HD2 Sample beam modding guide + Farming

A general guide for installing the Sample Beam mod and the most efficient way to gain Super Credits without paying money to the Swedes.
This is written under the assumption that the reader doesn’t know how to mod the game already, skip the install section if you just want to know farming tips.
Installation methods can also be applied to other mods.

There are two ways to install mods in HD2;

• Installing directly into the game’s /data folder
• Using the mod manager designed for the game

The former takes much less steps and is much easier, however, it is much more difficult to keep track of them, mods are also unable to be disabled when installed in this way.
Using a mod manager - while more involved, does not touch the game’s files, as mods are loaded on top of the game (don’t ask me how, just know it works), mods can also be organised much easier and can be disabled/enabled when needed.
Both methods will be covered, but the latter is recommended

The SC Beam mod is not available on NexusMods, as the moderators there removed it. You will need a direct install link from someone who has it or on other forums.
This mod is extremely unlikely to get you banned, nor will any other mod, as it is simply a model swap, and so far there are no reports of users being banned for any mods replacing models. Arrowhead is aware of and is fine with the modding scene, and the consensus among players is that the anti-cheat is only for the Super Store. This mod only reveals the locations of SC’s that have already spawned in each instanced mission, it will not spawn them for you.

Installation

What you need

If installing directly:

• The mod file
• That's it

If installing via the Helldivers 2 Mod Manager:

• The mod file
• The mod manager itself

Quick and Dirty Direct Install

1. Extract the mod file, it will usually be in .zip format
2. Open your Helldivers 2 install folder, either directly in a separate File explorer window (SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Helldivers 2\data) OR by right-clicking the game in Steam, selecting manage, and then ‘Browse local files’
3. Copy the contents of the ‘Super Credits’ folder (if the .zip contains multiple folders) into your Helldivers 2 ‘data’ folder.
   
4. You're done.

Mod Manager Install

Setup

1. Extract the mod manager files to a location of your choosing, don’t extract it in your Downloads folder. I recommend making a separate folder for it outside HD2’s install path
2. Launch Helldivers2ModManager.exe
3. Click the ‘Settings’ option to set up the manager
4. Under the ‘Game Directory’ field click the [...] to direct the mod manager to where the game has been installed
5. Find the installation path of the game, this is what you are looking for, hit ‘Select Folder’ once you see these three folders
   
   Steps 6-10 are optional (but recommended) if you want to keep your installed mod(s) organised and contained within easily accessible folders
6. (OPTIONAL) Make two folders: ‘Storage’ and ‘Temp’, where you make these doesn't matter so long as you know where they are, I suggest making them in the folder with the Mod Manager so it’s readily accessible
7. (OPTIONAL) Similar to steps 4-5, under ‘Storage Directory’ click [...] and find the ‘Storage’ folder you’ve just made, select it
8. (OPTIONAL) Repeat Step 7 but with ‘Temporary Directory’ and the ‘Temp’ folder
9. (OPTIONAL) Press ‘OK’, the program should close on its own, launch it again.
10. (OPTIONAL) Make an additional folder called ‘Downloads’, this will be where you will move mods into so you don’t need to sift through your Windows ‘Downloads’ folder

A rundown of HD2MM

• On the left you will see; ‘Add’, ‘Browse’, ‘Create’, and ‘Report Bug’. Only the first one is relevant, ignore the rest.
• Along the bottom, from right to left:
• DEPLOY: Deploys all mods that you have enabled
• PURGE: Removes all mods from the game, DOES NOT uninstall your mods, just makes it so that mods won’t run until you deploy them again
• RUN: A shortcut to launch the game
• The others: Who cares.
• SETTINGS: You know what this is

Installing mods

1. Move your downloaded mod .zip file from your Windows ‘Downloads’ Folder into your HD2MM ‘Downloads’ folder
2. Have HD2MM ready, click ‘Add’
3. In the File Explorer popup, navigate to your HD2MM ‘Downloads’ folder, you should find the .zip file from step 1 in there. Select it
4. If your mod has an alternate version or install option, it will be indicated by a drop-down menu next to the ‘Up’ arrow, in this case we only care about SC’s, if there’s no option then don’t worry about it.
5. Check if the mod is enabled, indicated by a check-mark next to the ‘Down’ arrow. This can be freely toggled while the game is closed.
6. Hit 'Deploy'
7. You're done.

Other notes

• The ‘Up’ and ‘Down’ arrows change the order in which mods are displayed - you can also simply click and drag. It's unclear if they affect load order. If you don’t know what load order is don’t worry about it
• The trash icon deletes the mod
• If you wish to install other mods from NexusMods, you will want to install them manually, as automatic install will attempt to download it via NexusMods’ own Vortex Mod Manager or ModOrganiser2. We won’t be using either of those.

Farming

General Strategy

• Pick a planet with clear vision and unobscured terrain (Forests, jungles, and swamps are a no-go)
• Start a mission between D1 and D3
  • D1 maps are smaller (thus quicker to sweep)
  • D2 and D3 maps spawn with more Points of Interest (but with a larger map and with more enemy outposts, the former of which can be negated via the FRV)
• Drop near the edge of the map or in the centre, and circle the map to find POI’s, if you approach one and see a blue arrow appear, then it has SC’s, if not, ignore it and move on.
  
• Once you are sure you’ve gotten as many SC’s as you can, open the pause/ESC menu and ‘Return to ship alone’, your SC’s are added immediately to your account on pickup and thus you won’t need to extract
• Pick another mission and repeat 10000000 times

Loadout/Strategems

There are only a couple of things you will really need when farming SC’s, as you shouldn’t spend time fighting if you can help it:

• Light armour: Run faster and longer
• Jetpack: Go fast, helps traverse over difficult terrain and fences
• Fast Recon Vehicle: Go even faster, assuming terrain is flat enough

What you pick to fill out the rest of your strategem slots doesn’t matter
It is highly recommended to bring a weapon with a strong scope (200m zoom preferred), as SC’s (and other items) will render from a distance depending on zoom level. So skimming the horizon with a scoped weapon can help you identify what nearby POI’s are worth going towards.

Weapons with 200m scopes include:

• Diligence Counter-Sniper
• PLAS-39 Accelerator Rifle
• Anti-Material Rifle (can also open containers)

Bringing the Grenade Pistol is a good idea, as it allows you to quickly open containers and destroy fences without waiting for the fuse time of standard grenades.
For throw-able grenades, you will mostly be using them for containers, so G-12 HE grenades, G-6 Frag Grenades, or G-16 Impact grenades will all work
For Booster, use Stamina Enhancer or Dead Sprint, whichever you prefer.

Other Tips

Try to find a planet that has no water or cliffs, as they can make the map generate much smaller (meaning less POIs)
Desert Planets and Moons are best for farming, as they often have the best visibility, and the former can also spawn with up to 10-11 POI's. Fire tornadoes aren’t an issue as they only appear after a certain amount of time has passed
SC’s will often spawn in bunkers. If you are farming alone, it may be best to ignore them. By the time you get another person to join your mission you could have just moved on, your mileage may vary though depending on how many arrows you see and how many bunkers spawn

Similarly to SC’s, Medals you pick up also get added instantly to your account, so while not very efficient, there is no harm in picking them up along the way.

Instead of using a scoped rifle, you may find it better to simply increase the render distance directly through the config:

1. Navigate to Users/[yourname]/AppData\Roaming\Arrowhead\Helldivers2
2. Open 'user_settings.config'
3. Change 'lod_selection_multiplier' from 1.5 to 10.5
4. Save the file
5. Open properties and select 'Read-only' to keep the game from resetting it

This will allow you to render and see SC's much further, open across the map if you deploy in the centre of it. This will obviously impact performance, so it's best to de-select 'read-only' from step 5 once you're done farming