ARC RAIDER OLD TIMER.COM

The Silent Extraction

Spaceport. Matriarch event kicking off in the distance. I skip it — one key, one safe pocket, specific target: shipping warehouse. Loot the room, leave my calling card by the entrance. Pure silence. Event's over. Everyone's extracted. Five minutes on the clock. I'm holding Legendary Snap Hook, Bobcat, Magnetic Accelerator, Level II Rattler. Good haul. No blueprints means it should be calm. It's not. The creaks. The emptiness. The question eating at me: am I actually alone? I sprint to the opposite end — only open extraction point. Last second, someone slides in as I'm at the console. Light flash. We're good. Last two out. I finally breathe. Nothing happened. No shots. No chaos. Just my stomach in knots the entire time because even after 200+ runs, this place still makes every extraction feel like you're seconds from death. The sounds, the atmosphere, the weight of what you're carrying. Every. Single. Time.

- Submitted by DoomGodDan#6021

(Example Post) The Great Betrayal of Extraction Point Charlie - November 2024

Back when the game first launched, extraction points were a gentleman's agreement. You helped each other out, shared loot, made it out together. Then TacticalTodd discovered extraction camping and everything went to hell. Now we trust nobody. Thanks, Todd.

- Submitted by OldGuard_Mike from Facebook Group

(Example Post) When "Friendly Fire Off" Actually Meant Something

Remember the beta? When you could actually trust a thumbs-up emote? Those were the days. Now a thumbs-up just means "I'm going to wait exactly 3 seconds before I shoot you."

- Submitted by Veteran_Jones

(Example Post) The Legend of the Supply Drop Showdown

There were 12 of us. One supply drop. Nobody fired a shot for 10 minutes. We just stood there in a Mexican standoff. Then someone's mom called them for dinner and all hell broke loose. Only 2 made it out. I wasn't one of them.

- Submitted by RaiderKiller303 from Facebook Group

Lady Luck Was With Me

I’ve had a couple of interesting interactions with Raiders this evening, but the last one left me a bit rattled — or is that ratted? Fortunately, Lady Luck was with me. I jumped into various maps to kill a Leaper for a quest. I did engage a couple, but friendly people would turn up and help, eventually taking the kill and leaving me without a win. I’m not angry about it — always happy for the help — just found myself in a moment wishing for no help! 😂🤣

I moved on to Buried City but couldn’t find a Leaper… but there was a Bastion! I figured time was running out, so I figured I would engage it just to annoy it and leave when I ran out of ammo.

All was going well — grenades, cover, heavy ammo ringing out, cover, rinse and repeat — and before long the Bastion began to smoke! I took cover as the Bastion retaliated and noticed a person on the next rooftop watching for a minute. When he saw me looking at him, he pointed his Anvil at the Bastion and took a shot. I stepped from cover and gave the Bastion a bit more “what for,” then stepped back into cover… and saw the feet of my audience poking out from behind the blue tarp of the Raider Station on my rooftop. He was getting closer.

Thinking nothing of it, I stepped back out to assault the Bastion… and was hit — hit hard — from an Anvil. Medium shield zeroed and health dropped to minimum, I fell around the pillar I had been using as cover, out of sight of the Bastion and my Anvil-wielding audience member.

Too scared to step out from cover and feeling sure I was about to be shot at again, I stayed still and began recharging my shield. No movement from either of us, so I began bandaging and restoring my health… and then it became unbelievable. My Anvil-wielding audience member jogged from his cover, past me where I was tucked into the corner, and into the room to start looting a locker. 😧

I finished healing, pulled out my own Anvil, aimed at him, and waited for the “beep beep” of my fully charged shield. I got on the mic and commanded, “Mate!”

He stopped moving.

Stepped back from the locker and turned to face me.

I noticed he had holstered his Anvil and he was now looking down mine.

I can’t believe so much nervousness could be conveyed in an animation!

“What are you after?” I said firmly.

“Uuugh,” he cleared his throat. “I was, uh, looking for a way out of here,” and with that he jumped the handrail of the stairwell next to him and vanished from sight.

During this exchange someone else hit up the Bastion and it blew up behind me, but I didn’t move. I didn’t want to give my assailant a free shot at me, so I stayed put for about 5 minutes. In that time I heard a nearby railway extraction point activate a couple of times. Once my nerves settled, I too went downstairs and extracted.

No exit rat, no other problems — I was out of there!

- Submitted by Wayne Edwards

The Blueprint Drop

Total stranger. Middle of a run. Stops, looks at me, asks "Do you want a spare blueprint?" — drops it at my feet. Just like that. Could've kept it. Could've given it to their squad. They gave it to me. A nobody. Someone they'll never see again. The tension's still there — the weight of what you're carrying, knowing anyone could turn on you. But then someone does the opposite. They help. No strings. No angle. Just a gesture cutting through all the paranoia. It's happened more than once now. Different people. Same strange kindness in a place designed to make you trust no one. If this is what "good lobbies" means, I'm lucky. Though I'm well aware — next run, I'll probably get popped in the back at extraction. That's the game. But for that moment? Restored a bit of faith. Never caught your name, but thank you. From an old timer who's seen it all and still got surprised.

- Submitted by DoomGodDan#6021

(Example post) The Medic Who Stayed

I was pinned down at Extraction Alpha, low health, out of meds. Random player "MedicMike" dropped me a full med kit, then covered my extraction while taking fire. Didn't even know me. Mike, if you're reading this, you're a legend.

- Submitted by RaiderKiller303

(Example post) The Unexpected Alliance

Fought a guy for 10 minutes straight. We both ran out of ammo. Instead of punching it out, we both wiggled, shared loot, and extracted together. Never spoke a word. Most wholesome moment I've had in this game.

- Submitted by OldGuard_Mike from Facebook Group

(Example post) Saved by a Stranger

TacticalTodd had me dead to rights at Extraction Point Charlie. Out of nowhere, another player took him out, waved at me, and left. Didn't take my loot. Didn't ask for anything. Just saved me and bounced. Faith = Restored.

- Submitted by Veteran_Jones

(Example post) The Loot Split That Actually Happened

Killed a squad with a random. We wiggled. I thought "here we go again..." But no. We actually split the loot 50/50. Extracted together. Added each other as friends. Miracles do happen.

- Submitted by IronWall_Steve