The hardest building of the game[]
This building appears often (every level) and a lot of missions require entrance (destroy a generator, kill the owner, free a prisoner)
This is the easiest way to die, and the biggest mistake to make is to enter without checking the situation. Looking at the room from outside and scouting out enemies amd traps is the safest way to increase your chance of success.
Security[]
Fire-spewers periodically create a walls of fire for 2 seconds with a cool down of 2 seconds. If you walk through fire, you will receive a large amount of damage and potentially get trapped in a damage loop (0 to 52 damage based on how long you stay in fire).
You might think they're not dangerous since you just have to wait to pass but they can be deadly if you don't pay enough attention. Note their locations before fighting or one may get you killed.
Use it at your advantage : It is possible to get NPCs to walk through one as it triggers. However, if it is actively spewing fire most NPCs will wait for it to stop before advancing.
How to disable it :
- Destroy it : The easiest way, but will make noise. You can break it without taking damage even if it's firing.
- Disable it : Hacker, Scientist and Demolitionist can hack the computer and
[Turn off security system]. The Fire Spewer will stop firing. Other characters have to either destroy the computer for the same result but with extra noise.
Security Cam and Turret
They are a deadly combo :
- Spotting you
- Alerting owner
- Killing you
The camera will turn around, and alert everyone when seeing you. Turrets will fire and damage you with an insane rate of fire (every bullet deals 5 damage). Fighting aside a camera is not very ideal if you don't want to die. However, cameras only have a limited field of view (shown with purple particle effects) and have a blind spot directly next to them.
Use it at your advantage : If you hack a camera with Hacker or Scientist, you can get it to recognize owners instead of non-owners, causing your enemies to get a very large surprise when walking through it.
How to disable:
- Destroy it : The easiest way, but camera will still alert owner before dying (don't worry, turret won't shoot)
- Remotely Disable it : Hacker and Scientist can hack the computer or the camera itself and
[Turn off security system]. They will stop working. Other characters have to destroy the computer for the same result but with extra noise. - Manually Disable it : The player can attempt to turn a camera off noiselessly by disabling it manually with a 50% chance of failure.
They are the most problematic obstacle. A yellow laser will alert owners, a red laser will cause a Laser Emitter explosion. Thrown items such as Rocks or Shurikens will trigger the laser, but a bullet will not unless the emitter itself is shot. If you absolutely need to cross a red laser, throw a rock from a distance to avoid the explosion.
How to disable it :
- Destroy it : Will still alert owner or explode when breaking
- Disable it : Same as the other security
Easy to miss you should look at the building from outside before entering. It can deal up to 30 damage or paralyze you during a fight for 30 sec (in this case, you can do nothing to avoid death). While advancing through a hideout, make sure to keep an eye open for floor tiles that look different from the rest.
Use it at your advantage : While NPCs will make an effort to avoid them, they can sometimes be lured or knocked back onto one manually, although the trap may still hurt the player depending on their location and luck.
Inhabitants[]
While not initially hostile, all compound inhabitants will instantly become such when spotting you inside of the building. Compounds will always spawn with at least 2 inhabitants.
Patrolling around a part of the complex and fire on sight, Goons can be hard to kill but are most dangerous near traps or turrets. However you can easily bypass them if you stay behind them, as they always patrol predictably on a rectangular path. Downtown and beyond they are replaced by Supergoons, which are stronger but behaviorally identical.
Slightly less powerful than Goons, Gangsters will either stand stationary or move quickly from one random appliance to another. Gangsters will attack members of the opposite gang on sight which can be exploited to clear them out. Rarely gang members of different groups can spawn in the same compound and will still be hostile to one another, with other inhabitants aligning with both of the present gangs.
Behaving similarly to goons but with higher speed and lower damage, Thieves spawn empty handed or rarely with a Wrench and are often the weakest compound members; you should not be afraid to fight one alone, even without a weapon yourself. Although one may think thieves to also be unwanted guests they are aligned with other compound members and will not steal or gain aggro from them.
Sharing behavior with Gangsters and always spawning unarmed, Drug Dealers possess speed equivalent to a Thief and use a random positive status item when aggroed and as such should fought similarly to a Gangster or Thug holding a melee weapon.
Unarmed Slum Dwellers may rarely spawn sharing similar behavior to gangsters, but are almost identical in power to an unarmed gangster and can be treated virtually identically.
Strategy[]
Stealth[]
Risk : Hard but can vary greatly
Reward : +200 extra XP (with "Alert No One" and "Kill No One")
General Tips :
- Cameras have blind spots near their bases. Use this safe place to avoid Security cams.
Step 1 : go on the blind post
Step 2 : Wait until the camera is not looking at the second room and pass
Remember to close the door behind you, as cameras can see you even when in a different room.
-To avoid inhabitants, get an idea of their patrolling routes first. Depending on their trajectory, there is usually a corner or other room where you can hide yourself. This isn't very intuitive but after a few tries, you will see it is very easy to stay hidden.
-You can go back and kill owners for more XP later if needed (all compound inhabitants will not be marked as innocent).
- The Windows around the hideout can be destroyed not only by Window Cutters and Explosions but also really strong melee letting you skip some trap rooms and getting you to the objective stealthily at the cost of 15-30 HP (Allies cannot be brought through windows for escort missions).
The easiest patern
When the owner is going to turn, stay on the opposite corner
Rampage[]
Difficulty : Medium
Reward : EXP from kills
General Tips :
- Always try to fight NPCs 1 on 1 when possible, as it is very easy to be overwhelmed in groups. Knocking on a hideout door is often a good way to do this, as only 1 NPC will come to answer the door.
-Look for walls and doors to hide behind when fighting gun wielding inhabitants.
-Baiting NPCs holding guns into shooting from a far distance is sometimes a viable, if risky way of draining their ammunition.
-Remember to keep an eye out for ways to make other NPCs fight on your side; this is easiest for Gangsters, but any outsider can be drawn into combat should an enemy be tricked into hitting or shooting otherwise neutral bystanders.
Fugimination (or just Distraction)[]
Risk : Kinda Low
Difficulty : Low (Unless theres Supercops around
Reward : +200 extra xp (with the two sucess "Alert No One" and "Kill No One" if completed with non-lethal items)
How to do it :
- This one is pretty simple, you just have to make the NPC's leave the hideout. this can be done in 3 ways
Plan A "Fugimination": You can put a on the Air Filtration System of the hideout to make the NPCs go outside..... or just kill them using Poison,Cyanide or a Shrinker and the list goes on.
Plan B "Fire Hazard": You can make the NPCs leave if you lit something on fire or the floor himself! (This can be done using a Molotov Cocktail or just by putting some Oil close to a Fire spewer, This plan works more if you have the Scorching Savior Trait since NPCs will ignore you entering the building.
Plan C "Distraction": NPCs can stop what they are doing to investigate a loud sound, you can cause this to happen if you: Hire a Slum Dweller to cause a ruckus outside, putting a Boombox outside (putting it inside will make NPCs investigate, so put it on a room where you dont need to enter so they can dance off while you steal all their stuff), Making a really big explosion outside or in a building that is close (This can be done with a Generator,Overclocked Generator,Time Bomb,Etc)
Final Notes[]
This guide can be used also with other trap-filled big buildings including the Mayor Oficce since its really just a fancier and more shiny hideout. But anyways always remenber: be creative and have fun! (this guide is just an help for beginners and you dont need to follow it 100% of the time)