Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

[Keith]

now if only someone would find the poor girl some pants.

Nah it's cool, she can get in mine.

As for Quiet getting hurt, just keep an eye out for mortars and machine guns. If they start using them, give her backup.

[Loop]

LOL, there are never Mortars or machine guns on my maps... I stole them all.

[Keith]

LOL, there are never Mortars or machine guns on my maps... I stole them all.

They come back. Adaptive A.I. also starts isduing out heavy gear too. The dispatch missions to take out shipments never last long enough.

[GU-11]

"Quiet" does seem sometimes to be almost an "Easy" mode option, which suits me as my stealth approaches always go horribly wrong and wind up in things exploding. "D-Dog" can still have his uses, and Quiet can be hurt, which was something of a surprise to me in a mid-game mission the other day...

D-Horse is sitting in a pasture remembering the glory days when he used to chase tanks with his bestest pal Snake...

Strangely, I usually stay stealthier during side ops missions than main missions. I almost invariably get an alert during main missions, one way or another. Probably due to the damn curve balls the game loves to throws at you--the Huey rescue and Phantom Limbs mission made me wanna tear someone's head off.

As for Quiet, the only issue for me personally, is choosing between Guilty and Sinful Butterfly during missions--it's a shame you can't order supply drops for buddies. I once wandered into the AO (blue circle) for a heavy infantry side op, and her tranq bullets couldn't scratch the paint off those damn helmets. After a while, she got injured to the point of having to be Fulton'ed out. I completed the side op the old fashioned way, by sneaking up and doing CQC chokes on them. Luckily, it was one of the earlier repeatable missions, before they started traveling in groups. I'd have had to waste some GMP on sleeping gass fire support, otherwise.

Can't wait to get a Brennan blueprint in the later missions to unlock her suppressor-equipped tranq rifle. The enemy literally won't know what hit them.

[Loop]

I have found that thew way I was playing caused this most of the time. I was doing way too many side missions and developing my base while neglecting the main missions. The only time I had them come back was after the mission where they reinforce after I extracted the 3 commanders from that village. I notice that the adaptive A.I thing can be tricked?, I was playing in a way where I was sniper happy and killing tons of guys on the free mode during the night missions. they adapted to that by adding night vision goggles body armor and helmets and added snipers to the outposts and bases. I started using my heli for fire support and that was working until they added missiles. Then I changed my tactics completely although I had unlocked a ton of heli upgrades I could not customize it yet. I started hitting them during the day, but was using tactical take downs and stopped killing the soldiers and using the Fulton to capture any of the skilled soldiers. What is weird is I have a ton of stuff I should not have yet like Quiet by accident. My platforms are currently maxed out with 65 soldiers per unit as I went crazy on the base upgrades really early on. I was playing a certain part of the map a lot when they loaded up on heavier gear, but now I went back to the parts you explored early on and they are all wearing the standard tan uniforms which makes it super easy in those areas. I just completed mission 8 the other night and need to complete 9-10, and as I mentioned I accidentally did mission 11 way early during an exploration/kidnapping mission as I needed a ton of warm bodies after dismissing all the troublemakers once the medical deck was unlocked.

[GU-11]

LOL, there are never Mortars or machine guns on my maps... I stole them all.

They come back. Adaptive A.I. also starts isduing out heavy gear too. The dispatch missions to take out shipments never last long enough.

Not just the weapons. Eventually, the comms equipment, radar and power generators also get fixed/replaced.

[Loop]

I think the stuff gets fixed when you activate mainline missions is my theory. I destroy everything including coms, power generators, mobile lighting rigs and the anti air radar. When I travel around all the outposts are dark and all they have is a barrel of fire for lighting most of the time. Currently all of my platform crews are ranking anywhere from 21 - 23, but I think I can level them up faster by playing the main missions and kidnapping higher skilled officers. I did notice when I played the mission where you have to spy and kill/extract the 3 commanders in the village over again it did cause the map to sort of reset.

Edited October 2, 2015 by Loop

[GU-11]

I have found that thew way I was playing caused this most of the time. I was doing way too many side missions and developing my base while neglecting the main missions. The only time I had them come back was after the mission where they reinforce after I extracted the 3 commanders from that village. I notice that the adaptive A.I thing can be tricked?, I was playing in a way where I was sniper happy and killing tons of guys on the free mode during the night missions. they adapted to that by adding night vision goggles body armor and helmets and added snipers to the outposts and bases. I started using my heli for fire support and that was working until they added missiles. Then I changed my tactics completely although I had unlocked a ton of heli upgrades I could not customize it yet. I started hitting them during the day, but was using tactical take downs and stopped killing the soldiers and using the Fulton to capture any of the skilled soldiers. What is weird is I have a ton of stuff I should not have yet like Quiet by accident. My platforms are currently maxed out with 65 soldiers per unit as I went crazy on the base upgrades really early on. I was playing a certain part of the map a lot when they loaded up on heavier gear, but now I went back to the parts you explored early on and they are all wearing the standard tan uniforms which makes it super easy in those areas. I just completed mission 8 the other night and need to complete 9-10, and as I mentioned I accidentally did mission 11 way early during an exploration/kidnapping mission as I needed a ton of warm bodies after dismissing all the troublemakers once the medical deck was unlocked.

Well, if you equip Quiet with Sinful Butterfly, even heavy infantry armor won't be able to stop her bullets--I think the Brennan is the in-game equivalent of the Barrett anti-materiel rifle.

Either way, yeah, changing tactics will eventually ease back some of the enemy's precautionary tactics. I try not to get into a pattern, and vary my infiltration time. I also Fulton every single soldier I incapacitate, even the low-rank ones--I can always sort them out later and dismiss the useless ones. Strangely, those dispatch missions don't seem to do all that much in reducing the number of armor/helmets and whatnot in the battlefield.

I think the stuff get fixed when you activate mainline missions is my theory.

Yeah, I think that's the case, too. I usually "empty" a base of it's equipment, resources and destroy all comms/radar/ power generators in free roam, and it stays that way even after I go back once in a while to do repeatable side ops. But after a main mission, many of the bases have their stuff replenished, comms, electricity, resources and all.

[Keith]

Strangely, I usually stay stealthier during side ops missions than main missions. I almost invariably get an alert during main missions, one way or another. Probably due to the damn curve balls the game loves to throws at you--the Huey rescue and Phantom Limbs mission made me wanna tear someone's head off.

As for Quiet, the only issue for me personally, is choosing between Guilty and Sinful Butterfly during missions--it's a shame you can't order supply drops for buddies. I once wandered into the AO (blue circle) for a heavy infantry side op, and her tranq bullets couldn't scratch the paint off those damn helmets. After a while, she got injured to the point of having to be Fulton'ed out. I completed the side op the old fashioned way, by sneaking up and doing CQC chokes on them. Luckily, it was one of the earlier repeatable missions, before they started traveling in groups. I'd have had to waste some GMP on sleeping gass fire support, otherwise.

Can't wait to get a Brennan blueprint in the later missions to unlock her suppressor-equipped tranq rifle. The enemy literally won't know what hit them.

Actually, you can change Quiet's loadout and costume mid mission. It's in the Supply Drop menu I think.

[dizman]

The only thing that doesn't get rebuilt or replaced in a base is the anti-air radar. I heard some of the soldiers say outposts were going to start getting equipped with tanks since I've been destroying them so much. Unfortunately I have yet to see a single tank just hanging at an outpost, I want my easy money!

[GU-11]

Actually, you can change Quiet's loadout and costume mid mission. It's in the Supply Drop menu I think.

Thanks, I'll try that! I did attempt to do a supply drop for her from the weapons development section, but that method only worked for Venom's weapons.

The only thing that doesn't get rebuilt or replaced in a base is the anti-air radar. I heard some of the soldiers say outposts were going to start getting equipped with tanks since I've been destroying them so much. Unfortunately I have yet to see a single tank just hanging at an outpost, I want my easy money!

Speaking of tanks, how many tanks should I keep? I heard that you'll need a few later in the game, and that there's yet another MB facility to unlock, called Security.

For that matter, how many (if any) weapons and vehicles should I keep? Dispatch missions only take up one or 2 vehicles, and the artillery weapons just seem to be used for decorations at MB. I don't plan on going online for multiplayer, so do I need any of these vehicles, machine guns and stationary anti-air guns?

[dizman]

I usually keep 3 of each vehicle in stock at most times, the rest I just sell off. Sometimes using vehicles on dispatch missions can get them destroyed. The weapons are mostly for easy money, not too useful on FOB missions. The only ones worth anything are the mortars since the ai can get lucky and bomb a poor invader dead on sometimes.

To change buddy equipment go to where you select your buddy option (the same place you tell Quiet to attack or scout an area) while on a mission. One says change buddy equipment.

[Hikuro]

wow holy crap, I knew Ground Zeroes was suppose to be like ungodly short but this was just ludicrously short! I was done in 1 hour. WTF? lol Why did I even bother getting that game?!

[Keith]

wow holy crap, I knew Ground Zeroes was suppose to be like ungodly short but this was just ludicrously short! I was done in 1 hour. WTF? lol Why did I even bother getting that game?!

Because the story is amazing, and you can play the extra missions to earn soldiers that are important help eatly in PP.

[GU-11]

I usually keep 3 of each vehicle in stock at most times, the rest I just sell off. Sometimes using vehicles on dispatch missions can get them destroyed. The weapons are mostly for easy money, not too useful on FOB missions. The only ones worth anything are the mortars since the ai can get lucky and bomb a poor invader dead on sometimes.

To change buddy equipment go to where you select your buddy option (the same place you tell Quiet to attack or scout an area) while on a mission. One says change buddy equipment.

Thanks for the tips! I just sold off all of the machine gun emplacements and and kept a couple dozen or so mortars. Kept only 3 of each vehicle. I basically racked up enough cash for a ton of weapons development and base expansion.

BTW, getting cold feet on Traitors Caravan. I googled for guides beforehand, and it seems to be an absolute b!tch of a mission, especially if you're unfamiliar with the mission AO. I have some options available to me (been grinding side ops and Fultoning higher tier soldiers for R&D) and I have Quiet with her Sinful and Guilty Butterfly, a Brennan sniper rifle and fully-upgraded GROMM-11 launcher for primary weapons, as well as D-walker and the Gatling gun option (I think). I also have the option to develop Stealth Camo PP. I'd sic Quiet on the airport and let her wipe the place clean, but then I started hearing about Skull soldiers, and I've no idea if even her Sinful Butterfly can kill them.

Any advice on how to complete this mission?

Edited October 3, 2015 by GU-11

[Keith]

Sneak in, fulton tanks, walk up to the truck, run away from the skulls (they're dicks and will blow up the truck for an instant game over), run back & fulton the truck after the skulls are clear of it, the get the hell out of there (run away).

Worked for me.

Also, if you haven't found it yet, the change equipment option is in the buddy menu, bottom option.

[GU-11]

Thanks Keith! I'll give it a try.

Can I just hightail it to the airport and do all that before the truck departs, while using Quiet to distract them or something? For that matter, which buddy do you recommend for this mission? I'm a little confused by the different guides I've been reading; I hear that there's a route they'll take (TBH, I f**king hate ambush missions) and that they'll stop midway at a base or something.

[Keith]

Thanks Keith! I'll give it a try.

Can I just hightail it to the airport and do all that before the truck departs, while using Quiet to distract them or something? For that matter, which buddy do you recommend for this mission? I'm a little confused by the different guides I've been reading; I hear that there's a route they'll take (TBH, I f**king hate ambush missions) and that they'll stop midway at a base or something.

They're parked at the airport for a bit, and to be honesr, I only used Quiet once she was available, tranq ftw.

[UN_MARINE]

Head straight for the airport, they always start there and you have plenty of time to do what you need to do. You can also go in with D-walker + gatling gun. As soon as the Skulls appear, lead them away from the truck, and blast away, just don't let them touch you. Although I think a rank 4 or 5 rocket launcher is the fastest way to deal with them. Oh, and make sure to fulton them immediately after they go into a "coma".

[Shadow]

I did it pretty much the same way but fulton'd the truck first, then the tanks. Called D-Horse and got the hell out of there.

Something I didn't come to realize till I finished the game.

Regarding the odd gun and vehicle names. I felt it corresponded to the whole phantom theme. As you are a phantom of Big Boss, the guns and vehicles were intentionally made into phantom's of their real-life counterparts. Either that or Konami become self-conscious about advertising real guns in it's game and said no. But to the phantom weaponry example. T177 = T-72 tank, UN ARC = FN FAL, etc.

[Keith]

I did it pretty much the same way but fulton'd the truck first, then the tanks. Called D-Horse and got the hell out of there.

Something I didn't come to realize till I finished the game.

Regarding the odd gun and vehicle names. I felt it corresponded to the whole phantom theme. As you are a phantom of Big Boss, the guns and vehicles were intentionally made into phantom's of their real-life counterparts. Either that or Konami become self-conscious about advertising real guns in it's game and said no. But to the phantom weaponry example. T177 = T-72 tank, UN ARC = FN FAL, etc.

You have to pay licensing when you use the names.

[Shadow]

You have to pay licensing when you use the names.

That didn't stop them in 4 with the high number of licensed weapons in it.

[Keith]

That didn't stop them in 4 with the high number of licensed weapons in it.

It did stop them this time though.

[GU-11]

They're parked at the airport for a bit, and to be honesr, I only used Quiet once she was available, tranq ftw.

Head straight for the airport, they always start there and you have plenty of time to do what you need to do. You can also go in with D-walker + gatling gun. As soon as the Skulls appear, lead them away from the truck, and blast away, just don't let them touch you. Although I think a rank 4 or 5 rocket launcher is the fastest way to deal with them. Oh, and make sure to fulton them immediately after they go into a "coma".

Many thanks for the tips, guys! LOL, I chickened out in the last minute and decided to do a free-roam infiltration of the airport to familiarize myself with the place, and looted the blueprint beforehand (one less thing to have to do). Can I just Fulton the truck the moment the cutscene with the Skull soldiers appearing finishes and just run away via D-Horse?

I was thinking, can I actually use the D-walker's F-Ballista to Fulton the truck and hightail it from the airport? I'm only about 2 levels short in R&D and Support before I can develop it.

@UN_MARINE: You can actually Fulton skull soldiers?

Sorry if I sound like I'm seriously pussying out here (kinda am, though ), but everyone seems to say that this mission is harder than anything they've faced so far, and I want to avoid rage-quitting on an otherwise excellent game.

Edited October 4, 2015 by GU-11

[Keith]

Don't think you can harvest skulls before the end of chapter 1. And yeah, you can try to fulton the truck immediately, but the skulls will probably blow it up.

[UN_MARINE]

As long as the mission allows you to eliminate Skulls, you can Fulton them. But only for a brief period - they either get up & disappear, or dissolve into goo.

Edit:

Forgot to mention: You may need a rank 4 or better Fulton for it to work. I was pretty far into the game when I found out it was possible.

Edited October 4, 2015 by UN_MARINE

[Shadow]

When the Skulls appear, just go up to the truck. It'll start a reflex mode once the Skulls see you but they'll disappear for a moment, giving you time to Fulton the truck. I also would employ C4 in certain spots and lure the Skulls to that location to detonate.

[dizman]

When I went back to S rank the mission I ran into the airport, fultoned the truck and ran away on D-Horse. It's a pretty easy mission if you don't stop moving. You can also use the apc that is sitting around if you are worried about skulls. The ballista probably would work if you don't want to get close.

[F-ZeroOne]

Careful if you get the truck - hang on, I'm British! I mean, lorry - in the line of their fire, as they can shred it pretty quickly.

Also, er, don't put mines on the road thinking that'll be a good way to stop the tanks and then watch in horror as the the armoured stuff drives past them but the lorry doesn't...

[GU-11]

Many thanks for the advice, all!

I just watched a youtube S-Rank guide using the method that dizman mentioned, and I noticed something. When fully upgraded, the Fulton system almost immediately yanks the truck up, giving no time for the skull soldiers to shoot at it. They also seem to disappear for a few seconds after the Reflex trigger, for some reason.

I think the thing that make Fultoning the truck work is to fully upgrade it so that it gets yanked into the air almost immediately, and take advantage of the few seconds where the skull soldiers disappear to escape with D-Horse. I'll try that first, and if it proves difficult, I'll do what I always do with difficult games; grind levels (or A+ soldiers, in this case) and try to get my R&D and Support levels high enough to develop the F-Ballista. I'm only about 1 or 2 levels short anyway, and Quiet makes "farming soldiers" a cakewalk; just have her scout a base and select "cover me". At most, I sneak up on a sniper or two beforehand and take them out in case they shoot back at her.

Either way, it's such a dick move for the game to keep throwing curve balls at you. Some like the challenge, but I hate being unprepared for a mission. Barely made it through Hellbound.

[Keith]

It's really not that bad, none of the missions are.

[GU-11]

You're right. I mean, even in some of the harder missions, I still managed to pull through without using guides. I guess I have a habit of letting posted comments on the gamefaqs threads get to me--I haven't even played the mission yet, and already it seems super-hard, after hearing some saying that they rage-quitted after trying countless times. I keep forgetting that hyperbole and exaggeration is part and parcel of the gamefaqs forum.

Edited October 5, 2015 by GU-11

[GU-11]

Wow, I'm feeling like kicking myself right now. After all the horror stories I read about at gamefaqs on how rage-inducing the mission was, I followed the "Fulton truck and escape with D-Horse" method, and completed it in a matter of minutes with an S rank. Either way, thanks again to everyone for the advice! Glad it's done with, and on to the next mission.

Edited October 5, 2015 by GU-11

[F-ZeroOne]

If all else fails, just shoot everything. I like a stealth game that lets you do that.

[Shadow]

That's what I like about V. The game doesn't really punish you for killing someone. There are obvious advantages to tranqing enemy soldiers but in rare instances, I like being able to freely go lethal without my rank being hurt as in previous games.