The Cycle: Frontier

The Cycle: Frontier

138 ratings
A Cyclists Guide To Survival
By giggles
Want to start escaping your runs instead of the other way around?

This guide is intended for those who want to survive, and may be having issues doing just that. New players, solo queuers, squad members, or those with bad luck. Whatever your reason....... I can assure you that the contents of this guide will help correct your playstyle to a safer, smarter one. One that leads to more escapes, and inevitably a prosperous outcome for a hard-working prospector such as yourself.
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Welcome To Bright Sands
Look for underlined text, you should pay extra attention to these helpful hints and tricks.
TLDR? Try scrolling through the guide and only reading underlined text.
Scroll through the comments section, many have posted helpful tips there as well!
I hope you also check out the cool .gifs and pictures I've created.

Here is a map of Bright Sands, otherwise you can click on this link from the wiki Bright Sands Map[map.thecyclefrontier.wiki] for an interactive map. You likely won't need to reference either of these, M is how you bring up your map in-game.

Bright Sands is the map you will be spending all of your time on, and where this guide is focused. Use Bright Sands indefinitely, don't waste your time with Crescent Falls and losing gear. You'll know when you're ready to move on.

The Swamp, Water Facility, Science Campus, and Dig Site are all locations for early quests. The Cycle is a relatively new game, which means that you will find many prospectors and few monsters at these locations.


Bright Sands has an encircling electric storm, and sometimes it enters the playing field. A 5 minute warning will appear on your screen, and extraction will be offline during the storm. Seek shelter, get inside, and stay inside! The storm passes eventually. Be weary of others seeking shelter, or those possibly already in the shelter you are sprinting into.

Meteors are another event held on Bright Sands. Occasionally you'll be able to see and hear the meteors crashing down from space. These spawn in the world as ore once they crash, and are mineable. Although extremely valuable, Be careful. Every player on Bright Sands knows where the meteors crashed!
Preparing
Before launching out, make sure you have a helmet, armor, and a backpack. These things, if you have none, are cheap to buy. Make sure you also check your daily supply crate This is where you can get free items such as those listed above every 24 hours. Next, you'll want healing of some sort. Medkits are only one-time-use, which makes a stack of stims ideal for raiding. They are cheap, take up 1 slot in your inventory, and they provide 15 healing each. This will cover your healing needs for possibly multiple runs. Once you level up a bit, you will start finding upgraded stims. Even better.

Next you need a weapon. You usually only want to take one, and leave your second slot open for looting. The Scarab sold by Osiris sits at just under $4,000 and is a cheap burst handgun, and a good weapon if you find your inventory or wallet a bit empty. Selling spare items to Osiris will help you gain levels with them, giving you access to the Manticore. It's a bit more expensive at $9,000 but by the time you gain access to it through faction quests, your bank account should be a bit thicker. I won't go through every weapon here, but most of your early game weapons will be found during your raids. Although guns are always available for purchase, gather and use weapons and attachments that you find mid-raid. Visit this full Weapons Page[thecyclefrontier.fandom.com] for a list of weapons right off of The Cycle Wiki.

Lastly, don't forget ammo! If you shift+left click an item, you'll be able to split the stack. If you go on many runs and loot those runs, you will likely find the type of ammo you need. Splitting your stacks before deploying can completely get rid of ammo costs.


Here is an example of one possible cheaper loadout. Basic armor, a weapon, some ammo, a bit of healing, and lots of room for loot.

Standard insurance is cheap and good for items you'll be regularly using. The cost of insuring the item varies with each item, and it will pay out, in the event of your death, around 3x the cost of the insurance. Just take a loot at what @SharpeHollis had to say in the comments.
Spawning
As you drop in from the sky and make your landing, you'll see the name of the place you're dropping into appear on your screen. Take notice of this and start making a plan. Understand that you've just been dropped into an ongoing world. The server doesn't start when you drop in, there are already other prospectors mid-raid, looting and killing. Prospectors will also drop in during your run, watch for these drop pods. Speaking of drop pods, there is the possibility that others have seen your drop pod falling, and already know where you are.

As you are still falling from the sky, you'll notice you can't access your map. Press G to check your objectives, and then you'll be able to use M for your map. As you examine your map, take note of where you are, which direction you're facing, where your extracts are, and any locations you may want to visit on the way.

While viewing the map, try to vision a semi-straight line from where you are to your extraction. Be sure to include any locations you're interested in this planned route. Remember that if you're too far away from a certain place you need to go, you can always get it on another run. The more area you have to cover, the less chance you have of surviving. Once you have enough information, make a rough plan and initiate that plan. This entire process should take less than ~15 seconds. Eventually it will only take you ~3 seconds.

Sometimes you will spawn near your extract. You may find a satisfactory amount of loot nearby and quickly extract, you can simply drop off the loot and deploy again. Another option would be to venture out to a location, and loop back to your extraction. Be careful of how far you go away from the extraction, you'll have to make that same trek back with full backpacks.

Close your map and begin sprinting. You want to get away from your drop pod fast, as others may already be en route. Nearby players surely are aware of your drop, and may be expecting you to to arrive at the location they are at. For this reason, after dropping always be extra careful at your first location. Camping isn't so common, players generally won't spawn at a spawn point if others are within a certain vicinity. Some spawns however that are camped are beach spawns, and spawns located in canyons with only one entrance or exit.

SPOILER: I ended up taking the path I marked out with the color blue. I didn't find any compound sheets or Striders, but for a 6 minute run I was satisfied with a ~$3000 inventory value.
Travelling
Get ready y'all because this section is huge, and for good reason. Travelling is the most important part of The Cycle. Travelling is everything, and you have to travel to do anything. Even looting. without travelling, its just.. pressing F. Regardless, running around beautiful Bright Sands isn't all its prepped up to be. There are deadly monsters, inhumane players, and barely any loot. But geez is it addicting. One way to feed that addiction is to survive your extracts.

Leaning to the left and right, or moving to the left and right are global Battle Royale signs of peace. There is no leaning in The Cycle, and almost all prospectors are trained to fire upon sight. That being said, T is voice chat, and this works much better. Set it up to a spare mouse button or left CTRL, something where you can still move and shoot while you talk. You can talk your way out of being killed 80% of the time. Once the player can either relate to you, or becomes afraid of losing their loot, they will typically go on their way. But not always. There are those who only want blood.

Trust no one! Even your teammates will accidentally shoot you from time to time. It will also happen many times where you make "peace" with a player, and end up getting killed by them. I've looted entire locations with someone, only to be killed afterwards. If you are lucky enough to make peace with someone, take advantage of this in the best possible way: run away. Avoid being near them and don't let them aim at you for too long. All it takes is one second of thought, and they won't hesitate to pull that trigger. Escape with your life, even if it means you give them that location. Remember, survival above everything.

The rule of thumb when coming across fields or open areas is to pretend a sniper is always watching every field. Run in a zig-zag pattern and don't stop if you HAVE to cross one, but really try to avoid them. Even following the tree line will increase your chances of survival ten-fold. Open areas that contain monsters can be a death sentence. Your choices are either initiate a monster battle in the middle of this open area, walk slow around them and risk being seen by players, or sprint past them, and now you're running through a field with the whole litter in hot pursuit behind you. (As a side note here, consider using your knife)

Stamina regen is extremely important, especially when you are travelling long distances. Plan these stops so that you will be in cover and away from danger when you stop. If you are near danger when you stop, maybe don't stop. If you aren't under immediate fire, simply walk in the opposite direction until you have enough stamina that you can get away. Put objects between you and your attacker. Cliff breaks and bush breaks help you learn to listen and take in your surroundings. Bush breaks are also great times to check your map or inventory.

While sprinting, be aware of your stamina and when it gets to about half/a quarter. This is when you should start looking for a place to regen stamina. It can be a dark nook, a bush, next to an object, or in a dip in the ground. If you stand still, stamina will regen much faster than if you were to continue walking. Sometimes you will be sprinting from a fight, and run directly into a new fight.. But this time with zero stamina. Periodically glance at your stamina and make sure it's in good standing. Remember to keep your ears open while you are sprinting, be alert for those little sounds which could, and most likely will, save your life.

When running around on beautiful Bright Sands, you should be checking the map often by pressing M. You can even check the map while sprinting. Go on, I'm serious give it a try! It will show where you are, your orientation, any teammates, and your 2 exits. Plan out your stops, and go around areas that you don't need to be in. If you sense trouble or hear gunshots, move in another direction or give up on the location completely. You always can come back to the location on another run. Survival above all.


The monorail system is a "fun" means of travel. By fun, I mean both safe and dangerous. Both boring and exciting. If a rail leads directly from where you are and to the place you need to go, consider hopping on. Keep in mind that the longer you spend on it, the more likely you are to be either seen or heard. You are above the monsters and any barriers, but also can be easily seen by any other prospectors. If you are approaching your location and don't HAVE to be on the rail anymore, thank the rail for its time and part ways.


A different, more subtle version of the monorail system is the river system. Take the rivers when they lead you to your next destination. Yes you splash a bit when running in them, but they avoid both challenging cliffs and dangerous structures. Waterfalls also contain Veltecite. You'll find Nickel veins near water as well. Brightcaps and Waterweed Filaments also spawn near water. All of these resources are good for early level quests, so take the rivers. I take the rivers all the time and I have only come across other players a few times. I want to see more people taking those rivers, they are SO useful!
Arriving On Location
When approaching your destination, you'll want to approach with caution. Look as you approach, expect another prospector to pop up at any time. Remember at any location there could be loot, monsters, other players, or any combination of the three there.

Loot attracts players, and monsters can easily kill you. Monsters also attract players, so stop sprinting when you are close to a destination. Regain your stamina in a bush or along a structure, and crouch-walk. Listen. Players can be heard both killing monsters and looting. Listen for footsteps, grunting, looting, gunfire. Listen for anything. Listen for players, listen for monsters, and try to decipher what it is as quickly as possible so you can take the appropriate action. Did you just run up on someone who was looting? Did they hear you, and are now waiting for you? Is someone looting and hasn't heard you? Is nobody there? Are there 3 people there? Is someone running up behind you? These are all things to take into consideration when approaching an area.

Take it slow at first until you are confident that the immediate area is clear. Obviously you can't see through walls, so be cautious as you come around corners or over hills. If someone was there and heard you, they probably stopped to hide and listen to what you do next. And you better bet your bottom dollar that they have their gun aimed at where they think you are. If you ever have bad vibes or thought you heard someone, you can always run away and keep your life. Take a second to think before you move forward into an ambush, you don't always have to go through with a plan.

Just starting off, you need to learn how to constantly look and listen for other prospectors. Look around the area you're in but also look outside of the area, look in dark places, look at where loot spawns, look for silhouettes. Are there monsters upset nearby? Has this place been looted? Take everything into consideration as you analyze an area. Loot will glow every so often, which makes it very easy to see. Many players sprint through areas, miss loot that's in dark places, and get shot when they run up on someone. Be that someone. Let your peripheral vision see the glowing loot, and use your eyes to spot players. Remember, you need to forget about all loot as soon as you see another prospector. Escaping need to be priority number one.

Notice here how I sprint while in the open and quickly get near cover. I combine a mixture of walking, crouch walking, stopping, looting, and sprinting as I make my way through the site. I think I hear something so I stop and listen, realize it's an unimportant noise, and keep moving. Listen and react to the noises you hear. Keep moving as you loot and scout, be quick.
Teamwork
Never do I recommend teaming up with another random. You can easily add people who you have come across in the log after you escape/die. This way, you can join each other in the lobby before launching. Once someone is a friend and you go in as a squad, then you can truly trust them.

You'll notice that when you squad up and go in with others, (up to 3 total) your teammates have a glowing blue outline. This blue outline will dissapear if your friend goes behind an object. In the beta, the blue outline was always visible.The outline will also fade as you get farther away from one another, and eventually won't be visible anymore. tMake sure you stay close and always know generally where your teammates are. Use M to find your teammate. It is easiest to look in their direction while using M, then put your map away and walk straight until you see the outline.

Find strength in numbers. 3 of you shooting at a target vs one of you shooting at a target is a huge difference. This may be a bit hard if you don't have squad mates or.. friends. Own it. I don't have friends sometimes, we're all a little alone, it's okay. You're still here and that's what matters. It's highly recommended.. by me.. to use voice chat with your fellow squad mates. I would stay away from using proximity chat in game though, use a seperate app. Call outs are very important. For example, the moment gunfire goes off near the squad, someone better fess up to it. If none of your squad mates fired and you all relay that, you have a serious situation on your hands that you can address immediately. Instant communication. Don't stray from the group because you will likely die, and they may die trying to avenge you, or even just while getting to your body. Check yourself often and don't put your self or your friends in danger. Remember, survival above all, including your squad mates.


Don't just run with the group and loot every box you see. Leave some for the rest. You also don't want to become the pack mule and lose all your mobility early game. Don't call out everything you grab either, call out things you leave behind and call out things you know your teammates need for quests. Talking about the expensive loot you found is also common, feel free to share this info with squad mates. Often when I die and an ally makes it out, I find comfort knowing that at least someone made it out with something valuable. Help your teammates on their current quests and there's a good chance they'll help you on yours. This gives you 3 eyes looking for what you need, take advantage of this teamwork and pound through quests together.

There is a certain scare factor that comes with a squad of 2, or a group of 3. If I'm alone and a group of 3 comes into my area, you better believe I'm either going to hide or run away as fast as I can.
Listen Closely
Make a decision if you think you heard something. Listening is a HUGE part of The Cycle. I cannot stress that enough. You want an abridged version of this guide? Here it is: Listen. There, done. Only one word. Once you hear something that alerts you, decipher what it was you heard. Figure it out quickly and react accordingly.

If you heard a player sprinting, you should either stop completely or crouch walk. Aim in their direction, and expect to see a player run out. Get ready to fire. They'll typically only hear you in this situation if they were also closely listening, and you were also sprinting. Hopefully not, and you can keep the advantage of surprise all to yourself.

If you heard gunshots, listen to what types of guns you hear, and how many. It could be a player fighting a monster or a player fighting another player, both are very different scenarios. With teams of up to 3, there will be between 1 and 6 players at the location when you hear gunshots. Remember that gunshots will drive away those with lots of loot, and bring in those looking to kill. The more you can listen, the better you can assess your situation and react accordingly.

This game has a lot of noises of things that aren't really there. Some are a part of your surroundings, some are caused by events, some are just random, others originate from players or monsters. Be quick to tell one noise from another, for example footsteps is a sound you should immediately recognize. It could be a monster, which is a bit less important but would still be good to know. All noises are important, but not all need to be reacted to.

For example, a flock of bird-type things taking off from some tall grass directly in front of you and screeching as they speed past your face is nothing to flinch at. But be warned, these red flocks of birds are only spooked by other players. This means that if you set off "the birds", you may want to consider your current plan/route. If you hear nearby birds that were too far to be from you, there is a player nearby!

It will happen a lot where you "Think you heard something", but continue sprinting or looting, then get killed by the noise you heard earlier. Reduce the amount of times this happens by paying attention to these noises. If you think you heard something, you probably did. Depending on your playstyle, you may want to run towards the gunshots or you may choose to run from the gunshots. Since you're here reading this guide based on survival, I suggest running away.
Another Player!

You've spotted another player! How many are there? Have they seen you? Are you in cover? Whats behind you, in case you need to escape? Whats between you and them? Where did they come from? Where do you need to go? If a gun fight broke out right now, could you take them? You can hold Q to access your binoculars and get a closer look.

Consider everything. While you consider everything, also consider using the Don't Shoot emote. F3 will bring up your emote menu. You may have to equip the emote it to your menu first, but it's worth it. Just take a look at what @Celendrin posted in the comments, they are 100% correct!

If you have time, put your most valuable item(s) in your stash, this will make your death much easier to endure. Hopefully you've done this already, and are satisfied with the items in your butt.

Keep moving, but remember to stop and listen if you hear something. Running will save your life a lot, so do it a lot. A high percentage of kills and escapes come from using tactics such as the element of surprise, or simply waiting it out. If hostiles don't know where you are, they may just leave you alone. The trick is to know when to use which strategy.

Remember, just because you have the element of surprise doesn't mean you will win the fight. What situation are you currently in? These are the thoughts that should be entering your mind:
1. Where is the gunfire coming from?
2. How many can I see and hear?
3. Where are my escape paths?
4. With the information I have, do I fight, hide or run?

You should already know your skills and loadout, as well as how much ammo you have left. Do some math, think quickly, and act even quicker. If you are running away, sprint in a zig-zag fashion and put objects between you and the aggressor. If you're hiding, don't move, don't reload, don't look around, just stay quiet. If you're engaging, realize that guns kill people, and by engaging you are asking to be shot by one. If you're standing ground and portraying friendliness, use the Don't Shoot or Hello emotes.

There is no prone The Cycle, can't lay down. In other games, you could be prone in a bush, and others would run right by you or even right through the bush. Be aware of your surroundings and never go afk mid-raid, unless you are in a team and have others that can cover you.

When a fight suddenly begins, you may spray out your entire first magazine, and find that you are both still alive. Your first reload is a good time to find cover, or even throw a grenade. These are common practices throughout video games, especially when surprised by another player.

Protect your body, just as you would in real life. The best defense isn't the most expensive armor, is isn't the best quality helmet. The best defenses are the impenetrable rocks and trees littered around the map, usually in pretty convenient places.


Here, I am in Water Facility passing by one of the entrances. I scan the entrance for players and monsters. I see nothing, and continue forward. I then check the gate again, and right as I'm looking away I see movement. I snap back to the gate to what is my triple-take, and spot two players entering Water Facility. I immediately crouch and try to hide, but they saw me. I am already behind cover, but shooting hasn't begun yet. So I sprint the opposite way and wait for them to come to me.
Here is an enlarged snapshot because Steam only allows 2MB gifs..

SPOILER: My teammate died, but I killed one of those two and escaped.
Monsters
Currently there are 4 monsters you need to worry about on Sandy Shores:

-Marauder (Demogorgon)(Jeff)(waste of ammo)

They usually guard an entrance to something, some loot, or wander around in a specific area like the jungle. When you see them, you are too close. Crouch immediately. Back up, and find another route. They run faster than you, they can spit acid, they detect a huge range, they call all types of monsters to help them, and they pack a mean punch. Nothing is worth the amount of time, ammo, and noise it takes to take one of these down. You'll run out of ammo and stims trying to kill one of these. You may get close to killing it, and run out of ammo or have other players come and finish you as well as the Demogorgon. If you need to get past, distract it or sprint past it. Hopping on a ledge or up on something is your only way out. It will spit at you very fast after realizing they can't reach you.

-Little Red Striders (if they detect you, they call for help)

Sometimes you'll see these critters sleeping. Always try to kill these with knives to avoid making noise. Take out your knife with V, and walk towards it. When you get close, crouch down. If it turns in your direction, it will see you so make sure it has its back to you, its sleeping. You could also charge your swing by holding your attack button, then begin to sprint towards it. You can kill them this way before they sound the alarm. Charged attacks are a one-hit kill on these little creatures. Aim carefully, and you'll be able to take these things out like they're helpless little children.

There are also tougher Silver Striders, which have more health and pack a meaner punch than normal red Striders. If you see one of these, your best course of action is to avoid it.

I demonstrate charged attacks here with 2 of them.


-Glowing Eyed Rattlers (they spit, kick, and call for help)

When one of these spider-type things comes chittering along, you either need to pull out your gun or run. Think, is it worth it? Do I need to kill this or can I go around it? Can I sprint past it and into a building? If you do need to kill one of these, aim for those huge glowing eyes. The spit it will shoot in 1 straight line, so make sure you're moving left to right while shooting, and anticipate that spit when it comes at you. Don't step into it.

Another variation of the Rattler is the Silver Rattler, mainly found in The Jungle. They also are stronger than normal rattlers, and in my experience chase you for a farther distance.

-Ticks (exploding bugs)

Thanks to @Vape God and @legomenleboss for their comments about these creatures. These little red fellas you won't come across too often. They spawn in groups, and wander around in a pretty tight area. They will chase you, and once reaching you, will explode after a few seconds. If you need to kill these, either knife them before they explode or shoot them from a ledge. If they are chasing you, one tactic is to wait until they get to you and are about to explode, then run away at the last second.

You will also find green ticks in the clusters of red ticks. These will leave a flume cloud similar to a gas grenade. Once they explode, stay away and don't immediately return to the area!

Look for a ledge you can jump onto. This is possible even with zero stamina, and monsters can't jump up ledges. They may be able to go around somehow, so be sure to keep moving and keep looking for that next ledge until you are either safe, have gathered enough stamina to keep running, have reloaded a weapon, or they have given up. If you run far enough from where the monsters spawned, they will eventually give up and return to that area.

Here I approach a group of Striders, kill one to complete a quest, then book ass out of there. I want to leave before they attack me, and before any nearby players come by.
Looting
Ahh yes, loot. The main part of the game, right? You may have noticed that there hasn't been much on looting this entire guide, until now. that's because when it comes to surviving, looting is your worst enemy. If you want to get out alive, don't be greedy. If you mined some ore and you are near your extraction, don't be afraid to call for evac. You may only have $800 worth of inventory loot, but look at it from this angle instead: You can secure that ore, and deploy again with more inventory space.

Since this guide is focused on survival, the looting section will be kept short. Looting locations will sometimes include roaming enemies, and will also attract other prospectors. Locations where there is loot are dangerous, always. These main looting locations are all named on your map. You can find items in crates, on the ground, on top of things, etc. Keep an eye out for wall-mounted medical boxes and underneath-the-desk loot. These locations will include medical supplies, cash money, and are often overlooked.

Stashes contain some great loot, if you can find them. They look like barrels and are usually dug into the ground a little bit. The barrel could be buried mostly in the ground, or hiding in plain sight among other similar barrels.
Running Away
Remember, running away is always an option, and running away is usually the best option. Nobody can teleport in The Cycle. If you're being chased, keep running. Your attacker will need the stamina and desire to chase you down, both of which fleet quickly if you are far away from them and sprinting even farther. Unless there is some serious beef or a dirty grudge, the player isn't likely to risk themselves and their gear by sprinting after you.

When under the scopes or escaping from another proespector, it's not always about sprinting real fast.Zig-zagging will save your life many a time. Those shooting at you are only human. Make it more difficult for them by becoming a moving target. You also want to try to put objects between you and your attacker. Run in front of bushes, or down into a culvert, or around a wall. Only go into buildings or areas that you know you can escape, you don't want to trap yourself. It's also important to always be mindful of your stamina.

Prospectors are other people, just like you and me. I know I know, this is the third time I'm stating that other players are humans. Well it's important. Not only to keep our sanity and civil ways as a species, but hear me out: Humans often make mistakes, right? Mistakes such as not checking corners when experiencing the excitement of chasing another player. See where I'm going with this? While being chased there will be these little "windows" where your attacker can't see or hear you, where there is a spot you might be able to hide, and who knows maybe they'll run right past you. Let them run away, and safely escape off in another direction. But you only get one shot at this, if they see you try to hide once, they'll expect it. Hopefully by that time you have regained stamina and can keep sprinting.

On the other hand, if you are chasing someone, remember that they can't just disappear. They will run out of stamina, they will try to hide, and they will fight back if you are chasing them. Very rarely do I recommend chasing another player, this is a deadly and greedy move which rarely ends well.

One aspect of the game that you could use to your advantage is the extract. If you are near an extract, but other prospectors are also nearby, consider calling the evac ship but not hopping on. This maylead to them to taking the ship, in which case you can simply call another. This action will also attract other players, mainly those looking to kill you as you enter the ship. When you use this tactic, regardless of the reason or what you hear afterwards, it's best to continue to hide for minutes after the evac ship leaves. This will make for a nice segway into our next and final section:
Extraction
So, you want to make it out alive and rich, huh? Well it's not as easy as it doesn't sound. The closer you are to your extraction when you fill up on loot, the easier it's going to be. For example, if you spawn and fill up on loot at the first place you see, you have yet to run across the map to your Lyft, overweight and anxious.

Once you finally make it there, don't be too hasty to run up and press Y. Although rather rare, this is the prime place for campers to sit. They know there are desperate players full of precious loot trying to escape. Walk onto the site and listen, stop frequently, be sure to hug walls and sprint only when you have to, which is.. when? Correct, when you are out in the open. You also need to be aware of the drop ship. Others will see it coming and head for your location to either try to take your loot or your Lyft. Has a prospector just left from that location? Then there's a good chance that nobody is left there. Did you hear footsteps? Were there gunshots?

When it finally comes time, hurry up and wait. Find a hiding spot near the landing zone and get there before the ship is approaching. And wait. Don't move, watch and listen for others. Don't be sprinting around looking for loot or jumping on top of boxes. Wait until it arrives. Wait until it lands. Wait until you get the message that says, "The evac ship is about to take off." If you found a good hiding spot that is nearby, you will be close enough to make it in time. The more you play, the more you will know the exact time to head to the extraction based on your location.

Once you're in and depending on how well you timed it, the ship should be close to take-off. You can either find what you deem to be "the safest corner" and crouch there, or constantly jump around and run around inside the ship. Whatever you feel most comfortable doing. But don't ever stay completely still inside of the drop ship, always move randomly and slightly around in case another prospector is lining up a headshot on you. If you do come across another player as you approach the ship, this is where your timing comes into play. Sometimes you can sprint directly to the ship and as soon as you get inside, it will take off. Otherwise, try talking your way out of it. Convince them you can both be on the ship and stand on opposite sides of it. I've extracted with randoms before. Intellectual people realize there is no benefit to killing someone as you both are extracting. You will get none of their loot, and risk them returning fire before the ship takes off. This is one of the only times I will trust another, is when we are both soloing and both just trying to escape this world. Whatever you decide to do, do it fast. Greed is not served kindly in The Cycle.

Check your other exit, remember that running away is always an option. If you are in a good hiding spot but hear commotion, try to sit tight and wait it out. Eventually whatever the commotion is will end, and you'll be free to wander inside and get out.

You'll do just great out there. And remember, Survival above all!
25 Comments
Malar 19 Aug, 2024 @ 7:00am 
Shit hits hard
The Coomslayer 6 Jun, 2024 @ 6:19pm 
Damn. Coming back to this is fucking heartbreaking.
giggles  [author] 16 May, 2023 @ 4:44pm 
@Celendrin Thank you, this is probably the best tip out there for those looking to survive! Added it to the guide.
Agnam Cesuris 16 May, 2023 @ 2:22am 
You will eventually learn the layout of the land, but saying "Don't Shoot" is the ONLY method you truly have to keep (some) others from trying to kill you.

People are ruled by fear - once you remove the fear from them by trying to talk first - you'd be surprised how many didn't actually want to start shooting to begin with.
Agnam Cesuris 16 May, 2023 @ 2:22am 
Don't know if it's in this guide (shame if it isn't), but

the BEST advice to give anyone who isn't trying to 'kill on sight' all the time and wants to survive is to

-->> USE YOUR "DON'T SHOOT" Emote !!

Many players don't actually want to kill other players they just do because they are _Scared_ themselves -- (that if they don't 'shoot first' the other person will),

if you regularly use the "Don't Shoot" emote you'd be surprised how many people will respond with Hello and Don't Shoot back, and will not actually shoot and will leave you alone, even work with you.

This game's emote system is genius and by FAR the most underutilized tool the game has, it's even more important than the 'map' if you really want to survive (relatively speaking).
StlSailors 5 Apr, 2023 @ 7:01am 
W guide
Rusty 25 Jan, 2023 @ 5:26pm 
Thanks for the guide! Even if I had most of this already figured out, it's definitely worth it to see these tips spelled out clearly :pleased: :thumbalift:
Rusty 25 Jan, 2023 @ 5:26pm 
I just got killed with tons of loot on the last second of evacuating by a camper with a sniper and I couldn't even see him. I was crouching behind the chairs in the ship, moving left and right, but somehow he still killed me. That was my most frustrating death yet. I even used a smoke grenade to get on the ship, but I only had one. That was my mistake: one smoke instead of two.

Here is my suggested evac tactic: I would recommend always bringing two smokes to use for evac. If you hear someone else, unload into the smoke in the attacker's direction with a AR/Sniper/Pistol, then on reload, switch to second weapon and camp with an SMG or Shotgun, still firing a couple random shots at the the edge. If you hear a nade pin being pulled and thrown: run. That was my second most frustrating death. Attacker throwing nades into the ship. I was so surprised, I just thought "oh f*ck", didn't react and just died.
DanPDG 27 Dec, 2022 @ 4:24pm 
fuck these assholes who kill the dude in white gear whos just trying to get the garbage materials to get their gens going...
Velocilaughter 13 Oct, 2022 @ 12:32pm 
I find it fun to run around and try to make friends with people, but yeah, most of them will shoot you on sight.