Gas the drones...what are my options?

[ChaunceyK]

I tried going through the leak with my gas mask on, no luck, I mutated.  Guessing I *need* to infiltrate their base & fight my way out the other way?

Well, I tried that in a variety of ways.  Stealthing past them, attacking them immediately, luring them into the starting room in as small of numbers as possible, waiting a while for the gas to spread...one time I even waited too long for the gas to spread & I got mutated.

Is there anything I'm missing that will make it easier?  I've already died/mutated 5 or 6 times.

[ChaunceyK]

So wait for the gas to completely spread? About how long should I wait in the first room for that to happen? I don't have a window to look out (and if I open the door, I expect I'll give away my presence), so I don't know what would tip me off that I've waited long enough? Will I hear their sounds of battle outside?

[Mariner666]

Well, if you good at hacking (you can beat 75 difficulty) - just run fast as wind to exit.
If no...
Well, this quest not for you.

It's really hard to get keycard through battle with Drones and muties, and then escape without mutation.

[Tamior]

You can go ahead and kill the drones BEFORE you actually activate the canisters.
The fight will, obviously, be pretty difficult, but at least there would be no mutating gas.

[ChaunceyK]

Trying again now, and I can hear the sounds of combat outside the door.  Fingers crossed they all whack each other so I can get out of here safely!

[edit] Well, that wasn't nearly as bad.  Let them fight amongst themselves, ran like hell to the next screen, died twice but was able to make it the third time.  Thank you all!

[Taggart]

I know it's a bump, but it seems relevant to keep ITT. (Also, no spoiler tags? Or did I overlook them? Tried 'suspicious' tags but didn't work).

I just did the "gas the Free Drones" and wanted to point out that if you can stealth (before planting the gas), there is an

SPOILER  SPOILER




exit keycard on a shelve near the cat, so you can sneak to get the card before planting the gas and thus not have to kill anyone. In total there seems to be three exit keycard spread between the shelve and 2 NPC's.  Also, there is a 2XP Protectorate Can Oddity you can sneak and get w/o any killing (but not reachable after gassing the place w/o turning Mutant).