Stealth/On-Foot Question

[𝒞𝒶𝓈𝓊𝒶𝓁 Sinner]

Is there really "stealth" in the on-foot missions? Not even including missions that you can go loud and alarm the base, it doesn't feel like you can really complete most missions without killing people. I'm not sure why there aren't real stealth options to KO people, I know about the overcharge, but you still kill them and for some reason the bounty instantly applies to you.

The closest I got to really being stealthy was my first on foot today to sabotage an industrial settlement, and that was only because the AI was bugged out and couldn't move from their spawn points to patrol or look around.

Any advice? Or am I just "playing it as it was meant?"

[Sighman]

I'm not sure why there aren't real stealth options to KO people, I know about the overcharge, but you still kill them and for some reason the bounty instantly applies to you.

I can tell you exactly why there is no KO option - PEGI ratings.

Killing people is PEGI 16. Knocking people out and being able to kill them after is PEGI 18. (Killing the helpless, basically).

This is why every scientist in the game has a gun.

So it's not a huge oversight on the part of the developer, it's too much oversight on the ratings front.

for some reason the bounty instantly applies to you

Your suit is like a giant Apple or Google device reporting everything you do. And so are the suits worn by the NPCs.

If you don't want a bounty, do your missions in anarchy settlements. Try the ones I set up in Xiancheim, Dainayiman, Raidenwitha and Heryshaf.

[𝒞𝒶𝓈𝓊𝒶𝓁 Sinner]

Originally posted by Sighman:

Your suit is like a giant Apple or Google device reporting everything you do. And so are the suits worn by the NPCs.

If you don't want a bounty, do your missions in anarchy settlements. Try the ones I set up in Xiancheim, Dainayiman, Raidenwitha and Heryshaf.

I don't like the rating answer tbh, I don't doubt it, but it's also not a very satisfying answer. I mean, the game allows you to basically run up and gun down the technicians before they can even pull out weapons. The game also lets you be a pirate, but I guess its fair since they can fight back to a weak extent.

I also don't really like the apple device answer. I would be happy if I could buy a suit that had that removed just for the real stealth ability, because it gets frustrating doing in-system missions and having to return to the hangar and pay fines for a mission, especially if said mission is for the controlling faction

[Sighman]

Originally posted by 【Sinner】:

Originally posted by Sighman:

Your suit is like a giant Apple or Google device reporting everything you do. And so are the suits worn by the NPCs.

If you don't want a bounty, do your missions in anarchy settlements. Try the ones I set up in Xiancheim, Dainayiman, Raidenwitha and Heryshaf.

I don't like the rating answer tbh, I don't doubt it, but it's also not a very satisfying answer.

Unfortunately it's 100% correct, and circumventing age ratings could land the company in court or risk having the game banned.

Originally posted by 【Sinner】:

I also don't really like the apple device answer. I would be happy if I could buy a suit that had that removed just for the real stealth ability, because it gets frustrating doing in-system missions and having to return to the hangar and pay fines for a mission, especially if said mission is for the controlling faction

It's your victims' suits reporting the crime, not necessarily yours.

Don't forget you're a member of the Pilot's Federation, not some outlaw. If you break the law they know it.

The solution is simple, though. Take missions which are legal, not illegal. Legal missions include all the usual stealth, murdering, etc but target anarchy settlements where you don't get bounties.

I set up those four systems mentioned with 60 settlements between them, and I now have a handful of other commanders helping me to set up a single system with 48 anarchy settlements to raid, loot and shoot at.

The reason I've been doing this for, oh, 18 months now, is to give commanders lots of places to do missions without bounties.

[malorob]

Maybe you could do the old red faction trick which was: if you look at the ground you then became invisible to the other NPC and players around you. sounds silly but it worked

i kid you no, it was a thing.

so have you tried just staring at the ground while walking ?

[𝒞𝒶𝓈𝓊𝒶𝓁 Sinner]

Originally posted by malorob:

Maybe you could do the old red faction trick which was: if you look at the ground you then became invisible to the other NPC and players around you. sounds silly but it worked

i kid you no, it was a thing.

so have you tried just staring at the ground while walking ?

I'll give it a try actually, gonna take a break and probably do ship bounties for a bit

[Sighman]

I recommend the quieter footsteps mod on your maverick. That + crouch/sneak and only moving when the NPC is facing away from you and going through their 'inspection' routine/animation should get you in anywhere.

All NPCs patrol, so you need to watch their route and determine the best time to sneak into an area and achieve your mission.

[Acierocolotl]

Originally posted by 【Sinner】:

Is there really "stealth" in the on-foot missions?

I've got a million words i could type here. In respect of your time and mine, I'll say, "Yes, you can do a mission with pure stealth and not a single bit of violence, but it's really hard and really time-consuming."

NPCs move in predictable patterns when they're not alerted, if you scan NPCs (just the look-at-them scan, not the #4 scanner) you can track them on your radar, and they only see in the front 180 degree arc so if you're always in a crouch walk, you can get away with a lot.

But until you know the building layouts and what you might expect, it's likely to fail. A kill-free stealth mission is possible, but it's hard mode.

[RiChuF]

Originally posted by Sighman:

Originally posted by 【Sinner】:

I don't like the rating answer tbh, I don't doubt it, but it's also not a very satisfying answer.

Unfortunately it's 100% correct, and circumventing age ratings could land the company in court or risk having the game banned.

Originally posted by 【Sinner】:

I also don't really like the apple device answer. I would be happy if I could buy a suit that had that removed just for the real stealth ability, because it gets frustrating doing in-system missions and having to return to the hangar and pay fines for a mission, especially if said mission is for the controlling faction

It's your victims' suits reporting the crime, not necessarily yours.

Don't forget you're a member of the Pilot's Federation, not some outlaw. If you break the law they know it.

The solution is simple, though. Take missions which are legal, not illegal. Legal missions include all the usual stealth, murdering, etc but target anarchy settlements where you don't get bounties.

I set up those four systems mentioned with 60 settlements between them, and I now have a handful of other commanders helping me to set up a single system with 48 anarchy settlements to raid, loot and shoot at.

The reason I've been doing this for, oh, 18 months now, is to give commanders lots of places to do missions without bounties.

how do you
set up systems with anarchy settlements?

[Sighman]

Originally posted by RiChuF:

how do you set up systems with anarchy settlements?

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2764194855

[RiChuF]

Originally posted by Sighman:

Originally posted by RiChuF:

how do you set up systems with anarchy settlements?

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2764194855

cheers me dears will have a look into it

[Rragar]

Originally posted by 『Sinner』:

Is there really "stealth" in the on-foot missions? Not even including missions that you can go loud and alarm the base, it doesn't feel like you can really complete most missions without killing people. I'm not sure why there aren't real stealth options to KO people, I know about the overcharge, but you still kill them and for some reason the bounty instantly applies to you.

The closest I got to really being stealthy was my first on foot today to sabotage an industrial settlement, and that was only because the AI was bugged out and couldn't move from their spawn points to patrol or look around.

Any advice? Or am I just "playing it as it was meant?"

You can stealth depending on what is requested, but to do it but it takes more time and patience. There's a bunch of things to note here:

- If you're not walking, you'll draw people's attention either as a result of the noise, or by being visually observed running or crouching. If you get the quiet footsteps mod for your suit, this will make it so that people won't be able to hear you while you're walking, and they won't be visually alerted as long as you're just casually walking.

- If you use your suit flashlight, NPCs will spot you. If you need to see in the dark, you'll have to either trust your eyes, or use night vision instead.

- If an NPC spots something off and starts investigating, they will scan you if you're in the vicinity. Do not draw any weapons and do not activate your shields, or the NPCs will go hostile. If you're getting scanned, you cannot be caught having a wanted status relevant to that location, nor carrying anything tagged as stolen or illegal, and you cannot be caught carrying cloned IDs (if you have one of these, delete it just before you get scanned).

- If you have a need to take out people, you can either use your power tool set to overload mode (won't work on shielded people) or you can use weapons with sound suppression (for pressurized environments) or audio masking (for vacuum).

- If you disable settlement alarms, before doing anything else, this will prevent you from raising alarms when uploading or stealing data or items, when performing a sabotage, or if you're spotted by NPCs. A disabled settlement alarm will cause NPCs ro only become hostile if they spot you doing something illegal or if said NPCs are exposed to other NPCs who are hostile to you.

- NPCs will take notice of hacking devices as well as cut panels as well other forms of obvious tampering. ID cloning is the only inconspicuous way of achieving access, although if you're patient, you could wait by a door and wait for an NPC to open it for you when they walk in or out. Any areas marked as restricted by a hologram at the entrance, are places where you do not want to get visually spotted.

- Anything that involves killing or disabling a person will be counted as a criminal action unless said person has a revealed wanted status. If said status is not revealed by default, you can scan them to reveal it (but do it while they're unaware, of they will become hostile if they have a bounty and you find it).

- If you take some time to observe the pathways followed by some NPCs, you will be able to follow behind them and get around the area they're in, without being spotted.

- Do not attack drones even with silent weapons unless the settlement alarm has been disabled. Otherwise, the alert will be raised immediately.