Hellraiser
Arcane
...or die trying. Most likely. Since you know, this game is basically what happens if X-Com fucks Deus Ex and forgets to use a condom. Kind of. Basically I need a break from calculating delta-v and failing at aerobraking, so I finally decided to play this fresh purchase. It's pretty good for a rapid fire, play until you fail session after work. Kind of like FTL.
Oh, yes, this is basically kind of like X-Com with cyberpunk corporate espionage focusing on stealth and thievan rather than xenos purging. So stealth squad tactics.
Index (which I will probably forget to update, again):
1) Run I/Part 1: Stealing from melonheads is technically not stealing. (this post)
Run I/Part 2: Daemon tools.
Run I: Part 1
Stealing from melonheads is technically not stealing.
Just in time for the latest update release. Forgot what it adds, oh, some alternative starting build for one the agents I think and some items and new Daemons (in the anti-hacking countermeasures context).
I am NOT playing on Ironman. Why? Because non-ironman has no reloading anyway, just a "rewind" features which bring you back to the start of your previou turn. Which you can only do once per mission. This is basically a fate point to guard against those really unlucky situations.
I have 4 starting agents to pick from since I unlocked two through gaining "exp" for playthroughs. If you played Klei's other title, Don't Starve, you will be familiar with this system. It also unlocks new items and incognita software.
I pick Deckard and Internationale, who are the two agents you start with anyway. Agents have different loadouts plus starting skills. Deckard focuses on stealth and recon, while internationale makes hacking systems easier.
I also pick lockpick 1.0 and power drip for incognita software. More on Incognita (which was the name of this game before they changed it to the current one) soon.
Time is of the essence, traveling to mission sites takes time. Similar to FTL you can't just play too cautious and safe and just grind, both the mission screen and the missions themselves have time working against you.
The goal is simple, use the time I have to deck out my agents as best as possible for the final mission.
Nanofab, low security, close. Perfect for the first run. This means stealing precious corporate yehudim zahav and a shop with good shit.
The Alarm mechanic, it builds tension and means I need to move fast. Some people are whining about it, so there will be an option to disable it, but IMO it makes the game more fun by adding risk.
I switch into cyberspace view from regular meatspace. Here I can use Incognita. Incognita is the AI aiding my agents. It uses power (PWR) to use abilities, in my case hacking firewalls (lockpick 1.0). Power is gained from gaining access to (unsecured) corporate terminals around the mission map. It can be also gained via other means, passively with power drip or through items.
I got PWR from a terminal next to my starting location, have a total of 13 now. Lockpick 1.0 uses 2 PWR to break one level of firewall. The safe has exactly 1 level.
Normally one needs to get close to a device to hack it, but Internationale, my elite haxor, has WiFi installed in her head, allowing her to hack devices from range. The joy of cybernetic augmentations!
Meatspace tactical view. Agents have AP, AP is used for all actions other than using inventory or attacks. You can only attack/overwatch or use an item once per turn, period.
Internationale spends AP on peeking through the door, she then opens it to lure the guard into the room while she stands in melee overwatch. Note the "?" and his cone of view, he saw the door open and thus reacted.
About knocking out guards. Both my agents have some stun watchamacallthem neural disrupter something, nothing else to fight with, for now. It has a 2 turn cooldown and KOs a guard for two turns. Luckily an agent can stand on a tile with the KO'd guard to pin him, this pauses the countdown and prolongs the KO state. You can of course drag KO'd guards around.
I steal some precious yehzah. Stealing from melonheads is technically not stealing. It is justice.
Deckard hears a guard, the guards movement is marked on the map, but only the movement that was within Deckard's hearing range.
Second guard KO'd but first one woke up. He will now be suspicious and quite inquisitive, but not too actively sweeping for my agents.
Stealing passcard, it opens red secure doors (note, guard elevators also have red doors but).
Internationale's scanner (she starts with it) passively detects a power source. I hack it and disable a laser fence of burning doom somewhere.
Found the elevator, this is my exit route. When I grab the main objective and loot whatever is worth the risk of looting, I will bail using it.
Guard route observation is also an action that costs AP. Just 1, but this is the beginning and few guard are around, later on though...
Snuck up behind him and whacked him in overwatch while waiting behind the guard elevator's corner.
Oh, yes, I also hacked cameras around, this grants me their vision, and of course doesn't make them alarm guards.
Found the fabricator, but first I need to loot some more cash to make best use of it.
Deckard takes over pinning duty from Internationale. Internationale finds corporate safes, loots precious jewgold.
Ugh, that guard may walk into Deckard pinning that other dude. Better send back Internationale for support.
Luckily his field of view sucks and he decides to go to the fabricator. Deckard grabs the unconscious body behind cover.
Hacking the database reveals all terminals. This is what you get for embracing console decline, melonheads.
Safe has some corporate intel, this will be sold after the mission is complete for cash and add to my agency's reputation.
Another safe has this. The stim is good, although Internationale can't use it yet (Deckard can, he has Stealth at rank 2). First however I upgrade inventory so that I can grab it without ditching anything.
Deckard preemptively dragged Guard 2 into the guard elevator. That other cunt is out for blood.
Oh yeah, hit alarm level 3, this means the first extra guard spawns at the elevator. Level 1 activates all cameras (some or down at the start), Level 2 increases all firewalls by one level.
I spend cash to get an inventory upgrade and the shock trap. Now this gadget is great. There was also some other fun stuff in the shop, but too expensive, including a stun dart gun that works on armored foes, some nice implants and a good old handcannon.
This is bad, the guard caught sight of Deckard during the enemy turn. Here's how it works, you get one turn to react to this. If Deckard can't move 1 tile into cover, he gets shot. If he doesn't move at all, he gets shot. There is no RNG for shooting and no HP, one shot, he dies. Well, you can revive with medgel but you start with 0.
But all is not lost, if it was internationale in his place I wouldn't be able to do anything (apart from rewind). First I move the haxor into ambush position.
Deckard starts with his very own espionage panic button he can use once every 8 turns.
Cloak engaged and he walks out of the guard's view. The guard will of course investigate, but death has been avoided for now.
KO'd again, agents slip away...
Clean getaway.
Deckard gets a rank in Anarchy to be able to plant that snazzy shock trap he picked up. No cash for anything else, need to loot more melonhead safes.
6 hours and 24 minutes in, 7 hours to the next target, the clock is ticking.
Good guys? Neanderthals?
Laser fence, which I disabled before discovering in the previous job.
There is either a guard or a camera around.
It was a guard, Internationale ambushed him.
Found a map database. Doesn't show much, but at least I can avoid exploring dead ends. Also corporate safes for the taking.
Got the primary objective.
Found more melonhead bling.
Advanced gadgets use charge packs. Ain't got room for this one and I have nothing that uses them at the moment anyway.
Bleh, this room couldn't be scouted otherwise, had to activate cloak and see if it was a guard or camera.
Meanwhile Internationale is dragging that guard around the whole time.
Oh crap, two guards there. Better think how to deal with them.
Luckily they prefer guarding the exit elevator as is revealed by the hacked camera.
Nice implant, but no cash at the moment. Also another riot dart I can't buy.
Between rising alarm level and that first guard waking up I am kind of swarmed with guards right now. I was a bit too liberal with PWR usage and was not left with enough to hack the last camera by the elevator until this turn.
Just in time, I need to remember to conserve PWR next time.
FYI these are the implants Deckard and Internationale start with. They both have one free slot. Also further slots may be created using special surgery machines in implant lab missions. But that leaves agents KO'd for 2 or 3 turns while the operation happens.
Internationale gets 1 rank in stealth to use that stim she looted way back.
10 hours, fuck, day one will be nearly over. Time for a melonhead prisonbreak.
No drinking on the job bro.
I spy two guards, a laser fence and a locked door. Also some safe I looted (it had cash).
An armored guard. These guys are resistant to some weapons, but not the stunners I started with.
Alarm increases and cameras start booting up, gotta hack this one before it spots me.
I get greedy and Deckard gets spotted in the enemy turn while trying to get to the terminal for some PWR.
Luckily it the nearest hiding place is exactly four tiles away. Go go gadget cloak!
Luring the prison guard away...
...and two turns later both him and his buddy decide to walk into ambushes at the same time. There's still another one around.
Dragged the guards away a bit and freed the prisoner. He becomes controllable but can't attack or even pin down guards, the useless bum.
Well fuck, this is bad. Third guard walked into my trapped door, got KO'd for 3 turns, others woke up. And a new one spawned, and he's behind the laser fence to the south-east.
I ambush him, somehow. Deckard plants a trap on the door as the armored melonhead puppet is lurking about.
Four turns later I decide the coast is clear and try to make a run for the elevator. Only to remind myself I trapped the damn door and had to disarm it first!
REWIND!
I disarm the trap first this time and make a run for it to the elevator. Too many guards around to explore those 25%, I would also have to disable an extra camera and the laser fence was limiting my mobility. Bailing was the better choice, plenty of cash for corporate intel.
Oh yeah, this guy sells crap between missions sometimes, he also stores your loot and lets you sell some of it.
HUEHUE land has a security office I can loot for gadgets and weapons. Only downside is the security (duh) and travel time, but no better option is available. Another 10h down off the clock.
So far I got no extra agents. I know you can control up to 4.
Oh, yes, this is basically kind of like X-Com with cyberpunk corporate espionage focusing on stealth and thievan rather than xenos purging. So stealth squad tactics.
Index (which I will probably forget to update, again):
1) Run I/Part 1: Stealing from melonheads is technically not stealing. (this post)
Run I/Part 2: Daemon tools.
Run I: Part 1
Stealing from melonheads is technically not stealing.
Just in time for the latest update release. Forgot what it adds, oh, some alternative starting build for one the agents I think and some items and new Daemons (in the anti-hacking countermeasures context).
I am NOT playing on Ironman. Why? Because non-ironman has no reloading anyway, just a "rewind" features which bring you back to the start of your previou turn. Which you can only do once per mission. This is basically a fate point to guard against those really unlucky situations.
I have 4 starting agents to pick from since I unlocked two through gaining "exp" for playthroughs. If you played Klei's other title, Don't Starve, you will be familiar with this system. It also unlocks new items and incognita software.
I pick Deckard and Internationale, who are the two agents you start with anyway. Agents have different loadouts plus starting skills. Deckard focuses on stealth and recon, while internationale makes hacking systems easier.
I also pick lockpick 1.0 and power drip for incognita software. More on Incognita (which was the name of this game before they changed it to the current one) soon.
Time is of the essence, traveling to mission sites takes time. Similar to FTL you can't just play too cautious and safe and just grind, both the mission screen and the missions themselves have time working against you.
The goal is simple, use the time I have to deck out my agents as best as possible for the final mission.
Nanofab, low security, close. Perfect for the first run. This means stealing precious corporate yehudim zahav and a shop with good shit.
The Alarm mechanic, it builds tension and means I need to move fast. Some people are whining about it, so there will be an option to disable it, but IMO it makes the game more fun by adding risk.
I switch into cyberspace view from regular meatspace. Here I can use Incognita. Incognita is the AI aiding my agents. It uses power (PWR) to use abilities, in my case hacking firewalls (lockpick 1.0). Power is gained from gaining access to (unsecured) corporate terminals around the mission map. It can be also gained via other means, passively with power drip or through items.
I got PWR from a terminal next to my starting location, have a total of 13 now. Lockpick 1.0 uses 2 PWR to break one level of firewall. The safe has exactly 1 level.
Normally one needs to get close to a device to hack it, but Internationale, my elite haxor, has WiFi installed in her head, allowing her to hack devices from range. The joy of cybernetic augmentations!
Meatspace tactical view. Agents have AP, AP is used for all actions other than using inventory or attacks. You can only attack/overwatch or use an item once per turn, period.
Internationale spends AP on peeking through the door, she then opens it to lure the guard into the room while she stands in melee overwatch. Note the "?" and his cone of view, he saw the door open and thus reacted.
About knocking out guards. Both my agents have some stun watchamacallthem neural disrupter something, nothing else to fight with, for now. It has a 2 turn cooldown and KOs a guard for two turns. Luckily an agent can stand on a tile with the KO'd guard to pin him, this pauses the countdown and prolongs the KO state. You can of course drag KO'd guards around.
I steal some precious yehzah. Stealing from melonheads is technically not stealing. It is justice.
Deckard hears a guard, the guards movement is marked on the map, but only the movement that was within Deckard's hearing range.
Second guard KO'd but first one woke up. He will now be suspicious and quite inquisitive, but not too actively sweeping for my agents.
Stealing passcard, it opens red secure doors (note, guard elevators also have red doors but).
Internationale's scanner (she starts with it) passively detects a power source. I hack it and disable a laser fence of burning doom somewhere.
Found the elevator, this is my exit route. When I grab the main objective and loot whatever is worth the risk of looting, I will bail using it.
Guard route observation is also an action that costs AP. Just 1, but this is the beginning and few guard are around, later on though...
Snuck up behind him and whacked him in overwatch while waiting behind the guard elevator's corner.
Oh, yes, I also hacked cameras around, this grants me their vision, and of course doesn't make them alarm guards.
Found the fabricator, but first I need to loot some more cash to make best use of it.
Deckard takes over pinning duty from Internationale. Internationale finds corporate safes, loots precious jewgold.
Ugh, that guard may walk into Deckard pinning that other dude. Better send back Internationale for support.
Luckily his field of view sucks and he decides to go to the fabricator. Deckard grabs the unconscious body behind cover.
Hacking the database reveals all terminals. This is what you get for embracing console decline, melonheads.
Safe has some corporate intel, this will be sold after the mission is complete for cash and add to my agency's reputation.
Another safe has this. The stim is good, although Internationale can't use it yet (Deckard can, he has Stealth at rank 2). First however I upgrade inventory so that I can grab it without ditching anything.
Deckard preemptively dragged Guard 2 into the guard elevator. That other cunt is out for blood.
Oh yeah, hit alarm level 3, this means the first extra guard spawns at the elevator. Level 1 activates all cameras (some or down at the start), Level 2 increases all firewalls by one level.
I spend cash to get an inventory upgrade and the shock trap. Now this gadget is great. There was also some other fun stuff in the shop, but too expensive, including a stun dart gun that works on armored foes, some nice implants and a good old handcannon.
This is bad, the guard caught sight of Deckard during the enemy turn. Here's how it works, you get one turn to react to this. If Deckard can't move 1 tile into cover, he gets shot. If he doesn't move at all, he gets shot. There is no RNG for shooting and no HP, one shot, he dies. Well, you can revive with medgel but you start with 0.
But all is not lost, if it was internationale in his place I wouldn't be able to do anything (apart from rewind). First I move the haxor into ambush position.
Deckard starts with his very own espionage panic button he can use once every 8 turns.
Cloak engaged and he walks out of the guard's view. The guard will of course investigate, but death has been avoided for now.
KO'd again, agents slip away...
Clean getaway.
Deckard gets a rank in Anarchy to be able to plant that snazzy shock trap he picked up. No cash for anything else, need to loot more melonhead safes.
6 hours and 24 minutes in, 7 hours to the next target, the clock is ticking.
Good guys? Neanderthals?
Laser fence, which I disabled before discovering in the previous job.
There is either a guard or a camera around.
It was a guard, Internationale ambushed him.
Found a map database. Doesn't show much, but at least I can avoid exploring dead ends. Also corporate safes for the taking.
Got the primary objective.
Found more melonhead bling.
Advanced gadgets use charge packs. Ain't got room for this one and I have nothing that uses them at the moment anyway.
Bleh, this room couldn't be scouted otherwise, had to activate cloak and see if it was a guard or camera.
Meanwhile Internationale is dragging that guard around the whole time.
Oh crap, two guards there. Better think how to deal with them.
Luckily they prefer guarding the exit elevator as is revealed by the hacked camera.
Nice implant, but no cash at the moment. Also another riot dart I can't buy.
Between rising alarm level and that first guard waking up I am kind of swarmed with guards right now. I was a bit too liberal with PWR usage and was not left with enough to hack the last camera by the elevator until this turn.
Just in time, I need to remember to conserve PWR next time.
FYI these are the implants Deckard and Internationale start with. They both have one free slot. Also further slots may be created using special surgery machines in implant lab missions. But that leaves agents KO'd for 2 or 3 turns while the operation happens.
Internationale gets 1 rank in stealth to use that stim she looted way back.
10 hours, fuck, day one will be nearly over. Time for a melonhead prisonbreak.
No drinking on the job bro.
I spy two guards, a laser fence and a locked door. Also some safe I looted (it had cash).
An armored guard. These guys are resistant to some weapons, but not the stunners I started with.
Alarm increases and cameras start booting up, gotta hack this one before it spots me.
I get greedy and Deckard gets spotted in the enemy turn while trying to get to the terminal for some PWR.
Luckily it the nearest hiding place is exactly four tiles away. Go go gadget cloak!
Luring the prison guard away...
...and two turns later both him and his buddy decide to walk into ambushes at the same time. There's still another one around.
Dragged the guards away a bit and freed the prisoner. He becomes controllable but can't attack or even pin down guards, the useless bum.
Well fuck, this is bad. Third guard walked into my trapped door, got KO'd for 3 turns, others woke up. And a new one spawned, and he's behind the laser fence to the south-east.
I ambush him, somehow. Deckard plants a trap on the door as the armored melonhead puppet is lurking about.
Four turns later I decide the coast is clear and try to make a run for the elevator. Only to remind myself I trapped the damn door and had to disarm it first!
REWIND!
I disarm the trap first this time and make a run for it to the elevator. Too many guards around to explore those 25%, I would also have to disable an extra camera and the laser fence was limiting my mobility. Bailing was the better choice, plenty of cash for corporate intel.
Oh yeah, this guy sells crap between missions sometimes, he also stores your loot and lets you sell some of it.
HUEHUE land has a security office I can loot for gadgets and weapons. Only downside is the security (duh) and travel time, but no better option is available. Another 10h down off the clock.
So far I got no extra agents. I know you can control up to 4.
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