Anyone want to power level together? Looking to do some quick smash-and-grab levels over the next few days. I'm not as high level compared to some of you hardcore buggers but I'm about 40+ and have the ability to blow up Mongolian wom...err...safes.

If you're lower level than me, I'm willing to help level you up provided you are competent and follow instructions instead of dicking around like some pubs tend to do (been screwed up by than fairly often). If I can get a mid-level ghost or another technician on board (EMP/safecrack or moar C4), even better. An enforcer with a saw is also useful.

For those who haven't figured it out yet, there are 3 missions that can be completed fairly easily and quickly on Overkill provided you have the right skills.

1. The Ukrainian Job
Can solo by Technician with C4. In theory, a Ghost can do it but is a little riskier as safecracking is slower. Tech blows both safes and grabs tiara. Everyone else grabs 1 bag of loot and runs back to the van. Escape before cops arrive. Should finish under a minute. Do it right, we'll even get the <35s achievement.

2. Nightclub
Tech can blow safe but not enough C4 for the door as well. Needs another Tech, a Ghost with ECM, or Enforcer with saw. Can still risk this level if we can find the key card quickly enough. Everyone else is just there to carry money. Do this right, we'll be outside of the club and defending the escape route as the first assault wave arrives. Maybe even before.

3. Four Stores
In theory, a Tech can solo also but this depends on the type of safes that spawn and what they contain. Better to have another Tech with C4 or Ghost who can pick safes as backup. Faster. The others just watch their backs. Should be able escaping around the first assault wave.

Masterminds can err...just watch our backs and carry the loot when needed, OK? No need to shout at the civvies.

Some of the cheater tags are false due to HoxHud bugs.

If the host doesn't have any expansion packs and someone who joins does and than they select 'Buy All Assets' using HoxHud, it can flag the host as a cheater. Why, I don't know...it just happens.

Oh, and leveling up really isn't difficult in this game.

1. Do Diamond Store on Normal using ECM rush method. Restart the game (using HoxHud) until the alarm panel is easily accessible instead of within side security room. Have your teammate put down ECM, shoot the manager, get her keycard, and deactivate the alarm. Smash display cases and exit as quickly as you can with the minimum 4 bags of loot dropping further ECM as needed. Do it right and you won't need more than 2 or 3 ECMs.

What's the purpose of this? Diamond Store gives you a 30% Stealth Bonus for your next mission for only a minute of your time. Heck, buy the contract if cannot find on Crime.net.

2. Do Rats on Overkill (preferably Pro). Blow the lab as its faster than cooking (used to be instant escape but they changed that). Day 2, rush the gangsters and either blow and pick the safes. Day 3, snipe and kill everyone on the bus. Feel free to grab a bag of money each before escape but don't bother to get all.

OR...if Rats is starting to give you XP penalties.

2. Do Firestarter at a difficulty level you think you can handle, but minimum should Overkill or Pro Very Hard. Go loud first day. Day 1, grab as many weapons as you think you can escape with and destroy the rest. Day 2, ECM rush. Stealth as much as you can. Locate server room, find PC, deactivate alarm panels, than open the door and runaway with server. Don't kill any guards no matter what. Chain ECM to prevent the police being alerted if you're spotted.

Day 3, bank is very easy to stealth unless you're a noob. Practice on 1-day bank heists to master this first. Don't hesitate to shoot civilians for crowd control if needed.

Rinse and repeat. Can also do Watchdogs to add some variety especially if Rats and Firestarter are starting to incur XP penalties. If all of them have built up penalties, take a break from power leveling and go do the other heists for a bit first.

HoxHud and PocoHud are mods that add additional functions and info to Payday 2. They don't actually allow you to cheat but some hardcore players might view it as such. HoxHud is actually endorsed by Overkill. PocoHud isn't. Both are useful and can work together although some tweaking might be needed to ensure they don't overlap in function.

HoxHud adds super useful functions of which my favorite is where you are no longer required to hold down your key for picking locks, rez teammate, answering pager, etc. You press once to start and press again if you want to stop. No incidents of pagers going off by accident since my friends and I started using it. It also adds timers for ECM duration, has a counter to let you know how many times you went down so you know when to use the medkit, etc.

PocoHud also adds useful features like equipment sets tied to hotkeys (ctrl-alt-key auto-equips my stealth gear during crew setup), has a sweet little stat screen for your completed heists which saves you the trouble of sifting through the contact database (nice to know which heist you haven't completed on certain difficulty levels), it adds a floating timer to your drill so you don't have to run back and check. It expands on certain features like adding auto-notification to chat (eg. WARNING: XXXX has been downed 3 times).

There's also a HP counter right on top of each cop's heads. Its not exactly cheating per se. Up to you how you want to view it. Its kinda useful it you want to attempt to get a cop to cuff himself but you don't really have time to look at numbers when you're busy shooting them in the head.

Try them out. They're very simply to install and setup.

My levelling up XP run consists of:
1. ECM rush Diamond Store (normal or hard) for 30% stealth bonus to next heist. I do this so often my XP penalty for it is at 100%.
2. Firestarter Overkill. Stealth day 2 and 3 for 40% bonus to next heist. Day 2 is not difficult. Stealth part of the way than ECM rush when discovered. We can usually hack the PC but might get discovered while cutting wires cos we go pretty fast. Have made it out without using ECM before but normally have to drop some while lugging out the server.
3. Rats Overkill because it has the most XP to take advantage of the previous 40% bonus. Blow day 1. Day 3 grab 1 bag each from bus if not pro. Snipe and run if pro. No unnecessary risks.
4. Repeat step 1 until both normal and pro for Firestarter and Rats have significant XP penalties, than we clear off the ++ on other heists first.

Day 2 of Rats doesn't have a bug. There's always a chance the gangsters might betray you. The more bags you cook, the less likely it will happen but its more likely if you just bring the minimum 3. That's why its not worth the effort to cook unless you want achievements.

I have a friend who is on V already (I'm still at II) and he started later than me but I can confirm he doesn't hack. In fact, I got him halfway through V in just one night. Its not hard if you are good at it and don't fucuk up.

Don't waste time doing Framing Frame, etc. cos it takes a whole lot of effort for SHIT xp. Stupid Overkill...they upped the difficulty of that heist but didn't get it more XP to compensate. Haiz...