From Other Suns: Free Weekend, and Beyond

[Zenbane]

I have yet to purchase From Other Suns, but it has remained at the top of my list.

The last free weekend I enjoyed was Archangel - which I ended up buying and beating. I am really excited to see From Other Suns added to the Free Weekend list. As someone who has been using the Rift since its release in 2016, I have to say that it is very impressive that Facebook-Oculus have continued to provide high-end VR experiences "for free." Whether it be permanently free, or just free for a few days... a really great way to reward those who are spending money on high-end VR.

Anyway... is anyone interested in getting some multiplayer action going over the Free Weekend?

EDIT #1:
The Free Weekend ended, but several members of the community have since purchased the game. Feel free to use this thread to discuss tactics and coordinate Multiplayer gatherings.

EDIT #2:
Adding a Tips & Tricks section for those trying to get back to Earth successfully.

Achievements
https://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/7e3qbw/from_other_suns_achievement_rewards/


General Tips

1. Have a plan, and upgrade accordingly.
   
2. Don't rush; strategize each attack and take breaks as needed.
3. If you don't plan to upgrade your ship's combat ability, then keep lots of money on-hand for pay-offs.
4. Hacking is the key to resource management, and resource are crucial to getting back to Earth. Do as many "Droid" missions as you can, because they have the higher chance of droping Hacker Modules, which can range from Level 1 to Level 5. The closer you get to Earth, the higher level requirement for Hacker Modules. But it's worth it!
   

Ship Survival Tips

1. Get your shields up to level 3 as a minimum. When you are attacked by strong pirates, level 3+ Shields gives you time to lock on to their ship, Teleport in, and kill everyone before they blow you up.
2. Don't pick a fight unless you know you can win, or you have no other choice (some pirates just attack by default).
3. With the default Skimmer, it may be best to avoid ship fighting altogether. Just focus on your shields for survivability. Once you get back to Earth, you get a new ship that is a beast in combat. For your Skimmer, just upgrade: Shields (3+); Engine (level 2); Hull (Level 2 or 3)
4. Keep your crew at max even in single player. Having a full crew lets your ship work slightly above ability (110% ship attributes), and AI Crew members are great in combat in the event that pirates (or even an Alien) board your ship. Also, this gives you infinite lives should you die in combat (you respawn as a Crew member).

Personal Combat Tips

1. Upgrade your ships Medical Bay to Level 5, this is the max. It gives your entire Crew more than double Health. This is invaluable for the later missions where the Robot enemies come in 3's, all highly armored and weaponized.
2. When entering an enemy ship, activate their Teleporting asap. This lets you port back to your ship to heal, get supplies, etc. Although be careful, enemies can follow you over (an Alien boarded my ship once using this method).
3. Play standing during combat, since you can do full body movements to avoid getting shot: Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive, and Dodge.
4. Practice accessing your inventory during combat effectively. Being able to use a healing Stim Pack in 1-2 seconds is a winning tact.
5. Be careful with the single shot Plasma guns, they can blow you up too when in close proximity. They are great for long-range combat and hitting enemies who are behind cover. For all other combat, lean towards the Plasma Homing shots (no splash damage but better accuracy).
6. Beam Weapons become invaluable during the mid- and late-game. They do less base damage than heavier weapons, but their damage is a constant stream. The beam makes aiming easier... and always aim for the head. Even the strongest of enemies can go down in 1 or 2 beam blasts.

Boss Battle Tips

1. When fighting a Pirate Lord, rush him quickly to avoid dealing with too many spawning support enemies. These bosses are quite easy in single player, but get harder the more people who join your campaign. Go for head shots to end them fast and stop the enemy spawns.
2. The Titan. This is my least favorite boss, and I often skip this fight. But if you must... he is indestructible and you can only kill him by firing at his exhausts "when they open." You will spend a lot of time hiding behind cover and trying to trick his guns in to opening the exhausts. It can be a daunting task in single player, but may be much easier in multiplayer (one person plays bait while the other hits those exhausts).
3. The escaping Pirate Ship. In this battle, you must destroy a ship before the pirates escape. There are about 5 glowing energy nodes on the ship. You must shoot each one until they explode. At least 3 of these nodes are on the side of the ship, and 2 are on the top. This is a timed battle so use your map and focus more on the nodes and less on the spawning pirates. Using the Rules of Dodgeball are key to avoiding bullets while shooting nodes.
4. All other bosses: There are several other boss battles that won't be individually covered here. They each have their patterns, however, the best thing to do is run in-and-out of the "boss room" to regroup as needed. Many boss battles let you escape the room to safety, and the escape area can often be used as a great strategic point for winning.
   

[Zenbane]

Okay, give me about 20 minutes to eat lunch! lol

[Zenbane]

I can't see a way to invite others to the game, nor do I see any list of public games.

I'm am doing something durp?

[Zenbane]

That was a great session. I had no idea what to do at first but thanks to some guidance I finally started to get the hang of it.

This game has a very nice addiction factor. I will definitely be picking it up after the free weekend.

Thanks for joining, @nalex66 - let's try to sync up again tonight if possible.

You lookin good with a shield bro

[nalex66]

Yeah, that was fun! No idea what was wrong with the in-game voice audio, but at least Oculus Party was there as a backup.

Anyway, I'm going to have dinner and (finally) watch the new Blade Runner movie (picked up the Blu-ray earlier this week). I'll probably get back on in around 3-4 hours.

[Zenbane]

It's about 6:30pm my time, I'll check back at 10:30pm.

I want to try to keep the game limited to the Friends List this time, instead of open to the public. So we can add any newcomers to voice chat.

Enjoy the Blade Runner movie! If you haven't done it yet, check out the Blade Runner VR experience as soon as you get back.

[nalex66]

Yeah, I’ve been holding off on the Blade Runner VR experience until I’ve seen the movie. Anyway, 10:30 your time/11:30 my time sounds good. 

[Shadowmask72]

Fun tip. You can't really do this solo but when playing with others try being a naughty space captain and attempt to rob everyone of their loot. With coordinated teamwork you can pull it off and escape with your lives...and the loot. However depending on how far into the campaign you are the reward might not be worth the risk.

[KlodsBrik]

Would have loved to try it out but im gonna miss another free week due to work ... Arrgh, but from what I read in here, it´s a must have sometime in the close future.

[BeastyBaiter]

This is a pretty sweet game. Only a few hours play but it's a lot of fun, haven't even tried any sort of multiplayer with it yet.

[Zenbane]

BeastyBaiter said:

This is a pretty sweet game. Only a few hours play but it's a lot of fun, haven't even tried any sort of multiplayer with it yet.

You need to! Multiplayer is where this really shines the most.

My favorite moment yesterday is when I was locked in a Ship-to-Ship battle with some Pirates. I was at the Deck firing lazers and missiles, when suddenly the enemy sent troops in to my ship (they teleported in). Without skipping a beat, Nalex ran out to wtfpwn them all while I continued to take out the enemy ship.

On my screen I'm watching outer space gunfire, yet I can hear blasters and people dying in the rooms behind.

Absolutely epic concepts in this game.

I expected no less from the makers of Chronos and Dead & Buried.