Bioshock Hints

Research Tips

• 1 of 16: After you get a research camera while working on the goals in Neptune's Bounty, you should use it very frequently to get research bonuses. Those include such things as useful tonics and increased damage dealt when fighting enemies of that type.
• 2 of 16: You can photograph any hostile or potentially hostile being, including unhacked security devices, in order to make progress toward the next research bonus on that being.
• 3 of 16: The camera works kind of like a weapon, and is assigned to weapon slot #6. Use the Weapon #6 key to get it out when you're wanting to photograph something. (Also, use the Zoom key to toggle the camera's zoom feature.)
• 4 of 16: With the camera out, sneak up on an enemy to take his picture, or charge him and then snap his picture right before blowing him away with the shotgun or whatever.
• 5 of 16: If you briefly paralyze an enemy with Electro Bolt or Winter Blast, you can take several quick photos of him before he recovers. This works particularly well with security devices.
• 6 of 16: Each picture you take is graded (A, B, or C) according to how close you are and how centered the subject is. Also, it helps if the subject is fighting one or more enemies at the time, or if there are multiple subjects in the same photo.
• 7 of 16: You're penalized if the subject is dead or if you've already taken a photo of that same subject.
• 8 of 16: Do the best you can to take A-rated photos, but don't just restrict yourself to those. The camera starts out with very little film, but you can find lots of spare film lying around, plus you can buy it cheap from many vending machines.
• 9 of 16: Also, the camera will refuse to take a photo if it won't do you any good, so you don't have to worry about accidentally wasting film.
• 10 of 16: As soon as you get the camera, keep taking photos of every potential subject you come across until the camera refuses to take any more photos of that subject. Only then should you kill the subject or move on.
• 11 of 16: Since action photos are more highly rated, it would help to have the camera out and clicking while something is attacking you. Sure, that's dangerous, but do remember the Vita-Chamber Tips -- they'll ensure your survival, and keep you from having to use first aid kits all the time. Also, the sooner you get all the research bonuses that are available on each enemy type, the sooner you can stop letting them beat up on you while you play shutterbug.
• 12 of 16: The list below shows you what all research bonuses are available for each type of enemy. You can use the list to decide if you want to go to the trouble to get further research bonuses on any given enemy type, or if you've already gotten all you'll ever want.
  • Research Bonus List
• 13 of 16: To increase the amount of progress toward a research bonus that you get on each photo, you should get the Photographer's Eye 2 combat tonic ASAP. If you check the above list, you'll see that it's the second research bonus for the rosie variety of big daddy, which means you can get it fairly soon after getting the camera. (You can also get the original Photographer's Eye tonic from the Farmer's Market region and enable them both at once to get even better photos.)
• 14 of 16: Research is another reason to put off killing the first few big daddies when you first encounter them.
  • Big Daddy and Little Sister Research Tips
• 15 of 16: Don't forget to take full advantage of your "increased damage" research bonuses by hitting enemies with the type of ammo they're most vulnerable to. Splicers are most vulnerable to antipersonnel ammo, and big daddies and security devices are most vulnerable to armor-piercing ammo.
• 16 of 16: A final research note is that using the Damage Research Combat Tonics can increase the damage bonuses you get when attacking enemies with the right type of ammo.

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