Posted February 19, 2013
Since I haven't beat the game or even gotten very far, don't expect a perfect set of advice. I have however restarted the game several times and have a basic understanding.
Strength
Increases melee capability and carrying capacity. Very useful skill, as when you are out of psi, ammunition or when your weapons jam (the equivalent of broken) the wrench will be your only other option. A decent strength of 2 or 3 allows you to one shot or two shot the early grunts you fight.
Endurance
Even more important. If you don't have 2 or 3 of this you are easily one shotted. A 2 is essential for any build, and impossible to get by without on higher difficulties.
Psionics
If you want your offensive abilities (or any abilities) to be useful you'll have to invest in this.
Agility
Potentially useful in melee as it makes you able to maneuver faster, but it would be very unwise to pick this over strength or endurance. Very unessential skill.
Cyber
Perhaps later on this becomes essential, but when it comes to choosing between leveling one of your cyber related skills it helps and this, level the cyber related skill. Prioritized above agility, but still unessential skill.
Hack
Essential regardless of build. This skill helps you get more hidden cyber modules to upgrade your stats. It helps you get precious health ammunition and goodies as well. Sometimes it yields junk, most of the time you get useful stuff.
Repair
Depends on how often you use weapons in place of psi or the wrench. 1 is the minimum needed to repair pistols, and 3 is the minimum for shotguns.
Modify
Improves various stats on your weapons. I would say it is not nearly as essential as repair, but I haven't used it extensively.
Maintenance
I would say this skill is very little next to the repair skill. You can only maintain unbroken weapon's conditions this way. Also consider that maintenance kits needed to use this skill are hard to come by.
Research
I would say this falls under the same category of modify. Potentially useful skill, not really essential compared to other skills.
Your general strategy early on is to have a build with good offensive capability. Don't worry about hacking yet, you'll have found plenty of cyber modules at some point in the second section or maybe once you've reached it depending. You can always go back to earlier sections to hack those things you couldn't.
I'm playing as a Marine and I haven't invested in psionics or psionic abilities. I find that all my psi hypos are going to waste sitting in my inventory. It might be a good idea to invest in cryokinesis even at the expense of hack. If I weren't playing on normal I suspect I would be having a much harder time.
Strength
Increases melee capability and carrying capacity. Very useful skill, as when you are out of psi, ammunition or when your weapons jam (the equivalent of broken) the wrench will be your only other option. A decent strength of 2 or 3 allows you to one shot or two shot the early grunts you fight.
Endurance
Even more important. If you don't have 2 or 3 of this you are easily one shotted. A 2 is essential for any build, and impossible to get by without on higher difficulties.
Psionics
If you want your offensive abilities (or any abilities) to be useful you'll have to invest in this.
Agility
Potentially useful in melee as it makes you able to maneuver faster, but it would be very unwise to pick this over strength or endurance. Very unessential skill.
Cyber
Perhaps later on this becomes essential, but when it comes to choosing between leveling one of your cyber related skills it helps and this, level the cyber related skill. Prioritized above agility, but still unessential skill.
Hack
Essential regardless of build. This skill helps you get more hidden cyber modules to upgrade your stats. It helps you get precious health ammunition and goodies as well. Sometimes it yields junk, most of the time you get useful stuff.
Repair
Depends on how often you use weapons in place of psi or the wrench. 1 is the minimum needed to repair pistols, and 3 is the minimum for shotguns.
Modify
Improves various stats on your weapons. I would say it is not nearly as essential as repair, but I haven't used it extensively.
Maintenance
I would say this skill is very little next to the repair skill. You can only maintain unbroken weapon's conditions this way. Also consider that maintenance kits needed to use this skill are hard to come by.
Research
I would say this falls under the same category of modify. Potentially useful skill, not really essential compared to other skills.
Your general strategy early on is to have a build with good offensive capability. Don't worry about hacking yet, you'll have found plenty of cyber modules at some point in the second section or maybe once you've reached it depending. You can always go back to earlier sections to hack those things you couldn't.
I'm playing as a Marine and I haven't invested in psionics or psionic abilities. I find that all my psi hypos are going to waste sitting in my inventory. It might be a good idea to invest in cryokinesis even at the expense of hack. If I weren't playing on normal I suspect I would be having a much harder time.
Post edited February 19, 2013 by JCD-Bionicman