Freelancer Help

[K2]

1. Is there anything I should know that could help make these missions easier?
It took me 5 tries to beat 1 syndicate group because of the amount characters around and the odd chance that I get seen through a wall of all things.

2. Is it better to just kill everyone I see rather than keeping anyone alive?

3. Are optional objectives even worth going for?
I really try to do them all but some are impossible like the dart gun one.

4. Why do my freelancer tools just disappear from the cases after every failed run?
At this point it feels like I should always be using them if they will disappear later down the line.

5. If and when I do unlock hardcore mode, is it worth going down that path?

That's all I have to ask. These missions are tough when there are no silenced weapons to get early on.

EDIT: Thanks to all of you for answering. All of this will be helpful for me once I start my next syndicate group.

[Osmium]

1) Freelancer is different from the main game. Because of the random targets, some strategies don't work and some become more important. For example, digested poisons are almost entirely worthless since most NPC's don't eat or drink. Dart guns, especially the emetic one, will not only let you complete poison objectives, but pull a target out of a crowd. If you *ever* have $4,000 and see one at a shop, you buy it, no matter what. Unlike the other poisons, they refill between missions and work from a distance.

2) Kill anyone that might stumble on a body and raise the alarm. Otherwise, you don't need to waste your time by going on a killing spree and depopulating the level. Unless you have a silent assassin objective, there's no reason to spare someone if it'd make your life easier if they were gone. Don't take the SA objective unless you're very familiar with the map and are sure you can pull it off. $5000 is a nice reward, but you only get that if you succeed. Better to take a $2000 objective you can do. Maps with easy guard outfits that let you go anywhere are nice for SA.

3) Yes, they're the main source of money, especially the prestige objectives. Sometimes you'll be offered 3 objectives that you literally can't do because you don't have an ice pick, epic melee, or silenced sniper rifle yet. The timed objectives are a mixed bag. The one that's simply a time limit for the mission is freaking impossible. You have 2 minutes to kill your targets and you might spawn more than a 2 minute run away from the closest one. The "hide and seek" timed mission isn't so bad. You get 2 1/2 minutes to find a closet or box to hide in, which resets the timer. Killing the last target removes the timer and you succeed if you didn't let the timer run out. You don't need to do all of the objectives, but think about which ones you think you can reliably finish in this map without running the risk of failing the whole thing. Maybe trying to hide all target bodies is going to get you killed, but taking down 3 guards without getting noticed isn't too bad.

4) The tools are temporary and linked to each run. Use them as needed to complete the optional objectives. There's no point in hoarding them and trying to fill up all the cases like you do with the gun racks. If you have a ducky and have an explosive collateral kill objective, just bring it with you and use it. Bring your lockpick on every mission unless you don't need it or think you might die on this one.

5) No, absolutely not. Hardcore is after you have a thousand hours in the game and hundreds of hours in Freelancer. If you've done *everything* else and the rest of the game seems too easy for you, then maybe pick up hardcore. There's a single suit unlock for finishing this ridiculous task.

Without silenced weapons, you're forced to use more takedowns, thrown melee weapons, and accidents. Once you get to level 10 or so you start unlocking the rest of the house and can bring certain extra objects with you. There's a banana in the kitchen (can be placed on the ground with caps lock key) for accidents and a wrench in the garage. There's also a stethoscope in the recovery room that can be used as fiberwire.

Once you get to the showdown at the end of each campaign segment, the part where you use the camera to identify targets, you can take down assassins that guard the targets. You'll know the assassin because they'll follow a target everywhere but aren't dressed like a normal bodyguard. Assassin's are good to kill because they always have a rare silenced pistol on them. If you draw their attention they can kill you in 2 shots, though, so be careful.

There's also a few easter eggs where you can dig up a marked spot with a shovel and get another silenced pistol. There's one in Island of Sgail and Whittleton Creek, I think. I haven't actually found them, but I know vaguely where they are supposed to be. Some guards in certain missions like Dubai have silenced SMG's and assault rifles that you can take back to your base.

[supersand]

1) The better you know the maps the more likely you will have an easier time, and seeing through some walls was exasperated last patch. If you don't know the map too well then consider loading it up in Campaign first. If it is an alerted terrority, load it in Master Mode.

2) It depends on your objectives and if it is a syndicate target. Causing chaos will cause syndicates to flee if they catch wind, thou if you clean up afterwards and it isn't loud it is probably fine. You aren't rewarded for Silent Assassin or Suit Only unless it is an objective, and civs only lose like 50 merces if you kill them. Completing the smallest objective is worth 10 civs, so don't be shy.

3) Yes, but don't feel like you have to do all of them. Some of them may even contradict each other or the prestige objective. Just do what you can and if they are only worth like 500 merces it probably safe to ignore.

4) You lose freelancer crate items when losing an Alerted Mission. Its dumb I know but its not a big deal.

5) No. Hardcore mode just makes all the maps into Alerted territories. It isn't really hard, it is just annoying. Its one of those artificial difficulties if you get me.

[Nightingale]

1. Diana explains everything. Look at the briefing and tape for it. The syndicate leader is narrowed down to a 50/50 chance at most if your intel is correct. The more suspects, the more likely you will kill non-targets that fit the description to a T. I don't know why Agent 47 has a camera that can hack into encrypted security systems in China, but can't 100% confirm the syndicate leader upon scan.

2. If you mean the suspects, yes, but you must do so without being caught. It's a 50M penalty, but it narrows down the syndicate leader until you kill them. The ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ assassins and scouts will be your main problem. If they get a whiff of trouble, they will signal all the suspects to escape, even if they simply trip on a banana.

3. NO, absolutely not. In fact, ignore those dumb side objectives. It's all optional and increases the likelihood of failing your mission or dying. (Kill 3 Gaurds with a sniper rifle - guaranteed discovery/death) (Silent Assassin - guaranteed failure/no money). Unless it's a simple objective like poisoning a target, then sure, a little extra money helps. Most your money will come from completing contracts, robbing safes, KO'd couriers, and killing syndicate leaders anyway. Completing the main objective should be the most important.

4. Because IO is stupid. This is the WORST aspect of Freelancer mode and infuriates almost every player. Freelancer was designed for random, unexplained ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ to happen that even the most experienced player can die or fail. So try to bring what you can afford to lose, and everything else is for decoration. If it goes on the wall, best to leave it there. I don't know why it's called Freelancer. It should be called Paycheck to Paycheck.

5. Hardcore mode is for when you feel like you don't want to play Hitman anymore, but rather something to give you ulcers and aneurysms of sheer stupidity. This mode doesn't exist. Ignore it. I don't care what tin can in-game trophy you get for achieving the impossible. Ninja Gaiden, Kaizo Mario World, and QWOP would be more rewarding.

Before the 2-3 diehard fans come running in defense of Freelancer, mind you OP that I'm over level 600 and have been playing Hitman series since 2016. I've also beaten the Freelancer mode once without Hardcore mode. No, I'm not the "ultimate fan", but I've played enough to know that Freelancer is ridiculous. IO had the right idea, but executed it poorly with the penalties. I would forgive everything else if it weren't for the fact that you lose your inventory that you bring along with suitcase items if the mission fails. You've been warned.

[Cur]

Use the screwdriver for everything. Destroy cameras. Silently stab baddies in the neck. Throw into baddies eyes from afar. Tighten/loosen Philips head screws. Poke holes in various containers of liquids. Open secret passages.

I take 47 with a screwdriver over infinity gauntlet Thanos.

[Nightingale]

Originally posted by Cur:

Use the screwdriver for everything. Destroy cameras. Silently stab baddies in the neck. Throw into baddies eyes from afar. Tighten/loosen Philips head screws. Poke holes in various containers of liquids. Open secret passages.

I take 47 with a screwdriver over infinity gauntlet Thanos.

But it can't pick locks or hack into electronic doors.

[Regimentalbrother]

I would say that answering any of your questions relies heavily on how you intend to play the game, or more specifically Freelancer. If you are intending on completing the challenges or not is the most important decision maker. but there are other things to consider also. If you want to complete missions, showdowns, and ultimately campaigns fast...then get in... kill the most effective way possible without being spotted and get out. It's ok to get seen doing the deed, just know you run the risk of quickly dying in a shootout if you stick around. ALWAYS leave an area whenever you drop a target or other NPC...the AI will always send guards or assassins to the exact spot where you shot from...every time...so get out quick.

Wasting time trying to make optional objectives work for a small payout will slow your progress immensely. If they are simple...why not? you'd be silly to waste the chance at earning some loot/ XP. Keep in mind, there are four showdowns in a campaign that will all give a weapon/tool or merces payout at their conclusion and you will get 30,000 merces for completing a campaign.


There are literally hundreds of tips and pointers I could give you. I have over 700hrs in H3 WoA with likely a third of that just in Freelancer alone. I agree with the majority of the info these other players have offered you...with the exception of hardcore mode, I failed that on my first try, but after changing my approach to FL in general, I was able to beat it on my second attempt. It's not for the faint of heart but it is very rewarding to complete it. ONCE!!!...never again LOL.

I will give you a tip to easily narrow down the Syndicate Leader in a Showdown;

There are three meeting types, each have their own "tell";

1. Business meeting...They will ALWAYS shake hands.
2. Secret Meeting...They ALWAYS just stand there and talk covertly, no contact.
3. Handover Meeting...They will Always hand an item to the other.

Armed with this little tip, you can easily rule out the the other two and then focus on the one your intel says is the right one.

Each meeting type (known as a "network") usually consists of three mbrs each. So, in the right one according to your intel... the will be the Leader (your target) and two others. The leader will meet with one, then the other. This will continue to repeat over and over, until you intervene of course. Use that to your advantage by watching the patterns. If you pacify the one mbr that isn't in the meeting, get their phone (which will also confirm the meeting type) and arrange a meeting in a secluded and strategic area, in order to lure them into a trap. This helps in taking out an assassin too...which you should make a priority before attacking the target...mess it up and he WILL kill you!
Sometimes it can be advantageous to cause the other meeting networks to panic and flee, this is dangerous but it will thin the herd so to speak. Keep in mind, lookouts belong to each network and generally hang around the areas where the meetings take place. with a little practice you can easily finish the last (hardest) showdown in a campaign in under 5 mins. I did one once in under a minute...mostly luck since I spawned within 50 feet of the leader, quickly made him, and snuffed him and ran for the exit....all due largely to the fact he did not have an assassin with him...again just lucky...but just goes to show it can be done.

Using your instinct...notice that the NPC outlines vary in thickness and brightness...this is your secret weapon to easily and very rapidly find out who the assassins, lookouts and plain clothes "agents" are...use this along with the mini-map sidebar proximity indicators to confirm your suspicions.

One of my signature things is to do after eliminating the Syndicate Leader is hunting and killing all the assassins and lookouts, they're worth 250 XP each...plus it's just plain old satisfying fun!

By far, the best pistol in the entire game is the Assassin's HWK 21 Covert...you can literally snipe from across the map with that thing. Take down an assassin and pick it up, it's the only way to get one. The best thing is, it's easy to replace if you lose it...just snap another assassin, and boom right back in your possession. I'm not saying the other pistols are bad cause some are just as amazing....but losing your Silverballer or Goldballer is just a crying shame. I only use those when an objective calls for a Legendary pistol....after that back on the wall and back to my Assassin's HWK 21 Covert.

I could go on and on for hours sharing the things I've learned over the years of playing all of the Hitman games. Suffice it to say, you too will begin to see things like patterns and behaviours that will help you make the right decisions and choices that will likely help you succeed much quicker and more effectively. As previously stated by another player...Map Knowledge is the main key to success, this only comes through time and experience..so get in there and learn it...ALL!!

One more tip...always use a concussive explosive or breaching charge to open a safe quietly and with less chance of killing yourself if you're too close. I sometimes use a proxy device if I don't have a remote activated one...just toss it/ place it....wait for it to arm...then toss an item at it...boom!

Best of luck...hope this helped you in some way.

Cheers, RB

[MGuenny]

Originally posted by K2:

3. Are optional objectives even worth going for?
I really try to do them all but some are impossible like the dart gun one.

Hey,
one thing pertinent to answering this question hasn't been mentioned yet, the optional objectives are probably the main source of XP needed for mastery levels and safehouse unlocks. (The challenges are good too, but these generally take a lot of missions/campaigns to get.)

The following applies to the normal freelancer (no hardcore):
A (normal) optional objective gives 1000 XP and the prestige objective gives 2000 XP. If you complete all objectives you get an additional 3000 XP. (I don't know if you need a prestige objective for this bonus.)
There is also a "Perfect Run Bonus" (which should not be confused with the prestige objective of the same name). This also brings about 2000 XP, but I don't know exactly what all the conditions are for this one. (You may also need to open all the safes, couriers, and gear boxes on the map in addition to the objectives.)

So if you complete all three optional objectives and the prestige objective, you will get at least 8000 XP. Which at least at the beginning of the mastery levels corresponds to (almost) one more level.

I don't know the exact XP values for the following, but it's enough for a comparison: safes, couriers, gear boxes each bring less than 500 XP; Syndicate Members around 500 XP and Syndicate Leaders around 1000 XP. (I think in an alerted territory, members and leaders give a little more XP, but only a few hundred XP.)

Thus, the optional objectives bring quite a lot of XP if you do as many as possible in one mission. And with XP you get the Safehouse Unlocks, which gives you e.g. free gear, which always respawns in the Safehouse. For example, I like to take the wrench from the garage with me, so I don't have to look for gear on the map to pacify and can also leave it in the mission because it spawns again in the safehouse anyway.

Originally posted by Regimentalbrother:

I will give you a tip to easily narrow down the Syndicate Leader in a Showdown;

There are three meeting types, each have their own "tell";

1. Business meeting...They will ALWAYS shake hands.
2. Secret Meeting...They ALWAYS just stand there and talk covertly, no contact.
3. Handover Meeting...They will Always hand an item to the other.

Did you disable the UI?
Because the purple icon above the suspect's head also shows the type of meeting (just like you can tell if someone is a foodie or a reader). All you need is a clear line of sight on the suspect.
For example, in Paris I was standing on the balcony next to the auction room. I was able to use the purple symbol to determine the respective meetings both in the Pagoda Garden on the one hand and at the small house next to the barge on the other hand.

[Regimentalbrother]

Originally posted by MGuenny:

Originally posted by K2:

3. Are optional objectives even worth going for?
I really try to do them all but some are impossible like the dart gun one.

Hey,
one thing pertinent to answering this question hasn't been mentioned yet, the optional objectives are probably the main source of XP needed for mastery levels and safehouse unlocks. (The challenges are good too, but these generally take a lot of missions/campaigns to get.)

The following applies to the normal freelancer (no hardcore):
A (normal) optional objective gives 1000 XP and the prestige objective gives 2000 XP. If you complete all objectives you get an additional 3000 XP. (I don't know if you need a prestige objective for this bonus.)
There is also a "Perfect Run Bonus" (which should not be confused with the prestige objective of the same name). This also brings about 2000 XP, but I don't know exactly what all the conditions are for this one. (You may also need to open all the safes, couriers, and gear boxes on the map in addition to the objectives.)

So if you complete all three optional objectives and the prestige objective, you will get at least 8000 XP. Which at least at the beginning of the mastery levels corresponds to (almost) one more level.

I don't know the exact XP values for the following, but it's enough for a comparison: safes, couriers, gear boxes each bring less than 500 XP; Syndicate Members around 500 XP and Syndicate Leaders around 1000 XP. (I think in an alerted territory, members and leaders give a little more XP, but only a few hundred XP.)

Thus, the optional objectives bring quite a lot of XP if you do as many as possible in one mission. And with XP you get the Safehouse Unlocks, which gives you e.g. free gear, which always respawns in the Safehouse. For example, I like to take the wrench from the garage with me, so I don't have to look for gear on the map to pacify and can also leave it in the mission because it spawns again in the safehouse anyway.

Originally posted by Regimentalbrother:

I will give you a tip to easily narrow down the Syndicate Leader in a Showdown;

There are three meeting types, each have their own "tell";

1. Business meeting...They will ALWAYS shake hands.
2. Secret Meeting...They ALWAYS just stand there and talk covertly, no contact.
3. Handover Meeting...They will Always hand an item to the other.

Did you disable the UI?
Because the purple icon above the suspect's head also shows the type of meeting (just like you can tell if someone is a foodie or a reader). All you need is a clear line of sight on the suspect.
For example, in Paris I was standing on the balcony next to the auction room. I was able to use the purple symbol to determine the respective meetings both in the Pagoda Garden on the one hand and at the small house next to the barge on the other hand.

You are correct, that only works when you have an unobstructed line of sight on the suspects and also within range. You cannot see those purple symbols above a suspect through walls/obstacles etc. Using instinct, you can always see the physical interactions I mentioned even from the far ends of the map. This is particularly useful when you spawn on the rooftop in Berlin...it will give you the perfect edge you need to focus your dirty deeds. I suppose in hindsight I could've mentioned this in my original post...my bad.

[Osmium]

Originally posted by Regimentalbrother:

You are correct, that only works when you have an unobstructed line of sight on the suspects and also within range. You cannot see those purple symbols above a suspect through walls/obstacles etc. Using instinct, you can always see the physical interactions I mentioned even from the far ends of the map. This is particularly useful when you spawn on the rooftop in Berlin...it will give you the perfect edge you need to focus your dirty deeds. I suppose in hindsight I could've mentioned this in my original post...my bad.

In your defense, you're the only person here who has claimed to finish hardcore mode, which disables those icons. It made perfect sense to me that you in particular would point out how to distinguish the types of meetings when all you can see is the body language.