how the hell do you play this game solo

[Wintermute000]

So I'm trying to play solo when I can't find a mission. Still a noob so my rifle only puts down like 3-4 guys before reloading.

If I die or get swarmed, its game over. My reinforcement arrives in the middle of a pack, they tear me to bits before I can even get more than a few rounds off. Plus I can't freakin fire 360 degrees lol.

Is this game basically only possible multi?

[Pwnyboy-Curtis]

It's actually a lot easier solo because of camera management, and a smaller profile for avoiding patrols.

Just try to play stealth, don't get spotted, drop patrols before they alert. It's in the tutorial, but most people seem to immediately forget about it when they start playing. Defualt rifle is fine.

[Wintermute000]

maybe its this first mission I"m playing in the snow where I can't run and all the objectives I have to stand around for 2 minutes. I just get swarmed as soon as I don't wipe 1 patrol perfectly.

All the guides tell me to have gear X or gear Y, how the f--k do I do that as a n00b without DLC.

[Pwnyboy-Curtis]

You can avoid deep snow IIRC, if you don't have the DLC boots that make you immune to the slowing. I'd just avoid taking snow missions until you have some gear under your belt though.

[YOPG]

To be honest, solo its a lot easier :)

[Vamandrac]

Solo play is super easy once you know what to bring and what to do. When playing solo you don't want to stand around and fight for no reason. If a patrol spots you just keep going.
Always bring some defensive strats for whenever you have to defend an objective. If you are very low level the turrets or mines will do in a pinch, but make sure you have them cover opposite of you. If you are still having problems with enemies you may want to bring distractor beacons if you have them unlocked.

I am not going to lie, there are several DLC items that make solo work much easier. If you are really serious about trying to accomplish solo work it may be worth looking into them. Regardless, the snow boots from the All Terrain Pack DLC are super handy for solo and group work and I recommend them. Solo work requires practice so just keep at it.

[Wintermute000]

OK its better now. I shelled out for the sickle and gained a ton of levels in multi and unlocks etc.

I still have trouble with stuff like minesweeper, briefcase etc. for obvious reasons. Its just not enjoyable solo for me without someone to cover. As you say its basically all about nailing the patrols before reinforcements (which basically means sickle or breaker gives you a much better time than the liberator...)

I think the main issue was that I started playing during an invasion of the final cyborg planet so I was locked to two possible planets, one that had snow, none of the normal planets or terrains.

[koan]

HellDivers is the kind of game that is hard to get the hang of, but easy to master. Kind of like snowboarding.

[Faluzure]

Guide to solo play from Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Helldivers/comments/3ye62m/lonely_greywolfs_solo_dive_guide/

[TheSuit]

I have done Hell Dives solo - the trick to the game is try not to alert enemies.
Make sure you kill them before they raise the alarm. If they raise the alarm, RUN LIKE HELL.

Keeping an eye on your mini map for Red Blips is also a good habbit. It shows you where the nearest enemy patrol is so you can avoid them, or neutralize them quickly.

Using Defensive Ordinace is a great way to stay alive when you are alone. But best way is never raise alarms.