Stun prod doesn't work

[Anime-Profile-Picture]

I've never managed to get into this game before. Every attempt this is the main reason. I always try to be non lethal when it's possible. When I try to take down guards with the stun prod, it just doesn't work.
I've looked at videos and walkthroughs of it being done. In those, the enemies just go right down in one hit. When I do it, they start spazing out, but they don't go down. I could just leave them there for like 5 minuets and nothing will happen. Wtf am I doing wrong?

[Vzzdak]

Did you do the tutorial from the main game menu? That explains how the aiming reticule works.

After stunning them, you can tase them again, or hit them with baton.

Also remember that you have little skill in the early game. You'll need to allocate skill points, and install augmentations according to your desired strategy.

[,]

In order for the stun prod to kill the enemies with one hit; you need to upgrade your melee skill to the max. You may also need to upgrade the "electronics skill" as well, I'm not too sure about the electronic skill though (haven't played in a long time) but the melee skill is a must.

[Gius]

You need to aim the upper back, at shoulder height, for it to 1 hit stun. This is not really well explained and got me a lot of time before realizing it.

The game has different hitboxes with different damage multipliers. The best hitbox for non-lethal melees (prod and baton) is upper back. If you hit their legs (or their butt :P) you will not 1HKO them, except if you trained the low tech skill. Same goes for when you hit them from the front.
It is still possible to stun them from different hitboxes, bit requires multiple hits.

Later in the game, there will be some enemies that can resist an untrained prod hit from the upper back too. They either require two hits or just to trai the weapon. Just dropping it here, if you will need it.

[Vzzdak]

It's rubbish that you need upgraded melee skill. Related to what Gius said, I always aimed for the neck, which seemed sensible to me. Where *have* people been aiming? The buttocks?

[Bashar]

The mechanics are also different depending on what if any mods are in effect. If you're playing with Revision, which uses the Human Renovation mod as its base, then the strategy you need to employ is to first incapacitate the enemy, either using the shock prod or with gas, and then hit them with the baton to knock them out. It's a lot more difficult to one-shot the guards.

In vanilla, as the others suggest, hitting the back area should be enough for most enemies, provided that they're not alert. You don't get a damage bonus for hitting the weak points of enemies in combat mode.

[Vzzdak]

I've completed Revision, and I didn't sense that one-shot stunning an NSF trooper was difficult.

Also, later in the same game (playing on Realistic), there was an instance where I one-shot stunned one of those MJ12 armoured troopers (Paris catacombs). I wasn't using augs, except for move silent, and I don't believe that my melee was particularly strong.

[BadMojo]

Right in the middle of the back should do it with both the prod and baton on untrained melee skill, trust me, I've been doing this for 15 years ;)

[Francisè von Spitroast]

Originally posted by Gius | Summer break!:

You need to aim the upper back, at shoulder height, for it to 1 hit stun. This is not really well explained and got me a lot of time before realizing it.

The game has different hitboxes with different damage multipliers. The best hitbox for non-lethal melees (prod and baton) is upper back. If you hit their legs (or their butt :P) you will not 1HKO them, except if you trained the low tech skill. Same goes for when you hit them from the front.
It is still possible to stun them from different hitboxes, bit requires multiple hits.

Later in the game, there will be some enemies that can resist an untrained prod hit from the upper back too. They either require two hits or just to trai the weapon. Just dropping it here, if you will need it.

This. RIght in the middle of the back, around the belt area. Insta-knock out. Strange seeing other people not knowing this. Works with any melee weapon.

[talgaby]

Works with the neckline too, as the hitboxes overlap there as well. I learnt to use the prod there and still can KO anyone. But the belt area is a lot easier to learn for a newcomer, especially since you don't have to stand up from crouching to aim there.