I wouldn’t say it’s better than Colorado or Marrakesh, but I’d certainly take it over Bangkok. Isle of Sgail and New York haven’t been as difficult as I’ve feared, nor has Mendoza. Really, the only truly problematic maps for me have been Paris, Bangkok, and the bane of my Freelancer existence, Mumbai, which ironically is such a bitch in Freelancer for the same reason that I love it in the main campaign: the huge population. Chongqing is actually a much easier map and therefore one of my favorites in Freelancer because of that, which is ironic since it’s one of my least favorite in the main game for the opposite reason: not enough NPCs for a Chinese setting!
I avoid Colorado, Isle of Sgail, Ambrose and Haven Island as much as possible while playing Freelancer. Oddly enough, Santa Fortuna, which I always hated in both the regular game AND Ghost Mode, has really grown on me in this mode.
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What is the problem with Paris?
It’s not my favourite, especially not for showdowns because of that one stupid lookout, but in a set without New York, Sapienza, Miami, Bangkok or Haven, it’s my go-to showdown map.
Better than showdowns in Ambrose or Mumbai… 
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I don’t really get the hate for Ambrose either. It’s not a bad map, and that’s coming from someone who literally just died on it in a showdown.
Shot the target in the face, went into hunted/combat, but somehow became completely uncompromised after a few minutes without engaging with anyone (I guess it was only fake NPCs/Suspect guards who saw me, and the guards fled)
Then on the way out I needed to Poison a guard, shot one with a Seiker, turns out it was an assassin who just got everyone to mow me down. Guess its back to empty suitcases for me…
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Note that this tierlist is in regards to Hardcore Mode speedrunning.
Based on average time to complete.
Didnt have a pic of Ambrose, but its dead last after Isle of Sgail
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Sounds like a skill issue to me.
GiD gUd
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Here is my favourite-to-ok list. There isn’t a map I hate. Ambrose is rated last due to not really knowing it that well so navigation becomes frustrating for me at times. But targets are fine for me.
This is rated not on speedrunning. I like to walk around and play very sim-like. I only run when nobody sees me.
And I’m basing these all on playing an SA/SO style.
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Most targets who aren’t guards are in very problematic places where it’s hard to isolate them, and even when using emetics, they tend to go to restrooms with no bins to hide them in. Problematic if simply drowning them in the toilet isn’t an option, such as a hide bodies objective, or a specific kill being required, no bodies found, things like that.
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Strange to see Dartmoor and Berlin in the bottom tier as those are pretty fun maps for SASO (I’d also add Sgail to that as well if not for targets inside the castle, and I find Bangkok SASO about as fun as swallowing rusty nails) :x
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Oh, you just reminded me of the outdoor area by the helicopter. If you use emetic poison on a target there, they will walk over to the garden shed and vomit into a trash can in full view of six guards. 
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That’s a good example of what I’m talking about. Aren’t they supposed to head for toilets anyway? A little further and they’d be in one of the only bathrooms on the map with a place to hide a body! And I’ve seen NPCs walk half a nap to get to a toilet instead of an alternative, so wtf?!
Exactly! God, I was so angry when that happened, thanks for wasting my last dart and all… I threw a duck at them to get revenge. 
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Dartmoor is one of my favourites for Showdowns especially. The suspects are predominantly are outside or congregating on the first floor! Always makes it nice and easy with emetic dart gun, then 10 seconds later the leaders head is down the bog! 
Bangkok, Colorado, Hokkaido, New York and Mumbai I try to avoid like there’s no tomorrow
Oh expect a few updates to encourage you to go to those locations.
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If I exit a normal mission (takedown) I don’t loose anything? I mean is there any penalty for Mercs? I know if i fail/exit a Alerted territory takedown or Showdown with leader - that will fail a whole campaign. But What about exiting normal misssion - is there any penalty? Or I can just skip all normal misson that way?
@Heisenberg, it’s your moment to shine. This fella needs some answers, and you’re the right man for the job.
Which fella would that be? @Shade? Afraid I can’t answer on that one, I never exited a takedown mission without either killing myself, accidentally restarting to the main menu, or killing all my targets.
The only penalty for leaving without killing your targets is the other territories becoming alerted.
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I just wanted to follow up my overly pessimistic take and say that having completed my first hardcore campaign and now being halfway through my second I don’t think I’ll go back to normal Freelancer now - at least until I have a spectacular run of bad luck and lose all my wall weapons. It just feels so easy compared to hardcore (can’t believe I’m saying that tbh). I would recommend hardcore mode to anyone once they die in regular mode and lose their tools anyway.
Judicious selection of prestige objectives and doing all the showdowns in Miami makes life bearable - that parking garage is a great place to get a disguise and sit and photograph suspects.
Losing all of the tools is no longer too much of a burden with sufficient Mercers and one campaign is enough to build up a decent supply of both again.
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