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System Shock 2 Hints
I'm having trouble in combat!
1 of 7: The first thing you should realize about this game is that it's not a first-person shooter -- even though it may look like one. You can't just go in with your guns blazing and hope to get through the game. Weapons break too easily, ammunition is in too short supply, and your foes do too much damage for you to fight without being very careful.
2 of 7: Also, make sure that you are picking the right weapon, ammunition and/or firing mode for the job. Don't use armor-piercing bullets or an EMP rifle against a hybrid or anti-personnel bullets against robots and turrets.
3 of 7: Learn the hotkeys for changing weapons and ammunition types or using a medical hypo. The MFD is too slow to try navigating in the middle of combat.
4 of 7: Be sneaky. Enemies won't always notice you right away, so you can try to pick a good time to fight them. Wait until enemies have their backs turned to you and then attack before they notice you. Shoot around corners and retreat to get a few hits in before your enemies can fight back. Or if you can avoid fighting all together, that may be your best option.
5 of 7: If you can't hide behind corners, at least try strafing with the sliding keys. Running in a straight line just makes it too easy for opponents with ranged attacks to hit you.
6 of 7: Also, you'll need to preserve your ammunition early in the game. Use your wrench instead of ammunition when you can. Against robots that explode, use a wrench to do initial damage and then finish them off with a single bullet. You can also start by shooting most other targets and then finish them off with a wrench if you can't manage straight melee combat.
7 of 7: For melee combat, you can prepare a swing by holding down your mouse button and then release any time you want. Have your swings ready and attack as soon as you're close to your opponent. Combine other tricks like strafing and waiting around corners for your opponents to come to you. It's even possible to take down a rumbler with nothing but a melee weapon if you practice enough -- although I wouldn't recommend this if you're already having trouble with combat.
