Two, Two and Two - Raids 96 to 101 - Level 20

Did some raids. Two on Customs, two on Interchange, and two on Reserve.

Raid 96 - Chemical Part 4

Destination: Customs

Goal: Mark a van and survive. Kill scavs.

Loadout: Class 4 armor, AK-102, meds, ears. 

I spawned in the building with the van I need to mark. Convenient. Marked it.  Left the building and waited a bit in a bush for the players to move and the scavs to spawn. As I moved across the railroad tracks to the next building over a scav shouted from somewhere on my right. I immediately ran, heading to some rubble for cover, but he tagged me. I ducked behind the rubble, listening for him. I poked my head out to see if I could spot him, and BUDDA-BUDDA-BUDDA  - got tore up by a suppressed M4, coming from the direction I just came from.  I displaced, staggering, popped a pain and then ran around to the bush corridor on the far side.  I was badly damaged and, worse, I mismanaged my meds, an arm going black before I stopped a bleed.  I healed and waited. But no one approached.  

I just want to get out of here alive and maybe kill some scavs. My extracts are across the river. I carefully crossed to the overturned train car - no sign of my assailant. I cut into Old Gas. Quiet there. No bodies, no scavs, no one. I continued on. Cover to cover, concealment to concealment I carefully made my way to the construction area outside fortress, and cut up.  Ducked into the elbow area and ran to cover behind a dumpster. There was a PMC there. I surprised him and his red armband, his skull lower mask, and his suppressed Mutant. But I was just as surprised and running with my weapon down. I stopped running and started firing, but it was too late. I was dead after firing only a single shot.

Time In Raid: 13 minutes, 34 seconds
Exp: 294
Ammo Used: 1
Killed By: TheBurden.   GG  TheBurden !  I wish I'd known you were back there.  

Mistakes

• moving too quickly as I tried to skirt crack house. I should have paid more attention to where I was going
• didn't ever see that first scav that fired on me, or that first player

Successes

• evading the first player who fired on me

Raid 97 - The Camper

Returning to Customs with a similar loadout. Need to survive to finish this quest.  I spawned across the road from the Customs house.  Crossed the river via the main bridge span. When crossing I heard shotgun fire down in the river valley, but couldn't spot either who was firing or being fired upon.  No matter.  Crossed the map - it was very quiet. The roadway had no scavs patrolling, I thought maybe I saw motion at New Gas, but I scoped it and waited and didn't see anything. No one at Military Checkpoint.  Where are all the scavs?    But I found some class 5 armor in a stash. Awesome. Don't have a rig to go with this, so I need to be careful with any combat - my extra mags are in my backpack now, so that'll be awkward. 

I crossed into the industrial area, heading to ZB-1011, my extract.  Just as I stepped up to the door of the extract to open it there was PING-PING-PING-PING - bullets raking the structure and the door. What the hell? I spun away and dropped into the gas tank depression and got behind the building. Who was firing and from where?  Their most likely location would be in the bushes on the railroad track, firing down onto the door. A great place to camp that exit. But why was there no report from the weapon? Even a suppressed one should be heard from that close.  Probably someone cheating. 

I should go into this building and see if I can fire on them through the glass windows from above.  No, I shouldn't do that.  If they have radar or texture hacks - it'll be far easier for them to spot and kill me than for the reverse.  Flank big. This ADO scope can do 9x and the 855 is fast. Maybe that'll work in my favor.

So I looped all the way over to the railroad car - the one with the impossible-to-grab document needed for the first quest in this questline. I carefully aimed down sight, leaned out, and zoomed on those bushes.  Nothing.  Should I just fire on that position hoping to flush him out?  I decided against it.  I checked my extracts. ZB-013 and Old Gas.  Hmm - I don't have the key for ZB-013.  I went to Old Gas and checked it out - no smoke.  Damnit. What else?  Dorms V-Ex? I don't have 7000 rubles.  What about ZB-1012, it's right near here.  It was not on my list of extracts and it's light was not on. But I opened it and went down anyway.  The extract timer came on and I extracted.  Weird.

Time In Raid: 21 minutes, 3 seconds
Exp: 586
Ammo Used: 1.  No hits.

Mistakes

• Did I assume too quickly the camper was cheating? Just because I heard bullets but no weapon fire? I am not the most attention-to-detail person, maybe I was just mistaken. Maybe I'm seeing cheaters everywhere.
• I should have at least fired shots into the bush from the train.
• I should have entered the building and tried firing on him from upstairs. 

Successes

• Survived
• Where were all the scavs?

Raid 98 - Interchange Happy

After complaining so much about how scav runs waste my time, someone suggested that I simply use my PMC for loot runs. Might pick up some useful XP, and if the loadout is cheap it's low risk.  And I had originally planned to do that when I started this wipe. So I decided, why not? I went and watched a YouTube video on the stash locations to refresh my memory of where those are.

Destination: Interchange
Goal: Loot stashes outside the mall
Loadout: SR1MP pistol, quite worn Class 4 armor, meds, ears.

I spawned behind the mall, next to a tanker truck.  My extract is Railway.  Ok, I'll head down to Emercom Camp and start the stash loop from there.  So I headed down the road, cover to cover, concealment to concealment.  This was smart. A PMC came running up the road and ducked into one of the garages. I watched him disappear into the darkness.  I don't need that fight.

I continued.  Finally reached the Emercom Camp area and hit my first stash. Then I crossed over the road to the trees that run along the blank side of Oli and crouched in the bushes and got the next stash.  So far, so good. The next stash is just on the other side of this campsite. I was about to go when I heard approaching footsteps.  I froze. Someone was coming - heading for this same stash. I moved my head side to side slightly - to really hone in on where my visitor was coming from, as I couldn't see him for the bushes.  He stopped. Does he see me? A grenade.  Not today, muchacho. I stood and advanced and fired quick quick on him. He wasn't under concealment or cover, so I was very lucky. I was firing on a PMC with a suppressed VPO-209 and Class 4 floral armor. Like seeing my past self. The pistol rang out, I brought it to his face. He managed to complete the transition from grenade back to weapon and got off a shot before he died and then the grenade exploded somewhere behind me. I had a stomach wound, not sure if from his shot or from the grenade. I crouched back in the bushes. Whew. I crouch stepped forward to check his body when WOOMP WOOMP WOOMP - someone was firing on me from up the hill slightly. Another suppressed VPO-209 by the sound of it. I backed into the bushes. The shots weren't landing on me, yet.  I don't know how far away he is, I don't have surprise, I have a pistol and if that's .366 AP ammo I won't last long in a head on fight. I stood and ran and weaved, and ran away down into the garage, gunfire following, but nothing landed. 

I went into the garage, looped through the lit hole in the wall, and then back via the parallel garage. It took awhile. From the opening of the parallel garage I looked up to where the stash camp is and the hill above it, but couldn't see a sign of anyone. I wonder where the second Mr. VPO-209 is? I left the garages and put the truck parking between me and his last location and continued.

I killed three scavs on the roadway in front of the mall. All very nice kills, thank you. Not a scratch on me. For my troubles I got a lot of loot including an AK-74 and a third VPO-209.  At the end I was even looting stashes just for the experience, not the loot. 

Time In Raid: 24 minutes, 42  seconds
Exp: 4006
Ammo Used: 21, Hits: 5, Accuracy: 0.24, Damage to Body: 187, Damage to Armor: 7
Kills: Unknown BEAR PMC (Level 31-50), Push Sych (AI Scav), Zaur Mogila (AI Scav), Mishgan Yaponec (AI Scav)

Mistakes

• should I have brought a bigger bag?

Successes

• Killed a PMC with a pistol
• Evaded a PMC

Raid 99 - Interchange Sad

That was fun and profitable. But I am still low on funds. Why not try another go?  

Spawned at the edge of the map at the highway, IDEA side. My extract is Emercom Camp. This will be good practice - I'll try hitting the stashes in reverse order.   So I looped around hitting stashes. There was one I couldn't locate. Oh well. I started making my way down the roadway, cover to cover.  A scav shouted at me - I took cover. I had trouble spotting him. But I carefully jumped cover to cover, until I saw him, then I rounded on him and put a bunch of shots into the air surrounding his face, you know, to scare him or something. I realized my mistakes and jumped to cover just as he fired off that shotgun. Then I rounded on him a second time and this time, finally, managed to kill him.  

I continued down the roadway, grabbing loose loot. The next stash is over this way, off the road, below that van. Just as I jumped over the fence someone fired on me. BAM! BAM! BAM!  It felt like all those shots hit me. Fuck. I staggered down the hill. There's a tree there, I took cover behind it as the next shot tore up the bark. I aimed down sight and right leaned out. I can see him!, but he's too far away for this pistol ... BAM! I was dead ... I will need to close the distance.  

Time In Raid: 11 minutes exactly

Exp: 251

Ammo Used: 11, Hits: 4, Accuracy: 0.36, Damage to Body: 147, Damage to Armor: 77
Kills: Petya Modeler (AI Scav)
Killed By: twcracing1  .  GG twcracing1   good shooting!

Mistakes

• leaning out from the tree was not optimal. But I'm not sure it's a mistake. There wasn't a lot of cover afforded me, I used a right lean, which should keep my exposure minimal.  My fortune and his skill

Successes

• Even if everything is looted, my losses are minimal. 

Intermission

So the jury is out on this "use the PMC for scav runs".  There are pros and cons. On the "Pro" side, any experience goes to my PMC development. I can actually shoot at things freely, unlike my scav raids. I have "first pick" of the stashes/loot. On the "Con" side, the scav runs are generally shorter, using less real-world time. Scav runs are more relaxed, the map is emptier and the AI Scavs aren't hostile. So the "PMC-for-loot" has more upside, but the "Scav-for-loot" has less downside. Interesting.

FWIW, I did run a scav raid on Interchange and it was the best of both worlds. I found a Pilgrim backpack, stuffed, that some PMC had carefully hidden in a bush.  I left him my empty duffle in exchange and ran like mad to extract.  That was a sweet run.

Raid 100 - Return To Reserve

Are the raiders back in the underground bunker? I've gotten conflicting reports. I decided to test it out for myself.

Goal: Kill 2 raiders.   ( also, visit rooms for Ragman, and kill scavs under the hermetic bunker for Skier )

Loadout: AK-102, Class 5 armor. Ears.

I spawned next to Scav Lands extract. Awesome. This is the spawn I was hoping to get. Ran up the road and descended via White Bishop. Turned on my light.  No raiders on the ramp. Damn. Turned off the light. Down to the bunker doorway. No raiders in the hallway near the bathroom. Damnit. I listened. Someone walked in the water, but only briefly, just a step or two. Is that a player?  No - most likely a scav.  I backed up, ran forward and jumped across the water, landing in it just short of the stairs. BOOM-A-BAM-TAT-TAT. I was lit up immediately by multiple raiders. OMG. I have messed this up. I staggered to the cover of the hallway. Keying my painkiller. Nothing happened. I have multiple bleeds. Why didn't I PK? OMG. I forgot to bring meds. I have messed this up.  I turned on my light. Raiders coming through the water? No, the halls - they are going to flank. I ran past the bathroom, and right leaned into the doorframe right as three raiders came out the office door.  I fired, two of them turned their back to me and ran away, down the length of the room. The AK-102 recoil brought it up too high - I stopped firing, brought it down, fired again, it jumped, I stopped, I tried again. This is exactly the wrong way to handle this weapon. They got away. I reloaded.  The third raider, who had not ran away, rounded on me. I ducked around and went up the White Pawn ramp. An excellent evasion. But there is no cover here - if he pushes me I'm dead. I ran up the ramp, trying to reach the safety of the doorframe when he pushed and I died.

After I died I remembered that I had an IFAK as backup in my secure container.  OMG. I messed that up.

Time In Raid: 3 minutes, 42 seconds
Exp: 0
Ammo Used: 34, Hits: 6, Accuracy: 0.09, Damage to Body: 252
Killed By: Tigr (Raider)

Mistakes

• not binding meds to hot key
• not bringing meds to bind to a hot key
• terrible fire control. The worst.  Shooting at their backs I should have downed at least one raider.

Successes

• The raiders are back on Reserve!!  

Raid 101 -  Quest Completed - Level 20

Loadout: Vityaz PP-19 with Pst gzh. Class 4 armored rig.  Meds. More meds. Ears.

Spawned on the hill outside the observatory/radar tower. I walked down the hill and entered White Pawn, descended the stairs, kept my flashlight off.  I quietly walked into the bunker area and went to the top of the White Pawn ramp. Looked down the ramp. Quiet.  How should I go about this? Descend via the ramp, or the White Pawn stairs?   How about the stairs?

I turned and started back along the hallway when I heard running footsteps coming straight at me down the hall. I aimed and fired. Oh - this is that OKP-7 sight - interesting, I'll need to adjust. I put down withering fire on the player, he fired back, shooting up my legs, and then he disappeared into the White Pawn stairwell.  Don't chase him! Flank!

I ran down the ramp. The raiders were there with an open embrace, ready to welcome me back.  I wasn't expecting them, but I didn't let it phase me. I ducked into the storage room, spun out and took two of them down (Quest Complete Sound), reloaded, back through the storage, turned, a raider pushed down that bathroom hall, and tried that powerslide trick on me, but I kept the weapon trained on his face and down he went. 

While all that was happening, the other PMC was fighting a scav. I looked at the raider bodies. Now what? Should I loot? Should I fight that other PMC? Fuck that. I'm done here.  I have bleeds, my legs are messed up. I need to go heal.  I quietly crossed the water. Just as I began to ascend the White Bishop ramp grenades started going off in the bathroom and storage room halls. He was grenading those raider bodies to a pulp.  Sorry, nameless PMC, if you were coming to kill the raiders you are too late.  Go pull the D-2 switch, like a chump.

I took shelter in the White Bishop basement and healed. My wounds weren't as bad as I thought. Scratches really.  For some reason I was worried about that PMC following me. It never occurred to me that I should sneak back down and catch him while he was looting those raiders. That would have been a good play. 

Instead I decided to get on the business that Skier wants: kill scavs in the other underground bunker.  So I headed out and started my way to the train platforms.  Someone shot at me as I made my way there. Zeroed my armor and almost tore out my thorax. But I managed to evade and scoot behind a building. From the sound of it I think whoever just shot at me was up high - probably on White or Black Bishop.  I scooted over to the train ramps and took the underground passage that leads to the bunkers down there.  I turned on the light.

I carefully pied each corner. No scavs. I stepped into the bunker area, and then stepped back out the door. No shouts. No shots. I began to work my way cover to cover toward the roadway ramps. If this is empty what will the play be? Go back the way I came and see if any of the Ragman rooms have been unlocked?  BUDDA-BUDDA-BUDDA - autofire tore into me from across the garage road. I stepped behind a shelf of computers, turned off the light. A grenade was thrown. I ran. BUDDA-BUDDA I took cover behind the next computer shelf. My assailant is directly behind this shelf, lurking in the darkness and the miscellaneous equipment over there.  I've taken hits and my armor is already worthless, but no bleeds. What should I do?

I didn't get time to think about it. A grenade and another, and another. Is there more than one guy down here? I was forced to displace again. BUDDA-BUDDA-BUDDA-BUDDA and I was down.

Time In Raid: 7 minutes, 34 seconds. (felt like an hour)

Exp: 3110
Ammo Used: 79, Hit: 8, Accuracy: 0.1 Damage to Body: 405
Kills (Raiders): Loggerhed, Rys, Piton    Godspeed gentlemen. Thanks for the help with the quest.
Killed By: AnyOfIt   Good game AnyOfIt !  

Mistakes

• Not sure what I should have done when facing AnyOfIt .  Flee back the way I came? Turn on the light and round on him maybe?  
• should definitely have tried sneaking up on PMC-1. I killed those raiders, their loot is mine, by rights. He should have to ask my permission before looting them.
• probably should have taken on PMC-1 earlier. I knew he was in the big room, somewhere.

Successes

• Killed 3 raiders
• Finally finished the damn quest
• Made Level 20!!