Combat Strength
Energy Shield
Radar Transparency
Regeneration
EMP Shield
Environmental Resistance
Targeting
Ballistic Protection
Speed Enhancement
Power Recirculator
Cloak
Vision
Spy Drone
Aggressive Defense
Run Silent
Microfibral Muscle
Aqualung
Rifle Weapons
Pistol Weapons
Heavy Weapons
Low-Tech Weapons
Grenades
Augmentations
General
Augmentations can seem complex to someone new to Deus Ex Multiplayer, even
if you are experienced with the single player game. There have been several
changes to the drain on various augs, and it takes a while to get used to these
new costs. Novice players are sometimes overwhelmed by the choices augmentations
offer, and it also takes experience to learn how the various augs interact in
a multiplayer setting. This section covers some basic strategies for using augs,
along with discussion of each aug's strengths and weaknesses.
Power Management
Managing your bioenergy well is essential to any play style. There are a couple
of general guidelines that can help make this easier. First, get familiar with
the various drains on the augs you have chosen. Knowing how fast something is
going to drop your bioenergy means you have a large advantage over someone who
doesn't. There are a number of ways to regain bioenergy that apply to all players.
Prioritizing
How you prioritize your augs is going to be very dependent on what style of
play you are most comfortable with. If you are a stealth player, then cloak
and run silent might top your list, while a more combat oriented player might
choose targeting and aggressive defense. Play with various combos and find out
what works best for your play style.
Dealing with Opponent's Augmentations
If you find yourself up against an aug combo that you can't seem to deal
with, remember that you can change your augs during a game. Go to the multiplayer
augmentations screen and change your aug picks to something you think might
be more useful. When you die, you will start your next life with the changed
settings. Changing your augmentation choices in game will also affect any bonus
augs acquired during the current life. An emp attack is often the best way to
deal with enemy augmentations. Many players rely on specific augmentation combos
in order for their strategies to work. If they start to attack you, and you
drain their bioenergy, they are often sitting ducks. The best targets for an
attack like this are people relying on the speed aug to stay close to opponents,
and people relying on defensive augs to block your attacks.
Binding Function Keys
In Deus Ex Multiplayer, just as in the single player game, Augmentations
are activated and deactivated using the function keys. Often, trying to reach
for a function key while in the middle of a fire fight can be awkward. For frequently
used or favorite augmentations we recommend binding a easier to reach key to
one of the function keys in the 'Keyboard/Mouse' menu. For instance, the Aggressive
Defense Augmentation is toggled on and off by the F9 key in Multiplayer. A user
might decide to bind the F9 key to the letter 'a'. Pressing the 'a' key would
activate (or deactivate) their Aggressive Defense.
Advantages
This aug has not been changed very much from the single player, but does have an added dimension in a multiplayer setting. This aug works well for a stealth player, especially when combined with a cloak. Hand to hand weapons will do quite a bit of extra damage if you have this aug turned on, and getting the drop on someone with a nanosword and combat strength usually means instant death. It should also be noted that this damage bonus also applies to throwing knives, which have limited range but a fairly high damage and a very fast rate of fire, making them a viable option for a low tech specialist.Disadvantages
No significant disadvantages to this aug, as it has a fairly low power drain.Opposing
This aug only affects weapons using the low-tech skill, and all weapons of this type can be shielded against using ballistic protection. A player using this aug will also have to get in fairly close in order to cause damage, and listening for their footsteps can make it difficult for them to get in close enough. Using the vision aug can also help defend against low-tech weapons, since if they are in close enough to hit you, they are close enough for you to see them.
Advantages
The energy shield has a fairly low power drain, and a high defensive percentage. This aug is particularly useful against a heavy weapons player, since it works on the flamethrower, plasma, and wp rockets. It is also helpful if you use it in conjunction with a plasma rifle at short range or point blank targets, since you don't have to worry about hitting yourself as hard with the plasma splash damage.Disadvantages
This aug is only useful against the aforementioned weapons. If no one in the game is using any of the heavy weapons, you have a wasted aug slot and might be burning energy uselessly if you use the 'allaugs' hotkey.Opposing
The best offense against the energy shield is to notice if someone is using it. It's harder to notice the blue shield effect if you are firing energy weapons, so watch closely. If you are firing a flamethrower or plasma at them and they don't seem to care, it's time to switch weapons. If you are the heavy weapons player, you have fewer options, and your best bet is to get away from them and hit them with regular gep rounds.
Advantages
While this aug is turned on, you will be completely invisible to turrets and also to any placed grenade traps. This aug has a low power drain, and can be left on for a very long time when combined with the recirculator. Radar transparency is a must have if you are going to be hacking turrets with multitools or placing a lot of demolitions. It makes it incredibly easy to walk past turrets and remove enemy demolitions traps and make them your own.Disadvantages
First off, you cannot take the regeneration aug if you take radar transparency. Secondly, while turrets can't see you, other players still can. This means if you want full stealth, you will have to take cloak as well, which has a much higher power drain. Another important note is that while grenade traps won't go off on you directly, you can still be caught in blasts caused by other players.Opposing
The main defense for this aug is paranoia. Check previously safe grenade traps when you pass by them again. Keep an eye out at the turret and terminals, since opponents with this aug will probably be spending significant amounts of time there.
Advantages
Healing is a good thing. Regen is very useful if you can find a place to hide for 30 seconds or so and get yourself combat-ready again. The drain is also fairly low.Disadvantages
Regeneration has been toned down a lot from the single player version. In multiplayer, you will only heal up 10 health per tick as opposed to the 40 in single player. The result of this is that you can no longer wade into combat with this aug turned on and expect to come out the other side unscathed.Opposing
The simplest way to oppose this is to cause damage faster than they can heal it. With almost all weapons, this is not a problem. This aug also makes a distinct sound when it is turned on, and if you are close enough you can hear your opponent healing. Half dead opponent hiding and trying to heal? Sounds like a good time for an attack.
Advantages
The emp shield has a very low drain and protects very well against emp damage. This is also a great aug to use in conjunction with emp grenades or the spy drone. Turn on your shield and fire off emp attacks at close range with near impunity. Your enemy is suddenly weaker, while your own energy is barely depleted.Disadvantages
This only blocks emp damage, and thus is of limited usefulness. It should also be noted that the shielding effect is lessened the closer you are to the center of the emp attack. Standing at the fringe of an emp blast with the shield on means you take minimal drain. Standing at the center of an emp grenade will still drain you for a significant amount.Opposing
Someone ignoring or lobbing emp attacks everywhere is easy to spot as using this aug. Stay as far away as possible and hit them as hard and fast as you can. If they are throwing emp attacks at you, that means they aren't actually causing damage, which is a perfect time to dish out some damage yourself.
Advantages
This is another low cost aug that can be left on a lot of the time. Having it turned on beforehand will block the vision wavering effects of poison or gas, and greatly reduce the damage from gas clouds and dart poison. This is a great one against players too fond of the crossbow. It works well in conjunction with gas grenades. You can throw one into a room and then charge in and start shooting. In this respect, it acts much like a flashbang does in other multiplayer games.Disadvantages
Turning this aug on after your vision is already wavering will not remove the effect, though it will still block most of the poison damage. Another aug that is only useful in very specific situations.Opposing
Players blithely wandering through gas clouds are easy to spot as using this aug. Once you notice that, simply don't bother with the crossbow or more gas attacks and switch weapons.
Advantages
Targeting provides many advantages. It is effectively a skill increase of one level in all weapon skills. This means that you do more damage and have higher accuracy. The GEP gun will also lock onto opponents faster. Even preplaced grenades do more damage if placed while target is on. This is particularly nasty when combined with the sniper rifle or other high damage weapons. The other advantage is more subtle, in that you can see how much overall health your opponent has left.Disadvantages
The only real disadvantages are the drain, and the fact that you have to really pay attention to get the health info, and the health info is an overall number, and does not reflect specific body parts.Opposing
The direct defense against targeting is to use ballistic protection. This will more than make up for the targeting damage bonus.
Advantages
This will block 40% of the damage you receive from most weapons. This is a great aug to use right before or as you enter combat, and can keep you alive while you are being sniped until you can find cover. It is also very useful to turn on before you cross any large open area, especially when combined with the speed aug.Disadvantages
Significant power drain. This really isn't an aug you can leave on all the time unless you have a recirculator going and stop in at repairbots quite a bit.Opposing
This is one of the toughtest augs to oppose. Attacking someone with this aug going can make combat somewhat frustrating. The moment you see that blue shield, it's time to switch weapons or hit them with an emp attack. The crossbow or energy weapons are probably the best to switch to. Anything that will disorient the other player will help you take them out faster, and poison, fire, or plasma will usually distract them at least into trying to turn off the ballistic and turn on another defensive aug. Making the ballistic person multitask is essential to taking them out. The effectiveness of this aug can be reduced by using the targeting aug, which provides a damage bonus.
Advantages
Turning on this aug doubles your movement speed and makes very high and long leaps possible. This is a great aug for getting into or out of combat quickly, or just crossing a large open space while minimizing risk. While you are moving at this speed, you are much harder to hit, and incredibly difficult to get locked onto with the gep gun. All in all, this is one of the most powerful and versatile augs.Disadvantages
While it is harder for other enemies to hit you, it is also more difficult to target others when moving that fast. Combat can get very frantic very fast, and overcorrecting is a common problem. The drain on this is also the highest of all the augs. This is really only useful in short bursts, you simply don't have enough energy to leave it on for long, especially since if you have speed you cannot have the recirculator. Another important note: You do not jump as high while carrying the gep gun as you do with other weapons. So don't expect to be able to hop that fence with a gep drawn.Opposing
Trying to defeat someone who has speed, especially if you don't, can be incredibly difficult. Your best bet are weapons with some sort of spread, such as the shotgun, assault rifle, or plasma. Explosives also work well, but you have to remember to lead them pretty heavily. Hitting a jackrabbit with an emp blast can also be fairly rewarding, as most people who use this aug a lot come to rely on it heavily, and take time to adjust to moving at the regular speed. Also remember that even if you are moving, you will still have a slightly easier time aiming than the person blitzing across the map.
Advantages
This is probably the simplest aug available. If you turn on any other aug, the recirculator kicks in automatically. There is no drain on the recirculator, so it never adds to your power loss. This aug is also incredibly useful if you are fond of the 'allaugs' hotkey. Combining the power recirculator with a few defensive augs and the 'allaugs' key can make you very difficult to attack successfully.Disadvantages
Having this aug means you cannot have the speed augmentation. Get used to moving at the regular speed, and playing a slightly slower paced game.Opposing
There really isn't a very good way to oppose someone with this other than emp attacks or using the speed aug to your advantage if that is what you took. If your opponent has the recirculator, you are going to have to hit them more often, since they can keep their augs going for longer. This means hit hard and fast, since you probably won't win a war of attrition with this player.
Advantages
This augmentation is great for avoiding enemy snipers and for avoiding enemies at a distance. When active, it is much safer to cross open spaces. When you wish to use the cloak to attack someone, the general strategy is to either maneuver around behind them, or wait for them to turn their back on you. When they do so, draw a weapon and fire at them. After you do this, it is often a good idea to put your weapon away, cloak again, and move. If you don't do this, then your opponent will most likely return fire. And since your opponent was not cloaked, he or she probably has a combat enhancing augmentation. Finally, the cloak prevents the GEP gun from locking onto you, and will break a lock if turned on after the lock is acquired.Disadvantages
It has a fairly high power drain, so you have to manage your energy carefully while using it. It doesn't mask your footsteps, so people can often tell when you are nearby. Finally, while it is active, you have no weapon out. If someone with the vision augmentation spots you while cloaked, you are at a disadvantage, as your opponent is armed and you are not.Opposing
The vision augmentation is the most useful anti-cloak power. At short to medium ranges, it will display cloaked enemies. Since these enemies are cloaked, they do not have weapons out, and are at a disadvantage if you choose to attack them. If you do not have the vision augmentation, be alert for footsteps. If you hear them, but don't see an opponent, you can try spraying the area with the flamethrower. If you hit someone, he or she will catch on fire and be easy to track. A WP rocket fills a similar role at longer ranges, if you suspect a cloaked person to be in a particular sniper spot. If you have a weapon equipped, and target a cloaked enemy, you will get white targeting crosshairs. You get the same crosshairs if you look at objects in the world, such as crates and doors, but if you get them when not looking at an object, then you may very well be targeting a cloaked enemy. Many cloaked players think of themselves as undetectable, so a shot at them while they are cloaked will often catch them by surprise.
Advantages
This is the best defense against a cloaked player. It is also a vast improvement over your usual crosshair iff. Friends will now appear as bright green, and enemies will now glow red. This makes it much easier to spot enemies at a distance, even if they are in shadows, and thus is great for spotting troublesome snipers. You can also see friends/enemies on the other side of walls at very close range.Disadvantages
There are 4 main problems with this aug. First, you can only see cloaked people at medium/short range. This makes the vision aug slightly less advantageous on a larger map. Second, the drain on the vision aug is greater than the cloak drain, which means they can stay cloaked longer than you can see them. Third, if you are facing any kind of explosion with this aug turned on, you will be temporarily blinded. The severity and duration of the blindness depend on the closeness/brightness of the explosion, and whether you were looking straight at it or caught it at an angle. Finally, the farther away an enemy player is, the less bright red he will glow.Opposing
The vision aug is directly opposed by the cloak. If you have the cloak, stay as far away from this person as possible and try to snipe them. The vision aug player is also very vulnerable to being blinded. Any kind of explosion or grenade stands a good chance of temporarily blinding them. The flamethrower and plasma are also bright enough to impede the vision aug player somewhat, although they do not cause the same type of blinding effect.
Advantages
The spy drone lets you scout an area where you suspect an enemy to be at reduced risk to yourself. Once this is activated it moves very quickly across even the large maps, and is difficult for enemies to spot. The emp attack has been enhanced for multiplayer, and detonating this anywhere near a person will cause massive bioenergy loss. The drone is also useful to send ahead and disable a turret so you can then run past. The spy drone is nearly invulnerable while it is in flight. The drone is great to send alone up to the top of that likely sniper nest and flush someone out. A favorite close range tactic is to activate the spy drone and the emp shield at the same time, and detonate the drone immediately. This is very surprising to an enemy at close range and gives you an immediate energy advantage.Disadvantages
This aug does have a couple of drawbacks. First, while it is active, you cannot move. This means you better have a really secure place before you go flying around with the drone. Second, having this aug in a slot makes it very difficult to use the 'allaugs' hotkey without special planning. Also note: while the spy drone can't be directly damaged by bullets, any type of nearby explosion has a good chance of blowing it up. This means an enemy can defend themselves with plasma or explosives, and you really don't want to get caught in your own emp blast.Opposing
There are a couple of ways to deal with an incoming drone. They make a distinctive humming sound so you can generally hear them coming. The simplest way to deal with one is to get a direct or near hit with some type of explosive or plasma. You can also emp a spy drone, knocking it out of the air. Also remember that while someone has a drone out, they are basically a sitting duck.
Advantages
This aug has a fairly low drain, and is quite effective at keeping away unwanted rockets. It is also useful as an umbrella for teammates, so if you are close together, only one of you needs to have this turned on. This is a great aug to turn on while crossing open areas. The offensive use of this aug is when you turn it on while very close to someone firing rockets or 20mm at you. The closer you are to them when they fire, the more likely they are to damage themselves. The other nice thing is that you can often hear incoming rockets and thus have time to turn this on quickly, thus negating or at least reducing the damage you take.Disadvantages
This is not a stealthy aug. Whenever you have this turned on you and nearby players will be able to hear a distinctive sound somewhat like a sonar pulse. This makes it much easier to find you if you are trying to hide. There have also been some major changes from the way this worked in single player. The only things aggressive defense will block in mp are rockets, wp rockets, 20mm, and the law rocket. It will not block placed or thrown grenades, darts, knives, or any of the other things it stopped in the singleplayer game. Also, depending on the skill of the opposing player and the weapon they use, you may still take some damage from incoming rockets even if you have this turned on. The best example is the law, which will still cause significant damage to you if you get caught in the open and try to defend yourself with aggressive defense.Opposing
Listen for the distinctive sound of this aug and be very careful before you start firing rockets around. When you hear this aug turned on, or you see a rocket detonate with a large blue explosion (much like an EMP explosion), it's time to switch weapons to something else. Since EMP grenades are not blocked by this augmentation, don't be afraid to toss one at your opponent.
Advantages
This is a nice low drain aug that is loads of fun for a stealth player. Experienced players will be listening for footsteps and it's great to be able to pop up without them hearing you. Using this with the vision aug to see your enemy through a wall and then walking (or running with the speed aug) up behind them is very satisfying.Disadvantages
No disadvantages worthy of note, except you can't have its opposing aug. This aug can cause a bit of overconfidence though. Just because you are being sneaky is no reason to let down your guard.Opposing
Again, paranoia is a great defense. If you can't hear their footsteps, sometimes you can hear them switching weapons or activating/deactivating augs. Look around a lot, watch for movement. The vision aug also helps a lot to defend against this: they think they are sneaking up the ladder, you are watching them through the floor and can mow them down before they pop their head up.
Advantages
While this aug doesn't have any direct damage applications, (at least in the premade maps), it does offer some interesting map control options. Few people take this aug, so if you are the only player who has it, you can move those large crates and no one else will be able to do anything about it. This doesn't sound terribly useful until you realize that you can use those large crates to strategically block off small passages or elevators, and thus funnel your opponents wherever you want them. Blocking doorways, air vents, and elevator exits can be extremely amusing.Disadvantages
The only real disadvantage is that the usefulness of this aug is directly tied to which map you are on, and if there are any large crates for you to move.Opposing
The simplest way to oppose this aug is to take it yourself. That or simply go way around and realize that you are being channeled to where your opponent wants you. The speed aug will often also allow you to jump over crates that your opponent has moved.
Advantages
Using this aug will not only increase your air supply, but in multiplayer it also increases the speed at which you move underwater. If you arm yourself properly, you can get someone to follow you into the water and waste them when they try to keep up. This works particularly well if you have taken a weapon that works underwater (sword, knives, or crossbow).Disadvantages
No significant disadvantages unless you are on a map with no water, in which case this is just cluttering up your hud.Opposing
If you are on a map where water is a significant factor, make sure you have the aqualung as well, at least that way you are on an even footing. Also, while you can't fire most weapons underwater, that doesn't mean you can't fire into the water at your swimming opponent.
General
There are 14 different weapons in Deus Ex multiplayer, not counting grenades.
Most of them just deal damage, but a few have additional extra uses, and all
of them have certain situations in which they are more effective than in others.
Since you can only carry three weapons at a time, and since you often won't
be equally skilled with all weapons, deciding what weapons to carry can be a
tough choice. Generally you want to carry weapons that have different uses.
Carrying two weapons that do almost exactly the same thing (such as carrying
both shotguns) is a waste of valuable inventory space.
Accuracy
Unlike singleplayer, most weapons in multiplayer are perfectly accurate.
They shoot exactly where you point. That doesn't mean they always hit, since
your opponents may be moving as well, but you can count on your shots to go
where you aim. This is not true of some multiple shot weapons.
Ammo considerations
With the exception of the nano sword and the combat knife, all weapons
need ammo. Generally they carry about three clips worth. There are three ways
to get more ammo for a weapon. The easiest is to use an ammo crate. This will
replenish the ammo for the weapons you are carrying. Note that this will not
replenish throwing knives if you have used all of them, since when you use your
last throwing knife, you are no longer carrying that weapon. The next is to
pick up another copy of the same weapon from a weapon rack. This will replenish
your ammo with that weapon. Finally, if you search a corpse, and that corpse
was carrying a weapon that you are carrying, your ammo will be replenished with
that weapon. None of these methods restore alternate ammo (20 millimeter grenades
or WP rockets). You must pick up more of that kind of ammo by finding the ammo
itself. This ammo is usually stored in locked cabinets.
Hit Locations
There are three hit locations in Deus Ex Multiplayer. Legs, Torso, and Head.
All of them have the same number of health points. The torso is the easiest
to hit, and taking it out kills your opponent. Destroying your opponents legs
slows him down greatly and leaves him crouched and unable to jump. Destroying
your opponents head will kill him, and head shots count for double damage.
Reloading
Reloading is generally faster in multiplayer than it was in the singleplayer
game. In addition, if you put a weapon away, it automatically reloads itself.
This is not faster than the automatic reload when you expend your current clip,
but it means that if you equip a weapon and have ammo left, that ammo will be
loaded.
Skills
Weapons require different skills to use. In the basic team deathmatch game,
all weapons skills are at maximum level. In other gametypes, weapon skills may
start a lower levels and you may need to spend skill points to buy them up.
The effect of a higher weapon skill varies from weapon to weapon, but in all
cases, a higher skill means more damage.
Rifle Weapons
The rifle skill affects the Sniper rifle, the Assault rifle, the Assault shotgun,
and the Sawed off shotgun.
Sniper Rifle
Advantages
The sniper rifle is one of the most useful long range weapons. Bullets travel instantaneously to point of impact, and at master skill level, a head shot taken with a zoomed in sniper rifle will kill. Even torso shots will do a significant amount of damage. The vision augmentation is very handy with this weapon, since it helps you find enemies more easily.Disadvantages
The sniper rifle does significantly less damage if the scope is not in use. It also has a fairly slow rate of fire, reloading after every shot. While zoomed in, you can't see a lot of the world around you, making you a prime target for being attacked from behind. Due to its slow reload time and need to be zoomed in, it is almost impossible to use this weapon effectively at close range.Opposing
Ballistic defense protects somewhat against the sniper rifle. It is also very hard for someone to snipe at you if you have the speed augmentation on and are running. The cloak augmentation provides near perfect protection; since the distances involved in a sniper attack are generally much greater than the distance at which the vision augmentation perceives cloaked people, snipers will almost never be able to see cloaked people. If you don't have these augmentations, try dashing from cover to cover. Snipers have to be able to see you to shoot you. Closing very quickly with a sniper is often a good way to kill one, since his weapon is next to useless at close range.Assault Rifle
Advantages
The assault rifle is a fairly versatile weapon. It works at both close and medium ranges, and does a fair amount of damage. Unlike most multiplayer weapons, it is not perfectly accurate. When unskilled, it is actually fairly inaccurate, although because it has burst fire, it tends to wound the opponent some anyway. Standing still or buying higher skill levels increases this accuracy, but not to perfect accuracy. This is both an advantage and a disadvantage. It makes it easier to hit a target with some of the bullets, but makes it harder to hit with all of them. The alternate ammo, 20 millimeter, is one of the most powerful ammo types in the game. The 20 millimeter grenades arc, and can therefore be used to shoot over obstacles with indirect fire. They are also highly explosive, and can be used as splash damage weapons.Disadvantages
This gun is useless at long range when loaded with bullets. It is also not perfectly accurate, and when firing, can burn through a clip pretty quickly. The 20 mm ammo is very useful at longer ranges, but the arcing, although useful for indirect fire, can take a lot of getting used to. You must also be careful not to hit yourself with the 20 mm with a stray shot into a nearby wall.Opposing
Staying far away from your opponent helps, as the gun is useless at long ranges. If you can force your opponent to keep moving and firing, he will be less accurate and may run out of ammo quickly. Ballistic protection also protects well against this weapon, protecting you against both ammo types. The aggressive defense augmentation will stop the 20 mm, and, if you are close enough to your enemy, may even cause him to injure himself.Assault Shotgun
Advantages
The assault shotgun has a high rate of fire and does decent damage. It works at short to moderate ranges. Since it fires five pellets, it is fairly easy to hit opponents with at least one of them. If you are right up next to your enemy, you can often hit with all five pellets. Unlike the singleplayer game, higher accuracy will not reduce the spread of the pellets. This is both an advantage and a disadvantage. It is an advantage in that it makes it easier to hit enemies, but a disadvantage in that those hits are less likely to be from all pellets.Disadvantages
It doesn't work at longer ranges, and unless you are right next to your enemy, you're not going to get any one shot kills, since the pellets spread out.Opposing
If you keep moving around, your opponent will find it very difficult to tag you with more than one or two pellets a shot.Sawed-off Shotgun
Advantages
The sawed off shotgun does a lot of damage, almost twice as much as the assault shotgun. Like the assault shotgun, it works better at closer ranges, and the pellets always spread at least somewhat. Unlike the assault shotgun, it is much easier to get one shot kills. A full load of all five pellets, with skill level 3 and the targeting aug will kill someone if all pellets hit the torso.Disadvantages
It has a slow refire rate, and doesn't hold much ammo in a clip. Although very dangerous at short ranges, this isn't a very dangerous weapon at longer ranges, even at ranges where the assault shotgun might still be effective.Opposing
Much as with the assault shotgun, try to stay out of close range. If you must be in close range, take advantage of the slow refire rate to circle around your opponent with a much faster firing weapon.
Pistol Weapons
The pistol skill affects the Pistol, the Stealth pistol, and the Mini-crossbow.
Pistol
Advantages
This weapon is a good middle-of-the-road weapon. It does a fair amount of damage, fires moderately quickly, and has a decent range. It lends itself well to a number of fast, aimed shots at a target.Disadvantages
The pistol has no obvious disadvantages, but neither does it have any clear advantages. For any given purpose, there is probably another weapon that is more effective because of specialization.Opposing
Escaping this weapon's most dangerous middle range is the most effect defense against it - either close quickly or get out of range.Stealth Pistol
Advantages
This weapon features a very quick refire rate as its main strength. It is used best on unsuspecting targets, as the quiet nature of the weapon makes eliminates one of the main cues that players use to find their attacker. In addition, it works well on stationary targets where you can land a number of shots before they have time to react.Disadvantages
The relatively short range of this weapon makes it useless for most sniping uses, and it's moderate damage and fast-but-not-rapid refire rate makes it both difficult to do snap shots and impossible to hose down an area.Opposing
Escaping this weapon's most dangerous middle range is the most effect defense against it - either close quickly or get out of range.Mini-Crossbow
Advantages
This weapon does a decent amount of damage, in addition to poisoning your target. Poisoned targets have blurred vision and continue to take damage for a short time. In fact, poison from crossbows kills more often than the actual dart impacts. This weapon also works underwater.Disadvantages
The darts have limited range, and, since they are not instant hit weapons, often miss their targets.Opposing
Stay a moderate distance away from your opponent and he can't hit you with the darts. If you have environmental resistance, the greatest threat (the poison) will be nullified.
Heavy Weapons
The heavy weapons skill affects the GEP gun, the Plasma rifle, the Flamethrower,
and the LAW.
GEP Gun
Advantages
This is a great long-range weapon. It is very useful for suppressing fire, forcing people to stay behind cover. Its locking capability is also very useful, and has been enhanced from the singleplayer version. At short to mid ranges, it is more useful than the sniper rifle is at similar ranges. It also has an alternate ammo type, the WP rocket. The WP rocket does less damage, but has a much larger blast radius, and anyone caught in the blast radius gets set on fire. The GEP comes with a sniper scope attached by default.Disadvantages
There are a number of drawbacks to the GEP. First, more than any other weapon, this weapon relies on higher skill. With the GEP out, you cannot jump as high, run as fast, or turn as quickly. Skill reduces this somewhat, but does not completely eliminate it. The GEP can be almost completely stopped by the aggressive defense augmentation. It has a slow refire rate, and while you're waiting to reload, enemies can trace the trail of smoke back to figure out where you are. Also, because it causes explosions, this is not a good weapon to use at closer ranges if you have the vision aug on.Locking
It is generally easier to get a lock than it was in the singleplayer game. To get a lock, try to hold your crosshair over the target. If it moves off a little bit, your lock will start slipping away, but won't go away instantly. If you generally keep it on the target, you should get a lock. Time to lock varies from 1.5 seconds to 0.25 seconds, depending on skill level. After the ammo counter indicates that you are locked, you will hear a tone. While you are getting the tone and the ammo counter indicates that you are locked, you are. If you have a lock and move your crosshairs off of the target, you have about a second to move them back on before the lock is lost.
For the curious, here is how a locked on GEP chases a target:
1. If the GEP rocket has a line of sight to the center of the target, it aims for that point. If it does not:
2. If the GEP rocket has a line of sight to the target's head, it aims for that point. If it does not:
3. The rocket heads for the last place where it had a line of sight to one of those two points on the target.
The GEP rocket slows down a bit for turns, but it still has a significant turn radius, so it doesn't corner exceptionally well. It doesn't cheat, it only updates targeting information if it has a line of sight to the target.Opposing
The cloak augmentation prevents locking. It is also very hard for someone to get a lock on you if you are moving around erratically. If a GEP round is incoming, moving out of the way when it gets close often causes it to miss, even if locked, as it has a minimum turn radius. Aggressive defense almost completely stops GEP rounds, and ballistic protection helps. Also, the rocket leaves a large smoke trail that indicates from where it was fired.Plasma Rifle
Advantages
The plasma rifle is an excellent suppressive-fire weapon. Fires three plasma bolts that explode on impact. It has a fairly good rate of fire and good range. If you want to force someone to keep his head down, this works very well. It is generally best employed by shooting at the ground near your opponent's feet.Disadvantages
The energy shield greatly reduces the effectiveness of this weapon. The splash damage can also hurt you if you are firing too close to yourself, and it can be dangerous to teammates. The energy shield helps reduce the penalties of self inflicted wounds.Opposing
Jumping helps to avoid splash damage from bolts hitting the floor. The energy shield is very effective at stopping this weapon.Flamethrower
Advantages
This weapon has a very high rate of fire, and, if you back someone into a corner, you can kill him with it very quickly. It also sets people on fire when it hits them. This doesn't do a lot of damage, but it makes them easy to spot, even if they are cloaked. The flamethrower can function as a sort of alternate vision augmentation. If you hear footsteps nearby but don't see anyone, spraying the area with the flamethrower may set your opponent on fire, making him easy to shoot.Disadvantages
This weapon has very limited range, and the energy shield is very effective at blocking it.Opposing
The energy shield is extremely effective at blocking the flamethrower. If you have the energy shield, you don't need to worry too much about the flamethrower. If you get set on fire, jump in the water or use a medkit to put it out.LAW
Advantages
Does massive damage in a wide area. Will even do a significant amount of damage if the other person has aggressive defense up.Disadvantages
Only one shot, but it takes up a whole weapon slot. It also requires lockpicks to get.Opposing
There isn't a lot you can do when one is actually coming at you. Aggressive defense alone won't prevent you from taking a lot of damage. Aggressive defense combined with ballistic protection generally works fairly well. Ducking behind cover will also reduce the damage. All of these help, but if someone shoots a LAW at the ground near you, expect to take at least some damage.
Low-tech Weapons
The Low-tech skill affects the Nano sword, the Combat knife, and the Throwing
knives. All of the low-tech weapons are short range, all of them work underwater,
and combat strength helps with all of them. The speed, cloak, and combat strength
augmentations are all helpful when trying to use these.
Nano Sword
Advantages
The nano sword does a lot of damage and has a fairly high rate of fire. In addition, unlike the singleplayer game, it has a fairly high swing arc. The closer your opponents are to you and to the center of your screen, the more damage the sword does, but you can still hit people at the ends of the arc. This weapon also works under water. Combat strength greatly enhances the damage it does.Disadvantages
The weapon is fairly short range. It is also very obvious when someone is using it. Equipping it makes a very distinct sound, and it emits a blue glow around youOpposing
The best defense is to stay out of reach. This isn't very hard. If you have the speed aug on, your opponent will find it very difficult to hit you with the sword, even if he has the speed aug himself. If you hear the sound of the sword being drawn, move out of the way. It might be someone uncloaking behind you with the sword. Often someone attacking you with the sword is relying on the speed augmentation. Take that out and it is pretty easy to defeat him.Combat Knife
Advantages
A decent amount of damage and a high rate of fire. Works underwater. Combat strength greatly enhances the damage it does. Unlike the nano sword, equipping it doesn't advertise your presence.Disadvantages
Unlike the nano sword, it does not have an enhanced swing arc. Your opponent needs to be right in front of you at fairly short range.Opposing
Stay out of range. If your opponent is relying on the speed aug, EMP him to eliminate that advantage.Throwing Knife
Advantages
The throwing knife does a lot of damage and has a high rate of fire. It works at greater ranges than the other lowtech weapons. It works underwater, and combat strength makes it do more damage.Disadvantages
Limited ammo. Unlike the other lowtech weapons, you can run out of ammo with this weapon. Once you run out of ammo, the weapon is gone, and using an ammo crate won't restore your ammo. It is also not instant-hit, and therefore it can be difficult to hit with it.Opposing
Back up and dodge around. Your opponent will most likely run out of ammo quickly.
Grenades
Grenades are affected by the demolitions skill. They include the EMP grenade,
the Gas grenade, and the LAM.
General
Advantages
Grenades are fairly handy weapons. They don't take up slots that would be used by something else; each grenade has its own belt slot. They can be placed on walls as defense systems, or thrown at enemies as an attack. Each grenade has a very different effect on an enemy, making the demolitions skill fairly versatile. The screen of the player who planted or threw a grenade will flash an appropriate color (blue for EMP, green for Gas, white for LAM) when the grenade detonates. This is useful for knowing when grenades you have planted are being detonated.Disadvantages
You can only carry three grenades of each type at any time, and many of the grenades are locked up. Also, thrown grenades will blow up if an explosion goes off nearby. The two most common ways this can happen are throwing a second LAM too soon after throwing the first, or by throwing a grenade when someone is shooting a plasma rifle at you.Opposing
Placed grenades can be neutralized in several ways. Radar transparency allows you to walk past them without setting them off. You can then pick them up off of the wall and place them again. This leaves them in essentially the same place, but on your side. Many enemies will assume the grenade is still friendly. If you have a higher demolitions skill than the person placing the grenade, you have some time to locate and disarm it after you hear the beeping sound. EMP explosions will disable nearby grenades, and regular explosions will set them off. Since explosions penetrate a short distance through walls, one tactic when assaulting an enemy base is to blow up a rocket on the outside of the entrance, thereby exploding any grenades inside the entrance. The explosions from the grenades may injure the defending team. The best way to deal with thrown grenades is to dodge them. Thrown grenades make distinctive noises when they bounce along the ground. If you move quickly you can avoid most of the blast.Placing
When placing a grenade, remember that the targeting augmentation enhances your skill, and thus the damage done. It will make the grenade more effective when it actually goes off. Try not to place EMP grenades near other grenades, or else the explosion from your EMP grenade may disable the other grenades. The best place to place a grenade is in a location where, when your opponent comes into range to set them off, he can't quickly get away. One prime example is on the inside of a door. When he opens the door, he will often sit there for a second waiting for the door to open. During that time, the grenade can go off and kill him. On the other hand, if you place grenades where people expect them, they can blow them up or disable them and use them against you.EMP Grenade
Advantages
EMP grenades are one of the only two ways in the game to do EMP damage. If you hit an enemy with one of these, he will most likely run out of energy and be at a significant disadvantage.Disadvantages
If placed too near other grenades, an opponent may set one of these off before your other placed grenades, thus disabling your other grenades. Also, if your opponent was already out of bio energy, then this attack will do nothing.Opposing
The EMP shield provides a lot of protection against these. When you do have the EMP shield, it often allows you to catch your opponents at a disadvantage. They expect you to have run out of bioenergy, but the shield has prevented you from running out. Carrying biocells around also helps lessen the negative effects.Gas Grenade
Advantages
Gas grenades are a fairly safe way to slow down your opponents. They are unlikely to injure you or your opponent overmuch, but the vision blurring effect can help you run away. When combined with environmental resistance, they can be used much like flashbangs. You can toss one into a room and then charge in, immune to the gas. These grenades are also handy to place near friendly turrets. An enemy that sets off the grenade will be stumbling around while the turret fires.Disadvantages
They don't do a lot of damage, and the gas clouds move unpredictably. Often you will hit yourself at least a little with these if you are not very careful.Opposing
Environmental resistance works well if turned on before you get hit by any poison gas. The gas also isn't that dangerous, if your opponent is badly wounded and you are not, it can be worth pursuing him through the gas to finish him off.LAM
Advantages
Very dangerous as a hurled explosive. Unlike the other two grenades, the LAM deals a lot of direct damage. If a LAM explosion goes off near an enemy, either from a preplaced LAM or a well thrown one, it will most likely kill your opponent.Disadvantages
They can be fairly dangerous as well. If you throw one and it blows up in midair (due to a nearby explosion) before it gets very far away from you, you are likely to kill yourself.Opposing
Ballistic protection helps protect against the damage, dodging is best.
Lockpicks
Lockpicks enable you to open locked cabinets and doors. These
cabinets are usually the only source for biocells, LAMs, 20 mm ammo, WP rockets,
and the LAW. Higher skill in lockpicking significantly decreases the time it
takes to pick a lock. This is a very useful skill for someone wishing to use
explosives, as it provides 4 types of explosive (2 alternate ammo types, LAMs,
and the LAW). The biocells are also useful for stealthy players.
Multitools
Multitools allow you to disable turrets and access repair bots. Higher skill
in multitooling significantly decreases the time it takes to pick a lock. Anyone
who wants to be able to spend a lot of energy should buy at least one level
of this skill.
Medkits
Medkits remove poison and extinguish fire. If you have no legs and use a medkit,
it will distribute the first healing points to your legs so that you will be
able to walk again. Except in that case, it heals your head first, then your
torso, and then your legs. Higher levels of medicine skill greatly increase
the number of points healed. It is generally a good idea to keep one on your
person at all times in case you lose your legs or get poisoned. If you use it
to cure poison, make sure you aren't about to get poisoned again immediately
afterwards.
BioCells
Biocells are extremely handy. They restore half of your bio energy, and
are essential for anyone wanting to constantly be using augs with a high combined
energy drain. They are almost always locked up inside locked cabinets.
Repair Bots
Repair bots are almost always locked up behind keypad doors. A multitool is
required to access them. Using one instantly restores your bio energy to max.
It takes about 30 seconds before it can be used again. You can take advantage
of this to deny someone else the ability to use one for that time. On maps with
very few of these, they can be very strategically important. If you can occupy
a position near one, you can keep your augs on for a very long time.
MedBots
Medbots are like super medkits. If you use one it will remove poison, extinguish
fire, and fully heal you. It cannot be used again for 30 seconds. Even if you
need no healing, you can use one in order to use up its power for the next 30
seconds and deny it to your enemies. It is a good idea to know where they are
on the map so that you can get to them if you need it.
Turrets
Turrets are extremely powerful allies to have on your side. If a turret
is on your side, it will show up with green crosshairs and will be green in
the vision augmentation. Turrets can see cloaked enemies. If a turret appears
to be firing at nothing, it is probably a cloaked enemy. They only fire at medium
range, but they do a lot of damage and they don't miss. Turrets that are on
your side stay side even if you die, unless an opponent specifically changes
them.
When a turret switches teams, it will beep for a few seconds before becoming fully active and firing. If the turret was previously friendly, it is now hostile and should be avoided. Turrets can be temporarily disabled with EMP damage, made neutral by multitooling them, or turned to your team by using the appropriate computer. Changing the status of a turret with a multitool or via computer will also change the status of the associated camera.
To get past a turret completely safely use radar transparency or an EMP attack. An EMP attack has the disadvantage of warning the opposition that you are coming. Ballistic protection and the speed augmentation can help reduce the damage the turret does to you as you go past. Finally, there is generally a back way around the turret. The turret is often blocking the most convenient route, but it rarely blocks all routes.
Cameras
Cameras are not incredibly useful, but you don't have to do much with them
to take advantage of what they do provide. While using a computer, you can look
through them to see enemies approaching, assuming that they are not cloaked.
If a camera is on your side, it will track enemy players and beep warningly.
You can even watch this through the viewport screen to see where your enemy
goes. Changing the status of a camera with a multitool or via computer will
also change the status of the associated turret(if any).
Computers
Hacking a computer allows you to look through the attached camera and change
the allegiance of the attached turret. While you are hacking, however, you are
extremely vulnerable as you cannot see around you. On the lowest skill level,
hacking a computer takes about 25 seconds, which is a very long time to be sitting
around. It is recommended that you cloak or get a teammate to cover you while
using a computer. Even while cloaked, you aren't completely safe. If you notice
an open computer but don't see anyone using it, there is probably a cloaked
person sitting next to it, using it. Finally, if you let time run out while
using a computer, you will take a lot of EMP damage.
Locked Cabinets
These generally contain very nice items, such as biocells and 20 mm ammo.
At low lockpicking skills, they can take a fair amount of time to open, so make
sure that you are safe before attempting to open one.
Water
Water can be a very handy defensive terrain feature. Jumping in water will
put out fire. Most weapons also do not work underwater, so it can be a handy
way to escape pursuit. If you have a weapon that works underwater and your opponent
doesn't, you can generally easily trounce him, especially if you have aqualung.
TNT Crates
TNT crates are highly explosive. It is possible to kill someone with a hurled
crate, but it is also quite easy to kill yourself with one. If you crouch and
set it down, it won't explode when you drop it.
Ammo Crates
Ammo crates are generally scattered generously across the map. Using one
restores the ammo of your weapons. It is a good idea to use these occasionally,
even if you don't think you're low on ammo, just to make sure.
Weapon Skills
With the exception of Demolitions, all weapon skills cost 2000 points to
upgrade. The main advantage of higher weapon skill is increased damage with
weapons of that type. In addition, heavy weapon skill decreases the movement
penalty with heavy weapons, and decreases the amount of time it takes to lock
with the GEP gun. Demolitions skill costs only 1000 points to upgrade, and can
increase the amount of time you have to react to a placed grenade.
Multitooling
Reduces the amount of time it takes to open something with a multitool, and
reduces the number of tools needed. Very useful for a player who wants to have
access to a lot of energy.
Lockpicking
Reduces the amount of time and number of picks needed to open something with
a lockpick. This is a very useful skill for sneakier players, as it allows easier
access to various goodies.
Computer
Greatly decreases the time required to hack into a computer, as well as the
penalty for staying logged in too long. If you intend to hack computers regularly,
you should buy at least one level of this skill.
Environmental Training
Improves the duration and effectiveness of ballistic armor, rebreathers, thermoptic
camo, and hazmat suits. None of these are included in the levels provided with
the multiplayer patch, so this skill is not recommended as particularly useful.
It is included in the event that other people want to add such items.
Strategy 1
Augmentations
Ballistic Protection
Energy Shield
EMP Shield
Spy Drone
Power Recirculator
RegenerationSkills
Heavy
Weapons
Plasma Rifle
Description
As soon as an opponent is within short to medium range, turn on all of your augs. This will release the spy drone. Immediately detonate your spy drone by pressing fire. The EMP blast will have very little effect on you since you have EMP shield turned on. Your opponent however, will be without any augmentations for a time. Meanwhile you will be ready to engage with an entire group of combat augs running. This tactic takes only a few seconds to use. This augmentation strategy is particularly useful against opponents who attack by rushing and strafing with the Speed Augmentation. They are instantly neutralized by the EMP blast of the spy drone. Since you have energy shield, the plasma rifle is a fairly good choice of weapon, as the energy shield will protect you from the splash damage from your own gun.
Strategy 2
Augmentations
Cloak
Radar Transparency
Aggressive Defense
Power Recirculator
Targeting
EMP ShieldSkills
Lockpick
MultitoolWeapons
GEP Gun
FlamethrowerDescription
Use your stealth to get yourself setup in a good position for firing long range GEP rockets. When enemies aren't looking, draw the GEP gun and lock onto them and fire. The aggressive defense helps protect you against incoming GEP rounds, and the targeting augmentation helps your ability to lock on targets. This strategy uses a fair amount of energy, thus you have multitool and lockpick skills to acquire biocells and access repairbots.
Strategy 3
Augmentations
Vision
Targeting
Power Recirculator
Radar Transparency
Aggressive Defense
Energy Shield
EMP ShieldSkills
Rifle/Heavy
LockpickWeapons
Assault Rifle/Plasma Rifle
Sniper RifleDescription
This is a generally good combination for a player that wants to be aggressive. Vision allows you to find target quickly, and targeting increases damage when attacking. Radar Transparency and Aggresive Defense allow you to be relatively oblivous to surprising or long-range dangers so you can concentrate on your target. It's a moderately expensive combination, bioenergy-wise, so a Lockpick allows you to both accumulate biocells and other offensive goodies like 20mm or WP rockets. This combination works well with virtually any weapon class, though the Assault Rifle and Plasma Rifle work especially well.
Teamplay
Most team play support is automatic in nature. There are no provided hotkeys
for instant messages. There are various automatic tools in place to help you
work with teammates: