Behaviour Interactive's Meet Your Maker sees players attempting to raid guarded trap-filled locations for precious resources that will allow them to thrive in a seemingly barren wasteland. Although the premise seems pretty straightforward, it's the multiplayer aspect that truly gives this title life. Players won't just be grabbing random items from developer-designed locations, instead, they'll be forced to contend with creations from other players. This creates an ecosystem in which gamers are constantly trying to one-up one another with even crazier and more heavily fortified outposts.
Meet Your Maker offers great replayability as players will constantly find themselves contending with new difficult designs, while also giving them a chance to flex their own creative muscles in the builder mode. Swapping between effectively raiding enemy compounds to upgrading and redesigning their own outposts promises to keep things fresh as players contend against one another to survive the unforgiving post-apocalyptic setting.
Because of this, Meet Your Maker can actually be a bit punishing to new players, especially those that are not prepared for some of the trickier designs that outpost builders are creating. Here's a look at some tips and tricks for those that are just starting out.
Don't Rush In When Raiding
This is one of the most important things to remember when raiding a new outpost. Players will need to be careful when attempting to steal Genmat from another player's compound as they won't have a clearcut picture of where traps and guards are when raiding a new location for the first time. Although the tutorial locations feature open, airy, and fairly straightforward pathing, players will be much more crafty when guarding their own Genmat.
Most outposts that players explore will feature tight corridors, trap-filled areas, and heavily guarded, confusing paths. Because of this, players need to take a slow and steady approach when exploring areas. It's incredibly easy to overlook a hidden trap when rushing forward, which can quickly eliminate a new player in a single shot. Meet Your Maker's damage system can be unforgiving, meaning players can find themselves incapacitated by a single misstep. Thankfully, some traps can be destroyed using a quick melee slash or ranged weapon, so players that take their time can effectively clear a path.
Follow The Harvester Carefully
Players won't have a map for each new area they enter. Thankfully, there's a handy way to know where the Genmat is within an outpost, no matter how hidden it may seem. When players enter an outpost, they'll find a strange box-like creature called a Harvester. This creature will constantly path back and forth between the entry area and the Genmat inside the outpost. Players that are struggling to find their prize can follow this creature as it will always follow the "shortest path" to the Genmat.
That said, players should also be careful not to end up "blocked" by the Harvester, especially when trying to escape or deal with an abundance of guards. Outpost creators will also likely focus on packing traps onto the path that the Harvester follows to ensure they ensnare unaware players.
Pay Attention To Advisor Upgrades
After players meet with the Chimera for the first time, they'll be able to interact with an array of advisors that are responsible for different aspects of the game. These advisors are the main way for players to unlock new things, including new weapons, armor, tools, and even outpost materials. Each advisor has their own specific icon and players will need to collect resources for that advisor by matching their icon with those found at a variety of outposts when going on raids. By targeting certain raids, players can increase their score with a specific advisor. This is key to helping players gain access to new items and allows them to focus on specific things by targeting certain raids.
Feed Your Chimera To Help Unlock New Gear
Once players have gained enough of a particular resource for an Advisor, that Advisor will "level up." Once this is done, players should head over to the Chimera (the creature present in the large tube) and pull the lever that's placed next to them. Doing so will cause the Chimera itself to level up and will give players some Chimera Points as a reward. These points can then be used to purchase new gear, weapons, traps, armor, and other items.
Different Weapons Have Different Skills
There are an array of different ranged weapons present in Meet Your Maker and each one of them has its own unique skill that players can use to help make their way through certain outposts. Some weapons might be a better choice for certain raid setups, so players should familiarize themselves with the Weapons Advisor and take a look at the variety of weapons available for purchase. Players will need to unlock these weapons by upgrading the Advisor and Chimera first and can target certain weapons based on their play style.
Don't Forget The Grapple Hook
Players will have access to a special item called a Grapple Hook when navigating through outposts and raiding other players. This unlimited-use item can give players access to areas higher up in an outpost and can also be used to reach ranged traps that are placed higher into the air. The Grapple Hook can also be used to make it across pits and enter otherwise inaccessible areas. Players should immediately learn how to use the Grapple Hook effectively as it can be an invaluable tool to escape and avoid certain traps, while also offering players a way to move more quickly through certain raids and outposts.
Start With A Blank Canvas When Building
Players can purchase multiple outposts to guard (up to five) and create different combinations of traps and guards in each one of them. Some outposts offer much more space than others and each outpost has its own "build limit." Once players purchase a new outpost, they'll enter the building mode and be given access to the area (which will have a pre-determined Genmat location). Upon opening a new outpost for the first time, players will notice that some of the build cost has been used up by pre-placed assets. It's a good idea for players to find and delete these pre-placed assets as it will give them more space and freedom to place their own blocks as they see fit.
Try Not To Use Too Much Filler When Building
Players won't have to contend with "realistic physics" or gravity when building their outposts, so it's important that they do not use too much filler when creating their death-trap-filled gauntlet. If a player places down a block and then places another atop it, they are free to erase the original block without causing the structure to fall or collapse. Builders can actually get much more out of their outpost's item limit by ensuring that their walls and lanes are hollow and that they are not placing too many unnecessary blocks. Once a player has a clear-cut picture of their setup, they can then go back and fill in any problem areas with physical blocks or decorations.
Build For Two Stages
One of the unique things about the outposts in Meet Your Maker is that they are capable of "transforming" after a player makes contact with the Genmat. When players are building, they're able to set an array of traps, guards, and other items that will only appear once a player has grabbed the Genmat and is attempting to flee the area with it. This allows builders to conceal traps and create new pathways and gauntlets, which will keep raiders on their toes the entire time. Because of this, builders should always build for two stages when creating an outpost, making sure they don't use up all of their resources before players grab the Genmat, as it will make it much easier for them to escape.
Use The Replay System To Help Refine Your Outposts
One of the best features found in Meet Your Maker is the replay system. Once players have crafted their own outpost, they'll gain access to a specialized replay system that will collect real recorded playthroughs of raiders attempting to snag their Genmat. These replays showcase valuable information, giving builders insight into what traps players may be struggling with and how easy or difficult their outpost is to complete. Each time a builder logs into the game, they'll be able to sift through these replays and take notes on what is (and isn't) working in a given outpost. This is an invaluable tool to help builders refine their designs, eventually leading to an outpost that is immensely difficult to navigate for most raiders.