Exactly what do I need to do to start with something other than the forklift

[Unembellished Genius]

I really want to like this game but playing with the forklift is super boring and instantly makes me want to put the game down. What do I need to do to be able to start with any other mech besides the forklift.

[Hydremajor117]

Originally posted by Unembellished Genius:

I really want to like this game but playing with the forklift is super boring and instantly makes me want to put the game down. What do I need to do to be able to start with any other mech besides the forklift.

That's the neat part, you don't

Fact is, everything in the game as far as gear is concerned is components and components can only be obtained in one of two ways:

Find the component out in the world in the form of a red book you can pick, theses will MOSTLY give you labor parts, so either body parts, which are mostly cosmetic, and weapons which I don't think I have to explain

The second and most common way to get stuff is analysis, out and about in the world you'll find shops

Specifically Software shops and Hardware shops

Software shops sells disks and should you buy one such disk the game will graciously let you skip having to analyse it, but lets say you FOUND a neat disk and want to send it home ?

In that case you want to use the analysis function of the shop, you simply pay a D-chip fee and hey presto the disk is now in your Apps roster back at base which lets you start with it, DO BE ADVISED THOUGH that if you want more than one of a specific disk ? you're gonna have to analyse EACH TIER OF THE DISK

Lets say you have analysed a tier 1 solid resistance, you can no equip ONE solid resistance, but to start with two or more you have to get the amount you want and analyse each tier so analyse the second Solid Resist to start with two, analyse 3 to start with three etc,etc...

Arms work around MOSTLY the same idea except here you need to first have a Arms to ride around, NEXT you need to find the part you want and equip it, from there head to a hardware shop, pop in and analyse the part you want and now that part is added to your roster back at base, fair warning, a part's value changes depending on how strong that part is, certain parts will take a SIGNIFICANT amount of change to analyse so you better try that if you have a plump sum saved up

As an aside, hardware stores also allow you to repair damage done to your Arms, even allowing repair on a part by part basis, however repairs will ALWAYS fully repair a part, none of that "only repair up to a point to save up cash"

[Ghoul Thing One]

You can switch off from the forklift the moment you can scavenge a replacement head and weapon, or straight up steal an abandoned mech. It doesn't take long, and unless you beef the run hard you'll have gotten at least a couple blueprints for mech gear.

[Xaelon]

For your first run of a file you will always start with the forklift, but for later runs you can analyze parts at a repair shop (which I think are marked with a green wrench?) to unlock them for future runs.

You can then go to the arms hanger/pad/thing in your base and put analyzed parts on whatever mech you want.

Except the forklift's 'head' part can't actually equip weapons because it doesn't have the "sockets" required. Meaning you'll have to find and analyze a different "head" part that can equip weapons.

Even without stealing an empty mech (the main way you'll find parts) you can sometimes find a basic ARMS able to equip weapons in some of the parking lots. You've probably seen it. Orange like the forklift, open front and it has two exposed ball-joints at shoulder height.

And lastly shops are locked for your first run of the demo (I assume this is because the tutorial run hands you a full ARMS right at the start). So can't analyze any parts until you leave the base for the 2nd time.

[dex7491]

I'm extremely late here, but I would recommend just using your Labor for beginner runs; I never used the forklift. Your labor can honestly do more damage if you build it right.