How to make the Alien less annoying?

[Peluceus Donmian]

>Want to walk through hallway
-Can't, alien close by, at the end room of the hallway.
>Okay I'll just hide in this here room for a few moments.
-Oh, now the alien is in the hallway
>Okay, let me just hide in the closet.
-Alien is in my room. It's staring at my locker
>Okay, wait it out.
-Alien leaves, Alien moves 50 feet away
>Exit locker, head for exit
-Alien comes close again
>back in locker
-Alien enters room AGAIN
-Alien looks around, checks locker again
-Alien leaves
-Alien stays right outside my room
-Alien camps the hallway
-Alien runs out of view for no more than 5 seconds
-Alien comes back, running.
-Alien looking around hallway
>I have to return to hiding spot
-Alien keeps camping the area. Just will not leave me the ♥♥♥♥ alone

I can't ♥♥♥♥ing move because everytime I exit the room, even if I'm crouching, it decides to sweep my area a couple times, and tease me with safe exit, only to come back.

It's the hospital area. I'm aware it's active in this area but what should take me literally 2 minutes is taking me an hour.

Am I supposed to use my supplies to lure the alien away? I have a ton of Flares and a noisemaker or two, a ♥♥♥♥♥on of revolver ammo. I'm about to throw a flare, shoot the revolver to attract it to the area-- right into the room with the flare, and let the alien stare at it while I slip past and throw a noisemaker down the other side of the hall... Is that what I'm SUPPOSED to do? Or am I supposed to save that supplies for more androids?

[Deja Vu]

What difficulty are you playing on?

[silveryahel]

Hello Thaumus,

trying not to be the number one deep space hamster could help. :D

Tools are there for a reason, especially if you get into such a situation - do not mind using them.

You want to survive and not getting a medal for the top level of self-frustration while crawling around with a huge backpack full of cool McGyver gadgets.

[NinthElement]

Don't be afraid to experiment. Unless you're playing on nightmare you'll find no shortage of crafting materials throughout the game.

[Lord Cornelius Orion IV]

I have a similar post asking for help with this game.
I started on HARD because 'it's the way it's meant to be played'.

Don't believe that, I changed to medium and the game became wayyyyy more enjoyable. The Alien is still stalking but not so annoying that you can't even leave the room.

Basically if you are going to play on hard, you need to know the level layouts and where to go exactly. Stumbling around and wanting to explore somewhat will NOT be fun. Switch to medium. IMO it isn't less diffuclt. Because I find the Alien behaviour moronic on the harder difficulty since it acts like it knows where you are. So it moves away, you begin to move and it rushes right back. More stupid, yes. More diffcult, no.

[BROOD-SkorpioN]

Sigh...Someone really should put a sticky thread at the top of this forum titled 'DON'T HIDE IN LOCKERS!!!'

Anyway, some tips:
1. Don't hide in lockers. They slow you down, obscure your vision and leave you with no options if the alien decides to look for you there.
2. Use the terrain: Walls, pillars, beds - anything you can crouch behind is a good hideout, and you should automatically look for them whenever you enter a new room. Ideally, you should look for objects that allow you to circle around in case the alien gets too close.
3. Do most of your movement while walking. It's faster than crouching and can only be heard if the alien is in your close proximity. The goal should be to evade the alien altogether, rather than play hide n' seek with it.
4. Use craftables. They are all useful in certain situations, and unless you're playing on Nightmare you should have more than enough of everything. Craftables are there to make your game easier. Make it easier.
5. Pay close attention to sounds. I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH. Sound should be your closest ally in this game, as it will always alert you to the presense, and even intent, of enemies. When you'll become good enough at the game to know how to react to the different sounds you hear, they will become more valuable than your motion tracker.

[Peluceus Donmian]

Originally posted by specfor2:

I have a similar post asking for help with this game.
I started on HARD because 'it's the way it's meant to be played'.

Don't believe that, I changed to medium and the game became wayyyyy more enjoyable. The Alien is still stalking but not so annoying that you can't even leave the room.

Basically if you are going to play on hard, you need to know the level layouts and where to go exactly. Stumbling around and wanting to explore somewhat will NOT be fun. Switch to medium. IMO it isn't less diffuclt. Because I find the Alien behaviour moronic on the harder difficulty since it acts like it knows where you are. So it moves away, you begin to move and it rushes right back. More stupid, yes. More diffcult, no.

So it doesn't change the AI behavior, just the persistence of it?

[Agenta]

Originally posted by Thaumus____:

Originally posted by specfor2:

I have a similar post asking for help with this game.
I started on HARD because 'it's the way it's meant to be played'.

Don't believe that, I changed to medium and the game became wayyyyy more enjoyable. The Alien is still stalking but not so annoying that you can't even leave the room.

Basically if you are going to play on hard, you need to know the level layouts and where to go exactly. Stumbling around and wanting to explore somewhat will NOT be fun. Switch to medium. IMO it isn't less diffuclt. Because I find the Alien behaviour moronic on the harder difficulty since it acts like it knows where you are. So it moves away, you begin to move and it rushes right back. More stupid, yes. More diffcult, no.

So it doesn't change the AI behavior, just the persistence of it?

On higher difficulties the Alien behaves more realistically and searches areas more thoroughly and doesn't give up as fast as lower difficulties. On Hard or Nightmare, or in the DLC maps, which are locked on the Hard Difficulty, the Alien will respond to the slightest noises and is incredibly aggressive and persistant. That thing is a hunter that wants you DEAD on higher difficulties. Easier difficulties make the Alien hang around a lot less, make it slower to notice you, and make it's search paterns less thorough. It will also spend more time in the vents on lower difficulties More holes to get through his search patern.

And yes, AVOID THE DAMN LOCKERS. You want to mostly hide under desks or behind objects. Use Noisemakers to distract the Alien and get him in area, and use Smoke Bombs (Which you should have at this point) to make yourself harder to spot. The Alien can also hear the Motion Tracker, so use it to find him then quickly put it away. Listen for sounds. If you hear a clunking noise in the ceiling he is in the vents and you can move safely for a bit. If you hear a loud THUNK onto the floor that means he is out of the vents and starting search paterns. If you hear a dripping he is waiting in a ceiling vent ready to pounce on you if you walk under it. If you hear him walking around then realize he is nearby and act accordingly. The Flamethrower and Molotov Cocktails should be saved for when they are ABSOLUTELY NEEDED especially on Nightmare. If you are playing on Nightmare, you NEED to save your Fuel or you will not be able to beat the game. Then again, don't play on Nightmare till you are ready for it. Look for components often to help you craft stuff. Lot everything you see as well. Craft stuff when you are maxed on components, or at least dedicate the resources to items you can use to make it so that you can still grab it. Leave nothing behind, but conserve your resources when you can. Realize there is always a way through the area.

Those are my general tips.

[Agenta]

Originally posted by Thaumus____:

>Want to walk through hallway
-Can't, alien close by, at the end room of the hallway.
>Okay I'll just hide in this here room for a few moments.
-Oh, now the alien is in the hallway
>Okay, let me just hide in the closet.
-Alien is in my room. It's staring at my locker
>Okay, wait it out.
-Alien leaves, Alien moves 50 feet away
>Exit locker, head for exit
-Alien comes close again
>back in locker
-Alien enters room AGAIN
-Alien looks around, checks locker again
-Alien leaves
-Alien stays right outside my room
-Alien camps the hallway
-Alien runs out of view for no more than 5 seconds
-Alien comes back, running.
-Alien looking around hallway
>I have to return to hiding spot
-Alien keeps camping the area. Just will not leave me the ♥♥♥♥ alone

I can't ♥♥♥♥ing move because everytime I exit the room, even if I'm crouching, it decides to sweep my area a couple times, and tease me with safe exit, only to come back.

It's the hospital area. I'm aware it's active in this area but what should take me literally 2 minutes is taking me an hour.

Am I supposed to use my supplies to lure the alien away? I have a ton of Flares and a noisemaker or two, a ♥♥♥♥♥on of revolver ammo. I'm about to throw a flare, shoot the revolver to attract it to the area-- right into the room with the flare, and let the alien stare at it while I slip past and throw a noisemaker down the other side of the hall... Is that what I'm SUPPOSED to do? Or am I supposed to save that supplies for more androids?

See tips in my above comment for more help. In general if I was in a situation like that I would toss that noisemaker down the hallway, or throw a flare. I wouldn't fire the Revolver. Revolver is very useful for killing Survivors, and Androids if you are REALLY desperate. It also will attract to your location REALLY fast. The Alien needs to see the Flare in order to react to it.

[CMDR Nova]

Just wait til you get the flamethrower haha

[PestMastah]

I solved this game on Nightmare mode... it was my first attempt at it. I only reduced it down to hard mode on the second run thru --- actually died more.
Reason was I had a bit of over confidence in the gear I had....

Finally realized that strategy works best on some missions...

For example.. You say you are in the Medical Ward section right? Getting the passcode for the elevator?

I know that place well.

You can do it... just stay quiet at first (before the Alien makes his entrance from ceiling after you got the door code from the terminal)....
Instead of going straight around to that terminal and getting the code...

Walk around the entire paremeter of that section and learn it... (getting a lot of drops along the way)

Find a rewire box (there are two) and deactivate the ONE door near that save spot...
A lot of people want to "Save" there and go straight out that door and to the right towards the terminal to get the code... Instead, LOCK it with the rewire box... and make sure the floor vents are open.

Crawl around under the floor and L@@K to see which one of the panels above you is the fartherest from an Alien "Floor entrance" point.

What's gonna happen is this...

> After walking around getting pickups, rewiring the door locked by the save spot, opening the floor vents, listening to the recorder, and getting an ID tag from one of the cells...

1. Save

2. Proceed to the office to get the door code for the terminal (just remember the door you need to open fast is not the first one you pass by after Alien drops out of celing).

3. Get the code and RUN... towards the vent where the Alien drops out of... Slow down and DO NOT hide but continue Walking towards the door you need to get to.

4. You should get to the door pretty quick enough and unlock it... You could go in.. but the Alien goes counter clockwise from the moment he drops into the room... he does NOT see you as you walk by when he first enters dramatically...
Also.. as a bonus, that door you locked down (by the save spot) will not open thus he will have to ALl the way around counter clockwise to get to your position.. (dodging several beds in the way.

He will continue to travel towards the door you just opened... if you go through it... you got maybe 20 seconds to make a quick counter clockwise round-about picking up whatever you can (there may be a blueprint)... it will bring you back into the hall where you entered.

A trick is to drop (or set down flares that you light up) at the end of the hallway as you turn right... and a second one within eyesight of that one at the end of the next hallway (but outside of the door or else he won't see it).
He will investigate each one.

Then you can dive into another room on the right and really grab a blueprint off the table and continue to find a keycard... etc...

Here is a bonus solution for ya:

After entering the door code... go back towards where the ALien dropped in and open a second door with the same code... go in , grab another ID tag and stuff... open (with lever) another door to the hall to exit.

that will take you to the same hall where he dropped in... go for the floor vent... head left towards the door u need to go to and find the floor panel above and get ready.

SLAM the side of the vent with your hammer (melee)... wait for the sound of the alien going UP in a vent... AND coming down into the floor with you...

THEN... at the second sound.. open the panel and climb out.

Then walk (not run) thru the door you already opened with the code... and proceed..

It will take him some time to climb back out and track you down again... and if you lay a flare on the ground he'll inspect it.. giving you more time.

[Lord Cornelius Orion IV]

Originally posted by Thaumus____:

Originally posted by specfor2:

I have a similar post asking for help with this game.
I started on HARD because 'it's the way it's meant to be played'.

Don't believe that, I changed to medium and the game became wayyyyy more enjoyable. The Alien is still stalking but not so annoying that you can't even leave the room.

Basically if you are going to play on hard, you need to know the level layouts and where to go exactly. Stumbling around and wanting to explore somewhat will NOT be fun. Switch to medium. IMO it isn't less diffuclt. Because I find the Alien behaviour moronic on the harder difficulty since it acts like it knows where you are. So it moves away, you begin to move and it rushes right back. More stupid, yes. More diffcult, no.

So it doesn't change the AI behavior, just the persistence of it?

Exactly. The Alien is like a magnet on the hardest difficulty. I would be as silent as a mouse and it would instantly come to the room I was in, if I went into a locker it would go to the locker. Terrible way to play the game.

On medium, it's movement/behaviour becomes a lot more realistic. You will have room to move around and search IF you are quiet (aside from any scripted areas).

Like some others said, eventually you will realize sound is your best friend. If you hear footsteps, you know it is on the ground. If you get the ducting sound, it's in the ceiling.

[JRex]

Your gonna love mission 14

Spoilers

(the one where its the absolute ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ curved hallway where you start a gen go to flip a switch and the gen goes off and you have to go back)

[Agenta]

Originally posted by Jrex:

Your gonna love mission 14

Spoilers

(the one where its the absolute ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ curved hallway where you start a gen go to flip a switch and the gen goes off and you have to go back)

SPOILERS: I would wager the Apollo Core or the Reactor are worse then that hallway. Still, that hallway is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ annoying.

[Deja Vu]

Originally posted by Jrex:

Your gonna love mission 14

Spoilers

(the one where its the absolute ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ curved hallway where you start a gen go to flip a switch and the gen goes off and you have to go back)

Haha I ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ hated that mission

[Cruna]

Do NOT hide in closets and other places like that. You will be stuck hiding around. Keep moving, keep objects between you and the alien while you do. I know that it's scary, but staying around for long makes the Alien patrol all around you and you will not be able to do anything. So don't use closets, max hide under the table if you REALLY have to, but most often LISTEN to it and keep moving. Forget about the motion detector. Listen. Your ears are the best motion detectors in the game.