(funny) Tactics and Tips

[DKM2]

My latest AI watch was coming from the south into Shwasana.
I spotted a guy on the dock so I decided to just wait till he moved on before moving in closer.
Then he pulls out a fishing pole and starts waving it around like he's fishing,
obviously he didn't watch D_B's training videos, he'd know there's nothing in the water.  :)
Anyways, after a while he just threw the pole into the water in frustration and walked away.


Another I seen was watching some guys near an unmarked outpost in the northwest, (the center one I think) anyways,
one guy bends down, it looks like he's tending the fire, then suddenly flames burst out
and spread quickly setting the guy on fire. His buddy comes to his aid and soon finds himself ablaze too.
Well, that was easy, Darwin strikes again!

Patience is a tactic.

[PZ]

Cool observations DKM2 - that may explain some of the strange fires and other havoc that is created in guard posts even while we are not there.

[JRD]

I've seen it happening too. I mean, I arrived to a place right before it happens, so I figured that out.
It was in a safe house in leboa, north of the unmarked village. Night was falling and as I came closer one merc was on fire and the other was astonished... didn't know what to do, so I cleared his mind of worries :D

[Dweller_Benthos]

The AI ignore is fun, what it does is essentially make you invisible - they can hear you but not see you. I've had them eventually start shooting at me if I stand in one place long enough and fire at them but not shoot them. They home in on the sound and just start shooting at you, even though they can't see you.

To sneak up on them, use crouch, you don't make any footstep noise that way, and they will not hear or see you, and you can watch all you want. Otherwise, it's sorta like the mercs in town, you can bump into them and they get mad, etc.

You can also try zombie AI where they just stand there and do nothing, though that gets boring fast.

[Art Blade]

interesting observations from DKM2.
D_B, you're perfectly right about the sneaking up (crouched). But I wonder why they didn't react to the sound of gunshots -- remember, I was right next to a couple of guys and fired away with my Deagle (impossible to ignore) and I set off IEDs blowing up half the street, and they just went on as if nothing had happened.

[Ricamundo]

Stupid question, what's a Deagle?

[Art Blade]

a Desert eagle (big silver pistol)

edit (only found this today... this pic for new readers)

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[Art Blade]

Tactics:

12) Timing Malaria attacks

During my first through I was quite uncomfortable with the thought of getting a malaria attack while being already attacked by mercs. You know that feeling, the entire staff is after you and you have nothing else to do but perform a tremendous act of a malaria dance and just conveniently stop reloading, firing etc... Those mercs must have loved my malaria strikes.

Those attacks are timer based, so you can find out how long it takes between two strikes (simply check your statistics > total time played) Unfortunately I don't have the exact durations (<- click for D_B's accurate time table) but it is about one hour between two pills. I think you have like half an hour and less if you skip a pill until the next attack. If anyone here fancies checking out the schedules, you are more than welcome to post :) (I can't be arsed anymore, I simply cheat with god mode now during my 2nd through)

edit 1:
erm... the tactic would be, time your attack and avoid being in the middle of a raid just then :)

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edit 2:
Now on my third through I realise that it may be a difficult task to time the attacks. Because the "window" (time between two attacks) depends on your sickness level. The highest (5) forces you to almost keep your pillbox open, the lowest (0) allows long periods of game play without an attack. So, if you want to time it, make sure you're still on the same sickness level when you want to take advantage of the timing.

edit 3: linked to Dweller_Benthos' timings (thanks, mate :) )

read more about malaria.

[spaceboy]

Stupid question, what's a Deagle?

That's not a stupid question in my eyees Ricamundo.  Back on fc2world someone said he was so distraught at having to mercy kill a buddy that he "took is Deagle and put it in the case in the safe house for the rest of the game".  Even with that hint I didn't get it for like weeks. You can't put anthing BUT a gun in the cases. Duh!

[PZ]

Sounds kind of like a dog...
... maybe a dachshund/beagle mix?

... what an ugly dog...

[Art Blade]

took me a while to figure "deagle" out myself. No worries

[Art Blade]

Tactics

13) Blocking Your Enemies

Some jobs lead to locations that have narrow paths to it (remember for instance the dental clinic path to the underground location) and some guard posts that are sitting next to a bridge.

You can use a car, drive it up the bottleneck entrance and block the escape route. Then you start your mayhem, run back, climb over that car and watch...

The mercs will pile up behind that car while you escape. Watch them go crazy trying to bypass the road block with their cars... of course you can additionally heave a grenade against them and watch them all blow up.

Have fun

[PZ]

Hey Art, (and everyone else that has a favorite thread that they "own")

I just found out that when you reply to a topic you can change the Subject line to something that is completely on- "new" sub-topic (no pun).  For instance, Art has been posting some great topics called "Tactics" whose subject line could be changed to make it easier to sort.  Like the last one Art posted, the Subject line could be changed to Tactics: Blocking Your Enemies and when members express their appreciation, the RE will reference that particular post within the entire thread which separates the replies from the main instructional posts.  Just a thought however, everyone should do it however they like.

[Art Blade]

like this? :) cool! I fear most of the time I (and I bet some of you) will be just eager to post and forget about that gimmick... I'll try to keep it in mind though. Good to know, anyway.

edit.

I just thought that actually it might be pretty confusing if you check for latest posts and look at that "re:" and then remember it. When you try to find that reference later as a proper topic, it will drive you insane... LOL

[PZ]

ahhh.... good point - important for members that keep track of threads they want to watch by it's name, so maybe not so good an idea for general posting.  On the other hand it might w@&k nicely in the Site features forum where you might want to see only the new features.

[Art Blade]

Tactics:

14) Take out the mortar in South Bowa.

The guy that peppers the area from the brewery to MS Pipeline Co.

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I have just observed that guy using the IgnorePlayer cheat.

What I found out is, he walks in a straight line from one end of the small isle (where he observes the brewery) to the other end (where he observes MS Pipeline Co.) and back. Each walk takes about 30 secs, but the observing time varies. I followed him a few times back and forth. Observing took him from about 30 secs to like 1.5 minutes for each location.

When he is observing, he turns slowly from one side to the other, as if really scanning the area (which he probably does).

Now I understand why I could see him from far only sometimes on that small isle. Best is to find a sniper position so you can see the isle and wait for him to show up. Then pop his skull... makes life much, much easier if you plan to travel by boat or anywhere near the shore around MS Pipeline and that Bowa Brewery.

Edit 21 Sept 2009
Perfect Location to get rid of the mortar guy:
(read here how to get there easily)

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[smg id=1410 align=center width=400]

Hope that helps :)

[retiredgord]

Art, another good observation.  I was fish food quite a few times because of him. To get to him I had to charge the island swerving (but he still got close) and run right up to him to kill him.  This way should be a lot easier when having to play in that area.

[Art Blade]

Thank you, retiredgord :)

believe me, I once took a boat and was headed straight to that isle, at night. I thought I might surprise him this time and literally aimed my boat at him (at least the position he used to be quite often). He had already shot that yellow stuff at me when I arrived, too late for him to reload, and I ran him over with my boat! It was entirely stranded on that isle, the merc being lubricant  ;D THAT was satisfactory hehe

[PZ]

One technique that I've found effective with that guy is to take a boat keeping far north and come up on him from that direction.  Because he tends to be on the south end of the island, I can usually get away with that.  The only thing you need watch for are the grenade and machine gun boats - don't attract their attention or everyone is on you like flies in stink!

Edit: PS - this is another good one for the maps...  I'll be everyone would like to see that guy up close.

[Art Blade]

Those boats...

You can take one out, make it loud, ie use a grenade launcher, and all other boats will come and ask for the exact same treatment. Just be careful not to be too close to that mortar guy. It may w@&k the silent way, strangely that too sometimes attracts the other boats' attention (visual?). Once you've collected those boats (three I believe?) you can choose one and head over to the mortar or simply snipe him :)

[Art Blade]

"I have just observed that guy using the IgnorePlayer cheat."

I think a comma is missing... "I have just observed that guy >,< using the IgnorePlayer cheat."

he didn't use the cheat. hehe

[spaceboy]

"I have just observed that guy using the IgnorePlayer cheat."

I think a comma is missing... "I have just observed that guy >,< using the IgnorePlayer cheat."

he didn't use the cheat. hehe

Nice self correction Art.  I love things that can read two ways.  One of my favorites was an actual headline I saw that read something like:

"Crocodile attacks puzzle experts"

I thought, thank God I'm not a puzzle expert!

[Ricamundo]

Great find Art. Like seemingly everyone, I've been killed by that ^&%&$@#!! sob more times than I can remember. one time, I was crouch walking in the trees at night on the other side of the brewery. No one else near me was aware of me except that Mortar guy on the island. >:(

[Art Blade]

Road Block

here a pic of how to "block'n'roll" :)

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[PZ]

Love it Art,  how did you steal all those trucks?  The way they're parked leads me to believe that there must be a story...