Firefall Beginner’s Ultimate Guide

Firefall Beginner’s Ultimate Guide by arrowrl201

This is a guide designed by someone who just started yesterday, FOR someone who just started yesterday =P

Keeping that in mind, this guide is likely incomplete and will expand based on how my knowledge expands with it. However, as this is a beginner’sguide, more advanced information will be outside the scope of this guide. The goal here is breadth, moreso than depth. I’m bound to be missing some important information, which will not only improve me but also improve the guide =P

That being said, let me start this thing (and hope the post is editable and thus scalable for the future).

Introduction
Firefall is best described as an MMOFPS with many RPG elements. It appears to be close to Borderlands in overall gameplay, emphasizing objective-based, team-oriented shooting. The starting tutorial areas perform adequately describing the controls and most gameplay elements (such as movement and the jump pack).

Battleframes (Classes)
There are five (free) battleframes, described best as “classes”, in the game so far. Each has its own abilities and two weapons. As of this writing, there are no melee attacks. You can change class at any time during the game by locating a Battleframe Terminal.

Abilities may be triggered at any time using the 1-4 (plus 5 for calldowns, discussed later) keys. Switching weapons is accomplished by pressing Q. The 4 key activates the Hyper-Kinesis Module, essentially a “limit break”-style ability that can only be triggered when the gauge beneath the ability listings at the bottom is full.

  • Engineer: Engineers construct sentry guns, health/ammo dispensers, and may set up an effective but short-lived shield to protect teammates. Engineers may also replace any of these abilities with a set of claymores. These are directional mines that explode when an enemy is in front of them. Their primary weapon is a stickybomb launcher that launches adhesive bombs that are remote-detonated with the right mouse button. The HKM ability of this battleframe deploys a powerful manned rotary turret that can fire endlessly for its short duration – approximately 20 seconds. Players who are willing to pay some money may purchase the Bastion warframe for additional turrets and other deployables, or the Electronwarframe for faster-acting support abilities.
  • Biotech: A combat medic class, Biotech emphasizes healing and hurting simutaneously. The Triage ability enables the Biotech to perform swift revives and take less damage; the Poison Cloud ability leaves a damaging trail of toxic gas in the battleframe’s wake; the Healing Wave ability not only heals teammates, but knocks back and damages enemies. This suit’s HKM ability is a powerful damage-healing and damage-dealing weapon that can be fired indiscriminately for positive effects on teammates, and negative effects on enemies. The primary weapon of this class is a syringe gun that fires quickly but has low damage. The right mouse button triggers a shotgun-style attack effective at medium and close range. Players wishing to emphasize offence may purchase the Recluse frame, or players wishing to emphasize support and healing may purchase the Dragonflyframe.
  • Assault: An all-purpose combat class, Assault is equal parts mobility and firepower. The afterburner ability supercharges the frame’s speed, allowing for swift transit across a battlefield, while the Overcharge ability enhances the suit’s offensive power for a short time. The Crater ability is a combination of the two, allowing the frame to plummet to earth and, with a mighty slam, annihilate surrounding enemies. The HKM ability triggers a massive shockwave that damages enemies. The suit’s primary weapon is an area of effect plasma weapon that can double as a wide-choke shotgun. Similar frames include the Tigerclaw frame with its direct-fire damage and high mobility, and the Firecat with area of effect and damage over time abilities with an incendiary flavour.
  • Dreadnaught: (alternative spelling: Dreadnought) This class is, for all intents and purposes, the Heavy from Team Fortress 2. With lots of HP, a relatively slow pace, and a massive minigun, the Dreadnought’s firepower is tough to match. The minigun takes a short while to spin up, but once it gets going, only long distance targets are safe from it. To aid in getting close, its secondary fire produces a frontal shield. Its other abilities include Explosive Rounds, which has the minigun deal area of effect damage; the Heavy Armour ability, which supercharges the Dreadnought’s resilience; and the Repulsor Blast, which knocks back surrounding enemies. The HKM ability of this frame grants the user a powerful mortar launcher that can annihilate all but the most hardened of targets. Players willing to spend a little money may buy the Rhino frame for additional firepower, or the Mammoth for defensive-style play.
  • Recon: This frame excels at medium and long distance combat. The Recon’s Decoy is a powerful misdirection ability that cloaks the user and produces a false image that, after a short time, explodes, dealing damage to surrounding enemies. The SIN Beacon ability enables the Recon to mark targets for friendlies, allowing them to see them easier and deal more damage. The Cryo Grenade ability freezes enemies caught in the blast of the grenade, dealing damage and slowing them down. This class’s HKM is a powerful artillery strike on a given position.

Notable Locations
Once you’ve left the tutorial area, you will be introduced to the first town, Copacabana. The first thing the tutorial will show you to is the SIN Tower, which reveals the map and points of interest. On your way to the tower, make note of the console which gives the name of the town (Copacabana) and a level between 1 and 3. The level of the town can be improved by giving the console Crystite Resonators, but only for a short duration. As such, ignore this panel until you have a good team willing to improve the town all at once, or you are up to your head with Crystite Resonators.

Other locations to note include the Battleframe Terminal, a short, stubby machine that enables you to change classes; the Battleframe Garage, a larger multi-armed machine that allows you to change your loadout and upgrade your class; and the Molecular Printer, which is where players go to craft their items.

Items and Crafting
Firefall is unique in that loot is dropped merely as components, not finished weapons. Although it is possible to simply run around and kill enemies to acquire loot, the most efficient way is by use of the thumper. The first step is to press C to access your call-down menu, and then use the mouse wheel and left mouse button to select the Resource Gathering category. Select the Scan Hammer, find an open spot, and press 5 to use the hammer. This produces a large shockwave which tells you of any valuable materials, if any, and Sifted Earth, which is just junk.

After prospecting for a good site, use the same method used to select the Scan Hammer to select the Thumper instead (the Thumper Calldown Beacon used in the tutorial seems to operate differently than the standard fare). Once deployed, the Thumper will begin extracting resources until it’s full. Until then, however, it will be under attack by the local wildlife. Players must defend the Thumper until it’s finished, then walk up to it and press E to send it home with the resources. It may be sent home prematurely if it’s about to be destroyed, but this is obviously not ideal.

The items acquired may then be taken back to the Molecular Printer. Selecting the Refining Processes category and then any of the Raw Resource Refining options will enable you to take those raw materials and turn them into something usable. Be sure to press the Manufacture option to begin production, not the Refine button at the bottom right.

Exploring the Molecular Printer’s options shows a few upgrades, but the best way to find something you like is to find a finished product (for example, Battleframe Equipment/Engineer/Accord Engineer/Claymore/Claymore I) and then selecting one of the pieces necessary for production at the bottom (Claymore Payload I Damage or Explosive Arming System I Recharge) and then select Create New Component when the popup window appears. This will take you to the recipe required to produce that item, and saves considerable time searching for the recipe normally.

Improving your Battleframe
Improving your Battleframe can be accomplished at the Battleframe Garage. The three categories shown at the left of the screen must be improved in order to use more advanced equipment. The Mass category improves mobility; the Energy category improves damage dealt (or rather, ensures you don’t suffer a damage penalty); the CPU category improves the number of cores that your frame has, as each piece of newly manufactured equipment requires some of these.

World Events
Pressing M and then zooming out will enable you to see the world as it is, and the purple icons indicate events you can participate in. Most of the time, it’s a squad using a thumper for some resources (if you aid them, you will obtain some of the haul). Other times, however, it’s a Crashed LGV mission, an ARES mission, Crashed Thumper event, or an enemy invasion. Participating in the former three yields Crystite Resonators, necessary for upgrading towns (as mentioned previously).

Exploring & Transport
Once you’ve explored the Copacabana area, you’ll likely want to strike out further and find out what’s really out there. The options for some vehicles are unfortunately quite limited (it is possible to craft a vehicle, but the items required must be purchased at a town when it is at level 3 from a crafting materials vendor. It is rare that other towns get upgraded, unfortunately), but the fastest method that isn’t driving or walking is gliding. This method of transport is restricted to finding specially identified glider pads, which will fling you into the air and then open your glider. Controlling the glider is pretty straightforward, but attempting to go too far will result in lost altitude and thus lost distance.

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