An Unofficial Helldivers (PC) FAQ

An unofficial FAQ for the PC version of Arrowhead Game Studio's Helldivers, an awesome twin-stick shooter with up to 4-player drop-in/drop-out cooperative play, published by Sony Mobile.

The general impetus for this FAQ at the Steam Forums was to try to answer a lot of basic game, game play and PC version-specific questions about Helldivers. It's buried at the forums now so I thought I'd try to migrate it over to the Steam Guides section in hopes it'll be useful. :-) I'll try to update this guide, some of the information will change as the game moves through prepurchase access into its Dec. 7, 2015 official release date. I'm just a little too busy playing to work on this right now. :-)

Table of Contents for the Unofficial Helldivers (PC) FAQ

PC Helldivers Purchase-Related Q&A

• If get the Digital Deluxe version (includes all DLC packs), are all the DLC pack items available right way, or do I unlock them as I level up?
  
• If I pre-ordered the Digital Deluxe version, do I get to use all the DLC pack goodies when pre-order access starts Friday, Dec. 4, 2015?
  
• UPDATED If I initially buy the Vanguard version (includes only the Ranger DLC pack), can I buy an upgrade to the Digital Deluxe version later?
  
• Can I "earn" the Digital Deluxe version's DLC pack items by playing Helldivers a thousand hours and killing a bazillion aliens?
  
• NEW What exactly is in the 14 DLC packs? Where can I view them in action?

PC Helldivers Gameplay Options-Related Q&A

• Will PC Helldivers have Cross-play with PS3/4/Vita Users? Can I transfer my PS3/4/Vita Helldivers DLC to the PC version?
  
• Does the PC version have integrated voice chat functionality?
  
• On keyboard/mouse, what keys will we use to input the stratagem and mission objective "directional arrow key" codes?
  
• On keyboard/mouse, can we rebind ALL the default keybindings?
  
• If I'm using a gamepad with Helldivers PC, can I remap the gamepad?

PC Helldivers Multiplayer Q&A

• Does Helldivers' online multiplayer use a game server browser, automated matchmaking (like the new Star Wars Battlefront uses), or both?
  
• What are my filtering options in the multiplayer game server browser?
  
• What are our multiplayer game session hosting options?
  
• So I'm hosting a Helldivers game session online - does that make me a big shot? What responsibilities do I have as host?
  
• Is Helldivers drop-in and drop-out co-op? What happens if the host player quits or gets disconnected?
  
• I hate everybody, including you! Can I play all of Helldivers solo?

Helldivers Gameplay Risk and Reward Q&A

• What is this "difficulty level" you speak of? What are they called? How many?
  
• Planet mission sets, what does that mean?
  
• Beyond experience (XP), what do I and my team get for completing a planet mission? What's in for me? Why would I ever go back and do easier planet missions once I've become the Helldiving savior of the galaxy?

PC Helldivers Purchase-Related Q&A

If get the Digital Deluxe version (includes all DLC packs), are the DLC pack items available right way, or do I unlock them as I level up?

All DLC packs will be unlocked on the Dec. 7 release date for immediate availability to you.

If I pre-ordered the Digital Deluxe version, do I get to use all the DLC pack goodies when pre-order access starts Dec. 4, 2015?

NO. The DLC pack goodies won't be available until the official Monday, Dec. 7 game launch. While I think this applies to the Vanguard version's Ranger DLC pack too, that's a small thing I hope to confirm soon.

If I initially buy the Vanguard version (includes only the Ranger DLC pack), can I buy an upgrade to the Digital Deluxe version later?

UPDATED] The 14 DLC packs also just went on sale individually on Helldivers' Steam store page on Dec. 7, 2015, at $2.99 each.

Closest thing to an upgrade is a $24.99 "mega-bundle" of all 14 DLC packs (store page link below):
Helldivers PC Mega-Bundle (14 DLC packs)

Can I "earn" the Digital Deluxe version's DLC pack items by playing Helldivers a thousand hours and killing a bazillion aliens?

NO, you can't earn DLC pack items by killing a bazillion aliens. It doesn't work like Marvel Heroes, is how I explain it. :-) You have to buy the DLC packs to gain access to what's in them.

What exactly is in the 14 DLC packs? Where can I view videos of them in action?

Each DLC pack on Steam has its own storage page with a gameplay video and screenshots. Use this link below to see a list of all 14:
Steam list of 14 Helldivers DLC packs

PC Helldivers Gameplay Options-Related Q&A

PC Helldivers Gameplay Options-Related Q&A

Will PC Helldivers have Cross-play with PS3/4/Vita Users? Can I transfer my PS3/4/Vita Helldivers DLC to the PC version?

[Tweet] ‏@arrowheadgs Contributing to the same galactic campaign, but crossplay with friends over systems is sadly not possible.

And no, you can't transfer PS3/4/Vita DLC over to the PC version. Per Arrowhead posts.

Does the PC version have integrated voice chat functionality?

Yes.
Noticed by players of the PC beta press build, and confirmed by Arrowhead in this thread:
http://steamcommunity.com/app/394510/discussions/0/492378806380892201/#c492378806382522305.
It does have integrated voice chat functionality ^_^ - Arrowhead's Foreverapeon

On the PC version, how do we input the directional-key codes?

The default movement keys ( a,w,s,d) will serve "double duty" as the "directional arrow keys" for inputting stratagem and mission objective codes. (according to players of PC press beta build)

NOTE: While I assume this means that if you rebind movement keys to something other than a,w,s,d, then your new movement keys will also serve as "directional arrow keys" for codes - this isn't confirmed yet.

On keyboard/mouse, can we rebind ALL the default keybindings?

YES. See this image from the PC press beta.
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=567229508

If I'm using a gamepad with Helldivers PC, can I remap the gamepad?

YES. In Jab's video above, at that 37 second mark, notice the "remap gamepad" entry on the Options Menu.[/i]

PC Helldivers Multiplayer Q&A

Does Helldivers' online multiplayer use a game server browser, automated matchmaking (like the new Star Wars Battlefront uses), or both?

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=571338310
While it's labeled matchmaking, I think we would call it a "game server" browser.

In your ship, you go down (south) and click/hit X button (controller) or E key (default keyboard key) to access Multiplayer. This pulls up your Galactic Screen campaign screen. The "Matchmaking" side lists all games you can join.

The "Friends" side lists Helldivers games Steam friends list folks are in (see below):
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=568720097
*Note that Helldivers PC is fully integrated into Steam, so you can right click a friend on your list and choose to join their game (if it has less than 4 players in it) or invite them to join your game.

This shows an overhead graphical map of the mission, and includes details like mission difficulty, enemy alien type (Bugs, Cyborgs, Illluminates), Environment, and Mission Type. If you're joining a co-op mission already in progress, the game listing will show you how long the mission has been in progress.

Filtering optiions menu lets you check boxes to indicate games types you don't want listed - things like mission difficulty, alien race type, games already full etc.

What are my filtering options in the multiplayer game server browser?

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=566066730 *Image courtesy a player using the PC beta press build.
Filtering Options

• Hide Games Currently on Mission
  
• Hide Games Currently on Ship
  
• Hide Full Games (I generally left this checked)
  
• Hide Missions Versus Bugs
  
• Hide Missions Versus Cyborgs
  
• Hide Missions Versus Illuminates
  
• Hide Easy Difficulty Missions
  
• Hide Medium Difficulty Missions
  
• Hide Hard Difficulty Missions
  
• Hide Games From Other Regions (think this is in case connecting with gamers in other countries causes latency/lag issues)

What are our multiplayer game session hosting options?

Per observations by folks playing the PC beta press build, options are same as on Sony console platforms:

• Private: For solo play (note: I'm hoping PC version will let you invite Steam friends directly into a private game - not sure if that's the case though)
  
• Friends List: Only people on your friends list can join your game; presumably this means Steam friends list for PC version, rather than PlayStation Network friends.
  
• Public: anyone can join your game session

*NOTE: While I hope you can right click someone on your Steam friends list to choose to directly invite that person into your Helldivers game session, I don't think that's quite confirmed yet. I think Arrowhead's Gauntlet provided that, so it seems likely.

So I'm hosting a Helldivers game session online - does that make me a big shot? What responsiblities do I have as host?

As host, you'll be able to do the following in this order:

1. Choose a system in a select War Front - Cyborg Homeworld, Bug Homeworld, Illuminate Homeworld or Super Earth (City Defense missions)
   
2. Choose the Planet, which has a set of missions to complete
   
3. Choose the mission on the planet. While the missions on a planet are numbered, you don't have to complete them in numerical order.
   
4. Decide when to begin the mission (ideally, you'll wait and check if your teammates have finalized their loadouts first). A countdown timer kicks in.
   
5. Choose the initial starting point (drop point) on the mission map. More than likely you'll want to pick a hopefully quiet spot on the map so your squad can drop in any equipment (Exosuits, vehicles, special weapons, jump pack, drones etc.) and equip/activate them before any initial firefight.
   
6. When everyone on the team confirms their loadouts are ready, click CONFIRM to drop the squad on the planet and begin the mission.

This sounds like a lot, but the interface is a breeze to use, and doing all of the above happens very quickly once you get used to it.

Is Helldivers drop-in and drop-out co-op? What happens if the host player quits or gets disconnected?

YES. So you can start a game solo, and as long as you set your game session to Public or Friends Only, folks can join your game on the fly. Note the new player will drop in via drop pod, so try not to get crushed by surprise. :-)

If you have a full 4-member team, and someone leaves or gets disconnected, then the slot's open for someone else to join your game. Or for that person to try to re-connect to your game session.

*I need to check to confirm this but I believe if the original game session host leaves, the game will quickly transfer hosting to a remaining player (rather than kick out remaining players). I'm uncertain how it decides that.

What about local play of Helldivers - how do we get unlocks and goodies then?

(courtesy Citizen Graves from Steam forums) Steam doesn't recognize multiple user-profiles being logged in on a single PC at the same time, only one local account can be active.

So unless everyone plays on their own PC or Laptop you will all be playing on the same machine, where the local party guests play as clones of the host and do not get their own XP and unlocks.

For what it's worth, guests can individually and fully customize their appearance and loadout based on the hosts unlocks and progress.

I hate everybody, including you! Can I play all of Helldivers solo?

While I think you should give us all a chance :-), in theory you can play all of Helldivers solo. Veteran players indicate you'd probably need to rely heavily on the DIstractor Beacon stratagem to solo the highest difficulty levels.

However, the in-game "Helldivers Encyclopedia" cautions you that while missions of L1-5 in difficulty are reasonably doable solo, it highly recommends working with other players on missions of L6-12 difficulty.

Helldivers Gameplay Risk and Reward Q&A

What is this "difficulty level" you speak of? What are they called? How many?

Helldivers' 12 mission Difficulty Levels and Names (from easiest to most difficult):

1. Dive in the park
   
2. Very Easy
   
3. Easy
   
4. Medium
   
5. Challenging
   
6. Very Challenging
   
7. Hard
   
8. Very Hard
   
9. Hard as Hell
   
10. Suicide mission
    
11. Impossible
    
12. Helldive

*Just checking on my Vita version, sometimes the last couple difficulty level planet mission sets will hurl a humongous kill count objective (300, 400 etc.) which would be extremely difficult to pull off solo.

Planet mission sets, what does that mean?

That's just my term for it. In the interface, you'll select a Planet (each represents a different mission difficulty level). Then you zoom into the planet to see the multiple mission maps on that planet that you'll need to complete it -- completing all the missions on the planet then gets you and your teammates each the Planet Reward (see below).

Beyond experience (XP), what do I and my team get for completing a planet mission? What's in for me? Why would I ever go back and do easier planet missions once I've become the Helldiving savior of the galaxy?

Don't get cocky, Kid! :-) The real answer is a cool Planet Reward which is clearly explained on the planet mission selections creens. The rewards go up in quality, the higher the dififculty level.

For example, a "1-Dive in the park" planet mission set may only reward your team members with a +50 XP (experience) boost; a "6-Very Challenging" planet mission set with +500 XP; a "9-Hard as Hell" planet mission with +1000 XP; a 10-Suicide mission with a cool stratagem. etc. Basically, the higher the stakes, the cooler the reward. :-)

Again, please note you need to complete ALL the missions on a planet to get that Planet Reward.

Note also that even when you become a certified Helldiver galaxy savior butt kicker, there's still some impetus to do an occasional easier planet mission set just to get some XP bonus; or maybe get a stratagem or other cool reward item.

[ZORD]

Add this info:
- While in co-op, if the team gets samples they'll go to both, but if one player gets out of the game, due to crashing or disconnection and return to the mission, the player will lose the samples collected together and only gets newer samples collected after joining, though the experience will remain the same.
- In co-op, if the host dies so many times for not being careful or being a newbie, he will prejudice the entire team in the last session of experience gain, the third star won't appear and the team will get less experience.
- Playing berseker or in Rambo-mode killing everything that moves won't get you lots of XP, because what really matter is the completion of objectives and the return of the mission.

[Am@ZingG]

Hi, is the game pad keybinding working at all? I tried to change my spring button from L3 to RB but it won't allow me to do so and only highlighting the RB button as red, does anyone know the solution to this?

[Garm]

Heyy, that's quite a useful thing for new players and those looking to buy the game. Gotta make it more popular. Keep up the good work ^_^

[BlackjackGT]

UPDATE: Added link to the $24.99 " Helldivers mega-bundle ," which includes all 14 DLC packs at a steep discount over purchasing them all separately:
http://store.steampowered.com/sub/81596/

[BlackjackGT]

UPDATE: Added an entry with a link to a "Steam store search," which should pull up all 14 Helldivers DLC pack store page entries. Each entry has a gameplay video of what's in the DLC pack, and several screenshots.

[BlackjackGT]

UPDATE: The DLC packs are now offered for sale individually on Steam. Note that the Vanguard edition of Helldivers already includes the Ranger DLC pack. I'll update the Unofficial FAQ to reflect this tonight.

[BlackjackGT]

I migrated my now long-buried "unofficial Helldivers FAQ" from the Steam forum over to Steam guide format. It probably needs some updating but I've been too busy enjoying the game to do much about that.