How in the world do you get your ranking to move up. We have been stuck at certain percentages for gadgets, stealth and the like and can't seem to get them to move up anymore. Getting tired of playing and seeing no change.

That's a big one for a lot of gamers, and if you search these forums you will find a lot of info, some good, some bogus. I'll repost some of it below for you.

Basically, be sure you play on ALL the maps as this seems to bog a lot of gamers down because they only play on the maps they like. Host a match with someone for a 1 v 1 or 2 v 1 game and trade off tracking/gadgets, etc. to boost the areas that you're weak in:

Here's a great version by Gustavo RM:

This is and in-depth guide of how to raise the Splinter Cell Double Agent Multiplayer Abilities. All of the guide was written by Gustavo RM. I have tried everything out and guarantee that this will work. I have actually spent a couple days figuring all this stuff out so that you, the Xbox Live Community, can have high stats.


MERC

- Direct Action

Killing someone while they are downloading.

Killing someone who has a full file.

Knocking down and killing them (This can be done by either beserking (Click Left Stick) or charging (Right Bumper).


- Recon/Track

Using EMF (Blue Vision) to locate enemies and kill them.

Running after enemies and shooting them down.

Using the hook to go over ledges.


- Gadgets

Killing with the drone

Killing with grenades

Restarting Generators



SPY

- Athletics

Rolling

Jumping

Climbing

Using escape movements (RB)


- Stealth

Crouching

Staying in vents/hidden

Neutralizing enemies

Turning off lights

Grabbing Enemies

Pulling enemies off ledges/out of windows

Turning off generators

Using the Visions - Night and Thermal

Stealing and Securing Files


- Gadgets

Using the gadgets (The gadget must actually affect the enemy in order for you to get credit)

Flashbang - Make sure it blinds them

Smoke Grenade - Make sure that the smoke actually slows them down

Syringe - Heal Teammates/Self

Jammer - Make sure they stand over it and/or get fooled by it.



STRATEGIES

Here are a few strategies for each skill.

SPY

- Athletics

For the most part, you will raise this with time, but I found an easy way to raise it. If you go to Blackwing’s green terminal, you will find a set of two windows parallel to each other. If you do the “dive action” (by pressing RB a couple seconds before you actually reach the window, it will basically look like the spy is diving into a pool, but he will perform a roll and get up again) through these two windows back to back to back, it will raise your athletics rather quickly (When I discovered this method I was at 84%, in one game of trying it out I went to 100%). Remember though, if you do it too much you will stop getting credit for it. I would suggest doing it every couple games. Make sure you also climb pipes, use ziplines, and roll as well. Another thing is that you should try to use the Escape Movement (RB) as often as possible.


- Stealth

This one will probably take a while. There is no real shortcut method to this. My suggestions are to make sure you at least try to hack enemies whenever possible. This raises it along with killing enemies. Another thing is that you want to not only kill enemies by grabbing them, but by throwing them off the ledge/window.

A good way to do this is on Boss House. There are lots of ledges and windows in that map for you to grab people. A quick example would be to go to the Yellow Terminal. Hack right up next to the terminal. When you see a Merc coming, (make sure he sees you) run out the door to the balcony and press Y while standing still. If you are still pushing the control stick while pressing Y, then you will jump completely off the edge, this is not what you want. Instead, if you’re not pressing forward and just press Y, you will hop over the edge and hang on the other side. The Merc usually will run after you and look over the ledge to try to shoot you. He thinks you dropped completely off. When he’s up close to the ledge, press the A button and throw him overboard.

Another thing that raises Stealth quickly is hacking generators. Whenever you see one of these you should at least try unless it’s obvious you won’t get it (A Merc is guarding it). If you can get it a couple times, your stealth goes up a decent amount. I’ve gotten 12% in one game this way.

The last piece of advice I can give you is to take it easy when hacking terminals. Don’t try to get all up close and then run away. Instead, find a nice, easy corner, and hack. If you are well hidden while hacking then stealth jumps up. I was by myself (no bots or anybody else) trying to learn Terminus today and I hacked green from as far away as I could, barely could see the terminal. Afterwards, I crouch walked into a vent, up a couple pipes, never even seeable by the Merc (if there were any) and just proceeded to the base, crouching almost the entire way. Even though there was nobody on the map with me, for some reason I still rose 4% in Stealth. I wasn’t even trying to do this. I didn’t have another chance to test this out because my Stealth rose to 100%. Just thought I might post this as a reference that if you can return a file without having white lines and/or being spotted, it will raise your Stealth.


- Gadgets

Not too much to say about this one. Just make sure all your gadgets do what they’re supposed to do on the enemy.

Make sure you stay varied with your gadgets.


- Final Spy Comments

I noticed that certain Co-Op Challenges raised certain skills when done successfully. I’m pretty sure you don’t get credit twice for completing the same mission, so after you complete it successfully once, you won’t raise stats again if you complete it again. All I can say is if your Spy stats are stuck in a rut, try doing a couple of these missions to get them a little higher.

Again, make sure you’re varied, if you do the same thing over and over and over again, you will NOT get credit for it. Change your strategy, try new things. This is the best way to raise.



MERC

- Direct Action

This can be one of the most confusing skills to raise. Lots of things have been said to raise it, but I'm 99% sure I've finally figured it out.

Obviously, beserking and charging are ways to raise this skill. When they’re in the innermost circle of the radar, try spinning, maybe you’ll get lucky. If you see someone, try charging at them instead of shooting them. Yes, it is a lot less likely that you will get the kill, but if you really want to raise it, you gotta do it.

Easier ways to raise this is to kill people while they are hacking a terminal. This will give you some credit. You will get even more credit if they have a full file on them. If you really want to raise it, there is something you can try, but it’s rather risky. If you see the spy hacking the terminal, go into scope and have your retical on their head. The millisecond you see the screen turn blue, pull the trigger. It will give you more credit, but can really mess you up if you miss.

Overall, this is the hardest skill to raise. It is commonly holding people back from whatever they’re trying to reach. It gets rather hard past around 60%. You just gotta stick with it and hang in there.


- Recon/Track

This has to be the easiest skill to raise in the game, which makes up for how hard Direct Action is (if not easiest, then it’s tied for first with Athletics).

Whenever you see a white outline, shoot like all get out. Running after people is one of the best ways to raise it. Don’t give up, just keep shooting, you never know, they may just poke their head out for the last shot.

The other GREAT way to raise this is using the blue vision. A good strategy for this is to hide in a dark corner of a room. Make sure this spot has visibility of most, if not all, of the common spy hacking spots. When the terminal is being hacked, the spy is 99% of the time standing completely still. Turn on EMF (Blue) Vision and look around the room for a white body. Remember, if you move in EMF it will completely blurr your vision. You have to stand completely still to see the white body. It usually is obvious where they are, go into scope, get the easiest headshot there is. This is not only a great way to raise this skill, but to play the game in general. I’ve had 9 kills in a game using this strategy for 6 of them. Hey, who says a Merc can’t be stealthy?

Also, if you see a spy somewhere below you, using the grappling hook to go over the edge is a way to raise this as well. It counts as following a spy, a.k.a. “Track”.



- Gadgets

This one is kinda self explanatory, but has been confusing as to what is included.

Grenade and Drone kills are obvious that they count towards gadgets. Just drone and grenade often. Also, if using a drone to find a hacker, don’t forget to try the EMF vision. When in a drone, you can move as fast as it will allow you without getting any blurr whatsoever.

I have found that the grappling hook goes to Recon/Track, and not gadgets. This is a common area of confusion, along with using EMF vision, which also goes to Recon/Track.

One thing you cannot do is get a whole bunch of grenade kills and no drone kills, or vice versa. Be sure to mix it up, if you get a lot of Drone kills one game, next game focus on getting a lot of grenade kills.



- Final Merc Comments

Merc can be one of the more difficult to raise, mostly because getting Gadgets and Direct action up are rather difficult. Don’t give up, just keep playing and it will come with time. Remember, you’re not supposed to get to 100% in a day.



COMMON MISTAKES

Headshots do NOT affect any specific attribute/skill. What decides what skill headshots go to, is what the spy was doing during the time of the shot. If the spy was hacking a terminal during the shot, then it will go towards direct action. If the Spy had a full file on him then it will count towards direct action. If you had EMF (Blue) Vision activated, it will go to Recon/Track. If the spy had a white outline it would go to Recon/Track. If the spy was just sitting there it would also go to Recon/Track.

You cannot simply just go into a match and repeat the same thing over and over again. In order to get credit for your actions you have to vary what you do. For example, if you get 10 drone kills and 0 grenade kills, your Gadgets for Merc will stop raising for drone kills. In order to get it to raise again you must start to get kills with the grenades. This also applies to Spy Gadgets. If you go into matches every single game with Flashbangs, it doesn’t matter how many times you blind them. You have to vary your strategy. Make sure you make good use of each gadget.

Although the Arm Hacker is technically a “Gadget”, I have found that it goes to the stealth stat. If you hack generators, breaking lights, neutralizing enemies, and stealing files all go to the Stealth category.

That is a great one there WOL. I found it over at xboxlive last month. We play all maps and have tried different things but nothing seems to work. I did read some where that it takes a lot of work to get to the 100% and time, it is just after trying this for almost a month now and no progress is just a stab in the heart.

Of course you've still got Motorway 90 and Dawn Waves Expert cheevos to get, so spend some time there. Be sure to alternate what you're working on, even if the other attributes may be at 100%. If you work strictly on one attribute it will get stuck at a certain % until you go play using other skills, then return to try again.

I'm certainly no expert, as my Upsilon skills are zilch. I got most of my 'expert' cheevos by myself back when no one was wanting to work on them. I still need someone with great patience to 'hold my hand' through some of the cheevos. It's almost impossible for me to get some items without help as I am unable to memorize the various paths (lost most of my short/long term memory after an accident) through the maps.

Awwww W0L, you know I will help you get any of the achievements you need.

And consequently, when my rankings were 100%, 100%, 98% it took me three months to get my direct action up that last two percent.

Also, one good thing that helps with Spy gadgets is using your syringes to heal your teammates.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: TFS_Jackie,

Gee WOL I would have thought you waltzed through this. That long, guess we will need to work on it. I now have the time got 1000 each in RBS and AC and I can devote time to it. Hit me up when you have the chance would love to play with you.

So people do actually play SCDA's versus on the 360?

YES WE DO but only with close friends and for fun and giggles only

I suppose I didn't play much after doing so poorly on a level that one of those helping me out asked me to sit and wait in the spawn point while he went and got all the files, which he did!

I gotta admit, he was really good at it - Omega?????. Neway, I'll have to load it back up and work on it.

I hadn't even thought about the game much until I realized that I hadn't played it on my new 1080p HDTV, wow, amazing difference. I am able to play through the levels a lot faster since I could actually see things clearly! I'm on the last JBA HQ 4 level ATM, so may load up Versus after that and seek all of your help - once again.

I play with a guy that has the maps down pat - he has tough me who to get to some places so fast, it is unbelievable. BUT he has never asked me to sit it out while he does it. We would rather miss than do some stupid thing like that.

Robert, it sounds like the person you were playing with took absolutely no time to teach you how to play. My friend JC and I train new people all the time. I'd be honored to show you the ropes.