Arc Raiders: Complete Paving the Way Quest Guide

Paving the Way is one of the first story-driven quests in Arc Raiders that pushes you to explore multiple maps, track down a corporate research trail, and survive tight urban gunfights. It’s also easy to get stuck on vague instructions like “go to any ENELICA building” or “reach the top floor above the Convinio in Piazza Roma”. This guide walks you through every step in clear detail so you can finish the mission efficiently and safely.

Quest Overview: What Paving the Way Actually Wants

Paving the Way is a follow-up mission once you’ve proven yourself in the early game. Your handler wants you to investigate the mysterious corporation ENELICA and recover research data tied to the alien threat and pre-war technology. You’ll travel between at least two maps, inspect specific buildings, and interact with objects instead of just killing enemies.

Preparing for the Mission: Loadout and Mindset

Although the objectives are mostly about exploration and interaction, Paving the Way still drops you into active combat zones. You’ll face human raiders and possibly Arc enemies along the way. A balanced loadout makes the quest smoother and reduces the risk of losing progress.

Recommended Loadout

• Primary Weapon: A mid-range automatic rifle or burst rifle. You’ll be fighting across streets, hallways, and rooftops, so versatility beats extreme range.
• Secondary Weapon: A shotgun or high-damage sidearm for cramped interiors, stairwells, and ambushes.
• Support Gear:
  • One slot for healing or shield restoration – urban areas funnel fire onto you quickly.
  • One slot for mobility or crowd control – a grenade, deployable, or tool that helps you reposition or thin groups.
• Armor: Prioritize survivability over niche bonuses; you’ll be under fire while interacting with terminals and boards.

The importance of basic preparation in combat environments is well documented: players who enter firefights with adequate armor and healing tools have significantly higher survival rates, especially in extraction-style games that punish death with lost progress or gear.^*

Step 1 – Finding an ENELICA Building

The quest text suggests that any ENELICA building will do, which is true, but some are much easier to reach than others. You can find ENELICA facilities on several maps; most players start with the one on Dam Battlegrounds because it’s simple to identify and close to extraction.

Recognizing ENELICA Facilities

ENELICA is a corporate brand, so its buildings are marked with a distinctive logo or large text on the exterior. Look for:

• Clean, industrial-looking structures with a corporate vibe rather than makeshift shanties.
• A clearly visible ENELICA sign or emblem near the main entrance.
• More formal, lobby-style interiors once you go inside.

Why Dam Battlegrounds Is the Best Starting Point

On Dam Battlegrounds, an ENELICA facility often used for this quest is positioned near an elevator extraction point and is tied to other missions, making your run more efficient. Many guides recommend starting here because:

• You can chain Paving the Way with other early quests that send you to the same building.
• If things go wrong, the extraction is close, minimizing lost progress.
• The building’s layout is straightforward, with obvious signage and a simple lobby.

Step 2 – Locating the Researcher’s Notice Board

Once you’re at any ENELICA building and have stepped inside, your next objective is to find a notice board containing a note from the researcher. The game is somewhat vague about where exactly this board is, but it follows a few consistent rules.

Typical Notice Board Locations

In most ENELICA facilities, notice boards are placed where staff would logically see them – usually near the main entrance or reception. When searching, focus on:

• The ground-floor lobby or reception area.
• Walls near the main doors, particularly to the sides of the entrance.
• Any bulletin-board-style prop covered with papers or posters.

When you’re close enough, you’ll see the familiar yellow interaction prompt. Interact with the board to collect the researcher’s note. This information is a story breadcrumb and also flags the quest as ready for its second phase.

Combat Tips for the ENELICA Lobby

• Clear the entrance: Before you interact with the board, check both corners of the lobby. Raiders love to hold angles near doors and staircases.
• Watch your back: If you create noise, reinforcements may push in from outside. Consider closing doors where possible or posting a teammate to watch the entrance.
• Stick to cover: High-intensity shooters show that most player deaths happen when moving across open areas without cover.¹ Use pillars and desks when you approach the board.

After interacting with the board, the quest will update and allow you to extract. Use the nearby elevator or extraction point to return to the hub and prepare for the next leg of your journey.

Step 3 – Getting to Piazza Roma in Buried City

The next phase sends you to Buried City, an urban map packed with tight alleys, multi-story buildings, and overlapping fields of fire. Your new goal is to reach the top floor above the Convinio in Piazza Roma.

Understanding Piazza Roma

Piazza Roma is a central plaza area marked on your map. It’s recognizable by:

• A cluster of tall apartment towers overlooking a plaza.
• Entrances to lower transit or metro areas beneath or nearby.
• Frequent raider patrols, sometimes including units with rockets or heavier firepower.

When plotting your route, try to approach from a direction that offers cover. Streets leading into Piazza Roma can turn into kill boxes if you run straight through the open.

Finding the Convinio Complex

The Convinio isn’t labelled like ENELICA, but the quest points toward a distinctive pair of large apartment buildings at the southern side of Piazza Roma. As you arrive:

• Look for two tall, connected apartment blocks dominating the south of the plaza.
• Note that there’s often a metro entrance below or near these buildings; this will be relevant when you extract later.
• Expect raiders on balconies, rooftops, and inside stairwells.

Recommended Entry Route

While you can technically enter from multiple directions, a reliable approach is:

1. Move along cover on the edges of the plaza rather than cutting straight through the center.
2. Head for the front entrance of the southern apartment building, which is slightly above the metro entry.
3. Clear any enemies near the doorway before you go inside.

Research on players in competitive shooters shows that vertical positions and high ground provide a substantial tactical advantage because they expand your line of sight and make it harder for enemies to track you.² As you climb, remember that anyone already on the roof may have this advantage over you, so move cautiously.

Step 4 – Climbing to the Roof Above the Convinio

Once inside the apartment building, your goal is to reach the top floor and then the roof above the Convinio. This is the most navigation-heavy part of the quest, and it’s where many players get turned around in stairwells and corridors.

Navigating the Interior

Inside the southern building you’ll find stairs, hallways, sometimes a zipline access, and numerous doors. To get to the top effectively:

• Follow stairs upward whenever possible; avoid doors leading back to the outside before you hit the top levels.
• If there are ziplines inside, these can help you switch between levels quickly, but stairs are the most reliable route if you’re unsure.
• Check each landing for enemies; raiders occasionally camp stair corners.

Dealing With Rooftop Threats

When you reach the upper floors and step outside toward the roof, expect at least one heavier enemy, often a unit equipped with explosives or a high-damage weapon. To handle this safely:

• Peek first: Use the doorway frame as cover and check the roof before stepping into the open.
• Use grenades or abilities to flush rooftop campers from cover.
• Stay mobile: Standing still on a roof makes you an easy target for enemies in neighboring buildings.

Crossing to the Connected Rooftop

The quest specifies the top floor above the Convinio, which effectively means one of the two connected rooftops in this complex. You may need to:

• Move from the higher rooftop down to a slightly lower connected roof using a small drop or improvised bridge.
• Use a scrap bridge or walkway between the buildings to cross over; it often looks like a makeshift connection between rooftops.

Once you’re on the correct roof, you’re very close to the final objective – the researcher’s flat.

Step 5 – Finding the Researcher’s Flat and Data

From the connected rooftops, you need to re-enter the apartments and locate the flat used by the researcher. This is an interior puzzle of sorts, but the layout follows predictable patterns.

Entering the Correct Flat

On the rooftop that corresponds to the objective marker:

1. Look for a doorway or small stairwell that leads back inside the building.
2. Drop down one level if necessary to reach the top-floor interior rather than staying on the roof surface.
3. Head down a short hallway into the apartments’ upper-floor layout.

In many cases, you’ll need to move toward the building’s far corner to reach the right apartment. The game usually highlights the objective with a yellow interaction marker when you’re near the correct room.

Identifying the Researcher’s Workspace

The researcher’s flat is distinguished less by signage and more by its equipment. You’re looking for a room that feels like a makeshift lab or control center, not a simple living space. Expect to find:

• Multiple computer consoles and monitors arranged along a wall.
• More technical clutter than typical apartments – cables, devices, and terminal setups.
• A yellow interaction prompt on one of the main consoles.

Interact with the highlighted console to extract the research data. This completes the main objective of Paving the Way.

Safely Extracting From Buried City

With the data secured, your last step is to leave the map without dying. Buried City extractions can be risky because choke points around metro entrances attract campers. To improve your odds:

• Listen for gunfire near the extraction before committing. If a fight is already in progress, you may want to wait or reposition.
• Use vertical exits: Drop down from higher floors near the metro entrance to minimize time spent in open sightlines.
• Coordinate with squadmates: Have one player watch angles while others call the elevator or begin the extraction process.

Studies of player behavior in extraction shooters show that final-stage encounters near exit points are some of the most lethal moments of a match because both risk and reward spike at the same time.³ Treat your retreat with as much caution as the objective itself.

Efficiency Tips: Combining Paving the Way With Other Quests

One of the easiest ways to save time in Arc Raiders is to stack objectives on the same map. Paving the Way is well-suited to this because both its ENELICA and Convinio targets are tied to locations used in other quests.

• Dam Battlegrounds: The ENELICA building you use here is often shared with other missions that involve water treatment or industrial facilities. If you have such quests active, plan to complete their tasks in the same run.
• Buried City: Piazza Roma is a busy hub for story and side missions. Check your quest log before deploying; if another quest sends you to the same apartment complex or metro area, complete them together.
• Loot Runs: Convinio rooftops and apartments are rich in mid-tier loot. Clear extra rooms and side corridors for gear while you’re already in the area.

Well-designed quest routing can dramatically reduce the time you spend on repetitive travel, which is important in games that rely on multiple instanced missions and map loads.⁴

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even experienced players can stumble on Paving the Way because of vague directions and challenging combat spaces. Here are frequent errors and ways to correct them.

1. Searching the Wrong Floors in ENELICA Buildings

Many players waste time searching upper levels for the notice board when it almost always spawns near the main entrance.

• Fix: Check the ground-floor lobby and reception area thoroughly before going upstairs.

2. Getting Lost Between the Two Convinio Rooftops

The connected apartment roofs in Piazza Roma can be confusing, especially when you drop from a higher roof to a lower one.

• Fix: After reaching the first roof, look for a scrap bridge or obvious connection between rooftops. The research flat is linked to the roof with an easy re-entry into the building.

3. Rushing Into Rooftop Ambushes

Charging onto the roof without checking corners often leads to instant death from rockets or concentrated fire.

• Fix: Pre-nade or pre-aim likely enemy positions and use the doorframe as cover until you’ve cleared your line of sight.

4. Ignoring Extraction Safety

After grabbing the data, some players sprint straight to the metro without scouting, only to be ambushed at the exit.

• Fix: Move methodically. If you hear fighting, wait or choose an alternate route down to the extraction zone.

Quick FAQ: Paving the Way in Arc Raiders

Do I have to use the Dam Battlegrounds ENELICA building?

No. Any ENELICA building on any map counts for the first phase of the quest. Dam Battlegrounds is simply the most convenient and widely recommended option because of its easy access and nearby extraction point.

Can I complete the quest solo?

Yes. Paving the Way is entirely soloable, though a squad makes combat and extraction safer. If you go alone, take more healing and play cautiously in Buried City where urban firefights can escalate quickly.

What happens if I die after grabbing the research data?

In most extraction-style setups, dying before you successfully leave the map means you risk losing progress or needing to reattempt the objective. Exact penalties depend on the game’s current mechanics, but you should assume it’s safer to treat death after grabbing the data as a serious setback and avoid unnecessary fights on the way out.

Is the researcher’s flat always in the same spot?

The general location is consistent: a top-floor apartment connected to the Convinio rooftop area, featuring multiple computer consoles. Minor interior details may vary with updates, but the corner-office vibe with many monitors is a reliable tell.

Can I farm loot while doing Paving the Way?

Yes, both the ENELICA building and the Convinio apartments contain lootable rooms. Just remember that the longer you stay, the more enemies you may encounter, especially in high-traffic zones like Piazza Roma.