I bought this game awhile ago in the Christmas sale. I tried it then, and didn't really "get" it. However, I just started playing it again and it seriously clicked with me. As in, I don't want to play any other game.

So, I wanted to know things that a new player like me should know, but I don't. Stuff like incredibly popular mods everybody assumes everyone else has, recommended tweaks, etc. Thanks in advance!

Well, welcome to Cortex Command.
Some popular Mods are like UniTec, S.A.W and some others.
The things you should know for Cortex Command is what all Factions specialize. (Only the Vanilla Factions)
The Coalitions are the greenish meat-bags, they have neither a strenght nor a weakness, they are just balanced.
The Dummies are cheap plastic bags more likely made if you run out of Money.
The Imperatus are the grey Robots. They dont care about speed, only about Strenght.
The Technion are the "luxus" Robots, they are white. They just use fancy Nano-bots Technology, and they are fast.
The Browncoats are the slow, heavy armored Guys. They appear mostly in Brown. Use them for closing in and protecting small quarters.

Now, some tips.
Always have atleast 1 Miner with a Medium Digger and a Gun.
Know where to place your brain, and if its mobile or not. A Brain-Robot can get out of somewhere, but can get in trouble, while a normal Brain will just sit there.
Get used to the Weapons. Sure, that Pistol may look awesome and is cheap, but a assault rifle would beat it over the Fence.
In case of Combat, get to cover and reload ONLY if its safe.
Order only stuff you'll need. And be careful what you order.
Know the Role of a Actor. A Heavy Soldier would need a good Weapon, like a Auto-Shotgun or a Gatling Gun or even a Rocket Launcher, so give that Sniper Rifle to the Light Soldier.
Place Mines, if you can. And watch your step if there is a ambush.
In Emergencys, ALWAYS have a Escape Plan. Like a Teleporter or something.

So, good luck, you should learn the most stuff by alone. Have fun.

Thanks, that was really helpful.

Under no circumstances should your brain be above ground
Explosive weapons are your friend
Grenades are your enemy
Walking is pointless, jetpack all the time
Go prone all the time
Kamikaze a ship filled with bombs if there is something you can't get past with infantry (really strong surface defences)
Fire at enemies from off screen all the time
If you must drop down to shoot an entrenched soldier, then prepare your aim before hand
Reload after every fight
Don't shoot human enemies in the forehead, shoot them just below the helmet OR in the face. If the weapon is strong enough and you hit them in just the right spot, their head explodes instantly. If you can't pull that off, then shoot them in the neck with a powerful weapon to make them bleed out or just shoot them in the face to get headshot damage and bypass their helmet. For some reason, shooting a human in the head does normal damage, not extra. Especially do this with sniper rifles.
The best way to deal with a squad is to bombard them with a rocket launcher, or by holding down the trigger on an automatic weapon
Diggers are amazing melee weapons
Never underestimate a brainbot. While they are weak, you'd be surprised how they can kill your soldier in a tight, enclosed environment
If you are unarmed, try to squish your enemy into the ground
You can pick up weapons and put them in a dropship (or even abduct enemy soldiers) and then launch it into orbit for extra money
Rockets are only good for kamikaze, use dropships if you want to be precise or a drop crate if you just need to get soldiers onto the field
There is no recoil in this game, nor is there limited ammo. Hold down the trigger, don't fire in bursts.
Try to drop your brainbot as soon as the dropship appears on screen, then jetpack to break your fall. This saves a ton of time.
After you win a battle, mine all the gold you can. It adds to your total.

There is recoil to the game, the fire spread increases depending on how aimed/prone you are.
Spraying is more advantageous since you waste less bullets.

Digging with the brain is pretty much the way to go when it comes to the campaign, but be mindful that at times you may need more than one miner at a time.

Explosives tend to be good, but are offset by their reload time, and slow firing, test out all guns to find the ones that give you instant, and powerful results.

Rockets are incredibly maneuverable, and less likely to scuttle like dropships [ie from engine loss], they are very good for ramming, and if not, air burst scuttling, which takes advantage of the high speeds a rocket can obtain, and how tidily their gibs spread.

Thank you all, your advice was really helpful. I kind of expected the forum to be dead, considering how long it was since the last update.

EDIT: Also, I would like to know how to use this mod with the campaign. The mod is fun, but not enough to pay three times the regular price, or whatever it is.

YOu, or someone would have to make a Campaign Faction File or something silly like that, or something.

unmapped lands 2




u can edit cost in metagame save folder

Add "tech" on the beginning of the name in the index.ini

You're able to make presets (also called load outs, but you might already know what they are anyway), So try experimenting presets with different amounts and types of units and weapons until you're satisfied with what you have. And try to give each unit one gun, because most of the time, a unit dies before his gun breaks.
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And a quick tip, try centering the presets for multiple roles, like your assault squad can also be good for defense, or that lonely little load out for times when you're low on money can be the very guy standing between you brain and the enemy. So try to use multiple weapons in each preset, just for the role that you weren't expecting of doing.