If you are struggling to get ahead in Marathon, then you are not alone, with many players being unaware that just running around shooting things is not the optimal way to level up. While farming the AI and hunting down other Runners can be exciting, a more focused approach to progression involves paying close attention to another gameplay mechanic entirely.
This guide is all about clarifying how you can level up quickly and efficiently in Marathon.
Contracting
Contracts are the bread and butter of Marathon XP grinding. Accept Priority contracts over Standard whenever possible, and try to max out your favorite faction’s rank as soon as possible in order to open up further contract opportunities.
Solo vs Team Runs
Depending on what your priority is, you may want to either team up or run solo while completing Contracts. Faster Runner levelling is best accomplished as a team effort, where every individual contributes to wrapping up objectives faster than you would alone. Additionally, other squad members could have completely distinct Contracts, but you will still receive XP when their objectives are completed, simply for being teamed together. This means a single run can potentially net you far more XP than you initially anticipated from just your own Contract.
But if you want to boost your faction rank as well, solo Runners will benefit from additional faction rep from Contracts instead.
Extract Early
Aside from losing all of your hard-scavenged loot, dying in the field will net you less XP than extracting safely. As soon as your inventory is filled up, or your Contracts are complete, just exfiltrate rather than be greedy for better loot or more kills. Make use of any implants or faction upgrades that allow you to keep a low profile, or evade hostiles.
That is everything you need to know about ranking up your Runners fast in Marathon.
