Preview of Marauders: Exoplanetary Tarkov
Cheaters abound in well-known, hard-core extraction shooters like Hunt: Showdown and Escape from Tarkov. To suggest they only sometimes come out of the woodwork would be a grave understatement. These days, they openly promote their trade and products, broadcasting and openly selling cheating software without fear of punishment. Even in basic shooting multiplayer games, when being fragged just reduces stats, cheaters are very frustrating. However, in hard-core games with perishable treasure, they often cause excruciating agony. For the sake of your sanity, if nothing else, it is wise to switch things up every now and then.
As long as the game is new and devoid of fraud, Marauders may be that something. It spent a short time in closed beta before making its way into Steam's early access phase. It's geared for a little less hardboiled readership and has some interesting concepts. The game's difficulty and learning curve are more tolerable, but the repercussions of failure are still severe. For instance, weapon handling is more easier in this instance. Unlike the gun-mod porn in Tarkov, you can only attach a stock and silencer here, and many guns are completely unmoddable. Additionally, the administration of munitions is much simpler: there is only one kind of ammunition for each caliber, reloading is not clip-based, etc.
Dieselpunk Dystopia
Marauders' universe is an oddball, diesel-punk reimagining of the late XX century in which World War I never ended. The Great War gradually destroyed Earth, driving the people who were left to become exo-planetary. As humans colonized the solar system, piracy flourished on the open frontier. You are one of those businesspeople that robs space stations of anything that isn't fastened down, acting like an avaricious corsair.
There are three main sections to the game. First, there's the logistics area, where you may find cooperative partners, accept and complete tasks, create, trade, equip gear, and more. You will enter the second phase, space-transit, as soon as you press the raid button, whether you are playing alone or with a group. You will be transported into one of five (randomly chosen) zones of space, where you will control tiny spacecraft and try to reach the enormous station located in the zone's center. Space combat with other players who are using the same instance is possible at this phase. You may attempt to hijack their spacecraft by breaching them and blasting them. This might be profitable as well as entertaining if they drive a more sophisticated vehicle than the standard, free vessel. When you breach and enter an escape pod, you are essentially leaving your spacecraft behind if you are playing alone. It is highly recommended to gather while using Marauders to fully enjoy the experience.
Tarkov in Space
General Purpose Space Station, Terraformer, Penal Colony, Damaged Capital Ship, Navy Outpost... Tarkov appears in space when Marauders docks at any of the five sites. The arrangement of the stations is not procedurally produced, thus despite their size, everyone will gain from the experience. AI bots are searching the hallways in addition to other players in an attempt to surprise you. This will happen often until you get the hang of things. If you die, all of the equipment you have on hand is lost. Your most valuable tool throughout the cat and mouse station hunt will be your hearing. Since the floor is mostly made of metal, footfall will be the main clue that someone is around. There is not much time to kill, and headshots are particularly lethal.
In contrast to Tarkov, which has several status effects (fractures, serious wounds, etc.), Marauders only suffer from one kind of HP loss. You may use bandages, food, or drink to treat it. Throughout the adventure, each wound reduces your permanent HP, although aspirin may help. Regarding length, each incursion only provides twenty-three minutes of oxygen, thus there isn't much time for tactical firefights or extended camping. Marauders is a smash and grab game made for players who don't have as much time as the typical Tarkov fan.
Reputation, Resources, and Logistics
Marauders penalize carelessness and reward prudence. Everything you own will be irreversibly lost once you pass away. If you have the resources, you may make new equipment or purchase goods from merchants whose inventory rotates every 15 minutes. It is beneficial to conduct a few hundred nude runs in the early hours of the game. In the default spacecraft, you'll be armed with a basic handgun, some ammo, and a utility bag, giving you a fighting chance against bots.After you've killed a few, you may take their belongings, quickly return home, and fix it. or take it apart to use the parts. Numerous useful recipes in this game must be unlocked with money and leveling tokens. Unlocking a few bags need to be your first objective. Having the ability to carry more than one or two rifles back home is beneficial, even while doing naked runs.
Your main source of income, other from selling the treasure, will be daily missions. They bring in a good sum of money, a good reputation, and sometimes cutting-edge equipment. Long-term benefits come from building reputation since each level you reach with a certain faction gives you a discount with that merchant. While leveling up takes some time, some equipment is locked. You will have the option to Prestige when you reach level 40, which will reset your progress but provide you a prestige token. These allow you to purchase enhancements that are permanent, like more room for merchandise, among other things.
Avoid the Enemy
Compared to other games of a similar genre, Marauders is a fun, affordable extraction shooter with a less steep learning curve. Is it going to be sufficient in the medium- to long-term? Yes, but there are other aspects of success than that. Taking proactive measures to prevent cheating and dealing with the issue when it does arise are equally vital. I have to emphasize this again. That's the rule that defines the life and death of online shooters, and Marauders won't be an exception.