Your first contested-zone expedition

Set an extraction limit before entry

Choose what you can afford to lose, a return location and a clear condition for leaving, such as a full pack or depleted medical supplies.

Expected result: Every member knows when the run ends and where to regroup.

If it did not work: Do not carry unrelated valuables because there is spare inventory space. The zone can include hostile players as well as NPCs.

1. Choose the expedition, not a simulator match

SC Nomads first-expedition drill

Enter the PU with the team. Agree the named destination, meeting point and return transport before departure. Use the existing first-flight and party guides if travel or joining is unfamiliar.

Expected result: Everyone can state where the group meets and how it leaves.

If it did not work: Wrong mode or separated group? Regroup before anyone enters alone.

2. Read back equipment and the return plan

SC Nomads first-expedition drill

Check worn equipment, usable weapon magazines and treatment supplies in inventory. Bring only an affordable kit. Name a carrier, cover player and return pilot; one person can cover several roles only when the group agrees.

Expected result: Each person confirms their own equipped kit and the team names its return transport.

If it did not work: Missing kit? Return to storage before travel. Solo players cannot cover a door and manage inventory simultaneously; stop in cover and reduce the objective.

3. Trace one reversible route

SC Nomads first-expedition drill

From the arrival point, identify the return direction and agree a rally location. Advance only while the route back is understood. Record landmarks yourself; this page supplies no verified door-by-door map.

Expected result: The team can describe its last safe point and reverse its approach.

If it did not work: Lost orientation, occupied route or absent transport? Withdraw to the last known point; do not improvise deeper entry to rescue the plan.

Check access and item custody at each gate

Read the next door or terminal prompt and identify the required item. State who carries it and have the rest of the team cover the interaction.

Expected result: The team knows whether access is available and keeps the necessary item accounted for.

If it did not work: A video's old route is not proof of the current door state. Avoid sending the only access-item carrier into a separate fight.

Check access and item custody at each gate

Read the next door or terminal prompt and identify the required item. State who carries it and have the rest of the team cover the interaction.

Expected result: The team knows whether access is available and keeps the necessary item accounted for.

If it did not work: A video's old route is not proof of the current door state. Avoid sending the only access-item carrier into a separate fight.

4. Confirm the result before the next move

SC Nomads first-expedition drill

Use the existing interaction card above. Read the prompt, identify who holds the required item, then observe whether the intended door or terminal actually changes state. Announce the carrier after any transfer.

Expected result: The team sees the intended access result and can identify the current item carrier.

If it did not work: An animation or old video is not confirmation. If the prompt remains unavailable, stop and reassess the displayed requirement; do not spend or transfer another item blindly.

5. Treat a zero printer timer as uncertain

SC Nomads first-expedition drill

The 4.10.2 issue list records printers stuck at 00:00. Separate that display from an actual available interaction or delivered item.

Expected result: You report whether access or an item actually became available, rather than reporting only a zero timer.

If it did not work: CIG lists a client restart workaround, but that is not an extraction or item-preservation guarantee. Agree a safe withdrawal or custody handoff before deciding whether to restart.

Turn loot into a completed return

When the agreed limit is reached, stop exploring and return along the planned route. Count the people and valuable items at the transport before departing.

Expected result: The useful result leaves the zone with its carrier.

If it did not work: If someone is missing, decide explicitly whether to recover or withdraw. Do not let every player independently run back inside.

6. Call the return before sorting everything

SC Nomads first-expedition drill

Announce the retreat, count people and access items, and reverse the known route. Have cover while one person handles inventory; do not split the sole carrier from the team.

Expected result: The team reaches the planned transport with a known person and item count.

If it did not work: A downed member or blocked exit needs an explicit recover-or-withdraw decision. Avoid sending the last capable player into an unplanned solo recovery.

7. Confirm arrival before ending the session

SC Nomads first-expedition drill

Return to the agreed destination and check the relevant inventory or storage yourself. Report what arrived and what remains missing. End only after everyone understands the remaining recovery task.

Expected result: You can name the completed route and the equipment or items actually retained.

If it did not work: Do not assume logging out secures held items or resets the zone. If an item is missing, record the last confirmed transfer and use the existing support or recovery guidance rather than promising restoration.