🛈 Announcement
Greetings! The Division forums are now archived and accessible in read-only mode, please go to the new platform to discuss the game
  1. #1
    Bambihunter71's Avatar Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Rural Oklahoma USA
    Posts
    475

    Tips for the newer players with PvE. Very long read, but a lot of information to help

    With the recent influx of new players after the free game giveaway, I thought it was good timing to start one of these threads that is up to date with the game (many on the internet were earlier versions and things have changed). Someone can start another PvP thread similar, or add it to comments below. Please just don't quote the entire thing if you quote something.
    I'll note that the majority of my 4.5 years and 4000+ hours in the game were solo running harder content and hardly ANY DZ stuff after the first little bit to see what it was all about. So, for PvP, you may want to look elsewhere though I'll touch on a few differences briefly.

    Basic chat functions:
    This is one of the most commonly asked questions I see. How to invite, how to chat with group, etc. Keep in mind that each area chat is regional. Meaning if you are at the Base, then head to Chelsea you won't see what they wrote, nor be able to write to them. Anything you post would now be visible to the people in the Chelsea region.

    So, if you are talking in the chat window and want to invite someone to your game, right click their name and click invite. If you can physically see a person, you can approach them and invite them too. Once they are in your group, it is good etiquette if you are no longer wanting to chat globally, to change the focus to your group only. This is done by typing slash G in the chat window like this: \g The chat text color will change to blue so you know you are talking only to your group. While in this mode, you and your group can be anywhere on the map and you'll still see it. Same goes for audio chat.
    But, let's say someone posted something in public chat and you'd like to send them a private message. In The Division, it is called a "Whisper". You right click their name and choose whisper. Now, your chat window text will turn purple. Anything you say will be between you and that person exclusively.
    You can freely swap between public, group and private chat. It isn't uncommon to use both. Say you are in a mission and one group member is just playing with the team. You can send a message to your other group members, one at a time, without that person seeing it. Sometimes people will say "give him one more chance", etc. If they don't then you can vote-kick them.

    So, now you are done with your group activity or chat. It doesn't automatically go back to public (no idea why). You will have to type slash 1 (that is the number 1) like this: \1

    One note is that it is pour etiquette to run around the safehouse or base and invite everyone you see. It gets really annoying...


    Early game and leveling up:
    I'll give a few hints to help and avoid the pitfalls I have seen new players constantly make. So, maybe you won't do the same and enjoy the game from the start.

    The Division is a cover based looter/shooter. I'll reiterate... COVER based. So, you might as well take a few minutes early on and get the feel for how it works. How cover indicators work, how to do cover to cover movements, etc. It will save you hours of frustration and you'll be a better player in the end because of it.

    There are collectibles in the open world such as phones and drones. Early on, to get extra XP and move the story line along, take "the road less traveled" such as hallways, or balconies with ladders, etc.
    First thing I'd do if you are a commendation hunter, is to open the commendation list and check it out. There are so many of them that can just be done by only slightly altering your game play. So, open it early and check progress frequently. There are a couple of bugged ones I'll note. Most shooting ones should be across ALL characters, but there are a couple that don't work. One of them if I remember right is the weakpoint hits.

    That brings up weakpoints. What exactly is a weakpoint in The Division? Many of you can likely guess. Things like hitting the backpack on the rioters (the first faction you meet) or the flammable tank on the Cleaners tank. Later you'll run into the Riker's and LMB, they both have grenades on their belts. The "heavies" that have a ton of hit points. On the back side you can hit their red ammo pouch to make short work of them. It is a little hard to do solo early on though so be careful with them. The environment can be exploited to damage the enemies as well. Watch for red cans (fire), or arcing electrical boxes (shock), or even fire extinguishers can give disorient damage to the enemies. This can provide an advantage to you. But, when you take up cover, take a quick glance to make sure you aren't standing next to one or they will have the advantage. One simple way to figure out which ones can be used is to aim at them. If the crosshairs turn red, then it will work. Try it out.

    The way gear sharing works in The Division is different than some games of this genre such as Borderlands. In The Division, you have to be in the group with the people when the gear was obtained. Then, you have 1 hour of game time (for either person) before the ability to share goes away. You share it from the inventory screen.

    I used to power level people by the dozens. But, then I'd end up gaming with them later only to find they didn't really know how to play the game. I have since stopped power leveling players on their first play through because of this. It is early in the game when it is more forgiving that you learn THIS game's mechanics. Sure, being good at other games of this genre will help, but they are still not THIS game, especially the cover mechanic.
    You are going to do what you are going to do, but that's what I recommend. Once you start subsequent characters, then power level away all you want if you didn't enjoy the leveling up (I enjoyed it so much that I am on my 10th character play through).

    Early in the game you don't have much money so you'll be mostly scrounging for your gear. Open every cache, check out every enemy drop. One of the most important finds while still in that first area (before the helo ride) is finding an assault rifle or LMG. You'll generally find pistols and SMG's. This puts you perilously close to the enemies before you are ready. Find a LMG, AR, or rifle early on and use it. After that, by the time you reach Manhattan, you'll have a tiny bit of money. Since leveling up is fairly quick early on, I'd save it unless you still have not found a long gun. At this stage I don't recommend deconstructing anything. Sell EVERYTHING you don't need. One thought though is if you think you might play additional characters, throw your best level 4 or higher gear into the stash as you go. it is accessible by all characters. It makes subsequent playthru's easier and more fun in that you focus more on the fun and not so much feeling like a bum dumpster diving all the time. ;-)

    Once you start getting mostly green drops, this is when you should really start paying attention to what stats are on the 6 gear items. Early on, each will have just a single attribute. If using a "gun focused build", then generally avoid using equipment with electronics unless the armor is vastly superior to what you had. Opt instead for roughly 50/50 split between firearms and stamina then adjust that number as you go to your taste and/or abilities.

    Some people try to complete each area thoroughly before moving on. I recommend spending enough time there that your level is at or above the minimum enemy level of the next region (again visible in the map, or if you are on the street going from region to region). When I hit a new region, the first thing I do it make a bee-line for the safe house. I also stop at every DZ door entrance also just for an easy fast travel spot. This does not put you into the DZ. Note however that there are a few where instead of opening a door to go into a shop, you'll climb up and drop in on the other side. Those DO drop you straight into the DZ so pay attention if you intend to not go in there.

    Opening these locations allows you to fast travel to either or re-spawn at the safe house in the region where you died. Generally I do about half of the side missions then move on to the next main mission. The reason for this is by then the level will be right for the next main mission. Main missions are where you get most of the credits to upgrade your base. As the tutorial illustrates, as you upgrade your base new features, talents, and perks become available to you. So, theoretically you want to get the main missions done as you feel ready to do them. Side missions are a one-time play. You cannot replay them. The named main missions on the map are replayable as many gazillions of times you desire.

    I highly recommend focusing on Medical Wing missions and side missions early on. This will start by increasing the number of med-packs and will culminate in having a special ability in the medical field which will auto-revive you if you are playing solo (once, then it has to recharge) and with a group, you can revive any other person (or the rest of the group) without exposing yourself to enemy fire. Note that there is a distance where it no longer works so make sure you are close enough. It's quite a ways though. Maybe 1/2 a block to a block away.

    Once you start getting blue and above gear, I recommend keeping the holster with a level or two of you. Reason being is blue holsters will boost two base stats. Just make sure it is the two you need. Different vendors sell different items so shop around if they don't have what you want. Once you get to purple, it supports all 3 base stats. Of course if any gear item gets below ~4-5 levels below you, I'd focus on finding and replacing that item.

    The map is divided into regions. Where you enter is for levels 3-5. From the map view, you'll see the LZ map is shaped like a U. The left bottom is where you start. Going up that left side will take you to around level 18-20 (from memory). After you've gotten that far and completed those missions, fast travel back to lower, or lower center and continue around the right side. As you play the game, if the last fight was super easy, then it becomes really difficult, check the map to make sure you didn't wander into an area above your head. If you see an enemy with a skull above their head, retreat. That means they are at least 5 levels above you.

    There are two types of mods you will find once you start getting blue and some blue gear pieces. One increases your base stats (Firearms, Stamina, or Electronics). Those boxes are shown on the LEFT side of the gear image once applied. There is also skill mods which are shown on the RIGHT side of the gear image (in the inventory screen). You can find/purchase mods to increase your stats. I'd suggest doing this sparingly at first and then start using it more once you get into the 20's levels. Part of this is because once you get purple pieces, you will be able to hold more mods and also money will be less of an issue later in the game and you'll be able to update frequently. All gear pieces can hold at least one of the two types of mods with the exception of the gloves. They never accept mods at all.

    Crafting:
    I know others feel differently but I don't recommend crafting until at or near the end of your first playthru. This is partly because stuff needs to be sold for money to buy missing or low level pieces. Also, the randomness of blueprint drops and the level they drop at, I think crafting is mostly ineffective until at the end game. Sure, use the Recalibration Station to change an attribute here and there but since it costs too, I'd make sure before you do even that.


    General tips at or towards the end game:
    Always upgrade your mods when available at the end game. 4% DtE mods exist but are rare. 3% is even a little hard to find. All DtE mods are purple and have lower stats, but they offset that by the extra DtE. It sounds counter-intuitive I know. But, it works, trust me. The highest the purple DtE mods go to is around 214 or so. Regular mods max out at 267. So, if you find them for sale at or close to that buy up all that you think you'll need. Then, buy a few more. ;-) Remember that Vest and Backpack holds 3 mods each. Vest holds two mods of the F/A, Stam, ELE type and one skill mod. The backpack is opposite. So, you can keep one extra vest for instance, and hold 2 of those mods. More efficient use of space, particularly when those awesome mods come up.

    If going for a firearms build for challenging or above, try to always get as much Damage to Elite as you can for the LZ, even over Crit's if they are mutually exclusive. For the DZ, the focus is entirely flipped. There DtE only works against NPC's and not other players. So, if you want a build that does both, decide the ratio you will play each. If the LZ is 50% or less, then go all crits.

    Weapon talents: For PvE the most common weapon talents are 3 of these 5 (4 for Alpha Bridge): Deadly, Destructive, Ferocious, and Predatory. One can and should replace one of those for Determined for skill builds (lose deadly since it is crit hits which skills can't do). Make sure that all your talents will proc on your weapon with your build. Ferocious is one that with a change here or there can make it not work since it requires higher stats across all 3 attributes (F/A, Stam,ELE). Personally, I always try to get one with it in the free slot at the bottom so I never have to worry about that. I'll point out again just for clarity that skill builds will proc the attributes of the weapon in your hands (even without ever firing it) IF, and only if the requirements are met (if they are not, they will be darkened in your inventory view). Again, for skill builds, this may require obtaining and holding a 228 or lower weapon just for this to happen. You can then switch to a 256 weapon to finish an enemy off if needed.

    Don't forget some type of built in healing. You can get it from builds such as Nomad or Strikers. You can (and should IMHO) roll in 5-10% of Health on Kill (HoK). One of the best ways though is with predatory on your weapon. The combo of instant healing from HoK, combined with the healing over time of Predatory really help out.

    When it comes to resistances, most people seem to agree with me on these for the LZ:

    I always trade #3 for DtE if available, like on knee pads for instance.

    #1 Burn
    #2 Bleed
    #3 Shock
    #4 Disrupt for skill builds only (they are really only used by hunters, so rarely encountered outside of Resistance, Underground, or in some legendary missions. When I first started playing the game, I mistook that Disrupt was to prevent Stagger which was totally wrong. I doubt anyone would make that mistake anymore with all the resources available, but thought I'd mention it.

    I completely ignore Blind/Deaf/Disorient. Blind/deaf seems to rarely happen. Only place I can think of it happening is General Assembly.
    Disorient isn't frequent, troubling, and doesn't last long enough to be more than an inconvenience.

    All resistances... I used to roll this on my stuff, but after playing the game for as long as I have, I realize that really only burn and bleed are much of a hazard. Shock can occasionally get you when thrown by the shotgun rushers, but if you see the circle, you can generally evade. You are getting 4% resistance for all in a gear talent roll. Sounds like you are getting ~20% total. But, since the last couple are so rarely used, it isn't worth using anymore.

    If running low on space, remove undesired sets first, then start with the easiest to get good rolled gear. What I mean is, for instance kneepads have 4 attributes please the base stat roll. On Classifieds, you can only re-roll 2 of these 5. So, that means three of the attributes must be right to get what you want. But, a mask for instance, has only 3 attributes total. So, only one attribute has to be correct and you can re-roll the other two on classifieds. Gloves are the other one that is harder to get all rolls correct and there really aren't many beneficial options for all talents for skill builds. For those, you about have to do Haste, Health on Kill, Enemy Armor Damage (EAD) since those all work with skills. Again crit hits do not help with skills, and you shouldn't be shooting much but that would be my fall back is +12% of my weapon of choice.

    Once you are ready to start optimizing, I suggest always starting with the Holster since it lifts ALL base stats instead of just one. This actually counts early leveling up. These are the first gear set pieces I buy. Particularly by the time purple ones are available.

    You just hit the end game, now what?
    OK, so you likely have finished General Assembly and you were level 29 and all of a sudden your level is some weird number. Once you hit what would be level 30, it instead becomes a gear score number instead. Think of it as basically having to level up 4 more times again in which you will land at World Tier 5 (WT5). However, this is the one place that I am still all for "power leveling" with a group. In TD1 (but not The Division 2) you advance the world levels manually once your gear score reaches the minimum. So, if you are in a group and you run a mission or two and everything throws down whatever gear they just got, your gear score could then be 256 or above where you could then open the map (in your own session) and advance the World Tier Level up to 5. This is where you'll likely spend the rest of the time in the game. At least on that character...


    End Game builds:

    This is my personal list of build preference order. I am positive others will have different thoughts. Mine is oriented around solo play on challenging difficulty so for other game modes and difficulties, they can be drastically different. It isn't the most coherent thing I have written, but I am mostly putting things down as I think of them.

    D3-FNC - This is my "go-to" whenever I want to stay alive. It is also good for training/helping new players as they can have the cover. One time a group of 4 of us friends were running a mission and a couple were in their inventory and I was giving them a hard time. I said if you guys don't hurry up, I'm going to leave you behind. One said "I'd like to see you try". So, I proceeded to complete Russian Consulate on challenging myself with the game scaled to 4 players and the other 3 just following behind. :-) I suggest running two shield protection % mods, and two offensive damage mods for standard play. If in a group and you are there to draw fire, then switch to all % protection mods.

    Tactician Authority - Tactician is awesome (less so in resistance though due to EMP waves). And, as counter-intuitive as it sounds, it is one of the safer builds too if you are going for "flawless" commendations. Go pure electronics build on it; completely! Then, max electronics mods with DtE (preferably) and haste. Run BFB and seekers. Start a fight by BFB'ing a group of 2 or more, THEN throw your seekers. With that talent (name escapes me at the moment) that increases the explosive damage when hitting multiple enemies, the seekers are more powerful. I run 4 seeker damage mods. Also, use the bleed talent like you would with Predator. One seeker while I am solo will take most enemies down to about 55%. Then, they typically bleed the rest of the way. If they don't, just a couple of shots and they are down. Speaking of shooting, on any all-electronics build make sure you are "proc'ing" your weapon talents. This generally requires the WT4 level weapons (229 or lower). This more than makes up for the damage lost when firing since one doesn't fire much in pure electronics builds. But, aside from the extra Haste, the 6th piece doesn't add a lot. Hardly anyone running a full skill build does much shooting anyway. Certainly not usually enough to proc the 30 and 60 perks.

    Hunters Faith - awesome up to Challenging. They out heal my damage though on legendary unless others are also focus firing the same target. But, as you eluded to earlier, consistently hitting your target is the key to making it work. With a 6 piece you can miss two shots before you lose your bonus. Having a larger magazine instead of speed (which I normally run on bolt action rifles in this game) helps keep the bonus longer since you lose it upon reloading. Playing it solo on challenging the first enemy I will take down to about 1/3rd health. Every enemy after that is a one shot kill headshot except for heavies and a couple of other bosses.

    Strikers Battlegear - this one also takes accurate shooting to keep your bonuses up, but misses aren't as critical as Hunters Faith. I generally suggest this to new players who want a traditional easy to learn/use firearms build. With a 6 piece, you can either go for major healing if you go 9k stam, or I have found with other things set up for health on kill (such as my favorite; predatory on my weapons), then I prefer about a 6,800 firearms and the rest Stamina. For a 4 piece build (non-classy), I'd say about a 50/50 split is the safe but yet still effective ratio.

    Path of the Nomad - I like Nomad, but I just can't seem to make it as effective as those above. It simply seems weaker than a comparable Striker build for instance. Even if I run a squishy 9k firearms, the damage still seems lacking. Of course I have everything optimized, max roll mods, talents set similar to other firearms builds, etc. I still like this set if I am playing "safe" and sitting back and sniping or engaging from a distance with other weapons, but when I try to be remotely aggressive I usually end up proc'ing fairly quick. I also have an all-electronics Nomad skill build which I've used on a rare occasion. It is niche role, but it has its merits.

    Final Measure - good for those grenade spamming incursions or areas. This build is particularly useful in Stolen Signal and Falcon Lost. I also have a pure electronics build. It is somewhat situational, but is a nice skill build compromise.

    Alpha Bridge - This one is an odd quirky build; at least in the 6 piece. Playing solo I can really use that "rolling proc" effectively. I can time kills to give me what I need at that time. It's kind of neat. But, in a group, I find the 6 piece both ineffective and annoying to other players. I've seen people run a Ninja bag and mix with another build of choice. I also created a full-electronics version of this. Why? Because it removes the weapon talent requirements plus gives you the free talent on other weapon. So, with 4 talents without limits I can run a 256 class weapon with Ferocious, Destructive, Determined, and Predatory.

    Lone Star - This one is just fun to play. There is nothing that puts a smile on my face in this game quite like using the Alejandro which is 1k rpm. Then, proc'ing the Lonestar perk which increases speed by 30%, then hit Tac link. It sounds like the gun is going 1600rpm (maybe it is). Makes me think I am an A-10 Warhog. :-)

    Firecrest
    - This one really works better in a group. It can be used solo with decent effect but it really shines when used in a group and when you have went all in on electronics. It is devastating.The best combo is with a D3 without suppressor as they will draw the enemy fire (pun intended) so your turret stays up. Just remember to put the turret some place safe as well as open so the ^&)@ heavies don't just kick it over. In the Pier 93 hallway, it is INCREDIBLE (stick it to the pipes in the ceiling)!

    Predator - As noted in a recent forum thread, this one seems intermittent in practice. It sounds awesome and I know how powerful bleed can be with the Tac builds. But, it seems probably 65%+ of the time I end up having to shoot the enemy all the way to death. Either the bleed doesn't proc, or they are charging and will kill me before they would bleed out.

    Sentry's Call - This one I enjoy, but playing solo generally at Challenging level, it simply isn't as powerful as Hunters Faith as far as sniper builds go. It is great during a few of the Global Events with their modifiers however.

    Deadeye - I cannot really play this one due to motion sickness issues caused when surveying the battlefield looking through the 12x zoom scope. So, my compromise is to use either the Mark V scope (5x power) or the C75 (3.4 power) which gives + range and critical hit bonuses respectively. But, we're going for headshots so a VX-12 would be perfect. But, it gives range instead of headshot damage so not great. I have seen people using that build to good effect.

    Reclaimer - For solo and maybe a "training pair" I have what I call a combat medic that is more of an even build (about the same FA/Stam/ELE). It allows me to stay alive, yet stay back with nee players to see if I can give any tips while also keeping them alive as well. I also have the typical all-electronics build (10.2k) for a full group Reclaimer build. I always run 4 x healing speed mods except my combat medic which I run seekers, and either a turret or BFB, will have the appropriate mods.

    Banshee's Shadow - I don't DZ anymore so don't have a need for this, but I still collect and optimize one for each character. I don't know of anyone that does the DZ that uses a full Banshee build. However, there is a Predator/Banshee combo (referred to as Predshee) that is supposed to be pretty effective. Someone might respond with build ideas for it.


    General tips:
    Always upgrade your mods when available. 4% DtE mods exist but are rare. 3% is even a little hard to find. All DtE mods are purple and have lower stats, but they offset that by the extra DtE. It works, trust me. The highest they go to is around 214 or so. Regular mods max out at 267. So, if you find them for sale at or close to that buy up all that you think you'll need. Then, buy a few more. ;-) Remember that Vest and Backpack holds 3 mods each. Vest holds two mods of the F/A, Stam, ELE type and one skill mod. The backpack is opposite. So, you can keep one extra vest for instance, and hold 2 of those mods. More efficient use of space, particularly when those awesome mods come up.

    If going for a firearms build for challenging or above, try to always get as much Damage to Elite as you can for the LZ, even over Crit's if they are mutually exclusive. For the DZ, the focus is entirely flipped. There DtE only works against NPC's and not other players. So, if you want a build that does both, decide the ratio you will play each. If the LZ is 50% or less, then go all crits.

    Weapon talents: For PvE the most common weapon talents are 3 of these 5 (4 for Alpha Bridge): Deadly, Destructive, Ferocious, and Predatory. One can and should replace one of those for Determined for skill builds (lose deadly since it is crit hits which skills can't do). Make sure that all your talents will proc on your weapon with your build. Ferocious is one that with a change here or there can make it not work since it requires higher stats across all 3 attributes (F/A, Stam,ELE). Personally, I always try to get one with it in the free slot at the bottom so I never have to worry about that. I'll point out again just for clarity that skill builds will proc the attributes of the weapon in your hands (even without ever firing it) IF, and only if the requirements are met (if they are not, they will be darkened in your inventory view). Again, for skill builds, this may require obtaining and holding a 228 or lower weapon just for this to happen. You can then switch to a 256 weapon to finish an enemy off if needed.

    Don't forget some type of built in healing. You can get it from builds such as Nomad or Strikers. You can (and should IMHO) roll in 5-10% of Health on Kill (HoK). One of the best ways though is with predatory on your weapon. The combo of instant healing from HoK, combined with the healing over time of Predatory really help out.

    When it comes to resistances, most people seem to agree with me on these for the LZ:

    I always trade #3 for DtE if available, like on knee pads for instance.

    #1 Burn
    #2 Bleed
    #3 Shock
    #4 Disrupt for skill builds only (they are really only used by hunters, so rarely encountered outside of Resistance, Underground, or in some legendary missions. When I first started playing the game, I mistook that Disrupt was to prevent Stagger which was totally wrong. I doubt anyone would make that mistake anymore with all the resources available, but thought I'd mention it.

    I completely ignore Blind/Deaf/Disorient. Blind/deaf seems to rarely happen. Only place I can think of it happening is General Assembly.
    Disorient isn't frequent, troubling, and doesn't last long enough to be more than an inconvenience.

    All resistances... I used to roll this on my stuff, but after playing the game for as long as I haved, I realize that really only burn and bleed are much of a hazard. Shock can occasionally get you when thrown by the shotgun rushers, but if you see the circle, you can generally evade. You are getting 4% resistance for all in a gear talent roll. Sounds like you are getting ~20% total. But, since the last couple are so rarely used, it isn't worth using anymore.

    If running low on space, remove undesired sets first, then start with the easiest to get good rolled gear. What I mean is, for instance kneepads have 4 attributes please the base stat roll. Even on Classy, you can only re-roll 2 of these 5. So, three of the attributes must be right to get what you want. But, a mask for instance, has only 3 attributes. So, only one attribute has to be correct and you can re-roll the other two. Gloves are the other one that is harder to get all rolls correct and there really aren't many beneficial options for all talents for skill builds. For those, you about have to do Haste, Health on Kill, Enemy Armor Damage (EAD) since those all work with skills. Again crit hits do now, and you shouldn't be shooting much but that would be my fall back is +12% of my weapon of choice.
    Share this post

  2. #2
    Rroff's Avatar Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Posts
    678
    Outside of PVP I find the resistances not worth bothering about - in normal PVE they are rarely anything but a minor nuisance - in situations where you actually have to deal with fire they don't seem to actually provide any meaningful difference (better off if you really care using one of the masks though even that is a edge case) - they supposedly shorten the time you are under the relevant status but it doesn't seem to work properly. Then when you actually encounter the use in high end scenarios where having resistances would be worth doing the NPC use against you seem to either be at such a high level that even maxed out only has a tiny effect in reducing it or even just override the intended game mechanics and effect you anyway (which is bad game design IMO).
    Share this post

  3. #3
    Bambihunter71's Avatar Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Rural Oklahoma USA
    Posts
    475
    That's a good point Rroff. But, the fire can keep you from shooting. So, if you are getting rushed or about die, then it is important.
    I think for me, many of the elemental damage in the game is mostly just annoying. At least at the end game...
    Share this post

  4. #4
    Rroff's Avatar Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Posts
    678
    Originally Posted by Bambihunter71 Go to original post
    That's a good point Rroff. But, the fire can keep you from shooting. So, if you are getting rushed or about die, then it is important.
    I think for me, many of the elemental damage in the game is mostly just annoying. At least at the end game...
    That is the thing - I tried running a Striker without any special attention to fire and one with as maxed out as I could get it (not sure if it was fully max) resistance through Napalm and it didn't seem like it made any difference in the last bit. (You are generally best off dragging the bosses to the bottom anyway but that is another story).

    For Dragon's Nest you can either dodge around the room or might as well just run with someone as Reclaimer anyway.
    Share this post

  5. #5
    Gravelmead's Avatar Senior Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    1,088
    I tried one of the main missions last night and couldn't complete it, the enemy was just to strong near the end. It looks as if I will have to a lot smaller stuff to become capable.
    It was the mission to try and recue infected civilians and the part that I couldn't complete was at the end where you drop down into a square. I had the purple and yellow dudes shooting me through cover.

    This game is so much more intense than Div 2.
    Share this post

  6. #6
    xX_RobinHood_Xx's Avatar Banned
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Location
    DARK ZONE
    Posts
    2,874
    Originally Posted by Gravelmead Go to original post
    I tried one of the main missions last night and couldn't complete it, the enemy was just to strong near the end. It looks as if I will have to a lot smaller stuff to become capable.
    It was the mission to try and recue infected civilians and the part that I couldn't complete was at the end where you drop down into a square. I had the purple and yellow dudes shooting me through cover.

    This game is so much more intense than Div 2.
    All missions are a piece of cake tbh. Which one is that?
    Also, what lvl are you and lvl of npc's?
    I remember back in the days (5 years ago) when i first started, i went for electronic (assault turret and seeker mine) make sure to get talented/ferocious/destructive) on a gun, and get a side arm with predatory (seeker mine kill will proc it) if you need healing back.
    Share this post

  7. #7
    Bambihunter71's Avatar Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Rural Oklahoma USA
    Posts
    475
    Originally Posted by Gravelmead Go to original post
    I tried one of the main missions last night and couldn't complete it, the enemy was just to strong near the end. It looks as if I will have to a lot smaller stuff to become capable.
    It was the mission to try and rescue infected civilians and the part that I couldn't complete was at the end where you drop down into a square. I had the purple and yellow dudes shooting me through cover.
    I am pretty sure you are referring to Hudson Refugee Camp. If you are trying it, I'll assume you've made it to the Base of Operations and have already ran Madison Field Hospital. If not, for sure do those first. If you have done those already, then check the missions suggested level compared to yours and make sure you are in the range. If you are too low, or on the low end, then run some side missions to level up a bit.

    Certain times this game seems to promote being more aggressive. I feel this area is one of them. Drop in, ignore all the enemies and make a bee line for the stairs and balcony on the right. Take cover. Then, hit the Named Elite with everything you have. His turret is fairly brutal at low levels. If you eliminate him, you eliminate his turret. Just watch your back. If you get swarmed from behind, you can jump off the balcony.

    If you want to play it safe instead, one trick if playing that mission on normal or hard, it IS possible to not jump down into the square. You can hop up on top and shoot the enemies. If you get low on health, you can drop back behind it and heal or wait for your skills to cool down. You will not have any protection and the enemies will be a ways away so you'll need something other than shotgun, pistol, or SMG. It is a rather slow way, but it does work.
    Later in the game you can use a mobile cover and drop down up there after you acquired that skill. However, on Challenging, the mission won't start until someone drops down there. Also, the melee rushers come from back behind there so you'll effectively be boxed in.
    Share this post

  8. #8
    Bambihunter71's Avatar Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Rural Oklahoma USA
    Posts
    475
    Rroff, my personal feeling is that mission/incursion caused elemental burn you mentioned are handled differently than an enemy fire grenade. I know I had a max burn resistance (which is around 50% - you get 33% on knees and IIRC it is 18% on the mask) on Dragon's Nest and it felt the same as my usual build. I rolled that one specifically for that incursion to run it without support stations or first aid (for GE commendation). But, before I had rolled it back to my usual, I did the WHVT's and the Cleaner grenadiers were 'nade spamming me and it definitely felt different there. I may have to re-test this again. It has been a couple of years since then.
    Share this post

  9. #9
    Gravelmead's Avatar Senior Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    1,088
    Originally Posted by Bambihunter71 Go to original post
    I am pretty sure you are referring to Hudson Refugee Camp. If you are trying it, I'll assume you've made it to the Base of Operations and have already ran Madison Field Hospital. If not, for sure do those first. If you have done those already, then check the missions suggested level compared to yours and make sure you are in the range. If you are too low, or on the low end, then run some side missions to level up a bit.

    Certain times this game seems to promote being more aggressive. I feel this area is one of them. Drop in, ignore all the enemies and make a bee line for the stairs and balcony on the right. Take cover. Then, hit the Named Elite with everything you have. His turret is fairly brutal at low levels. If you eliminate him, you eliminate his turret. Just watch your back. If you get swarmed from behind, you can jump off the balcony.

    If you want to play it safe instead, one trick if playing that mission on normal or hard, it IS possible to not jump down into the square. You can hop up on top and shoot the enemies. If you get low on health, you can drop back behind it and heal or wait for your skills to cool down. You will not have any protection and the enemies will be a ways away so you'll need something other than shotgun, pistol, or SMG. It is a rather slow way, but it does work.
    Later in the game you can use a mobile cover and drop down up there after you acquired that skill. However, on Challenging, the mission won't start until someone drops down there. Also, the melee rushers come from back behind there so you'll effectively be boxed in.
    I nearly completed it by getting to the balcony but the last boss again shot me through the cover. I will try again but this time try and stay away from the outer wall as it doesn't seem to provide any protection. Or I might do a few more small quests to up myself one level. I am level 6 atm.
    Share this post