Junior Adventurer's Guild - March: ATOM RPG

[Oyster Sauce]

Do I need to post screenshots of the main storyline completed here to obtain the ATOM RPG Badge? If so, I have to find my past screenshots or sth; completed this RPG in the past. Also, if I want to post screenshots in HQ, do I need to upload them to Imgur first?

Yeah, just post a screenshot. I don't care where it's uploaded.

[lucky-SVLLa]

edit

[lucky-SVLLa]

Do I need to post screenshots of the main storyline completed here to obtain the ATOM RPG Badge? If so, I have to find my past screenshots or sth; completed this RPG in the past. Also, if I want to post screenshots in HQ, do I need to upload them to Imgur first?

Yeah, just post a screenshot. I don't care where it's uploaded.

[J1M]

Was enjoying this until you find the mushroom medallion. At that point it felt both unfocused and at the same time railroaded. Until that point the breadcrumbs worked, but I was very confused about why I had to go so deep into the cult instead of contacting ATOM for new orders. I liked the idea of working toward being the hero of the small town better.

It was at this point that only being able to ask everyone the same 4 questions became high friction. I had an item I wanted to ask everyone about, especially my friend at the library, but the only real indication of what direction the game was headed was what got added to the quest log. The combat was awful. Not sure why it had guns given the range they put on these things. Balancing the different health bars (hit points, hunger, toxins, radiation) was interesting. Economy was fine until I got to the big town and the shops had less cash than random waste walkers and prices so high that it was almost impossible to buy anything.

PS: Does this game have a katana in it? I thought I saw one in the store, but when I went back to buy it the inventory had cycled. Online wiki suggests it doesn't exist so maybe I saw a sabre instead...



@Oyster Sauce badge please.

[rusty_shackleford]

Was enjoying this until you find the mushroom medallion. At that point it felt both unfocused and at the same time railroaded. Until that point the breadcrumbs worked, but I was very confused about why I had to go so deep into the cult instead of contacting ATOM for new orders. I liked the idea of working toward being the hero of the small town better.

It was at this point that only being able to ask everyone the same 4 questions became high friction. I had an item I wanted to ask everyone about, especially my friend at the library, but the only real indication of what direction the game was headed was what got added to the quest log. The combat was awful. Not sure why it had guns given the range they put on these things. Balancing the different health bars (hit points, hunger, toxins, radiation) was interesting. Economy was fine until I got to the big town and the shops had less cash than random waste walkers and prices so high that it was almost impossible to buy anything.

PS: Does this game have a katana in it? I thought I saw one in the store, but when I went back to buy it the inventory had cycled. Online wiki suggests it doesn't exist so maybe I saw a sabre instead...



@Oyster Sauce badge please.

Did you do the areas that were added after 1.0? The nuked city and the other area(forget the name, but it's a separate map too iirc)

[J1M]

Was enjoying this until you find the mushroom medallion. At that point it felt both unfocused and at the same time railroaded. Until that point the breadcrumbs worked, but I was very confused about why I had to go so deep into the cult instead of contacting ATOM for new orders. I liked the idea of working toward being the hero of the small town better.

It was at this point that only being able to ask everyone the same 4 questions became high friction. I had an item I wanted to ask everyone about, especially my friend at the library, but the only real indication of what direction the game was headed was what got added to the quest log. The combat was awful. Not sure why it had guns given the range they put on these things. Balancing the different health bars (hit points, hunger, toxins, radiation) was interesting. Economy was fine until I got to the big town and the shops had less cash than random waste walkers and prices so high that it was almost impossible to buy anything.

PS: Does this game have a katana in it? I thought I saw one in the store, but when I went back to buy it the inventory had cycled. Online wiki suggests it doesn't exist so maybe I saw a sabre instead...



@Oyster Sauce badge please.

Did you do the areas that were added after 1.0? The nuked city and the other area(forget the name, but it's a separate map too iirc)

I didn't complete every side quest. But I went into the city vault and mountain vault. I assume that is required for the critical path.

At a certain point it became clear I wasn't going to find anything interesting like you can in Fallout 1/2 by poking into every corner so I stopped doing that. I was willing to help the starting town through their problems, but didn't really care about the larger cities. They were too spread out and you can't tell at a glance if an NPC is going to be interesting or not so lost interest in talking to them.

[Valter]

It was at this point that only being able to ask everyone the same 4 questions became high friction. I had an item I wanted to ask everyone about, especially my friend at the library, but the only real indication of what direction the game was headed was what got added to the quest log.

Yeeeees, I was so sick of this. I'd rather the unrelated background NPCs not be interactable at all, or visually mark them as not important somehow.

[rusty_shackleford]

Was enjoying this until you find the mushroom medallion. At that point it felt both unfocused and at the same time railroaded. Until that point the breadcrumbs worked, but I was very confused about why I had to go so deep into the cult instead of contacting ATOM for new orders. I liked the idea of working toward being the hero of the small town better.

It was at this point that only being able to ask everyone the same 4 questions became high friction. I had an item I wanted to ask everyone about, especially my friend at the library, but the only real indication of what direction the game was headed was what got added to the quest log. The combat was awful. Not sure why it had guns given the range they put on these things. Balancing the different health bars (hit points, hunger, toxins, radiation) was interesting. Economy was fine until I got to the big town and the shops had less cash than random waste walkers and prices so high that it was almost impossible to buy anything.

PS: Does this game have a katana in it? I thought I saw one in the store, but when I went back to buy it the inventory had cycled. Online wiki suggests it doesn't exist so maybe I saw a sabre instead...



@Oyster Sauce badge please.

Did you do the areas that were added after 1.0? The nuked city and the other area(forget the name, but it's a separate map too iirc)

I didn't complete every side quest. But I went into the city vault and mountain vault. I assume that is required for the critical path.

At a certain point it became clear I wasn't going to find anything interesting like you can in Fallout 1/2 by poking into every corner so I stopped doing that. I was willing to help the starting town through their problems, but didn't really care about the larger cities. They were too spread out and you can't tell at a glance if an NPC is going to be interesting or not so lost interest in talking to them.

Could you tell me what your character's charisma score was?

[edit]
"personality"

[rusty_shackleford]

It was at this point that only being able to ask everyone the same 4 questions became high friction. I had an item I wanted to ask everyone about, especially my friend at the library, but the only real indication of what direction the game was headed was what got added to the quest log.

Yeeeees, I was so sick of this. I'd rather the unrelated background NPCs not be interactable at all, or visually mark them as not important somehow.

You too, charisma score

[edit]
"personality"

[Valter]

It was at this point that only being able to ask everyone the same 4 questions became high friction. I had an item I wanted to ask everyone about, especially my friend at the library, but the only real indication of what direction the game was headed was what got added to the quest log.

Yeeeees, I was so sick of this. I'd rather the unrelated background NPCs not be interactable at all, or visually mark them as not important somehow.

You too, charisma score

[edit]
"personality"

Wanna start a new game with a different build right away but I know it feels better to reflect on the experience for a bit first.

What build did you play?

I started off with high Martial Arts and Speechcraft, but a couple hours later I realized I can't talk my way out of a bullet's trajectory or reach the guy before it's fired. So I decided I needed good gear ASAP and pumped up Barter as well.
So with the best armor and painkillers money can buy, I became The Wall while my teammates did most of the killing. It was really fun, though some encounters were hell. (mainly ambushes )
Kinda wanna actually do some damage next time

I do remember having to stock a warehouse of booze with me when I realized there were lots of Personality checks

[rusty_shackleford]

I do remember having to stock a warehouse of booze with me when I realized there were lots of Personality checks

haha-classic.gif

NPCs are loaded with hidden attribute checks, most commonly charisma. If you dump it you miss out on a ton of interactions/reactivity.

[rusty_shackleford]

It's one of the things I really enjoyed, I hate when skill(attribute, etc.,) checks are broadcast to the player. Felt like my playthru was a lot more unique when I saw the successful skillcheck thing in dialogue(iirc you don't get told anything if you fail, so you only know it's there if you succeed)

[J1M]

To crystalize my thoughts a bit more. The starting town should have been a character. A place that you can improve via your exploits in the wastes and eventually create a metaphorical decision for the player: are you loyal to your parents (ATOM) or loyal to your child (village)?

The starting town should have been located centrally, and completing major events/quests in the wastes should have altered the town by adding new buildings and people to it over time. As your fame grows, the town's leaders should ask for your input on how the town will develop. (Connect to the railway network? what to produce at the factory? crops or ranching? punishment for pickpocketing? Give each choice a short positive outcome and problem quest to make it feel reactive.)

[J1M]

Did you do the areas that were added after 1.0? The nuked city and the other area(forget the name, but it's a separate map too iirc)

I didn't complete every side quest. But I went into the city vault and mountain vault. I assume that is required for the critical path.

At a certain point it became clear I wasn't going to find anything interesting like you can in Fallout 1/2 by poking into every corner so I stopped doing that. I was willing to help the starting town through their problems, but didn't really care about the larger cities. They were too spread out and you can't tell at a glance if an NPC is going to be interesting or not so lost interest in talking to them.

Could you tell me what your character's charisma score was?

[edit]
"personality"

I had high INT and DEX; low personality. There were a few INT checks but they didn't really seem to provide any value, and lots of STR checks that were offered to me that I couldn't pass with 6 STR.

[rusty_shackleford]

I didn't complete every side quest. But I went into the city vault and mountain vault. I assume that is required for the critical path.

At a certain point it became clear I wasn't going to find anything interesting like you can in Fallout 1/2 by poking into every corner so I stopped doing that. I was willing to help the starting town through their problems, but didn't really care about the larger cities. They were too spread out and you can't tell at a glance if an NPC is going to be interesting or not so lost interest in talking to them.

Could you tell me what your character's charisma score was?

[edit]
"personality"

I had high INT and DEX; low personality. There were a few INT checks but they didn't really seem to provide any value, and lots of STR checks that were offered to me that I couldn't pass with 6 STR.

A lot of the personality checks are hidden, you don't know they're there unless you play a high PER build.

[J1M]

Could you tell me what your character's charisma score was?

[edit]
"personality"

I had high INT and DEX; low personality. There were a few INT checks but they didn't really seem to provide any value, and lots of STR checks that were offered to me that I couldn't pass with 6 STR.

A lot of the personality checks are hidden, you don't know they're there unless you play a high PER build.

I could have guessed there were checks for other attributes, but given how bland the INT ones I passed were I wouldn't have assumed they were interesting or useful.

[rusty_shackleford]

I had high INT and DEX; low personality. There were a few INT checks but they didn't really seem to provide any value, and lots of STR checks that were offered to me that I couldn't pass with 6 STR.

A lot of the personality checks are hidden, you don't know they're there unless you play a high PER build.

I could have guessed there were checks for other attributes, but given how bland the INT ones I passed were I wouldn't have assumed they were interesting or useful.

Been a while since I played but it's one of the few games where I enjoyed talking to everyone. All the characters had a ton of stuff to discuss, lots of new things to talk about when I visited them again later, etc.,
Noticed people who bash it tend to play low personality builds so I assume that's the main difference

[rusty_shackleford]

If you play it again I suggest dumping luck. It's nearly worthless unless maxed, so it's an all-or-nothing stat.

[J1M]

A lot of the personality checks are hidden, you don't know they're there unless you play a high PER build.

I could have guessed there were checks for other attributes, but given how bland the INT ones I passed were I wouldn't have assumed they were interesting or useful.

Been a while since I played but it's one of the few games where I enjoyed talking to everyone. All the characters had a ton of stuff to discuss, lots of new things to talk about when I visited them again later, etc.,
Noticed people who bash it tend to play low personality builds so I assume that's the main difference

I had no idea. Thanks for pointing it out. A shame they hid what sounds like their best work in that way.

[Valter]

It's one of the things I really enjoyed, I hate when skill(attribute, etc.,) checks are broadcast to the player. Felt like my playthru was a lot more unique when I saw the successful skillcheck thing in dialogue(iirc you don't get told anything if you fail, so you only know it's there if you succeed)

I must agree that I prefer when the game hides its mechanics in favor of a more immersive experience. But the same 4 questions system added way too much fluff. It might have been my fault to not have realized sooner that those questions are completely irrelevant to any quest, as I prefer to siphon every last bit of info out of everyone in case it helps with a quest down the line. Once it dawned on me that these are just world exposition buttons, I started skipping them and it got more enjoyable.

[Valter]

To crystalize my thoughts a bit more. The starting town should have been a character. A place that you can improve via your exploits in the wastes and eventually create a metaphorical decision for the player: are you loyal to your parents (ATOM) or loyal to your child (village)?

The starting town should have been located centrally, and completing major events/quests in the wastes should have altered the town by adding new buildings and people to it over time. As your fame grows, the town's leaders should ask for your input on how the town will develop. (Connect to the railway network? what to produce at the factory? crops or ranching? punishment for pickpocketing? Give each choice a short positive outcome and problem quest to make it feel reactive.)

I found the influence you exert over the starting town's fate to be satisfactory, though I would have enjoyed a much more fleshed out player base. The one they give you in bumfuck nowhere was a nice starting point but too barebones. The epilogue states that it grows very influencial and becomes a major trading hub in the region but I prefer show, not tell.

[rusty_shackleford]

I thought it was very good for their first attempt, other than some of the FO2 total conversions it's the only actual Fallout-like that exists.
People say Underrail is but it's not, it's just inspired.


Trudograd is also very good, besides from the difficulty being too easy.

[J1M]

I did really enjoy the quest from the future. It is a cool premise and has a neat solution.

It involves trying to break up a young couple. I didn't invest in social skills so I assumed there was some fallback solution involving violence, but before that I tried the speechcraft option of blessing their marriage. I didn't expect it to work, but I was hoping failing that check would have the opposite effect...and it did. I blessed their marriage so poorly they got in a fight and quest complete.

[Tadeusz]

To crystalize my thoughts a bit more. The starting town should have been a character. A place that you can improve via your exploits in the wastes and eventually create a metaphorical decision for the player: are you loyal to your parents (ATOM) or loyal to your child (village)?

Well, the town changes somewhat after some milestones like the election and Dan's gang storyline. Addition of the campfire in the town after some point was neat.
I'd say that player's choice regarding the loyalty to ATOM would look better for Krasnoznamenny as it's a much more prominent target for ATOM and the decision about it near the end of the game comes kind of out of nowhere so a bit more elaboration on this could be nice.

[swbgtoc]

I bought it as it's only 3€ but GOG is broken

install failed.jpg

edit: downloaded the installer from gog and it worked

[nullSector]

Just wrapped ATOM and I can definitely see why Rusty shilled it so much. The game has an impressive amount of content, and very little of it feels like filler. All of your stats are constantly being used, too(though luck is definitely much lower on the list, it has some hilarious results when it gets actually used), and sometimes lead to different resolutions depending on which dialogue option you choose. I finished it at around 45 or so hours, which according to HLTB means i was on the faster side, but i assume most people would finish it in 50 or so hours as well unless you try to be completionist.

One design choice I particularly appreciated was the lack of explicit “Main Quest” vs. “Side Quest” markers. It helps everything blend together more naturally. That said, the game wasn’t exactly generous with the ******* masks, I went the entire hours without finding a single mask in caravan or stalker encounters, or in any other shop. Only after heading to Dead City and returning to KRZ did I finally get one:



Speaking of Dead City, the 'rip and tear' part was really fun.


On the technical side, the game kind of surprised me, no crashes, almost no bugs, the only real issue was companion AI, with Fidel occasionally refusing to move, and the companions general stupidity. The game doesn’t really hold your hand at all. And there was always one or other fight which was like a 'boss fight' in a sense, though all of them could be made easier or completely avoided with right stats or other things. Traversal is easily the game’s biggest annoyance. The movement speed is painfully slow, though this can be mitigated either with mods or, or what I did, using Cheat Engine’s speedhack (This speeds up the entire game).

As for the tone, it fluctuates between grim, grounded storytelling and sections of humor or references, (many of which are very or Russian/Soviet-specific). Personally, I would have preferred a more consistent grounded approach, but I can see others enjoying the current tone, and it might be even better for those who understand the references. Regardless, immersion is strong, environments generally make sense, even if that means a lot of empty containers. Every NPC has a portrait (the I admit it took a while to get used to the real portraits) and custom dialogue, which goes a long way toward making the world feel authentic.

The game is extremely text-heavy. I enjoy reading, so it wasn’t a drawback for me, though I’d agree some paragraphs could have been edited down for clarity. Overall I had fun and I do recommend everyone play this game. Soon I might play the sequel/expansion(?) ATOM:Trudograd as well.

► Show Spoiler

[rusty_shackleford]

@nullSector gave you vault access
https://vault.rpghq.org/

[rusty_shackleford]

and I can definitely see why Rusty shilled it so much.

It's very good and underrated. It's the only game that's basically just more Fallout and isn't Fallout 2.

[wndrbr]

it might be even better for those who understand the references.

it's actually the opposite, as the constant barrage of in-jokes and references really takes you out of experience. It's similar to Fallout 2 in that regard.

[swbgtoc]

It's over, it's woke. Gayest game of the year

***.jpg