Uses for EMP?

[Shadow86]

The advantages of EMP use remain nebulous to me. I'm only aware of things like Dr. Xu disabling heart monitors or drones at point-blank range, but aside from that and perhaps briefly knocking out mechanical enemies (who don't really cluster together the way human guards do) with an EMP trap... I'm not sure EMP-related gear is worth the inventory space.

 

My mind keeps going back to stopping drones in various ways, as it's pointless to disable 90% of mainframe-connected objects. It doesn't seem to affect firewalls nor unlock things like safes, and selective hacking can permanently deal with objects of prime interest. I just don't see the point: it's all just extremely situational.

 

Am I missing some vital use for EMP or is it simply excruciatingly situational?

[Inflim]

EMP can be used for a number of things, as you say you can use it on drones and heart monitors but you can also use it to temporarily disable a camera, open up a safe to bypass a deamon, basically anything you can hack that isn't EMP shielded (And you don't need to use.) I normally won't carry an EMP devices with me if I have on file Xu but if I dont then I'll carry one to bypass deamons in safes/cameras

[Shadow86]

bypass deamons in safes/cameras

 

Hmm. Are you saying I can fire an EMP, still be able to hack a "daemonized" object without springing it and then use it once the pulse's effect wears off?

[KidneyBeanBoy]

Hmm. Are you saying I can fire an EMP, still be able to hack a "daemonized" object without springing it and then use it once the pulse's effect wears off?

 

No, the object just becomes inactive. With safes it means you can open them, with everything else it means they don't work.

[Shirsh]

It turns off turrets, guard's barriers, all generators, scanning amps (you just need to rip parts from it while it reloding) and, if I rememeber correctly, laser emitters, could be usefuful when you really need to cross an room just once but can't or don't want to hack it (5-6 firewalls and Daemon for example), and when there 3-4 safes in EMP radius, it's incredible economy.

It also create some noise (I'm not sure for how long distance, maybe same as blast) and can be used for distraction.

 

[Wormerine]

I adore EMP. It is not as overpower as it used to be, since if the firewall is too big it only reduces the firewall.

But as mentioned, good for using where there are a lot of objects to hack in a close proximity. Good for avoiding daemons (completely for safe, temporary disable for cameras or turrets. Another thing I want to try is combining EMP with strong lethal approach. Things go hairy, you fire EMP and kill guards without consequences (except cleanup cost.) Didn't try it yet, so cant tell if it is a valid strategy. 

[AbeClancy]

Additionally, if you are playing an Endless campaign, eventually mainframe devices get some sort of "reinforced electronics" properties. This means that EMP won't just immediately shut off the device, but break 2 firewalls instead. So, in such situations, EMP can be used to reduce firewall strength without disabling a device outright (which may be desired or not).

 

If you use an EMP to disable a safe, you can open the safe without triggering any daemons. If you disable a nano fabricator or other device, you cannot interact with it until it reboots.

 

If you use an EMP to disable a camera drone, it will generally permanently destroy the camera drone (it has an "emp vulnerable" property if you mouse over it.