There is another ranking system specifically dedicated to the leveling in The Dark Zone. The higher your rank, the better equipment you can buy from the vendors within the zone. Also, you will be able to loot crates with rare weapons and gear.
Skills, Talents, and Perks
Skills are the most important abilities among the three. You can choose between three skills: medical, tech, and security. These skills are unlocked after you upgrade the Base of Operations.
Talents and Perks become available as your character levels up and after you unlock certain Skills. There are 24 passive Talents available in the game – 8 for each of the three Skills; and 40 passive Perks.
You need to focus the progression of your character on one of these three Skills, but you don’t need to worry about Talents or Perks, as they will unlock themselves in your menu automatically. Here they are:
Medical Skills
Medical skills don’t only imply the ability to heal, but also to gather intel and provide you with aerial help.
Pulse is a skill that allows your character to send an impulse that detects enemies and allies on the map.
First Aid allows you to heal your allies, although the effect is limited to a certain radius.
Support Station sets up a device that can heal and restore your downed allies. This can be useful, if your team chooses to spread, so each of them can return and heal at their initiative.
Recovery Link basically does the same as First Aid, except it can heal your allies beyond their limited number of health points.
Tech Skills
Tech skills are designed to bring your damage to its maximum. Using special weapons and its modified versions will turn you into a true killing machine.
Sticky Bombs can be used both for defensive and attacking measures. Just stick them to any type of surface in the tactical spots, wait for your enemies to approach the danger zone, and use the remote control to detonate the bombs.
Turret can be dropped on the ground in the areas, where you feel the need for support, but all your other team members are already reserved. The turret will automatically respond to any approaching threat.
Seeker Mines are another type of automatic weapon that can be dispatched on the spot and left. If there is an enemy in its radius of activity, the mine will explode.
Tech Link is a skill that increases your damage (DPS) and that of your allies. It also influences the critical hit chance.
Security Skills
Security skills can significantly boost all of your defensive mechanisms by letting you equip special types of gear.
Ballistic Shield can be equipped to protect you from getting shot, but it has a downside – you can only use your sidearm when it’s activated.
Smart Cover is a skill that on one hand increases your damage and on the other diminishes the damage that you receive from the enemies.
Mobile Cover works like a shield, but it is temporary and holds only for a certain period of time.
Security Link is a skill that increases all your damage resistance and that of your allies.
Character Attributes
There are three main stats that influence the progression of your character: Firearms, Stamina and Electronics. These stats are influenced by weapons and gear that you choose to equip. Each attribute also influences your Skills.
Firearms directly influence the damage your character will be able to inflict on your enemies. This stat is increased by modifying your weapons and gear. Each attribute point you acquire adds 1% of damage to each of your weapons. This stat synergizes with the Tech Skills.
Stamina gives your character a number of strong defensive mechanisms, such as high health and speed of regeneration. This stat can be increased by equipping strong armor and its modified versions. Stamina has a synergy with the Medical Skills.
Electronics is more universal than the other two and it can be applied to almost any types of Skill. This stat increases each of your Skills by 10 for every attribute point.
Summary
The effective team consists of players that have various Skills and attributes equally arranged between the squad members. Choose your role and stick to it – this will make your performance in the team very effective.
So, if you want to play aggressive and always be in the forefront, then combine Tech Skills with Firearms stats. This means you have to focus on upgrading Generators, Control Room, Communications and Division Tech areas at the Base of Operations.
If you decide to take on the role of a healer and supporter, then choose Medical Skills combined with Electronics attributes. Start unlocking Quarantine, Clinic, Virus Lab and Disaster Aid areas at the Base of Operations.
And finally, if you want to be a tank and protect your other squad members, then choose Security Skills and upgrade your Stamina points. At the Base of Operations you will need to unlock Situation Room, Armory and Barracks.
The plan is simple - focus on one thing and develop your stats accordingly. But if you try to put too many points into all kinds of unnecessary skills and stats, then your character will not be particularly effective at any of them, so choose wisely.
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