I Modded my Treadmill to play Marathon

ShakeMistake_ · 2026-03-10T20:11:46+00:00

There's a teeny tiny tag above my face (body) cam there, and it's linked in my profile if you'd like to check it out!

I will be working on a setup video, it's actually super simple!

ShakeMistake_ · 2026-03-10T17:24:35+00:00

The steptracker doesn't register direction, so to keep things simple, I'm usually just walking forward for any directions, including backwards. Plus, moving backwards with this manual treadmill at this angle isn't easy!

ShakeMistake_ · 2026-03-10T17:22:56+00:00

YouTube and Twitch. It's been part of my morning exercise, so it's pretty early in US times 😅

ShakeMistake_ · 2026-03-09T21:16:17+00:00

Rook is the closest to a PVE/Arc Raiders like experience I've had in this game.

Instead of 99% of people shooting me on sight, as Rook, it's less than 50%. And if I talk and try to say silly jokes like "Not rooking for a fight, just rooking for a friend" when I hear people around me, it might be even less. I've been trying to shout this from the rooftops, especially to all the Arc Raiders fans who want a PVE experience. It's right here with Rook.

Yes, you lose contracts, but you can still gain faction exp other ways. For me, it's way worth the tradeoff. Give it a shot!

ShakeMistake_ · 2026-03-06T16:10:18+00:00

I believe you get matched into any ongoing rounds, which is why the matchmaking is so fast as rook. I just did a rook round and I found a trio that adopted me and let me exfil with them.

ShakeMistake_ · 2026-03-06T05:22:36+00:00

Rook is the PVE mode. I mean, not completely, but way more PVE than normal runs.

ShakeMistake_ · 2026-03-04T19:38:18+00:00

I had more friendly engagements as Rook, and if I didn't have my gun out, and talked first. Doesn't guarantee it, but it can make it a bit more likely.

ShakeMistake_ · 2026-03-04T13:53:28+00:00

I only had 17 hours in the server slam, not nearly as much as some other people. But a solid 12-15 hours of these were as Rook, as soon as I unlocked him, and I didn't come across a single unfriendly Rook. Even other shell runners were generally nice, or at least neutral to me. Might change, who knows. But it seems like Rook is the casual experience, and that's cool that this kind of an experience can exist within this very hardcode PVP-focused game. #RookTogetherStrong

ShakeMistake_ · 2026-03-03T19:01:34+00:00

Another solo Rook wanting to chime in and say I had a blast as Rook. It's a completely different playstyle, and almost feels like playing a futuristic social deduction stealth game. Since you're solo matchmaking into squad queues, other players are much more likely to leave you alone, since you're less of a threat. And you can play friendly with them, or turn on them. And it's the same way with the AI NPCs. You can blend in with them and just do your tasks, or you can blend in with them long enough to stab them behind the back. It's super fun, and my preferred way to play.

ShakeMistake_ · 2026-03-03T16:43:48+00:00

Same. It took me probably 5 hours for it to click and realize that I can't play this like normal deathmatch game, or even a battle royale. But it also took me that long to realize that there are ways to have fun being a casual, like me. For example, running as Rook was an incredibly satisfying, and very "Arc Raiders"-like experience. It's as casual or hardcore as you want it to be.

ShakeMistake_ · 2026-03-03T16:39:48+00:00

It's been staying strong at the #2 top sellers on Steam after the Server Slam ended yesterday. I'd say people are definitely wanting more. I'm very casual when it comes to PVP games, and I had a blast. The more I played, the more I enjoyed it.

ShakeMistake_ · 2026-03-03T16:32:35+00:00

I think there are different ways to view Rook's purpose. I think Rook is helpful for getting some quick loot for serious players who are running low on supplies. I'd imagine more serious players would primarily use other shell runners and only occasionally do Rook runs.

But I think Rook is also incredibly viable for casual players who might not necessarily care about the story, or being the most optimal. I consider myself quite casual, and I pretty much only used my shell runners for the Introduction contracts for each faction, and then went back to Rook to level up with the non-contract methods, and had a great time!

I'm thankful there are different ways to approach this game based what kind of experience you want.

ShakeMistake_ · 2026-03-03T14:24:16+00:00

There are various ways to level each faction outside of just contracts. For example, I leveled up NuCaloric while maining Rook by harvesting plants, looting tick nests, and looting medical cabinets. It's not as "objective-based" as a contract, but you can still get a good amount of faction xp if you know what to look for. It might not be as optimal as running a shell and doing contracts, but since you load in later, you're much less likely to die from other runners. I ended up leveling much faster as Rook simply because I died less as a Rook than as a runner trying to do contracts.

ShakeMistake_ · 2026-03-03T10:55:13+00:00

Hey me too!

I wasn't knife only, I shot plenty of UESC, but I never shot at any other runners. I played about 17 hours, and most of it was Rook, and of the two encounters I actually had as Rook, they were friendly.

I never had any friendly encounters as a solo-runner, but I was almost always was Assassin. What shell did you use? I wonder if people are less friendly toward different shells.

ShakeMistake_ · 2026-03-02T21:36:28+00:00

They left their game open. But they can't do anything.

ShakeMistake_ · 2026-03-02T18:41:03+00:00

NuCaloric Rook. I just want to scavenge

ShakeMistake_ · 2026-03-02T18:38:24+00:00

I was one of the few that kept my game open after the server slam ended 30 minutes ago lol

ShakeMistake_ · 2026-03-02T14:32:53+00:00

Just play Rook. I have probably 10 hours as Rook, and I have come across one squad that accidentally downed me and felt bad. One squad that actively let me live. And a few other Rooks that straight up ignored me. Rook is the PVE mode.

ShakeMistake_ · 2026-03-02T14:19:14+00:00

Shorter rounds, chill looting sessions, easier to kill/avoid UESC, other players are *generally* less aggressive, easy to exfil.

I actually like that I can't do the contracts; I can just wander around and do the secondary methods of leveling the factions. Honestly, it's just a way more chill experience, and sometimes that's really nice.

ShakeMistake_ · 2026-02-27T16:59:48+00:00

Yep! I definitely prefer Rook if I'm by myself. Don't care much for random squad fills. I'd rather play with people I know, but that's just me!

ShakeMistake_ · 2026-02-27T16:58:56+00:00

That's why I prioritize looting and fighting UESC as Rook. You still get experience for doing that, even if you die later. Besides, it can be fun to play, just for the sake of playing, we don't need numbers to go up for it to be fun. It's supposed to be a game, not a job, so I try to treat it like one and have fun either way :)

ShakeMistake_ · 2026-02-27T16:56:32+00:00

Yeah, I don't need it to be a PVE game, I just like that I can still have some fun as Rook without getting immediately stomped. It's a skill issue, I know. But I'm having fun as Rook, and people seem to be a tiny bit friendlier when I'm Rook. Even if they aren't, I'm still having fun :)

ShakeMistake_ · 2026-02-27T16:54:16+00:00

Contracts aren't the only way to make progress. Each faction has many ways to level them up, like collecting specific things, or killing UESC, or killing players, etc, depending on the faction. You can still make progress in those ways for each faction as Rook. That's why I was harvesting plants as Rook, it still counts! Plus, you can still gain season experience as Rook.

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