Gas Mask Issue

[CandidCarnage]

So I've bought the game and gone straight to Ranger Hardcore. Liking it so far, but I've had this problem since the first outdoor stage. No matter whether I'm wearing a perfect or damaged mask, and no matter how many times I change the filter, I'm immediately breathing hard again, and start to frost up.

New filters are *not* giving me any more time, no matter whether they were filters I found or bought. I basically have to go broke on filters and switch them out every 20 seconds to keep going. I've come to the forum to discuss this because I actually can't afford to any more. I'm stuck on "Outpost" now. I've tried taking the mask from the ground at the start and I've got several filters, but it's nowhere near enough this time.

Further note, it happens in each new game. Always.

[HitDeity]

Someone posted that to be successful on Ranger Hardcore, you pretty much had to run around ignoring enemies and just pick up as many filters as you can and just run like hell.

Me, I died often and repeatedly and had absolutely no fun. So, I'm not a big fan of Ranger anything. But, I might give it another go later and see what happens.

[CandidCarnage]

I'm finding it alright. For example I did the Front Line mission half and half, leaving all the soviets but being forced to kill the n.a.z.i's (bugger off, filter) because I couldn't use the tunnel due to miasma (that's my insufferable mask bug's fault). I died once getting up the steps from the underside of the bridge which faces those three soldiers and a gun emplacement.

Hone your reaction speed down to .4, fire before they do and you're good.

Is there a trainer or line in the CFG file that will allow me to get around the NO OXYGEN FOR YOU thing?

[HitDeity]

I doubt the oxygen requirement is editable via the .cfg file. Never seen it anyway. It's probably hard-coded into the actual game. Will keep my eyes open though. It would be nice to "edit out" this "feature" of the game. After a couple of playthroughs, it's just annoying.

[JRMC]

Well... you could always take your mask off and put it back on again. I did that the first time I played this game because I was low on filters.

[WeeZooT]

The gas masks cause a problem for many (new) players, mostly because the manual and in-game tips don't explain it precisely.

I’ve completed Metro 2033 three times by now, including Ranger Easy and Hardcore mode, so let me explain ALL issues concerning the gas masks in this marvelous game.

Here it is:

Your condition in the areas that require a gas masks depends on two factors:

1) gas mask damage
2) filters that you have left

GAS MASK DAMAGE (caused by enemies) can be assessed by fractures on the screen. If your gas mask becomes broken Artem will suffocate regardless of the filters left.

A damaged gas mask can be replaced if you find a new one that is in better condition than the one you’re currently carrying (otherwise you won’t be able to pick it).

FILTERS determine how much fresh air you have. It’s important to understand that the number below the gas mask indicates minutes left, not the filter count (some people don’t get it). While this number indicates total time (for all the filters you have) Artem’s watch indicates the time left only for the current filter (red / yellow / green areas on the watch face).

When your current filter is almost used the screen will start becoming foggy and Artem’s breath will become heavy. You can then:

1) replace the filter by tapping “G”
2) put your gas mask off and back on by holding "G" (filter will be replaced automatically)
3) simply ignore it – Artem will change the filter by himself eventually (which is the best option in my opinion, because my understanding is that if your current filter has some time left and you manually replace it, you will lose this time – but I’m not sure of this).

You can acquire new filters in three ways:

1) buy it from the vendor (Riga and Market stations)
2) receive it from the NPC
3) find near dead bodies or other places around the maps - these filters are “used” and in Ranger mode will add only 1-2 minutes, other important thing – you will able to pick them only if you have less than 10 minutes left, if I’m correct)

Playing on Ranger mode is (a little bit) challenging because of the filters issue. As I’ve mentioned you can buy (fresh, unused) filters only in Riga and Market stations, that’s why it is wise to buy as much filters as you can before you hit the surface with Burbon (the game didn't let me buy more than 43 minutes).

Other important tip (for Ranger modes especially) – save your filters. If you’re safe you can always put off your mask. Artem can survive around 20 or 30 seconds without a gas mask. When the screen becomes black and white you put the gas mask immediately on. After he stabilizes his breath, than you can put it off again. Yes, it can be annoying – Artem breaths heavy and the screen is blurred (aiming down the sight brings the focus back), but you can save a lot of time this way and you don’t have to rush like crazy like someone claimed. Of course you have to be careful and use this tactic wisely.

BTW sometimes you can lose all time left after reloading the game (a bug). In this case reload the last checkpoint again and it should be fine.

Ok, that's all. I’m not saying all I’ve written is 100% correct, but it is my experience with the game. I really love idea of filters, but it sucks that you can’t buy new ones from all vendors.

I hope it will clear some issues with the gas mask.

[xzoltan]

Originally Posted by WeeZooT

The gas masks cause a problem for many (new) players, mostly because the manual and in-game tips don't explain it precisely.

I’ve completed Metro 2033 three times by now, including Ranger Easy and Hardcore mode, so let me explain ALL issues concerning the gas masks in this marvelous game.

Here it is:

Your condition in the areas that require a gas masks depends on two factors:

1) gas mask damage
2) filters that you have left

GAS MASK DAMAGE (caused by enemies) can be accessed by fractures on the screen. If your gas mask becomes broken Artem will suffocate regardless of the filters left.

A damaged gas mask can be replaced if you find a new one that is in better condition than the one you’re currently carrying (otherwise you won’t be able to pick it).

FILTERS determine how much fresh air you have. It’s important to understand that the number below the gas mask indicates minutes left, not the filter count (some people don’t get it). While this number indicates total time (for all the filters you have) Artem’s watch indicates the time left only for the current filter (red / yellow / green areas on the watch face).

When your current filter is almost used the screen will start becoming foggy and Artem’s breath will become heavy. You can then:

1) replace the filter by tapping “G”
2) put your gas mask off and back on by holding "G" (filter will be replaced automatically)
3) simply ignore it – Artem will change the filter by himself eventually (which is the best option in my opinion, because my understanding is that if your current filter has some time left and you manually replace it, you will lose this time – but I’m not sure of this).

You can acquire new filters in three ways:

1) buy it from the vendor (Riga and Market stations)
2) receive it from the NPC
3) find near dead bodies or other places around the maps - these filters are “used” and in Ranger mode will add only 1-2 minutes, other important thing – you will able to pick them only if you have less than 10 minutes left, if I’m correct)

Playing on Ranger mode is (a little bit) challenging because of the filters issue. As I’ve mentioned you can buy (fresh, unused) filters only in Riga and Market stations, that’s why it is wise to buy as much filters as you can before you hit the surface with Burbon (the game didn't let me buy more than 43 minutes).

Other important tip (for Ranger modes especially) – save your filters. If you’re safe you can always put off your mask. Artem can survive around 20 or 30 seconds without a gas mask. When the screen becomes black and white you put the gas mask immediately on. After he stabilizes his breath, than you can put it off again. Yes, it can be annoying – Artem breaths heavy and the screen is blurred (aiming down the sight brings the focus back), but you can save a lot of time this way and you don’t have to rush like crazy like someone claimed. Of course you have to be careful and use this tactic wisely.

BTW sometimes you can lose all time left after reloading the game (a bug). In this case reload the last checkpoint again and it should be fine.

Ok, that's all. I’m not saying all I’ve written is 100% correct, but it is my experience with the game. I really love idea of filters, but it sucks that you can’t buy new ones from all vendors.

I hope it will clear some issues with the gas mask.

Although this is indeed good information, and I believe, everything a new player should know about gaskmasks/filters, I think a lot of people might be expriencing a actual bug in the game. I'm not sure though. I just see a lot of people having problems, not due to them understanding it wrong. But good post none the less!

[ZROCKMAN]

[B]WeeZooT : Great post , to explain how the gasmask adds some reality to the game - but I noted some things that would add. Firstly , it seems you can only "pick up" gasmasks that are marked by [the hand symbol] (all others are toast). Secondly , you should always be aware that you should be pressing the "M" key , to apply a medic kit "if" you sustain any type of damage (breathing changes when you are damaged). This will sustain better breathing (more gasmask efficiency). ??? not sure of that.

Of course you should take the gasmask off where it is not needed , but - "if" you press the "T" key - you not only see a gauge with different colors for the amount of time you have - but your actual minutes show in accordance of how many you have (IE: needle pointer is at 6min.). I found that if I was running low on gasmask time , and I found a body that had a gasmask on it (even though the hand symbol was not available) - that "if" I stayed right on that body until the gasmask failed , I immediately acquired that body's gas mask. Which is limited. (Better than dying or running around looking).

Irregardless , you should be scoping out the entire area of your surroundings , to pick up anything that may exist. Of which , most importantly will be "health packs" & "gasmasks". Then you know how to fall back , or retrieve a gasmask whenever necessary.

I'm having the same problem. No matter what condition my gas mask is or even if I have new filters, got tops 1-2mins of time before I have to change the filter again. Its clearly a bug because if I load the game after I have used a few filters, lets say I used 2 filters before I died, the new load game will have -2 filters. Its really a game breaker for me. I'm now at the library, saved with 0 filters and there is noway I can go forward. I'm also playing with the Ranger difficulty. Last time I played metro (before the Ranger DLC) I had no problems with filter managing.

[FearTheCow]

Originally Posted by Masochisti

I'm having the same problem. No matter what condition my gas mask is or even if I have new filters, got tops 1-2mins of time before I have to change the filter again. Its clearly a bug because if I load the game after I have used a few filters, lets say I used 2 filters before I died, the new load game will have -2 filters. Its really a game breaker for me. I'm now at the library, saved with 0 filters and there is noway I can go forward. I'm also playing with the Ranger difficulty. Last time I played metro (before the Ranger DLC) I had no problems with filter managing.

I am playing normal mode and am stuck at the Library too. I used 4 filters in a row and none of them did anything for me.

[WeeZooT]

Originally Posted by Masochisti

I'm having the same problem. No matter what condition my gas mask is or even if I have new filters, got tops 1-2mins of time before I have to change the filter again. Its clearly a bug because if I load the game after I have used a few filters, lets say I used 2 filters before I died, the new load game will have -2 filters. Its really a game breaker for me. I'm now at the library, saved with 0 filters and there is noway I can go forward. I'm also playing with the Ranger difficulty. Last time I played metro (before the Ranger DLC) I had no problems with filter managing.

I'm sorry but I think you are confusing a bug with the way the game was developed.

When you pick up the filter from a dead body - it has been already used by some person, right? It's not a new, fresh filter. Therefore such filter will last only for couple minutes. I don't consider it a bug, it's simply how it is when playing on Ranger mode, and it's logical for me.

Like I said - you should not be worried with the time that the current filter gives you - but only with the total time left, that is shown below the gas mask symbol. The idea of changing the filters manually before they run off should not be an issue here.

As for the library level goes - when I was playing on Ranger Easy mode I had like 3 minutes left, when entering the library. By playing most of the time with my gas mask off, like I've described above, I had no problems with completing this stage (and I found a plenty of used filters). Later, while playing on Ranger Hardcore mode and saving the filters as much as I could, I had 15 minutes left at this point of the game.

The only bug I've found is (like mentioned above) - sometimes after reloading the checkpoint the game messes up with your filters (the time you have left is not correct). Therefore it's wise to check the time after loading the game and if it's wrong - reload the game again.

We are all playing the same game, right? It's unlikely that some player experiences bugs, that the other doesn't.

Originally Posted by FearTheCow

I am playing normal mode and am stuck at the Library too. I used 4 filters in a row and none of them did anything for me.

What should it do? After you change the filter you play on. You don't change them one after another, because all you have are probably dirty, partially used filters.

[ZakTheEvil]

The filters just don't last long enough, it's a poorly designed and annoying game feature that distracts from other aspects of the game. It's worse than malaria meds in Far Cry 2. Just buy lots of filters, scavenge wherever you can and get used to stupid heavy breathing and fogging if you want to complete this game.

[xzoltan]

Originally Posted by ZakTheEvil

The filters just don't last long enough, it's a poorly designed and annoying game feature that distracts from other aspects of the game. It's worse than malaria meds in Far Cry 2. Just buy lots of filters, scavenge wherever you can and get used to stupid heavy breathing and fogging if you want to complete this game.

You are kidding right? I hope you are. But if you are not, you are playing the wrong game. This IS a survival game. And if you can't apreciate that, you are clearly not going to like this game.

But poorly designed? Wrong.

[CandidCarnage]

Decided to give the game another prod. Bug is still there. No fix.

I am NOT misunderstanding the system. My mask is NOT broken and every filter I use is causing choking and frosting immediately after switching in. The only exception to it in the whole game is the very first filter.

Game is unplayable with this bug.

[tacobandit744]

Originally Posted by CandidCarnage

Decided to give the game another prod. Bug is still there. No fix.

I am NOT misunderstanding the system. My mask is NOT broken and every filter I use is causing choking and frosting immediately after switching in. The only exception to it in the whole game is the very first filter.

Game is unplayable with this bug.

Are you complaining about the heavy breathing or about actually dying?

When you have crappy filters, you're going to heavy breathe. That doesnt mean you are going to die, just that the filter is low. The only way you wont heavy breathe is if your filter has like a lot of time on it. As for why the filters aren't as efficient as modern ones, it's because they use activated charcoal as the filtering device.

So if you're not dying and the breathing is annoying, turn off your sound, and don't blame the game.