The Bay Area Opportunist

Incoming Arkfall detected!

Swoop in, kick some ganchis and make off with some sweet ark tech—Along with several if not masses of other EGO-enhanced scavengers allowing for little to no risk in participation. Chasing ark debris is of course something an Arkhunter would rarely be doing alone even if they wanted to as many people share a common goal or interest.

I seen them ark hunters fighting over the same damn contract, they're as bad as the bandits."
—Happy Pow Rancher

 

However this can complicate some things you as an Arkhunter at some point might want to accomplish such as landing a kill shot on a big baddy or completing a contract at your leisure without having enemies taking measures to take on higher leveled arkhunters nearby.

 

Pursuits and you. And many others.
In the first case there are some methods any arkhunter with the means to do so might employ to keep themselves alive and on the target at all times in order to take a chance at the kill shot. Try using a brawler stim to prevent being jostled all about, using the environment to create an obstacle or grab a good weapon and sniping spot to wait for the right time.
These are all good and fair methods that allow for most players to get a decent chance at getting a killing blow and staying safe. However a single arkhunter can only tilt the scale in their favor by so much through the methods above unless they have an above average means to an end.(Such as a high ego level, powerful weaponry,flexible time schedule etc.)

"You have a variety of ways of interacting with your fellow ark hunters. You should give it a try."
—Ego

 

However as such a thing is not always possible, there is another thing to be considered most would not (consciously anyway); Hindering any rivals in order to increase your chance at succeeding. Any resident of the bay area out looking to pluck at the treasures falling from orbit or claim bragging rights has most likely witnessed some hostility, trickery, greed, disruptive hilarity or just outright inconsiderate behavior as these desperate times make all humans votans and critters fight over whatever lands on this soil.

In having experienced such encounters some individuals might have figured out ways to make sure they themselves are not bothered or even disrupt others (Like steering the attention of any ark-crazies toward a fellow Ark enthusiast)
As such most of the arkhunters will mostly be working alone towards their own goals and eventually (hopefully) get a feel for what to do as they develop their own preferred hunting style in order to progress the ego level and grid. However, be cautious to any opportunity as usually there is someone to take it if you do not. Arkhunters are complex individuals who just cannot be fully comprehended. Perhaps due to their EGO implants and fast lifestyle?

"Sometimes I think I'm the only person round here with any fucking class."
—Happy Pow Rancher

Getting used to the spotlight
Being a part of the ego-enhanced craze can be great fun but with the many people wreaking havoc throughout the bay area all year other residents have started prioritizing and banding together against any and all arkhunters that might butt-in to their affairs.
With that in mind you will have to be prepared to face many different foes at once up to a point that it might feel ridiculous how much everything wants a piece of you. In these chaotic crossfire battles an arkhunter might use any of the conventional methods and fight threats head on: Arkhunter vs. everything else, right?

 

Sorry for the ‘nade!
Though enemies of course will prioritize in a combat situation there is still some animosity between certain parties and even some stray shots or friendly fire can cause a large shoot-out. Of course key here is subtlety, as you can’t just blast an arm off a mutant and expect it to attack anything but you.

“I don’t miss!”   —Bioman Grenadier

 

Sometimes however in the chaos of battle a shot or grenade might misfire causing some hostility in the “opposing team”. In most cases this can be quite difficult to do in any efficient kind of way however some enemies’ indiscriminate(or clumsy) attacks certainly can help things to get started and before you know it you’re out of the fight and in for a show!

"This is our fight!"
— Mutant Rifleman

In some cases this might be easy to do. A hulker or agitated afflicted trembler for example will pretty often go charging through nearby masses of their own which they do not seem to mind all that much. In other cases though some parties really do not take a liking to bumping into each other or trading stray shots and will react aggressively to it. The more damage is done to a single target by a different party the more likely it will be for not only the single target to retaliate but for others of the same faction to join in as well.

"Let's roll up our sleeves and get in there!” —Ego

 

With this being the case it can be quite easy to make the Volge, raiders, mutants, dark matter and any other handy nearby distraction fight one another by simply running through and putting something (or someone) between your lines of fire. It is of course considerably easier with the use ego powers to create such delightful chaos. Cloak for example will sometimes leave some enemies flailing and shooting wildly at the location you were last seen allowing for easy friendly fire.

"Did you really think it was gonna be that easy? It's time to have some fun!"                                            -Raider Rioter Captain

 

"Let's have some fun!" -Raider Blitzer
Generally, doing any of this would be better for having a good laugh than being an actual viable way to fight. Once you get good at it however and can recognize a situation where it is easy to do or necessary it can become quite handy in unexpected and often hilarious ways.
So you could try and do all the fighting yourself or with a few fellow arkhunters sure, or you can grab some popcorn and enjoy the show as Volge fight raiders, raiders fight hulkers and hulkers fight ammunition boxes. (I’ve had issues with certain ammo boxes too)

I hope this brings a few arkhunters some form of enjoyment, i look forward to seeing the mischief!

Happy hunting!