Hostile Machines

Typhon aren’t the only threat aboard Talos I. Originally designed to serve their human creators, Operators and turrets can become corrupted or hacked, causing them to attack. Countering these hostile machines requires different tactics and equipment.

Corrupted Operator

Psychoscope Scans

Research Notes

Excerpt From TranStar Security Records: Incident report #1258-011835. Classification: Equipment malfunction. Reporting officer: Patricia Wang. Incident Summary: I was called to the scene by Carlos Popinga, who requested assistance with another haywire Operator near the Arboretum lift. Popinga explained he had been sent to fix the main lift, which had been malfunctioning. He claims his Engineering Operator appeared to malfunction upon approaching the lift and became hostile when Popinga attempted to deactivate it. I used an EMP charge to neutralize the Operator. Popinga was sent to Trauma with severe burns. The engineers down in Hardware Labs have already checked out the Operator. They tell me it’s been physically rewired and completely reprogrammed, just like the last four cases. This looks like sabotage to me.

Counter Tactics

Equipped with devastating flamethrower-like weapons, Corrupted Operators are extremely dangerous. They’re also much faster than their friendlier counterparts, rushing to close range upon detecting you. These enemies are best avoided until you have access to EMP Charges, Electrostatic Burst, or the Disruptor Stun Gun. Alternatively, rely on turrets to take these enemies out.

Electrical-based attacks are most effective against Corrupted Operators. Initiate attacks by tossing an EMP Charge toward these enemies—the electromagnetic pulse inflicts damage and temporarily disables the Corrupted Operator. Follow up with persistent Disruptor Stun Gun attacks. Like the EMP Charge, the Disruptor Stun Gun inflicts damage and stuns the Corrupted Operator. Electrostatic Burst is also effective against these enemies.

Once their health is depleted, Corrupted Operators fall to the ground and explode—keep your distance to avoid getting damaged by the explosion. Always search the remains of Operators for supplies. You can usually find Disruptor and Q-Beam batteries. If you possess the Dismantle ability, you can also retrieve spare parts from the wreckage.

Turret

Psychoscope Scans

Research Notes

Excerpt From The Engineering Database: Testing log #1008-010435. Product: Eradicator Auto-Turret v0.7.6. Observer: Franklin Goode. The accuracy grade for this newest turret iteration is a significant improvement over the last generation, with a marked 17% increase. The jamming issues when transitioning to portability mode also seem to have been resolved. Stability is still shit. The Psychoscope element works well, but I recommend tuning the sensitivity down somewhat. I’ve received complaints from Psychotronics that some of the prototypes we sent down for testing are a little high-strung.

Counter Tactics

Turrets are equipped with a light machine gun and an integrated Psychoscope, allowing them to distinguish humans from Typhon. When a Typhon organism is detected, the turret unleashes an endless volley of automatic fire until the threat is eliminated or undetectable. Despite their rapid fire, turrets never run out of ammo, making them a persistent and deadly threat.

If you install two or more Typhon abilities, turrets will no longer consider you human, and attack—the red light atop a turret indicates it’s hostile. Hostile turrets are easily disabled with Electrostatic Burst, EMP Charges, or the Disruptor Stun Gun. Or simply walk behind the turret to evade its limited firing arc. Once behind the turret, you can approach and hack it if you possess the Hacking II ability. Hacking a turret adjusts its Typhon detection sensitivity, preventing it from attacking you.

In their default state, turrets are rather fragile, usually succumbing to a single Kinetic Blast attack. However, they can never be completely destroyed. A damaged turret can always be repaired, assuming you have the Repair II ability and some spare parts. Turrets can also be fortified to significantly increase their durability. Fortifying a turret requires the Repair III ability and more spare parts. Once a turret is fortified, consider carrying it around and deploying it in each new area you explore—it never hurts to have a turret watching your back…unless you’re caught in the crossfire.

Corrupted Device

Psychoscope Scans

Research Notes

Counter Tactics

Corrupted devices are the result of tampering by a Technopath. Affected devices include lifts and doors, preventing them from functioning. Attacking a corrupted device has no effect—you need to hunt down and kill the Technopath responsible for the corruption.

Technopaths usually don’t wander far from their corrupted devices. Once you’ve located a Technopath, hit it with Electrostatic Burst or an EMP Charge, then attack with the Q-Beam. A fully upgraded Disruptor Stun Gun can also be effective against these enemies. Once the responsible Technopath is eliminated, any corrupted devices under its control are freed, allowing them to function normally.

Military Operator

Psychoscope Scans

Research Notes

Excerpt From TranStar Operator Brochure: The N-CN9 Blackbox Military Operator is the world’s most advanced unmanned multi-role fighter. Armed with a state-of-the-art MAG-directed energy weapon and an OMNI navigation system, the Military Operator is never short on firepower. From assault operations to security detail, the innovative Synthetic Hyperdynamic Neural Network ensures the Military Operator is quick to respond to developing and dangerous situations.

Counter Tactics

This is essentially a reinforced Operator equipped with a Q-Beam. Military Operators are first encountered when Commander Dahl arrives on Talos I. The Q-Beam attached to each Military Operator has incredible range and damage potential, shredding your suit within seconds. Keep moving and seek cover to avoid taking a prolonged Q-Beam blast. But you’re not the only target of Military Operators—they’ll also attack Typhon organisms. It’s not uncommon to sneak past a battle between Military Operators and Typhon.

The Military Operator’s metal housing is much more durable than those found on civilian Operators, making traditional firearms less effective. As with any machine, Electrostatic Burst, EMP Charges, and the Disruptor Stun Gun are your best options for taking these units down. A fully upgraded Disruptor Stun Gun can make quick work of any Military Operator, taking one down with as few as three hits.

While initially hostile, Military Operators can be hacked, turning them into a powerful ally. To perform a hack, you’ll need the Hacking IV ability and a disabled Military Operator. Once you’ve stunned a unit, approach it and perform the hack—the game is paused while hacking, so don’t be afraid to hack during the middle of a heated firefight.