Verging - Raids 86 - 88 - Level 18

Now that the flea market requirement has been lowered to 15, I no longer need to press to level 20.  Modulo rubles (and cheaters), I can play the game as I want.   So should I chad it up and go Timmy hunting?  I'll probably continue questing.  My highest paying quests are the Ragman quests on Interchange, but I did most of those last wipe.  I should focus on my low level Skier quests to level him up, and also unlock the Peacekeeper questline, things I've never done before. 

Raid 86 - The Sixth Time is the Charm

Goal: get "the information" Skier needs from some train car on Customs.

Loadout: suppressed AK-102 with ADO scope, class 4 armor, ears, meds, the usual. 

This is my sixth attempt at this, the others having all been undone by encounters with players (and one death to some scavs). How embarrassing.   Spawned above the river, near smugglers extract. I set out immediately. I crossed the map avoiding both scavs and players, killing three scavs near the military checkpoint and the industrial area, and one other that I put shots on but couldn't down. He ran away.  Still having trouble with the correct way of aiming the AK-102 - I tend to aim for the head first, but if that shot misses the recoil makes for too many misses. I'm slowly lowering the shots and letting the recoil bring it up to the head. And I fumble with the scope too and don't like its integrated collimator. 

Got the info and a bag full of loot and extracted.

Time In Raid: 19 minutes, 34 seconds
Exp: 1462
Ammo Used: 45, Hits: 14, Accuracy: 0.2, Damage to body: 547 
Killed (AI Scavs): Parfeniy Silvestr, Mishanya Bratan, Sergey Gus.  Godspeed gentlemen.  

Mistakes

• combat is not feeling fluid
• medium range shots are not landing

Successes

• despite my complaints, no shots were landed on me the entire raid.
• survived
• did not die 

Raid 87 - The doorway

Goal: retrieve more information for Skier from room 220 on dorms.

Spawned outside Old Gas.  Checked the stash and the giving tree, and made my way into Old Gas. Then realized that's not the best route to dorms, and went back the other way.  I crossed the construction area outside stronghold, heading south. Using my scope I checked the sniper tower three times to make sure it was clear - once I pass it, it'll be behind me and I don't want to be shot in the back.  I crossed the road into the bus depot and BAM, someone was firing on my back from the sniper tower. I jumped behind a bus, moved to another, aimed down sight with my scope, leaned out and killed the sniper. Pretty nice kill.  Despite my AK-102 being suppressed, that seemed to cause some excitement. A scav from the far side of the first bus made some noise and began shuffling around. Did he just spawn in? Did he spawn because I killed the sniper?  I should have taken the opportunity to ask him, but instead I killed him.

Made my way to dorms. Went around the back of the three story building. I had been hearing some weapon fire in dorms as I crossed the map, but not too much.  Bait shots?  I went up the fire escape and opened the second floor door, staying clear of the door way.  Then I carefully peeked in - seemed clear. I started to step in when BUDDA-BUDDA-BUDDA autofire paralyzed me and killed me.   At least I could see the muzzle flash and silhouette of my killer.  This is the third time I've stepped into one of these fire escape doors and been immediately erased.  What's the smarter play here? Wait outside longer? Go in through the windows or the front door? I really don't know dorms well.

Time In Raid: 8 minutes, 16 seconds
Exp: 502
Ammo Used: 18, Hit: 6, Accuracy: 0.28 Damage to Body: 259
Kills (AI Scavs): Antich Gefors, Kaban NKVD.  Godspeed gents
Killed By: factorygaming_   .  Good game factorygaming_  .  Let me know your tips for entering dorms.

Mistakes

• did not turn on flashlight when initially peeking door
• is there a room there? Maybe I need to run in, to take immediate cover in a room?
• having played this game for a year now and still not knowing dorms

Successes

• was unscathed by the scavs.  ( but scathed completely by factorygaming_ )

Raid 88 - Mauled By Bear

Loadout: an unsuppressed AK-102, class 4 armor, meds and stuff.  7001 rubles for car extract. Forgot to bring a flashlight

Spawned next to the broken wall - this is one of the closest dorms spawns. Should I rush in? Yes I should!  I ran.  Got behind three story dorms, popped a pain and ascended the fire escape. Opened it, no reaction, entered. I didn't think to close the door, hoping to be in and out before anyone else arrives.  I found room 220, unlocked it, entered and closed the door behind me. Got the two items, looted the duffle. Scav noises down the hall somewhere. I opened the door and started making my way back. Room 220 is on a little dead end with a window - I turned left and then left but realized this was taking me deeper into the dormitory. Where is the doorway outside?  Fortunately for me, there was another PMC standing in that doorway and using his shotgun he gently informed me of my mistake. I spun, point firing, and stepping behind the cover of a pillar. My shots went everywhere - I painted that whole hallway with a new coat of lead paint. Not sure if any shots landed on my adversary though. My arm was blacked, I had a heavy bleed, things are not good. From some memory of a YouTube video I saw once came the advice: Don't stand in the hallway!  I darted into a room and reloaded.  That shotgun was tolling loudly. I can barely hear myself think. The player crossed by the entrance of my room, firing but his shot wasn't true - it mostly went into the wall, mostly.  He disappeared on the other side of the doorframe.  Don't wait for him to come kill you - push now ... and prefire!   Prefiring, I swung out into the hall bringing a hail of M855 to my opponent.  But maybe I shouldn't start prefiring when I'm in the back of the room - it took me awhile to reach the door and then swing out. My reticle was on his face right as my magazine emptied.  Click!  I fired again, just to be sure. Click!   My enemy wasted no time - he drew his knife and slashed at me.  For the briefest of seconds I considered just giving up and letting him kill me, but didn't only because I don't want to do this stupid quest a third time.  I ran out the door, down the fire escape, esmarched, reloaded and paid the driver 7000 rubles. Then I sat in a bush and healed for a minute.  Surprisingly, my adversary did not pursue. More surprisingly, my adversary bled out and died.  So apparently I must have landed at least one shot.

Time In Raid: 3 minutes 46 seconds ( a minute of that was just waiting on the car )
Exp: 1069
Ammo Used: 47, Hits: 7, Accuracy: 0.11  Damage to Body: 338
Kills: Unknown Bear Level 0-10

Mistakes

• forgetting flashlight and not turning on aiming laser
• getting lost in dorms. 
• Not peeking hallways and doors at the T intersection. It is inexcusable that I was surprised by that guy.
• terrible fire control - blacked arm notwithstanding, too few shots were landed
• poor "prefiring". Need practice
• consider using a bigger magazine?

Successes

• taking the painkiller was probably helpful
• good instinct on moving immediately to cover. Finally
• remembering to not stay in hallway, and to use the rooms as cover.  
• remembering to prefire and push.

Postscript

After these two quests I still have not unlocked Skier Level 2 and, annoyingly, I was only 300XP away from Level 19.  So close!  There wasn't time for another raid, but instead I went and examined some items and weapon parts, but still didn't reach the threshold. 177 XP to go.   But my hideout is producing some beef stew, and after that I'll finish another quest for Therapist. Hasta proxima.