Update: Raids 88 and 89. Reencountering Old Adversaries

Got a new mouse today, Om3ga recommended it.  On my keyboard, it's extremely awkward to press left alt when my hand would otherwise be over WASD.  I usually have to lift my hand to do anything involving the left alt key, such as checking a magazine level or changing scope magnification. It's one of the reasons I prefer a canted sight over a variable one. Control clicking is easier. 

I struggled with the variable scope on my recent duo raids, and in the past having to move my hand to check magazine level actually resulted in my death. Looking forward to making those things smoother, and maybe start using the fancy "alt lean" and "alt side" features one day.

Destination: Customs (at night)

The goals are simple:

• kill two or more scavs to complete Therapist quest
• survive raid to complete BP Depot quest

Progress: 

• only completed one of the goals.

Raid 88

Loadout:  Class 5 Gzhel armor, Armasight NVGs, VSS with PSO scope and canted dot-sight. Two mags of SPP, several mags of SP-5.  Meds, grenade, backpack, energy drink. Customs Key, more SPP rounds, and CMS kit in alpha container.

Spawned across road from customs house. I started real slow. After a short while heard someone sniping on this side of the river, no doubt shooting across it.  As they fired semi-regularly, I made my way to customs house and went up to office. Looted it, but forgot to check the desk for intel (which is whole point of going out of my way here).  I shot out the lights in the office and tried to spot the sniper, but couldn't see him.  

I proceeded to the river, away from the main bridge, killed a scav on the way.  Except for that kill  I was being pretty quiet as I couldn't hear the sniper. He started firing across again, and while I couldn't quite place him, I could tell he was up somewhere closer to the main span. Maybe on that little toll house?  I don't want him shooting me in the back as I cross.

I crept down to the lowest crossing close to me. I was getting ready to cross when I accidentally mis-clicked and fired my weapon. Not used to the new mouse - it's very sensitive.  Well, now the sniper knows where I am.  I stood up and ran across the river, zig zagging up to safety. Received no fire, but I wasn't going to tarry. Crossed up onto the road. There was a scav there and I killed him. The Quest Complete sound rang. Excellent. Now all I need to do is survive.

Normally, I'd bear towards crack house, and then maybe old gas. But I really don't need to be shot in the back by a cultist again, so I'm avoiding that area.  Using hard cover, I proceeded parallel to the river to the construction area with the small skeleton building. There's a good chance that sniper is scanning this exact vicinity, but I was quick and careful and got safely there with no trouble other than killing another scav.

I was safely in that small construction area.  No sound of anyone. I scanned the area - didn't see anyone. No scavs. But I was nervous - where I have entered is a bit exposed, and I'm likely silhouetted against the wall. Need to get to hard cover. I began to move when BAM  - I had mis-clicked again and accidentally fired my weapon.  The reaction was instant. A scav shouted in my ear - OMG close - I hit the run key but didn't even take a step before being brought down by a shotgun to my head.   Where was that scav? Did he just spawn in? Was he in the bush next to me? 

Time In Raid: 19 minutes, 10 seconds

Exp: 732

Killed: Vantuz Somrak, Afansly Siska, Miyay Sepultura

Ammo Used: 26  Hit: 13  Accuracy: 0.38  Damage to Body: 642

Killed By: Ruslan Bigmak (scav) with 12x70 buckshot (of course)

Mistakes

• not practicing more with the new mouse
• died

Successes

• completed Therapist quest

Raid 89

Frustrated with Raid 88 I hopped immediately into another raid. I just grabbed gear I had at hand. I was out of grenades, but didn't want to bother finding them on the flea market. 

Loadout: Class 4 M2 armored rig. Armasight NVG setup, "meta" Vepr Hunter with silencer and PSO scope, one ten-round magazine of M62 and 3 mags of M80.   Meds. Backpack.  Tiny Kurz MP5 in rig.

Goal: Extract

Spawned behind Old Gas.  Turned on the NVG sights and checked out the scope to make sure it was ranged right. I regretted immediately choosing the Vepr Hunter. With the silencer and the scope, this thing is so slow and difficult to use.  I put the scope in my backpack. That improved things a bit, but not much.  

The route I wanted to take would cut across construction near stronghold and crackhouse - but I don't need a fight with cultists, so I decided to go the long way round.  Which for me will be particularly long, because I don't have the shortcut key and I have never once succeeded in the jump from the car to the portable toilets and then over the wall. So I'll have to swing all the way to military checkpoint. Fine.

I headed out. Cover to cover, concealment to concealment.  Didn't see anyone. I reached the first hole in the wall, the one between new gas and the military checkpoint. I crouched under a tree and spied the area.  A player was moving across the road at the far end, bearing in the same direction that I was planning. Damnit. I aimed down sight and fired.  The player ran towards the sandbags below the checkpoint - I fired more shots, but not sure if I was landing any.  

I moved back behind the wall - don't want him setting up on me.  I ran on the little road on my side, to make loud footsteps to confuse him - think I was flanking at the other hole, but then quieted down and snuck back to the first hole. I peeked it. He was still in the sandbags, but not watching me. I crept forward again, crouched at the base of a tree and fired again, but missing. Damn weapon - I couldn't land shots from this position with the iron sights. If only I had a grenade. Dumb.  Let's John Wick it. I ran forward and took cover behind some cement structures. I tried firing, but he knew where I was and that damn Hunter is too awkward. I switched to the Kurz and ran up to where he was crouched behind the sandbags. But I started firing too quickly  - before I had even aimed down sight. The rounds emptied into the sandbags - I raised the weapon and centered the reticle on his face with an empty magazine. Oh no. 

Time In Raid: 7 minutes, 19 seconds

Exp: 75

Ammo Used: 29   Hits: 1  Accuracy: 0.03    Damage to Body: 79

Killed By: RCUNN18  with Pst gzh to the face. Congrats on the kill. Please don't shoot me with that Vepr Hunter when we next meet. 

Mistakes

• forgot to eat and drink between raids
• poor choice of weapons for Customs. 
• At minimum I should have put a cobra sight on it, instead of the PSO.
• Why was I in such a hurry?  I'm not sure if he actually knew where I was. At the time I felt sure that he must, but until I ran forward he never fired on me.  
• I could have put the PSO back on, stayed where I was, and tried firing from there.
• Maybe the Kurz isn't such a good call for a backup weapon. Maybe just a pistol?  Certainly, whatever the choice, I need to practice with it more.
• Perhaps I should have tried point shooting with the Vepr Hunter.  Probably would not have changed outcome - with the silencer that thing is unwieldy.
• Should have brought a grenade.
• died
• could not complete simple task. Very discouraging
• becoming discouraged after raid
• only landed one shot.

Successes

• Even though I messed up the combat in every way imaginable, I took initiative twice and attacked.  That's much better than lurking and hoping he won't see me (which is still an appropriate choice sometimes).

Note

I think RCUNN18 is the same player ( cunniff1811 ) as killed me in Raid 81.  There are too many similarities in the name. Both night raids on Customs too, played around the same real world time on the same server.  I wonder why he changed his player name?

PostScript

This last raid really annoys me. If I had taken out the weapons I practice with ( VPO-209, Vityaz, VSS, and the new DT MDR .308) I would likely have fared better in the battle.  Oh well, it's part of learning. 

I've been trying to move past the noob weapons (VPO-209 and the Vityaz) and step up.  I like the VSS a lot, though it's difficult with slow muzzle velocity and dramatic bullet drop.  I positively love the DT MDR .308, that thing is great. But it costs around 160K on the flea, and after mods it's easily a 200K weapon, and then there is the ammo. M61 and M62 are not budget effective ammos.  So with that .308 MDR, plus ammo, plus some decent armor means my loadouts would float around 400K, maybe as much as 500K.  I only have 1.6 million rubles right now. I'm very nervous about kitting out with such expensive gear especially given my pattern of losses.   

I think I'll adopt the VSS for awhile, and I'm going to practice with the SVDS - maybe it can replace the  VPO-209 role.  And, I should probably check out the AK-103 series. I still have a ton of BP ammo, making that weapon much more cost effective.