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How to Play

Upon completing the short tutorial mission, you will be transported onto an orbital space station, the Space Rig. Here you can relax between missions, purchase vanity and equipment upgrades, begin and abort assignments, or drink at the Abyss Bar.

As a new player, you are required to complete a 9 mission long assignment, named the Probationary Period, before you are allowed to access the various planetary regions of Hoxxes IV.

Assignment missions are marked with a small white diamond. Icons Campaign Complete the mission to advance the assignment and receive Crafting Resource and Credit Credit rewards that you can use to upgrade your equipment or purchase items from the Accessory Shop.

Once you have completed the Probationary Period assignment, you are free to do whatever you want. Visit the various Planetary Regions to mine crafting resources, complete more assignments to unlock new weapons and terminals, purchase vanity items to become a fancy dwarf, or face challenging mutators for large XP rewards.

Starting A Mission

Dwarven employees are dropped from the Space Rig onto Hoxxes IV to complete a variety of missions. After interacting with the Mission Terminal, you can select which planetary region to complete a mission in, what mission type to complete, and which game mode to play in. Stepping into the Drop Pod after selecting a mission will begin the launch countdown timer, and once it ends, you will be transported to the appropriate cave system to get the job done!

Different Areas

Currently Hoxxes IV has seven different areas to explore, with each area having a different look and different challenges to overcome. Only a handful will be available at any given time, with new missions in a different shuffled set of areas available every thirty minutes. In order to upgrade your equipment, you must visit the various regions in order to mine crafting resources. The current planetary regions available are:


Among the most spectacular sights on Hoxxes IV, the aptly-named Crystal Caves are truly a sight to behold. Massive crystals erupt from every surface, glittering and twinkling in the dark. Alas, the larger crystals are mostly worthless silicate, but abundant deposits of valuable minerals dot the caves too.
We're almost sorry to send employees in here, but the rewards are just too great to ignore. So therefore: Welcome to the Fungus Bogs! A truly awful region, built mostly from slime, mold, stinging insects, fungus, stinking mud, and corrosive lichen.
At least one of our xenogeologists quit in a rage when research started on this region. Instead of having conventional polar ice caps, and in violation of all physical laws we know of, the continental plates of Hoxxes rest on top of a planetwide permafrost layer several miles deep. As always, DRG recommends a "don't ask" approach when dealing with the peculiarities of Hoxxes' makeup.
Whoever said plant life needs access to sunlight has obviously never visited Hoxxes. This region is dominated by what can best be described as a subterranean rainforest - masses of writhing, (mostly carnivorous) plant life, producing entire microcosms of life deep within the crust of the planet. Tread with care.
Ravaged by thousands of years of high-intensity gamma radiation, this region of the planet is now a veritable hellhole of radioactive ash and decrepit, mutated flora. Move with great care, and pay particular attention that you maintain full detox procedure upon return.
Among the deepest of our mining sites, the Magma Caves are a mellow 250-400 degrees and helpfully lit by the churning, molten innards of the planet. We advise that you do not touch anything not mandated by the mission objectives, as your employee insurance does not cover burns.
The Salt Pits of Hoxxes IV was once the location of a huge underground lake. It dried up billions of years ago and left huge crystallized deposits of red salt. Red salt - though worthless - tastes really good on Glyphid omelettes.
This region is dominated by windblasted and arid tunnels reaching dozens of miles below ground. The particular composition of the surrounding rock means practically no moisture, resulting in one of the driest regions on the planet. With water being so precious, the inhabiting wildlife is particularly aggressive, ravenous for whatever fluids reside within their prey.

Mission Types

Once you've selected an area, you'll be given a list of mission types currently available in that area. Each mission has a primary objective and a bonus objective, as well as a Mission Length and a Cave Complexity. Sometimes two missions of the same type will be offered, but with such different objectives that they will play very differently, so take note! The current Mission Types are:

Mining expedition iconMining Expedition

The original and simplest mission, these will comprise of two mineral collection objectives, or a mining objective with a secondary collection objective. You will be dropped into the top of a cave system, and typically have to go down through multiple cave layers to gather the required minerals, before making your way back to a landing zone near the top of the caves to make your escape.

Egg collection iconEgg Hunt

Your main objective is to locate and deposit a specific number of Alien Eggs. The mission takes place in a nonlinear cave system, and you can collect the eggs in any order. The Alien Eggs are surrounded by dull, pink, organic material that can be mined to free them. Beware, as breaking the eggs out of the organic matter will summon a large swarm of enemies.

Elimination iconElimination

These missions are focused on finding and eliminating a number of Glyphid Dreadnoughts, which are busily maturing in Cocoons until you find your way through the caves to them. After they're all dead, make your way back to a landing zone for extraction via the Drop Pod.

Salvage iconSalvage Operation

The main objectives do not focus on mining. You must repair up to three M.U.L.E.s, after which you set up triangulation as well as fuel cells for a rundown drop pod. Once that's complete you'll have to hold out until Mission Control prepares the now linked up drop pod for your escape.

Point extraction iconPoint Extraction

These mining missions will have you collect materials in a radius around your drop site, which is protected by turrets and equipped with Ziplines, while being attacked by constant waves of enemies and periodic larger swarms. Once all of your materials are gathered, they are launched out with a rocket and you must make your way to a separate landing site for extraction via the Drop Pod.

Once you've launched a mission you'll have one of several objective types, displayed at the top right of the screen.

Mutators

Mutators are special events which may modify the mission for better, for worse or for both. These can vary from the dwarves having greatly increased movement speed to exploder infestations. Warnings are negative mutators and anomalies are positive or neutral mutators.

Warnings

Exploder Infestation Warning Exploder Infestation: More exploders will spawn than usual.

Shield Disruption Warning Shield Disruption: Shield is practically disabled.

Mactera Plague Warning Mactera Plague: There will be twice as many Macteras.

Cave Leech Clusters Warning Cave Leech Clusters: There will be many more cave leeches on the ceiling.

Anomalies

Gold Rush Anomaly Gold Rush: More gold with larger veins will appear.

Mineral Mania Anomaly Mineral Mania: Crafting minerals will be more common.

Triple XP Anomaly Double XP: Greatly increases the experience points you gain.

No Fall Damage Anomaly Low Gravity: Significant reduction to gravity but you can still receive fall damage.

Critical Weakness Anomaly Critical Weakness: Enemy weak spots increase damage even further.

Golden Bugs Anomaly Golden Bugs: Every kill will earn gold for the team depository.

Rich Atmosphere Anomaly Rich Atmosphere: You will move much faster and will be able to sprint while carrying large minerals, your voice is also higher pitched.

Cavern Combat

As you explore the caves you'll encounter various creatures, including Glyphids, Mactera, Cave Leeches, Spitball Infectors, and many others. Periodically, Mission Control will announce that they have detected an incoming swarm, and large numbers of enemies will converge on the Dwarven Employees' location for a fight. Make sure you are ready!

If you are low on ammunition, you can order a Resupply Pod for Nitra 80 Nitra.

Understanding Your Role

A good team can be made up of any combination of Dwarven Employees, but it's important to understand what makes each one unique, and how to put their special talents to use, to help your team. A well balanced team with good communication will stand a better chance at surviving deep down in Hoxxes IV.

Driller portrait Playing As the Driller

Main article: Driller

The Driller's primary responsibility is crowd control with his CRSPR Flamethrower, and using his Reinforced Power Drills to quickly create entrances and staircases to help others access difficult to reach locations or materials. The Driller is also armed with powerful Satchel Charges that can deal huge amounts of damage to his foes.

Engineer portrait Playing As the Engineer

Main article: Engineer

The Engineer has two powerful support tools, An LMG Gun Platform and a Platform Gun. Set up turrets to defend against swarms of enemy creatures, and use your Platform Gun to provide your team with ground to stand on. Team up with the Scout to reach resources that are high up on cave walls.

Gunner portrait Playing As the Gunner

Main article: Gunner

The Gunner is equipped with a powerful Powered Minigun to protect the team from the monsters of the deep. His Zipline Gun gives the whole team the ability to cross distant chasms and with holdable items. The Gunner is also equipped with a Shield Generator that he can throw to protect his team and recharge their shields.

Scout portrait Playing As the Scout

Main article: Scout

The Scout collects hard-to-reach ores using his Grappling Gun, helps defend the team using his Deepcore GK2 and Jury-Rigged Boomstick, and launches flares using his Flare Gun to provide light in the darkness. While the other dwarves are equipped with a standard Frag Grenade, the Scout has a special Inhibitor-Field Generator grenade which slows down enemies and causes them to take more damage.

Ranking Up

Character Rank

Character badge.

The character badge.

As you play each of the game's four classes, you will gain experience and ranks separately for each of the different classes, up to rank 25. Some weapon and equipment upgrades require you to have a certain rank before you can unlock them. Your current rank and experience progress are indicated at the top left of the screen below your Class Badge.

Player Rank

Player Badge

Your progress as a player is also tracked at the top right of the screen on the Player Badge, the blue gem which shows your name and player rank in title and number form, as well as your current credit balance. You rank up each time the blue gem fills all three of its sections up, and one section fills up each time you gain a rank with one of the four classes.

The player rank titles are as follows:

(Expand/Collapse)


1. Greenbeard

2. Rock Hauler

3. Cave Runner

4. Stone Breaker

5. Pit Delver

6-7. Rookie Miner

8-9. Authorized Miner

10-11. Senior Miner

12-13. Professional Miner

14-15. Veteran Miner

16-17. Expert Miner

18-20. Elite Miner

21-23. Supreme Miner

24-26. Master Miner

27-30. Epic Miner

31-35. Legendary Miner

36-40. Mythic Miner

41-45. Stone Guard

46-50. Honor Guard

51-55. Iron Guard

56-60. Giant Guard

61-65. Night Carver

66-70. Longbeard

71-75. Gilded Master

76 Onwards. Lord of the Deep

Equipment

All dwarves start with a basic set of a primary and a secondary weapon, some grenades, a Pickaxe, throwable flares, basic armor and their respective special tools which are described above.

Usage and ammunition

Your weapons, grenades and special tools work like one would expect: If you fire/throw/use them, you spend ammunition of the respective tool.

Throwable flares however refill over time. If you throw too many you will have to wait a short time until the next one get's ready, but you will never have to stay in the dark for too long.

Your pickaxe can be used for ever and ever.

Your armor consists of two layers: An energy shield, which get's used up if you take damage but refills slowly if you don't take any more for some time, and the bare skin of your dwarf ("Hit Points") which gets exposed as soon as your shield gets used up completely and can only be healed with Red Sugar and at Supply Pods.

Improvement

All of your equipment can be improved by buying modifications at the Equipment Terminal. Each object features multiple slots for mods which must be earned by leveling up with the respective class. For most slots multiple mods can be purchased - however, only one mod per slot can be used. This still leaves room for a hefty amount of personalization and improvement. Available mods can be found on the pages of the respective weapons.

Unlocking new gear

Additionally to the improvement of your starter set, each class has access to one additional primary, one additional secondary weapon and two more grenade types. All of them must be earned and then purchased. While the grenades are only level locked (to prevent greenbeards from playing around with Cluster Grenades), the weapons must be earned by completing the corresponding assignment.

Assignments

An Assignment orders you on a short set of missions, which must be played and accomplished in a particular order (albeit not necessarily in direct succession) to fulfill the Assignment. Most assignments are in place to earn you something unique in the game: New weapons, access to higher hazard levels or the Mineral Trading Terminal. Two assignment types deviate from this: On the one hand, there are the Weekly Priority assignments which get renewed every week and pay a nice amount of credits Credit and crafting minerals. On the other hand, there are the Promotion assignments which are unlocked when one of your dwarves reaches the maximum class level.

Perks

Aside from improving your gear you can also improve yourself. This is realized with Perks. In your Cabin, at the Key Performance Indicator Terminal (screen at the wall), you can see your Milestones (i.e. play 5 rounds in this biome). Upon completing a milestone, you can claim Perk Points Perk Pointswhich in turn can be invested in Perks (i.e. you sprint 6% faster). Perk Points and Perks are permanent and consistent across all classes. Your perks can be equipped at the Equipment Terminal.

See Also


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