so it's possible to use suitable tactics to defeat tough enemies.
The problem I'm having with Odyssey is that the enemies seem to be pretty tough but the combat doesn't have much depth, so there aren't many different strategies you can use in a fight other than "be a bigger tank than they are".
For example, I picked a sniper rifle as one of my weapons in EDO.
I deliberately walked about a km to a site, snuck up to the settlement, the enemies weren't aware of my presence, I took a shot with my plasma rifle, scored a direct hit on my target and... his shield reduced by about 5%.
Then the enemies were all on alert and they chased me all the way back to my ship.
If you want to snipe enemies, the Executioner needs audio masking, otherwise your shooting will likely be heard. Ideally you need the NPCs to have their shields down and not in sight of their fellows. Low grade weapons do less damage than higher grade ones. Hopefully you have or should be able to upgrade your Executioner to Grade 3. The more damage you do, the less shots required. A G5 executioner shot to an unshielded body will kill the target, two shots if shielded (one takes down the shield, the other kills).
Once the enemy hears you, they are likely to head in your direction and you will be facing multiple opponents. With low level gear you need to shoot and scoot.
To make the game easier, the SRV (I call it the scavenger removal vehicle) is your friend. It has scanners so you have an idea where enemies are. It has night vision. It has a pair of guns. It has decent shields and hull. It has mobility. It is not a tank, but it allows you to deal damage and survive longer. The majority of guards can be taken out with the SRV before deploying on foot.
Land your ship 500m+ away from the settlement/crash site/POI. Drive out in the SRV, dismiss the ship. Drive towards your objective, flat ground is ideal, preferably with a rise between you and the objective. At about 300m switch off the lights and go night vision. In turret mode, creep towards the enemy. Your scanner will have given you an idea where they are. Locate an enemy, target and fire. No shields they go down quickly, shields up they last a bit longer. You may have to drive around the settlement to get good firing positions, and may have to advance close. 150-200m is a good range for you. The enemy with longer range weapons can hurt you, so retreat when taking shield damage and return. Many times the enemy with shorter ranged weapons will try and get closer to inflict damage and throw grenades. Retreat. Driving close to enemy behind a building or firing into the air will attract the enemy's attention, and you can then retreat to extend the engagement range.
Occasionally, one enemy guard, despite all the mayhem going around him (or her, EDO is equal opportunity that way), will remain in a hard to get at location or on a patrol route that has no places where he can be shot at at long range. Now is the time to dismount with your Executioner and snipe him, or get in his face with an Intimidator.
For the raid type missions, there will be Techs, Researchers and Administrators armed with Zeniths and P-15s. No shields. Again the SRV is your friend, as you can confirm that no guards are left, and give you a rough idea which building they are in (if they are outside, you should have shot them). With a close range weapon (many find the Intimidator ideal), you can now clear the buildings. Each building is likely to have up to about 4 NPCs in it. To help hunt them down, access a terminal, and lock on to a survivor and your HUD will guide you to where you need to go. Be aware that noise may attract other NPCs in the building. Some CMDRs like to have a weapon with noise suppression, but for clearing buildings I find a noisy one brings the enemy to you a lot of the time and saves you having to hunt them down.
So, your tactics will depend on the situation you face and the gear that you have. As your gear improves, your range of options expands. To progress you need to survive. A fair fight is one you are likely to lose. Use every advantage you have until the time that you simply want to challenge yourself. Beware of reinforcements. Very often they will drop in. There will only be one wave.
Lest I forget, a small ship with dumbfire missiles is good for taking out scavs at POI's, not so good, but doable in settlements.
Finally, playing as part of team makes missions a bit easier. Early on you can learn the ropes (and gain loot) in a team, and later on do more solo missions.
Steve 07.
