Previously, the game PAYDAY2 was available for $19.99, with DLC available at 85% off for a limited time.

With the conclusion of the sale (or 4 minutes after the listed conclusion time) all DLC (and the DLC Bundle) became unable to purchase, while the game itself became free temporarily (for the first 5 million copies). As far as I know, the DLC was not given out for free.


Currently, the game is only available by purchasing the Ultimate Edition for $45. The Ultimate Edition comes with all the DLC at a heavily discounted price (Compared to purchasing the base game and all the DLC simultaneously)

To quot an official release,

"Instead of paying a bit over $200 for everything like you had to before if you wanted all the DLC we’re selling the Ultimate Edition upgrade for about $44.99. If you’ve bought PAYDAY 2 at some point in the past, you will get a 10$ discount on the Ultimate Edition upgrade. Any DLC you have purchased in the price will automatically be deducted from the upgrade price based on the DLC you own."

You don't get any DLC for free just because you already had the base game. Owning some of the DLC does make the purchase of the Ultimate Edition cheaper, however.

　
While playing alone you are accompanied by 3 A.I. heisters, for a total of 4 characters.
When playing online with 1-2 other players, A.I. fills out the rest of your crew.
Fundamentally, A.I. only assist with combat, and will not help in completing a heist.
Even while in combat, the A.I. will not assist with any objectives that need to be completed.
(They will carry bags if you throw them at their backs)


Some jobs give you a XP bonus for the next heist if you complete them in Stealth.

Joining the group makes powerful weapons and equipment available for free, so it’s a great deal.
Anyone wanting to begin their PAYDAY2 career should start by joining the community group.

http://steamoss.com/games/218620

In PAYDAY2, this is the largest thing keeping newer players from succeeding.
Without skills, most heists cannot be completed at the higher difficulties.
To get those skills, you need to level up.

When you fail a heist, you receive nothing. Which means;
1. You attempt an easy heist.
2. Without skills or weapons, you fail the heist.
3. You don’t earn any money or XP, so your character doesn’t develop.
4. The process repeats. Endlessly, in more unfortunate examples.

So, if you’ve just bought PAYDAY2, taking advantage of the experienced players around you and grinding XP with high difficulty stealth heists is the most efficient way to progress.
I (the original author, not the translator lmao) started out that way, and it’s nothing to be embarrassed about.

You can’t tell someone’s experience level just by looking at their level.

If you join a lobby for a heist you know nothing about, you may sometimes get kicked by the host.

Some jobs, such as high difficulty stealth heists, require prior research using walkthroughs or wikis to pull off successfully. If you attempt such heists without preparation, you are bound to fail over and over, which won’t be fun for anyone involved.

Just like in real criminal activities, prior preparation is essential to a successful job.

However, letting more experienced players handle managing the items is also a valid strategy. There may not be an immediate need to Escape especially if there are still bags or items to collect. In any case, it is essential to communicate with your crew.


Sometimes there may be a need to split up to collect items or complete a task in a different part of the map, so sticking together may not be always the correct course of action.

I will not describe in detail the specifics of every single unit variation in this section.
All a new player needs to understand are the abilities of the Special units, and more importantly, how to kill them.

Technically, you do not automatically fail a stealth heist if you get reported.

With the exception of a few specific heists (Loud Only, Stealth Only), most of PAYDAY2’s heists can be completed either in Stealth or Loud. They start out with Plan A (Stealth), then automatically switch to Plan B (Loud) once you are caught and reported.

Therefore, Stealth heists don’t end when you are reported, but rather when the SWAT teams storm in and murder down your whole team. Usually, it’s better for everyone if you restart once you fail a Stealth run, instead of dragging it out and trying to complete it in loud.

PAYDAY2 has a multitude of weapons, opening up a wide variety of strategies and load out combinations. Learning the characteristics of each weapon will allow you to play to its strengths or shore up its weaknesses.

Currently, there is only one Sniper Rifle available for free. The rest are available through DLC.

If you purchase the Gage Shotgun Pack (Packaged with the Ultimate version of PAYDAY2), special ammunition types will be made available to you. These include flechettes that increase range, special buckshot that increases damage, slugs that can penetrate shields like Snipers, incendiary rounds, and explosive rounds.

LMGs share Skills with ARs.

Akimbo Pistols share Skills with Pistols, while Akimbo SMGs share Skills with SMGs.

Earlier I (the original author) stated that you can’t tell a player’s experience by his level, and some of you may be thinking, “Yo fam then how tf am i finna figure out whos good at the game”.

Other players’ experience levels can be ascertained by looking at the player’s INFAMY level, listed next to the level number in roman numerals.

Example:
-Level 69 with 1 INFAMY -> “Player Name”(I-69)
-Level 69 with 3 INFAMY -> “Player Name”(III-69)
-Level 69 with no INFAMY -> “Player Name”(69)

PAYDAY2 has a lot of DLC, and figuring out which ones are worth buying maybe a daunting prospect for some new players. I have compiled a separate a guide for that in the link below.

The Ultimate Version comes with all the DLC preinstalled, and all subsequent DLC (besides one) will be free.

It's all pretty good, to be honest.