Keep moving at all times. Jump around constantly if you're surrounded.
Don't expect to be able to stand your ground, this is a game that generally requires kiting.
this post was submitted on 25 Dec 2023
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Good advice but sometimes easier said than done. The terrain can be really tricky and jumping around too much might lead to my death by falling :).
When kiting becomes unfeasible, here's what the classes can do.
Gunner has shields as a panic button to create enough space to clear bugs down to a kitable horde.
Driller (especially with sticky fuel) can obliterate bugs coming from particular directions to help prevent the team from getting flanked.
Engi with breach cutter can create a lane to escape through, or if you have prep time he can set up repellant platforms to funnel bugs into choke points.
Scout can always kite, but should be ready to support the team with IFGs, etc
That doesn't mean you stop trying, that means you keep doing it and become better at it.
You have to learn to jump sideways, turn around, shoot while in the air, turn back, repeat, all the time. That's the only real way to reliably survive haz 4+. There are other things that can be important, but if you can do this movement+shooting style really well, you'll actually never die, no matter any other strategies.
You'll die while practicing, but better than not practicing and keep dying because you can't do it.
Elsewhere in this threat you mentioned that kiting can be tough if the terrain isn't great. To that end, one of the first things you can think about when you enter a new cave/room is "if a swarm breaks out while we're in here, where should i run to?"
Having that plan ready to go is excellent for preventing yourself from falling into situations where you can't move around and kite well, since you always have a moment to prep before a swarm actually spawns
If you do the first promotion assignment for a class, you'll get an extra active perk slot on that miner, but other than that, overclocks will be the main form of further progression.
Yes ty, I forgot to mention that, I already have promoted all classes once.
I noticed that movement combined with a balanced team really helped make higher hazard levels tolerable. For example, you can solo things a bit more on lower levels, but on higher levels having a good combination of crowd control (Driller excels in this) and single-point high DPS (such as the secondary with Engineer) makes it really balanced. We'd set up strats like Driller creating sticky flame traps all over to dump DPS downrange and soften targets while gunner can finish them off, or freeze targets allowing stuff like sentry guns to shatter them. It's really the team cohesion that makes hazard levels easier. When we paired our overclocks together in unique ways it made for easier play through (e.g. intentionally keep to flame or freezing, or, intentionally use both to leverage the temperature shock strat)
Depending on class the very first thing I do is look for escape routes and areas that may become problem spots if a swarm breaks out which only comes from experience, but I tend to avoid ledges, cliff, walls, and pillars where bugs can climb down and sneak up on you. I also keep an eye on the team and check every few seconds to see where everybody is at so I can run back for support if things go bad.
Also target prioritzation goes a long way. I'm a lot more worried about a few fliers or spitters than a horde of grunts. It comes down to knowing how to make space for yourself. When kiting make sure you know where you're going by just looking when running so you don't find yourself falling off a ledge or into another pack. Having a bit of situational awareness like remembering where you could fall and go down while fighting a swarm helps a lot and eventually it'll just become second nature.
Finally check your load out. Is it ammo and damage efficient? Maybe look up a few guides on your class/weapons. It can be a huge help to learn some nuances.
I play solo so I'm pretty confident that I at least somewhat know what I'm doing. Hazard 4 has become my chill "I don't have to try too hard" difficulty that I play all the time and basically never fail.
The game isn't about killing bugs, you won't get a lot better at it over time. Don't focus too much on it. (You can min max ammo vs damage all day but it's less important than finishing the mission long before you are overwhelmed).
The game is about doing the objectives efficiently. You will get faster at finishing missions, which means you will fight and kill less enemies during the mission. This is by design, the gold and XP you get specifically for killing enemies at the end is worth much, much less than even the secondary objective.
It is kind of a "git gud" situation. I find hazard 4 a lot easier with friends, since the synergy of the different classes really starts to shine there.
The "Panic Bunker" (requires driller+engi for stocked bunker, +gunner for optimal tunnel lockdown) is one of the more basic synergies, but it can be very powerful if used right, or a disaster-waiting-to-happen if the driller forgets to make an escape tunnel.
Thank you all, these are great suggestions, very well explained, and it's clearer to me now what I can do to get better with at the game overall and especially on higher hazard levels.