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Why Is an Operative Unavailable in Watch Dogs: Legion?

In the dystopian London of Watch Dogs: Legion, managing your team of DedSec operatives is crucial to success. One of the most frustrating scenarios players encounter is finding that an operative is unavailable for selection. There are several key reasons why an operative might be temporarily or permanently sidelined, impacting your strategic options and gameplay. Understanding these reasons is vital for effective team management and planning your missions.

Reasons for Operative Unavailability

The most common reasons why an operative might be unavailable include:

Critical Injury: When an operative sustains significant damage during combat, they might be critically injured. This doesn’t mean they’re dead (unless you’re playing with Permadeath enabled), but it does mean they require time to recover. Injured operatives will be unavailable for a period, indicated by a timer in the Team tab of the in-game menu.
Arrest: Engaging in illegal activities or being caught by Albion security forces can lead to an operative’s arrest. Similar to critical injuries, arrested operatives are temporarily removed from your roster until they are either released automatically after a set time or rescued via a specific mission.
Personal Missions: Occasionally, operatives will embark on personal missions or errands that take them away from active duty. These missions are often triggered by events in the game world or specific character traits. The duration of these personal missions varies, making the operative unavailable until their task is complete.
Story-Related Restrictions: Certain story missions or sequences within Watch Dogs: Legion might temporarily restrict access to specific operatives for narrative purposes. This is less common than injury or arrest but can occur at crucial points in the game.
Permadeath: This is the most significant factor affecting operative availability. If you have Permadeath enabled in your game settings, any operative who sustains a critical injury will die permanently and be removed from your roster forever. This adds a layer of consequence to every encounter and significantly impacts strategic planning.
Kidnapping: Sometimes, an operative might be kidnapped by an enemy faction as part of a story mission or random event. This renders the operative unavailable until you complete the rescue mission.

Strategic Implications

Understanding why operatives become unavailable allows for more strategic gameplay:

Team Diversity: Maintain a diverse roster of operatives with varied skills and abilities. This ensures that you always have capable replacements available when key team members are sidelined.
Risk Management: Be mindful of the risks involved in each mission. Weigh the potential benefits against the possibility of losing an operative, especially when Permadeath is active.
Skill Prioritization: Focus on recruiting operatives with skills that can mitigate the risks of injury or arrest, such as those with hacking abilities or the ability to blend in with enemy factions.
Upgrade Prioritization: Upgrading DedSec skills and gadgets can also help minimize the risk of operatives becoming unavailable. For example, hacking drones or using non-lethal weapons can reduce the likelihood of critical injuries or arrests.
Plan for Losses: Acknowledge that operatives will inevitably become unavailable, either temporarily or permanently. Plan your strategy with this in mind, ensuring that you have backup plans and alternative approaches for key missions.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)