Reservations - Raids 19, 20, 21 - Level 10

I made level 10 last raid, which means "The Bunker, Part 1" is now available to me.  I've been looking forward to this, because I know the bunker well and I can handle the raiders in CQB down there. Maybe I can get some decent weapons and armor.

But this assumes there are raiders. In the last wipe the raiders were often absent, and even in the one trip I made earlier this wipe, they weren't present.  In previous wipes, in offline mode, so long as the "Enable Bosses" option was elected, the raiders were 100% always there.  This wipe things are different. Even in offline mode, the raiders may not be there.  A bug perhaps? 

I made a discovery in offline mode. The bunker was empty, the D-2 switch didn't change anything. Annoyed, I began to search farther away, outside the extremes of the bunker. Once I found a single raider in the basement of Black Pawn, in the exercise rooms. And another time I found three of them in a back hallway in the basement in White Bishop - one of them stuck on a door.  Are they further away and spread out?

Raid 19 -  Everyone Basement

Loadout: My newly acquired Ghzel Class 5 armor and trusty Vityaz with a flashlight/laser combo, ears, meds. backpack, one grenade.

Spawned outside trains. Made my way to White Bishop, turned on the light and descended into the basement.  I was about to descend the ramp to the bunker when I heard some movement sound coming from those back halls where I had encountered the raiders offline.  Awesome! I went there, leaned around the corner and blasted the first raider in the face. Hmm - that doesn't look like a raider, that looks more like a scav.  More footsteps, in the back hallway, reloaded, stepped into the hallway and blasted the guy back there.  Are these scavs?  More footsteps, another intruder came down the stairs - I took him down as well.  So the first two were players, the last one a scav (maybe investigating the gunfire?) The two players were a Level 22 USEC with an SKS and a Level 5 USEC with a shotgun, but both mostly naked otherwise.  

That was quite the start to my raid.  I descended to the bunker, looted and got my subtasks for the quest done, pulled the D-2 switch.  No raiders spawned.  Now what?  Maybe go look for the raiders?  I dropped off my backpack into a garbage heap and went scouting. No one under Black Pawn, nor Black Bishop. Made my way back up the ramp towards White Bishop.  Footsteps.  Raiders?  A zipper sound. Not a raider.  I quieted down and ascended the ramp. When I got near the top I moved quick, flashlight on, and went to the door expecting to find a player scav.  But it was further than I remembered and my movement came to early - he heard me. I came around the door frame and unloaded - good shots - but my adversary had armor, helmet, face shield and a purple backback. I'm not going to win this battle with 9mm Pst gzh. He was (mostly) ready and returned fire. The Ghzel saved my life. I backed away from the door frame. He pursued, I ran around the corner reloading, his bullets chasing me down the short hall. The sound of my charging handle stopped his advance - now he has to worry about his own ammo. But I wasn't going to press the fight. I backed down the ramp, threw a grenade to cover my flight, and ran back into the bunker.

I retrieved my backpack and started making my way to D-2, checking for exit campers at every corner. I arrived at the D-2 barrack entrance - the big chamber with the safe on the other side. I opened my door. Across the chamber I could see that the opposite door was closed. Good sign - probably no one here. I glanced into the chamber - seemed clear. Stepped to the D-2 barrack door and WHIRRRR was cut down by a .45 caliber SMG. 

Time In Raid: 15 minutes, 38 seconds
Exp: 1972
Shots: 70, Hits: 6, Damage to Body: 263. No damage to armor
Kills: Bread_Skate (Level 22 USEC), Plenk117 (Level 5 USEC), Vanya Seryy (AI Scav)
Killed By: LookUpMore  with .45 ACP Match FMJ.   GG LookUpMore.

Mistakes

• I thought I had good shots on Purple Backpack, but the post mortem screen says otherwise.  I must have missed him entirely.  I think the sight of the purple backpack and the faceshield made me shy from committing.
• I was too eager to get out - should have checked more carefully before stepping to that barrack door. In the past I've sometimes even dropped my backpack to open that door and clear the next room, perhaps I should have done the same.

Successes

• Great combat against the first three adversaries - I fired quick, brought the laser right to the head, and reloaded immediately after. Came away from three kills without a scratch.
• Mr. Purple Backpack hit me with M856A1, slightly damaging my arms. The Ghzel definitely saved my bacon.
• Despite being on a quest that depends on survival, I made the effort to go hunt raiders. That's personal growth. In the past I might have just tried to slink out without being seen.

Raid 20 - The Bunker Part 1.2

Loadout: Class 3 armor, Vityaz with laser/flashlight.

Spawned near trains again. Made my way to the bunker, checking for raiders as I went.  Someone was in the bunker when I arrived. I hustled past the King antechamber and circled to the hallways along White Pawn. Redescended into the bunker, listening to someone run around as I approached. I quieted down, but as I finally reached the big room, the footsteps retreated.  The big technical containers were looted. I looted some file cabinets and a toolbox. The D-2 lever was pulled already.  Now what?  Someone started screaming in pain somewhere above in black pawn and I heard footsteps approaching from the King direction. I advanced toward the King stairway. Some jerk-off started using the VOIP to shout 15 second blasts of static at me. Awesome.  What keybind to report VOIP abuse? I don't remember. He's somewhere above, I can't see him, and the static is so loud and indiscriminate I can't place his location.  Screw this. I'm out. I went to D-2 and extracted.

Time In Raid: 15 minutes, 57 seconds
Exp: 561
No shots fired. 

Mistakes

• The scream in pain sounded like a USEC voice. I bet that was a stuck raider that someone was stabbing. Are the raiders bugged?

Successes

• Survived
• Completed my highest paying quest. Almost Level 11.

Raid 21 -  Loot Fail

Prapor did not give me "Part 2" of the bunker quest after I completed Part 1.  Is that tied to a certain level? Not exactly sure what to do.  I need a lot of loot, I need scav kills on Woods, and my SKS and pistol came back from insurance. So maybe I'll make another run at Woods. I can't believe I've died in both of my recent attempts - that map is usually pretty easy to avoid contact.

Destination: Woods

Loudout: Class 3 armor, SKS with PSO scope, Grach 9mm pistol.

Spawned near RUAF extract. I completely forgot the boxes there and instead went straight to Emercom camp.  Switched to my pistol and started looting the camp. Someone else ran into the camp and started looting just to my right.  I quieted down, crouched and left leaned. I advanced where I could look at my neighbor, aiming down sight. There he was crouched, but aiming down sight right back at me. I heard the whirr of his SMG just as I went to pull the trigger. Pity - my shot was lined up right on his head.

Time In Raid: 3 minutes, 10 seconds    (It took nearly 10 minutes just to match to this raid)
Exp: 34
Killed By: Incubus_Tuzi  -   Good game Incubus_Tuzi !! So close!

Mistakes

• 3 Woods raids and 3 deaths. Wow. 
• Maybe I should avoid the high loot areas and hit stashes instead? I don't really know where the stashes on Woods are.  Plus I need the scav kills. 
• Died
• Did not reach Level 11.

Successes

• Kept the raid short.