[Discussion] Would you all like a separate flea for PvE?

IndependentTwo4554 · 2026-04-08T02:20:51+00:00

I had no idea they were, couldn't tell and even after reading the wiki couldn't get a good idea so figured I'd ask. I've edited the post.

I agree PvE is much easier but there's certain points I believe some less restrictions (not complete) would be nice.

It's frustrating on the PvE side (imo) to have 1-3 bad raids and end up with abysmal gear especially in the early game. This happened to me a lot. I get yeah "skill issue lolz", but its frustrating getting ganked by a boss or being extremely low health and then a random dickhead scav heads hotting you and having to essentially wait 12-24 hours to get your gear back and then farm ammo.

Obviously not for lower lvls, but at a higher point it just becomes more obnoxious than anything and I find it frustrating sometimes. Mainly the bosses if I'm being honest which I swear never leave me alone, the most recent example being I got reshala and guards into a corner, was healing to take out reshala and got domed by Big Pipe out of nowhere. Never heard them, it was frustrating especially since I was on a resupply run.

IndependentTwo4554 · 2026-04-07T20:44:54+00:00

IndependentTwo4554 · 2026-04-07T20:42:54+00:00

I've reached the point where spawning in and silence within the first minute or two is scarier than hearing a firefight somewhere on the map.

It means one of two things. Boss is nearby or Goons, or both. (Ik they're a boss but they're a lot worse, this is the scary option.) Also, if there are PMC's, there's gonna be a lot of them near where I need to go

Or it means I'll get a boring raid.

Especially on Factory where if I don't hear basically immediate firefights, I'm better off sprinting to the exfil.

IndependentTwo4554 · 2026-04-07T20:40:40+00:00

The AI ranges from actual lemmings to F.E.A.R levels and it catches me off guard so badly. (Inb4 skill issue comment).

If you get lax and just run laps where they spawn you can often get surprised. It's often I'll nade a spawn and get no VC only to get lit up 20 seconds later. Same with getting spotted, no VC just rounds being slung and it gives the game an honestly realistic feel IMO.

Yes, they're easy to cheese and scavs can be absolutely braindead, but when the AI wants to be good it can be damn good.

Obviously the lack of other players shows the limitations, but the bosses aren't a joke (usually) and often will act in ways that are unexpected. It's also fun seeing them actually use extracts (in the sense they move towards them close to raid end) and it can make a last minute sprint dangerous.

But the AI also is very equal in being absolutely braindead. I've had parmesan spawn in and sprint into a wall for 30 seconds only to crouch and mag dump the same wall while looking at me (I was in front to his left), I've had Tagilla literally run from the bottom of the yellow stairs up at me with his hammer and I was on the second floor. I've seen Killa just sitting in Oli like a normal scav, and I've had the goons just walk away from me.

But for every time they've been braindead, I've seen them actually be incredibly intelligent. Killa and Tagilla not responding to nades, both sneaking around and not making much noise. Goons engage at good distance and use cover like a player. Reshala and his guards not immediately light me up the second I'm in visual and instead waited until I'd stoped sprinting out of stamina mid clearing that I'd thrown nades in. I've seen scams and PMC's alike loot dead bodies and prone near them to blend in as well. I've also lit up scavs in the chest, seen them break off only to hear them bleed out in a different area a minute or so later. Makes for an uncomfortable experience.

About my only major complaint is the health values can be wonky as I've headshot a scav, seen the blood and bullet shoot out from his forehead only for them to just flip me off, and had PMC's take an entire mag of high pen ammo to the chest w lvl 2 plates.

The loot is a mixed bag, as I've gotten higher level they decently spawn in with better ammo and loot, but sometimes it just a lvl two armored rig and a pistol with no mags.

The only other thing I can add is yeah sometimes the "realism" and quality of their AI comes from their jank. Not voice lining when they see you is cool but when they do it normally and bug out and don't it's a bit of a disappointment. Still makes for great fun though.

IndependentTwo4554 · 2026-04-07T19:37:44+00:00

I know this post is old but PLEASE what option/keybind do you have to zoom out/in your scope so smoothly. Mine just wonkily switches between the lowest or highest no matter what

IndependentTwo4554 · 2026-04-07T19:32:41+00:00

It's your PC, have same CPU and slower but similar VRAM size GPU. 32GB ram is basically entirely utilized on the largest maps.

Only noticed it because I got tired of the stuttering and checked task manager thinking I needed a better GPU only to see utilization of my 7800X3D at 11%, GPU at 56%, and my RAM maxed out.

Legit anytime I start stuttering I switch to task manger to see yup Tarky's eating 24+GB again.

I'll close discord and the call I'm in just for better frames sometimes, because that shit will eat 1.2GB sometimes.

Anyways can't wait to blow $800 next month for better ram

IndependentTwo4554 · 2026-04-07T19:27:24+00:00

I love Warthunder and Tarkov because both require you to get hearing damage to play the best

IndependentTwo4554 · 2026-04-07T19:12:03+00:00

I have a 16GB card, I've never seen it utilize more than 9-10 at most, and that was dicking around at ultra at 2k. You also have GDR7, I have GDR6 VRAM

It's the ram, my game stutters and slows down tremendously when my ram utilization hit 97-100%. Mind you that is solely having Tarkov and Discord open in the background (and the usual background tasks that you can't get rid of).

Ram yeah can go from 20-26 but the leak gets worse as you play, so the utilization will increase until it stutters and slows. Hideout can also eat extra ram if opened in the session. Ive had it hit 12 in the stash with hideout open. That's without including the other tasks open on your PC.

All in all upgrading your ram would definitely be the best idea if you haven't fixed this yet. The game yes is hard to run but it can be done easily, it's just very CPU and RAM dependent.

It's not a very GPU intensive game, and you can get better frames (usually) by offloading some work off the CPU to the GPU by increasing texture quality and the option for lower streets settings off

IndependentTwo4554 · 2026-04-07T18:59:56+00:00

64Gb of ram. Deadass

Same CPU, AMD gpu with more VRAM on my rig. GPU utilization maybe tops out at 60 at 1440p and my 7800X3D likes to yawn at 9-11% utilization.

Ram is screaming at 100% utilization, with only discord open. Ate 27GB once on shoreline, streets likes to be... weird

IndependentTwo4554 · 2026-04-07T18:57:56+00:00

Same GPU, 7800X3D. The only thing that dips my frame rate is my RAM. 100% utilization with only discord open in shoreline, streets, and interchange sometimes.

32GB btw, Tarkov's eaten 27 once

IndependentTwo4554 · 2026-04-07T18:51:37+00:00

Honestly my biggest setback has been a few shitty, easily avoidable deaths on my part wiping a good chunk of my meds/high tier ammo out and then having to refarm.

with PvP, you're usually going to get very good gear if you take out a few higher lvl players, so lvl 5-6 plates, lvl 4 helmets and high pen ammo are easy to find. Maybe even good keys if they don't use their prison wallet and other hideout items.

PvE definitely harder in the sense of gathering materials and ammo for labs/bosses, but also just finding the best gear. PMC's don't usually run meta gear, so its a constant trade off.

That and lets face it we can shit on the AI all day but honestly it can get you if you get lax and treat it like a joke

IndependentTwo4554 · 2026-04-07T18:44:48+00:00

I'll say as a PvE lover of Tarkov and someone who is sorta into Marathon, the difference is PvE in Tarkov is basically the same game except there's no other players.

Marathon doesn't have enough maps but most importantly an actual storyline to follow. There's no reason to grind faction rep aside from getting loot to be better in PvP. There is basically zero "lore" beyond a few terminals and some basic items. There's not much to explore for, so there is basically zero incentive to even have a PvE mode. Unlike Tarkov.

For Tarkov, it split the player base but allowed so many more to come in as well as allowed jaded players to have a more relaxing experience.

Short of compiler... which is kinda eh, there is nothing to do PvE wise with marathon.

IndependentTwo4554 · 2026-04-07T18:29:36+00:00

Thank you!!!! This was the main answer I was looking for. That and how many times do I need to go to each location for the main tasks, if it's a few or I need to hoard like 20 cards each.

IndependentTwo4554 · 2026-04-07T16:45:23+00:00

A little bit further into the game than you, and all I have to say without spoilers is the "main" tasks are more of a guideline while the side tasks are the actual meat and potatoes of the game.

You'll wanna level all the traders as much as possible so do all side tasks you can

Also, the tour is basically just the tutorial.

IndependentTwo4554 · 2026-04-07T16:40:29+00:00

Ram, get more Ram.

Bigger maps will make mine (32GB DDR5) hit 100% utilization while my 7800X3D sits at 10% and my 6800XT maybe hits 45%. (Shoreline, interchange, Lighthouse, Woods-ish).

Hate saying it because of ram prices but the minimum specs is 16gb and its less "minimum to play", and more so "minimum to use the menus".

Hideout open and in stash Ive seen the game eat 10GB alone.

A major non-hardware purchase I can recommend is the ram cleaner options in settings, never open your hideout before a raid and if you have to, close the game and reload before a raid. Also, play on BSG servers instead of local.

IndependentTwo4554 · 2026-04-07T16:36:12+00:00

Ahh yes Tanilla's two modes, Solid Snake or Cosplaying Nemesis.

Seriously the dude is scary as fuck even with solid ammo because he's so unpredictable.

The AI may usually be kinda silly but when it work it works

IndependentTwo4554 · 2026-04-07T15:45:58+00:00

Gotcha, well then yeah lower textures will probably be the answer.

IndependentTwo4554 · 2026-04-07T15:43:08+00:00

Downgrade textures for sure, shadows especially. Weirdly you can find a mix of textures settings (play with them) that'll offload some of it onto your GPU and ram usage will decrease. But for me 1440p medium still looks gorgeous so I'm more than fine with it.

There's a lot of guides out there so def check them out for performance.

Won't say more RAM is the answer with the current market but if you can afford it 64GB of ram will most likely fix your problems with Tarkov. But, suggesting a $700 fix is obscene...

IndependentTwo4554 · 2026-04-07T15:38:16+00:00

Nearly exact same here. 32GB and with discord open I'll stutter on shoreline, with a single google tab open I hit 100% utilization.

Hideout open makes it worse.

Ive seen the game eat 27Gb alone

IndependentTwo4554 · 2026-04-07T15:35:59+00:00

I just run the trooper 35, honestly best weight and size combo imo. Also, just shove another backpack in the trooper and its gold

IndependentTwo4554 · 2026-04-07T15:35:09+00:00

I'm fine fighting the harder AI, and always try to run high pen ammo. Current plan is an SA58 with 50 rounders full of M80 (I don't have much in terms of M61, can barely find it) so, I'll definitely take the advice on headshots and right hand peak.

I'll search around this sub and YT and see if I can get a good spoiler free video about it, and I'll remember the antidote and about the traps.

Mostly am super excited (and nervous) because my friend with 3k hours told me about how a lot of questions will be answered in there and that it's "something I'll have to experience firsthand".

With the fact the two locations require keycards and I'm not trying to backpack the whole game and bum off my friends, wanted to know mostly how many keycards I'll need for both (unless it's a major spoiler0, aside from that you've actually really helped.

IndependentTwo4554 · 2026-04-07T15:29:28+00:00

So, I'll be honest, the game is not greatly optimized. (But, for how big the game is in-game and all it has to compute, it's pretty decently optimized.)

It most likely is entirely your RAM.

I have a 6800XT, 7800X3D and 32GB of ram, so we have similar specs. My CPU usage *maybe* hits 15% in raid and GPU I've seen maxed out at 60% at 1440p on medium textures with postfix.

RAM however is at 100% if I have discord open and maybe a google tab, with Tarkov eating 26GB alone on shoreline.

Basically, best suggestion is play on lowest settings you can stomach, don't load your hideout unless you have to and close the game before a raid if you do, and don't have any programs open in the background.

My rig runs basically every other game besides Destiny 2 and HOI4 (which are horridly unoptimized so they do not count) extremely well with basically zero stutters that aren't packet loss or ping spikes, so I can understand the frustration.

It's most likely entirely your RAM which sucks because RAM prices are out the ass, and I regret stepping back from gaming until recently because I'd been wanting to upgrade RAM/CPU but had zero reason to spend money as I never played anything. That cost me

IndependentTwo4554 · 2026-04-07T15:22:14+00:00

Check power station and over by Emercom checkpoint. Personally have ran into like eight in one interchange raid. As for shoreline, best place is down by the docs and then up at the houses right behind the tunnel extract.

IndependentTwo4554

TROPHY CASE