General strategies for Jack Sparrow (J3+)

[wolfreal]

Hello

Now that we have the new version, and the mod had an incredible development, I want to start a thread about the main strategies, ideas, tactics, tips, etc, for surviving the Jack Sparrow difficulty. For example:

- I think there are some technologies that are a must to rush. Chateau, Workshop (even when you can only have one), chainmail (To reduce low level enemies risk drastically, and start the slave empire), bikini (For melee with not so trained gals), gravity harness (hunting and most zombies should become easier), long range radar (to start making interception bases), and at least the aircar (You need badly those civilians craft in the begging).

- I don't have a good time frame for the second/third base, but I think that by the 8 month, 2 interception bases are needed to milk the civilians air crafts.

- All bases should start with an outpost in the beginning, and peasants / lokknnars mix with maybe one or two experimented gals, to defend those bases on the first building steps. I normally build fist the outpost and a burrow, so I can add auxiliary units too. The inversion to expand is high, and you should consider a crackdown as a reality of life.

- Do not shoot any non - civilian aircraft before the first year, but try to storm all the landed crafts. At least to see what enemies are appearing. Crackdown for shooting faction ships are brutal, and in the first year it is hard to have enough firepower and protection for then.

- All enemies have more armor, more HP, more everything. Explosives and high firepower is a must almost every time. I try to have my troops prepared for the worst, I think hit hard and fast is a must. Run frequently will be necessary. If a weapon does not make at least 30 damage (maybe 40 after the first 6 months), then melee could be a lot better.

- At least in the first 4 - 5 months, almost all missions should be done at night. At those months, most enemies have worse NV than you. And in Jack Sparrow, you need ALL the advantages.

So people, what are your main strategies to survive Jack Sparrow?

[pca]

> - I don't have a good time frame for the second/third base, but I think that by the 8 month, 2 interception bases > are needed to milk the civilians air crafts.

In J3 you can have 8 bases/global radar coverage by that time if you spam plantations, 5-7 per base will pretty much solve all financial problems in the early game. Add the radars later.

[Eddie]

What strategies work best for you depends on your playstyle. I play a more or less capture only style, where most of my early game income is from selling captives. With that playstyle, Jack Sparrow is actually easier for me, because I get more money as there are more enemies.

I have a quite defensive playstyle where I stay in cover most of the time. I then peek out to see if there are any targets that are safe to attack. I found that day missions are actually safer than night missions. In night missions it has happened too often that I did not see an enemy and got shot. In day missions I know where all the enemies are and where they are looking. Day is slower as there is less cover, but less accidents happen.

The weapons I use early game are leather whips, shotguns with rubber bullets and electric lassos, combined with your melee weapons of choice (handle, stun baton, fisty cuffs and martial arts punch). I found the gym suit to be quite useful as it has high energy regeneration and still some inventory space (and martial arts). You can have a shotgun in your hands and an electric lasso on the belt. High mobility allows you to go out of cover, attack and get back in cover in one turn. No need for armor if you can avoid getting hit.
Leather whips can be used as a defensive weapon vs. unarmored enemies. You can reaction fire enemies coming through doors, and the tu drain of the whip will freeze them in place. Very useful to defend against dogs on the ratmen rodeos.

For monster hunts, the barbarian outfit is quite useful before you can get grav harness. With high enough melee skill (120+), the shield variant has enough front dodge that most melee enemies can't hit you. You can have two gals blocking your craft doors and everyone inside is safe. I did werewolf missions that way where I captured every werewolf.