Skeleton Exploring

[Rambler]

Started a new game with a skeleton as the main character, showed up in the southern waystation. Instead of mining for ore or waiting for bandits to run into the guards, which are fairly slow ways to start, the skeleton bought a backpack and immediately went exploring in Shun. There's unguarded treasure there but a new human character would get eaten by spiders on the way back, which actually happened to the second recruit that joined up. The skeleton got knocked out by packs of spiders several times while carrying loot back but kept going anyway, skeletons don't bleed, don't need a bed to heal, and can go underwater. Did bring a repair kit after the first trip, though. The skeleton did get captured by slavers after one spider attack, but then the spiders ate the slavers so the skeleton was able to play dead and escape.

[swillo]

Yeah in have a exclusively Skeleton game. The main goal that the beginning was to have enough repair kits. Those things are expensive. But the durability of the skels is great. They keep getting up just like the energizer bunny. Now they have a base were they can create repair kits so it's not quite so expensive. Another fun twist to how you can Play Kenshi.

[Rambler]

I haven't tried all skeletons yet, would be an interesting challenge. It seems like skeletons show up in the swamp bars sometimes, so maybe camping out in Shark would be a good way to fill out a team. Being difficult to kill would also be useful with a base in Shark because of all the fights there.

With this run I am getting lots of hivers since I was recruiting from the United Cities bars. The hivers are much less durable, but at least they can swim fast. Built an island base in the Southern Wetlands, so the rapid swimming is very useful. Seems like the skeleton can move underwater as quickly as the hivers can swim, I was seeing speeds of 6 mph and the skeleton's swimming wasn't maxed out. Using the skeleton to run into the swamp towns to pick up building supplies, since the base has no iron and the hivers might not make it back. Swamp ninjas already attacked the base once and easily beat up the hivers but it doesn't seem like swamp raptors are nearby. Also, with the turtles and multiple riceweed farms, this base has way more food than my bases in other runs. Another nice thing about a skeleton start is that you don't have to worry about food until you start recruiting.

[swillo]

Yeah the Skele only game there is no food needed. I just grow some hemp to make fabric and produce fuel for the generators. I haven't even researched medical kits, or other food options. So my base is in an area with copper and iron but little fertility. It is hard starting out though cause you can't go anywhere near the HN. I still think that Gutters and fogmen should not be able to eat a skele though.

[Roccandil]

I've never seen gutters or fogmen try to eat a skeleton. Is that a new thing?

[Rambler]

The spiders didn't try to eat the skeleton so it seems surprising that gutters could eat one. Cannibals can tie up prisoners and chop them up, and fogmen might be able to do that.

Also noticed that the rain in the burning forest actually burns units now. Appeared to be blunt damage, wasn't causing red injuries. Could be a good location for a skeleton base if the acid rain damages raiders. When the northeast opens up, the toxic area where the skeletons live might be even better. Seems like environmental effects could be very effective against swarms of weak enemies like cannibals.

[swillo]

Actually it was an old thing. I don't know if it has been changed, Gutters don't last long against my Skele squad now. But I did have a fogman try and runaway with a one of them recently. Maybe he just wanted a cave decoration.

The acid rain is cool. It's easily avoided with the right head gear and coat. But like dust storms it makes you want to carry a change of clothes. I love that about the game.

[Rambler]

The 0.96.16 changelog is interesting. Apparently spiders drain the fluids out of bodies now and corpses of units killed by spiders will look different. That could make it possible for spiders and gutters to have different feeding behavior. I have noticed that spiders drain the hunger stat instead of eating individual body parts when a squad member is knocked out, so there's less time to rescue the squad member before they get eaten. In the past, gutters were eating individual body parts apparently at random.

[swillo]

Gutters start with your limbs. Generally legs then arms. You won't die till they get to the squishy bits in the middle. but if you were badly damaged when you went down they can finish those off quickly. especially since several might feed on you at once.

Spiders drain hunger, which can be slower if you were full when you went down, or if you have food on you. And they only feed one per person. Both are awesome effects, and I have been known to carry beat up enemies and drop them as bait when I need an escape route.