My 2nd run has been MUCH better. Got mag weapons and good armor before tackling the first dark site. Massacred the enemy with the upgrades. I've also found a lot more respect for the combat protocol for the drones. Rips apart things like turrets and their 2 armor heavy mechs. Rocking and a rolling with 5 engineers able to man comms and get ahead of the 8 ball pretty well now. 15 hours played so far - and very enjoyable. Anyone who has been on the fence should really think about getting it.