Hey all, Those of you who know me are likely well aware that I like a challenge and regularly make things harder on myself. However, I was quite surprised by my most recent vanilla (I usually play Reforged Eden) game start. Other than enabling Mass and Volume, I changed nothing for a totally default game on a temperate starting planet. Things started off normally enough, dashing around collecting stuff. However, within a few minutes of starting, and still being near the crash site area, I was attacked by some sort of rapid-fire laser Drone. I had no weapons - I was literally minutes into starting - so had to hide out under water for it to leave. Luckily I was close to a lake, else I'd have been in trouble. I do a bit more exploring and decide to start a Base, really basic, not even enclosed, more of a Base camp than a Base at this point. I'd gotten the basic structure built, basically a box, not sealed, and had a Fridge and small Constructor placed with two storage boxes, some Solar on the roof and a Generator and Fuel Tank for backup when the first attack wave came in. This initial attack was tough - I loved it - but it did surprise me. Only small Drones, but two had rockets and started bombarding my base from quite a distance and the third was a Minigun Drone, arguably more of a direct threat to me. Luckily I had an Assault Rifle and 150 rounds - all I could make - so I was up for a fight. Using my Base for cover I was taking pot shots at the closer drones - they'd come within 50 metres or so at this point - but they ripped open a wall to my base (Concrete blocks) and took out the Constructor and Fridge. They steadily demolished more of my base, limiting my cover, so I chose to try to lead them away. The Minigun Drone followed me - not ideal - but the two Rocket Drones kept pounding my base, the Core was exposed, so I assumed I'd lose it. Out of range of the Rocket Drones - they were distracted by my base still - I engaged the Minigun Drone. Suddenly I'm being hit from behind - that laser Drone was back, though it might be a different one. I turned to shoot the laser drone - VERY soft and squishy luckily - and take it down quickly, before returning to the Minigun Drone, which was much more resistant. As I'm still engaging the Minigun Drone, the two Rocket Drones head over. Did I mention this took place at night and I didn't have the suit light of course... Here begins the extended dodge, jump, shoot dance - and here's me without a suit yet - against all three Drones. I take out the Minigun Drone first, which takes the pressure off, but I still have to be mindful of the rocket spam. Finally, all Drones are defeated and I return to my base... with like 12 rounds left. Thankfully, the Core is still intact, along with the Generator, Fuel Tank, Solar Capacitor and Storage. All the Solar Panels are toast though. I set about rebuilding using a deployed Portable Constructor. After rebuilding, I'm out not too far from the base where there are a load of those Leafcutter insects - there weren't any before. These guys are instantly hostile - I did nothing to trigger them, I wasn't picking stuff - and rush me. I have a Shotgun now, but retreat to my base for cover. Taking cover in my base I'm opening the door and taking shots at them as they gather in front. No sooner does the door open than they all rush me, I get off a few shots before I die. To a bloody leafcutter insect. The shame lol. I respawn near my base and it looks like my last shot killed the insect that killed me, or it fled. So, I recover my backpack in peace. It's now open season on any and all Leafcutter Insects now though, whereas I'd usually leave them alone. So, that's the first hour or so of a fresh vanilla start, very different to how it used to be. Aggressive roaming Drones, early and very aggressive first base attack, even the previously passive Leafcutter insects were out to get me. It caught me off guard a little, but it was pretty fun. I was most impressed by how far those Leafcutter Insects followed me back to my base, and how fast they are now. I have played a little over the past couple of months, but I've generally been dipping into my older Reforged Eden save, where I have a large CV and various other assets, a moderately advanced game. So, I'd not noticed things being harder. Starting afresh though was very interesting, and I was only on default (Medium) difficulty levels. I will say that normally my early-game would be a bit more nomadic, with me building a basic HV first, roaming around and gathering more resources prior to building a base. I just fancied doing things a little differently this time. That said, even with more resources, I expect I'd have struggled to get defences up before that first attack arrived. I now have one active Minigun Turret and that, along with my trusty AR, managed to kill the next wave. It was a Dropship and it did manage to deploy troops prior to its destruction and I killed them too. Unlike those Leafcutter insects and Drones, the Troops seemed somewhat unresponsive and didn't rush my base the moment they were deployed like I've seen in the past. So that at least was a little easier. Anyway, just thought I'd share my experience. Interested to hear how others are finding their recent fresh game starts in vanilla.
Sounds harder than my new start lol I took about an 8 or 9 month break to play other games for awhile, so not sure how much has really changed. My start was pretty normal, make a cheap flyer on day one that can later be used as a disposable craft if I need to go after my back pack, then make a 5k HV that has a constructor, some storage, and a landing pad on the back for the cheap flyer. After that I gathered resources for my first base. That may have made my start easier, as the base (even though relatively cheap) has 4 cannon turrets, 4 mini gun turrets, and 8 sentry guns. So other than doing a bit of repair to the concrete blocks after the drone attacks I was pretty safe. I didn't have any rogue drones come after me on starting (although, yours is the second or third time I've read about this). The only drones I ran into on the starter planet were a few here and there over some resources, and a bunch in Zirax territory. I did notice the insects are much more hostile now though. In the past you used to have to come within a certain distance to them before they would attack. Now as soon as the see me, they charge. It seemed it was more of an aggressive warning stance though. They would charge up to within a few meters and stop. Unfortunately for them, I needed meat and XP, and had a shot gun. So not sure if it was a warning or they were going to attack, as I blasted them in their ugly little mouths. After the base, I built tons of handheld weapons to sell off to the traders so I could make a T3 HV to salvage bases, and a T3 SV that shreds non shielded base turrets so I can go in later with the HV. Felt like kind of a cheap way to progress on the starter planet, but with the changes, the starter planet is just so boring I want to get off of it as soon as possible. I get that they nerfed the starter planets so you couldn't just build an OP CV a game week into the game, but now it feels barren. The only thing to really do there now is to destroy the drone base and mine. There are a few scattered POIs around, but not enough to make me want to stay on the planet any longer than needed. Out of curiosity, have you made it to the moon yet? I used to love when I got a HV to the moon. Tons of open space with no real obstacles for a HV. This moon though ..... has one shielded drone base and nothing else other than some resources and a few crashed ships. Just wondering if I got a boring moon out of RNG or if that is the norm now.
Yeah, those Alien Insect/Leaf Cutters have changed, when I started (not long ago) they were inquisitive and little things at worst a minor annoyance that might just have a nip at you to see if you were food, and would scatter if you retaliated... fun but fair!, now though they are fast, agile , relentless and stun you for a brief period... added to the fact they they don't like sharing the planet with you makes them dangerous. When you're being 'drone' attacked the Leafcutters are possibly at their worst... so now when they're in may area I'm out with the shotgun and have no remorse.
It's funny, it used to be a case of being on the look out for Raptors or Spiders during the early game stages, but those particular critters seem to only be a secondary threat vs. Leafcutters now... If my suit (and undersuit) were green I'd perhaps understand them mistaking me for a walking plant lol.
Like others I've seen the initial drone strike to be much more serious (four drones, mix of minigun and rocket and they seemed to show up earlier) and as above noted the Leafcutters are back to being the kind of scary they were in the early 9.n game. One thing I hadn't noticed but recently did is that at some point collision damage to an SV and the BA it runs into came back- I'd wondered why my windshield kept getting dinged and realized it was from a poor landing in a "first base in a resource pit dugout" that I'd made to deal with the early drone strikes. All that feels more real as far as a survival game goes so no complaints- the Leafcutters just realized the aholes in spacesuits were a threat and they made the "we are many and they are few" thing leap.
Hey Scoob! I, too, have been away for a while and was surprised by the changes. I started on a Desert planet, but went for a different route. My start was hard. Kept getting dogged by Drones while running around at night in the very early game, which is harder on a Desert planet due to resources ... That was a bit of a shock. And those Leafcutters. Good night, they're more of a threat than the Spiders (which I saw VERY few of and only in the usual POI's like Elder's Tomb). Those little green b@stards are vicious. Not a problem killing, but if you're being Drone chased in open country ... I usually gather what I need to recover the starter HV and go hunting for the Heidelberg. Have to say, the Robinson Protocol is pretty easy to nerf if you don't slavishly follow it. I found and fixed the HV before it said to and the storyline totally borked out. Kept telling me to "Take a Seat" to finish the HV claiming sequence no matter HOW many times I told it to finish manually. I'm currently up to going to the Snow planet and every time I finish a storyline step the HV sequence rear's it's ugly head again! If I get to the next step the story continues, but I have to ignore, then kill, the HV sequence before it continues. PITA. Haven't done a bug report because I'm SURE they've heard this already repeatedly. Guess I should check. Storyline issues with Reforged made me rage quit a few months back. This storyline problem is annoying but I can live with it. Reforged's storyline got messed up at one point and they have no manual complete for it. Told me to "go to another starter and finish it". Yeah. Not even an SV at that point so how the H@LL do you do that? They ADAMANTLY REFUSE to even consider adding manual task finish. "Well it lets people cheat!" Ahhh your point? It ALSO lets people fix when the story glitches (and we all know it does). And frankly, if someone wants to use it to cheat in a Solo play (I don't) they're cheating themselves, besides how YOU play is how you play or what's the point of the game? Sad. I was enjoying Reforged but they've repeatedly stated that "It's our scenario, if you don't like it move along" to people requesting changes. My Wife, who doesn't even PLAY, got really angry at their "totally arrogant attitude" and "why are they so RUDE to people" (her words) when I read some posts to her. Scr@w 'em. Totally lost my respect for both of them. Sad, since they have done so much for the game. I still respect that, but if they want to take their marbles and go home whenever someone criticizes or asks for changes, well fine. Scoob, my Friend, I apologize for hijacking your thread and venting, but I know how passionate you {AHEM} can be, so I figured you, if anyone, would get my 'Rage against the Machine'. It stopped me from playing for months, and with 2300 hours in it you know I love the World of Empyrion. Anyways - back to the Snow planet I go. I wonder what I'll find there ... Cheers mi Amigo! Watch out for those Leafcutters, they're deadly in packs. Hope this finds you well.
