Session 2 - 1/21/10 - 6:30PM to 8:30PM

In case anybody is interested, I'm using Fraps (http://www.fraps.com/) to take in-game screenshots.

The screenshot archive can be found at:
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~pastorek/RFG/Session 2/

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The game started me out at a safehouse even though I saved while somewhere random. This is probably to make sure I start in a safe area.

Missions I've already completed show up as slightly darker icons. This is a useful feature telling me what I've already completed so I can bypass those missions.

It appears damage is a persistent component in the game. A wall I destroyed two days ago is still destroyed.
In a move that both tested the arc welder on an enemy target as well as gave me an EDF transport with a roof gun, I learned about the arc welder's ability to neutralize occupants in a vehicle.
My EDF transport can't carry more than two people so I have to ditch it. In a move not to dissimilar to Grand Theft Auto, I ran towards a truck and stopped in front of it to block its path. The driver stopped and when I pushed the "enter vehicle" key he got out and said "You didn't get this from me, right?"
Since I completed 5 guerrilla actions I unlocked "Proximity Mines." I don't think they'll be useful to me since I prefer to use weapons that give immediate results rather than set traps.

On my way to what looks like a large EDF-controlled structure (three blue hexagons on the map) I found another demolition mission. This one had me shoot rockets at comm towers from a distance. The rockets' trajectories varied slightly with each firing, but I was able to complete the mission the first time. Again I didn't get the "Pro" time but I think I'd have to practice to get it and that sounds boring.
Back to the EDF base behind me. Instead of assaulting the structure from the (obviously) guarded front gate I decided to go around to the side. In an attempt to kill a soldier I destroyed a supply crate. EDF supply crates must be scattered all over the place and I get salvage for destroying them. Ring the bell, get some meat.....
I was ambushed so I ran back towards the exit with my tail between my legs (and a fraction of my health). In a convenient fashion, an EDF transport showed up next to me and the lone occupant stepped out so I could kill him. An armored car will be useful.

One of the towers cut through the middle of the building as it fell. Awesome!
I guess the flashing red alert status and warning siren are ways of letting me know that the EDF isn't too happy right now.

As I was leaving two APCs full of EDF soldiers appeared. I used the garage on my left to provide cover as I electrocuted the occupants of the APC on my right. Instead of trying to fight off the soldiers I'll make a quick getaway in the APC. I feel kind of bad for the guerrillas I left behind but there's nothing I can do.
The Parker safehouse is pretty close to, and easily accessible from, the main road. I'm surprised the EDF hasn't found and raided it.

I can buy three arc welder upgrades. One increases the amount of ammo I can carry, the second adds another arc of lighting, and the third modifies the beam to only target enemies. I didn't know I could kill friendlies with the arc welder, but I never fired it when they were in my line of sight. In any case I don't have enough salvage to buy any of the upgrades so I'll have to wait.
Another story mission is open. It's the only mission available so I don't have a choice. I'm supposed to escort a convoy of Red Faction vehicles from Parker (the sector I'm in) to Dust (the sector to the east) by destroying comm towers along the way. I'm not exactly sure what this entails but the quickest way I can think of to destroy the towers is to run into them with a vehicle. The debriefing told me to expect heavy resistance so that further promotes the hit-n-run idea.
As expected everything in the world wanted me dead. I finished the mission but with half of my vehicle's health left and had to play bumper cars a few times. I unlocked a rocket launcher and level 1 armor. Both sound very useful.
The next story mission is in Dust and involves me protecting protesters from being violently killed. I found a single-person ATV so I'll drive that to the rally. My brilliant entry involved me crashing into the closest EDF transport, abandoning the ATV, and taking over the mounted gun of the transport. That strategy worked until something exploded and I was thrown from the vehicle. I helped kill the remaining soldiers and now I'm supposed to destroy some loudspeaker towers to prevent more miners from being "brought to slaughter." I just realized that I never bought the armor upgrade.

En route to the nearest speaker tower I ran over a hydrogen tank that nearly destroyed my car. Since it was quick and light I didn't expect it to have much armor. My machine gun ran out of ammo again. One of the game's mechanics includes the ability to swap my current weapon with one I find on the ground, so I swapped the empty machine gun for a pistol. With 21 bullets.
Running around while bullets whiz past my head isn't a smart idea. Time to steal a truck. I crashed the truck through the shed under the speaker tower and ended up on my side on the level below. Apparently I can flip vehicles over by pressing "E". Although unrealistic, it's another useful feature.
The towers are destroyed but now I have to chase Captain Gunnarsen, the one who organized the anti-protester attack. I rammed his getaway car before it could leave but he drove around me and took off. The arc welder couldn't electrocute him in time so I had to get back in the truck and chase him. The benefit of driving a light vehicle meant I could catch up easily and when I did I rammed him into a sign on the side of the road. Since the vehicle was trapped between the sign and my truck, the A.I. determined that everyone should get out of the vehicle and I finished him off.
The Dust sector is much larger than the Parker sector. The nearest safehouse is a bit of a drive away, but that'll give me a chance to explore a bit.

My ATV bounced before I started to cross the bridge and when I landed the left side gouged a giant trench on the surface. I really don't know what to say: If an ATV can cause that much damage just by bouncing how can any of these heavy vehicles travel across?
While running over crystals with my EDF transport it was suddenly struck by some kind of energy weapon that knocked it sideways about 6 feet. I saw 3 figures approaching but I couldn't tell who they were while I was running for cover. They definitely weren't EDF. I took one of their weapons to try it out. It's some kind of shotgun with a bayonet on the end.
I checked the Guerrilla Handbook and it turns out I just met a group of Marauders. Mad Max anyone?

Instead of traveling straight to the safehouse I'm going on another hostage rescuing mission. Since I have to take them to a safehouse anyway I figure I'll be killing two EDF soldiers with one stone, so to speak.

Things didn't go according to plan, but I can retry the mission. This definitely coincides with Gee's Psychosocial Moratorium principle and I'll retry the mission with something a little heavier...
I grabbed a heavy dump truck and drove it back to the hostages. Without skipping a beat it passed by the EDF resistance and cut a border along the south side of the building, which was dangerously close to the hostages. I hopped out of the cab, untied both of them, and hopped back in. I should have done this in the first place because both hostages immediately climbed up into the bed, out of harms way, while I backed up over the cliff away from the EDF. I waved as I passed by an EDF roadblock that didn't take into consideration that I wasn't driving on the road.

Abandoned, derelict vehicles line the entrance to this safehouse. This looks inviting.

I only had enough salvage to buy the level 1 armor and the arc welder's ability to distinguish friend from foe. I'll go smash up those abandoned vehicles along the entrance for some extra salvage.

I started with 8 salvage end ended with 49. Not sure if it was worth the effort but it was free salvage so I won't complain. The vehicle I'm driving is a regular truck with two machine guns mounted on the hood. There's no manual gunning mode. As I was traveling towards the wind farm I was informed that an EDF courier was carrying some information the Red Faction wanted. This'll give me a chance to try out the machine guns.
I stepped out to zap an EDF transport passing by because I thought it was the courier but it wasn't. Oops.

The courier randomly disappeared. On the plus side the level 1 armor tripled my health bar. I'm supposed to destroy the wind turbines here anyway so I'll do that now. The EDF's weapons have become more powerful. They're using shotguns instead of machine guns. I'll have to be more careful with direct encounters.

This wind farm really heated up. Being outside of a vehicle for more than a few seconds is nearly lethal.

Oh %@$#. They brought in a tank. I wonder if I could steal it........
YES, YES I CAN. The arc welder is a most useful tool.
I've destroyed everything I can here. Time to head back to the safehouse before I lose the tank. The primary firing mode (left click) is a really powerful energy ball and the secondary firing mode (right click) is a machine gun. Why would I ever use the machine gun when I could do area-of-effect damage with the main cannon?

I don't know if I can save or repair the tank. I haven't been given the chance to do this with other vehicles so I don't think I can. That's too bad, but at the same time it'd be waaaaaaaay too easy to beat the game if I had a tank all the time. While I have it I'll try demolishing as many EDF structures as I can. It's at almost half armor so I'll have to ditch it if the going gets tough.

Hey guys, this tank is stolen. Are you going to do anything? Guys? :(
Ambushed by more marauders. How does it feel to be killed by one of your own weapons?

Another courier is nearby. I accidentally drove off the ledge of the pit mine and nearly landed on top of the truck. One shot completely obliterated any trace of it and left a box on the ground. Now I have to lose my alert status somehow, most likely by heading to a safehouse. With the tank that drives at a snail's pace I'll be sure to get there quickly.

I destroyed an EDF airpad but at the cost of nearly all of the tank's armor.
I'm abandoning it. I'll take one of the EDF transports attacking me as my replacement. Goodbye tank!

I'm trying to destroy the last smokestack before I head back to the safehouse but I think I'll collect my victories and leave while I still can. I still have to bring the alert level to green to complete the courier mission.
The courier mission unlocked a personnel detector. I still can't afford any of the arc welder upgrades or the rocket launcher, so I'll use 250 salvage to get the detector and another remote mine slot.

All this ATV needs is mounted guns, a few skulls, and some spikes. I wonder if I can get some from the Marauders?