Perk Farming Tips

[Warc1]

Warning – extremely long post follows.

These are my lessons learned for perk farming which I used as the basis for a pseudo New Game+ as laid out in this thread:

http://steamcommunity.com/app/612880/discussions/0/2425614539592508148/

Most of the farmable perks can be maxed out in a matter of minutes and I don't think any exceeded an hour. I’m sure I’ve missed more efficient farming locations or methods for some perks, so feel free to post better alternatives. Before starting, there are three points that are best understood in advance of using the tips.

1. You need to know that perk points continue to build even if you reload an earlier save. You can start a district, which generates an autosave, get many perk points (say dual wield kills) and then quit. If you reload the previous autosave, you get to keep all the dual wield kills that you actually earned after that point. This feature/bug (not sure which it is), allows easy perk farming.
   
   
2. With one exception, these tips assume you are in post play after finishing the main game. Some of the farming tips below work on the initial main missions, but many don’t since the direction of travel is opposite to that in post play with different enemy encounters.
   
   I've taken this approach because it's the only way to ensure that anyone can max a perk. Many of the perk farming opportunities on the original playthough never reoccurr, so if you miss one then, it's gone forever. Post play opportunities are always there after you've unlocked the districts' enigma codes.
   
   
3. The Manhattan Penthouse district is very useful for farming multiple perks and it's worthwhile to learn that level and make it the first district you unlock after the enigma machine becomes active. Know the location of the first commander immediately below your initial spawn point since that single kill can generate multiple perks depending on the kill method. You can find him by going down the stairs immediately to the left of your spawn point, making a 180-degree turn at the bottom, and once past the cage, looking left to see the commander sitting in a chair against a column.
   
   Also know that there are seven grenades on that level which are extremely useful for the Grenade Kill perk. Two are in a crate on the floor right at your initial spawn point on the upper level. Three are in a crate near the floor outside of the cage on the mid level below, and two are in a crate on the mid level near the outside windows.

Stealth Takedowns

No special farming required if you make this part of balanced gameplay. However, if you farm the commander in the Manhattan Penthouse for Enigma Codes and Quick Commander Kills, you can build up this perk at the same time. You have to wait for him to stand up, which he doesn't always do, before initiating the takedown. You don't get credit towards this perk if he is killed while sitting.

Enigma Codes

Use the above noted commander in the Manhattan Penthouse to farm these codes. Do note that reloading the district autosave after getting the code does allow you to keep farming this perk but it does not save the actual code. If you need to save up codes for unlocking districts on the war map, you must exit the district (“J” key followed by “R” key in default bindings) after gathering codes and then use the war map to re-enter the penthouse for another go.

There is a second commander on the lowest level that you can also go after for a code. However, I find you usually have to fight your way to hunt him down since he is often on the move after being warned by the first kill. That normally takes more time than just exiting, re-entering and getting another first commander kill.

Thrown Hatchet Kills

No special farming required if you make this part of balanced gameplay.

Quick Commander Kills

Again, use the commander in the Manhattan Penthouse district. He’s five seconds away from your respawn point so approaching undetected is easy and farming turnaround times are quick.

Takedowns or Tampers

No special farming required if you make this part of balanced gameplay. Ubersoldat robots are the most common target for this perk and can be found in numbers in the Roswell Underground district. If you're willing to wait until the end of the game to farm this perk, you will get the easiest opportunity once the Riverside district unlocks which unleashes the highest number of robots of any level.

Constrictor Kills

Go to the Manhattan Ruins District. Run through the district ignoring all enemies including the Zitadelle boss just before the subway station. Enter the subway station and immediately dive under the subway car with your constrictor and then make a game save. Look for enemy feet adjacent to the car, and move towards them until the takedown icon flashes on screen and make the kill. You may have to pop out to get their attention and then pop back under to make a kill. Also, you lose health after a period of time constricting, and popping out and back in resets that countdown clock. After three or four kills, it’s usually worthwhile to reload your save to respawn more enemies for kills.

Heavy Weapon Kills

No special farming required if you make this part of balanced gameplay.

Grenade Kills

Again, use the Manhattan Penthouse district as your farming location. You can combine this with the other Penthouse farming runs by following up the commander kills and enigma code gathering with gratuitous grenade kills. Just toss grenades and replenish from the seven on site. Once you run out of grenades, exit and restart to have the seven respawn.

Dual-Wield Kills

No special farming required if you make this part of balanced gameplay. Even if dual-wielding is not part of your preferred gameplay, you can have any second weapon in your left hand and just rely on your preferred weapon in your right hand and still get the perk. You don’t need to shoot with both.

Overcharged Kill

No special farming required. Just be sure to pick up all of the health items you encounter to keep you over the nominal health limit.

Combat Takedown

No special farming required if you make this part of balanced gameplay.

Ramshackle

No special farming required if you make this part of balanced gameplay once you receive the Ramshackle contraption.

Kills by Burning

This is the one exception to post play for farming tips. If you follow normal gameplay on your first run-through of the New Orleans Bienville District you will max this perk with no special effort. Just stay on the Panzerhund you spawn on and flame throw every enemy you encounter. This guarantees maxing this perk even if you are starting from zero. If you did not use the Panzerhund and need post play burning kills, the easiest way to get them is to use the dieselgewehr heavy weapon that is dropped by many super soldiers. If you are on the Wyatt timeline, you should have no trouble getting this perk maxed with your standard issue dieselkraftwerk.

Electrical Stun Kills

Ensure that you have the electromagnetic upgrade on grenades installed and engaged while disengaging the fragmentation and diesel upgrades if you have them. Now travel to the Roswell Underground district. Near the very start, you will encounter two Ubersoldat robots. Toss a grenade, and both should be stunned. Now shoot to kill. Reload the district from the autosave and repeat four more times to get the maxed perk.

Environment Kills

Go to the Transporthalle district. Once spawned, run straight ahead on top of a pair of large pipes to the end and turn right onto a platform. Make a save game. Look way down for two soldiers walking into view next to an explosive barrel. Shoot the barrel with the scoped Sturmgewehr for two Environment Kills. Reload your new save, rinse and repeat.

Enemy Grenade Kills

Go to the New Orleans Ghetto District. Run through the district ignoring all enemies, including the Zitadelle boss, and run into the roundhouse containing the first double-decker streetcar. Continue past the roundhouse until you get to a closed yard containing another two double-decker streetcars. Again, ignore all enemies and climb into the second level of the streetcar that is fully above ground and not the one dropped in a pit. Stand near the front windows of the top level looking through them and make a save game.

Now take a couple of shots through the window just to confirm your presence to the enemy NPCs. The enemies should start lobbing the odd grenade and the use key punches them back. Do be far enough back of the front windows so that the enemies cannot shoot you directly and are thus more prone to use grenades.

The reward for this perk is greater cook time for enemy grenades and that bears on strategy. At first, don't bother waiting for a lobbed grenade to land on the streetcar floor and then picking it up to throw it back. Until you reach higher perk levels, the grenade cook time is so short it usually explodes before you can return it. Initially, its much more effective to just keep mashing the use key while looking out the front windows for grenade throws since you can often bat them back in mid air. You won't bat all of them back, but it only becomes worthwhile to chase down ones that got away once the perk level is higher.

Do this for around five minutes to try and get one or two enemy grenade kills and then reload your save. Do note that all grenades punched back do not result in kills. It will take many tries, and sometimes a five minute or more session results in no kills. At that point, reload.your recent save.

Headshot Kills

No special farming required if you make this part of balanced gameplay. The scoped Sturmgewehr is your best friend for this perk.

Battle Walker Kills

Once you get the Battle Walker, go to the Roswell Downtown district and engage the walker at the spawn point. Use the scoped Sturmgewehr to pick off nearby enemies and new enemies will be drawn to you while you remain standing still. This should keep you out of range of the nearby Zitadelle boss and the corner spawn point means enemy NPCs can't sneak up from behind. You should get 15-20 kills before the enemies stop attacking. At that time, reload the district autosave and repeat until you reach the perk max.

[Drakon]

I have found dual wielding silenced pistols helps too for the headshots if you like to be stealthy. Thank you for making this by the way, the enemy grenade perk was a pain in the ass and I found out too late that when you're first in the ausmerzer after blowing up that tank is a good place for the enemy grenade perk too

[coboev]

for the burn and enviroment perk you also play soccer with the big red mines, roll mines too the enemies silence shot on a metal surface too draw them in and shoot 1 mine,wenn theres a bunch close enough (the nazi's will not shoot the mines)

[Warc1]

I've tried that a few times and got credit for the Burn Kills but never for the Environment Kills. It seemed like kills had to be immediate to register for the Environment KIll, which the explosive barrels accomplish. However, the red gas spheres in the Venus districts only ignited nearby enemies for me, after which they would flail around for a few seconds before dying. My guess is that this lack of an immediate kill tied to the explosion thwarted the Environment credit.

[coboev]

wenn you run in a mine on a stand (without shift sprint) you push it of, then you can roll them anny where. built a little minefield then hide and pull in enemies(shoot at a metal surface) gather a bunch of them in those venus halls then pop out of cover and shoot a mine.

the rolling bit can be some work though

[Capt. Bollocks]

Venus has a great spot to farm grenade kills.

Quick save just after you pick up the last heavy weapon (ÜBERGEWEHR) and clear the room.
The following room has a corridor where 7 scientists run around a corner. You can kill most of them with a single grenade (particularly as I found grenades hard to come by the end of the game) then quickload and do this repeatedly.

[FALLENV3GAS]

Enigma Codes

Texas Farm House is better.

[JimbeauC]

I used Manhattan Bunker for grenade kills. At the beginning there are 3 available just inside the door in front of you. You have plenty of time to get them before being seen. When the guy becomes visible shoot past him. He will usually run away. Two more will enter the room. Possible 4 kills per session. As a bonus, if you let them shoot you some, there are 5 helmets in the area. 3 are in the large lift behind you as well as 120 health. Need some damage to get a helmet? Kampf yourself.
Happy farming.

[Varkath]

Years late, but I am re-playing now. Environment Perk is easy grind at start of new game. First elevator up it will auto save and as you roll forward game script trap kills 2 in like 5-10 seconds. Quick and easy for early 50% reduced explosion damage. Roll wait for them to pop reload save and repeat, got it maxed in like 3-5 min tops.