PSA: Tips and Tricks for surviving the Zone

[Enderoth]

I say we should have a thread of Tips and Tricks for people to read. A sort of things-I-wish-I-knew-starting-out. I'll start.

Stalker, having trouble picking up items out of that box that you just stabbed open? Here's a tip from a pro: stabbing the boxes further will break them completely, leaving that item you couldn't grab out in the open. Drink one for me, Stalker!

[Newb]

Good tip, one I already found out by just trying different things. I like how players are not molly coddled, and have to find out for themselves.
Another tip, one that I discovered under great terror. Use the packs of dogs to your advantage, as long as you see them before they see you. I found this out, at the poppy field in the starting area. Great fun, albeit another way to complete two missions at once.

[Drax]

My main, incredibly helpful tip for players is to go to Cordon ASAP because you can get a SPSA there (Spaz basically) that is an incredibly powerful shotgun that makes mutant encounters much, much easier even on Veteran difficulty. You can also get an AS Val which is a silenced rifle that uses SMG ammo. You can go there before even going to Garbage by just going east of Zalissya and it will carry you through most of the game. The AS Val is directly east of the Rookie Village. The SPSA is in the vehicle station.

Otherwise:

1) You can do stealth takedowns for completely silent kills. Necessary for achievement.
2) You recover stamina faster when aiming down sites and walking over walking normally.
3) The 'Ribs' anomaly field near Zalissya drops gravitational artifacts that can increase carry weight. Handy to go back there a few times to collect some. Makes running back with loot much easier.
4) Journalist stashes are worth checking out and have good rewards. Try and differentiate between the unique stashes, and the randomly generated ones. Usually it's pretty obvious from the description.
5) There's a specific stash chest at most safe areas that has shared loot between all locations. So you don't have to go all the way back to the lesser zone to recover a unique weapon.

[Mordegar]

Stashes can sometimes contain body armor, for example search inside the Commisary Courtyard or the Brood Compound in the Garbage and you might find something useful there.

[Enderoth]

Originally posted by Drax:

My main, incredibly helpful tip for players is to go to Cordon ASAP because you can get a SPSA there (Spaz basically) that is an incredibly powerful shotgun that makes mutant encounters much, much easier even on Veteran difficulty. You can also get an AS Val which is a silenced rifle that uses SMG ammo. You can go there before even going to Garbage by just going east of Zalissya and it will carry you through most of the game. The AS Val is directly east of the Rookie Village. The SPSA is in the vehicle station.

Otherwise:

1) You can do stealth takedowns for completely silent kills. Necessary for achievement.
2) You recover stamina faster when aiming down sites and walking over walking normally.
3) The 'Ribs' anomaly field near Zalissya drops gravitational artifacts that can increase carry weight. Handy to go back there a few times to collect some. Makes running back with loot much easier.
4) Journalist stashes are worth checking out and have good rewards. Try and differentiate between the unique stashes, and the randomly generated ones. Usually it's pretty obvious from the description.
5) There's a specific stash chest at most safe areas that has shared loot between all locations. So you don't have to go all the way back to the lesser zone to recover a unique weapon.

Good tips! As for the weapons, are you sure on the AS Val? If it's in the Death Cave, this might have come from the lips of Lex the Legend (for those who are unprepared)

[Newb]

Another one I forgot to mention, right click broken weapons and take the resulting ammo.