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Multiplayer Guide

by Michael Taylor

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DISCLAIMER
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This guide is the sole and exclusive property of the author, all rights
reserved. Full and exclusive use of this guide in its entirety is expressly
licensed to Gamefaqs.com. No other licenses in any form, express or implied,
have been granted to any other parties. This guide may not be reproduced or
excerpted in any form, in whole or in part, on any other website or in any
other location without prior express written permission from the author.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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1. INTRODUCTION			[001]
2. WEAPONS				[002]
3. SUPPORT ABILITIES		[003]
4. TACTICAL ABILITIES		[004]
5. PERSONAL ATTRIBUTE		[005]
6. COMBAT ATTRIBUTE		[006]
7. KILLSTREAKS			[007]
8. LOADOUT SUGGESTIONS		[008]
9. CONTACT INFORMATION		[009]

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SECTION 1- INTRODUCTION   [001]
=============================================================================

Welcome to my multiplayer guide. I write this guide with the sole purpose of
providing a way in to what may otherwise seem a very intimidating multiplayer
experience. Yes it has perks, yes it has killstreaks, but that does not make
it even remotely similar to other shooters out there. It may seem like it is
just Call of Duty with alien tech at times (or for that matter, Halo), but it
is so much more.

Resistance multiplayer is back baby and it's crazier than ever. In addition to
bringing back the weapon wheel that lets you hold all of the game's weapons at
once, you now have 4 ability slots to choose from with a ton of variety to be
had. I will go through each of the game's 30 abilities and 10(11) weapons,
discussing the advantages and disadvantages of each, while giving overall
ratings for purposes of loose comparison. Just remember that in most cases it
really does come down to preference and play style, as most if not all of the
game's abilities can be invaluable if used properly and in the right
situations. To aid further in choosing, I end each section with a brief
discussion on what seems the most useful and what tends to dominate in play.
After all weapons and abilities are accounted for, I wrap up everything with
loadout suggestions, going through ways to use different weapons and abilities
together to increase their relative effectiveness.

Some people claim that having a lot of abilities makes a game easier, makes it
require less skill. I say that such a game in fact requires more skill, since
your opponents have the abilities too and you have to be able to deal with all
the ways they can make use of them. Now clearly everything contained here
constitutes my personal (and well informed) opinions. I welcome disagreement,
and will include any well reasoned counter-arguments I receive, with credit.
I put an exceedingly large amount of time into this with an eye on being as
comprehensive as possible, both because I really like the Resistance series
and to ensure that it truly is useful. I apologize if my explanations tend to
be long winded, but I wanted to include absolutely everything I thought could
be helpful. If you feel like you have enough familiarity with the game then
feel free to skip all the more specific explanations and just go to the more
general suggestions of Section 8. With that, let's dive into one of the most
robust, out of control (in a good way) multiplayer experiences I have ever
come across.

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SECTION 2- WEAPONS   [002]
=============================================================================

Note: I did not separately list the upgrades for each weapon as I did for the
abilities, and here will talk about relevant ones only while generally
discussing the strengths and weaknesses of each weapon. I should probably also
note that you cannot choose a secondary weapon UNLESS you use Strapped, so do
keep that in mind when I speak of using secondary weapons.

Weapon Name: M5A2 Carbine
Available Level: Available initially
Uses and Disadvantages: One of the game's staple weapons, the standard Carbine
rifle is anything but standard. Once you get it in your hands you will quickly
see how useful it is in almost any situation that you come upon. Sure it may
not be the best at long range, but its range is not something to scoff at. It
has higher damage in comparison to the Bullseye, trading off for rate of fire.
It is a great weapon to have at all times, its only real weaknesses being that
it loses out to the shotgun at close range and the sniper rifle at long range,
but of course you were expecting that. The Carbine is after all competent at
all ranges, even if not the best at any. What makes it really special though
are the additions this time around. A bayonet attachment at Level 2 makes it
do extra damage on melee attacks, albeit with a stabbing attack animation. At
Level 3 its trump card grenade launcher fire three grenades at once, which is
good for as much as 50-75% damage in a pinch. It is the ultimate trump card.
All in all you cannot go wrong with the Carbine, there being many reasons why
it is the most commonly used weapon in the game. It is the absolute definition
of a gun that is good at everything but not great at anything.
Overall Rating: 9.25/10

Weapon Name: Bullseye
Available Level: Available initially
Uses and Disadvantages: Like the Carbine, the Bullseye is another staple of
the Resistance series, and another "standard" rifle that is useful in most
situations. Its wide bullet spread makes it more useful for close to mid range,
but you will be surprised how accurate it is at range when using its amazing
holographic sights, which do not at all block your vision. If you are really
worried that your enemy may be too far away, you can always hit him with a
homing tag, causing your bullets to track him (and this time around there is
no way to shake off the tags). They even added a new on screen leash of sorts
to let you know when your shots will hit their target. Besides the sights and
the leash, the Bullseye has been greatly improved by removing the shooting
delay after firing tags. No longer do you need to worry so much about firing
them. And they now explode (Level 2) for a little damage as well, just another
reason to not be shy about firing them. At Level 3 they even can tag multiple
targets. Finally, you run faster with the Bullseye than with any other weapon,
great for getting to objectives and for darting in and out of enemy fire at
close range. For that reason in particular it narrowly edges out the Carbine
to become the game's best overall weapon, though keep in mind the Carbine does
do more damage and so remains an easier gun to use in general.
Overall Rating: 9.5/10

Weapon Name: Marksman
Available Level: Available initially
Uses and Disadvantages: I personally love the Marksman, what with it being
useful at virtually any range. An improved scope at Level 2 makes it capable
of taking out even snipers, and is actually pretty easy to use even at close
range. To be fair, the Marksman is kind of like a mid-to-long range version of
the short-to-mid range carbine, albeit with burst fire. Its burst fire may not
make it the most useful gun at close range, but Air-Cooled Barrel can greatly
increase its effectiveness at all ranges, as increased movement speed while
aiming makes it possible to use the sights even at close range. I would not
suggest using it without that ability, since you may find its rate of fire
lacking otherwise. With it however, you have a gun that is more than effective
at any range, making it a great choice if you want to specialize in a single
weapon, rather than using Strapped to carry both close and long range weapons
at once. As I will emphasize repeatedly, Air-Cooled Barrel is the weapon
specialist ability, and so what better weapon than the Marksman, the only gun
that is perfectly capable at any range? This combination makes it my personal
favorite weapon. Even though overall it may not be able to stand up to the
Bullseye and Carbine on equal terms, always using the sights and darting
around can help ensure you stand a chance. Oh, its secondary fire lays down a
mini-turret, but it is hardly worth mentioning.
Overall Rating: 8.75/10

Weapon Name: Deadeye (sniper rifle)
Available Level: Available initially
Uses and Disadvantages: Oh man, you cannot imagine a sniper rifle being any
more powerful than this. Not only does it have a surprisingly high rate of
fire (which should be boosted further with Air-Cooled Barrel) and can
highlight enemy heads at Level 2, it has a charged shot that shoots through
anything. That makes it much more than just a sniper rifle, as it can actually
take out people who think themselves invincible inside their Bubble Shields.
That's a great bonus to have, particularly because it is already a perfectly
capable sniper rifle. I shouldn't have to say any more to convince people to
use it. With the myriad of abilities the game gives you to protect yourself
while camping (Beacons, Scan Jammer, Turret etc.), sniping is not at all a bad
idea, and the shoots-through-shields secondary charged shot is icing on the
cake.
Overall Rating: 9/10

Weapon Name: Rossmore (shotgun)
Available Level: Available initially
Uses and Disadvantages: If you thought the Resistance series had the strongest
sniper rifle of any FPS out there, well then you would be right. What it also
has is the strongest shotgun ever conceived. While the Rossmore no longer can
fire both barrels for an instant kill at 30 feet like it could in Resistance 1,
it is still a lot more useful than it reasonably ought to be. It has an almost
absurd rate of fire, and you can always increase its accuracy with Gunslinger
and make sure you can get close with Dash. Oh but that's not what makes it so
powerful, not even close. Perhaps in an effort to give it a little more
effective range, the shotgun now fires a grenade, and all its shots set you on
fire at Level 2. Let that soak in for a minute- a shotgun that fires
grenades...that set you on fire (at Level 3). That is horrendously powerful,
especially since the fire effect lingers and continues to do damage. People
have figured out how powerful the grenade is and now I rarely see a shotgun
user who does not start by firing it. Will you be the next one?
Overall Rating: 9/10

Weapon Name: HE .44 Magnum
Available Level: 15
Uses and Disadvantages: Introduced in Resistance 2 as a very useful secondary
weapon, it doesn't stand up so well as a primary one. It still does very high
damage just by hitting enemies, and of course can do extra damage by
detonating the bullets after they are shot. This also makes it good for doing
damage to a whole group at once. And there always remains its use as a trap,
wherein we all used to pull it out and fire all the rounds into the ground,
only to detonate them when an enemy came running around the corner. Now given
it is effective at almost any range and has a high rate of fire, it really is
a very good weapon. However, you should not expect to get too many kills with
it unless you get the drop on enemies or set up traps. If enemies get in your
face you will find it very difficult to hit them. For that reason it is still
best as a secondary weapon. I cannot really recommend its use in any other
manner. It is not a bad weapon, but no one chooses to rely on it.
Overall Rating: 8.25/10

Weapon Name: Mutator
Available Level: 20
Uses and Disadvantages: A new weapon for the series, this one is rather hard
to explain. It fires short range balls that upon killing enemies infects them,
an effect you have to see for yourself. The enemy will then explode and cause
damage to other enemies, a nice touch, and at Level 2 it even turns infected
enemies into super fast living bombs that will turn on their allies. A great
effect to be sure. You can also shoot a cloud that causes damage to an area,
great for taking/protecting objectives. Yet as you might expect, the Mutator
is very difficult to get kills with due to its low clip size and very limited
range. It is meant to be more of a novelty than anything else. This is not to
say you shouldn't try it and see if it works for you, just don't make it your
primary weapon.
Overall Rating: 7.5/10

Weapon Name: Atomizer
Available Level: 35
Uses and Disadvantages: In the Campaign the secondary fire gravity well was
the single most powerful weapon in the game, pulling in and crushing even the
strongest enemies. In multiplayer all it does is zap people close by, making
it the equivalent of the Marksman's secondary fire orb thing from Resistance 2.
It's pretty useless. The primary fire fares better though, auto-tracking
enemies at close range and obliterating them, whereas the electricity it
shoots even blinds them as well. It is absolutely unmatched, but the fact that
it literally can only shoot at very close range makes it very difficult to use.
I continually see a lot of high level players using it, but it is more to just
show off than anything else. This thing is tremendously powerful however you
look at it, but is very limited in effectiveness. You might use Strapped to
have a sniper rifle for long range then use this when you want to charge in,
but I still say it is really only for showing off. As with all the special
weapons, best to stick with something that is not of such limited purpose.
That being said, it is at least the only special weapon actually worth using.
Overall Rating: 8/10

Weapon Name: Wildfire
Available Level: 40
Uses and Disadvantages: What's that, they let you equip a rocket launcher at
the start? That's ridiculous...or maybe not. As it turns out, the rockets only
do about 50% damage even upon direct hits, and despite a lock on function you
can expect to be shot down before you get off that second shot. It is
undeniably a pass since you run very slow while carrying it. So like all
special weapons, you can definitely keep it around as a secondary weapon via
Strapped, but it is the least effective primary weapon you could hope to have.
You might try the secondary fire in a group, as it rains down rockets, but I
wouldn't put too much stock in it since even so you don't do much damage.
Don't see the reason why they included a rocket launcher at all, but at least
they made it all but worthless. Use it if you can steal one, but don't spend
too much time trying to find use for it.
Overall Rating: 6/10

Weapon Name: Cryogun
Available Level: 45
Uses and Disadvantages: Finally, we have a gun that turns you into Mr. Frieze.
Its ice beam slows down enemies, and if hit enough they can be frozen and then
be shattered via the infinite secondary fire blast or a melee attack. If you
don't manage to freeze someone though you will not be doing much damage. I can
only assume it doesn't have much ammo, meaning like all special weapons it is
hardly something you can rely on as your primary weapon. All in all, I have to
think that by the time you finally reach Level 45 to unlock it you will have
long become used to using other weapons and will not give the Cryogun a second
look. Maybe my opinion will change if I ever get to use it, but I doubt it.
Overall Rating: 7.5/10

=========
GRENADES
=========

Now I should also note that there are a whopping 5 types of grenades available.
The Shrapnel Grenade and Hedgehog are available at the start, with the Smoke
Grenade, EMP Grenade, and Molotov unlocked at level 10, 25, and 30
respectively. Now while those last three might seem useful, and undoubtedly
they are, it is rarely worth using them over the two standard grenades, and
people rarely do. The Shrapnel Grenade does a lot of damage and can be rolled
or bounced behind shields (great way to deal with Allied Shields), and the
Hedgehog can now be placed as a mine, great for defending a location.

Perhaps people will eventually become proficient with the Molotov or the EMP
grenade, which takes out deployables as well as all abilities for a time, but
I cannot say. In any case they would only be useful for places where enemies
are gathered. Same goes for the smoke grenade, which I never see anyone use
ever. Because of this, they would only be used with Grenadier, which lets you
carry multiple grenades. Otherwise I would say just get good using the
Hedgehog or Shrapnel since overall they will always be the most useful. Both
are great at getting kills, and the choice between them is really just one of
personal preference, with a slight edge to the Hedgehog since it can also be a
mine. Needless to say, Chimeran weaponry always wins.

===========
DISCUSSION
===========

Most games are content with having pretty standard weapons overall, but this
is not most games. This is an Insomniac game, which means the guns can do some
crazy things. There are a few cool novelties- the Cryogun can freeze enemies
and slow them down, the Mutator can turn enemies into infected bombs, and that
Atomizer shoots arcing lightning. All three are low in damage and effective
only at close range though, and so really only come into play if you can get a
group of enemies close together. Which is to say they should only be carried
if at all as secondary weapons via Strapped. The Magnum is kind of cool for
setting up traps, but it still best serves the secondary weapon status it
occupied in Resistance 2. The Wildfire I hardly see the need to mention
further. The Marksman used to be incredible in Resistance 2, and here it is
still a fantastic weapon. I sometimes rely on Strapped to carry a
Carbine/Bullseye for close range along with a Deadeye for long range, but
lately I simply use the Marksman exclusively, boosting its effectiveness with
Air-Cooled Barrel. Better to have one weapon that can serve any purpose, and
only the Marksman can serve that function at any range.

Getting past the "special" weapons, where things get crazy is in fact with the
more "standard" weapons, the remaining four weapons (minus the Marksman) that
you will have available pretty much from the start. The sniper rifle and
shotgun have exceedingly high rates of fire given they can often kill in one
shot, and they can be made even better with Air-Cooled Barrel/Gunslinger as
always. Quite a combination. And the usefulness of the shotgun's grenade that
sets people on fire (!!) cannot be overstated. The same goes for the sniper
rifle's single charged shot that shoots through anything, especially when
people use shields. It even breaks though the humans' Allied Shield, which is
the basis of why I sometimes like to have it around as a secondary weapon if
for no other reason.

The real craziness comes with the two all purpose rifles. The Bullseye lets
you move and run faster than any other weapon, has a new holographic sight
that does not block your vision, and its homing tags have been much improved.
Its only drawback is being weak relative to the Carbine rifle, and most other
weapons. It makes up for this with an exceedingly high rate of fire and quick
movement, but it definitely takes some skill to use. The Carbine is the main
weapon of choice for most anyone, as it does great damage at nearly any range,
and has the ultimate trump card in the form of a 40mm triple grenade launcher,
capable of doing 50% damage in a snap. As if that were not enough, it also
gets a bayonet that does extra melee damage, while its grenade launcher makes
it the best gun to have in a pinch. It is hands down the easiest weapon to use
if nothing else.

Frankly you expect the sniper rifle and shotgun to be powerful in every game,
though probably not this powerful. Resistance continues its trend of the most
powerful shotgun in existence by letting it now fire a grenade...a grenade that
sets you on fire...yeah. Because the shotgun isn't already powerful enough,
right? What is truly amazing though is that the two all purpose rifles are
made even more damn powerful than ever. Yet remember that everyone uses them
and thus knows how to deal with them, and so your "all purpose" weapon isn't
really as useful as you might want it to be. Perhaps combine it with other
weapons via Strapped, but mostly it is better to be proficient in a single
weapon and boost its usefulness with abilities like Gunslinger and Air-Cooled
Barrel. More on that when we get to the abilities.


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SECTION 3- SUPPORT ABILITIES	   [003]
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Ability Name: Ammo Beacon
Available Level: Available initially
Description: Creates ring within which all allies will have their ammo slowly
refilled, while allowing them to fire without reloading; Level 2 makes it
bigger while also slowly filling secondary ammo and grenades.
Uses and Disadvantages: Firing without reloading is great for defense; do not
overlook just how useful that can be. Refilling ammo is the more useful thing
here however.  Since this Beacon also refills grenades and secondary ammo over
time, a team can provide a constant supply of Hedgehog mines etc. in every
entrance. Not bad at all. Of course, as with other Beacons it is stationary,
and so designed to be used for defense or taking objectives. One can get a
sporadic personal benefit from it in terms of refilling ammo, but better to
just carry another weapon or pick up a new one on the battlefield. Well unless
of course you want to be a Team Player and place it where your team can make
use of it.
Overall Rating: 8/10

Name: Bubble Shield
Available Level: Available initially
Description: Deploys a full 360 degrees shield that blocks virtually anything;
Level 2 makes the shield bigger and stronger.
Uses and Disadvantages: In Halo you had to pick this up, but here you can use
it anytime. That makes it seriously powerful, given it can block virtually
anything. Sure people can run in for melee kills, but combining this with
Lightning Shield can prevent that. While Auger fire can shoot through it,
Augers are killstreaks and so not always readily available. Other than melee,
the only real thing to watch out for is the sniper's secondary fire charged
shot, which can shoot through anything. Many people are lulled into a sense of
security while in the shield, and taunt people by standing still, which only
opens them up to the sniper fire. Still, the shield will almost always provide
a chance to reload and recharge at the least, so it is great to have around.
Not to mention how useful it is for capturing objectives, and you can expect
people to camp points from within their shields. A fun thing to try is to put
a Decoy inside the shield, and watch as someone charges in for the melee kill
only to have the Decoy blow up in their face. For lone wolves, the Bubble
Shield is perhaps the greatest ability imaginable.
Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Ability Name: Spotter
Available Level: 8
Description: While activated, an enemy within your view will be highlighted in
red and appear on the radar- you can then highlight a new enemy if he dies
before the time expires; Level 2 lets you highlight two enemies at a time
instead of one.
Uses and Disadvantages: Really great in a variety of situations, since an
enemy once spotted is highlighted in red and on radar, making it that much
easier to track him even as he retreats. The greatest way to get an edge on an
enemy is to know exactly where he is even as you chase him around the corner.
It also tends to spot enemies in the distance that you may not have actually
seen. Do not underestimate how useful this can be. The weakness here is that
you can only spot 2 enemies at a time, so you can't exactly point out the
whole team with it. A Radar Beacon could do that, though only within range.
Lastly, the 90 XP bonus where someone else kills an enemy you Spotted is a
great way to build levels, and trust me it will happen often. Like the Bubble
Shield, it is universally a great ability to have at any time.
Overall Rating: 9/10

Ability Name: Decoy
Available Level: 12
Description: Deploys a stationary dummy projection that also appears on radar;
Level 2 causes it to explode when enemies come near.
Uses and Disadvantages: Of questionable usefulness given the decoy is
stationary, but it can fool people if placed inside a base or a Bubble Shield,
and then take them out by exploding when they rush in for the melee kill.
Certainly doesn't hurt that it makes a red dot on the radar, since this can
cause people to go after it while causing some confusion. A surprising amount
of uses can be found for it, placing it out in the open or among a group of
allies to distract enemies and/or make them think your team has more players
than it actually does. Not the best ability, but fun to play around with. The
best way to use it seems to be to hide nearby and ambush the enemy as he
shoots the projection.
Overall Rating: 7/10

Ability Name: Healing Beacon
Available Level: 18
Description: Creates a ring that slowly heals everyone within it; Level 2
makes it bigger and last longer.
Uses and Disadvantages: As with all Beacons, it takes a couple seconds to
activate, meaning it cannot just be pulled out in a pinch (such as with the
Ring of Life from Resistance 2, my favorite ability ever). So plan to have it
out before the action starts. One should not discount their usefulness for
campers/snipers, but they are much more useful when teammates can share in the
effect.  When placed on an objective point, the Heal Beacon at the least can
keep the team from being picked off by all the grenades the other team is sure
to lob at them, though it is far from foolproof. I find greater use for the
Healing Beacon by just dropping it down anytime I want to hold a position (or
retreat for that matter), but then that's just me. Lots of uses can be found
to make this Beacon a lot more useful than it may appear. The only real
drawback is that you have to consider that it appears on the radar and thus if
you stand inside it enemies will know where you are. Hence why it is better to
just place it within a group of allies that can defend it.
Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Ability Name: Radar Beacon
Available Level: 28
Description: Puts all enemies within range on radar; Level 2 increases range
and also shows the direction in which enemies are facing.
Uses and Disadvantages: Absolutely essential for holding down a position, its
lets you see everyone coming in without the need for people outside Spotting
them. Boosting the normal radar capabilities, it also shows you what direction
enemies are facing (akin to the radar from Resistance 1). You really can't
beat that. If no other beacon gets placed at a location, at least get out a
Radar Beacon. It makes defending so much easier. It can also be used to
discover campers (like in the training video). The only weakness is that with
all Beacons it can be destroyed, which happens more often than one might think
will all the grenades flying around, but this Beacon can always be placed out
of the way rather than right out in the open. That in itself makes it the best
Beacon to have.
Overall Rating: 9/10

===========
DISCUSSION
===========

Being Support Abilities and all, they appropriately are all unlocked pretty
early on. Most people will use Bubble Shields, to the extent that sometimes it
feels like everyone is using them, but that's only because they are the most
visible of all abilities. All the Beacons are great choices. Ammo and healing
have obvious uses, and putting enemies on radar is always useful. A well
coordinated team with multiple beacons in a location is very well equipped to
take on anything. Keep in mind that all these deployables can be destroyed by
grenades and bullets (or the rare EMP grenade), so don't place them right on
the objective. The Radar Beacon certainly doesn't need to even be in the same
area. The only non-deployable here is Spotter, which is not only a great way
to keep track of your targets, but also calls for help by putting enemies on
radar. It is kind of a limited instance of the Radar Beacon, acting as a
complement by marking enemies at longer range. Since it also gives you xp
bonuses, it is perfect for gaining levels. I highly recommend it, especially
for non-objective matches.

=============================================================================
SECTION 4- TACTICAL ABILITIES   [004]
=============================================================================

Ability Name: Lightning Shield
Available Level: Available initially
Description: A visible ring appears around you, stunning anyone that tries to
melee you; Level 2 adds a second ring, protecting you from two melee attacks.
Uses and Disadvantages: A must for campers/snipers, it helps protect your back.
Lots of uses to be had here. A good default choice if you don't see the need
to become proficient with the other Tactical Abilities. Its ability to stun
enemies doesn't take form very often though, since the Shield itself creates a
very visible ring around a player that tells everyone not to even attempt a
melee attack. Nevertheless, the ability to know that no one can sneak up on
you for an assassination can be invaluable.
Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Ability Name: Doppelganger
Available Level: Available initially
Description: A hologram lingers next to you and mimics your actions,
flickering when shot; Level 2 makes it last longer and allows it to take more
damage before flickering.
Uses and Disadvantages: Its real usefulness is the fact that it makes an extra
red dot on the radar, but players will quickly learn that two dots close
together are really only one person. The hologram does have a way of moving
around you, making it more useful than were it clear that the real player was
always the guy on the left. Still, it is meant to get you an edge, not a free
kill.  It is definitely a good way to cause some confusion and earn that
crucial extra second or two as your would-be opponent wastes time shooting the
hologram, but just don't expect it to do all the work for you. Note that
Spotter can see right through it by highlighting the player and exposing the
hologram, so it is less useful than it might have been otherwise.
Overall Rating: 7.5/10

Ability Name: Dash
Available Level: 22
Description: Quickly jump (not teleport) about 10 meters; Level 2 reduces the
recharge time.
Uses and Disadvantages: Initially I thought Dash to be all but useless. Then I
started using it, and the more I use it the more I am impressed with what it
can do. You can't exactly jump through walls or anything else in your path,
though you can cross gaps. Since jumping through open spaces doesn't protect
you from gunfire, it isn't really the best thing for getting away most of the
time. So you shouldn't rely on it for running away since the distance is so
short. On the other hand, it is great for offensive purposes. Expect to see
tons of people use it with a shotgun to quickly get close enough to blow your
face off. It is excellent for chasing people, and other than that I
continuously find new uses for it. Whether it is diving in to turn off the
countdown at the last second, jumping behind enemy lines and causing mayhem,
or surprising people when you dive inside their shields, the uses for it are
seemingly endless. The best part is that it recharges quite quickly at Level 2,
so you get to use it quite often. Experiment for yourself and see how great it
is.
Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Ability Name: Assassin
Available Level: 32
Description: Silences your weapon so you do not appear on radar when firing
it; Level 2 disguises you as the other team while also making you appear as an
ally on the radar.
Uses and Disadvantages: Disguising oneself as an enemy is as useful as it was
in Killzone, which is to say useless at close range, especially since player
crosshairs still turn red when they aim at you. Nevertheless, Assassin does
solve Killzone's problem by placing you on the radar on an ally, so people can
no longer so easily see through your disguise by noting your lack of presence
on the radar. Beyond the disguise, it keeps you off the radar when firing
regardless, so it can be incredibly useful when used properly. This really is
the only stealth ability the game provides. It does not protect you from being
Spotted though, so it is best used with Scan Jammer, which can prevent that.
The real drawback here is that as a stealth player you cannot fight on your
team's frontlines, as you will get shot right alongside them. But then of
course you chose Assassin intending to be a lone wolf, didn't you?
Overall Rating: 9/10

Ability Name: Turret
Available Level: 38
Description: A stationary turret tracks and shoots enemies; Level 2 makes it
stronger while giving it the ability to fire rockets.
Uses and Disadvantages: These may sound great, but as with every ability they
are subject to a time limit, meaning they just disappear when the player dies
(unlike the Beacons) or the ability timer runs out. They can get kills, though
nowhere near as easily as the turrets in Killzone since they are not permanent
until destroyed. They just don't last long enough to be worth using outside of
base defense or camping, and they appear on radar, drawing attention and
making them easy to avoid. In any case, they really are not that hard to
destroy, so at best they are a good distraction or a good way to set up some
extra defense, so long as placed properly. They actually were really good in
the beta, but seems someone decided they were too good. They no longer are
that good at all.
Overall Rating: 7.5/10

Ability Name: Thermal Vision
Available Level: 42
Description: Allows you to see enemies through walls; Level 2 will be posted
when I learn what it is.
Uses and Disadvantages: Oh man, seeing enemies through walls without needing
to use the Auger? What can beat that, particularly when rushing a position or
dealing with campers? Well maybe if you could also shoot them through the
walls, as only the Auger (and the sniper's secondary fire) can do. This is not
like it was in Resistance 1, in that you can no longer just switch it on and
off at any time. Though at least it no longer results in your being plastered
on the radar. It is a difficult ability to recommend, given that it is really
only useful for offense and discovering hiding places. If employed for defense,
one is much better off simply using a Radar Beacon. That being said, it is
obviously useful.
Overall Rating: 8/10

===========
DISCUSSION
===========

This category would be a lot more interesting if the abilities weren't locked
until such high levels. For some reason this seems to be a bigger problem with
this category in particular. Essentially you can expect to be stuck with
Lightning Shield or Doppelganger for a long time, so better get used to them.
They are both useful, but you should really use the others as you unlock them.
You get Dash in the middle, and it has nearly endless uses. You'll probably
become addicted to it by the time you unlock more abilities. Not to say the
others aren't useful, as Thermal Vision keeps enemies from hiding from you,
and the Turret is great for a distraction and/or some backup. Assassin is the
fun one, as it helps keep you from being detected. Combined with Scan Jammer
it can make you a truly stealthy player, if not necessarily a team player.
This category seems a particularly volatile one, as you'll find people using
pretty much all of them.  If not for the short duration they would all be a
lot more useful.

=============================================================================
SECTION 5- PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES   [005]
=============================================================================

Ability Name: Bandolier
Available Level: Available initially
Description: Increase primary fire clip size for all weapons; Level 2
increases secondary fire clip size.
Uses and Disadvantages: This is an interesting one. A greater clip size means
you can fire for longer, though this is really only useful for guns with small
clip sizes like the shotgun, the Marksman, and the special weapons. The real
(and perhaps somewhat unintended) strength is in letting you carry one extra
secondary ammo. For certain weapons that can be incredibly powerful. Keep in
mind though that it's not like you start with extra secondary ammo, you are
just able to carry it. You will still have to get it from dead players or by
using an Ammo Beacon. Bandolier is really only useful for players employing
the Carbine and Rossmore in particular, though its effectiveness rises when
combined with Air-Cooled Barrel, since the latter means you go through ammo
that much faster. Overall though I find it useless, since might as well use
Gunslinger for quick reloading if you are worried about having to reload too
much.
Overall Rating: 8/10

Ability Name: Leaper Corpse
Available Level: Available initially
Description: Three Leapers burst from your corpse upon dying; Level 2 raises
this to four Leapers, two of which are now Spitters.
Uses and Disadvantages: More an annoyance than anything else, you'll be
surprised how crazy it can get if everyone uses this one. You can bet you'll
see a ton of people use this because it is frankly kind of funny to cause
trouble to players after your death. The leapers are actually quite deadly and
ABSURDLY RELENTLESS, even if they are easy to kill. The thing is, you should
be more concerned with what you can do while still alive, as you shouldn't
really care what happens after dying.  The Leapers will get you some kills,
especially if you charge in and die in a group, but better to worry about
getting kills while still alive.
Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Ability Name: Gunslinger
Available Level: 19
Description: Increases accuracy when firing from the hip; Level 2 increases
reloading speed.
Uses and Disadvantages: Not quite as useful as Steady Aim, meaning it doesn't
give you free kills, but when coming head to head at close range it can be
invaluable. However, in a game like this you can usually find the time to aim
down the sights. It also lets you reload faster, making it the only ability
with two wholly separate effects. In effect it makes you all around better at
shooting guns, as your bullets hit a little more often and you can quickly pop
in a new clip in case they don't and just keep shooting. This is a personal
favorite of mine, though only because I cannot stand being caught dead while I
am trying to reload. Best for close range fighting, and for shotguns in
particular.
Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Ability Name: Body Armor
Available Level: 21
Description: Increases health but decreases movement speed; Level 2 negates
the decrease in movement.
Uses and Disadvantages: Hard to see a real weakness here, assuming you don't
try to use it without first upgrading it. The real use here comes from being
able to get up close and personal with a shotgun or other close range weapon,
providing some extra protection in case you Dash into a bad spot. I suppose
the only weakness is that your insistence on keeping yourself alive will cause
you to miss out on many other abilities that could otherwise keep you alive by
making you more proficient at dispatching foes. If not getting continually
killed by explosives is what you are worried about, then the Hazmat Suit makes
for a great alternative. Note Body Armor was a Combat Attribute in the beta,
but someone wisely realized that being able to have both Body Armor and Hazmat
Suit would make people invincible. Unless you are a shotgunner, you should
stick with the latter, though keep in mind it will take a very long time to
unlock it. In the meantime, this is not such a bad choice at all.
Overall Rating: 8/10

Ability Name: Tracker
Available Level: 25
Description: Displays enemy footprints; Level 2 lets you distinguish amongst
what footprints are fresh as opposed to old.
Uses and Disadvantages: I'm not sure this does anything to be honest. I've
used it and I never saw any footprints that I can recall. It might be useful
for knowing how many enemies are guarding a location, but if you really want
to track enemies there are better ways to do so, such as using Spotter. For
camping enemies, you could also just use Thermal Vision. I fail to see why
they even created this ability, since all it does if anything is distract you
by making you look at the ground. There is plenty else already going on
onscreen.  The game claims I killed 30 people I tracked with this ability, but
never once did I notice any footprints appearing. Pick something else.
Overall Rating: N/A, as in don't even think about using it.

Ability Name: Vital Signs
Available Level: 31
Description: Shows health of an enemy over their name; Level 2 allows you also
to see what Tactical Ability they are using.
Uses and Disadvantages: On the surface it sounds great to see enemy health and
abilities, but it is hardly necessary since you will just shoot first and
won't bother to take the time to look. It is made entirely useless because the
game thankfully shows you the remaining health and abilities of your killer
upon death. Insomniac apparently thinks it is helpful to know who has the
lowest health in a group and thus who can be picked off, but I say just shoot
whoever you can. I suppose it could help see through disguises and
Doppelgangers, but then Spotter can do the same thing.
Overall Rating: 5/10

Ability Name: Hazmat Suit
Available Level: 37
Description: Reduces damage from explosions; Level 2 makes you immune being
set on fire, mutated, or frozen, as well as preventing Magnum rounds and
Bullseye tags from sticking to you.
Uses and Disadvantages: Talk about ultimate defense, with this you gain added
defense against most of the game's weapons. It negates the added effects of
the Mutator, Cryogun and Rossmore, though of course they still do damage
otherwise. Perhaps even better is that Bullseye users cannot tag you, Magnum
users (if any) cannot blow you up and Carbine users will find their trump card
grenade launchers less effective. It seemingly has a way to weaken most
weapons when used against you, and that's not even mentioning the reduced
damage from explosions in general. Since grenades will have contributed to
your death more than 90% of the time, it is an excellent way to save your butt
over and over again. Witness the power to smite any foe who dares use a
special weapon against you. Given how many people like to use the
shotgun/Carbine grenade launchers, that is just another added bonus. The only
guns it doesn't provide any added protection against are the long range
weapons and the Atomizer, so you should definitely be a close range fighter
yourself. Now if only it was unlocked at a lower level.
Overall Rating: 9.5/10

Ability Name: Demolitions
Available Level: 43
Description: Increases damage for all explosive weapons and grenades; Level 2
also increases their effective radius.
Uses and Disadvantages: Easy to see the use of this, certainly with the
prevalence of grenades and the 40mm grenade launcher of the Carbine rifle.
Grenades already do enough damage as I see it, and this is a way to ensure
your grenades do get the kill. Expect many people to use this with the
Carbine's 40mm grenade launcher for even easier kills in a pinch...or maybe not.
In a sense it allows for some free kills, but then grenades tend to already do
that on their own, and in the end grenades are only as good as the person
using them. No one uses this to my knowledge.
Overall Rating: 7.5/10

Ability Name: Tactician
Available Level: 49
Description: Reduces recharge time of your Tactical Ability; Level 2 also
increases its duration.
Uses and Disadvantages: So you've unlocked all the Personal Attributes and you
still don't know what to use? Instead of defaulting to Leaper Corpse like so
many players, why not try out Tactician? Being able to use your Tactical
Ability faster and have it last longer is incredibly helpful, making this a
fantastic choice. Since the biggest and in some case the only real weakness of
some of the Tactical Abilities is the time limit, Tactician is great for
anyone looking to rely on and/or get more use out of the many great things the
various Tactical Abilities can do. Hardly much use with Dash, but with
everything else it is not a bad choice at all if you ever actually unlock it.
Overall Rating: 9/10

===========
DISCUSSION
===========

Here you unlock some things at least pretty quickly, which can hardly be said
for some of the other ability groups. At 9 abilities, it also has more choices
than elsewhere. The initial Bandolier is really quite useless, since there is
no reason to have a larger clip size if you can otherwise use Gunslinger for
fast reloading. Leaper Corpse is used by seemingly most people, but only
because it's the best they have available. Once you unlock Gunslinger and Body
Armor, which thankfully are at relatively low levels, you really should use
them instead. The choice there really just depends on whether you want to opt
for offense or defense, though arguably both are offensive abilities. Tracker
and Vital Signs can be skipped entirely.

That leaves the abilities unlocked at high levels, by which time you will
already be quite comfortable in your choice up to that point. If you do want
to branch out and try new things, Demolitions is unlikely to be where you want
to go, since you don't really use enough explosives ever (barring combining it
with Grenadier) to make it worth having. The Hazmat Suit is definitely awesome
for reducing damage from explosions, with the added bonus of immunity to
status effects. It really is a better choice than Body Armor, since reduced
damage trumps extra health, but of course it takes a lot longer to unlock.
Lastly we have Tactician, which is great if you like to rely on your Tactical
Ability, since their short durations make it otherwise difficult to rely on
them. Give it a shot if you ever unlock it.

=============================================================================
SECTION 6- COMBAT ATTRIBUTES   [006]
=============================================================================

Ability Name: Scan Jammer
Available Level: Available initially
Description: Blocks enemy radar within a short proximity; Level 2 also grants
immunity to Thermal Vision and Spotter.
Uses and Disadvantages: Anyone who has played Killzone 3 knows that jamming
the enemy's radar is not all it is cracked up to be, as all it does is make
people seek out the cause of the distortion. Its intended stealth function
gets negated in the process since it basically lets people know you are close.
Fortunately the limited range of the jamming actually works in your favor, as
it rarely comes into play and you can benefit instead from immunity to
detection at Level 2. Nevertheless, it's hard to recommend since there are so
many better abilities, unless of course you really want to go for stealth. If
you are going to use it all, use it together with Assassin.
Overall Rating: 8/10

Ability Name: Scavenger
Available Level: Available initially
Description: Gives health and ammo for walking over dead bodies; Level 2 also
gives secondary ammo for walking over dead bodies.
Uses and Disadvantages: Picking up ammo and health from any dead body sounds
good and all, but it means you have to actually reach the dead bodies,
something you cannot always do. If you are worried about ammo or health then
you can use the corresponding Beacon and/or carry extra weapons via Strapped.
With this being in the same category as Strapped, it is absolutely worthless.
Overall Rating: N/A, as in don't even think about using it.

Ability Name: Air-Cooled Barrel
Available Level: 9
Description: Increases rate of fire while aiming down the sights; Level 2 also
increases move speed while aiming down the sights.
Uses and Disadvantages: Indescribably useful for long range weapons, the
Marksman and the sniper rifle, and also surprisingly useful for shotguns. For
everything else it is less useful, but still not bad at all. It isn't the rate
of fire that helps so much if you are using the Carbine or Bullseye so much as
it is the increased movement speed, allowing you to use your sights for much
greater accuracy without becoming a sitting duck. Do not underestimate how
good that is, particularly since it is precisely moving quicker while shooting
that made Chimera the stronger race back in the original Resistance.
Overall Rating: 9/10

Ability Name: Berserker
Available Level: 13
Description: Gain Berserks with one less kill; Level 2 also makes Berserks
last longer.
Uses and Disadvantages: This in a sense may be the single greatest ability in
theory, since it lets you get "Berserks" (aka killstreaks) with less kills.
The shield/cloak you get for 3 kills is unfathomably amazing when it only
takes 2. And let's not get started on what you get for now only 8 kills. I
know Call of Duty has this ability (aka Hardline), but Insomniac was insane
for including it (and some would say they were insane for including
killstreaks at all). I don't personally ever use it because I greatly prefer
abilities that boost my effectiveness with weapons. It is unlocked at a low
level so it is readily available, but nevertheless I don't find many people
using it. Not as useful in fact as it is in theory I suppose.
Overall Rating: 8/10

Ability Name: Strapped
Available Level: 14
Description: Start with two weapons; Level 2 lets you start with 3 weapons
Uses and Disadvantages: Perhaps the greatest ability ever, or perhaps not.
Having multiple starting weapons is absolutely ridiculous given everything the
weapons in this game can do.  And since you can choose three of them (yes, 3
of them), it goes beyond shotty-sniper to include an all purpose rifle or a
special weapon as well. With only shotty-sniper it might not be so worth using
as opposed to specializing in close or long range by itself, but add in a
third weapon and it means you can also carry around a special weapon like the
Mutator or Cryogun for when you just want to have some fun. With so many
secondary fire and other weapon abilities, Strapped makes you a real
powerhouse from the onset. Just keep in mind that it may take you a really,
really long time to upgrade all the weapons you want to use, which hampers
Strapped's effectiveness more than anything else.
Overall Rating: 9/10

Ability Name: Grenadier
Available Level: 27
Description: Carry two grenade types; Level 2 lets you carry 3 grenade types.
Uses and Disadvantages: You can carry one each of three types of grenade,
which is rather helpful since each type is so very useful. There are better
choices though, since a good shot does not need to rely on grenades.
Unfortunately, expect many low level players to do so regardless because
grenades mean easy kills. Well not that I've seen anyone using it, but then
most players are not even Level 27, so hard to say how popular it will turn
out to be.
Overall Rating: 7.5/10

Ability Name: Patience
Available Level: 34
Description: The longer your crosshairs linger over an enemy, the more damage
you do; Level 2 reduces the amount of time needed to reach maximum damage.
Uses and Disadvantages: This may seem like an ability created for snipers, but
a sniper usually just wants to get a quick headshot and that's it. In a sense
it can actually act kind of like stopping power when used with a quick firing
rifle like the Carbine or Bullseye, allowing you to kill a little faster and
make up for the otherwise low relative damage of these weapons. It is actually
a pretty good choice for people using the weapons mentioned, but you'll likely
do better equipping something else. Indeed, rather than try to make your
bullets do more damage, just use Air-Cooled Barrel so you can fire more of
them.
Overall Rating: 6.5/10

Ability Name: Team Player
Available Level: 39
Description: Increases radius of Support Abilities; Level 2 also increases
duration of Support Abilities.
Uses and Disadvantages: It increases radius and duration of support abilities,
making it the parallel to Tactician. Support Abilities however tend to get
destroyed or not really be needed for a longer duration, so this one is
questionable in usefulness. To illustrate, your Bubble Shield will either save
your ass or it won't, and its ability to do will hardly depend on how long it
lasts. It is useful of course for taking objectives, or better yet if you are
going to use one of the Support Abilities while camping. Obviously it is
useless with Spotter, since radius is irrelevant.
Overall Rating:  8/10

===========
DISCUSSION
===========

Patience and Scavenger are so limited in effectiveness so as to be all but
useless. Some people might be nice and pick Team Player, but not many,
especially given the high level required. People may use Grenadier because all
they care about is being able to do damage, and many more will wise up and
realize it is better to have more guns than more grenades. Since Strapped lets
you be a shotty-sniper and then some, it is really fun to use. Then again, if
you plan to snipe you should just use Air-Cooled Barrel, and if you want to be
effective at close and long ranges you can just go in-between with the Carbine
or Marksman. Strapped is incredible on the surface, but rather worthless in
practice. Much better to pick one weapon you want and then base everything
around it. I occasionally use it when I want to sporadically snipe, but really
it's not too worth using.

Scan Jammer is really quite good, as it pretty much lets you hide except when
shooting, but is best avoided if you don't intend to go full stealth with
Assassin. Berserker is definitely amazing if only because the riot shield that
humans get for 3 kills is essentially invincible, at least from the front. I'm
a bit appalled they let them be unlocked (both the shield and Berserker) so
easily. Those shields do all they can to break the game, and the cloak
actually isn't bad either. Not to mention turning into a super soldier for
only 8 kills. Still, anyone confident in their ability to get kills will see
no need for Berserker and go with something else. It actually is very rarely
used, though one would be hard-pressed to find any single Combat Attribute
that is used more often than the others.

=============================================================================
SECTION 7- KILLSTREAKS   [007]
=============================================================================

Killstreaks here are known as "berserks", but make no mistake, they are still
killstreaks. Fortunately though there are only a few, so things don't get too
out of hand. Then again, these things can be pretty powerful, which is fitting
given they are rewards for getting kills. I'm only going over them here mainly
to point out their weaknesses. They pop up at 3/6/9 kills, and generally last
somewhere around 25 seconds or so. Keep in mind that with Berserker equipped,
you not only get berserks with one less kill, they also last longer. Yeah, I
said that ability was really powerful.

We will appropriately start at the top with an ability that is truly over the
top. At 9 kills you get "mutate" which turns you into a super soldier with an
unlimited rapid firing grenade launcher. Yes it is every bit as ridiculous as
it sounds, as the grenade launcher quickly takes out multiple foes with 2-3
shots. It is however not invincible, since your super armor is only double or
so normal health and cannot recharge, though if you are still alive when the
timer runs out you will revert to normal (and be able to recharge health
again), much as with the other berserks. It is obviously useful only when a
lot of enemies are already around, since you will hardly have the time to seek
them out or anything. Just don't be surprised when you do go down.

Next is temporary use of an unlimited Auger at 6 kills, the only time you get
to use the Auger since you cannot select it as your starting weapon. It can
set up shields and see and shoot enemies through anything, and now is better
than ever since it shoots fairly quickly. It is also quite powerful, taking
down an enemy in an average of 3-4 shots. Its weaknesses are the short range
of its scope and how difficult it is to shoot someone actively trying to dodge
your shots. So timing is everything. Not to mention you have to keep obstacles
between you and enemies or set up shields, as otherwise you will find yourself
dead as quickly as ever. Don't get cocky with it.

Finally we have the 3 kill berserk, the most important since it is the most
common one you will use. Here we find the one distinction in the game between
Humans and Chimera, in that they get different 3 kill berserks. Chimera get a
cloak that makes them invisible except when firing, in which case the cloak
will flicker. Can be Spotted, but still really useful for sneaking around
considering they won't see your shotgun until you are right on top of them.
Tons upon tons of people are invisible shotgunners I assure you.

Humans arguably get the better deal with the Allied Shield, which blocks all
damage from the front and sides, including grenades. It is really powerful and
very hard to deal with. All you can do is hope the player gets cocky and
exposes his back, though a more common way to deal with it is to drop or fire
a grenade behind him. Shrapnel Grenades are better for this purpose, since
they roll after being thrown.  So consider a player using the Shield
invincible if you don't have an explosive of some sort or the sniper rifle's
secondary fire that shoots through shields, but remember when you use it that
it is not as invincible as you might think. Same as with all the berserks, you
should be very wary of anyone using them, but you should not rely on them too
much yourself.

=============================================================================
SECTION 8- LOADOUT SUGGESTIONS   [008]
=============================================================================

It would be appropriate to briefly summarize everything, and at the risk of
contradicting myself I will incorporate lessons I continue to learn while
playing.

Beginning with the Support Abilities, I am convinced you really can't go wrong
with whatever you choose. By default you should stick with Spotter, if only
because it can get you a lot of extra experience to help unlock more abilities.
Each of the Beacons is great, even better considering they stick around after
you die. But you need to note that they all appear on the radar, making it
considerably harder to stand inside an Ammo or Healing Beacon at least since
it tells everyone where you are. You shouldn't have the same trouble with
standing inside of a Bubble Shield, which seem to be the most common Support
Ability because they are so great for camping an objective point, but don't
stand there too long unless you have a shotgun or a Lightning Shield to
protect yourself. The Radar Beacon is incredibly useful and you can play
around with the Decoy and see if it works for you. Really can't go wrong with
anything in this slot, though expect to see Spotter and Bubble Shield dominate
if only because they are the easiest to use.

Next are the Tactical Abilities, which are unique in that you essentially
unlock better abilities as you level up. You should get rid of the Lightning
Shield or Doppelganger as soon as you can; just trust me they are not worth
using. You'll never have the Lightning Shield active when you really need it,
and Assassin serves as a much better distraction than the Doppelganger. Rather
than being two red dots on the radar, it makes you a green dot. Nothing better
than hiding in plain sight, just be careful how close you get to enemies, and
consider combining it with a Level 2 Scan Jammer so you don't get Spotted. I
don't find the Turret very useful since it appears on radar and thus can be
easily avoided. Not really sure if Thermal Vision is worth using, but I'll
know if I ever get it. Overall I think Dash to have the most uses, but that in
no way makes it the best. You'll do just fine with anything here.

Moving on to Personal Attributes, there are plenty of great choices. Well 6 of
them, given Tracker, Bandolier and Vital Signs are all but useless.
Demolitions is nice, but not worth using unless you for some reason specialize
in explosives. By default most people seem to just go with Leaper Corpse,
especially together with a shotgun since it means they will usually die at
close range. If you want to use Body Armor, just don't rely on it to keep you
alive. Turns out the Hazmat Suit is much more useful if you have it, since it
not only protects you from being tagged, fire from the shotgun, and from
special weapons (Mutator and Cryogun though not the Atomizer), it can also
help keep you from being picked off by the grenades absolutely everyone loves
using. It makes virtually all weapons weaker against you; talk about ultimate
defense. I personally like Gunslinger for an edge at close range, and it is
obviously invaluable for shotgun users. If you don't have use for Tactician
(which you will never unlock), then Hazmat Suit will surely be your best
overall choice if you have it. Just don't be one of the zillions of players
that think it worth using Leaper Corpse. Much better to have something that
keeps you alive, not something that annoys people after you die.

The last ability is the Combat Attribute. Scavenger is entirely worthless, and
I'm not sure how Patience could possibly be useful since better to use Air-
Cooled Barrel to fire more bullets than rely on them doing more damage over
time. If you didn't figure it out, I am a huge fan of Air-Cooled Barrel, as it
is invaluable for a long range weapon and also comes in handy when you
inevitably steal a short range weapon. Can't see why anyone would use
Grenadier since it would be too confusing trying to juggle multiple grenade
types. The same logic goes for Strapped, since better to just know what weapon
you are good with, focus on it, and then you can always pick up other weapons.
Team Player might be nice if you ever get to it, but it seems a hard choice
since the Support Abilities tend to last long enough as it is. Scan Jammer is
really going to be useful only when combined with Assassin and going for
stealth, since otherwise it just doesn't do enough on its own. You can bet
plenty of people will use Berserker because they have fallen in love with the
Berserks. I wouldn't suggest using it yourself, and you in any case should
know how to deal with shields and invisible shotgunners.

To wrap up, it would be appropriate to combine everything by looking at the
best abilities to have depending on your play style and choice of weapon. If
you are a long range player- Deadeye or Marksman- then you will definitely
want Air-Cooled Barrel, and Spotter to mark your targets. Personal Attribute
is up to you, and consider a Radar/Healing Beacon and Turret/Lightning Shield
if you intend to do a lot of camping or just want to protect your back. If you
are a close range player who always likes to be in the action- Carbine,
Bullseye, Rossmore or Atomizer- then you will benefit greatly from
Gunslinger/Body Armor in general, and perhaps even Leaper Corpse if you are
like me and always charge in headfirst. You could be a weapons specialist with
Air-Cooled Barrel, though any Combat Attribute will be fine. You'll probably
want Dash for ensuring you can get in close, though you'll also be fine using
Assassin or Doppelganger to distract your enemies and gain an edge. The close
range player's arsenal finishes with Spotter for the person who is always in
the action, or a Bubble Shield/Radar Beacon for the person who goes for
objectives.

Oh one more thing. It makes sense to describe my personal loadout choices. I
generally like to be a weapons specialist by using both Gunslinger and Air-
Cooled Barrel with a Marksman or a Carbine. Though I can only start with one
weapon, this ensures that I continue to have an edge with any other weapon I
pick up. In a game where you can hold all the weapons, it just makes sense to
play like this. I then round out things with Spotter and Dash for chasing down
anyone who tries to get away and then some. This is my main loadout,
consisting entirely of abilities unlocked at low levels as it were. When going
for objectives I also sometimes go with a stealth loadout, pulling out the
Assassin/Scan Jammer pair and finishing with Healing Beacon and Hazmat Suit
for the best possible protection should I get into trouble. This is also the
essential setup for the always freakishly chaotic Deathmatch.  I have tried
(and still do try) Strapped at times to ensure I have a sniper rifle handy for
CTF in particular, but I just feel that it isn't worth using very often.

So yeah that's it. There really are endless things these abilities can do, so
keep experimenting. My PSN ID is Malcontent_Ronin, and I am always actively
looking for people to play with. So let me know. Thanks for reading and have
fun playing.

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SECTION 9- CONTACT INFORMATION  [009]
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Any questions, inquiries, praise, arguments, proposed additions, or requests
for advice can be sent to [email protected], and I will ensure I get
back to you. Any questions posed or strategies described to me via e-mail will
be considered for addition to this guide. Thanks for
reading, and I hope someone can find this guide useful.