Welcome back, Raiders! This is Sulley, and this guide is designed to transform you from a confused newbie into a confident survivor. We'll cover everything from the core gameplay loop to advanced combat and movement tactics. Let's get started!

Part 1: The Core Loop – It's a Scavenger Sim, Not a Deathmatch
The fundamental cycle of ARC Raiders is simple:

Prepare: Gear up at your space base (The Roost).

Deploy: Drop into a hostile surface map for 30-40 minutes.

Scavenge & Survive: Collect resources, avoid or fight enemies, complete objectives.

Extract: Evacuate successfully to bring your loot home.

Upgrade: Use loot to upgrade workstations, craft gear, and advance your skill tree.

⚠️ The #1 Beginner Mistake: Being too aggressive. This is not a "kill-everything" shooter. It's a survival scavenger sim. Unnecessary noise (gunfire, loud running) will:

Alert nearby ARC Raiders Items machines.

Attract other players looking for an easy fight.

Turn a quiet loot run into a chaotic battle for survival.

Golden Rule: Avoid first, fight only when necessary. Survival and successful extraction are your primary goals. Always have a clear objective for each raid (e.g., "find Circuit Boards in the industrial zone").

Part 2: Sound & Stealth – The First Law of Survival
Sound design is critical. Everything you do makes noise that enemies and players can hear.

Go Quiet: Crouch to make footsteps nearly silent and reduce your detection range.

Holster for Speed: Press H to put your weapon away. You'll run faster and jump farther, perfect for escapes or traversing the map safely.

Stealth Glide: Crouch while sprinting downhill to enter a glide. This is quiet and regenerates stamina while moving.

Listen: Use headphones! Learn the audio cues for loot caches, ARC detectors, and enemy movements.

Part 3: Third-Person Mastery – See Them First
Shoulder Swap: Bind this to a comfortable key. Always swap shoulders based on your cover (e.g., peek right from left-side cover). This minimizes your exposure.

Corner Peeking: Use the free camera to look around corners without exposing your body. Spot enemies before they see you.

Light & Vision: The game has a simulated eye adaptation system.

Hiding: Staying in shadows makes you harder to see.

Blinding: Rushing from dark to bright light will briefly impair your vision. Wait for it to adjust before engaging.

Part 4: Loadouts & Gear – Choose Wisely
Deployment Options:

Custom Gear: Bring your best weapons, mods, and consumables. High risk, high reward. You lose it all if you die.

Free Gear: Provides basic equipment for free. Low risk, ideal for practice and learning maps. You only lose what you find during the raid buy ARC Raiders BluePrints.

Shields & Rigs:

Shields: Light (fast, low protection), Medium (balanced), Heavy (slow, high protection). Light or Medium are recommended for beginners.

Rigs (Enhanced Equipment): Determine your carrying capacity, quick slots, and most importantly—your Safe Pocket. Items in the Safe Pocket (blueprints, rare treasures) are kept even if you die.

Weapon & Ammo Strategy:

Light Ammo: Good vs. players at close range. Poor vs. ARC armor.

Medium Ammo: Versatile. Decent against both players and robots.

Heavy Ammo: Excellent vs. ARC armor, can shred player shields. Highly recommended.

Loadout Tip: Carry one heavy weapon (for robots) and one medium weapon (for versatility).

Your Secret Weapon: The Pickaxe:

Not just for mining! It can silently destroy cameras, traps, and small ARC units (like Bubbles and Spiders).

Left-click sweeps, right-click is a powerful overhead chop. Practice it—it's a lifesaver.

Part 5: Progression – Skill Tree & Base Upgrades
Earning XP: Open containers, loot corpses (even empty ones). Always be looting to progress your skill tree.

Early Skill Tree Priority (Action Points):

Marathon Runner: Reduces sprint stamina cost.

Vitality Lungs: Increases max stamina.

These two make map traversal and escaping infinitely easier.

Next, Consider (Survival Tree):

In-Turn Crafting: Craft bandages, shield chargers, etc., on the move. A game-changer.