Beginner's Guide to The Cycle: Frontier

The Cycle: Frontier is a first-person shooter game with a PvEvP system where players have to hunt for resources in the game's world while facing off against AI enemies and other players. The game follows the player as a prospector after they drop on the beautiful world of Fortuna III. Players must defend against Fortuna III's wildlife as well as other prospectors while attempting to gather materials and complete missions.

New The Cycle: Frontier players may find the world of Fortuna III I to be a difficult environment as they struggle to compete for resources and get killed constantly, but by following this beginner guide you will become a top-notch prospector in no time at all. 

Preparing to dive in Fortuna III

When players enter the game, they will not be put in the world of Fortuna III immediately. Instead, they will be in the Prospector Station, a spaceship complete with the player's quarters, three faction buildings (which we will explore later), a store where they can purchase basic gear, a crafting station, and a launchpad. The area is quite big; players have to run around to access all the functions on the ship.

The spaceship area is where players can prepare before going to Fortuna III. Players need to have a few things before diving into a game: Backpack, Armor, and Weapons.

A Backpack is an essential item for any prospector looking to scavenge materials in Fortuna III. Prospectors need some storage for any materials they gather, and the Backpack is the item for that. Materials, tools, weapons, and ammo have a specific weight that adds to a prospector's storage. A small Backpack can carry up to 200 weight, which increases with the Backpack's quality. Carrying capacity is limited, so players can't just loot everything they see.

Players can equip two kinds of armor in the game: a Helmet and Shield. All Helmets and Body Armor will increase a player's Armor stat, which reduces the damage they take from enemies and players. There are higher quality armors that grant bonus health regeneration or bonus stamina. Players can opt to equip only a Helmet or a Body Armor, maybe even nothing, but this just makes them easier to kill.

Weapons are a prospector's best defense against Fortuna III's wildlife and other prospectors. These are the weapon types available in the game: Assault Rifles, SMGs, Pistols, Shotguns, Sniper Rifles, LMGs, DMRs, and Launchers. Each weapon will have specific ammo that it uses, so keep in mind to take ammo that is suited to the weapon you bring.

The lowest loot quality items that players need will be available in the shop near the launchpad. Here is a loadout that I would recommend new players take.

Small Backpack

• The basic Backpack can carry up to 200 weight in items. Needed to store ammo and healing items.

Common Helmet and Common Shield

• Having Armor is essential to surviving in Fortuna III. Guns with penetrating power higher than your Armor will do more damage, so protection is best if you want to extract safely.

AR-55 Autorifle

• Players' bread and butter against enemies. The AR-55 might be weak, but it's the best among the basic quality guns. The AR-55 is good at close-range and mid-range and deals more damage than the PDW SMG. Players have the option to take a second weapon for extra firepower. I recommend taking the B9 Trenchgun or the PDW for better close-quarter defense.

Ammo

• You can't have guns without ammo. Make sure to bring the proper ammo type to Fortuna III. In this case, the AR-55 Autorifle uses the Heavy Ammo, and it's optimal to take 250-300 ammo. If you opt to take the PDW as a second weapon, take 250-300 Light Ammo or 15-25 Shotgun Ammo if you take the B9 Trenchgun.

Healing items

• The wildlife in Fortuna III is aggressive. They will attack and chase any player who goes near or attacks them. Aside from that, there are other players that will most likely attack on sight. It's best to take healing items. Bring a weak Medkit and at least 3 weak Stims. The weak Medkit takes 9 seconds to apply but will heal a player's HP to full, while the Stim only takes 3 seconds to apply but only heals for 15% HP.

Diving into Fortuna III

Once players have their loadout sorted, they can dive into Fortuna III and start collecting the needed materials. However, having a loadout is not all players need to survive the game. There are a lot of factors that determine a player's success during their prospect runs. Here are some tips that can help beginners survive in Fortuna III.

Make as little noise as possible.

• Staying silent is a player's best bet at surviving. If you're in no particular rush, it's better to walk rather than sprint because it creates less noise, meaning less attention, and you can hear your surroundings much better. Audio cues are very important in this game because they tell players about their area's danger.

• Be careful when going around the map. Always remember that the enemies in this game deal a lot of damage and can easily take you down if you're not careful. Players looking to gather materials can simply avoid creatures by crouching past them. Whenever you can, sneak up on enemies and use the knife on them so you won't attract attention. Players can kill smaller enemies like the Striders and Ticks with one heavy attack from a knife.

Pay attention to the surroundings.

• Always be mindful of where you walk. Take note that there is fall damage in the game. Prospectors are mere humans looking to gather resources. A fall from an ample height will take out most of a player's HP.

• Be vigilant and listen to your surroundings. Walking around the map rather than sprinting is better because it lets players hear better. Various actions create noise; players can listen to know whether another player is in the vicinity.

• If you are ever caught in a firefight, do your best to keep an eye out for wildlife. Gunfire can attract their attention, and players wouldn't want to face off against enemies and players simultaneously. Since an encounter with a player is most likely to ensue in a firefight, keep an eye out as well for other players that are looking to join in. If you are in a dangerous position, don't hesitate to run.

• Use the surroundings to your advantage. Yes, the wildlife is aggressive. They will attack and chase players. A good way to get away from enemies is by climbing on ledges. Enemies will not climb up; instead, they will find a way to get to players or use ranged attacks if they have any. When in a firefight, use the surroundings for cover. Players can use several objects in the games, like boulders and trees, for cover. Getting high ground is also a good way to win a fight.

Always keep track of the Stamina and Health bar.

• The Stamina and Health bars are located on the bottom part of a player's screen. Stamina is consumed when performing actions like sprinting and jumping. Having enough stamina could mean life and death, so manage your stamina effectively. Sprint only when necessary.

• The Health bar shows how much more damage a player can take. When fighting enemies or other players, losing track of one's HP is easy. When low on health, take cover and use healing items so you can get back into the fight. Run away if needed. Getting your HP to 0 means the player will be brought back to the Prospector Station, losing all items they gathered along with their equipment.

Stay in Bright Sands for now.

• When going into Fortuna III, the game gives players two options: Bright Sands and Crescent Falls. In the game, different map areas have varying tiers of difficulty. The safest would be Bright Sands, which has only Tier 1 to Tier 3 areas, while Crescent Falls has Tier 3 to Tier 5.

These are the things that a beginner should keep in mind when going into Fortuna III. Gathering materials and making it out safely is a sure way to progress through the game. For the final part, we will talk about the game's economy and tips on how to get currency.

Getting Money and Gear

The game currently has three currencies available in the game: K-Marks, Aurum, and Gear Salvage Tokens.

K-Marks

• This is the game's primary currency. It is used to purchase equipment in the shops around the Prospector Station. You can earn K-Marks by completing missions from any of the three factions or selling materials.

• There are three factions in the Prospector Station that you can get missions from, the ICA, Korolev, and Osiris. Each faction will have beginner quests for players to complete. These quests will grant rewards like K-Marks and reputation points. Jobs are unlocked by reaching a certain amount of reputation within a faction. Each faction will also have its shop where they sell more powerful gear.

Aurum

• This is the game's premium currency. Aurum is used to buy cosmetics in the Cycle: Frontier shop or for the Gear Salvage insurance. Players can obtain Aurum by purchasing them with real money or through the Aurum Generator in the player's quarters.

Gear Salvage Tokens

• These are special tokens that can be used for the Gear Salvage insurance in place of Aurum. Players are given 5 tokens at the start and can gain more via the Battle Pass.

Out of all these three, K-Marks are the most useful currency in the game. They give players access to the equipment that they need to get into Fortuna III. Here are a few things that will help prospectors get their pockets rolling.

Complete the faction quests

• The faction quests are very valuable. Completing these quests will give players a hefty sum of K-Marks and good gear. Some of them are fairly easy to complete, requiring you to visit specific landmarks on the map or gather a few specific materials.

Go on economy runs

• Once the quests are completed, players can opt to go for a run for the sole purpose of making money. Upon drop, gather as many materials as you can and quickly get back to the Prospector Station. Then sell all the spare materials that you have in the Faction Shops. Not only does this give K-Marks, but it also helps in increasing your Faction reputation.

• Players can make their way to the Jungle if they want to make quick money. It may be one of the most dangerous places in Bright Sands, but it's also where you can find Focus Crystals, materials that players can sell for a lot of K-Marks. Get to the Jungle, farm some Focus Crystals, and get out. Quick and easy. Beware of other players, though!

• Keep an eye out for Meteor Showers. These will drop mineable rocks that give Meteor Shards and Meteor Cores that fetch a good amount of K-Marks.

Unlock and upgrade the K-Marks Generator

• The K-Marks Generator in the player's quarters is a good source of income because it gives players a consistent influx of K-Marks. It's a good idea to go on occasional hunts for the materials needed for upgrading the K-Mark Generator. The amount it gives may not be that much, but it will slowly accumulate over time, plus it's passive income!

Insure your Gear

• In The Cycle: Frontier, there is an insurance system that will give a certain amount of K-Marks in case the player dies in Fortuna III. Although there is an initial payment to insure your gear, the returns will be much bigger, and it's only a one-time payment for a piece of gear. Insurance means players will get a fraction of the money they spent on gear in case they don't make it out of Fortuna III safely.

That's all for this guide. These are the tips that will help beginners make it through the tough environment of Fortuna III. Remember to always be careful when venturing into the lands of Fortuna III. Go and enjoy The Cycle: Frontier!