How to survive an alien outbreak [Updated: 07. Feb. 2018]

[xywenx00]

So you want to try out playing survivor?

Welcome to hell!

This guide will show you how not to get mauled in the first 5 minutes!

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There are currently four maps on which you can spawn as a survivor. I'll rate their difficulty and why I think so.

LV-624 (Hard): The survivor only has acces to a limited medium-sized area due to a fog splitting the north from the south. While this blocks larger Aliens, every Tier 1 cast aswell as Tier 2 Hunter and Spitter can access your area. There are some weapons you can gather aswell as medical equipment and building equipment and materials. There's also the internals affairs dome which can be locked down, just hope you spawn inside. There aren't many places you can hide at.

Big Red (Medium): You have acces to a large area aswell as alot of medical equipment, building equipment and materials aswell as alot of weapons. Aliens can use a venting system which means they can prey on you without you seeing them.

Ice Colony (Medium): You don't have easy access to weapons, there is some building equipment and getting around is hard. The aliens have access to a venting system. There is area in the caves to the west which you can access through a ladder, where a excavated unknown ship is located. The place only has one place you can access it from. The aliens usually don't come up much and a good spot to hide is the cargo area on the ground-level above the warehouse.

Prison Station (Easy-Medium): You have access to many weapons, even of high quality aswell as armor and a wide range of equipment and tools, not so many building materials. The map is rather large with small corridors and many places to hide. A shotgun is suggested for the narrow hallways, especially effective in maint. You usually spawn on the side of the prison map, where the marines first land, from what I've seen. Until the lockdown lift only T1 and some T2 are able to access your location.

Why is the size of the area you're in important? A large area means that you have much more places you can hide in and it's easier to run from the aliens. There aren't enough aliens to sweep the whole colony searching for you on a large map.

Pro tip: Being fast on your feet is essential if you want to survive. Don't stay and loot an area for too long. Move quickly, take what you need and get out of there as fast as possible. Time-management is as important as using your enviroment smart and having a good aim. Infact it really is a battle against time, you need to use your head start well.

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Your enemy

First of all you'll have to know your enemy. Who are they and what do they want? You'll face two opponents, the Aliens and sometimes the Predators. Events may add additional enemies. Another enemy you'll face is the cold on the Ice Colony which you feel even when wearing all the needed equipment to keep warm.

Let's talk about the Aliens.

They want to capture you in order to get additional hosts so they can produce larvae. Sometimes if they feel they can't capture you they'll kill you so they will have one less enemy later.

How do you react to them?

The Aliens will kill you if they see you're too much of a danger, so you can play weak and show your capabilities later, by possibly shotgunning one from the inside when they try to devour you to get you through the tunnels or vents, or you'll try to be robust. If they see you're well equipped and have a loaded gun in your hand (shotgun scares them the most) they'll hesitate to attack you, if there are no weeds nearby. (They heal from weeds)

How to deal with what enemy?

Runners: They're pretty fast and you can't usually run away from them but they will hesitate to attack you the most unless they're in a pack. They're easy to kill so sometimes they'll flee if you hit them.

Hunters: They're not as fast as runners, so you can try to run away from them, keep in mind they're still faster than you so try to zick-zack use your surrounding as a advantage. Take corners as an example. In a large pack of 3 or more they're usually easier to run from and zick-zack them, due to them blocking each other. (I've managed to run in a circle for 10 minutes and they didn't manage to get me.) The Problem with them is that they hit hard, so if they slash you, you're pretty much done for.

Sentinels and Spitter: Can knock you down from afar but are weak in combat otherwise. They're easy to kill with a shotgun that has buckshot, same like the runners and drones. Try to evade their projectiles. Combat is usually easy against them.

Drone: Just don't be shit.

Now let's talk about Predators

Predators have close and ranged combat weapons. Both are powerfull and you usually won't win against them in 1 vs 1 combat. If you don't act hostile towards them you won't get slaughtered usually. They're more neutral. Sometimes they'll play with you though. They'll only use ranged against you if you use ranged aswell. They do suffer from internal damage unlike the Aliens though.You don't know much about them ICly though, so act like that.

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How to get started

Let's look at some thing that are important for you:


Medical stuff: To fix yourself after a battle. You also start wounded each time. A quick death if you want to OD yourself. (Improtant: To see what pills you are using you need to have medical skill)

Weapons and ammo: Those allow you to fight off threats and can be used to scare them. Aliens are also players and they don't want to die to a survivor at round start. (Important: How well you shoot is dependant on your prior job on the colony)

Engineering equipment: Allows you to access areas and can be used as weapons if you loose yours. (Important: Job is important again)

Building materials: Allows you to build yourself a base, block off enemies. Make life easier. Keep in mind, barricades allow you to shoot over them but can be destroyed; walls block some visibility, you can't shoot through them and the aliens have to melt them to get to you. (Also: You can construct simple metal barricades no matter your job and you start with some metal, though if you were an engineer on the colony, you'll be able to construct advanced plasteel barricades aswell as other things)


Now you want to get those things, depending on what role you played and how easily accesable they are. Weapons and ammunition are usually located in "security" areas. Medial stuff and weapons+ammo have the highest priority. Medical stuff you can find at different locations most of the time at "medical" areas.


Waiting for rescue

Rescue will usually take quite long. You can expect the marines to be on the colony between 12:25 and 12:35 (You can't early deploy anymore since the dropships are locked until a certain time passes). You'll have to survive until that time. Also keep in mind that marines might act hostile and that their sentries will shoot you. (Updated: Sentrys no longer shoot you since you start with an ID)

Teamwork

Teamwork will increase your survival immensely, but can also be your downfall. Each survivor is a player that doesn't need to work with you. They might have a different motive. If you work together though your survival chances increase greatly. Because it's no longer you with a weapon, but 1-2 others and you with a weapons. This will scare the Aliens even more aswell.

Roleplay

In my opinion the most important aspect of playing survivor is roleplay. There are great roleplay possibilites you don't get with any other role. You have the chance for great roleplay especially with command and the corporate liason, so use that chance.

Note: This guide will get updated. (This is also a update of my old survivor guide I wrote 2 years ago.)

[Pictish20]

Survivor/skills question. So, the "I don't remember anything but my name" survivor, what the heck do they have for skills? Does anyone know?

[xywenx00]

Survivor/skills question. So, the "I don't remember anything but my name" survivor, what the heck do they have for skills? Does anyone know?

So far what I know is, they don't have any medical or engineering skill. They're also rather bad with their guns.

[Pictish20]

So far what I know is, they don't have any medical or engineering skill. They're also rather bad with their guns.

Thanks for the answer. It would be quite interesting if they were randomly assigned skills from one of the other survivor jobs, but need to discover what they know over course of the round, as in "Oh, hey. No screen shake when I shoot. Cool. I... Think I was a Marshal." I would suggest that, I think, but suggestions are closed.

[xywenx00]

Thanks for the answer. It would be quite interesting if they were randomly assigned skills from one of the other survivor jobs, but need to discover what they know over course of the round, as in "Oh, hey. No screen shake when I shoot. Cool. I... Think I was a Marshal." I would suggest that, I think, but suggestions are closed.

You usually spawn in the location or with the clothes of what you were. Also there is a suggestion currently pending if you can add one "skill point" to a skill yourself.

[Te Matei Cego]

Thanks,you really help me

[xywenx00]

I'm glad about that, also, I'll update the guide in the near future due to the great amount of updates. (Good work devs!!!)

[xywenx00]

Has been updated and has integrated some of the changes ingame.

[Dumblike]

I find it rather OK to survive in Ice Colony, just gather up some metal and a shotgun, and isolate yourself at the eastern caves, where xenos don't tend to go that much, cause furhosts are mostly at the western caves. If you find a good spot, you can make 2 layers of cades without much metal, and fend off pretty well, unless the whole hive comes to the slam