Finding Your Ideal Community Size in State of Decay 2
The optimal community size in State of Decay 2 is 12 survivors. This is the game’s hard limit and allows you to fully utilize your base’s facilities, particularly when using the Warehouse base which is a larger base in game. While it might be tempting to rush to fill those slots, the game mechanics make it crucial to be strategic about who you bring into your group. Reaching the maximum of 12 unlocks the full potential of your community, allowing for a more robust defense and a wider array of skillsets.
Understanding the Dynamics of Population
Recruitment Challenges
State of Decay 2 throws a curveball at players. As your community size approaches the 9-person mark, recruitment opportunities drastically decrease. This forces you to make very important decisions about who to recruit, who to keep, and who to exile. Don’t recruit just anyone – focus on survivors with valuable skills that compliment your community’s needs. It’s crucial to plan ahead and look for survivors who can fill specific roles.
Base Considerations
The size of your community directly impacts your base management. For example, the Warehouse base requires a full compliment of 12 survivors to keep it adequately defended, which shows the importance of recruiting the max population of survivors. Also, many bases will not have enough beds available for 12 survivors by default, so you’ll need to plan for that. A standard bedroom can house 8 people, so you’ll almost always need an extra. With two bedrooms, you have 16 beds meaning you are likely to have extra space, which means that you might as well fill out your base to make the most of the space.
The Importance of Skill Diversity
Having a mix of skills is essential for thriving in State of Decay 2. You’ll need survivors who can handle combat, repairs, crafting, medical needs, and resource management, plus additional survivors that might possess unique and helpful skills. The more diverse your community, the better equipped you’ll be to handle any situation. Think of your community as a well-oiled machine, with each member playing a critical role.
Strategy and Planning for Recruitment
Prioritizing Valuable Skills
Instead of recruiting based purely on numbers, focus on specific skills. Look for survivors with expertise in areas you are lacking. For example, survivors with mechanics skills are crucial for vehicle maintenance, while those with gardening skills will ensure you have a steady food supply. Specialized skills, such as medicine and chemistry, can be life-savers.
The Enclave System
The best way to find survivors with specific 5th skills is to summon an enclave using a Radio command, and then recruit and exile them if the skill is not needed. This method is useful but can be very time-consuming. Recruiting enclaves can also be a good method, and some, like the medics, mechanics, drunks, and soldiers, can be recruited fully into your community.
The Exiling Option
Don’t be afraid to exile survivors that don’t contribute to your community effectively. Sometimes, an individual might not have the right skills, or they might have a negative impact on morale. Exiling can seem harsh, but it’s a necessary part of maintaining a strong and effective community.
The Benefits of a Full Community
Enhanced Defenses
A community of 12 survivors is significantly better equipped to defend against the hordes and hostile enclaves. With more survivors at hand you have more personnel to man the watch towers, gather resources, and defend your base from sieges. This is essential, especially on higher difficulties.
Increased Resource Gathering
More survivors mean more hands to gather resources. By sending out scavenging teams you can significantly increase your inflow of vital resources like food, fuel, ammo, and building materials, and with the right skills, this will result in even more resources being found.
Diverse Skill Specialization
A full 12-person community allows for better skill specialization. With a larger group, you’re more likely to have survivors who can focus on specific roles, such as combat, crafting, or resource management.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What happens if my community drops below 12?
If your community drops below 12 survivors, you’ll still be able to manage, but your base defenses and resource-gathering capabilities will suffer. Recruiting new survivors becomes a priority. This is why the management of your survivors is an important part of the game.
2. How do I get better survivors with unique skills?
Look for enclaves to recruit from. Use the radio to summon more enclaves if you have a specific skill in mind and recruit from these, or utilize the method mentioned earlier of recruiting and exiling to obtain a survivor with the correct skills.
3. Is it better to recruit enclaves or random survivors?
It depends on your needs. Enclaves can often provide a good source of specialized skills, but random survivors can sometimes have the hidden unique skills that you need. Weigh your options carefully.
4. What are the most important skills to have in a community?
Mechanics, medicine, gardening, cooking, and combat skills are all incredibly valuable. Also, certain unique and quirky skills can be helpful too, like Fishing, Pinball and Gut Packing.
5. Can I have more than 12 survivors?
No, 12 survivors is the absolute limit in State of Decay 2. The game will not let you recruit any further beyond that.
6. What should I do with extra bed space?
Extra bed space is not a bad thing. It gives you flexibility when recruiting new members, meaning you can choose the people that have the best skills. Filling up all the beds will mean you can use a warehouse for optimal base defense, though this requires you to play through a builder legacy.
7. Is there a penalty for having too few survivors?
The main penalty is reduced efficiency. Your base will be harder to defend, and resource gathering will be slower. You might also struggle to manage community morale.
8. Should I exile survivors if I don’t need them?
Yes, if a survivor isn’t contributing effectively or has a negative impact on your community, it’s better to exile them. This helps improve the overall health and strength of your group.
9. What happens when a survivor dies?
When a survivor dies, they’re gone for good. You’ll need to replace them with a new recruit, if you have less than 12.
10. Can I transfer my survivors to a new map?
Yes, you can send your survivors to the Legacy Pool when completing a playthrough. They can then be recruited in future playthroughs to continue their stories. And yes, you keep your supply locker contents when continuing a community!
11. What is the best leader type to use?
Many players believe that the Warlord leader is the best for the ammunition production leader project that the leader provides. However, the builder leader provides the ability to have a very strong base. This really comes down to player preference.
12. What are the best traits to have on a survivor?
Volunteer Coordinator, Officer Material, Red Talon Operative, Indefatigable, Diehard Veteran, Unbreakable, Immortal, and Can Sleep Anywhere are all top tier traits. These traits can increase morale, increase experience gain and allow for higher carrying capacity among other buffs.
13. Is it worth moving my base if I already have 12 survivors?
Moving to a better base might be beneficial even with 12 survivors, especially if the new base has better facilities or a better layout. However, the move can be costly in terms of resources and time.
14. What is the most important thing to consider when recruiting?
Consider the skills, traits, and morale of each survivor. Don’t rush your choices; think about how each individual will contribute to the overall success of your community.
15. How does difficulty impact community size?
Difficulty primarily impacts the availability of resources, the number of zombies, and how difficult combat is, but the number of survivors remains fixed at 12. This makes community size management even more critical on harder settings.
By carefully considering these aspects, you can build a thriving community of 12 survivors, ensuring your success in the harsh world of State of Decay 2.