Chaosforge Forum

Other Roguelikes => AliensRL => Topic started by: Mephansteras on June 17, 2010, 11:24

Title: How do you avoid running out of ammo?
Post by: Mephansteras on June 17, 2010, 11:24

Tried playing this game a bit, and it's fun. But I always seem to die fairly quickly by running out of ammo. Even heading directly to areas like the storehouse tower ends in me getting mauled by aliens.

Anyone got any good tips on how to avoid this?

Title: Re: How do you avoid running out of ammo?
Post by: Kornel Kisielewicz on June 17, 2010, 11:37

Some beginner tips (others will hopefully expand on it):

1) don't use the machinegun, especially at long range -- use the sidearm instead.

2) you don't have to fight everything -- the amount of enemies is unlimited, the amount of ammo -- not. Pick your fights carefully.

Title: Re: How do you avoid running out of ammo?
Post by: Melon on June 17, 2010, 12:01

Don't waste ammo on drones, workers or overseers, unless they attack you or it is really necessary. Drones and workers do fairly low damage, while hunters if lucky can mow you down in few hits. No to mention preatorians...

Title: Re: How do you avoid running out of ammo?
Post by: skarczew on June 17, 2010, 12:31

Quote from: Melon on June 17, 2010, 12:01

Don't waste ammo on drones, workers or overseers, unless they attack you or it is really necessary. Drones and workers do fairly low damage, while hunters if lucky can mow you down in few hits. No to mention preatorians...

Pinkies are great, though there are Stalkers and Elites a player would encounter before them. And yeah - they live up to their names (maybe except for Stalkers, which should be named as Killers, imho ;] ).

As for ammo balancing - get the weapons that use different ammo.
Carry few weapons with you and leave them in places that you will easily remember. If you are running out of ammo - switch the weapon.

Title: Re: How do you avoid running out of ammo?
Post by: Melon on June 17, 2010, 13:44

Also, learn when to use grenades. They can be a real ass saver. Be sure to carry a lot of them when you want enter the lair of the queen.


About the Stalkers: I really don't get those aliens. Hunters are fast, Warriors are better armoured, but slower then Hunters, Elites have even greater armour while Preatorians are one tough son of *******. Where do Stalkers go? I really didn't have much problems with them.

Title: Re: How do you avoid running out of ammo?
Post by: Mephansteras on June 17, 2010, 13:45

I've done a bit of that, which helps. But maybe I'm just too thorough exploring. I imagine taking on too many aliens is my primary problem.

Kind of a shame there isn't a melee option. I wouldn't expect it to work against Warriors and the like, but the ability to smack juveniles around would be nice.

Is there a way to drop medkits?

Title: Re: How do you avoid running out of ammo?
Post by: ZZ on June 17, 2010, 14:20

Do not think that if storage tower is called in that way, it's the best place to find ammo.  If you want 9mm ammo, go to Military tower. Over 1/4 of teh tower can be explored for free due to the layout bugs. If you want 12g ammo and 0.44 ammo, go to engineering tower. If some of them is lowlight/radiation - do not try to exlore them, it's only a waste of medkits. Also, security and main towers are the good storage of exp, so do not forget to visit them. Do not visit potential resourse robbing towers, like storage and civilian, unless it's the endgame.

Hope this helps

Title: Re: How do you avoid running out of ammo?
Post by: skarczew on June 18, 2010, 02:09

Quote from: Melon on June 17, 2010, 13:44

Also, learn when to use grenades. They can be a real ass saver. Be sure to carry a lot of them when you want enter the lair of the queen.

Not really. My scout killed most of Praetorians there with 9mm pistol :P .

Quote from: Melon on June 17, 2010, 13:44

About the Stalkers: I really don't get those aliens. Hunters are fast, Warriors are better armoured, but slower then Hunters, Elites have even greater armour while Preatorians are one tough son of *******. Where do Stalkers go? I really didn't have much problems with them.

Stalkers are upped version of hunters - move the same fast (or a bit faster), attack the same fast, but hit for a bit more damage (around 2-3 points more than Hunter - per hit - if I recall it correctly from my tests). They seem to die as easy as Hunters and I haven't noticed any stealth ability that would explain their name.

Imho, they should have their attack speed upped and changed the name (Killer - 3 attacks per round, anyone ? :P ) - this would create a real danger to all those scouts if one of these aliens spawned near the player :D .

Title: Re: How do you avoid running out of ammo?
Post by: Melon on June 18, 2010, 03:27

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

When you finish off the Queen, those grenades really come in handy!

Title: Re: How do you avoid running out of ammo?
Post by: Cyber Killer on June 18, 2010, 03:58

I think I've finally managed to get a bit forward with this game ;-).

I managed to find out that the tower position doesn't really change:

Code: [Select]

MIL---STOR---
 |     |     \
SEC---MAIN---CIV
 \     |      |
  ----ENG----MED
Playing the Scout really does help (with high Sidearms skill).

I usually run around this path: MED?ENG?SEC?MIL?SEC?ENG?MED and so on ;-). I finally manage to get a couple of kills and extend the playtime to far more than 15 minutes ;-).

Thx for all the tips!

Title: Re: How do you avoid running out of ammo?
Post by: skarczew on June 18, 2010, 08:54

Quote from: Melon on June 18, 2010, 03:27

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

When you finish off the Queen, those grenades really come in handy!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Or you can just close the doors - suprisingly, it worked a lot of times for me :P .

Title: Re: How do you avoid running out of ammo?
Post by: Mephansteras on June 18, 2010, 10:32

Here's another random newbie question: Do the colors of the crates mean anything? Or are they just random?

Title: Re: How do you avoid running out of ammo?
Post by: ZZ on June 18, 2010, 12:36

Yes they mean. Red lockers\yellow crates ones do supply you with medpacks, white lockers\crates supply you with ammo, green crates are armor crates, blue crates give you weapons. Also, dark yellow crates\lockers are special ones and do contain special loot but are opened only by security key. Check the type via the 'L'ook command.

Title: Re: How do you avoid running out of ammo?
Post by: skarczew on June 18, 2010, 14:04

There is also another type of crates/lockers, unlockable with military keys - and they usually have a quite useful stuff.

Title: Re: How do you avoid running out of ammo?
Post by: Melon on June 18, 2010, 15:41

Quote from: skarczew on June 18, 2010, 08:54

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Or you can just close the doors - suprisingly, it worked a lot of times for me :P .

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I do not recall seeing any doors on the top Main Tower :P Besides, some Aliens can open doors (I think...)

Title: Re: How do you avoid running out of ammo?
Post by: skarczew on June 18, 2010, 18:23

Quote from: Melon on June 18, 2010, 15:41

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I do not recall seeing any doors on the top Main Tower :P Besides, some Aliens can open doors (I think...)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

True. But aliens don't spawn in such a high amounts there.
Moreover, decently trained heavy weapon get rids of all the single spawns that appear after killing the Q.
As for welcome committees, the hunters are usually among them as well - and since they are one of fastest aliens out there, they tend to get to the doors first, successfully blocking them from more skilled individuals of the alien race :) .

Title: Re: How do you avoid running out of ammo?
Post by: zaimoni on June 18, 2010, 19:56

Quote from: Melon on June 17, 2010, 12:01

Don't waste ammo on drones, workers or overseers, unless they attack you or it is really necessary.

Or be seen by them.