RFS-81 - Page 2

SpitBall · 04-04-2005, 10:54 AM

Been hanging out with the android for the last few days - RFS-81 is a great addition to the party. I've given up on most of the other NPCs - either they are getting hacked up by the monsters, or they just stand there doing nothing effectively. Only other one I bother with any more is Vi - and only because she seems so intimately involved in the story line. I'd heard such positive comments on this and other boards about Madras - but he is a waste of space in combat. Urq was OK, but now his spells are too wimpy. Saxx was like excess baggage - rarely got hit ( amazing, as he had such minimal armor, mostly what he could find rooting through our bag) and didn't do much with his instruments. Myles, what can I say? He ended up dead - but, I was finished with his little quests, anyway.

So far - the android wins in the NPC lottery! One benefit - you don't have to keep, or find new armor when you pick him up, he's perfectly happy going into battle stark naked. But....is an android ever really naked?

Who is your favorite NPC?

DinkumThinkum · 04-04-2005, 10:29 PM

Once an RPC joins the party, how well or poorly they perform depends on the exact same things as for the characters you create: level, attributes, skills, equipment, etc.

If you add an RPC to your party who's a lot lower in level than the other characters, they'll probably always be weaker than the rest of the party. But other than that, any RPC should be useful if you give them decent equipment and keep them around long enough to build up the skills and attributes that are important to you.

Keep an RPC in your party and treat them like the other characters, and they'll do fine. Swap them in and out and don't bother to develop them or give them good equipment, and they won't have a chance to amount to much.

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My personal favorites were RFS-81 and Vi, both of whom went to the end of the game with my party.

Vi was a little lower level than the rest of my characters when I added her, but once I got her some good armor, weapons, and spells, and built up her skills, she carried her share of the load just fine as both a fighter and a spell caster.

I had Myles in the party for a while, but I didn't need his thief skills. He was useful as a pure fighter, but his comments got on my nerves after a while.

Once he left and I added RFS-81, I was happy he was gone.

SpitBall · 04-05-2005, 09:20 AM

I understand about developing the NPCs. But some - like RFS-81 - are already quite powerful by the time a party runs into them. (and he was BROKEN when we first picked him up!). Saxx hung out with us for a couple of levels, so developed a bit - but my bard was more powerful. Maybe the issue is timing to some extent - NPCs that are far below the experience of the party are not that useful, unless they have some particular skill.

One of the main annoyances is that they don't take their armor and other equipment with them when they leave. Seems that they should take, at least, what they showed up with, if not accept any improvements that you might let them keep. For a time, I was switching NPCs quite often - just to get a sense for how each class and race worked - and having to lug around all their particular armors and weapons was a nightmare!

In the end, I focus on the same two that you, Dinkum, have settled upon - Vi and RFS-81.

LewyRay · 04-05-2005, 10:49 AM

I acually stuck with Saxx and Madras for awhile.

Saxx was useful for the fact that there are enough instruments around for two bards. At the start of each combat, my bard would play the rousing drums and Saxx would play Angel's tounge. Haste and Bless cast at high level while my Bishop can whip out some nasty offensive spell, Element Shield, or Soul Shield.

Madras took a little while, but once he got to the mid-teens in level he was a very useful party member. An advance Omnigun is something to behold...especially in the hands of a gagateer with Eagle Eye and loaded with high-power Ammo. By the time Madras was around level twenty he could dish out 150+ worth of damage/rd at range (Using Hunter Bolts), in addition to all sorts of nasty conditions. That's not to mention all the cool gadgets (Port-a-Potty and whatever the heal-all gadget was being his favorites).

Alas, there were just too many placed they didn't want to go, so I cut them loose.

SpitBall · 04-05-2005, 11:52 AM

Yeah, I had hopes for Madras, but he didn't want to go where I needed to go - Bayjin, so I couldn't get him many levels. I never played a Gageteer character, so I was interested to see how one worked out. By the time I picked him up, I had already sold off all the gadgets, so he had nothing to work with, anyway. Tried to make a double-shot crossbow, but no luck. Might pick him up for the SouthEast Wilderness adventure....but I hate to give up RFS-81. Guess next time I'll try a smaller party, so that I can test out more NPCs!!

LewyRay · 04-05-2005, 12:51 PM

Did he not have the engineering skill for the double-shot crossbow?? My Bard is still using the tripleshot crossbow....yikes that is one nasty weapon. She gets off 4-5 shots twice/round. Great at picking off those annoying enemies that run away.

SpitBall · 04-05-2005, 01:56 PM

You know, LewyRay, that's a good question about Madras' skills. I'll bet I was trying to fuse two heavy cross-bows...and it may require light. I can't wait to put one of those bad boys in the hands of my Samurai. Now, who sells those light cross-bows....

Another NPC that impressed me was Pvt. Sparkle (except for that silly little voice). She hung out with us for quite a while and was developing nicely - wish she could "borrow" Madras' Onmigun. I'd probably take her over Vi, but Vi seems much more central to the story, so I like to keep her close at hand.

LewyRay · 04-05-2005, 02:10 PM

Yes - you need to use light crossbows. I believe Madras has enough skill to build the double-shot crossbow right away.

I think I purchased one light crossbow from Croc and found the other two in chests or as drops.

Krull · 04-05-2005, 06:32 PM

Anna and Sgt Kunar sometimes sells light crossbows if you don't mind reloading after camping the usual 3 times and they haven't got one.

As for RFS, I had an all magic party (specialist casters and Bishops) and recruited RFS when I went to the Mine Tunnels. The plan was to play this party with no RPCs as much as possible but to leave RFS in the Trang Teleporter Room in case I did need him.

Snag is, he was so damn useful I've had to keep him in the party as my designated melee person.

Apart from Vi, I sometimes use Madras to create doubleshot crossbows. I would use him for the tripleshot ones but it takes ages getting his Engineering skil up to 75 from the 35 in skill he starts with.

SpitBall · 04-06-2005, 09:42 AM

Yes, Krull, you point out another "benefit" of RFS81 - he stays where you leave him.

04-04-2005, 10:29 PM	#12
DinkumThinkum Dungeon Master Join Date: March 30, 2005 Location: Luna Penal Colony Age: 78 Posts: 78	Once an RPC joins the party, how well or poorly they perform depends on the exact same things as for the characters you create: level, attributes, skills, equipment, etc. If you add an RPC to your party who's a lot lower in level than the other characters, they'll probably always be weaker than the rest of the party. But other than that, any RPC should be useful if you give them decent equipment and keep them around long enough to build up the skills and attributes that are important to you. Keep an RPC in your party and treat them like the other characters, and they'll do fine. Swap them in and out and don't bother to develop them or give them good equipment, and they won't have a chance to amount to much. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- My personal favorites were RFS-81 and Vi, both of whom went to the end of the game with my party. Vi was a little lower level than the rest of my characters when I added her, but once I got her some good armor, weapons, and spells, and built up her skills, she carried her share of the load just fine as both a fighter and a spell caster. I had Myles in the party for a while, but I didn't need his thief skills. He was useful as a pure fighter, but his comments got on my nerves after a while. Once he left and I added RFS-81, I was happy he was gone. __________________ Morrowind modder resources:<br /><br />PotionSaver script for Companions and other NPCs<br /><br />Teleport disable/trap and banishment scripts<br /><br />Morrowind mod:<br /><br />Unarmored Corrector V01 (for players)<br /><br />All on [url]\"http://lovkullen.net/Emma/Resources.html\" target=\"_blank\">Emma\'s web site</a>.

04-04-2005, 10:54 AM	#11
SpitBall The Magister Join Date: March 17, 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 110	Been hanging out with the android for the last few days - RFS-81 is a great addition to the party. I've given up on most of the other NPCs - either they are getting hacked up by the monsters, or they just stand there doing nothing effectively. Only other one I bother with any more is Vi - and only because she seems so intimately involved in the story line. I'd heard such positive comments on this and other boards about Madras - but he is a waste of space in combat. Urq was OK, but now his spells are too wimpy. Saxx was like excess baggage - rarely got hit ( amazing, as he had such minimal armor, mostly what he could find rooting through our bag) and didn't do much with his instruments. Myles, what can I say? He ended up dead - but, I was finished with his little quests, anyway. So far - the android wins in the NPC lottery! One benefit - you don't have to keep, or find new armor when you pick him up, he's perfectly happy going into battle stark naked. But....is an android ever really naked? Who is your favorite NPC?

04-05-2005, 09:20 AM	#13
SpitBall The Magister Join Date: March 17, 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 110	I understand about developing the NPCs. But some - like RFS-81 - are already quite powerful by the time a party runs into them. (and he was BROKEN when we first picked him up!). Saxx hung out with us for a couple of levels, so developed a bit - but my bard was more powerful. Maybe the issue is timing to some extent - NPCs that are far below the experience of the party are not that useful, unless they have some particular skill. One of the main annoyances is that they don't take their armor and other equipment with them when they leave. Seems that they should take, at least, what they showed up with, if not accept any improvements that you might let them keep. For a time, I was switching NPCs quite often - just to get a sense for how each class and race worked - and having to lug around all their particular armors and weapons was a nightmare! In the end, I focus on the same two that you, Dinkum, have settled upon - Vi and RFS-81.

04-05-2005, 10:49 AM	#14
LewyRay Elite Waterdeep Guard Join Date: January 12, 2005 Location: Minnesota Age: 57 Posts: 33	I acually stuck with Saxx and Madras for awhile. Saxx was useful for the fact that there are enough instruments around for two bards. At the start of each combat, my bard would play the rousing drums and Saxx would play Angel's tounge. Haste and Bless cast at high level while my Bishop can whip out some nasty offensive spell, Element Shield, or Soul Shield. Madras took a little while, but once he got to the mid-teens in level he was a very useful party member. An advance Omnigun is something to behold...especially in the hands of a gagateer with Eagle Eye and loaded with high-power Ammo. By the time Madras was around level twenty he could dish out 150+ worth of damage/rd at range (Using Hunter Bolts), in addition to all sorts of nasty conditions. That's not to mention all the cool gadgets (Port-a-Potty and whatever the heal-all gadget was being his favorites). Alas, there were just too many placed they didn't want to go, so I cut them loose.

04-05-2005, 11:52 AM	#15
SpitBall The Magister Join Date: March 17, 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 110	Yeah, I had hopes for Madras, but he didn't want to go where I needed to go - Bayjin, so I couldn't get him many levels. I never played a Gageteer character, so I was interested to see how one worked out. By the time I picked him up, I had already sold off all the gadgets, so he had nothing to work with, anyway. Tried to make a double-shot crossbow, but no luck. Might pick him up for the SouthEast Wilderness adventure....but I hate to give up RFS-81. Guess next time I'll try a smaller party, so that I can test out more NPCs!!

04-05-2005, 12:51 PM	#16
LewyRay Elite Waterdeep Guard Join Date: January 12, 2005 Location: Minnesota Age: 57 Posts: 33	Did he not have the engineering skill for the double-shot crossbow?? My Bard is still using the tripleshot crossbow....yikes that is one nasty weapon. She gets off 4-5 shots twice/round. Great at picking off those annoying enemies that run away.

04-05-2005, 01:56 PM	#17
SpitBall The Magister Join Date: March 17, 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 110	You know, LewyRay, that's a good question about Madras' skills. I'll bet I was trying to fuse two heavy cross-bows...and it may require light. I can't wait to put one of those bad boys in the hands of my Samurai. Now, who sells those light cross-bows.... Another NPC that impressed me was Pvt. Sparkle (except for that silly little voice). She hung out with us for quite a while and was developing nicely - wish she could "borrow" Madras' Onmigun. I'd probably take her over Vi, but Vi seems much more central to the story, so I like to keep her close at hand.

04-05-2005, 02:10 PM	#18
LewyRay Elite Waterdeep Guard Join Date: January 12, 2005 Location: Minnesota Age: 57 Posts: 33	Yes - you need to use light crossbows. I believe Madras has enough skill to build the double-shot crossbow right away. I think I purchased one light crossbow from Croc and found the other two in chests or as drops.

04-05-2005, 06:32 PM	#19
Krull Zhentarim Guard Join Date: January 22, 2002 Location: Sheffield, UK Age: 75 Posts: 322	Anna and Sgt Kunar sometimes sells light crossbows if you don't mind reloading after camping the usual 3 times and they haven't got one. As for RFS, I had an all magic party (specialist casters and Bishops) and recruited RFS when I went to the Mine Tunnels. The plan was to play this party with no RPCs as much as possible but to leave RFS in the Trang Teleporter Room in case I did need him. Snag is, he was so damn useful I've had to keep him in the party as my designated melee person. Apart from Vi, I sometimes use Madras to create doubleshot crossbows. I would use him for the tripleshot ones but it takes ages getting his Engineering skil up to 75 from the 35 in skill he starts with.

04-06-2005, 09:42 AM	#20
SpitBall The Magister Join Date: March 17, 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 110	Yes, Krull, you point out another "benefit" of RFS81 - he stays where you leave him.

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