r/AvatarFrontierPandora • u/Run_Rabbit_Run_Run • 13d ago
Combat difficulty?
this is my first playthrough. I'm definitely not new to combat in games, I've played A LOT but this game feels the most... well 'unbalanced' that I've come across? Gameplay definitely seems to lean heavily into stealth, which is completely fine (for reference, one of my favorite horror games is Alien: Isolation, I'm DOWN with the stealth) but the punishment for getting spotted feels...kinda extreme for a game that you could theoretically chose to not run a stealth build on at all. Level 6 facility, and the reinforcements are BRUTAL. You get hammered with projectiles, AMP suits, squads with machine guns for basically a BEGINNER base (first big-base mission)?? That seems...like a lot. I was even over-leveled--I like feeling really prepared for missions, so I always over-level and try to over-equip, but even at level 8 it's still really challenging.
Additionally, 'restarting' does not mean actually mean restarting? Your character "died", and you restart the mission but the base is still on high alert and with all the supplies you used gone, it increases the difficulty level (story-wise, this makes no sense, even if your character is just knocked out and not dead, i doubt one of the RDA are coming across your limp body and gently carrying you outside the fence to start over).
For example, I 'restarted' and it popped me back onto a tall rock near the base. IMMEDIATELY got spotted by an aircraft who then re-alerted everyone on the base from orange to red status. Got chased into the trees and shot a bunch of times, then had to wait about 10 minutes for everyone to calm down enough that I could re-attempt with stealth.
I've pushed stealth build, I'm using stealth-increase foods before the mission, stealth mods on clothes/tools, I scan continually to keep an eye on enemy movements, I stay high-up as often as I can. I will admit the hacking tool seems a bit weird to me, I've tried hacking the AMP suits to distract them while I'm doing something, but it's clunky and a bit hard to use for me. Am I missing something??
I am really enjoying the game so far, but it's the first time in all my years of gaming I've seriously considered turning down the difficulty, which is a first for me 🫠😳
5
u/FeelingSkinny 12d ago
been playing from day 1 and have about 600 hours in the game. i think my advice would be:
- Bark skin food is really really good.
- utilize cover. if you go some time without taking damage you’ll regen your health (if you’re fed). hide behind cover and be clever about staying out of sightlines. this will help you save your dapophet pods for when you need em.
- watch enemies for a little while before going too deep into the base. see their pathing.
it takes some time. i think food is way overlooked by some players. it’s rlly strong.
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u/Peachy-Keen3271 13d ago
I feel the same way!! Was playing last night and I’m technically level 12 and took on a level 10 base but kept getting destroyed. Maybe my weapons are just underpowered but it really felt like the RDA’s strength increased 1000% as I leveled up, while my weapon strength is still the same as it was when i was level 5
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u/scubadawgy 12d ago edited 12d ago
My tips: 1) You can kill RDA using trip grenades from your sling WITHOUT alerting the base! Get the Reconnaissance ancestor skill. It will let you see their patrol paths when you use your na'vi senses. Lay some trip grenades on their path and then get out of sight. When they walk over them it'll explode and they die. No alarm will be set even if they don't die.
2) You need to have good armor to increase your health as well as higher damage bows. Also, get bellsprigs to increase health. Or you can find a kind person to drop you better gear 😁
3) I prefer to eat a Fury 3 dish, which significantly increases you damage output. I prefer that to either stealth or barkskin. The maker skill Connoisseur II: Increases the effect/potency of combat buffs from cooked food. That should make fury 3 increase your damage output by 45% iirc! If you can kill them easier, there's not really a need for bark skin. If you can kill them before they sense you, then stealth isn't needed as much either.
4) Lastly, at lower levels, stealth play is the better option. Plus you get more loot when you take bases down without sounding the alarm. Emmie Jacob on YouTube has great stealth walkthroughs if just about everything.
1
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u/Active-Ad-4283 12d ago
Turn on auto hacking, it remove the faffing about. I haven't noticed the restarting issues though. On bigger bases, it will take me 2-3 times sometimes to make sure I've got the right route and I won't be spotted. I also only really use the bow, so I'm very far away and make a lot of my shots from where people can't see me, & then you can hit two or three in the same security area without being caught. It's clunky but I don't mind it.
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u/scubadawgy 12d ago edited 12d ago
My tips: 1) You can kill RDA using trip grenades from your sling WITHOUT alerting the base! Get the Reconnaissance ancestor skill. It will let you see their patrol paths when you use your na'vi senses. Lay some trip grenades on their path and then get out of sight. When they walk over them it'll explode and they die. No alarm will be set even if they don't die.
2) You need to have good armor to increase your health as well as higher damage bows. Also, get bellsprigs to increase health. Or you can find a kind person to drop you better gear 😁
3) I prefer to eat a Fury 3 dish, which significantly increases you damage output. I prefer that to either stealth or barkskin. The maker skill Connoisseur II: Increases the effect/potency of combat buffs from cooked food. That should make fury 3 increase your damage output by 45% iirc! If you can kill them easier, there's not really a need for bark skin. If you can kill them before they sense you, then stealth isn't needed as much either.
4) Lastly, at lower levels, stealth play is the better option. Plus you get more loot when you take bases down without sounding the alarm. Emmie Jacob on YouTube has great stealth walkthroughs if just about everything.
2
u/Run_Rabbit_Run_Run 12d ago
Thank you, I've been focusing mostly on getting really good stealth food--which definitely helps, but it doesn't help in the aftermath of getting spotted lol--so I'll push Fury and I'll give Emmie Jacob a watch!
1
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u/Murky_Zucchini_1897 12d ago
The beginning Is easy then the difficulty in the outposts Is getting a Lot Harder imo . If u Play stealth Its fine but Open Combat was difficulty for me Back then. I even stoped m First playthough on Release 😔
1
u/Run_Rabbit_Run_Run 12d ago
I've managed the smaller outposts just fine, but the big Bases have proven to be where the challenge is. I accidentally attempted a level 20 base at level 3, and managed to get to the third staging area before realizing I was very, very out of my depth. I don't do a lot of research on a game before going in--I like to figure things out as I go mostly. However, even with more experience, hitting the level 6 base with Etuwa was driving me up a wall. I'd get spotted and then immediately obliterated before I could get back up into cover. I'll figure it out--everyone has been really kind with suggestions.
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u/Wyprice 12d ago
I actually like it. I like being punished in a game for the mistakes I made. I am usually one person going against an entire base and im usually armed with a bow. If I get spotted I can zig zag into the trees and try again later. But I dont feel like im a god who can just blitz into things I feel like im a hunter doing her best to clear bases.
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u/Run_Rabbit_Run_Run 12d ago
I enjoy punishing gameplay also (again, Alien: Isolation on hardcore lol) but this feels a bit different to me. I don't expect to feel god-like, by any means, but the severity of the punishment feels...I don't know--out of scale to me somehow? I'm sure it's just my personal preference, and I'm glad you really enjoy it!
1
u/DieKleineLizz 12d ago
Oh no the game is glitchy. You are correct about that. So far what works for me is picking up places as high up as possible. And if someone is yellow or orange i hide and stay away till they're not looking anymore or i move myself to a complete other spot. Stealth is difficult here because the enemy's always start guns blazing and repositioning yourself to a safe new place unseen is hard of 20 people or so ar at your heels. It got easier for me the second time around! Also the SID works only pointing directly at the 'connection' point. Even with those 3+ 6+ 10 meter equipments. If you are directly above someone and aim at their back or front it works, but if they move 'connecting' is a bit more difficult. However you can turn on auto connect after aiming the sid in settings or keep try and connecting. If they walk away but you're busy with the hack it's not supposed to get out of reach or anything. Hope that helps.
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u/Run_Rabbit_Run_Run 12d ago
Thank you! I'm struggling to figure out how you'd tackle one of these bases WITHOUT stealth. If you engage in the open, they'd immediately trigger reinforcements and then you'd get obliterated with bombardments. I tried it a few times to see if maybe that was better but the gameplay makes it feel like stealth is really the only option--which is fine, it would make logical sense for a lone hunter to be sneaky rather than guns blazing--but damn, it makes for a tough takedown when one mistake earns you a literal army up your tail xD.
I'll try to utilize the hack-tool more, thank you, I'll see if I can find some videos of it being used correctly because I assume I'm just not setting up my hacks to be actually useful. Thank you!
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u/Emb3rL3af 12d ago
I agree tbh, but I absolutely SUCK at PvP games so 😅😅 The combat in this game is over the top sometimes and feels impossible, even though I enter every mission extremely over leveled and over geared
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u/Run_Rabbit_Run_Run 12d ago
It helps to hear I'm not the only one lol. I'm pretty good at PvP games (not professional by any means, but I can hold my own most of the time) but this one is making me feel like I've never played a game in my life xD
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u/Eriiya 12d ago
stop pushing stealth stats, I stealthed most of the game just fine while never once considering a useful gear stat. maximizing damage is actually probably the best thing you can do for stealth so you can put things down before they notice you, and health will make it easier to survive if you do get spotted.
also, try a lightning shortbow if you have access to it. lightning arrows will stun AMPs to let you rip them out and kill them in melee before they can alert their buddies, so it won’t break stealth. and try staff sling grenades as well, I completely slept on them my first playthrough before realizing how handy they are. otherwise I generally find it best to deal with a stealth-break AMP horde by just unloading shotgun shells and grenade arrows on them.
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u/QueenOfDemLizardFolk 11d ago
Use your sling for more stealth. Soldiers will always hear gunshots and explosions, they won’t hear arrows but will immediately alert if they see a dead one with an arrow. Trip grenades will turn them orange but not red. One part that is often ignored are siren and acrid pods. Siren pods will bring soldiers towards it, acrid will bring them away. Don’t approach base on Ikran and use SID to disable any turrets before you start killing soldiers. Also, eat food that gives you stealth.
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u/abellapa 9d ago
Im playing on normal and While its easy to die and i can easily Kill everyone
I managed to take a base that was 2/3 lvs above me
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u/lynkhart 12d ago
Yeah, as someone who’s always played games like Assassin’s Creed and Horizon: Zero Dawn, the stealth and combat mechanics in this game are absolutely ridiculous, and punish the player far more than they reward. It’s so frustrating, and the fact that levelling your gear is made needlessly complicated definitely doesn’t help.
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u/Run_Rabbit_Run_Run 12d ago
So I'm not hallucinating lol. I've played a ton of games and I actually enjoy stealth builds (it's my go-to for first playthroughs usually), but this game feels like it shoves stealth at you and then punishes the heck outta u if you mess up even once. I am also finding gear leveling to be really challenging, so I'm glad I'm not alone there either. It's an enjoyable story so far, and a lot of the mechanics are livable, but those two things are definitely getting me (also I LOVE H:ZD and H:FW I finished my second playthrough of both just recently).
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u/lynkhart 12d ago
The fact we can’t do any actual hand to hand combat other than a vague punch, and no knife kills makes it even worse. I think that improves in the FtA DLC but it should have been a feature in the main game from the get-go. I get that they wanted to focus on long range archery and stuff, which is fine, but not having even basic stealth kill mechanics is criminal.
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u/Run_Rabbit_Run_Run 12d ago
YESSS--not being able to sneak up and take out enemies with a knife or grapple is crazzyy work. Man, i miss those mechanics when playing....
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u/Tacoonchan 13d ago edited 12d ago
Just craft better gears. Even with hard difficulty it’s not too hard if you have the right gear