Caravaneer FAQ

The Slightly Unofficial Guide To Caravaneers. (STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION)

Introduction

Welcome to the Slightly Unofficial Guide To Caravaneers. This guide is meant to serve as an in-depth coverage to strategies and tactics that could and should be used both when dealing in combat and out in the world trading goods for profit. Caravaneers is a tough and overwhelming game to those not used to action/profit games such as Sid Meier’s Pirates! or Freelancer. Hopefully after reading this guide you’ll have a better idea of what weapons you should use, how you should fight, and how you should travel between towns to make the most profit out of the things you buy.

I’m going to get this off my chest before I go any further. Caravaneers is NOT a knock-off of the 1990s Turn-Based RPG Fallout. I will give them the fact that the two have similarities. Both dictate their characters’ combat with action points. Both take place in an alternate future/ Mad Max-type desert setting. But that is for the most part where the similarities end.

My information is not always 100% accurate. Also there will be people who read this guide and find their method of playing easier. If you think it’s better, please keep it to yourself. This guide is to inform players and give them a few ways to get from start to finish, and it is by no means an absolute one. However if my information is wrong (and I mean “dead wrong”, not “oh the price is off by a penny wrong”), then let me know and I’ll fix it.

Overview of the Game

Caravaneers puts you in control of a young man (or woman) in a post-apocalyptic future when the sun decided to burn the earth into a cinder and only sand and small towns remained. It is a place where robbers inexplicably outnumber citizens, and the future of the wasteland rests on you. Will you fight the good fight and liberate the capital from tyranny? Or will you support it, and let it run omnipresent in the wasteland? Or will you do nothing, and care only for the size of your own wallet? How will you fight? Will you charge blindly into the fray with a shotgun and high explosives? Or perhaps you’ll hang back and take people out one at a time with long-ranged firepower? Or maybe you will choose not to do this alone, and bring anywhere from a few to dozens of people and form a small army of your own. The choice is up to you.

However, whatever you decide to do, whether you want to become a gunner or a sniper, a wanderer or a thief, a savior or tycoon, we all have to start somewhere. You barely make it to the town of Poca Cosa, with only a few rations and a few empty bottles in your hands, you go to the Sheriff’s office and inform him your uncle was killed recently, and are here to collect your inheritance. The Sheriff gives you a bolt-action rifle, a donkey, and a small amount of money. What you decide to do from here is left in front of you….

Character Creation

Before you begin, you first have to make a character. Your main character is the most important you will ever have in your party; if he dies for any reason, the game is over. Therefore it is crucial that you choose is statistics very carefully.

Primary Statistics

Your primary statistics are what you put points into at the very beginning of the Story Mode. They will affect your derived stats, and your Primary Statistics CANNOT BE CHANGED ONCE YOU HAVE MADE YOUR DECISION! There are only 4 Primary Stats in Caravaneers; Physical Shape, Agility, Accuracy, and Intelligence. Each has their own uses in the game whether it is in combat, traveling, or both.

Physical Shape

A combination of Strength, Constitution and Endurance. Physical Shape is ideal for anyone who wants heavy armor and aim Machine Guns and Rocket Launchers at their foes. PS is important for any adventurer, especially because it affects your Hit Points – the only stat in Caravaneers that cannot be improved! Also affects Strength, which in turn affects how much your character can carry and how far he or she can throw grenades.

Agility

A good statistic for those who want to do a lot in combat. Agility affects three things in particular. First, and most importantly, Agility affects the number of action points (AP) your character has, and, according to the tutorial, how many action points your character will end up having in the long run. A character can have up to 10 additional AP to what he or she started with (though others will say otherwise, I’m sticking to this because I have yet to have seen this otherwise). AP is used in combat to move, reload, fire weapons, and throw grenades. All are very important and very crucial. The Second use of Agility is that if affects your walking speed. This is irrelevant in combat, but an important factor to determine when traveling in the world, especially when you can only move as fast as your slowest person/animal/car. Thirdly, Agility tends to affect sequence in combat. Though experience plays an equally important factor, those with the highest agility and experience will usually go first in a combat turn.

Accuracy

Accuracy affects only one thing; your sniper skill. That may not sound like much at first, but several players swear by this skill, and I agree with them to a point. Sniper skill is, without a doubt, the most important of the four skills in the game. It affects how often you will hit your opponents, which affects how quickly you can kill them, which further affects how much damage they can do to you. Accuracy is important for long-distance shooting, but equally as paramount for any character who’s using a gun, which, unless you’ll be using a katana for the whole game, something you will need.

Intelligence

The fourth stat is regarded by many to be the least important, to which they have good arguments with. Intelligence has little to no use in combat. It matters entirely in the world map, where it governs the magnitude and rate of development of your three maintenance skills; Veterinary, Doctor, and Mechanic. A high Intelligence will give you a high number in each of these three things, and will allow you to develop them faster. I have also noticed that Intelligence may play a part in how quickly you gain experience. I have yet to study this in depth but I found my 5 Int character to have a lot more experience than what my 1 Int Character has at roughly the same number of kills. There are plenty of variables that have yet to be accounted, but it is safe to say that even if it were true, the rate of increase is not enough that it should be an integral part of your decision. Overall, if you want to play the support character type, then go ahead and put a few points in Intelligence. Just don’t expect the best combatant if you do so.

Derived Statistics

Derived Stats take their name from the fact that they are derived from your primary stats. Unlike Primary Stats, Derived stats can improve depending on how much they are used, whether automatically or manually. Derived stats take many different forms, from AP to Strength to intelligence-based skills.

Health

This is the only derived stat that cannot be improved with time. However it is still dependent on your Physical Shape. Health is literally your lifeblood; it will affect how much damage you can take before your stats drop, and (let’s hope not too often) death. Health is important not only in how much damage you can take before death, but also how much damage you can take before your stats take a nose dive as you go closer and closer to a grave condition. Damage can be lessened from the use of body armor. How much health you heal back is dependent on a number of things including doctor skill, use of medicines, and the condition your character is in. A character can heal himself naturally to full health if it isn’t too bad. However, if your character is in the red (a “Grave” condition as they call it), then your character will slowly bleed out over time until he dies from his wounds. This can be remedied by use of a clinic, which charges a fee dependent on how much health is being healed back. MAXIMUM HEALTH = 10 x [Character’s Physical Shape]

Action Points (AP)

Action Points are the clockwork of combat. Everything you do, whether it is moving, firing a weapon, reloading, or throwing grenades, is dictated on whether or not you have the action points to do so. Action Points can be increased by using them, and the best way to do so is to move around in combat aimlessly. This is a good tactic to raise AP, especially when you’re trying to improve the stats of your lesser trained men in an easy battle. AP can also be more efficiently used by using Semiautomatic and Automatic weapons (as opposed to the bolt-action rifle you start with – explained later). INITIAL AP = 1.5 x [Character’s Agility], Rounded Up

Strength

Strength is how powerful you are. In the case of Caravaneers it is a number of different things. Firstly, the most obvious use for strength is melee combat. Strength affects how much bonus damage you inflict when you are in close combat. Of course, by the time you leave the initial towns melee combat becomes, at the very best, a very risky tactic. Secondly, strength dictates your total carry weight, which affects both the total cargo weight you can carry and how much weaponry/grenades/ammo/armor you can bring to combat. This becomes important if you plan to use heavy weapons such as Rocket Launchers, especially when ammo weighs 3 to 6 Kilograms each. The third use for strength is throwing distance. It goes without saying that the higher strength you have, the farther you are able to throw grenades. It is more than possible to have a high enough strength to throw grenades 30, perhaps even 40 meters, as far as a sure-fire range for most snipers. Strength can be increased simply from traveling! The longer a member of your party is in your party, the more likely he can improve his strength. Strength is a stat which will become more and more important as the game progresses, especially when heavier and more advanced equipment become available. INITIAL STRENGTH = 1.5 x [Character’s Physical Shape], Rounded Up CARRYING = 2 x [Character’s Strength]

Speed

Speed is not how fast you move in battle. It is how fast you move in the world. It is somewhat important because you only move as fast as your slowest man, animal or cart. Your speed is determined by your Agility, and I have yet to see it get better with time. Carrying: See Strength. Sniper: The Sniper skill, both initially and how high it can go, is dependent on your accuracy. Sniper, as explained with the Accuracy Stat, affects how often you will hit your opponent, and how far you can shoot while having a reasonable chance at a hit. The Sniper skill receives bonuses from high-accuracy weapons like Rifles, using extra AP to fire aimed shots, and can be improved just by shooting people. It is a crucial skill to bring up, as nothing is more annoying as missing a medium-ranged shot. INITIAL SNIPER = 10 x [Character’s Accuracy]

Doctor

Doctor is the first of the three Intelligence based skills. Doctor is not used actively, and it is not used individually. It is used automatically and everyone’s doctor skill is pooled to determine how quickly your injured characters will heal. Doctor skill improves with use, but can also be improved with items such as First Aid Kits.

Veterinary

The second of the Intelligence, it follows the same the same principles as Doctor. The pooled Vet skill affects how quickly your animals will heal if they are damaged. Like Doctor, Veterinary improves both with use and special items.

Mechanic

Like the skills before it, Mechanic is pooled and used traveling in the field. Mechanic affects how well you keep up carts and cars when traveling between towns. A low mechanic skill will result in a subtle decrease in cart/car hit points, because they wear down. As the health goes down carts will be able to hold less and cars will not move as fast. Like the other two skills, Mechanic improves both with use and with the acquiring of special items.

Classes

There are no “classes” per se when playing Caravaneers, but there are three main schools of thought one can get their main character through the game with. You can play as the Sniper, the Acrobat, or the Gunner. Each will depend on your Primary Statistics and what weapons you will use in the course of the game. Of course, it is always possible to change up in the middle of your adventure, although it will not always be easy. For each class I will use stats that include a 1 in intelligence, although you can always compensate if you do not want to play a moron. This is an RPG, after all.

Sniper

The Sniper takes his name from being, well, a sniper. More interested in firing weapons from across the map, the Sniper will often use the animals and cars he starts with as cover, taking out foes one by one while retreating. His shoot and duck tactic will mean he will need a bit of agility in addition to a great accuracy. A sniper does not need Physical Shape as much as the other classes, but it is still essential for having decent health (Enemy Grenadiers and Rocket Men are NOT forgiving) and being able to wear heavy armor. The sniper rifles you get in the late game are not light either.

Stats: Physical Shape: 6 Agility: 8 Accuracy: 10

Weapons:

Early Game: Rifles (Springfield, M1 Garand, Cx4 Storm)

Mid Game: Assault Rifles (AK 101, M4, M14) & Grenades

Late Game: Sniper Rifles (M24 SWS, M40A3) & Grenades

Acrobat

Acrobatic stunts are unfortunately unavailable in Caravaneers. However the Acrobat is a very dangerous opponent as he is very versatile in combat. Their high Agility translates to a high AP, which means s/he can move a lot, shoot a lot, and basically get a lot done in a single turn. A good accuracy and Physical Shape will also be important as you are likely to be in harms way as you toss grenades at your opponent. A decent accuracy will be helpful in being able to take down opponents using the several shots allowable given your high AP pool, at least until grenades become available.

Stats: Physical Shape: 7 Agility: 10 Accuracy: 7

Weapons:

Early Game: Pistols (Desert Eagle, Browning Hi-Power)

Mid Game: Assault Rifles (AK 101, M4, M14) & Grenades

Late Game: Sniper Rifles (M24 SWS, M40A3) & Grenades or Rifles (AK 101, M4, M14) & Grenades or Light Machine Guns (RPK) & Grenades

Gunner

The Gunner is the man out front, either with a shotgun, a Rocket Launcher, or an automatic weapon, taking out as many foes as possible before taking plenty of hits, as opponents will likely aim for him (being the closest to them). However, his decent accuracy will allow to hang back and take people out with splash damage or burst fire if he desired. Agility is not too important for the gunner but it does help him/her reload as they empty their ammo reserves.

Stats: Physical Shape: 10 Agility: 6 Accuracy: 8

Weapons:

Early Game: Rifles (Springfield, M1 Garand, Cx4 Storm) Shotguns (Browning BT-99, AA Brittany) Katana

Mid Game: Assault Rifles (AK-47, M14) Machine Guns, (RPK, Bren LMG) Shotguns (Winchester 1300, Beretta AL391) Grenades

Late Game: Rocket Launchers: (RPG 7, RPG 29) Machine Guns: (FN MAG, Bren LMG, RPK) Grenades

Combat

There are three main modes in Caravaneers; Combat, Travel, and NPC Dialogue. The latter will not be discussed until the walkthrough, since the game is fairly linear in terms of what you should tell the NPCs you come across. Traveling and Economics will be discussed later as well which leaves us with Combat, the most straightforward of the three.

Basics

Combat is a top-view, turn based system. Depend on how you encountered your foes, whether it is robbers, Police, Caravans or Desert Patrol, you will usually be around your animals and cars while the enemies will be lined up along one of the three other walls. Your opponents can be armed with any weapon in the game, including grenades and rocket launchers.

A combination of Agility and Experience determines who goes first. Most likely it will be your main character, as he will be in the party the longest and will not have the low Agility his opponents will often have.

Moving a character 1 meter will cost 1 AP. Your character cannot move diagonally with a single AP. Instead your character must move one space in each direction (left and up, for example), costing 2AP.

Your likelihood to hit is based on distance and line of sight. If there are people or objects in the path of the target, then it is possible you can hit them instead. The farther away they are, the less likely you’ll hit.

Using aimed shots takes one more AP than a quick shot, but offers a fixed bonus to your sniper skill when determining hit rolls.

Weapons will usually do more damage when up close than from afar, not just shotguns. This might be a secondary effect from the sniper skill, increasing the likelihood of hitting critical parts of the body.

As your character takes damage, his overall stats will be reduced. This includes less AP, Strength, Sniper Skill, and Sequence.

Tips and Tactics

This section will deal with some basic tactics and strategies you can employ to make the most out of the few men you will likely have in the beginning. Until your cash flow really starts to accelerate in the capital, you’ll likely only have a few men traveling along, likely to be outnumbered by anywhere from 5 to 10 robbers.

1. Take Cover. Taking Cover is a tactic that -will- take a toll on your carts, animals and cars. However, it is one of the few ways to take less damage from enemy fire short of using body armor. However, remember that this will not work as well when dealing with explosives, as the splash will damage you, the people around you, and likely the thing that you’re hiding behind. Exert caution when applying this strategy.
2. Distance is your friend. Shooting and Falling back may be one of the surefire ways you can save your own life when outnumbered by Katana-wielding Ninjas. Try to reserve at least 9 to 10 AP when running away (you can get away with less AP use earlier on when the robbers can’t move as far), so that the robbers will give chase and not have the AP left to attack. Resort to quick shots, burst fire, and shotgun blasts before making your retreat. Distance is also useful when dealing with robbers and enemies armed with guns.
3. When in doubt, use Aimed Shots. Sure, it may be 1 Extra AP per shot, but Aimed shots are well worth the price when it comes to long distance shooting. Even with a high sniper skill (100+) and an accurate weapon (Like an M4), Aimed Shots are still the only consistent way to be able to hit an opponent at distances at 30 meters or greater. As a rule of thumb, if you and your target aren’t on the same screen, aim at him. If they are, quick shots will do just fine.
4. Burst Fire covers a lot of ground…and baddies…with lead. If you can get two or more opponents at a moderate range in a straight line, then burst fire is the way to go. Burst fire is more efficient use of AP, kind of like firing weapons at wholesale prices. If you kill the opponent in front of you, then the burst will continue at the opponent behind him. Even if there is only one, a 5 round burst should take care of most unarmored opponents…or in the least leaving him near death.
5. Real Guys May Start Razing Player Killers. When you first look at it, you’re probably scratching your head. In actuality, this is an acronym suggesting the order you should take out your foes by any means necessary: Rockets, Grenades, Machine [Guns], Shotguns, Rifles, Pistols, and Katanas. Rockets are by far the most dangerous, as anyone in a 5 x 5 space radius takes damage…the center likely to be in the hurt. Furthermore rockets will always be fired on an opponents turn at a cluster of caravaneers. Grenades are fairly dangerous as well, but because the maximum range is dictated by the opponents’ strength, they may not throw the weapon every time. Machine Guns are often wielded by very accurate opponents…or people very close to you. Because they can fire larger bursts than Assault rifles (and for more damage) they’re a high priority to bring down. Shotguns can be viewed as more of a nuisance than the weapons before it, but they should still be taken out. Shotguns ALWAYS hit their mark and then a few others, regardless of the range. However, it is almost definite that you will only take a few points of damage. Still, take them out before they eat away at your carts and animals. Pistols and Rifles are next. Rifles come first because they are more accurate and do more damage than their single-handed counterparts. Take them out at your leisure. Katanas and other melee-wielding baddies are at the bottom of your list. You don’t really have to worry about shooting them before, say, a Grenadier. They will either fight as all Melee-men, or they’ll have a robber or two with a handgun. You know what to do with them.
6. Splash Damage is for the Biggest Crowds. The more people that you can hit with an explosive, the better use you can make from a grenade or rocket. It’s that simple. It is also a good idea that EVERY member of your party should have at least a few grenades to work with. Ammo is light and you hardly ever need more than a 100 shots for battle.
7. Armor protects from everything, not just bullets. This includes melee weapons and explosives. Thus it is even more important to have your whole party to have the best and most convenient armor available. Don’t give them heavy armor if it means only being able to bring 5 bullets into battle.
8. Several good men are better than one great man. As your party grows, they will be less likely to develop as fast as more people will share the killing load. Therefore, if you are in an easy battle, let the less experienced fight. While your more experienced men wander the battlefield or take care of the really big threats (Grenadiers and Rocketmen), your lesser-trained caravaneers will become more powerful taking

Weapons

This is your list of weapons. There are many like it but this one is yours. You start with a basic bolt-action rifle, but as time progresses you can use shotguns, assault rifles, and rocket launchers. Below is a comprehensive list of weapons.

Here is what each of the parameters mean:

Weight: How heavy it is, in kilograms.

Clip: The magazine size.

Ammo: The type of Ammunition the weapon uses.

Damage: How much damage, on average, the weapon inflicts.

Accuracy: How much of a bonus is added to your Sniper skill.

Re-cock: How the gun reloads after firing. There are 4 ways that a gun can re-cock in the game:

Manual: For Bolt-Action Rifles and Pump Shotguns. After each shot you have to load the next one by hand, thus it takes longer to fire. Quick Shots take 4AP. Aimed shots cost 5.

Single Shot: This gun may fire only once or twice before you must reload the shell. This is for most shotguns and Rocket Launchers. Shotguns of this type cost 2AP to fire. Rocket Launchers cost 5AP.

Semiautomatic: This gun is a step up from manual Re-cock. After firing the gun reloads itself so you can fire again. However you cannot fire full auto. Quick Shots Cost 2AP. Aimed shots cost 3.

Automatic: This gun has the ability to fire multiple shots all at once. It costs more but actually costs less AP per shot than a regular quick shot. 3 Round Burst Costs 5AP. 5 Rounds cost 7. 7 Rounds cost 10.

Cost: Overall Rating: $ to $$$$$. $$$$$ is the highest.

Melee

Melee Weapons have little use in Caravaneers past the first few towns. There are only 5 melee weapons, ranging from a small hunting knife to the slightly dangerous Katana. Melee Weapons receive bonuses from a character’s high strength.

Item	Cost	Weight	Damage
Small Hunting Knife	$	0.2 kg	2 + Strength/10
Big Hunting Knife	$	0.35 kg	3 + Strength/10
Survival Knife	$	0.5 kg	5 + Strength/10
Scimitar	$	1.5 kg	8 + Strength/10
Katana	$	1 kg	10 + Strength/10

Handguns

Pistols serve as the staple firearm for the very beginning of the game. It is good to buy on a budget team of caravaneers early on, but you should switch to rifles or something better as soon as possible if you plan to venture far. I have also found that you can gain your sniper skill a lot faster with the use of handguns in the beginning of the game, especially because of its lower damage and quicker shots.

Best Damage

Desert Eagle

Most Accurate

S&W Model 29

Best Overall

ATM Automag

Item	Cost	Weight	Clip	Ammo	Damage	Accuracy	Recock
Luger Parabellum	$	0.871 kg	8	9mm Luger	5	25	Manual
Beretta M1951	$	0.89 kg	8	9mm Luger	6	30	Semiauto
Browning Hi-Power	$	0.9 kg	13	9mm Luger	7	30	Semiauto
Colt Anaconda	$$	1.503 kg	6	.44 Magnum	15	30
Semiauto S&W Model 29	$$	`.4 kg	6	.44 Magnum	15	35	Semiauto
Springfield 1911-A1	$	1.021 kg	7	.45 ACP	8	25	Semiauto
ATM Hardballer	$$	1.076 kg	7	.45 ACP	9	30	Semiauto
Colt M1917	$	1.34 kg	6	.45 ACP	8	25	Semiauto
Marakov PM	$	.95 kg	8	9x18mm Marakov	5	30	Semiauto
ATM Automag	$$$	1.31 kg	7	.50 AE	19	25	Semiauto
Desert Eagle	$$$	2 kg	7	.50 AE	20	20	Semiauto

Rifles

This will likely be your main weapon for the beginning of the game. From your Springfield rifle, you will likely upgrade to an M1 Garand and then maybe the Cx4 Storm. Sniper Rifles are the most accurate guns in the game. Sniper Rifles cannot fire quick shots.

Best Damage

M4A03, M24 SWS

Most Accurate

M4A03, M24 SWS

Best Overall

M24 SWS

Item	Cost	Weight	Clip	Ammo	Damage	Accuracy	Recock
Springfield M1903	$$	3.95 kg	5	30.06 Springfield	20	50	Manual
M1 Garand	$$	4.6 kg	5	30.06 Springfield	22	55	Manual
Beretta Cx4 Storm	$$$	2.58 kg	15	9mm Luger	16	50	Semiauto
M40A3	$$$$$	7.5 kg	5	7.62x51mm NATO	25	100	Semiauto
M24 SWS	$$$$$	5.5 kg	5	7.62x51mm NATO	25	100	Semiauto

Shotguns

If you like getting up close and personal, then shotguns are a good choice. Shotguns make a very good backup weapon, although its uses are somewhat limited for a primary weapon. To get maximum damage, make sure you’re aiming at a target only a few meters away. Point blank works best

Most Damage

Beretta S682

Most Accurate

Beretta S682

Best Overall

Beretta AL391

Item	Cost	Weight	Clip	Ammo	Damage	Accuracy	Recock
Browning BT-99	$$	3.63 kg	1	12ga	4-48	25	Single Shot
NEF Tracker	$$	2.72 kg	1	12ga	4-48	20	Single Shot
Savage Slug Warrior	$$	2.4 kg	2	12ga	4-48	20	Manual
American Arms Brittany	$$$	2.72 kg	2	12ga	4-48	20	Single Shot
Winchester 1300 Defender	$$$	3.12 kg	8	12ga	4-48	20	Manual
Remington 870 Express	$$$	2.72 kg	6	12ga	4-48	20	Manual
Beretta S682	$$$$	3.4 kg	2	12ga	6-72	40	Single Shot
Beretta AL391	$$$$	2.68	6	12ga	5-60	25	Semiauto

Assault Rifles and SMGs

Assault Rifles will be your staple weapon throughout the mid-game, quite possibly being used in the end as well. They are the most versatile weapons in the game, combining the accuracy and damage and size of a rifle and the burst fire of Machine Guns. SMGs are, in a sense, a poor-man’s Assault Rifle, inferior to them in nearly every way except clip size.

Most Damage

M14

Most Accurate

M4

Best Overall

M14

Item	Cost	Weight	Clip	Ammo	Damage	Accuracy	Recock
UZI	$$	3.5 kg	32	9mm Luger	12	20	Automatic
Bizon	$$	3.2 kg	64	9x18mm Marakov	13	30	Automatic
M16	$$$	2.9 kg	30	5.56x45mm NATO	14	55	Automatic
AK-47	$$$	3.8 kg	30	7.62x39mm	16	40	Automatic
AK 101	$$$$	3.4 kg	30	5.56x45mm NATO	17	50	Automatic
M4	$$$$	2.52 kg	30	5.56x45mm NATO	15	70	Automatic
M14	$$$$$	4.5 kg	20	7.62x51mm NATO	22	50	Automatic

Machine Guns

These big boys are among the heaviest weapons in the game. But if you have the strength to hold them and the sniper skill to go with it, these guns can become a tool of death. Just remember that they’re not as accurate as assault rifles, and they cannot fire single shots, quick or aimed.

Best Damage

FN MAG

Most Accurate

CETME Ameli

Best Overall

FN MAG

Item	Cost	Weight	Clip	Ammo	Damage	Accuracy	Recock
RPK	$$$$	5 kg	100	7.62x39mm	20	35	Automatic
Bren LMG	$$$$	10.35 kg	100	7.62x51mm NATO	25	35	Automatic
CETME Ameli	$$$	6.35 kg	200	5.56x45mm NATO	18	40	Automatic
M1919 Browning	$$$	14 kg	250	30.06 Springfield	25	28	Automatic
FN MAG	$$$$$	10.15 kg	200	7.62x51mm NATO	28	35	Automatic

Rocket Launchers

The highest echelon of weapons is held by the coveted rocket launcher. The weapons themselves are relatively heavy, and have the heaviest ammo in the game. However, the payoff is taking out 5 or 6 robbers in a single shot. Rocket Launcher should be held by any man who can hold that, heavy armor and a few rockets by the end of the game. Rockets take 5 AP to fire.

Best Damage

RPG 29

Most Accurate

RPG 29

Best Overall

RPG 7 (These rockets weight a lot less than for the RPG 29.)

Item	Cost	Weight	Clip	Ammo	Damage	Accuracy	Recock
Bazooka M9A1	$$$	7.23 kg	1	M6A3 Rocket	45	18	Single Shot
RPG 7	$$$$$	7 kg	1	PG-7VL Rocket	50	20	Single Shot
RPG 29	$$$$$	6.7 kg	1	PG-29V Rocket	60	25	Single Shot

Grenades

Grenades are arguably the most pivotal weapon type in the game. Any caravaneer can carry them (unlike rocket-launchers, which can only be held by high-strength characters), and a character can usually throw more grenades in a turn that shoot rockets. The maximum throwing range is dependent on strength, although you have the option to “force throw” and throw a grenade on a space, rather than having to aim for an enemy. Just don’t aim them at your feet.

Best Overall

M67

Item	Cost	Weight	Power
MK II	$$$	0.6 kg	30
F-1	$$$$	0.6 kg	32
M67	$$$$$	0.4 kg	40

Armor

Having the best weapons in the desert will not be enough to combat the evils that face you. Wearing the best armor you can just may save your life several different times, especially from explosive shrapnel. Depending on the armor you use, you get a shield, protecting you from a certain percentage of damage every time you’re hit. Be careful not to sacrifice too much ammo or grenades for better armor. If they can’t take the weight, let them use a lighter set.

Item	Cost	Weight	Protection
Light Bulletproof Vest	$$$	3 kg	20%
Standard Bulletproof Vest	$$$	5 kg	30%
Heavy Bulletproof Vest	$$$$	7 kg	50%
Military Armor	$$$$$	7 kg	60%

Economics

No matter how hard you try, the only way you’re going to be able to get the best weapons and armor and be able to hire many men is if you play the game of economics. Killing robbers will simply not be enough, although the money you get from them will aid you in buying the trade goods you’ll need. Buying low and selling high is without question the fastest way to increase your cash flow. However it is important to know what each town makes and needs to make this possible.

The Desert’s Economy

To sum up in a sentence, the basic laws of “Supply and Demand” governs the world’s economy in Caravaneers. The towns and cities that produce a certain commodity will likely offer those goods at a very low price. You take those goods to a town that needs them, and because they are in demand, you can sell them at a much higher price. Thus, profit is made. There are two reasons that a commodity would be in demand for a town;

1. They need the commodity in order to produce something out of that commodity, which in turn can be bought and traded. This final product will always be worth more than the product it was made out of.
2. They are simply consuming the product. Some things cannot be made into other things, and the citizens will simply consume what is sold to them.

The key to financial success in Caravaneers is making a route between towns so that you can buy something from one town cheaply, and go to a second town to sell it at a higher price. Then from that town, you will buy another commodity cheaply and go to another town to sell at a profit once again, and the cycle will continue until you’re back at the first town. The following chart reflects what products are made out of the materials before them:

CARAVANEER’S TRADE GOODS CHART

Cotton => Textiles => Clothing

Forage => Food => Alcohol

Forage => Leather => Shoes

Crude Oil <=> Fuel => Gold => Jewelry

Medicines

NOTE: Yes, Fuel is needed to make Crude Oil, and Crude Oil is needed to make Fuel.

The chart above shows you how the economy works. Cotton, for example, is produced without the need of any other material. However, in order to make textiles, you must buy cotton from a town that produces it to a town the makes textiles in order to make profit. From there, you can buy Textiles at that town that produces it and sell it to a town that makes clothes for an even bigger profit. Then, you can buy the clothes and go back to the town that makes the cotton and sell that for the highest profit of them all. Then, you repeat the process.

Keep in mind though that some towns will not need certain trade goods because they already make enough for itself, and that the things they need and make depend on where they are. The early towns, you will see, makes far more Forage and Food than they could possibly need, being out on the countryside. The more urban towns, like Qubba and Hara, must rely on deliveries of these commodities in order to keep going.

Resources

If Caravaneers was as simple as bring X item from Point A to Point B, then there wouldn’t be that much of a challenge. This is not a town, and there will not be a 7-11 around the corner if you get thirsty. You will need to bring with you supplies of water, food, forage, and other things to be able to travel between towns without dying of malnutrition or dehydration. This section will deal with resources, and how to allocate them properly in order to survive the deserts. There are five resources we deal with in caravaneers; Water, Food, Forage, Medicines, and Fuel.

• Water: This is by far the most important of the five resources. Water us consumed by both your men as well as any animals you have traveling with you. Without water, you and you animals will slowly begin to lose health. If you persist to travel without water, the health-draining will accelerate and go really fast, and you WILL die if you travel too long without it. Water is consumed every hour of every day, based on the number of people you have and the number and type of animals you possess. It is essential to make a habit out of filling your water reserves the moment you reach a town. Always select water if it is among the spoils of war. Water is absolutely free in the early towns of the game. However as you get closer to Qubba, Wells will be replaced by water sources, which cost very little to fill. Make sure you have enough containers to hold (and have) 2-3 days supply of water at all times.
• Food: Also a trade commodity, food is consumed by your men. (Animals do not consume food; they have their own type of food, Forage, which will be discussed later.) Food is consumed three times a day; once at 8AM, another at 2PM and lastly at 7PM (three square meals a day, as they say). Approximately 1 kilogram of food is consumed per caravaneer per day. Unlike water though, Food will not always be available at every town. So make sure you have enough food for several days (4-5 will do) in case you end up in a foodless town.
• Forage: Forage is the food of choice for animals. Forage is consumed three times a day (every 8 hours) by your animals, like food for your men. If you run out of forage, your animals will begin to lose health, similar to that of water. Because the availability of Forage is not universal, it is important to keep enough forage for a few days’ worth of use.
• Medicine: Medicine is the only resource not consistently used. Medicine is used only if one of your men is injured. Medicine will speed up recovery or slow bleeding out, depending on the condition of the injured man. You can change how you want your medicines to be used so that it may treat any would you inflict, or only for the members of your party who are near death. I recommend leaving it on all wounded at all times.
• Fuel: While other resources are consumed over time, Fuel is the only resource in the game which is consumed by how much you travel, not how much time has passed. Fuel as a resource only comes into play once you have cars, and once you do, Fuel should become your second chief concern, next only to water. Cars have their own fuel tank, but to get any long-distance mileage, you must buy extra fuel containers to hold fuel beyond that of what your cars can hold. Once you run out of fuel, you must leave them behind, and, quite possibly, any cargo you had on them as well

Trade Goods

With the exception of water, all of the resources said above can be just as easily bought and sold for profit as consumed. Here is the comprehensive list of all of the commodities you can buy and sell in the game, as well as their low buy/high sell prices and a few locations they are made. Just remember that the “Found” mean where can you go to buy it at a reasonable (i.e. “Below Average”) Price, and the low and high prices are only approximations:

Item	Weight	Needs	Makes	Low Price	High Price	Found
*Cotton*	1 kg/unit	None	Textiles	$0.01 / kg	$0.06 / kg	Drushlak
*Textile*	1 kg/sqm	Cotton	Clothes	$1.13 / sqm	$7 / sqm	Okiadi
*Clothes*	1 kg/Unit	Textiles	None	9$ / Unit	44$ / Unit	Nirgwendo
*Forage*	1 kg	None	Food, Leather	$0.02 / kg	$0.09 / kg	Poca Cosa, Drushlak, Okaidi, Merdin, Sekir Bashka, Abu Kirdyk Verdammter Platz, Diep Gat
*Food*	1 kg	Forage	Alcohol	$0.63 / kg	$3.00 /kg	Poca Cosa, Caganel, Drushlak, Okaidi, Merdin
*Alcohol*	.95 kg / L	Food	None	$4.2 / L	$ 22.4 / L	Fort Goks, Smerd, Masariah
*Leather*	2 kg /sqm	Forage	Shoes	$5.25 / sqm	$25 / sqm	Poca Cosa, Masariah
*Shoes*	3kg / Unit	Leather	None	$21 / Unit	$110 / Unit	Caganel, Kulin
*Medicine*	.001 kg / Unit	None	None	$0.44 / g	$2.20 / g	Hara, Nirgwendo
*Crude Oil*	137 kg / Barrel	Fuel	Fuel	$15.75 / barrel	$90 / Barrel	Verdammter Platz, Diep Gat
Fuel	.74 kg / L	Crude Oil	Crude Oil, Gold	$0.77 / L	$4.25 / L	Hara, Smerd
*Gold*	.001 kg / Unit	Fuel	Jewelry	$4.25 / g	$ 45 / g	Sekir Bashka, Abu Kirdyk
*Jewelry*	.01 kg / Unit	Gold	None	$715 / Unit	$ 4500 / Unit	Qubba

Animals

As much as you want to, there is no way you’re going to go around the wasteland without some animals to carry your goods, at least in the beginning. Believe me, I tried. Logically, the more animals you bring along, the more you are able to carry. However, this means you have to bring extra water and forage to accommodate the extra companions. Below is a list of the animals you can take with you, and their stats to help you decide what to bring with you:

Animal	Health	Capacity	Speed	Forage Consumption	Water Consumption	Carts
Donkey	150	150 kg	4 Km / hr	6 kg / day	4.8 L / day	Yes
Mule	200	250 kg	5 km / hr	9 kg / day	7.2 L / day	Yes
Horse	200	200 kg	15 km / hr	15 kg / day	12 L / day	Yes
Ox	450	500 kg	3 km / hr	24 kg / day	19.2 L / day	Yes
Dromedary Camel	250	300 kg	3 km / hr	1.5 kg / day	1.2 L / day	No
Bactrian Camel	350	500 kg	3 km / hr	4.5 kg / day	7.2 L / day	No

-Remember, Caravaneers cannot ride animals, only cars.

In conclusion, the Donkey you start the game with is definitely not the best pick. The Mule is a good upgrade to it and you should exchange it as soon as possible. The Horse is really fast animal and is a great complement once you get cars. However it has a fairly low capacity and is a fairly inefficient animal in terms of resources. The Ox can hold more than any other animal, but they use the most resources and it is only compiled even further by their slow speed. The Camels are the opposite of the Ox, combining extreme forage and water efficiency with decent health, but they are slow and cannot use carts, which is what we will discuss in our next section.

Carts

Carts are a very nice addition to any animal in Caravaneers. In simple terms, carts, when attached to an animal, will increase the carrying capacity of the animal. However, the cart itself has its own weight and carrying capacity, and it is possible that the cart will not increase the animal’s capacity as much. In fact, it’s possible that the cart can LOWER the capacity because it’s too heavy.

The following is a formula that is used to determine how much weight an animal cart can carry: New Capacity = [Animal’s Cart-less Capacity * Multiplier] – [Cart’s Weight]

The new weight cannot exceed the cart’s maximum capacity. Therefore it is important to know what carts are logical to choose to accommodate the animal. Below is a list of the equation at work, with each animal that can carry a cart and the new capacity with each cart in the game:

Status	Donkey	Mule	Horse	Ox
No Cart Attached	150kg	250kg	200kg	500kg
Small Wooden Cart	260kg	300kg	300kg	300kg
Medium Wooden Cart	220kg	420kg	320kg	600kg
Big Wooden Cart	140kg	340kg	240kg	840kg
Countryside Cart	295kg	500kg	420kg	500kg
‘Tigan’Cart	225kg	475kg	350kg	1100kg
Small Metal Cart	370kg	670kg	520kg	1000kg
Big Metal Cart	330kg	630kg	480kg	1380kg

As you can see, the smaller carts are almost useless for the ox, because the ox can carry more by himself than the cart! The best cart to use overall is the small metal cart, but that won’t be available until later in the game. The Countryside cart is your best choice early on, while the Ox can function just fine with a Big Wooden Cart, until its metal version is found.

If you want to know how the total capacity works, just add up all of the capacities of each animal and car and man on your team.

Cars

As a part of the mad max way, you are allowed to purchase a few different types of Automobiles as early as Verdammter Platz. Cars serve to both transport your caravaneers so they don’t have to walk, and they serve as a secondary place to hold cargo. All cars require Fuel to operate, but cars each have their own fuel tank to hold a certain amount of fuel. Cars are not cheap, so make sure you’re ready to spend a fortune if you want the feel of wind and sand across your face.

Vehicle	Health	Places	Cargo	Fuel Consumption	Tank Size	Speed
Arctic Cat 50cc ATV	100	Driver + 0	75 kg	3 L / 100 km	8 L	15 km / hr
Yamaha Raptor 700R	150	Driver + 0	200 kg	6 L / 100 km	11 L	25 km / hr
Jeep CJ-5	300	Driver + 1	800 kg	25 L / 100 km	57 L	20 km / hr Land
Rover Defender	400	Driver + 3	1000 kg	15 L / 100 km	60 L	20 km / hr
Hummer H1	500	Driver + 4	1800 kg	28L/ 100 km	160 L	20 km / hr

The Arctic Cat is can be bought the earliest, but it can also be “procured” from Robber parties hanging out in the north east towns (Sekir Bashka and Abu Kirdyk). The Jeep Becomes available in Hara, and the Hummer and Land Rover can usually only be found in the auto dealership in Qubba. They’re expensive (The Hummer costs $38,000) but it’s worth it once you get a full fleet of automobiles to carry your cargo instead of animals. Just remember to keep lots and lots of fuel with you, and no, it won’t blow up in combat.

Containers and Special Items

Water and Fuel are both unique in that they are the only two commodities in the whole game that require containers to hold. Both water and fuel have their own set of containers to hold the liquids, and some hold what they need more efficiently than others. Below is a list of each type of container and how efficient they are at doing their job:

Container	Weight	Volume	Efficiency
Glass Bottle	.3 kg	.75 L	2.5 L / kg
Small Water Bottle	.07 kg	.8 L	11.43 L /kg
Medium Water Bottle	.05 kg	1 L	20 L / kg
Big Water Bottle	.1 kg	1.5 L	15 L / kg Water
Jerry Can	2 kg	20 L	10 L / kg
Metal Water Barrel	17 kg	200 L	11.76 L / kg
Plastic Water Barrel	12 kg	208 L	17.33 L / kg 10 L
Fuel Jerry Can	1.2 kg	10 L	8.33 L / kg 20 L
Fuel Jerry Can	2 kg	20 L	10 L / kg
Fuel Barrel	18 kg	200 L	11.11 L /kg

As you can see, the glass bottles you start with are a waste of space and should be sold or thrown out as soon as you can. The Plastic Water Barrel is the item that holds the most water, although it won’t be available until you go to Qubba and Fort Goks. The Medium Water Bottle though is your best in terms of efficiency, and it is available from the beginning of the game. The Water Jerry Can is also good to get a lot of water at once without having to buy a thousand bottles.

For Fuel, The Barrel is best item to use, although if you’re going to outfit your caravan “raider” style (All ATVs and no cars or animals) A Few jerry cans will be an okay alternative, as ATVs consume far less fuel than their multi-seated counterparts.

In addition to Guns, Ammo, and Containers, there are several special items that are available in shops. These items serve to boost a particular skill or help you navigate the outside world more easily. Here’s a small list of these items and their unique functions:

Veterinary Kit: Increases Veterinary Skill by 20%

First Aid Kit: Increases Doctor Skill by 5%

Minor Surgery Kit: Increases Doctor Skill by 15%

Advanced Surgery Kit: Increases Doctor Skill by 30%

Basic Tool Set: Increases Mechanic Skill by 20%

Advanced Tool Set: Increases Mechanic Skill by 50%

Binoculars: Increases distance you can see other parties in the world.

It is a good idea to get all of these items at some point in the game. Because the bonuses add up you can have a Doctor bonus of up to 50%, and a Mechanic skill up to 70%, so the cars you have will never get damaged, unless shot at.

Story Walkthrough: Desert Patrol

By popular demand, I’m going straight to the main storyline because it would be redundant to explain the towns both in a separate section and in the walkthrough. The first few parts of the walkthrough are made so that you can get yourself started and have a decent amount of cash in your pocket before you go on to a bigger and more dangerous game.

Caravaneer Interface

Before we get started with the story, it is important to know the interface you are dealing with. Therefore I recommend you take some time out of the game and push every button on your screen and see what it does. You never know how much you can learn if you look closely. Don’t forget the game has a tutorial that should be looked at; quite a bit of the info you find on this guide is repeated there as well. The character I will be using for this guide is the following: Arek Darkslight Physical Shape: 7 Agility: 9 Accuracy: 8 Intelligence: 1

I would suggest you to save often, but this is one of those games where that might hurt you more than help you, especially when dealing with NPCs, or when dealing with many groups of robbers at once on the world map. My best suggestion is to save when starting a new chapter in a different slot. Most of you reading this guide are likely to be stuck at a certain point and need guidance, so let’s get started, shall we?

Sheriff McCoy/Getting Started

You begin the game traveling Northeast to Poca Cosa. When you arrive, go to the Sheriff’s Office. If you read the intro after making your character, this is what you’d naturally do. However, many of you people don’t, and you deserve your fate as you die a miserable death dehydrating in the desert. After a short talk with Sheriff McCoy you receive your Uncle’s Inheritance: A Donkey, a Bolt Action Rifle, some Ammo, and $1000 Cash. Don’t leave right away though: Talk with him. Ask him about what to do and how to make money. Most importantly, ask about the regional area which you’re now in. McCoy will talk about the Desert Patrol and Oswald. If you elaborate about the Desert Patrol, he’ll talk about John Sheppard; a person you will meet later. After leaving your office it is time to set up your caravan. I would start off by doing the following:

1. Sell both Glass Bottles
2. Buy a Water Jerry Can
3. Buy a Small Wooden Cart (Don’t forget to attach it to your donkey via the caravan menu.)
4. Fill water at the well (this should be the very first thing to do when you enter a town. Make a habit out of it; it’ll save a lot of frustration later on.)
5. Buy about 15 kg of Forage
6. Buy about 3 kg of Food
7. Some medicine…not a lot, just enough for an emergency. (5 to 10g)
8. Buy as much leather as you can.

With your caravan now set up, it’s now time to make some money.

Three Town Route, Building Your Caravan

Your first stop as a Caravaneer is going southwest to a smaller town called Caganel. Check your map and drag your mouse from Poca Cosa to Caganel. From the looks of it you’ll be traveling at 259 degrees for about 40 hours. There may be raider parties that move faster than you. Do not fret in the least; they never come in groups bigger than 4, and they hardly have anything sophisticated in their arsenal. If you happen to fight robbers (it may not happen the first time you travel, but it is inevitable) try to move into a range about 20m (more is acceptable if you have a high sniper skill) and use Aimed shots. Save quick shots for those enemies that share the screen with you. When you win, always take with you the water and/or food they leave behind. ALWAYS take the money…what are you, stupid?! Early on when you have little money take with you any scimitars or Luger Parabellums they drop. You can sell them at the shop for much needed cash, but only if the shop is buying them. Grab a Katana at your leisure from the spoils, but remember that they cannot be sold. It will make a fair weapon as backup if you’re foolish enough to forget to buy ammo frequently.

When you arrive at Caganel, sell all the leather you have in your possession. Don’t forget to fill your water reserves. Buy some 30.06 Ammunition for your Springfield rifle. Shoes are made in Caganel, so buy as much as you can. They are heavy so you won’t get much with your current caravan, but they still sell fairly well for its weight. The next stop on our journey will be Drushlak. Either you can go there directly or you can go back to Poca Cosa and then north, replenishing your resources in the middle. I prefer the latter, as you’re more likely to end up in combat, thus more money and experience rolls in.

The first time you go to Drushlak, you may find that the prices of shoes aren’t terribly high. Over time though, as demand rises, the cost of shoes may double or even triple to where you first found it. Sell some of the shoes you have, and buy clothes if they are $10 or less. Return to Poca Cosa and repeat the whole process; Buy leather in Poca Cosa, Sell leather and buy shoes in Caganel, Sell shoes in Drushlak. It shouldn’t take very long for you to roll in enough money for the achievement, if that is what you’re seeking. As you earn more and more money begin to consider several options, listed below:

• A better animal and cart. Consider buying a Horse or a Mule when you can afford it; A mule is a sure choice for a beginner, as it is an upgrade to the donkey. A horse is a bit more for advanced players; its high maintenance may cause you to stock up more on forage and water so you can keep going. However, it is a good option if your starting character travels faster than 5km/hr. As for carts, the countryside cart is your best choice at this point in the game, and is the second best for either of these two animals (the first is a small metal cart). It may carry a lot, but be careful with it; it can be easily destroyed.
• More Water containers. As your caravan grows, you need more containers to supply the increasing demand for water as you travel. As explained earlier in the guide, medium water bottles are your best option, but jerry cans will do okay as well if you’re not that meticulous about available space. -More animals and carts. The more animals you have, the more you can hold. Adding carts only makes that more true. Just remember to buy more forage and means to hold water if you plan on doing this. The more you can carry, the money you can make.
• Different weapons. Getting an M1 Garand as a step up to your Springfield isn't a bad idea. It’s more accurate and does more damage than your starting weapon. Keep the Springfield with you though, as you’ll have an extra weapon to give to the allies you hire. If you’re an acrobat, consider buying a Browning HP or a Desert Eagle. You are able to fire off more shots in a turn and the extra shots will allow you to increase your sniper skill and AP faster. If you decide this though, make sure to bring plenty of ammo (.50 AE is not bountiful in the desert).
• Hiring Help. No matter how well you train your character, you MUST at some point hire people. The more people you have, the more guns you have, the faster you can kill etc. etc. etc. There is usually at least one person worth buying in each town. Sometimes there are more. Don’t forget to arm with decent weaponry when you hire them Don’t rush it; spend some time and follow the route and build up your abilities, wallet, and caravan fighting robbers and selling stuff. Eventually, as you’ll realize, the prices for the trade goods will go down, and the early towns will be relatively supplied with what they need. Either you can be satisfied with that, or you can begin exploring elsewhere.

Branching Out; Okaidi and Merdin

Although the Desert Patrol is to the far west, it is a good idea to start exploring northwest instead. Keep in mind that the journey will be rather long, and the enemies will be tougher. It is possible to get to Okaidi with only one character, but you will definitely be shooting and running back much of the time during combat. These robbers are tougher and can move a lot more spaces than their weaker counterparts. Before you begin your journey to Okaidi, make sure you have the following with you:

• At least 3 mules, 3 horses or a combination of both (preferably all with countryside carts)
• 3 days supply of water, forage and food (the caravan menu tells you how much of each you consume per day, so you can supply your caravan accordingly)
• 2 Party members other than your main character (recommended)
• Trade goods (shoes and clothing)
• $15000 to $20000 Cash

When you feel ready, start your trip from Drushlak. When you get there, sell your goods (they should come at a fairly good price, and replenish your water, forage and food reserves.) The shop holds many new items which may have been seen to you as a godsend. The first thing is armor. It’s a smart idea to pick up a few standard bulletproof vests if you can afford it. Assault rifles are the other ticket, and it is not a bad idea to buy an M-16 or an AK-47 for a party member; they can mow down robbers much more efficiently than a pistol or bolt-action rifle.

Don’t bother with textiles. None of the towns you’ve been to so far make clothes, so textiles will not be demand. Merdin, on the other hand, does not make much in terms of trade goods. It also does not receive shipments from caravans very often, which makes it a pretty good place to sell most perishables you have (shoes, clothes, alcohol, medicine). I consider it a pit stop, although there is not much else worth a visit. With a few extra towns, you should be able to make more profit from your hardened fighting and shrewd bargaining. Soon enough, it will be time to head west and meet John Sheppard once and for all.

Verdammter Platz and John Sheppard

A Party of 5 (No pop-culture reference intended) and rifles for each are recommended if you decide to take the long trek to Verdammter Platz. The Robbers here are even more dangerous than before. They will usually be coming at you in parties of 8 to 14. They will be armed with revolvers, shotguns, and occasionally an assault rifle. However, unlike the previous robbers you’ve encountered, there may be a Horse with a Tigan Cart among the party. Take them if you wish, but be aware of your forage and water consumption if you do. There is a saving grace in this area, though. There are desert patrol parties that scout the desert and they will attack any robber they see. If you’re trying to avoid battle, try moving your way to one of them and let them take care of the battle.

When you get to Verdammter, you’ll find a whole new trove of new items and goodies available to buy. Shops will sell you metal water barrels, fuel containers, and a few items to boost your maintenance skills, and even better assault rifles and shotguns. The AK 101, the M14, and the M4 stand out, as well as the F-1 Grenades. You may want to stock up on grenades later on. The Transport Fair now sells small metal carts, something that isn’t a bad idea to get for your animals. Get Metal Water Barrels to replace your jerry cans, but keep collecting medium water bottles. They’re still the most efficient way to store water. ATVs are now available, but we’ll stave off of them for now. Shoes and Clothes will likely fetch a high price here so sell them if you have any. Don’t bother with crude oil, and don’t buy fuel from them. They need it more than you do at this point in the game.

Whenever you’re ready, talk to John Sheppard in the Desert Patrol Office. Tell him Sheriff McCoy sent you (if you didn’t do what I asked in the beginning and asking about the Desert Patrol, you have to go back and activate the script) and you’re here to help because of your hatred for robbers. He’ll explain how he believes that there may be a method to their madness, and may be coordinated by a higher power. Thus he concludes there may be a base, likely somewhere to the northeast where there is not much law to be around. John Sheppard asks you to locate this base, and to do so, directs you back to Poca Cosa and speak to your old friend, Sheriff McCoy. You’ve got a long journey ahead of you back east, so when you’re rested, refreshed and reloaded, start heading back to Poca Cosa.

Return to Poca Cosa; Word from the Wise

Hopefully you had the money to buy some higher-class weaponry to mow down your opponents as you head back, but it is okay if you didn’t. You still have plenty of time before the big battle. When you return to Poca Cosa, head to the Sheriff’s office and tell McCoy what you came there to tell him. He’ll explain that an ex-robber, Joesph Berg, was recently released from prison and now resides in Drushlak. He also warns you not to mention his name before you leave. An ex-robber will likely not help you out of the kindness of his heart, so maybe it’s a good idea to bring along some extra cash. 20 grand should do the trick. When you’ve made the money, proceed to Drushlak.

Finding The Robber’s Base; Joseph Berg

Returning to Drushlak, you’ll find a new icon on your map leading to the residence of Joesph Berg. I suppose it’s time we had a little chat with him. Joesph Berg is a very picky fellow, so choose your words with care. Give him due respect. Do not mention Sheriff McCoy’s name. Tell him you’re willing to offer him payment. Don’t be a cheap bastard (i.e. offer him $200), and you’ll be able to get away with the information you need for only $20,000. If you piss him off in any way, you’ll be forced to pay him $50 grand. Regardless he will still give you the information you need: go north to Abu Kirdyk, and move for about 100km in the 113 degree direction. That is the location of the Robber’s main base.

You may be itching to cap some robber heads and take names, but we’re talking about a stronghold here. You will definitely need help getting there, as your current caravan will likely be slaughtered by the opposition. Do not report to John Sheppard until you’re ready. Spend time building up your cash reserves and hire some more people to your party. Train your new members now. When you take down the base, there will be no more robbers to fight for the remainder of the game. This is a blessing and a curse; if you want your party to be stronger they’ll be forced to fight tougher and riskier battles. If you want to look ahead go to section ( 7.l ) and learn about some ways to make some money quickly and find the best weapons available.

Back To Verdammter; Reinforcements

When you feel confident you can face anything they can throw at you, report to John Sheppard. Tell him what you’ve learned and he’ll instruct you to follow Joesph Berg’s instructions; go to Abu Kirdyk and travel 113 degrees till you hit the bunker. He won’t send you without help, though. By the kindness of his heart, he has provided you with two Desert Convoys to escort you to the base. These parties will attack any robber party that is in their sights. They also never seem to run out of stamina, and can take out hundreds upon hundreds of parties without self-destruction. The convoys move on either side of you at 15 Kmh. If you happen to be moving faster, you’ll be outrunning them….which my not be a bad thing If you had the firepower. However, keep in mind that with the convoys by your side there will be hardly any conflicts until you get to the northeast.

Hard Robbers, Harder Base; The Northeast

The Northeast Towns (Sekir Bashka and Abu Kirdyk) Are the two most dangerous places in the game in terms of the Robbers you’ll be dealing with. These parties are now armed with Rocket Launchers and Grenades, in addition to the weapons you’ve seen earlier on in the game. They now drive Arctic Cat ATVs, which also mean they move about three times as fast as they did before. Their numbers are also even greater, spotting parties of over 20 people. The towns here sell gold by the gram. Buy it. It will take up little space and if you happen to find you way in Qubba, you can sell it for about five times the price you bought it. The Jewelry they make can fetch a pretty penny as well. Grenades here are sold by the truckload, so you may want to pick some up. And by some, I mean a lot. Now, it’s time to move 113 degrees to the bunker.

Bunker Raid

This is it. Arguably, this is the part most players have trouble with. You’re up against a lot of robbers at once emerging from a stronghold resembling a small shed. You’re going to be out gunned, out numbered, and probably out classed. However, if you move quickly and efficiently, it’s possible to destroy this base without a shot fired at your party. Before you start the raid, make sure you have the following:

• 500g medicine (never hurts to be prepared)
• 12-14 Party Members (including the Combat Engineer Sheppard gave you…make sure most of them are somewhat trained. Otherwise, bring more with you)
• 120-150 F-1 or M67 Grenades (M67 are preferred, they do more damage and weigh less (see ( 7.l ). If you have more party members, bring extra grenades.)
• Armor (More of an insurance policy, just in case the robbers do get off a shot)
• Guns (You should have Assault Rifles in your party anyway, and it’s more for any battles you’ll be facing after the raid is over.)
• Some free space (To the victor go the spoils…)

Make sure to give everyone grenades in the caravan menu before you attack. You want to start the attack from the south, where the entrance to the bunker is. If you start elsewhere, load a previous save and try again. You’ll start the battle with two guards armed with Machine Guns. Both will have heavy armor and take quite a bit to take them down. Start to chuck grenades at both of the guards until they are down.

Then, try to get as many of the other party members in a horizontal line across the bottom of the map, about 2 squares north of your animals and cars. When you end your turn, the first wave of robbers will emerge from the entrance and take position in a rectangular formation, each robber about two spaces away from the next one. Don’t let up. Bombard grenades at the wave of robbers, and try to do it before the turn ends. Aim for robbers that have many robbers in between them. Make sure to alternate who you’re aiming at; the robbers will go down quicker that way. Also, remember the order in which you should deal with enemies.

The Machine Gunners (gray/silver rifles with bipods at the barrel) and Grenadiers (Seemingly unarmed with one arm extended to the side) should be a priority, for they present the greatest danger. Eventually, you’ll see robbers drop like flies. If you cannot get every single robber in one turn, then at least try your best to weaken them as best as you can.

Within a few turns of the first wave, a second wave will move in, likely in the same exact formation as the first if you didn’t move your soldiers up. Deal with them the same way. It should be easier if you took the enemy-less turns moving in a more favorable position (more people at the line).

After this wave, the battle is done, and the spoils are yours. And damn, that is some fine booty. If you’re traveling light, at least grab the fuel, water, money, gold, jewelry, and whatever else suits your fancy. It’s not over yet though. Move into the base and your engineer (he’d better still be alive!) will destroy the bunker with the explosives that are in your inventory. Your first mission is complete.

Return to Sheppard

Bet you’re feeling ecstatic you just slayed the entire army of evil-doers, aren’t ya? Well, we’re nowhere near done yet. With your convoy and engineer still in possession, head back to Verdammter Platz. He’ll thank you, and rewards you with a warm fuzzy feeling inside, and some money, which is completely up to you to take. Personally, I don’t. Besides, you can probably earn money much faster than what he gives you, and they need the funds more than you anyway. If you happen to read the news recently after your victory, you’ll see there’s an article written about you…with your name on it! Isn’t fame awesome? Unfortunately, the battle against evil is far from over, and a new, possibly even tougher mission lies ahead. Sheppard warns you that by doing this mission, the Police will make you their most wanted criminal. Interesting. By now you probably want to take a break from big battles, so now it’s time explore the last area of the world: the capital of Qubba.

The Best of Show: Hara, Qubba and Fort Goks (7.l)

After your encounter with the robbers, you may want to help sell some of that booty you earnt from the fighting. No? You should come along, regardless of it. In this crowded quarter of the map, the most profit can be made. You can usually buy cheap alcohol from Fort Goks and Hara, and sell them on for about five times the price. Bored of travelling at 5km per hour? Swap in your animals for the Hummers and the Land Rovers, both of which have a large storage capacity( meaning more alcohol can be carried in each trip!). Just remember to buy a Fuel Barrel and Fuel (Durhh?) otherwise when you are out of fuel, you have to abandon your rather expensive car and walk. Not good.

However, although large profits can be made from this area, the downside is there are speeding police squads running around trying to tax you. If you have a Land Rover or Hummer, great you can outrun them. If you, however, are dedicated to using large animals carry your items, you're in a rut. A solution I found out myself (although not entirely sure it might work) is try to visit Oswald Raff, who is the head of the goverment and is situated in Qubba. Get some formalities over (i.e kissing his butt saying he is good; saying Desert Patrol are evil, so on and so forth), you can then ask him if he has any jobs for you. After this, you can then get him to give you a pass to Fort Goks where you can pick up a sniper, turn evil and destroy Desert Patrol. For those doing the good campaign, don't visit Colonel Kaminski as Oswald Raff says; just cruise around without the worry of the police taxing you every two seconds.

Take the opportunity to spend some of your profits on the fine selection of guns and armors available in Qubba and Fort Goks, such as the sniper rifles or the RPGs, and in addition the opportunity to sell the spoils of the conflict with the robbers. Relax: you are in a form of paradise. For now.

Caravan X and The Police State ( 7.m )

Once you're done galivanting around, it's time to resume the story. Return to Verdammter Platz and accept Sheppard's next mission. First up, disrupt Qubba's trade by destroying the mysterious Caravan X, which you've probably seen on the map by now. It travels a route between Qubba and the two north-east towns, which makes it relatively easy to find. You'll want to hit it on the way back to Qubba, while it's full of profitable north-east gold dust.

Caravaneers Most Wanted ( 7.n )

The caravan should be a pushover, but as Sheppard warned you, destroying it makes you a wanted man. You can still visit the northwest cities, but Police patrols will attack you on sight. There's usually two to four rocket launchers in each Police patrol, so you'll want to make sure you're well armed and have enough high initiative caravaneers.

The Qubban Missile Crisis: Getting In The Military Base I ( 7.o )

Once you get back to Verdammter Platz, you'll discover there's yet more to do. The government has missiles in the military base in Fort Goks! Accept the mission from Sheppard, head north, and visit the Desert Patrol contact in Fort Goks, Francesca. Francesca obtains you a base pass, which you need to take to a forger.

With A Fake ID ( 7.p )

Head northeast to the forger Pierre Seton in Smerd, get the copy made (you'll have to wait around), and then return the original to Francesca. (Failure to do so will get her killed, and end the storyline.) Once you have the pass, enter the base, visit the control room, and discover there's no big SELF DESTRUCT button. (Resist the temptation to visit the base commander - that's part of the bad guy storyline.) Leave the base, visit Francesca yet again, who'll suggest you talk to Sheppard about finding a manual for the missile console.

Read The Furnished Manual ( 7.q )

Back to sunny Verdammter Platz, where Sheppard tells you he doesn't have a copy of the manual, but he knows a guy who does, over in Diep Gat. Zip over there, chat with the ex-general militaria collector, and claim you need the manual for your own collection. He'll only relinquish the rare manual for a better trade, so head back to Verdammter Platz, get a copy of Patton's Memoirs from Sheppard, and make the swap. Read the manual (the self destruct sequence is on the last page), and return to Fort Goks.

Fourth of July ( 7.r )

Enter the base with your forged pass, visit the control room, and execute the self destruct command, which wipes the console and fires all the missiles directly up in the air. Return to Verdammter Platz, receive Sheppard's awkward congratulations, and discover that there's yet more work to do.

First You Get The Money ( 7.s )

Sheppard wants three million dollars to finance the rebellion. Time to get earning!

Once you get three million, plus a comfortable amount above, go back to Sheppard and give him the money. He will then have you wait 72 hours.

Hostile Takeover ( 7.t )

After three days, come back and the army will be ready. Five Desert Patrol caravans will then head out from Verdammter Platz. It's your job to protect them. At least one needs to survive.This part is the hardest part of the game. make sure you have close to 50+ people with, all well trained and equiped or the army will decimate you.

When you get near Qubba, there will be 7-9 (I dont have a accurate count) Army caravans moving to intercept you and the Desert Patrol people behind you. Some people try to lure some of the Army caravans away and fight them that way, but remember that all of the Army caravans must be destroyed. Allow at least one Desert Patrol caravan to pass through to Qubba and you beat the game.