Why Can’t I Recruit People to My Community in State of Decay 2?

You’ve established a base, cleared out hordes, and even crafted some sweet gear, but your community feels a bit…lonely. The burning question then arises: Why can’t I recruit more survivors in State of Decay 2? There are several factors that might be preventing you from bolstering your ranks, and understanding them is crucial for building a thriving and resilient community. The main reasons boil down to community limits, enclave relationships, and in some rare cases, specific in-game triggers.

Let’s break it down. The most straightforward reason is your community size. State of Decay 2 imposes a strict community limit of 12 survivors. If you’ve already reached this maximum, you won’t be able to recruit anyone else, regardless of your relationships with other enclaves. However, opportunities to recruit become significantly rarer once you hit 9 survivors, making your choices of who to recruit all the more important.

Beyond the hard cap, the biggest hurdle is your relationship with other enclaves. Typically, you won’t be able to recruit from a group unless you’ve earned their trust and become “Allied” with them. This means completing all of their requests and missions. Think of it as earning their respect; they need to see you as a valuable asset before considering joining your community. You can often tell the status of an enclave by hovering over their icon on the map, which will indicate whether or not members are available for recruitment.

There are also special enclave recruitment scenarios. Some unique enclaves, like the medics, mechanics, drunks, or soldiers, will offer to join you entirely after you complete their series of quests. These quests generally culminate in an offer to cancel the enclave’s “project”, and soon after, they will radio with the offer to have their whole group join your community. If you accept, you can quickly add several survivors to your roster.

Finally, it’s important to note that not all enclaves can be fully recruited. Some are simply designed to offer services or trades, and while they may grow to like you, they won’t ever offer to join your community. This is why focusing on building relationships with ambient enclaves is your primary source of new recruits. Ambient enclaves can now be recruited from Neutral and Friendly states in addition to the free recruitment when Allied.

Understanding Recruitment Mechanics

The Importance of Enclave Relationships

As discussed, the core of recruitment lies in building strong relationships with other survivor groups. You do this by completing tasks and quests they ask of you. These tasks can range from scavenging for specific resources to rescuing survivors or eliminating threats. Every successful mission boosts your reputation with the enclave, bringing you closer to Allied status. Always prioritize fulfilling enclave requests, as these are the keys to recruiting new community members.

Special Enclave Recruitment

Some unique enclaves will offer to join you en masse, but it’s not always automatic. Be aware of quests that involve canceling an enclave’s “project,” as these typically lead to a final offer of recruitment. Don’t dismiss any requests from the medics, mechanics, drunks, or soldiers, as completing their questlines could net you up to 3 new members.

Community Size and Limits

Remember, the maximum size of your community is 12 survivors, and your recruiting options severely diminish after you reach 9 members. This makes selecting the right survivors for your team crucial. Focus on recruiting individuals with skills that fill critical gaps in your community. It’s also important to note that if you have 9 survivors already, and are attempting to recruit an entire enclave, this can push you to the community limit of 12 survivors. You can recruit the whole enclave without finishing the map or the game.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are 15 frequently asked questions to further clarify the recruitment process in State of Decay 2:

1. How do I check my community size? You can see your community size in the Community menu, along with information about each survivor’s skills and current morale.

2. What are “ambient enclaves?” Ambient enclaves are smaller survivor groups that you encounter on the map. They are your primary sources of recruits.

3. How do I become Allied with an enclave? By completing all of their requests and quests. It’s not just a number of quests, you must complete all available requests the enclave gives you.

4. Can I recruit from hostile enclaves? No, you cannot recruit from hostile enclaves. You need a friendly or neutral reputation to even consider recruitment.

5. Do I have to be Allied to recruit? No. You can recruit from Neutral and Friendly enclaves now, but recruiting is always free when the enclave is Allied.

6. What happens if I ignore enclave requests? Ignoring their requests will negatively impact your relationship, making recruitment impossible and possibly making them hostile.

7. Are there enclaves I cannot recruit? Yes, some enclaves will never offer to join your community. They are primarily there to provide services and trades.

8. What happens if I try to recruit someone over the limit? You will not be able to offer them a place in your community. The game will not allow you to recruit beyond 12 survivors.

9. Can I increase my community size beyond 12? No, 12 survivors is the absolute hard limit set by the game. There is no way to surpass this.

10. How do I know which enclave members are recruitable? When hovering over an enclave on the map, if members can be recruited it will say so.

11. What are Legacy Boons and Legacy Pools? Legacy Boons are special benefits you unlock after completing a game with a specific leader, while the Legacy Pool is a collection of characters who can be used in future playthroughs.

12. Can I recruit the cannibals? Yes, it is possible. If you complete their quest and kill the victim, they will become friendly. If you finish a specific trader legacy mission, they will become Allied.

13. How many outposts can I have? You can have at least seven outposts at the end of the game. Outposts provide essential resources and bonuses.

14. What happens when you send someone to the Legacy Pool? The survivor will remain available for use in future playthroughs and will not be included in your continued community. You also keep all of your supply locker contents.

15. If I disband my community, do I lose everything? If you disband, you lose all survivors not sent to the Legacy Pool as well as all of your locker contents. If you continue your community, you get to choose a Map, Difficulty and Survivors for the next “Run” of the game, with all of your supplies still available.

Understanding these mechanics and taking the right steps will ensure you build a thriving community, ready to face the challenges of the zombie apocalypse in State of Decay 2. Keep those relationships strong, and your community will flourish!