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[twillight]

Originally Posted by tienkhoanguyen

I just wanted to say I read the last post entirely.

Thx for reading. Much appreciated.

If you have anything to ask related to the game, me playing, or justsomething of me, feel free to ask. That's why the topic exists.

Until than it comes to Rock Falls:



The main problem here are (again) AK47s. The enemy practically lacks hunting rifles fortunately at least.
The numbers mean GROUPS of enemies, and I gave a line of duty too.

First go to the right and eliminate a 3-men patrol at #1. Use hunting rifles. One has an AK47 which is potentialy lethal, so circle from far away until you spot a member.
#2 is a patrol who guards a siren. Breaking a siren never gives exp, so don't worry about this too much. If the patrol sounds the alarm 2 sleeper from nearby awakens and joins him - they aren't significant enough to get desperate if the wake up.
#3 are SNEAKING, and has AK47s. So keep your distance, crouch, and snipe them after they reveal themselves. #4 is right next to them, you'll likely fight her the same time. Yes, she has an AK too. Crouch/prone to lessen enemy's aim and rise yours. If you can't find a spot but you know some are still alive (always switch the minimap when in doubt - if you get exp, the enemy is dead) AND want to bother, then swap someone with high HP into the environmental suite, give it an FNFal burst mode, and send in. With witts. And stimpack. If it survives the revealing shot, the rest of the party will terminate the raiders while your grunt gets into cover.

While the map suggests to pass the minefield it is NOT the most efficient way. It is actually on easy-normal for inexperienced players of course, but I don't fall in those categories. So go back to #5 and start laying down and clearing from left to right the enemy at the gate. If you forgot until now, your best shooters (for me Mandy, Rage and Rebecca, Farsight not because I teach her through books, but that's just me this time, she should too) have 100-101% small guns. Due to design-flow you have to clear the gate anyway, else you fail the optional objective(s). After killing what runs to you AND the nearer AK47 (there is one right next to the main gate on both sides), keep babycrawling forward until you see another enemy on the left of your troops. After killing that crawl back, and run a bit circle. You'll meet during that with #6 arrived to the shooting - switch to bursting weapons with most of your troops. Oh, by the way, I used a 4-member strike team for most of the mission. Jax did squat, and Lola had a special purpose.
After #6 is dead keep circling and attack the sandbags and the other AK47 from the back. This way you can snipe them down.
Always watch your HP, and move back/heal the damaged member accordingly. Use the group formation option to have your weaker armored troops covered behind stronger armors.

When the Gate is clear, make a falanx and open it. This is the most safe way to infiltrate. Have everyone agressive burst mode (my 4-person teamhad 2 FNFal and 2 MP5) in case a patrol is just near the Gate. If not, switch to hunting rifles. If you see the enemy getting close, switch your armored FNFal people to burst mode FNFal. If MANY gets close switch weapon with the other two too. Heck, I even stood Jax as a 3rd line with hunting rifle, and he occasionaly released a shot!
Raiders from #7, 8 and even 9 will arrive. If none is in shooting range, babystep forward. Don't go too forward, because #14 has 1 AK47 in its lobby, and you want to snipe it down. To do this switch to defensive, move everyone to be able to see the bugger, and only then switch to offensive.
Next you'll aim to clear #9, #11 and #10. They aren't really separate. In the end maybe/probably even #12 can be involved. Be very cautious, #9 has a boss with a silverhawk double barrel shotgun, there is a sneaker, and a lot of 'em has AK47, especially #12.
#12 guards the engineer, you must even talk to him at least to get the primary objective halfway complete. If you talk to him again he'll walk through #9 and #5, so be sure there's no survivor before doing so.

#13 is a boss who has grenades. He likes to oppen his door, and on lower difficulties likes to blow himself up. Don't risk on Insane though, just make him into shooting range while defensive, make sure everyone will fire, then switch agressive. He will die at spot because the passfinder routine is crappy. Be glad for that this time.
Now open the door of the stables (this sends 2 cows to certain death), and from the side make an agressive falanx with sniper rifles ready to dispose a single patrol on the minefield. I bet he'd blast you to seventh heaven by shooting the mines if you'd try to come that way on Insane.

Now what I did is pull out the Avenger Minigun stolen from the General with the ammo stolen from the General and from the Merchant special encounter, gave Lola the environmental armor, take the voodoo found during this mission (it is in #9 building), use the exp I got until now (I was like lvl 5), rise Doctor to 90%, and the rest into Big Guns (also 90%).
Actually, last time I f*d up and rose Unarmed instead (not entirely a waste, will use it anyway later), so I had to step closer, but whatever. So I went in babystepping to #14 which has 3 AK47. Normally you'd have good (100-120%) small guns, and a bursting AK47, or FNFal if you went hunting special encounters, and you stick to the wall as far as possible from the enemy. I had a minigun though, so I kept close (especially with my lackluster skill, lol). Oh, to be able to use it I ate an Afterburner. A bit risky, given you have to store up 12 Afterburner, and I think only 13 you'll be given until Preoria, but I think I had one extra on top from the Uprising special encounter. Worst case scenario, I'll use some mentat along the afterburners on those towers or something.
You shouldn't use more than 3-4 bursts. 2 bursts should be preserved at bare minimum. If still need shooting give the armor to Mandy who has high EN and send her in with an FNFal. Keep stepping back ASAP when hurt and patch up. The boss (Daisy) usually runs behind the celldoor which she opens - beware to not shoot the prisoner if that happens.
Release the prisoner if safe (maybe worth some karma).
The boss has a key, but that only makes your life easier if you can't lockpick. Lockpicking doesn't give you exp either, so why not make your life easier? Through the minefield you go and open the inner gate.

It is a good idea to position your weakest (<- currently most useless) member at the place you shot down #15 from, because from there you can see the #16 patrol up on the wall. If it is on the farther side (where the gate-switch is), DO NOT GO IN because it'll kill you with AK47. #17 has AK too.
From here there are a couple of alternatives. The basic is to send in a sneaker with FNFal at defensive setting. Get around the building's back, climb the ladder, get as close as you can to #17, then try to kill it before it kills you. That's hard, so try packing any super stimpack you have atyour team on the person, who should be the same delt with Daisy&co, so is voodooed up (gives extra resistance). Me on the other hand trusted Environmental Armor, and my minigun. Fortunately their lack somewhat in the killing department while I was climbing up. When up there is another issue, but my 10 EN, armor and voodoo gave enough HP to get close enough to kill 'em with 1-1 brust, so I shredded #17. After that coruch and walk to the corner of the wall. Stop before getting out. If a bit lucky, #16 will come try to kill you, running in to a burst.
Now I ran out of ammo for the minigun here, and that type of ammo I don't think will arise soon either (of course at the new bunker the General gets a barel of it, but that'll be this gun's final I assume), so sent in someone with decent smallguns skill (actually both Mandy and Rage). From the top of the fence they delt with #18, and #20 who are 3 AK47 at the terrace of #20-22. I hate those.

#21 are some scorpio-wielding henchmen inside the final building, and they can almost do no harm.
#22 is the boss and his 2 personal henchmen. On Insane they get special by breaking you practically with every shot of theirs. The boss simply has an AK. So to make life easier first get around the door on the ground floor (a bit hard, but Rebecca with 2 kits has enough skill to unlock it, don't do that for the moment), and start stepping here-and-there until you stumble into a hole in the texture. Yes, it is a bug, but why not. You'll see the boss, and only the boss through it. If you get hurt just step away and patch up. Use bursting FNFal.

Finaly if you want to check the side door on the outer wall at #12. That is an excellent entry for experienced players on lower difficulties, but on Insane you'd just get yourself killed by running into a bunch of AK47s. Some survivor of #18 might be there, and you can get to the tent up north for some minor loot.

DO NOT BOTHER WITH THE TRENCH at #19!!!! It has 2 AK 47 SNEAKING. If youjustcan't live w/o thatminor exp find some random encounter and pulp some komodo dragon or giant rat or something to pulp with bare hands to not use up ammo or something, ok?

[twillight]

So, Macomb.



For this map I marked only the interesting (aka. most dangerous) spots. Otherwise it is safe to assume everywhere lurks some raider with AK47. Some has lesser weapon, but that's rare.

Before starting the mission I suggest to go to the Merchant special encounter and steal like 2 pancor jackhammer, and have at least 200 shotgun ammo (normal variant will do).
Also pack a repair kits, and have a member with 70%+ repair skill. The only book until now is at one of the Grim Brothers (special encounter), and he don't sell it, so you have to steal it if you want it.
Oh, and bring hunting rifle for all your snipers (I have 4). Them having 110%small guns is also advantegous because can shoot at enemy from further away, so they won't burst at you which means less danger to the car, and more ammo to loot.

In my case Lola packed the avenger minigun with its 1 barrel, and the vinidicator minigun too. Ate a buffout to use both. Only relied on 'em at special occasions, otherwise remained passive to spare on ammo.

For most of the mission the whole team remained inside the car set offensive, riding around cautiously.

So, at #1 there is a sneaking shotgunner. Worth driving very close to the building so it reveals and gets murdered.
#2 might or might not be seen from the start, or at all. There IS anenemy on the roof of the building. You can not climb there. I could never kill the bugger because at a point just lays down and never shows up again. Still.
#9 can practically never be killed from the street. You must climb up the roof. Has an AK, so means danger. It is actually at a position you can leave it alive without consequence. I sent in Lola.
#3 is VERY problematic. There's a rocketeer. 99% it misses, 99% only causes some damage but you can drive back (don't try to walk in on foot, only babystep in with the vehicle), the remaining time it kills the car in 1 shot from maximum HP. Can't be done anything against it. Do NOT try to drive in reckless as there is an AK (leastof your problems) and a grenadier too. Best case scenario is, set everyone burst mode (actually seteveryone hunting rifle and after 1st shot swap weapon by fast keys), babystep in, hope the rocket misses (if it hits drive back and repair), drive in fast don't move until everyone is dead.
Lola was active during this.
#10 is 3 AK very close to the road in a group. Try babystep forward with the car everyone set burst. Only move forward if currently all is silent. Repair as needed after driving back to safety.
#4 are some civilians. Normally they aren't a threat, but if you at a point try meleeing them prepare to be crippled. Like a lot.
Right before #6 isa minefield (drive on 1 mine, drive back a little, repair - no more minefield), a bunch of AK are across the street (most on the roof but not all), and at #6 itself thereare grenadiers. Shall I painta picture why they are that dangerous? Drive backward, potentially have people set burt mode.
#7 has another grenadier, can be sniped down from the car, just don't get too close. On foot it'll definitely hurt you (fortuinately it starts with weak acid grenades).
#8 is again a rocketeer. Unless you're sureit fired 2 rockets, just drive out without bothering with it.

For this mission I had Jax driving (he still lacks skills), 2 FNFal, 2 MP 5, and Lola.
Don't forget to loot all the civilians for afterburner gum, you'll need them in Preoria.

It is a good idea to steal green shotgun ammo from the hermit for Preoria and Quincy. For Quincy you'll only need like 4 barrel of jackhammers stored.

Thinking on Preoria pack all kind of weak ammo, like 9mm balls, all kinds of magnum ammo, and a lot of shotgun ammo. Also enoug radX to have 100% resistance, 1 pancor jackhammer, enough buffout so your main character who'll use the jackhammer have 9 EN, environmental armor from the Merchant special encounter (with 9 EN and the armor your main-for-the-mission will be immun to poison), and 1 dose of psycho.

[twillight]

Preoria is really just a one-person mission. Use single shots with a pancor jackhammer on things, or on those things you can't back away (some scorpion sneak, or otherwise corners you).
With a character of 7 EN swallowa Buffout and you're immun to poison. Still don't get melee as all crittercan cripple you.
There are 2 inconsequential traps, and the mega-cockrach (roachor) hits so hard you better take a psycho and wear the environmental armor.

Seems the patch fixed gaining the 4th battery so you don't have to put the three on the ground before talking with the elder, but the surface turrets randomly kill people even if you do everything right, so just overdose them before going down.

Btw, how did Vault 0 personel ended up here?



Quincy is much more "exciting". Here is the map:



Start with #1. Someone with a pancor jackhammer running in next to the alarm will 99% result in success (use the ladders I mean). The 1% is you fail to hit anything in burst mode continuously, thus everyone dies.
Talk with the major, geton the roof, disable the siren. This is crucial.

Go to #2. That involves some risks. You either need to drug up (use psycho), or have armors from the special encounters, and good health, and a bit of luck.
The trick is to send in 2 people with burting jackhammers. Still only use normal ammo. Use the hotkeys to choose members. The one with better armor and more HP shall be sent where the boss stops. The other to the sandbags down. Just set offensive,and it ends fast. I never hit the civilians, have more trouble staying alive, especially with the one I send against the upper enemy.
Also for 200 quest exp disable the REMOTE DET. TRAPS. No need to bother with the plastic. I never use mines anyway. Probably worth karma too.

Now go back to #1 and through the back-window (do not set agressive for this) position and hit agressive, killing the 3 baby deathclaw, and maybe the beatman inside.
Walk around and snipe down the front two with hunting rifles.
Kill the two patrol on the long unmarked street. Make a falanx from pancors (use all four, I also set up my big gunners, Jax had an avenger minigun with 1,000 ammo - sold by BoS, me the vindicator). Send in 1 person and release a single shot to lure the deathclaw (and the beastman). Very fast put this person to the other side of the road, so it won't be killed by the rest of the team (bursting weapons, u know).
From the side of the town hall pick down the patrols at the side of the town hall first, than prepare to attack the front. You must be fast, because I think the patrol inside is responsible to randomly go in and kill the girl. This is marked by #3.

Now comes another dangerous part, because you'll use heavy unfocused firepower. Use ONLY FOUR personel, in as heavy armor as possible, especially one who'll go in the farm.
Make a formation, and send the formation near the fence of the beastman farm. Everyone shall have pancor jackhammers with green ammo, or even big gun. When you won't make yourself dead, send in ONE person (the one in heavy armor, lots of HP) and position between the ghoul and the two beastman. They'll mostly focus on the ghoul who has no armor and pathetic HP, so you definitely don't want to add to his damage. Also might be thatyou might see through the walls where are more beastmen. If you don't run in ASAP the ghoul dies. If your formation sucked you'll die from friendly fire. If you sent your formation bad, you'll be shredded by the deathclaws. At least the fight itself is not long, neither requires much preparation.

If success, go back to the town hall and kill the sleepers (#5).
Pass the tunnel, climb up with ONE person SNEAKing passive, when the raider inside goes away break the alarm, waith offensive until it kills itself, hit sneak immediately again, hit passive, everyone climb up, get in the corner on the ground floor, none sneaking anymore. If yu have an unarmed person send it first place and run up the stairs. Run straight to the boss and the hostage with single shot weaponry. ONE person can have burst and run to the sandbags. This is actaully quit safe if you ask me, I meanI have very high, almost sure success rate.

Now go to #7 the chucrh. Get around, so you shot through the windows the 2 deathclaw. Get the armor (mark 2 metal) inside.

I did the #8, but I had 2 big guns personel (my ate a buffout, Jax an afterburner to be able). Strange thing is, seems in 1.27 no supermutant or reaver/robot encounter randomly (so can't have advanced weaponry right away ). The 2 sneaking deathclaw are VERY DANGEROUS, in any normal circumstances I leave them alone.
Instead get back circling the prison again, and from the left side get behind the brothel. Really, it canbe done, not even need sneaking. Everyone be defensive. Now to go for the bestresult send in the whole team, while switching to one (preferably unarmed with power fist) to be sent next to the bottom windows, and another who's sent next to the counter. This way very likely you'll be targeted instead of the girls. Up tp 2 losses youget 400 exp,and even with all lost you get200 quest exp. If you hit any of the girls you get 0 exp, and I think Babs won't be available either asd recruit. Theory: she's an ex-*****.

[tienkhoanguyen]

Originally Posted by twillight

Preoria is really just a one-person mission. Use single shots with a pancor jackhammer on things, or on those things you can't back away (some scorpion sneak, or otherwise corners you).
With a character of 7 EN swallowa Buffout and you're immun to poison. Still don't get melee as all crittercan cripple you.
There are 2 inconsequential traps, and the mega-cockrach (roachor) hits sohard you better take a buffout and wear the environmental armor.

Seems the patch fixed gaining the 4th battery so you don't have to put the three on the ground before talking with the elder, but the surface turrets randomly kill people even if you do everything right, so just overdose them before going down.

Btw, how did Vault 0 personel ended up here?



Quincy is much more "exciting". Here is the map:



Start with #1. Someone with a pancor jackhammer running in next to the alarm will 99% result in success (use the ladders I mean). The 1% is you fail to hit anything in burst mode continuously, thus everyone dies.
Talk with the major, geton the roof, disable the siren. This is crucial.

Go to #2. That involves some risks. You either need to drug up (use psycho), or have armors from the special encounters, and good health, and a bit of luck.
The trick is to send in 2 people with burting jackhammers. Still only use normal ammo. Use the hotkeys to choose members. The one with better armor and more HP shall be sent where the boss stops. The other to the sandbags down. Just set offensive,and it ends fast. I never hit the civilians, have more trouble staying alive, especially with the one I send against the upper enemy.
Also for 200 quest exp disable the REMOTE DET. TRAPS. No need to bother with the plastic. I never use mines anyway. Probably worth karma too.

Now go back to #1 and through the back-window (do not set agressive for this) position and hit agressive, killing the 3 baby deathclaw, and maybe the beatman inside.
Walk around and snipe down the front two with hunting rifles.
Kill the two patrol on the long unmarked street. Make a falanx from pancors (use all four, I also set up my big gunners, Jax had an avenger minigun with 1,000 ammo - sold by BoS, me the vindicator). Send in 1 person and release a single shot to lure the deathclaw (and the beastman). Very fast put this person to the other side of the road, so it won't be killed by the rest of the team (bursting weapons, u know).
From the side of the town hall pick down the patrols at the side of the town hall first, than prepare to attack the front. You must be fast, because I think the patrol inside is responsible to randomly go in and kill the girl. This is marked by #3.

Now comes another dangerous part, because you'll use heavy unfocused firepower. Use ONLY FOUR personel, in as heavy armor as possible, especially one who'll go in the farm.
Make a formation, and send the formation near the fence of the beastman farm. Everyone shall have pancor jackhammers with green ammo, or even big gun. When you won't make yourself dead, send in ONE person (the one in heavy armor, lots of HP) and position between the ghoul and the two beastman. They'll mostly focus on the ghoul who has no armor and pathetic HP, so you definitely don't want to add to his damage. Also might be thatyou might see through the walls where are more beastmen. If you don't run in ASAP the ghoul dies. If your formation sucked you'll die from friendly fire. If you sent your formation bad, you'll be shredded by the deathclaws. At least the fight itself is not long, neither requires much preparation.

If success, go back to the town hall and kill the sleepers (#5).
Pass the tunnel, climb up with ONE person SNEAKing passive, when the raider inside goes away break the alarm, waith offensive until it kills itself, hit sneak immediately again, hit passive, everyone climb up, get in the corner on the ground floor, none sneaking anymore. If yu have an unarmed person send it first place and run up the stairs. Run straight to the boss and the hostage with single shot weaponry. ONE person can have burst and run to the sandbags. This is actaully quit safe if you ask me, I meanI have very high, almost sure success rate.

Now go to #7 the chucrh. Get around, so you shot through the windows the 2 deathclaw. Get the armor (mark 2 metal) inside.

I did the #8, but I had 2 big guns personel (my ate a buffout, Jax an afterburner to be able). Strange thing is, seems in 1.27 no supermutant or reaver/robot encounter randomly (so can't have advanced weaponry right away ). The 2 sneaking deathclaw are VERY DANGEROUS, in any normal circumstances I leave them alone.
Instead get back circling the prison again, and from the left side get behind the brothel. Really, it canbe done, not even need sneaking. Everyone be defensive. Now to go for the bestresult send in the whole team, while switching to one (preferably unarmed with power fist) to be sent next to the bottom windows, and another who's sent next to the counter. This way very likely you'll be targeted instead of the girls. Up tp 2 losses youget 400 exp,and even with all lost you get200 quest exp. If you hit any of the girls you get 0 exp, and I think Babs won't be available either asd recruit. Theory: she's an ex-*****.

This game reminds me of Guantlet and Bard's Tale I on The Commodore 64. In Guantlet you would get to a place by moving slowing from door to door. However on Bard's Tale I you can teleport with spells to another place. So that is the answer to how did Vault 0 Citizen get there. hehe

[twillight]

Originally Posted by tienkhoanguyen

This game reminds me of Guantlet and Bard's Tale I on The Commodore 64. In Bard's Tale I you can teleport with spells to another place. So that is the answer to how did Vault 0 Citizen get there. hehe

Can be, can be.

Now in Mardin:



You start on the surface. Fast make a falanx, because soon the enemy will come there even if you don't attack them. The wasps are a definite problem, as well as the beastman with CAWS (initially he's nearest, and don't come closer, but has distance). The multitude arriving also has one or two grenadiers. I suggest 120%+ weapon skill. Vindicator minigun came in handy.

The next problem is, you can't just thin them out like on other difficulties, as a large battalion will come running if you attack practicaly anyone,and you must survive that. I suggest going in the middle, so the mob will arrive from mostly 1 side instead of from everywhere which just makes life hard. Then follow the route I marked.
At #0 is a baby deathclaw which even if you free the Mother stays hostile, so might as well kill it for the exp. Beware of mines.

Outranging the enemy during this mission is highly rewarding, as they can HURT you.

After a while you must attack the toxic cemetary. Doas you feel, but watch out. At this point along the buffout which made me able to use the vindicator also ate a psycho.
Fortunately in environmental armor Lola was immun to radiation (and also poison), so double teamed with Billy Bob who came in in place of Rebecca. I like him for he can shoot from insane distances. And whatever came close met with my machingun. Whatever aimed at us had to aim Lola who was in heavy armor (and drugged). This is a drug-positive game.
Before you leave to descend get to the fence and attack the wasp-horde from there. They can't fly over (they're technically walking on ground, can step on mines too!), so that's cool.

I suggest going down the bug-exist, the other entrances are way more problematic due to haevy firepower. Ye, you must deal with the deathclaw-pit (2 babies sneaking), but that's life.
When reaching #2 make sure they don't release the switch, although they don't seem to be up to that. Change passive,and avoid hitting the babies. Not sure if this counts for karma or sg, but hey.

At #3 is the Mother, clear the room around her, then open the cage. Not sure what's the factor that activates the deathclaws' mood for fighting, for me this time they practically stood around doing dying. Whatever,. Mother survived, and only that's important. the fight is in #4. Beware, some more beastman might arrive through the other entrance. Do NOt try to leave thatway though, it is mined.
Thought I did some picture, seems not. Too bad.

#5 is some prisoner. I accidentally left home my kits by kicking out Rebecca, but whatever, 40% was way enough to unlock them, and that's the number anyway. Watch out to not release them until the enemy is cleared to the way out.
Actually not sure what's the deal with 'em, maybe they worth karma, maybe not. They don't even make proper dialogue, neither mentioned in the debriefing. I suspect originally you either released them for karma, or let the deathclaw eat them for rank and deathclaw recruits.

Too bad Billy Bob is somewhat bugged. He don't gain perk at clvl 9 as he should for being Fear the Reaper, but gains perk after spending 3 clvls with your party, giving him first perk at clvl 11. Not THAT big of a problem, but really annoying.

Tried to steal from the Uprising special encounter the other guard's 900 ammo, because I've spent a LOT of ammo here, but seems not possible. Darn.

Next time we're going to Springfield. Until then:



Ye. Despite Billy being Glowing One, he's suffering from radiation. He only has 90% resistance. So 2 Glowing One ghouls would actually kill each other.
Fortunately for the first dose you only loose 1 ST, and Billy has 6 initialy.
Btw, anti-radiation stuff are bloody rare, and I'm not sure if radiation level can be lost or not naturaly like healing cripled limbs. Still, as there are 5 ghoul recruits in the game, someone should make an only-ghoul party, lol.

[tienkhoanguyen]

Cool. Now I know to keep my distance when in another country. hehe

The game is cool to teach you real life possible scenarios. However don't take it too seriously. My religion teaches karma... "Live by the weapons and die by the weapons." So it is a payback type thing. So be at peace and just let the official officers handle the killing. They were trained for that.

Anyways for gaming purposes that is cool. It's up to you if you want to try and finish the game. Feel proud of yourself if you do. I remember finishing Bard's Tale I and I learned a lot from that. It took me a whole 3 months playing morning to night to finish and I had to map everything out by hand by 30 years ago!

By the way nothing in life worth while is easy.

[twillight]

Originally Posted by tienkhoanguyen

My religion teaches karma... "Live by the weapons and die by the weapons."

So be at peace and just let the official officers handle the killing.

Two thing:
- first, that's not how Karma works. Especially not how it works within the game
- second: in the game you are the official officiers.

Now on Springfield:
while it does not provide rank, likely not even karma, it gives a crapload of exp, so it's good. The enemy is many, strong, and have skills,so outranging them is dubious at best, and otherwise you're toast.
So your probably-only chance is to fly on drugs. Get into that environmental armor, take a psycho and a voodoo, have plenty of ammo in your pancor (shotguns pretty much become useless after this mission with minor exception of purple shells on Insane). Preserve like 100 green ammo though for the final building. Because even though you mostly are invunlnerable against normal ammo (not against grenades though), you are not undefeatable:



Sure, you can walk on both legs broken (sounds painful), but youcan't fight with two broken arms! Neither by being uncoscious...

Springfield is though pretty generous to you, like it at multiple occasions give hugh chuncks of exp just for opening chests:



I used to loot stuff Billy, because he don't carry much permanent stuff,so rarely needs to unload.
Because Voodoo has such a low duration, there's no time for looting during this mission. Yes, Mandy did the whole thing along.

Check out the map:



#1 has a trapped door. Very minor thing, but why not mention.
At the roof of the house has #2 on it switch defensive, lay down, and crawl at the edge just to see the gas tank. Pretty cruel, but blow it up to dispose some raiders.
To dealwith opening the first gate let them notice you a moment (maybe release 1 burst), then run to the side for cover. Some enemy will come, and a grenadier will be standing in the middle of the gate inside the park waiting to ambush you. Autoburst the incomings, and deal with the grenadier after that.
Inside the market on the tables there are some minor food, and a super stimpack. That almost worth it.
Nothing unsolvable until #5. That entrance is blocked by a hugh mine, so DON'T GO THERE, because you can't dealwith the mine and the AK47 people around who happily burst on the mine too to blow it up with you. Instead follow the arrow opening another gate. Beware, thatat #6 is an AK-guy sneaking. W/o serious resistance you hardcore have to keep distance and not reside around, or you're toast.
#7 has 3 enemy, they are bloody dangerous for easily doing criticals bypassing your armor. So instead running in close for the jackhammer swith to hunting rifle and snipe them down. Heck, the 3rd might not even climb to the sniper nest (that's bloody annying) if you just stick around the wooden personal-gate for sniping. Also, thatbuilding has a dead ghoul in a cell - it is trapped, and this time it is claymore, meaning semi-dangerous.
For #8 you better not rush in to deal with the boss. Better just advance from the edge. But be prepared to rush in in case the AI goes rogue, rushes in and tries to kill the major (happned with me a long time ago, and since then I'm pretty paranoid with this). Oh, don't forget to load in the green ammo for this. Watch out, 'cause if your char runs out of normal ammo and does a full reload, the specialammo will go in, and that's not always welcome. This behaviour also is present with pressing the hotkey R, and that doesn't even need full reload to switch type of ammo.

Ended up with a good 2,000 more 7.74 than I started with, and as the vindicator eats that pretty fast, that's much needed. The good news is, supermutants have zounds of this ammo. The bad news is, supermutants are pretty immun to this ammo. I hate supermutants.

Lastly, here is a "hidden" container, and some moral lesson :

[twillight]

Well, here in St. Louis comes the real problem ofInsane: enemy resistances combined with POWER. Really, how you apply the accustomed game-strategies when the whole of the game changes? Nohow, that's how.

The problem is, the usual build is about DPS, meaning Damage Per Second. You lower the cost of AP for every shot, send in a squadron, and while the enemy shoots X times you shoot X*Y times, the enemy is dead, you're still alive, you're very happy.
Now on Insane it is much like this: if the enemy shoots even once, you're toast. It is pretty realistic, given they carry around .50 cal weapons, and bloody rockets, and sutff that shoots 1000 bullet per minute, but for f* sake in a war you have more than 6- people, ok?

Well, at least in this mission you can doa Minimalist Approach, meaning focusing only on the mission objective, not massacring everyone, only who you unavoidably have to. Here is the passage to do it.
For #1 checkpoint the marked side is much safer, as a solid rock provides some cover rockets can get stuck into, otherwise it's worse mayhem.



Now to solve the problems of the mission there is the Keep The Distance approach where you mostly reside in the APC, especialy against rocketeers, while if possible you charge in to use burst weapons (pancor jackhammer with purple ammo, miniguns - right after killing the first mutants you get 2 SAW, FNFal are probably the best), watch the HP of the APC, pull back when needed, hope you don't suffer immense criticals, get use of the minefields (the mutants like to blow themselves up - seems it's not their mines after all), and so on.

The other approach is the Drugged Up Version where you still play Coward Sniper against rocketmen, but against anyone else you send in someone with 2 psychoin his/her system, being mostly invulnerable to machineguns. Add a voodoo and the environmental armor (180% resistance is needed I think), and you can even stand .50 DU in the mutant HQ.

Both apprach has advantage/disadvantage. I played mostly for safety, only taking an Afterburner Gum with Lola to use the remaning ammo from the Avenger Minigun. Did not check, but might be totally useless by the way. Still, now or never it was.
Then went on and sniped the heck out of everyone, but did not actually descend to the trenches, and definitely not went to the mutant base. That I'll try coming back.

Now here are the danger spots:



#1 is a rocketsupermutant who'll climb down. If you follow the route on the first picture it'll either stuck in some rocks, or you might even catch it climbing down the ladder or eliminate even on open field by raw power.
DO NOT APPROACH #6. Thathas double rocketeers, and that's Bad News. None canstand 2 rockets at once. AVOID! It's no "danger", it's "death"!
#5 is where sme SAW-mutants patrol. I tend to underestimate them and charge in, resulting shredded APC which is Game Over, so I give my 2 cents mentioning them.
#2 likes to climb down from their place and charge you from the distance you just pass that bridge. They have numbers on their side, and a rocketeer even, so they are bad news. If you keep your distance they will be stuck on the other side of the river-or-what, and can be sniped at. If you have the skill I mean. It is VERY advnatageous to bring Billy Bob with 125% small guns here, that's where he'll be able jsut-a-bit outshoot the enemy who won't just not be able to hit you from the distance, but won't even waste their ammo, because ammo belongs to you, and they should die thinking otherwise.
Especially those with browning.
To dealwith the browning ones in the trenches equip a rocket launcher, get to the long side of their tranch, shoot, run away, repeat until dead. The one you unavoidaly have to deal with is at #3. In theory it might just lay down, but if it decides to stand up...
This is especialy worrying with #4 being there who has a rocket, and I ould not outshoot it. I decided to kill it anyway, so when it layed down went around within the APC, and from the back I hoped my squad1s constant firing won't let it shoot, or at least won't get the APC destroeyd by one shot. Hey, it worked.

Here is a picture Billy Bob sniping around (from within the APC):



Yep, here finaly mutated away his Glowing.
And for Jax I gave 2*Lifegiver after Hit the Deck because someone must be able to block rockets and other unavoidable heavy firepower.
Lola on theother hand is planned to deal immense amount of Damage Per Shot (strangely abreviates to DPS too).

[twillight]

I did something foolish: forgot to pick Weapon Handling, so I might need to redo the whole thing, but that'd be minor issue actualy.
Oh, I infiltrated the mutant HQ in St. Louis. These were my stats:





Drugs are the tool of wonder in the game.
But they never make you absolutely invincible, like example shows:



I reloaded of course. AndI have archive save just before picking the perks too.

It worth doing though for some .50 cal and .50 cal DU ammo. the more the marrier.

[twillight]

Jefferson got managable with more Damage Per Shot, although I might have to replay it if I won't be able to manage Kansas City. Because I forgot I'd need Weapon Handling, and took 3*More Critical instead of 2 times.
Heavy Weapons skill went up to 150%.

For the mission I needed: 1 psycho for the heavy weapon expert in environmental armor, SAW as weapon, 1 sniper (Billy Bob, although he started to frustrate me,because I found a bug related to Reaper Man trait, which causes a crash, namely if you wear armor you candodge the damage, but that results in Unexpected Error, whichcauses crash), 1 medic. That's pretty much it.

Here is the map:



#1 ground floor is heavly trapped. Check EVERYTHING before bothering.
#2-3: both location have one-one isolated mutant with SAW. Canuse the car to prevent damage, although the car can't suffer more than 1 burst, and can only have 2 members inside.
#4 has a flamethrower, the first of its kind. Absolutely useless thing for you, but if they hit you with it, that can easily finish you right there. Keep your distance.
#5 has a rocket launcher. Stand in the little bunker marked "A" and it can't hit you though.
#6 is a minefield, which you likely can't disarm (not w/o spending skillpoints anyway)
#7 is another minefield, but you can disarm the mines on the left creating a passage w/o spending skillpoints. Do it.
#8 has 2 browning-wielding nutthead inside. Fortunately they are more dumb than Max and Alice (twoBoS-recruits), so you can run in, pass their doorframe, than step back, release ONE shot (I mean burst of course), then step out of the frame. Wait 14 seconds and they'll return into position. Rinse&Repeat.
#9 has 2 turret (stationary) and a SAW-mutant, and 3 grenadier who'll charge you when you blow up the generator. That disables the turrets which you better leave alone, at least do not waste buletts on 'em. They have thick armor, barely worth exp, and have only like 100 7.74 ammo which at this point is obsolate.
I suggest you follow the route marked "B" with 2 members (and burst weaponry), destroy the generator, and kill what comes.
There'll still be #10 of the area who unfortunately keeps sneaking, and has dangerous grenades. I suggest ride in on the car, and drive out ASAP, killing the mutie from a distance.
#11 has a rocket launcher, but just like the browningers is stupid and falls for the setp in/step out trick. Put a characteron the side faraway to know where the mutie is.
#12 has a browning, but you can snipe it away from where #11 was. He's too farto cause havoc.
#13 has a browning, and I did not check how to kill it. He's too much on the open for my taste. This also means don't bother trying to use the radioactive tunnel from this side,. It is useless as an entry anyway (suspecting cancelled content).
#14 are a bunch of muties behind a fence. Do NOT attack them, they count as neutral, so you'd loose karma.

Oh, and don't try to drive through the ominuous underpass, it has too low ceiling.

Tip: Do not use rocket launcher here, you don't have ammo, and that might be useful in Kansas City.

Oh, and look where stupid mutant crawled in: