Frozen Synapse 2

Frozen Synapse 2

Not enough ratings
The Director's Guide to Frozen Synapse 2
By _Zevon
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure. - Colin Powell
   
Award
Favorite
Favorited
Unfavorite
Markov Geist in Crisis


Markov Geist has been shaken to its very core by recent events. A politically unstable enviroment is balanced on the edge of irrecoverable doom. An unknown threat called Sonata has shown itself. The Markov Geist Muncipal Council [MGMC] has moved quickly to establish an organization to deal with the threat. You were tapped to lead this project. Unable to fund the project entirely from MGMC coffers, the Markov Geist Muncipal Council has brokered a coalition to provide funding for the project. A necessary gamble to halt the free for all that would have broken out. You have full discretion over the project to complete these objectives: Stop Sonata & Maintain Order. Success or failure depends upon you, Director.


TL;DR You are funded by MGMC, Districts & Factions; they expect you to deal with Sonata and, maintain the safety of the city.

Factions & Politics
Factions
Your experience in Markov Geist will be shaped by the factions and your relationships with them. Every faction has competing goals. Some factions are more aggressive, such as the big seven, while others are more focused on providing services for the city, or lining thier own pockets. Each faction will seek to use you to fulfill their objectives. It is up to you to plot a course through this melee. All factions are heavily armed, some more so than others.
    Factions will be listed by the following method:
  • [TAG] Faction Name, Faction Leader - Short Comment

    Unknown Threats:
  • [SON] SONATA, Sonata - Major Threat to Markov Geist, MUST be dealt with swiftly.
  • [RAD] RAIDERS, Unknown - Causes chaos, should be dealt with forcibly.

    The Big Seven:
  • [MGMC] Markov Geist Municipal Council - City Government, Your Boss.
  • [BU] Brightling University, Laine Malhotrah - Collegiate Organization.
  • [SAF] Safeguard, Eht Par - Military Organization.
  • [FOR] Forgiven Geometry, Virgil - Shapeform Organization.
  • [DIA] Diamond Brothers, Gehrt Forrester - Banking Organization.
  • [GUE] GUEST, Brianna Bartleby - Hacking Organization.
  • [BLU] Blue Sunlight, Denzien Valour - Religious Organization.

    Minor Factions:
  • [SHA] Shape Sec, Grant Heythrop - Shape Security, Hated by [GUE], Non-threatening
  • [POL] Private Police, Conrad Matej - Constabulary Services, Possibly Corrupt.
  • [JUS] Justice Authority, Boris Ferrelly - Legal Services, Non-threatening.
  • [PRI] Prison Authority, Melanie Burr - Incarceration Services, Non-threatening.
  • [FAB] Fabulous, Richard Howe - Primarily Manufacturing, Non-threatening.
  • [SXT] SXT Media, Lunea DeWalt - Primarily News & Information, Non-threatening.
  • [PAR] Parcel Tossers, Zorbaz Englander - Provides Contract Work, Non-threatening.
It is possible to take any building from another faction. You simply have to attack them and defeat all their units in the building. By taking their building certificate you can use it somewhere else within the city to claim a building as your own. This will most likely start a war between you and the faction you attacked. If you wish to fully eliminate a faction, then you will need to find and kill their faction leader. The faction leader is likely at the faction HQ.

TL;DR There are many competing paramilitary factions in Markov Geist, but only seven of them that can make or break you.


Relationships & Agreements
All factions have relationships with each other, and with you. If you get involved in a war with on faction, their partners are more likely to get involved on their allies side. If a faction is at war with a faction you are at war they are more likely to see it favorably. These interactions will drag the city game into new and unexpected directions based partially on your actions, and partially on the actions of the factions in the game. The Big Seven are the main drivers of conflicts within the city, but the other minor factions will become involved from time to time. Every faction has a unique political outlook, which adds flavor to how you feel about working with each of the factions. There is no "perfect" faction. You may find yourself regretting decisions you have made, that is alright, it is part of the game.

The agency you are incharge of will have many interactions with other factions, the quick and dirty way to find out where you stand and where all the factions stand can be found in the factions list. You can gather a quickover view of the factions, and their buildings and squads by perusing this list.
    Listed below is a short guide to what you can expect from each of the relationships.
  • Partnership - Partnership Factions will: not attack, provide top contracts, reliable militia support.
  • Treaty - Treaty Factions will: not attack, provide better contracts, occasional militia support
  • Neutral - Neutral Factions will: attack relics, provide contracts, stop your at road blocks.
  • Truce - Treaty Factions will: chase your relics, attack your contracts, stop you in thier territory.
  • War - War Factions will: Attack your base, attack your contracts, hunt your squads, pure madness.
TL;DR Each faction has a relationship with you and with each other faction in the game; check these relationships before starting anything.

Investments & Ventures

Investments are a way to gain support for a faction. Your agency will receive dividens from that investment in the future as the supported faction: completes ventures, claims buildings and wins battles.
  • Improves relationships
  • Provides dividens

Ventures are political objectives that factions will pursue within Markov Geist. Ventures will increase the power and funding of the faction, as well as factions that are invested in that faction.
The Districts will request that you stop these Ventures in their territory, as they do not have the guns, or will to directly challenge the Venture. If you attack the Venture you can expect a drop in relations with the faction who you are attacking. The Districts will reward you if you stop the venture, while if you refuse or fail they will cut some of your funding. If you are invested in the faction, the faction will repay you a dividend based on your initial investment when they complete the venture.
  • Ventures are political objectives for the faction
  • Factions will pay you dividens, if you are invested in them, when they complete ventures.
  • Districts will pay you stop stop ventures.
  • Districts will cut funding if you fail or refuse to attack the Venture.
  • Faction relations will sour if you attack their Venture.
  • Factions may go to war if you attack to many of their Ventures.

TL;DR Each factions has a unique political outlook, and they will use Ventures to pursue their agenda within the city. Other factions or districts may ask break them up. If you invest in a faction and they complete their venture, then you will get a cut of the profits.
Districts & Demands
Keeping the Districts Happy
Districts are responsible for a large portion of the funding you receive at the start of the game, and they do not have a military presence in Markov Geist. They rely on you to protect them from threats in their territory. You can see which districts control what areas within the city by pressing the districs tab in the upper right hand corner. Each district leader has a council seat in MGMC. Individual district leaders will come to you with request. They are willing to boost your funding if you complete their request. However, if you fail or decline the requests the district lead will cut your funding.

    District demands will come in two types.
  • Incursion - This is the main threat you have been tasked with resolving.
  • Ventures - These are politically motivated actions taken by factions, that district do not like.
Districts and District leaders will be listed below:
  • [DIS1] New Corteca,
  • [DIS2] Denovis,
  • [DIS3] Clearhold,
  • [DIS4] SIlver Arbor,
  • [DIS5] Hoperidge,
  • [DIS6] Greyline South,
  • [WAN] Wanderhome,
TL;DR There are seven Districts in Markov Geist. They will contact you when they need you to stop Ventures and Incursions. Completing these requests will improve relations and secure extra funding, while declining or failing these request will result in cut funding, and worse relations.
Money & Mayhem
Money
Funding for the project is gathered from several sources. Factions and district will invest in you. You start with a large investment from MGMC and the Districts. By completing mission for Factions and Districts you can gain extra funding. You can also raid faction's buildings, to take money from them. Fair warning this will likely lead to a war. If you do get into a war, besure to protect your faction HQ and your faction leader (you). Bond, Relics, and Investments are all basically the same monetarily. Districts can cut funding if you fail to stop Incursions or Demands. This can place you into negative income. If you find yourself owing money, you will not lose any functionality, but you will not be able to buy new things until you balance your funding.

TL;DR Money is derived from an instant and constant flow of wealth. Money must be managed like a balance sheet, if you have it you can and should spend it.


Contracts
paragraph
  • Attack Faction -
  • Patrol Building -
  • Checkpoint -
  • Radiers -
  • Parcels -

TL;DR Contracts are a good way to earn some cash support from the factions, as well as gain access to new mercs.


*Mercs
Paragraph
TL;DR During combat, mercs are only as brilliant as their Tacticin; They are a reusable and critical part of the game.

Special Merc Units
paragraph

*Squads
It is important to keep an eye on how mnay squads you have, as well as managing their composition. Mercs can only be transferred from one squad to another if both squads are at the same location in the city. It is generally a good idea to establish a second or third base around the city to improve your response time to incursions that happen around the city. By the mid-game you should try to have a few squads ready to fight in case of war due to factions getting on your nerves, or reaching 7 relics.

    Squad Combos that have worked for me:
  • Old Steady: 4 AR, 1 AoE, 1 Explosive (Mid-Range w/ Options)
  • Cheese It: 2 SMG/Shotty, 2 ARs, 2 Explosive/Smoke (Aggressive, Close-range)
  • Hawkeye: 2AR, 2 Scope, 1 Sniper, 1 Rocket ( Long-range, Reliable)
  • Smoke & Mirrors: 2 Shield, 2 Smoke, 2 Shotty (Close-range, Crazy)
  • Burning Man: 2 Flame, 1 Smoke, 2 AR, 1 Explosive (Mid-range, Lots of Crowd Control)

TL;DR Squads are the chess pieces you are able to order about the city. They are customizable to some extent, and fulfill all combat roles.


Services
services paragraph
  • Ammunition - CRITICAL,
  • Vehicle Fuel - CRITICAL,
  • Satellite Service - IMPORTANT,
  • Vatform Biomass - CRITICAL,
  • Vatform Regen Tanks - IMPORTANT,
  • Vehicle: Hire & Maintenance - IMPORTANT,
  • Comms - CRITICAL,
  • Diplomatic Lobbying - OPTIONAL,
  • Military Intel Service - IMPORTANT,
  • Silencers - OPTIONAL,
  • Explosives - OPTIONAL,
  • Milita Payments - OPTIONAL,
  • Protection Insurance - TERRIBLE,
Items
items paragraph
  • Building Certificate -
  • Interferance Generator -
  • Command Detection System -
The Fate of Marvok Geist
You will be responsible for your actions taken in the city. I hope you enjoy the story as much as I did. Feel free to add comments, and talk about what you would find useful in this guide.

TL:DR It is in your hands.
9 Comments
Mad Pigeon 22 Jan @ 1:40am 
This all feels so very close to Nemesis system from Shadow of Mordor. Factions have their activities, you can intersect them.

I'm still somewhat confused on the whole Services thing. Vehicle, intel service - very confusing.

From your squad compositions I see that you haven't tried using knife guys. They are so very fun. You take two knife guys, two smoke screens and one explosive in case one of the enemies is exploding the entrance 24/7 and it's a blast

I also haven't been able to figure out what to do with research samples.

I wonder how the game would play if I sold out to any faction from the very start and ignored orders to stop their actions, but that's a road ahead

If you're using reload from turn feature, it is possible to forgo vatform services

Also, still have no idea if it's worth investing in anyone. I'm on a playthrough when I'm following orders from the districts and trying to pay off any problems with factions
_Zevon  [author] 29 Aug, 2024 @ 3:23pm 
No, I have never seen a game like it. I still go back and play it from time to time. It's a bummer how it ended.
Coffee Break Hero 29 Aug, 2024 @ 10:35am 
I have the secrets to success
damn zorbaz. I miss this game. do you know anything like it?
_Zevon  [author] 4 Feb, 2020 @ 11:47am 
Yeah, that's one of the bugs that never got worked out.
Sparky Summers 3 Feb, 2020 @ 1:18pm 
Not included in this guide: Hope to god that RNG doesn't dick you with broken level generation that makes it impossible for you to progression, with impassable walls early in before you have even the remotest hint of a chance to obtain explosives.
_Zevon  [author] 15 Sep, 2019 @ 7:37am 
Your very welcome man! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Fion 15 Sep, 2019 @ 12:20am 
Thank you for this guide! I just started playing and I went new city. Didn't bother with story and I was confused why all the factions were giving me money and I was solely responsible for getting rid of Sonata. Cause of the way I named my faction the Black Ghosters I was going to act like a gang and take over the city. I still am Heh heh :D But this all explained a lot that I needed to know and what was actually going on. Thank you!
_Zevon  [author] 29 Sep, 2018 @ 10:35am 
Yes it is a work in progress. I kept seeing so many requests for a guide. I felt bad for them, and that prompted me to get the info out, as soon as I could. The bare-bones have been set out, and I hope it helps some. I will have more time today and tomorrow to finish the guide, as my weekdays are very busy.
MrNumbers 29 Sep, 2018 @ 9:05am 
Work in progress, then?