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[Iduno]

GH2 could really use an easy starting area to build up skills. I tried the Hovel Manor in Theles Spire (my starting area), and got wrecked by a death rat and 4 other rats. My boomerang wasn't very helpful, but I only have 2 points in ranged attack at SF:0 level. 8 skills isn't much for 2 levels of combat, repair, and any ability to do non-combat stuff.

[Frumple]

I'm pretty sure there are some? Or rather most early stuff is fairly tame. Can't remember what the safer stuff is early on, tho'. Set areas (like the manor) are probably riskier than missions or whatev' in the very early game, but I don't quite recall if they have set spawns or not, so it might not make a difference. Knowing when to back off and/or run is important early on, especially vs. melee stuff.

[Iduno]

I plan to look for missions to build stats before I really get rolling on personal combat. I'll soon learn how stupid that is.

Also, I just rolled an interesting background "Your parents died when you were very young. You had a happy childhood."

Edit: Oh shit, you can also pick a terrible picture of a dog as your avatar.

Edit 2: Arrrg. I can't get going in this game (GH2), and each run seems less likely to succeed than the previous. At one point, I managed to get a stolen item back for someone and return it; since then I've been able to successfully buy gear all but ~3 times.

Someone who knows what they're doing make a "play with your buddies" of this.

[EuchreJack]

GH2 could really use an easy starting area to build up skills. I tried the Hovel Manor in Theles Spire (my starting area), and got wrecked by a death rat and 4 other rats. My boomerang wasn't very helpful, but I only have 2 points in ranged attack at SF:0 level. 8 skills isn't much for 2 levels of combat, repair, and any ability to do non-combat stuff.

Thebes and Cayley Rock too dangerous for you?

I'd say on GH2 you can just hump along with the plot a lot better than GH1.  If you need something, you'll probably get an option to seek it out at the end of each chapter.
Nothing like GH1 where you'd often get pitted against a Vadel with your crappy BuruBuru or whatever getting blown to bits on the first turn.  And the plot generally gave you nothing if you should happen to win.

Also, unlike GH1, you actually want Rep in GH2 because its the only way to unlock lancemate slots.

Does anyone know if the various mods for GH1 & 2 are still extant on the web? My modded GH1 is still safe & sound in my hard drive, but I seem to have lost my GH2 install at some point over the last few HDD failures and computer switches. I recall there being some rather significant GH2 mods on the GH forums back in the day, but those were invaded by bots and eventually nuked.

Could you specify what you're looking for? I've got a small stockpile of GH mod info stashed away.  The currently-available GH2 is a better version that the prior GH2 with the bugfixes, so I'd suggest using that for the main game, but it does lack the GH mecha mods.
...If memory serves, I think I might have only saved my own lousy mecha and gear.  I think the far better mecha of other players isn't part of what I have saved, but I won't know until I get a chance to look at it later.  Still, GH isn't that hard to mod, maybe you can recreate what you remember!

[Iduno]

GH2 could really use an easy starting area to build up skills. I tried the Hovel Manor in Theles Spire (my starting area), and got wrecked by a death rat and 4 other rats. My boomerang wasn't very helpful, but I only have 2 points in ranged attack at SF:0 level. 8 skills isn't much for 2 levels of combat, repair, and any ability to do non-combat stuff.

Thebes and Cayley Rock too dangerous for you?

I'd say on GH2 you can just hump along with the plot a lot better than GH1.  If you need something, you'll probably get an option to seek it out at the end of each chapter.
Nothing like GH1 where you'd often get pitted against a Vadel with your crappy BuruBuru or whatever getting blown to bits on the first turn.  And the plot generally gave you nothing if you should happen to win.

I don't know, I haven't made it to either of those. I quit with Theles Spire, because the rats were too hard to fight. The only time I've ever won a fight in this game is when I got lucky and found a combat shotgun to start with. Otherwise I'm trading 0-2 damage hits with a 15-damage gun (and whatever they have) until they crit me for 50 damage and I die, which cripples me and makes me even less capable at combat. This last run I couldn't find any mech-based missions, so I couldn't die in a mech fight instead of a gunfight.

[gimlet]

I remember it taking a while to get used to the movement/combat system.  For ranged combat, whenever possible set yourself up to be able to walk backwards while firing, that made a world of difference.  (Dash/minus key to move in reverse).   And I always wore a shield, usually one of the smaller/lighter ones because of the dang weight limits.   I don't remember if it needed a skill for full effectiveness - for mechs maybe mech fighting?   And close combat for personal?  The big advantage was the chance to block one or more incoming attacks, made a huge difference.    I remember starting out as "naked boomerang boy" (combat xp gained is reduced by the cost of your gear, so to max that out I'd go as cheap as possible, scouring the stores for the cheapest viable armor and weapons for each step up.   Without huge initial spending on personal combat skills it was possible to outmaneuver low level stuff like rats, even coming from different directions.   

For mech combat, make sure to keep moving!   The penalty for them to hit greatly outweighs the penalty to your attacks.   I used to know the ins and outs of the MV/TR modifiers,  early on when your skill is low those make a HUGE difference.   In gh1 it was possible to really cheese it, and load up on engines to give yourself ludicrous speed (and corresponding defensive bonuses).

Damn, it's making me want to fire it up again.  Oh, if you're doing it ascii, definitely adjust the rows/columns to give yourself a bigger view, made a huge improvement in navigation and situational awareness.

[Iduno]

For ranged combat, whenever possible set yourself up to be able to walk backwards while firing, that made a world of difference.  (Dash/minus key to move in reverse).

Yeah, that was a slight issue on 2 occasions, I think.

Damn, it's making me want to fire it up again.

Yeah, despite my near-constant frustration and failure, I'm glad I started it again.

[EuchreJack]

Yeah, GH2 file seems to be the basic one.

This GH1 file however has a couple of modded mechas

My advice would be to put the Design file from above and overwrite the Design file in your current GH1 file, not overwriting anything.

[Iduno]

Was the original Gearhead always called Arena?

[E. Albright]

Wasn't Arena the standalone separate, well, arena program that was just combat w/o anything else?

[EuchreJack]

Wasn't Arena the standalone separate, well, arena program that was just combat w/o anything else?

I think, for GH1, it ebbed and flowed, but for the most part GH1's base game was called GH Arena in the executable.  It was GH2 that had separate normal game and Arena mode.

[Cathar]

GH2 had an arena mode, which was basically what you played after you completed the RPG mode. In arena mode, you run a mercenary company, have to hire pilot, buy mechas and complete tactical missions which are a step more technical above the RPG's. But you can recruit your RPG pilots, and that is absolutely great.

[Dostoevsky]

Thanks for sharing, EuchreJack.

Got ahold of my aforementioned drive (quite earlier than expected) and there is indeed my old GH2 install on it. Happy to upload it somewhere if folks are interested.

At a glance, about 40 new designs (and if I recall some additional variants in the existing design files), plus additional other items. I see 3 additional item design files in there: _CRU, which looks like a bunch of SF0 equipmen; _Mayka, which is a collection of DIY mech-kits; and _Personal, which is Frumple's Nascent AI Core item (very handy).

If I'm remembering right I also made use of a stock of GH mech sprite images that was floating about at the time and did some fiddling with sprite references in the design files to make use of them, so may change things a bit there. It's quite possible I did some other light tinkering as well - I vaguely recall possibly making a few items or mech variants.

[EuchreJack]

Thanks for sharing, EuchreJack.

Got ahold of my aforementioned drive (quite earlier than expected) and there is indeed my old GH2 install on it. Happy to upload it somewhere if folks are interested.

At a glance, about 40 new designs (and if I recall some additional variants in the existing design files), plus additional other items. I see 3 additional item design files in there: _CRU, which looks like a bunch of SF0 equipmen; _Mayka, which is a collection of DIY mech-kits; and _Personal, which is Frumple's Nascent AI Core item (very handy).

If I'm remembering right I also made use of a stock of GH mech sprite images that was floating about at the time and did some fiddling with sprite references in the design files to make use of them, so may change things a bit there. It's quite possible I did some other light tinkering as well - I vaguely recall possibly making a few items or mech variants.

Please do!  I remember your custom GH2 designs, they were awesome!

I've been inspired to create a new design!  The Ariel is a light mining pod that can be upgraded into a true mecha with whatever limbs you salvage during your journeys.  I had created a large torso pod, but it was kinda out of place with the smaller limbs that were typical salvage.
For those who are thinking of the Dora, this mecha is a larger torso with more armor and better thrusters.  Ideally, the player will have bought or salvaged a decent sensor, but it comes with a Sensor 1 just in case.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Code: [Select]

Battroid 4
Name <Ariel>
SDL_Sprite <>
SDL_Portrait <>
Desig <ARL-4>
desc <A light mining pod, not for atmospheric or interior use. Upgradable>
TYPE <SPACE>
Legality -15
ROLE_MAQUI <GENERAL:TROOPER  ASSAULT:TROOPER  DEFENSE:TROOPER>
ROLE_FCOMS <GENERAL:TROOPER  ASSAULT:TROOPER  DEFENSE:TROOPER>
ROLE_PRIVA <GENERAL:TROOPER  ASSAULT:TROOPER  DEFENSE:TROOPER>
ROLE_RISHI <GENERAL:TROOPER  ASSAULT:TROOPER  DEFENSE:TROOPER>
ROLE_BOHEM <GENERAL:TROOPER  ASSAULT:TROOPER  DEFENSE:TROOPER>

sub
Torso
Armor 4
mass 1
sub
CPit
Sensor 1
SpaceFlight 4

Mount
name <Mount>
inv
MLauncher 1
sub
STC LR-1
magazine 10
end
end
end
end

To install, create a new text document in your Design folder, name it Ariel, open it, then copy in the above.  If anyone wants it in a zip, let me know!

[Frumple]

Nascent AI Core item (very handy).

Y'know, I remember making that, but I completely forget what it does. I'm guessing a high tier computer for making sentient robot allies, but... don't remember, ha.