BioShock
Created 8-25-2007
Version 1.0
===============================================================================
Table of Contents
===============================================================================
1. Introduction.........................................[INDN]
2. Version History......................................[VSHY]
3. Arsenal..............................................[ASNL]
A. Weapons........................................[WPNS]
B. Plasmids.......................................[PSMD]
4. Tonics...............................................[TNCS]
A. Combat.........................................[CBTN]
B. Engineering....................................[EGTN]
C. Physical.......................................[PSTN]
5. Machines.............................................[MCHS]
A. Hacking........................................[HCKG]
B. Health Station.................................[HSTN]
C. Vending Machines...............................[VDMC]
D. Ammo Banditos..................................[AMBD]
E. Gatherer Gardens...............................[GTGD]
F. Gene Banks.....................................[GNBK]
G. Power to the People............................[PTPP]
H. U-Invent.......................................[UINV]
I. Vita-chamber...................................[VTCB]
6. Walkthrough..........................................[WLKT]
A. Welcome to Rapture.............................[WLRP]
B. Medical Pavillion..............................[MDPV]
C. Neptune's Bounty...............................[NPBY]
D. Smuggler's Hideout.............................[SMHD]
E. Arcadia........................................[ARDA]
F. Farmer's Market................................[FRMM]
G. Fort Frolic....................................[FTFC]
H. Hephaestus.....................................[HPST]
I. Rapture Central Control........................[RCCL]
J. Olympus Heights................................[OLHT]
K. Apollo's Square................................[APSQ]
L. Point Prometheus...............................[PTPM]
M. Proving Grounds................................[PRGR]
N. The Final Battle...............................[FNBT]
7. Audio Diaries........................................[ADDR]
A. Welcome to Rapture.............................[ADWR]
B. Medical Pavillion..............................[ADPV]
C. Neptune's Bounty...............................[ADNB]
D. Smuggler's Hideout.............................[ADSH]
E. Arcadia........................................[ADAC]
F. Farmer's Market................................[ADFM]
G. Fort Frolic....................................[ADFF]
H. Hephaestus.....................................[ADHP]
I. Rapture Central Control........................[ADRC]
J. Olympus Heights................................[ADOH]
K. Apollo's Square................................[ADAQ]
L. Point Promethus................................[ADPP]
8. Snacks and Medicinals................................[SNMD]
9. Research.............................................[RSRH]
10. General/Misc Tips...................................[GMCT]
11. Achievements........................................[ACVS]
12. Legalities..........................................[LGLS]
===============================================================================
1. Introduction                                                        [INDN]
===============================================================================
This guide is NOT SPOILER FREE. As with all my guides though, the spoilers do
not appear in the walkthrough until the spoilable material appears in the
game. I assume that since you are referencing a guide you have reached a
certain point in the game and thus are ready to have the information discussed.
Also my goal in writing a guide is to present a method of achieving the
primary goal, beating the game. Are there better methods? Possibly, but be sure
that the methods below work and they work rather well. This guide is also based
on the medium difficulty.
In order to prevent too much repetition each individual enemy's defeat will not
be discussed in detail. If you encounter a Splicer be sure to try and kill it.
What I've found from playing the game is that the enemies are generally in the
same places but sometimes a new one will spawn where there wasn't one
previously. Also, an attempt is being made to provide a description of the
location of some of the hidden items in the game (tonics, audio diaries).
Hopefully, they will all be found and the corresponding achievements obtain but
as the guide proceeds its difficult to know for sure if everything that could
be found has been found. Any item known to be missing will be searched for and
added at some point.
Bioshock is a wonderful experience. ENJOY!
===============================================================================
2. Version History                                                     [VSHY]
===============================================================================
Version 0.1 (Submitted 8-26-2007)
-Walk-through to Smuggler's Hideout
-Sections for Tonics, Machines, Weapons, Plasmisds, Achievements began
Version 0.75 (Submitted 8-30-2007)
-Walkthrough complete up to Olympus Heights
-Other sections refined but still need work
Version 0.95 (Submitted 9-4-2007)
-Walkthrough complete
-Audio Diary locations complete
Version 0.98 (Submitted 9-4-2007)
-Arsenal section reformatted
-Tonics section reformated
-Achievement list completed
-Some General/Misc Tips added
-Machines section completed
Version 0.99 (Submitted 9-6-2007)
-Weapons section completed
-Plasmids and Tonics Alphabetized
-Pasmids and tonics almost finished
Version 1.0 (Submitted 9-8-2007)
-Guide complete
-Spelling errors corrected (probably not 100%)
-More tips and additions possible in the future
===============================================================================
3. Arsenal                                                             [ASNL]
===============================================================================
The weapons in the game are, of course, a primary way to defeat the enemies.
They include the traditional arms of most shooters. They are obtained in
several ways, just find them, defeat enemies carrying the weapon, provided by
performing a particular portion of the game etc. RT is used to utilize the
weapon and RB cycles through the different ones you have, therefore all your
weapons are available at any time. Each weapon (except the wrench) can be
upgraded twice at Power to the People Machines. Additionally, all the weapons
that require ammo have 3 types of ammo (a standard and 2 special). Though you
only start with a wrench, the other weapons are easily found by playing through
the game. No real extensive exploration of Rapture is required.
Plasmids change your DNA and provide specific powers. The use of these powers
requires EVE. If no EVE is available the plasmid is useless. Fortunately, EVE
is availble in a hypodermic syringe that can be carried by the main character.
The first few plasmids are free. They are found during gameplay. The others are
obtained via purchase using ADAM at a Gatherer's Garden or through a gift from
Tenebaum for rescuing Little Sisters. They are very helpful and add a unique
gameplay mechanic to this first person shooter.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A. Weapons                                                             [WPNS]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
W: Weapon
U: Upgrades
BA: Base Ammo
AA: Advanced Ammo
IA: Inventable Ammo
A: Analysis
W: Wrench
U: There are combat and physical tonics that increases its effectiveness
BA: Not applicable
AA: Not applicable
IA: Not applicable
A: The wrench is a good melee weapon. For the majority of the game it was my
weapon of choice against most splicers. Numerous enemies can be instantly
killed by first stunning them with Electric Bolt and then knocking them in
the head with the wrench.
W:  Pistol
U:  Pistol Clip Size quadruples the clip size
Pistol Damage increase
BA: .38 Caliber rounds
AA: .38 Caliber armor piercing rounds
IA: .38 Caliber antipersonnel rounds
A:  It is the first fire arm received. The upgrades make it considerably more
useful. The problem though is the Pistol is probably one of the last
weapons you will want to upgrade. Its utility is minimal when all the
weapons are found and you have plenty of ammo. The armor piercing rounds
will help against cameras that are too high to reach, but for the most
part the cameras will be hacked instead of destroyed. The antipersonnel
rounds also provide additional fire power against splicers but other
means of attack will take precedence over the Pistol.
W:  Machine Gun
U:  Machine Gun Damage increase
Machine Gun Kickback Reduction
BA: Machine Gun Rounds
AA: Anti Personnel Auto Rounds
IA: Armor Piercing Auto Rounds
A:  The clips are fairly large so you can unload a large number of bullets on
your enemy. The difficult part is hitting the target with the majority of
the rounds. it is probably the most difficult of BioShock's weapons to aim.
Its most useful purpose is early in the game to take out a Big Daddy with
anti-personnel rounds. Even using those though you will have to manuever
well and use several first aid kits. It is a good weapon in instances where
there is a group of Splicers in the distance.
W:  Shotgun
U:  Shotgun Rate of Fire
Shotgun Damage increase
BA: 00 Buck
AA: Electric Buck
IA: Exploding Buck
A:  This was the weapon I used most frequently. The shotgun packs a good punch
that will one shot kill many Splicers in close range. Electric Buck is one
of the better alternate ammos in the game. It performs very well against
a Big Daddy. Not only will the Electric Buck damage the Little Sister
protector but it stuns them as well. This stun action prevents the Big
Daddy from attacking. The first two opportunities to use Power to the
People machines were used on the shotgun. Try to keep several rounds
available for the shotgun at all times.
W:  Grenade Launcher
U:  Grenade Launcher Damage increase
Grenade Launcher Damage Immunity (your grenades will not harm you)
BA: Frag Grenade
AA: Proximity Mines
IA: Heat Seeking Rocket Propelled Grenades
A:  The Damage Immunity upgrade greatly increases the usefulness of the grenade
launcher. Too many times before the upgrade you will fire a frag grenade
and receive collateral damage. Proximity mines are a wonderful way to
protect your back when exploring areas. They also come in very handy during
the only escort mission late in the game.
W:  Chemical Thrower
U:  Chemical Thrower Consumption Rate (decreases consumption rate)
Chemical Thrower Range (increases range)
BA: Napalm
AA: Liquid Nitrogen
IA: Electric Gel
A:  The chemical thrower suffers from having its ammo types all available as
plasmids. A fire, cold, and electric plasmid already exits. The plasmid
counterparts for each ammo type is more likely to be used than loading
the chemical thrower. The one thing that saves this weapon is the use of
the electric gel against a Big Daddy. Unloading one cannister of electric
gel on a Rosie or Bouncer has to be the easiest way to kill these giants.
For this purpose the consumption rate upgrade is more important than the
increased range. The Big Daddy won't attack until he is provoked, so you
can get close. Additionally, it will not be able to move due to the
stunning effect of the electric current.
W:  Crossbow
U:  Crossbow Breakage Chance (reduced chance of bolts breaking on impact)
Crossbow Damage increase
BA: Standard Bolt
AA: Incendiary Bolt
IA: Trap Bolt
A:  The ammo for the crossbow is similar to the shotgun in that each one is
very useful. There is a little more of a delay with firing the crossbow
at several enemies so it is best used at a distance or against single
opponents. The trap bolt ammo, similar to the proximity mine, is a good
way to protect your back while exploring. It is unlikely to kill an enemy
sneaking up on you but will alert you to the Splicer's presence and stun
them long enough for you to wage your own attack.
W:  Research Camera
U:  Increased research damage and score Tonics
BA: Film
AA: Not Applicable
IA: Not Applicable
A:  Though it really is not a weapon it is very useful for damage purposes.
Taking lots of pictures of every enemy type will make the game even easier.
Increasing the research perfromed will add bonuses to damage and provide
you with tonics that would otherwise not be acquired. The drawback is that
you will likely take a small amount of damage from the enemy whose photo
is being taken. This can be avoided by taking pictures of dead enemies but
the process takes much longer than photographing live enemies.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B. Plasmids                                                             [PSMD]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
P: Plasmid name
D: Description
U: Upgrades
O: Obtained
A: Analysis
P: Cyclone
D: Launches Splicers into the air and hurls them badly on the way down
U: Cyclone 2
O: Cyclone Purchase at Gatherer's Garden
Cyclone 2 Purchase at Gatherer's Garden
A: A nice protective plasmid. Placing a cyclone is just like rigging up a trap
in the floor. The trap can be set then you can have some Splicers chase you
to set it or just set the trap in the general area they are patrolling.
P: Electro Bolt
D: An electrical attack that stuns
U: Electro Bolt 2, Electro Bolt 3, the damage and stun effect is greater
O: Electro Bolt first Gatherer's garden at no charge
Electro Bolt 2 Purchase at Gatherer's garden
Electro Bolt 3 Purchase at Gatherer's Garden
A: It is the first plasmid obtained and may be the most useful one. It should
be among the plasmids you carry. Eectro Bolt can disable security cameras,
turrets, and security bots so they can be more easily hacked. A few doors
in the game can only be opened by supplying a jolt of electricity to the
control console that operates the door. Finally, its use in combat is very
effective as well. Any Splicer standing in water puts its life on the line
when you come strolling by with Electro Bolt equipped. Additionally, the
one-two combo Atlas mentions early in the game works well. Shock an enemy and
whack it with the wrench while its stunned for extra damage. The biggest
drawback of Electo Bolt is that it drains a lot of EVE for each use.
P: Enrage
D: Enrages target causing it to attack someone other than you
U: None
O: Purchase at Gatherer's Garden
A: Works pretty well when confronted with a group of Splicers. The temporary
ally doesn't do a terribly successful job at getting kills but it keeps
the numbers against you down and conserves some of your fire power. Make sure
there is an enemy nearby though. Otherwise the Splicer will just continue
its attack on you.
P: Hypnotize Big Daddy
D: Causes a Big Daddy to protect you
U: Hypnotize Big Daddy 2
O: Hypnotize Big Daddy Tenenbaum's First gift after rescuing 3 Little Sisters
Hypontize Big Daddy 2 Rescue all the Little Sister up to and including 1 in
Fort Frolic and it will be in Tenenbaum's gift
A: There is nothing better than entering a room of Splicers with a Big Daddy
on your side. Hitting one of them with this plasmid makes them follow you
and fight anyone that fights you. This plasmid uses a great deal of EVE but
is worth using in areas with lots of Splicers, especially if you are a
little low on ammo.
P: Incinerate
D: A fire attack
U: Incinerate 2, Incinerate 3
O: Incinerate Up the stairs in the Eternal Flame of Medical Pavilion
Incinerate 2 Purchase at Gatherer's Garden
Incinerate 3 Purchase at Gatherer's Garden
A: Incinerate is a must have. In fact you can't progress in the game until you
find it in the Medical Pavilion. It provides good damage upon impact and
continues to do damage while the Splicer is on fire. Additionally, there
are numerous areas where there is flammable liquid on the floor that can
be ignited to provide a barrier that will set enemies on fire if they pass
through. This plasmid also works pretty well on a Big Daddy.
P: Insect Swarm
D: Inflict damage by throwing a swarm of bees at your enemy
U: Insect Swarm 2, Insect Swarm 3
O: Insect Swarm Purchase at Gatherer's Garden
Insect Swarm 2 Purchase at Gatherer's Garden
Insect Swarm 3 Purchase at Gatherer's Garden
A: The best part of using Insect Swarm is the stopping effect it has on the
Splicers. They stop in their tracks and attempt to swat away the bees
allowing you to unleash all the fury of your favorite weapon on them.
P: Security Bullseye
D: Marks enemies for attacks by cameras and turrets
U: None
O: Falls out of a broken Gatherer's Garden after obtaining the Research Camera
A: After picking up this plasmid and placing it in a slot to try it out, I
didn't use it the rest of the game. It works well as long as security is
near but the same effect can be obtained from hacking the devices. The only
difference is the camera will will send security bots on sight as opposed to
after a few seconds.
P: Targeting Dummy
D: Creates a decoy that draws attacks away from you
U: None
O: Purchase at Gatherer's Garden
A: The decoy works really well. The enemies will continue to attack until you
make yourself known. It can draw attention away from you while you are low
on health and allow you to implement some more sneak attacks.
P: Telekinesis
D: Pulls objects to you then hurls it . Also useful for holding objects as a
shield or grabbing objects out of reach
U: None
O: Dandy Dental in the Medical Pavilion
A: A really good plasmid that should be equipped. Any object (even Big Daddy
corpses) in Rapture that is moveable can be used as a weapon. The tanks and
barrels do lots of damage when thrown. Additionally, it can draw object that
otherwise would be inaccessible to you.
P: Winter Blast
D: A freezing ice attack
U: Winter Blast 2, Winter Blast 3
O: Winter Blast Purchase at Gatherer's Garden
Winter Blast 2 Purchase at Gatherer's Garden
Winter Blast 3 Purchase at Gatherer's Garden
A: This cold attack does exactly what you would expect. It freezes enemies in
their tracks. This can be used just to buy some time against multiple
enemies or to shatter the frozen Splicer. The drawback from shattering the
Splicer is there will be no corpse to search for loot.
Oldschool's Ranking of Plasmids
1. Electro Bolt
2. Telekinesis
3. Incinerate
4. Hypnotize Big Daddy
5. Insect Swarm
6. Winter Blast
7. Cyclone
8. Targeting Dummy
9. Enrage
10. Security Bullseye
===============================================================================
4. Tonics                                                              [TNCS]
===============================================================================
Tonics upgrade your characters abilities. These upgrades are not active in the
sense that the only thing required to use them is place the upgrade in a Gene
Tonic Slot. There are three main types of Tonics: Combat, Engineering, and
Physical.
In the Tonic section the following abbreviations will be used
T= Tonic (the name of the tonic)
D= Description (what the tonic does)
L= Location (how you get the tonic)
A= Analysis (brief analysis of the tonic)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A. Combat                                                              [CBTN]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
T: Armored Shell
D: Reduces all physical damage
L: 20 ADAM at Gatherer's Garden
A: One of the first tonics that can be purchased, Armored Shell helps reduce
the damage inflicted by your enemies. It is a good early purchase if you
have the ADAM and are willing to spend it on a useful tonic. By no means
is it crucial to survival but can be of assistance.
T: Armored Shell 2
D: Greatly reduces all physical damage
L: A gift from Tenebaum for saving Little Sisters
A: A protective tonic that reduces damage. Not only will this help keep you
alive but will reduce the number of times first aid kits and health stations
are used by reducing damage taken. It is a tonic that should be considered.
T: Damage Research
D: Increase damage bonuses gained from research
L: Its in the small room with the EMP Bomb near Kyburz office in the Hephaestus
level
A: I took lots of pictures in the game to max out the research levels. This
tonic helps to increase the damage bonuses acquired from the photos. If
using the camera is an integral part of BioShock for you then this tonic is
a must equip.
T: Damage Research 2
D: Greatly increases damage bonuses gained from research
L: In Point Prometheus its inside The Mendel Memorial Research Library
A: A good tonic but at this point in the game its not a priority tonic. Taking
pictures throughout has probably lead to maxing out the research for many
of the enemies so you already have good bonuses for anyone you face.
T: Electric Flesh
D: You take less damage from electricity and deal more with it
L: In the film room of Fort Frolic, its the room Cohen wants you to meet him in
then refuses. You can enter the room at the end of the level.
A: Similar to the Frozen Field tonics its not overly useful. There are other
tonics to equip ahead of this one. At the time its obtained there are not
many enemies that use electricity in their attacks. The real reason to
equip the tonic would be to increase the damage inflicted by the Static
Discharge tonic. If you have space and Static Discharge in a slot then
Electric Flesh becomes more valuable.
T: Electric Flesh 2
D: You take much less damage from electricity. You deal much more damage when
you use electrical attacks
L: Frank Fontaine's Apartment next to the 192 antidote
A: The farther you advance in BioShock the slightly more important this tonic
becomes. Similar to Frozen Field it should be equipped during the final
boss fight. In contrast though there will be more Splicers late in the game
that use electricity with their attacks than use cold. Many of the Thuggish
Splicers will use electric charged melee attacks.
T: Frozen Field
D: You take less damage from cold and can freeze enemies when you hit them with
the wrench
L: Search Martin Finnegan's corpse after defeating him in Fort Frolic
A: There are few enemies that actually use cold as an attack. Additionally, the
freezing of enemies renders there corpses non existant after destruction.
The drestroyed frozen corpses are therefore unsearchable, so you will miss
out on many items and cash. Overall this plasmid is not very useful and
should not be a priority.
T: Frozen Field 2
D: You take much less damage from cold and can freeze enemies when you hit them
with the wrench
L: Hephaestus in the small room to the right of the hall with the hanging
corpses
A: Just like Frozen Field this is not a highly useful tonic. The only time
which you want to use this is during the final boss battle to protect
against his cold attacks.
T: Human Inferno
D: You take less damage from fire and inflict more damage when you use fire
L: 20 ADAM at Gatherer's Garden
A: Of the tonics that improve defense against elements, Human Inferno is the
most useful. Fire damage is more prevelant than cold or electricity. That
said its worth a purchase but debatable if a tonic slot should be used with
inferno at all times.
T: Human Inferno 2
D: You take much less damage from fire and inflict a lot more damage when you
use fire
L: Purchase at Gatherer's Garden
A: This upgrade becomes avaiable for purchase very late in the game. If you have
extra ADAM you can consider purchasing it for the final boss battle. The
protection is good but the value of the tonic relies more on the frequency
in which the Incinerate plasmid is used. If Ininerate is a primary attack
plasmid then Human Inferno 2 is a good buy.
T: Photographer's Eye
D: Increases research from taking pictures
L: Bottom floor of the winery in the Farmer's Market
A: It is helpful for the period of time you are taking pictures. This plasmid
allows you to obtain the bonuses from finishing the research levels quicker.
Many of the bonuses are very good. If a focus is going to be applied to
performing lots of research Photographer's Eye should be an equipped tonic.
The only problem is that its possible to obtain the upgraded version before
this initial version.
T: Photographer's Eye 2
D: Greatly increases research scores from taking pictures
L: Complete the second level of research for Rosie
A: Photographer's Eye 2 can be and likely will be obtained before
Photographer's Eye, especially if you regularly take pictures. There will be
enough Rosies to photograph before reaching the initial plasmid. If you are
going to be taking pictures to get the research bonuses then definitely
equip this tonic.
T: Static Discharge
D: You emit a burst of electricity when struck damaging all around you
L: The floor of the Surgical wing of the Medical Pavilion in the hall where
Dr. Steinman is first seen
A: Static Discharge is a very protective tonic. Numerous times in BioShock you
will be surprised by a Splicer not seen. When they hit you with a melee
attack they will be shocked and stunned as if you used Electro Bolt on them.
T: Static Discharge 2
D: You emit a huge burst of electricity when struck
L: Complete the fourth level of research for Leadhead Splicers
A: The upgrade is easy enough to obtain. There are lots of Leadhead Splicers
to photograph so it can be used for a large portion of the game.
T: Wrench Jockey
D: Increases Wrench Damage
L: Move through a vent in the Kure-All section of Medical Pavilion
A: For my play style I found this tonic helpful. If you use the wrench alot
it adds a good bit of extra damage.
T: Wrench Jockey 2
D: Greatly increase Wrench damage
L: Complete the second level of research for Bouncer
A: Even more damage than the original Wrench Jockey and can come early enough
to be an important upgrade.
T: Wrench Lurker
D: Quiets your footsteps and increases melee damage on unaware opponents
L: 20 ADAM at Gatherer's Garden
A: For those melee/wrench lovers out there its a must equip.
T: Wrench Lurker 2
D: Quiets your footsteps and greatly increases melee damage on unaware opponents
L: Purchase at Gatherers Garden for 50 ADAM
A: Again if the wrench is an important component of your offensive arsenal,
Wrench Lurker will make it stronger.
Oldschool's Ranking of Combat Tonics (Once you have completed all the research
Photographer's Eye and Damage Research
move down and everything else moves up)
1. Photographer's Eye
2. Static Discharge
3. Damage Research
4. Armored Shell
5. wrench Jockey
6. Human Inferno
7. Electric Flesh
8. Wrech Lurker
9. Frozen Field
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B. Engineering                                                          [EGTN]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
T: Alarm Expert
D: 2 fewer alarms while hacking
L: Balcony of Fleet Hall Theater in Fort Frolic
A: A helpful tonic that makes hacking easier and less dangerous. Hitting an
alarm tile during a hack ends it and calls in security bots for a period of
time.
T: Alarm Expert 2
D: 4 fewer alarm tiles when hacking
L: Live Subject Testing Room of Optimized Eugenics near Voice Box
A: A considerable improvement over Alarm Expert but from this point on the
hacking that needs done is minimal. By this time you should be able to
get an auto hack tool any time you like from a U Invent machine and some
of the research makes hacks instantaneous (no mini game necessary).
T: Clever Inventor
D: Inventing items requires 1 fewer of each component (minimum 1)
L: Suchong's Apartment in Mecucry Suites near an important audio diary
A: Clever Inventor helps you gain the Avid Inventor achievement by lowering the
item requirement. Its a decent tonic to have
T: Focused Hacker
D: 2 fewer overload tiles when hacking
L: At the entrance to Fontaine's Fisheries after Peach lets you in
A: While hacking may be easy at the time this tonic is acquired, it gets more
difficult. As the game proceeds there will be more overload and alarm tiles
to deal with. Having fewer tiles that stop a hack is of benefit.
T: Focused Hacker 2
D: 4 fewer overload tiles when hacking
L: Inside Fontaine's Center for the Poor in Hestia Chambers during the Apollo's
Square level
A: Not too impressive but still a good help for hacking if trouble exists.
T: Hacking Expert
D: 1 fewer alarm tile and 1 fewer overload tile while hacking
L: On the desk just inside Langford's Lab after giving her the rose
A: Any tonic that makes hacking easier is a decent tonic. The importance of the
tonic relies on your ability to perform successful hacks. If hacking is
second nature Hacking Expert loses its usefulness.
T: Hacking Expert 2
D: 2 fewer alarm tiles and 2 fewer overload tiles when hacking
L: Purchase at Gatherer's Garden
A: Same as the initial tonic but the upgrade takes a way 2 more tiles.
T: Prolific Inventor
D: Whenever you invent an item you get twice as many as normal
L: A gift from Tenebaum for saving Little Sisters
A: Prolific Inventor is a good tonic. With all the useless materials collected
throughout the game its time to turn them into important ammo and autohack
tools.
T: Safecracker
D: Reduces difficulty when hacking safes and combo locks
L: A gift from Tenenbaum for rescuing Little Sisters
A: Safes and combo locks are not a prominent portion of BioShock. The safes do
have some good items and can at times be more difficult to hack than other
hackable items. The problem is that there are better Engineering tonics
to equip and the bonuses from easier to hack safes does not out weigh the
other possible tonics. OVerall this is not a priority tonic.
T: Safecracker 2
D: Greatly reduces difficulty when hacking safes and combo locks
L: In the Autopsy Room of the Little Wonders Educational Facility
A: Just as with Safecracker this tonic is not worth using for an engineering
slot. It is even more true since this upgrade comes so late in the game.
T: Security Expert
D: Reduces the difficulty when hacking turrets, bots, and cameras
L: Twilight Fields of Medical Pavilion level
A: While hacking is not impossibly difficult any little bit that increases the
likelihood of success is helpful. Its one of the first Engineering Tonics
acquired and should take up an available slot for most of the time explored
in Rapture.
T: Security Expert 2
D: Greatly reduces difficult when hacking turrets, bots, and cameras
L: Complete the second level of research for security bots
A: Depending on how many alarms are triggered this tonic can be obtained very
early in the game. Its a good upgrade since hacking is a fundamental
component of BioShock.
T: Shorten Alarms
D: Reduces duration of camera alarms
L: 20 ADAM at Gatherer's Garden
A: I rarely triggered an alarm from a security camera, therefore this tonic had
little use for me. It can be beneficial for the reduction of the alarm and
could be equipped if there is an extra open slot. For the most part though
this is a passable tonic.
T: Shorten Alarms 2
D: Greatly reduces duration of camera alarms
L: Purchase at Gatherer's Garden
A: If you don't trigger many alarms, this tonic is not worth taking a spot of
more useful choices.
T: Speedy Hacker
D: Reduces Flow Speed when hacking
L: Painless Dental in the Medical Pavilion
A: There is no reason not to have this tonic slotted in one of the engineering
spaces. Hacking becomes common in Rapture and the reduction in flow speed
helps to keep hacking a successful enterprise.
T: Speedy Hacker 2
D: Greatly reduces flow speed when hacking
L: Purchase at a Gatherer's Garden
A: Though there are less opportunities to hack from the point its obtainable,
it is definitely worth exchanging with Speedy Hacker. It will make hacking
easier and in case you haven't figured it out by now hacking is important in
Rapture.
Oldschool's Ranking of Engineering Tonics
1. Speedy Hacker
2. Security Expert
3. Prolific Inventor
4. Clever Inventor
5. Hacking Expert
6. Focused Hacker
7. Alarm Expert
8. Safecracker
9. Shorten Alarms
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C. Physical                                                             [PSTN]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
T: Bloodlust
D: Gain Small amounts of Health and Eve when inflicting damage with the wrench
L: Invent
A: Blood Lust is not a bad tonic. The Wrench can be an important component of
your offense. It also can decrease the need for first aid kits and EVE
hypos.
T: Booze Hound
D: Drinking alcohol restores a small amount of EVE rather than draining it
L: Invent
A: There is alchohol everywhere in the game but the EVE restoration is not
enough to promote this tonic to a top tier.
T: EVE Link
D: First Aid Kits give you EVE
L: 20 ADAM at Gatherer's Garden
A: Its unlikely you will have EVE problems throughout the game. There are plenty
of hypos to find and plenty of money to buy what you need. That said its a
good bonus to be able to use a first aid kit to replenish health and have
some EVE restored as well. Its not expensive and worth a purchase but if you
can wait a little EVE Link 2 will be available soon.
T: EVE Link 2
D: First Aid kits give you a large amount of EVE
L: Early in the Farmer's Market level
A: This tonic has a good design. The importance of EVE rivals the importance of
health. The game is much simpler if you have ample EVE. First Aid Kits will
be used regularly anyway so you might as well supplement EVE as well.
T: Extra Nutrition
D: You gain a little extra health from snacks and bandages
L: 20 ADAM at a Gatherer's Garden
A: If you are not going for the Tonic Collector achievement, this one is a pass.
Snacks and bandages help with health but the amount supplied is minimal and
not greatly increased with this tonic. The only reason to use ADAM on this
tonic is to get the achievement points.
T: Extra Nutrition 2
D: Gain extra health from snacks and bandages
L: Move down the stairs next to the neon More Items! Downstairs sign in Fort
Frolic
A: Its a free tonic and is needed for the achievement but it should not even
be considered for insertion in a physical tonic slot.
T: Extra Nutrition 3
D: Gain a great deal of health from snacks and bandages
L: Reach the fourth level of research on Spider Splicers
A: Again, this is an easy tonic to acquire if you take pictures. Its usefulness
is minimal and is not worth going out of your way to obtain. If you play like
I did, you are taking pictures anyway so you will get this tonic regardless
of its utility.
T: Hacker's Delight
D: Every time you hack something you gain a little health and EVE
L: Use the furnace control to burn the corpse in Eternal Flame Crematorium
during the Medical Pavilion level
A: One of the first tonics you find, it works very well. You will hack numerous
times in the game and since hacking will be performed any way you might as
well gain some health for your troubles.
T: Hacker's Delight 2
D: Every time you hack something you gain health and EVE
L: Invent
A: As the adventure in Rapture proceeds hacking becomes a little less crucial do
to auto hack tools and instantaneous hacking obtained through research.
T: Hacker's Delight 3
D: Every time you hack something you gain a large amount of health and EVE
L: Candidate Induction in Failsafe Armored Escorts area of Point Prometheus as
you acquire the helmet
A: A nice added bonus for hacking.
T: Medical Expert
D: First Aid kits give you slightly more health
L: At the beginning of Neptune's Bounty in between the two docks
A: First Aid Kits are prominent, so its important to get as much value from
them as possible. The more health you can obtain from each kit the less
money spent on health and the more money available for ammo.
T: Medical Expert 2
D: First Aid kits give you more health
L: Fort Frolic inside the glass case, Cohen opens the case at the end of the
level
A: Important upgrade.
T: Medical Expert 3
D: First Aid Kits give you much more health
L: Suchong's Lab in Apollo Square
A: Important upgrade.
T: Natural Camouflage
D: When standing still you become invisible
L: Complete the second level of research for the Houdini Splicer
A: Any tonic that makes you invisible to enemies has to be good.
T: Scrounger
D: When searching containers or corpses you can search again to get different
loot
L: Completing the second level of research on the Leadhead Slicer
A: This tonic is easy to obtain and can provide lots of loot. While not crucial
to use can be a quality tonic to put in an "extra" slot.
T: Security Evasion
D: Security cameras and turrets take longer to see you
L: Waterfall Grotto in Arcadia while in search for the Rose
A: A very good tonic. A lot of cameras and turrets can be seen from a distance.
Ocassionally, there will be one that surprises you. This tonic gives you a
little more time to find the surprises.
T: Security Evasion 2
D: Security cameras and turrets take much longer to see you
L: Heat Loss Monitoring near a audio diary on the side opposite the vision
A: Just as its predecessor, this tonic is good. It provides a little more time
to notice cameras and turrets. With it equipped you will often be able to
walk right up to a camera and hack it before it even senses your presence.
T: SportBoost
D: Move and swing the wrench faster
L: Complete the second level of research for Thuggish Splicer
A: An easy to obtain tonic that helps make the wrench a more viable weapon
than without the tonic.
T: SportBoost 2
D: You move and swing the wrench much faster
L: Complete the fourth level of research for Thuggish Splicer
A: Keep taking snap shots and you can improve your wrench skills even more.
Oldschool's Ranking of Physical Tonics
1. Medical Expert
2. Natural Cammo
3. EVE Link
4. Security Evasion
5. Hacker's Delight
6. Sports Boost
7. Blood Lust
8. Scrounger
9. Extra Nutrition
10. Booze Hound
===============================================================================
5. Machines                                                            [MCHS]
===============================================================================
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A. Hacking                                                             [HCKG]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hacking is a crucial component of the time spent in Rapture. Performing hacks
will make the experience much simpler. Lots of devices can be hacked and
include: security bots, security cameras, turrets, vending machines, Health
Stations, safes, key pads, and U Invent machines. Upon hacking the machines
you wil have to pay less to get the same item you would get without the hack.
Additionally, some items are only availabe at a particular machine after
hacking. Hacking a health station lowers the cost of using the device but also
will inflict damage on any enemy attempting to use it. Finally hacking the
security system (cameras, bots, turrets) will turn the system against your
enemies.
The process of hacking invovles creating a continuous tube of pipe from a
starting point to an endpoint. If successful a flow of fluid will move through
the tube resulting in a successful hack. To make things a little more difficult
there are overload tiles and alarm tiles that will stop the hack. The if the
fluid hits the alarm tile security bots will be alerted. Proceeding through the
game will provide several Engineering Tonics that will make hacking easier.
There is also an auto hack tool that will peform a successful hack without
attempting the puzzle mini-game.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B. Health Station                                                      [HSTN]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Health Stations replenish your health fully at a monetary cost. An unhacked
station charges 16 dollars while one that has been hacked only requires 10
dollars. Considering a first aid kit costs more and provides less HP
replinishment, these machines should be hacked and used as often as needed.
Additionally, if the health station has been hacked any enemy that attempts to
use the machine will have their health diminished.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C. Vending Machines                                                    [VDMC]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
These are the one stop shops of Rapture. Purchasable items include ammo, auto
hack tools, first aid kits, and EVE Hypos. For the most part you will probably
be purchasing the occassional first aid kit and EVE hypo for must have moments.
Its always a good idea to have a few on hand (you can only carry 9) just in
case. Hacking the machine will reduce the cost of most items by approximately
half. Vending machines are probably (I didn't do an actual count) the most
common machine in the underwater city.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D. Ammo Banditos                                                       [AMBD]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nothing too complicated here. The Ammo Bandito is just a vending machine that
only has ammo for the various weapons you carry. It is a hackable machine and
they exit in smaller numbers that the regular vending machine. For the most
part this machine will likely not be used much. Most of the time plenty of
ammo can be found in the environment and from dead Splicers.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E. Gatherer's Garden                                                   [GTGD]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The ADAM collected from the Little Sisters is used at the Gatherer's Garden
machine. ADAM can be spent on health upgrades, EVE upgrades, new plasmids, new
tonics, or extra slots for plasmids and tonics. The extra slots are important
for achievement purposes and to allow you character to realize his full
potential. It is not a bad idea to use a little ADAM on an occasional
health/EVE upgrade as well.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
F. Gene Banks                                                          [GNBK]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You know all those plasmids and tonics you are searching for and purchasing,
well this is the machine to find to put those to use. All the tonics and
plasmids are stored in the Gene Bank. Using this machine allows you to replace
the old outdated tonic/plasmid with a newer improved version. You can review
and change any tonic/plasmid acquired at this machine.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G. Power to the People                                                 [PTPP]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Power to the People Machines are rare. There are a total of 12 machines in the
game. That equals one for each of the upgrades mention below. Once the machine
is used it can not be used a gain to upgrade another weapon. If you find all
twelve you can fully upgrade each weapon in your arsenal and acquire some
points to increase your gamerscore.
********
Upgrades
********
Pistol Clip Size- An auto loading clip effectively quadruples the clip size
Pistol Damage increase- An ammunition accelerator increases the damage done
Machine Gun Damge increase- An acceleration framework increases the damage
Machine Gun Kickback Reduction- A stabilization cylinder reduces kickback
Shotgun Rate of Fire- A steel gear accelerator increases rate of fire
Shotgun Damage increase- A gas assisted firing mechanism increases damage
Grenade Launcher Damage increase- Incendiary injectors increase the damage
Grenade Launcher Damage Immunity- Autogenerated shaped charges make you immune
to the damage from your own grenades
Chemical Thrower Consumption Rate- A tapered nozzle reduces the ammunition
consumption rate
Chemical Thrower Range- A pressure calibration hose increases the range
Crossbow Breakage Chance- An automatic tension adjuster greatly reduces the
chance of bolts breaking on impact
Crossbow Damage increase- A high tensile bow increases the damage
*********
Locations
*********
-On the wall in the next room after defeating Peach Wilkins
-Arcadia just before entering the Farmer's Market near a vending machine
-Bottom floor of Winery Cellar in Farmer's Market
-Bottom floor of Le Marquis D'Epoque in Fort Frolic
-Sinclair Spirits in Fort Frolic, hit the button behind the bar to open a
secret door
-Hephaestus core near the entrance to the Heat Loss Department across from the
Gatherer's Garden
-Kyburz's office in the Hephaestus level
-Mercury Suites in Olympus Heights on the center column that has the entrance
to Fontaine's apartment
-Sander Cohen's personal room inside his apartment
-Top floor of Fontaine's Center for the Poor in Apollos's Square
-Once Fontaine escapes in the Point of Prometheus its behind the Big Daddy
corpse where the the Suit Control System is found
-Eugenic Analysis room of Optimized Eugenics in the Point of Prometheus level
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
H. U-Invent                                                            [UINV]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a curious machine. At one point in the game you will begin to find some
odd items that initially appear to have no use. These include but are not
limited to empty hypo, shell casing, rubber tubing, and screws/bolts. The items
are not useless at all. They can be combined to form very helpful items.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I. Vita-chamber                                                         [VTCB]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Vita-chamber is a new approach to checkpoints. This machine prevents you
from ever really dieing in Rapture. Once all your health is depleted, you will
respawn at the last Vita-chamber passed with approximately one-half your total
health. The interesting part is that the enemies you were fighting will still
have the same amount of health they had when your HP vanished. An example would
be that you could fight a Big Daddy with a wrench and eventually kill it while
never using a first aid kit or a health station. This part of the game is one
of the more controversial. Some hate the "dumbing down" of the game making the
point that the Vita-chamber makes BioShock too easy. Others enjoy the fact that
they can comfortably defeat a game without having to reload saves from the same
checkpoint over and over until a particularly difficult part is mastered.
===============================================================================