Reviewing this so I'll actually remember it for later....
Combat Shotguns [CS] (where they are appropriate) seem to benefit from different tactics than the more typical weapons.
Screen captures are from the replay of the winner I posted on earlier.
Door-Opening Technique
Maximum visibility
+------- Military Tower, level 1 ----------------------------------------------\
| : : #.# : : | |
| : : #.# : : | Rashak, Private Marine |
| : : #.# | | | |
| : | #.# : :::::::-::| Health : ##################-- 91 / 99 |
| : : #.# : : | Ammo : ###########---------112 /200 |
| : : #.# : : | |
| : : #.# : : | |
| : : #.# : : | Armor : Flak jacket [1] |
| : : #.# ..# :::-::::::| Sidearm : M4A3 pistol (12/12) |
| : : #.# ....# : | Primary : 12g. combat shotgun (5/5) |
| : : #.#.....# : | Heavy : |
| : : |@/.....# : | Grenades: 1.Frg(5) 2.Inc(0) 3.Krak(5) |
| : : #.#.*...# : | |
| ::::::::::#.#:##### ::::::::::| |
| : ... | Medpacks: 10 |
| : ... |---------------------------------------|
| ::::::::::###:::::::: ::::::::| Choose direction to open/close or |
| : : : : : :| activate... You close the door. |
| : : : : : :| You open the door. |
| : : : : : :| Choose direction to open/close or |
| : : : : : :| activate... You close the door. |
| : : : : : || You prepare your primary weapon! |
| : : : : : :| You open the door. |
Maximum visibility may not be that smart for projectile weapons, but for CS it works well. It's not really worth firing CS on only one target.
The krak grenade just revealed also looks interesting.
Zugzwang
+------- Military Tower, level 1 ----------------------------------------------\
| : : : : : : | |
| : : : : : : | Rashak, Private Marine |
| : : : : ..| | | |
| : | : : +.# :::::::-:::| Health : ##################-- 91 / 99 |
| : : : : ...# : | Ammo : ###########---------112 /200 |
| : : : : ...# : | |
| : : : : ..a.# : | |
| : : : : ....# : | Armor : Flak jacket [1] |
| : : #.:.a...# :::-:::::::| Sidearm : M4A3 pistol (12/12) |
| : : #.:.....# : | Primary : 12g. combat shotgun (5/5) |
| : : #.#.....# : | Heavy : |
| : : |.@.....# : | Grenades: 1.Frg(5) 2.Inc(0) 3.Krak(5) |
| : : #.#.*...# : | |
| ::::::::::#.:###### :::::::::::| |
| : .. | Medpacks: 10 |
| : . |---------------------------------------|
| ::::::::::#:::::::::: :::::::: | Choose direction to open/close or |
| : : : : : : | activate... You close the door. |
| : : : : : : | You open the door. |
| : : : : : : | Choose direction to open/close or |
| : : : : : : | activate... You close the door. |
| : : : : : | | You prepare your primary weapon! |
| : : : : : : | You open the door. |
Two juveniles...each should take two or three CS blasts to go down. Fortunately, CS works just fine when Unskilled in Light Weapons.
Explore
+------- Military Tower, level 1 ----------------------------------------------\
| : : : #... : : | |
| : : : #.....| | | Rashak, Private Marine |
| : | : #...+.# :::::::-::::| |
| : : : #.|...# : | Health : ##################-- 91 / 99 |
| : : : #.....# : | Ammo : ###########---------112 /200 |
| : : : #.....# : | |
| : : : #..a..# : | |
| : : : #.....# :::-::::::::| Armor : Flak jacket [1] |
| : : # #a....# : | Sidearm : M4A3 pistol (12/12) |
| : : #.#.....# : | Primary : 12g. combat shotgun (5/5) |
| : : |./.....# : | Heavy : |
| : : : #@*...# : | Grenades: 1.Frg(5) 2.Inc(0) 3.Krak(5) |
| ::::::::::: ####### ::::::::::::| |
| : | |
| : | Medpacks: 10 |
| ::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::: :|---------------------------------------|
| : : : : : : :| Choose direction to open/close or |
| : : : : : : :| activate... You close the door. |
| : : : : : : :| You open the door. |
| : : : : : : :| Choose direction to open/close or |
| : : : : : | :| activate... You close the door. |
| : : : : : : :| You prepare your primary weapon! |
| : : :. : : : :| You open the door. |
Trying to get more targets for the CS. Didn't work out this time. No workers, fortunately (would have retreated if one had been seen)
That wasn't close enough
+------- Military Tower, level 1 ----------------------------------------------\
| : : : #.... : : :| |
| : : : #.....| | :| Rashak, Private Marine |
| : | : #...+.# :::::::-:::::| |
| : : : #.|...# : || Health : ##################-- 91 / 99 |
| : : : #.....# : :| Ammo : ###########---------112 /200 |
| : : : #.....# : :| |
| : : : #.....# : :| |
| : : : #.a...# :::-:::::::::| Armor : Flak jacket [1] |
| : : : #.....# : :| Sidearm : M4A3 pistol (12/12) |
| : : #.#.a...# : :| Primary : 12g. combat shotgun (5/5) |
| : : |./.....# : :| Heavy : |
| : : : #.@...# : :| Grenades: 1.Frg(5) 2.Inc(0) 3.Krak(5) |
| ::::::::::: ####### :::::::::::::| |
| : | |
| : | Medpacks: 10 |
| ::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::: ::|---------------------------------------|
| : : : : : : : | activate... You close the door. |
| : : : : : : : | You open the door. |
| : : : : : : : | Choose direction to open/close or |
| : : : : : : : | activate... You close the door. |
| : : : : : | : | You prepare your primary weapon! |
| : : : : : : : | You open the door. |
| : : :. : : : : | There is krak grenade lying here. |
I probably would have opened fire on a warrior at this point, rather than moving. I'm going to gamble on needing only two blasts to kill the nearest juvenile. Staying still didn't make sense (I want them on the same line).
Only two blasts
+------- Military Tower, level 1 ----------------------------------------------\
| : : : #.... : : :| |
| : : : #.....| | :| Rashak, Private Marine |
| : | : #...+.# :::::::-:::::| |
| : : : #.|...# : || Health : ##################-- 91 / 99 |
| : : : #.....# : :| Ammo : ###########---------112 /200 |
| : : : #.....# : :| |
| : : : #.....# : :| |
| : : : #.....# :::-:::::::::| Armor : Flak jacket [1] |
| : : : #.%...# : :| Sidearm : M4A3 pistol (12/12) |
| : : #.#.....# : :| Primary : 12g. combat shotgun (3/5) |
| : : |./.%...# : :| Heavy : |
| : : : #.@...# : :| Grenades: 1.Frg(5) 2.Inc(0) 3.Krak(5) |
| ::::::::::: ####### :::::::::::::| |
| : | |
| : | Medpacks: 10 |
| ::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::: ::|---------------------------------------|
| : : : : : : : | You open the door. |
| : : : : : : : | Choose direction to open/close or |
| : : : : : : : | activate... You close the door. |
| : : : : : : : | You prepare your primary weapon! |
| : : : : : | : | You open the door. |
| : : : : : : : | There is krak grenade lying here. |
| : : :. : : : : | The juvenile dies. The juvenile dies. |
I was expecting the further juvenile to survive the second blast. If it had, I would have switched to the M4A3.
The flip side: CS is bad to have ready when leaving a room into a corridor. E.g.
Open door, step two forward....
+------- Military Tower, level 2 ----------------------------------------------\
|: : . : #.# : : : | |
|: : . | .#.#-:::: : : | Rashak, Rookie Marine |
|: : : #.# ::-::: : | |
|: :. : #.# : : : | Health : ###################- 94 / 99 |
|: : : #.# : : : | Ammo : ###############-----299 /400 |
|: : . : #.# | : : | |
|: :=== : #.#:-::: : : | |
|: :=== : #A# : : : | Armor : Flak armor [2] |
|: :=== #. #%# ::-::: : | Sidearm : M4A3 pistol (12/12) |
|: : #... #.# : : : | Primary : 12g. combat shotgun (5/5) |
|: : #....#.# : : : | Heavy : |
|: : #..../@| : : : | Grenades: 1.Frg(4) 2.Inc(0) 3.Krak(4) |
|: : #....#.# : : : | |
|: : #... #.# : : : | |
|::::::::::::::-:::#.#:::::::::: ::::::| Medpacks: 10 |
| ... .|---------------------------------------|
| ... .| You heavily hit the warrior! The |
|::::::::::::::::::###:::::::::::::::::| warrior dies. |
|: | You reload your weapon. |
|: | You prepare your primary weapon! |
|: | You let go of your weapon and grab |
|: | the sidearm! |
|: | You open the door. |
This hunter really is a bit close for my taste, but with a sufficiently hard first hit from the M4A3 it still might be possible to not choose between melee damage and a krak grenade. It's early enough in the level that I can plausibly recover from this before Military 3.
+------- Military Tower, level 2 ----------------------------------------------\
|: : . : #.# : : : | |
|: : . | .#.#-:::: : : | Rashak, Rookie Marine |
|: : : #.# ::-::: : | |
|: :. : #.# : : : | Health : ###################- 94 / 99 |
|: : : #.# : : : | Ammo : ###############-----299 /400 |
|: : . : #.# | : : | |
|: :=== : #.#:-::: : : | |
|: :=== : #.# : : : | Armor : Flak armor [2] |
|: :=== #. #A# ::-::: : | Sidearm : M4A3 pistol (11/12) |
|: : #... #.# : : : | Primary : 12g. combat shotgun (5/5) |
|: : #....#.# : : : | Heavy : |
|: : #..../@| : : : | Grenades: 1.Frg(4) 2.Inc(0) 3.Krak(4) |
|: : #....#.# : : : | |
|: : #... #.# : : : | |
|::::::::::::::-:::#.#:::::::::: ::::::| Medpacks: 10 |
| ... .|---------------------------------------|
| ... .| warrior dies. |
|::::::::::::::::::###:::::::::::::::::| You reload your weapon. |
|: | You prepare your primary weapon! |
|: | You let go of your weapon and grab |
|: | the sidearm! |
|: | You open the door. |
|: | You barely scratch the hunter! |
Not a good enough hit to continue shooting (sigh). But it's now close enough to safely use the krak grenade on (assuming Basic Fitness and Basic Perception)...which I promptly do. The chances of roasting myself with a lesser rating in either skill at range 3, is pretty good.