questions about str, dex, hp, combat suit, & other thing

[dgbehrends]

Hello there!   <echo> <<echo>> <<<echo>>>
I had a few questions about strength, dexterity, hit points, the combat suit, and some other things.  Don't feel like you need to answer everything, just post if you know an answer to one of the questions.  Thanks!

As most of you know strength increases the amount of items you can carry.  I have a couple of questions about this.  
1)  Does anyone know what the break points are for strength increase vs adding another storage slot to your backpack?
2) Does strength have any other beneficial attribute, i.e. increased damage?

I know dexterity increases your ability to dodge attacks and makes it easier to hit in combat, like adding letters and slowing down the speed at which the fly by.  
1)Does it have any other effects?  
2)How are the percentages calculated?

Are there any other inherent advantages to having lots of hit points other than you have a greater chance of outlasting your oppenent in a fight?

Is there any way to access the information on the combat suit in the complex.  And if not does anyone know how it helps?  Increases strength and dex perhaps?

Whats the best way to find the aurora? Persistant trikorder scanning?  Is there someone in the game that tells you her location?

Anyone know what these items are for?
Broken Wrench
Butane Tank
Chrome Pipe
Copper Tubing
Door Hinge
Drill Bit
Extinguisher
Gate Valve
Hoist
Bar Clamp
Metal Shears
Nail Gun
Pipe Die
Pipe Fitting
Re-Bar Scrap
Rotted Cabling
Steel Coupling
Zimmer

[dgbehrends]

I was able to find information in the game from the complex go to headquarters->information->character and it describes what the str, dex, and hp attributes are used for.

[Mercury]

Are there any other inherent advantages to having lots of hit points other than you have a greater chance of outlasting your oppenent in a fight?

ANSWER: When you go in Overkill's space ship, you have to fight several critters in a row without having a chance to medpack up between them.  It behoves you to increase hitpoints to a level where you can sustain this.  If you can kill five or six level 3 dudes without med-packing up, you should be alright.  I recommend stats of 100-100-100 to comfortably kill overkill, but I think you can pull if off with stats around 70-70-70; its just tougher/riskier.  You can get too about 66-66-66 (200 total) by using oracle hunting.  I suggest saving your traning room increases until after you max the oracle out (within reason - sometimes you have to "train" when you are little).  THen, you gotta grow your cash and power up in the AFB.  Item Cloning is one way to get some fast cash.  

Is there any way to access the information on the combat suit in the complex. And if not does anyone know how it helps? Increases strength and dex perhaps?

Combat Suit does not protect you from radiation as well as the Enviromental Suit, but it does reduce the damage you take while fighting, sort of like an extra Armor.  It is not a replacement for Armor though, you ALWAYS need Armor.  Basically, if you want to spend the day killing critters, travel around in your Combat Suit.  If you want to spend the day travelling around the wastelands looking for stuff, wear the Environmental Suit.  Personally, I perfer the Anti-G Suit (found in AFB) which prevents you from falling in holes.  Keep at least one of each suit in your home base so you can change them as you please.  If you do a lot of killing around your home base, you do not really need an evironmental suit because you can detox in your base whenever you want for free.

Whats the best way to find the aurora? Persistant trikorder scanning? Is there someone in the game that tells you her location?

ANSWER
Aurora is hard to find.  The best way is with a floppy disk - scanning from the AFB's.  The next way is trikorder scanning.  There really is no other way.

Anyone know what these items are for?
(as far as I know)
Broken Wrench - Nothing
Butane Tank - Nothing
Chrome Pipe - Nothing
Copper Tubing - Nothing
Door Hinge - Nothing
Drill Bit - Nothing
Extinguisher - (16) Cheap H2H weapon, similar to Salanger.  Not available for purchase, only found on certain critters in AFB's.  No use like the "Shovel" has
Gate Valve - Nothing
Hoist - (22) Medium H2H weapon, similar to TransAxe.  Not available for purchase, only found on Omay Resca (L3) and Inot in AFB.  No use otherwise.
Bar Clamp - Nothing
Metal Shears - (20) Cheap H2H weapon, similar to Natase. Not available for purchase, only found on certain critters in AFB's.  No use like the "Shovel" has
Nail Gun (18 ) Cheap H2H weapon, similar to JackKnife. Not available for purchase, only found on nagloman in AFB's.  No use like the "Shovel" has
Pipe Die - Nothing
Pipe Fitting - Nothing
Re-Bar Scrap - Nothing
Rotted Cabling -Nothing
Steel Coupling - Never seen it, I suspect nothing
Zimmer - very useful item.  It is a hand-held teleporting devise similar to the telegrasp but instead of taking it to the complex, it takes you anywhere you want.  Unlike the teleporter in the complex, it has no range.  You can get it from the Laupzuf in the AFB or for purchase in the AFB.  Enter the correct coordinates though, zimmering into a rock will kill you.  Like the telegrasp, it is a one trip device - after you use it, it is gone.  Stockpile them, they are very, very handy.

Here are the H2H Weapons...
1)   Steel Chain
2)   Salanger
3)   Natase
4)   TransAxe
5)   Electric Sword
6)   Tevix-Bahn
7)   Xendrix
...8-15 are Long Range Weapons
16)   Extinguisher
17)   Shovel
18 )   Nail Gun
19)   Jack Knife
20)   Metal Shears
21)   
22)   Hoist
23)   Propeller
24)   PickAxe
25)   Sledge Hammer
26)   Hydra-Jack

I have held then all in my hand except the mysterious #21 and none have uses other than as Weapons except for the Shovel.

[Mercury]

Note on Pick Axes and Butane Tanks.  Both of these are available on Level 2 and the PickAxe sells for 15000 crystals in the Complex and Butane Tanks sell for 2000 crystals.  Since they are found on an early level and they sell for a lot, they are good for selling to raise capital in your early stages of developent.  Subows on Level 2 have the Pickaxe (and maybe Butane, I can't remember).  I always laugh when I see pickaxes laying on the ground in level 2 because chances are the dude who killed the subow had know idea they were worth 15000.  If they don't need the cash, they probably aren't killing on level 2 either.  Other favorite items for sale when trying to raise cash: Alien Skulls 4500, red/green/blue keys 5000, aerial scans 3000, duroplast 1800, high hit level laser vests.

[dgbehrends]

Here are the H2H Weapons...
1)   Steel Chain
2)   Salanger
3)   Natase
4)   TransAxe
5)   Electric Sword
6)   Tevix-Bahn
7)   Xendrix
...8-15 are Long Range Weapons
16)   Extinguisher
17)   Shovel
18 )   Nail Gun
19)   Jack Knife
20)   Metal Shears
21)   
22)   Hoist
23)   Propeller
24)   PickAxe
25)   Sledge Hammer
26)   Hydra-Jack

Thanks for all the info.  It seems like the labeling of your weapons list isn't correct unless I am not understanding the terminology.  Aren't long range weapons supposed to be the Trilasm, Raxhaven, Z-Tempest etc....?

The FAQ has a lot of good info as well and I recommend anyone learning the game to read it.  I have created a cheat sheet from the FAQ that I will post to help new players learn the game and record things.  I had forgotten about saving your level increases, because I thought that you are allowed 200 in total points from the oracle, but if its really a cap of 200 before the oracle turns you away then saving the increases is the way to go.

[Mercury]

I am saying #8-15 are allocated to the Long Range Weapons, which I did not list.

Trilasm is #8
Trignet (the best one) is #15, and all the others in between.

The the other H2H numbers start again at #16