The Basics

Synthetik is game with a lot of unique mechanics, some of which may be unfamiliar for seasoned shooter players. It is important to become accustomed to the intricacies of Synthetik if you wish to take down the Machine Legion and stop Armageddon.
Below is a basic overview of all the things you should get familiar with when starting the game for the first time.

## The User Interface and Related Mechanics

It is important to familiarize yourself with the heads up display (HUD) elements, as they will provide you with much needed information both in and out of combat.

### Health, Shields, and More

 8 | Current ammo in the magazine, depletes from right to left. Total ammo for the currently held weapon can be found on the weapon bar to the right.

### Items, Currency and Data

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Both are only visible when the item can be used.

### The Target Reticle and Active Reloading

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Reloading is a core mechanic in every shooter game, but Synthetik emphasizes it even more. For most weapons, there are three steps to reloading. By default keybindings, the player presses E to eject the magazine (and any bullets left inside), then R or Space to begin the act of inserting a new magazine. As the bar (3 in the table above) fills, the player then tries to press R or Space once more when the white bar is within the active reload area (4 in the table above). Achieving active reload will give some minor stat bonuses until the original magazine size is depleted, i.e. a weapon with 45 magsize will only have the bonus for 45 bullets, so any extra bullets regenerated will not gain the bonus.

Manual ejection can be turned off, but it is not recommended by the game.

### Weapon Jamming

Your weapon may jam at any time, as long as the Weapon Jamming difficulty modifier is activated. To clear a jam, simply mash the Reload key (default R or Space) until the jam clears. You can also clear most of a jam by continually trying to fire however this will take significantly longer and will still require a single R press when the jam is 99% cleared. Clearing the Jam will instantly reload the gun and save the previously remaining bullets.

### Enemy Health Bar

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## Upgrading and Enhancing

Throughout the run, you will have the chance to acquire and upgrade many kinds of Weapons and Items, as well as enhance the base stats of your android. These helpful tools can be found in a few ways, including Chests randomly found in levels, Shrines where you can buy them for credits, or as random drops from enemies. Items can be given more power at Item Upgrade Shrines. Android perk and stat upgrades can be found via Module Pickups, special chests, and certain item passives. Weapons can be given stat boosts at Weapon Upgrade Shrines.

Weapons can also gain Attachments that both enhance their power and change the way they function. Look out for the blue upgrade kits (most commonly dropped by enemies or bosses) to obtain these enhancements:

## Difficulty Modifiers

Difficulty modifiers are additional changes to the gameplay that make the game harder in exchange for a increased difficulty modifier to experience and data, as well as each providing their own unique gameplay bonus. Difficulty modifiers may be enabled or disabled from the main menu before the start of a run.

## Research

Research items add small things to the game, and can be purchased for Data from the main menu. Many have a minimum Profile Level requirement before they can be purchased. Once purchased, Research items are permanently added to the game.

## Supply Hack/Weapon Tokens

Upon obtaining the 'Supply Hack' research, the player can alter spawnrates and improve the quality of chosen items and weapons when found. Each set of weapon and item hacks is tracked separately per player class. (i.e. Engineer can have a different set of items affected than Heavy Gunner or Breacher.) Legendary items cannot be affected by occurrence arrows.

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## Character level, Prestige, Challenges

Every single class has an independently tracked XP bar which will have intermittent rewards every level, with milestones each 5 levels up to 25.

XP is earned by killing enemies, and all XP gain is multiplied by the difficulty modifier.

The Class selection menu can be opened by pressing TAB on the main menu. The class abilities are always displayed. (See individual pages for ability breakdowns.)

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## Starting items and Modules

All class groups have different available items, modules, and pistols that can be selected before a run. - See individual class pages for specification.

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## Lab levels, Data, XP Boosts

There are some progression values which are tracked and can be seen in the main menu:

1. Data - Earned by using terminals, opening chests and beating bosses. Multiplies the amount earned per run by the difficulty modifier. Capped at 1000.
2. Lab levels - Every level gained with any class adds to this, every prestige gained increases this by 25 flat, required for research.
3. XP Boosts - Unlocks after the "Daily Reward" research is bought and builds up while the game is closed. One boost is consumed automatically per run, which activates a 15 minute XP gain buff for the run.

* Lab levels are required to unlock some weapons:
	+ Spectre at level 5
	+ Human RPG-7 at level 5
	+ LS Laser Sub at level 7
	+ Medic FMG-9 at level 7
	+ Ballistic CRX-Bow at level 7
	+ T 8-00-Gauge at level 20

## General Tips and Tricks

* Synthetik supports both careful tactical play and quick and hectic play. It is highly recommended to always play carefully however. Never rush blindly into a situation you might not be prepared for.
* While careful play is certainly encouraged, that doesn't mean to get too sheepish- it's a good idea to learn to keep moving while in combat. Stagnant play is punished when tough bosses and beefy enemies start appearing.
* Feeling like your kit isn't working out? Try a different class! There are many ways to play the game, and the right class for you might not be what you initially expect, so try them all.
* If you're having trouble reloading, try using the spacebar exclusively instead of the E and R keys.
* Dashing is a key component to moving around the battlefield. Dash and dash often. Learning the timing and utilizing it correctly will save you from a lot of dangerous situations.
* Use your credits wisely. Think twice about buying that shiny new gun when you already have an upgraded death machine but almost no items to speak of.
* If you're playing in co-op have some common courtesy- all chests are *not* shared (except for golden chests) so be sure to not to leave your buddy high and dry, sharing is caring. You can press L to drop weapons, and you can drop unwanted items by dragging them above your item bar.
* Tap firing is generally better than going full auto with high recoil weapons, be sure to get acquainted with the arsenal so you know what weapons suit your general playstyle better.
* Dying a lot? That's okay, it happens. The more you play the better you become. If you're finding the game a bit too challenging, lower your difficulty modifiers or invest in a mystery boost (if you've unlocked it via research).
* Experiment. There are a lot of items, weapons, mods, and equipment at your disposal, so don't be afraid to pick up that strange new red item you see at the shrine. Might be the best thing ever, who knows?
* Stutter-stepping or pausing during movement are adequate ways to increase your accuracy on the fly. If you run around at max speed with a precision rifle, don't expect to hit much unless the barrel of your gun is touching them.
* Classes get minor damage bonuses for using specific weapons. Guardians prefer shotguns and SMGs, Rogues prefer DMRs and Snipers, Commandos prefer ARs and heavy MGs, (Although they don't actually get any stat bonuses from them.) and Specialists prefer laser, plasma and explosive weaponry.
* While the above point should be kept in mind, don't feel afraid to experiment with different weapons either! Almost anything can work for any class, the class bonus is more of a suggestive guideline than a rule.
* Don't underestimate your pistol! If you take your time and aim for headshots, the first two floors can easily be cleared with just your starting handgun. No need to rush for that weapons crate.
* Spend your data! Data caps at 1000, so be sure to use it when you have it to unlock everything.
* If your item bar is full and you want to use that weapon upgrade kit just lying there, simply drag an item off the bar (not recycle), pick up and use the kit, and grab your item again. No more waste!