letting me get to sealed off areas without having to bash down walls, or like exploring hills/mountains for hidden locations, or making it really easy to steal from villages.. Confusion and Precog were just mutations I picked because I didn't want to get physical mutations that granted me any more extra body parts. Both confusion and precognition are really strong, especially precognition, but I've been trying not to abuse them. (Seriously precognition is straight up probably the single strongest mutation in the game. It's absurd how many cheeky uses it has even just at level 1.)

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    hatedinamericahatedinamerica Registered User regular
    Last night I rolled a random character just absolutely chock full of psychic powers and it was really fun.

    -Fire starting
    -Some kind of huge aoe force-push thing
    -Confusion
    -And Disintegrate, which literally disintegrates everything around you

    I also lucked out and found a jeweled sword and masterwork pistol in the starting town. Also, some kind of animal skull made into a helmet, but something bonked me on the head and broke it pretty quick.

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    TofystedethTofystedeth Registered User regular
    Last night I rolled a random character just absolutely chock full of psychic powers and it was really fun.

    -Fire starting
    -Some kind of huge aoe force-push thing
    -Confusion
    -And Disintegrate, which literally disintegrates everything around you

    I also lucked out and found a jeweled sword and masterwork pistol in the starting town. Also, some kind of animal skull made into a helmet, but something bonked me on the head and broke it pretty quick.

    Cracked items actually heal from the cracked status after 1000 turns. I'm not sure if that was always the case, cause I feel like it used to be worse.

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    BahamutZEROBahamutZERO Registered User regular
    oh shit is this a new roguelike being sold as a commercial product, and people actually are playing it and talking about it? sign me up

    BahamutZERO.gif
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    GundiGundi Serious Bismuth Registered User regular
    Last night I rolled a random character just absolutely chock full of psychic powers and it was really fun.

    -Fire starting
    -Some kind of huge aoe force-push thing
    -Confusion
    -And Disintegrate, which literally disintegrates everything around you

    I also lucked out and found a jeweled sword and masterwork pistol in the starting town. Also, some kind of animal skull made into a helmet, but something bonked me on the head and broke it pretty quick.

    Cracked items actually heal from the cracked status after 1000 turns. I'm not sure if that was always the case, cause I feel like it used to be worse.
    The sturdy item medication actually prevents items from getting cracked in the first place. Doesn't stop them from being burned, or vaporized by lava, or acid. For that you need to lacquer the item.

    Yes lava proof lacquer just 29.99 if you call in the next five minutes!

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    HobnailHobnail Registered User regular
    I just cannot survive on this Ultra Monster build, chimera with tonic allergy and five ranks of unstable genome

    It hasnt worked yet but when it works it's gonna be fuckin nuts like laser beam Akira

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    HobnailHobnail Registered User regular
    edited February 2021
    Also I like to imagine all the named substances are totally not what we think, like there is wine and cider and lava and shit but all of those things get like exuded by weird fungus things that aint normal thats not how wine works

    Also again when this game is out I am totally getting some sort of save scumlord mod clearing out Joppa and getting the quests and etc. only to get instantly mobbed to death is fuckin stupid

    Hobnail on
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    BahamutZEROBahamutZERO Registered User regular
    So what's the benefit of multiple arms, small extra chances for extra swings?

    BahamutZERO.gif
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    HobnailHobnail Registered User regular
    If you have lots of arms you'll want to get dual wielding which gives you flurry which guarantees an attack with each equipped weapon which is obviously pretty nuts if you are some sort of awful monster with eight weapons

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    GundiGundi Serious Bismuth Registered User regular
    meet dog knight
    E959F8907A645C8059C6D87CABF521E82E4C1B98
    this is a stupid character concept I wanted to try out. A dog with Helping Hands to get robotic arms to use a sword and shield. Want to get heavy, heavy armor for a real knight feel. Regular level 1 feral dogs start out with terrible stats but I didn't want to like prowl through hills and mountains praying I'd fine some legendary dog so I used console commands to give myself 12 Eater's Nectar Injectors and 8 drops of nectars to boost my stats to be decent-ish (+1 to strength, +2 to agility, +2 toughness, -1 for INT, -3 to WILL, -2 to ego, so I think actually still slightly below average for what a mutant human would get.) and let me buy a couple mutations. (ended up rolling freezing ray, poison stinger, and triple jointed, so not bad on that front) I had previously searched a ton so I figured I'd just spawn the starting setup I wanted because finding helping hands and a legendary dog is just too random and time consuming for a silly concept I wanted to try. If you want to try a concept like this I suggest also cheating in some stat boosters or going through the trouble of finding a legendary animal. Regular animals do really have atrocious stats. (dogs start with eight hit points, eight.

    If I get a chance to name a sword I'm calling it Excalibone.

    Also some tips I learned recently that might be of a big help to ne[/s]w players trying to leave Joppa. Did you know that you can throw almost any item as a weapon? Yes, although most will only do 1d2 damage if they aren't meant to be a thrown weapon. Torches though are interesting. If you throw a torch it'll light upon being thrown, a thrown torch can light enemies on fire on contact, or catch enemies on fire once its on the ground. Also, most enemies will not willingly go over a tile that contains a lit torch, which can heat them up and set them on fire

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    GundiGundi Serious Bismuth Registered User regular
    edited February 2021
    So what's the benefit of multiple arms, small extra chances for extra swings?
    Well the multiple arms mutation gives that as its buff. Also having multiple limbs that can hold things means that you massively increase your damage potential by going down the dual wield tree which will pump up your chance to hit with your other arms up to 75%, and give you flurry.

    Just as big is it giving you extra glove slots and extra arm slots for artifacts and items. Armor and dodge value bonuses/maluses scale negatively based on how many limbs you have. So for example an arm bracer that gave you a flat +2 defense would give only one defense if equipped on a two arm character, but would only count for .5 defense on a four armed character. (You'd need two or four bracers respectively to get the full listed armor bonus.) But all other stat bonuses don't scale that way, they're just straight up additive. So say you have two armbands that or two gloves that give +1 strength... that bonus will be additive. Same applies for elemental resistance, it stacks.

    Plus there are gadgets you can wear on your arms like fans to push away toxic gas or scanners to give you detailed information on creatures/objects, and more arms slots mean you don't have to choose as much about what you want to use at any given time.

    More equipment slots are basically always better in any situation.

    Gundi on
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    ButlerButler 89 episodes or bust Registered User regular
    edited February 2021
    milski wrote: »
    So you have an arm on your face, three hands on your right arm, you have a tentacle eyeball, and you're quadrapedal?

    This has nothing to do with Qud but it gave me a sudden flashback to the old days of the Discworld MUD

    (Discworld meaning Discworld and MUD meaning "multi-user dungeon", a kind of early text-based MMO)

    One of the spells you could learn as a wizard in Discworld Mud gave you a semi-permanent extra arm. You couldn't control where it grew from on your body, but in terms of game mechanics it would function the same wherever it turned up, allowing you to carry and multitask a lot more.

    Sounds broken, right? Why wouldn't every wizard just immediately cast this on themselves and all their friends?

    Well, I did say "semi-permanent." See, the thing was, once you'd had this spell cast on you, it unlocked the ability for any enemy you fought to cut off your arm, provided they made a sufficiently strong attack with a cutting weapon. And this chance of limb loss also applied to your regular arms.

    Yeah.

    And sure, if things went poorly for you in that brawl at the Mended Drum, you could always cast the spell on yourself again (or have someone cast it for you if, for some reason, you were finding the somatic aspects of spell casting suddenly much more challenging) and get your complement of upper limbs back to a maximum of three. But odds are those replacement arms wouldn't be located anywhere near your shoulders.

    In which case, good luck finding a tailor who could stop laughing long enough to move the sleeves on your robe, or indeed add one to your hat.

    Butler on
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    Speed RacerSpeed Racer Scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratchRegistered User regular
    finally managed a half-decent run. still not amazing, but i cleared out a few quests and made it up to like level 9 or so, which is way more than i've pulled off til now

    force bubble + lase is a real good combo... until it isn't, i guess

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    GundiGundi Serious Bismuth Registered User regular
    Force bubble is always good.

    i am in my bubble, no touch

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    BahamutZEROBahamutZERO Registered User regular
    edited February 2021
    I have had little luck so far, someone posted some kind of ape god character in another thread and I wanted to be an ape god but so far my 4-armed strong furry regenerating idiots have not survived more than a couple levels.

    BahamutZERO on
    BahamutZERO.gif
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    GundiGundi Serious Bismuth Registered User regular
    edited February 2021
    oh know to be ape god you must for swap minds with a shapeshifter and then find the ape god and then shapeshift into the ape god.

    Also until you get to like level five almost any character is gonna be really squishy.

    edit: try buying a musket and some bullets, also if you start getting hurt, run, ruuuun

    Gundi on
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