Just when we thought we wouldn’t get another big CRPG this year, OwlCat Games arrived with Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader and made it another game that we’ll sink a lot of hours into. However, as with previous games from this studio, there are a lot of intricate systems that will overwhelm newcomers to this genre. Having a few tips and tricks for beginners can make your Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader experience much more bearable. In the end, you have a game with more than a hundred hours, so a bit of preparation never hurts.
5 Beginner Tips for Your Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader Playthrough
If you’ve played Pathfinder: Kingmaker or Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, you’ll feel right at home, and things will be easier. If not, the game does a great job of conveying all the useful information you need to help simplify the onboarding process. However, in the thick of battle or exploration, many might ignore a few tips while playing Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader and might find the journey a bit frustrating. But, just like the diligent companions of the Rogue Trader in the game, we’re also here to help.
1. Create Your Own Character
Like previous OwlCat titles, this game also gives you pre-made characters if you don’t want to go through the in-depth character creation process. While grabbing one of these could be a good idea, we recommend delving into the character creator for many reasons. First, you’ll get to give your Rogue Trader their origin details, adding more depth to the roleplaying aspect. Second, you’ll learn a lot about the game’s terminology, which goes a long way.
We think creating your Rogue Trader is paramount to understanding some of the game’s stats and mechanics before you jump into a fight. Plus, of all three games from the studio, this is one of the most simplified ones. Even if the walls of text remain, most systems are easier to put into practice, and a few minutes in the character creator will make a difference.
2. Pay Attention to Rumors
Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader has rumors that tend to give players useful tips about locations and possible quests. While you might be focusing on the main and optional quests, rumors can lead you to certain planets or systems full of things to scan and loot. Or even better, you can find quests on certain planets that give you more information regarding this universe’s lore.
It’s important to remember that not all rumors lead to something. Some are just that, a rumor. However, it’s a nice system that made us feel like spacefarers and gave us an excuse to traverse the cosmos once we unlocked the ability to use the Warp to visit other systems.
3. Become a Space Hoarder
When it comes to CRPGs, all of them provide players with ample loot. Rogue Trader isn’t an exception. Every enemy you beat will drop almost all their equipment, and it’ll be yours for the taking. Since the game’s economy systems work differently, instead of buying and selling, you’ll be trading. To make that happen, you need to fill your cargo with different things, such as weapons, armor, and other components you’ll find during your travels.
We recommend looting all weapons and armor you find until you fill a certain portion of your cargo. After that, you should look for a trader that requires that cargo and unload it. You won’t get any money back, but you’ll increase your reputation, letting you use your Profit Factor to buy better items.
4. Include Several Characters With the Same Archetype
This game doesn’t have the dozens of archetypes like in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous. Instead, it has four that you can choose at first, then try any of the six advanced archetypes and culminate with the Exemplar class. At first, it might seem like poor balancing, but it isn’t. Each archetype has different builds, making them all useful in your party regardless of how many you have of each.
In our case, we picked the Operative as our starting class and then saw we got other two operatives. However, each one was built differently. Our main character focused on a melee and ranged build; another one was in charge of weakening enemies and attacking with a sniper, and the last one had a huge axe and was quite tanky. If you’re in a similar situation, don’t be afraid to experiment with builds.
5. Purchase Everything
This is similar to our third tip for Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader, but it’s important as many might get confused with how the economic system works. There is no currency in the game. Instead, you have a Profit Factor. This lets you purchase as many things as possible, provided you have the required PF. To increase this, you need to complete quests, requests, and other activities in the game.
Whenever you meet a trader, buy everything from them since items are technically free. If you want to get better items, you need to give them the cargo they want to increase your reputation and unlock a new tier of items to buy things.
These tips should be more than enough to guide you through your first hours in Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader. Still, the galaxy is a vast and dangerous place, and you’ll face many challenges. But, with a bit of preparation, patience, and the usual spamming of the quick save function, you can manage anything that space throws at you.
