The newest State of Decay 2 update is centered around Plague Hearts and the spread of the Blood Plague. It offers new challenges to long-time players, but it can be a lot of information for new or returning players to digest. This is on top of all the tutorials the game goes through in the beginning.
If players are searching for more outposts amongst the growing spread of the Blood Plague in Undead Labs' sandbox survival game, they will reach the initial limit quickly. Getting more outpost slots requires certain resources and skills, and the update means players will also have to take on the surrounding Plague Hearts to be able to claim them.
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Although State of Decay 3 was missing from E3 this year, there are plenty of people still trying out the second game for the first time. It can be a little overwhelming when first starting a community, and outposts can help the camp by providing resources. There are 3 main steps to acquiring the maximum amount of 8 outpost slots in State of Decay 2. There are 6 outposts available in the base game, and 2 available from DLC, included with the Juggernaut edition. This is the version included with Xbox Game Pass.
Every base has a Command Centre. This might sound fancy, but it’s basically just a room with a table and some radio equipment. When clearing out their first base, players will be asked by the game to locate this room, making it easier to find if players are still using it as their base.
To fully upgrade the command centre, players will need:
- ‘Knowledge of Computers’ skill
- A Power outpost
- Scraps of Circuitry
- Materials
- 3 survivors for labor
That sounds like a lot, but it isn’t that hard to fulfill most of the requirements. The scraps of circuitry are found randomly in technological loot. If players have built up even a few hours in State of Decay 2, they are likely to have these in their stash. Materials are easily gained from orange resource backpacks, found by searching locations like construction sites and warehouses. The backpacks will have a brick symbol on them and can be stored in State of Decay's vehicle to gather more than one at a time.
The story of State of Decay 2 received criticism from fans for making the characters feel less personal, but at least the survivors are easy to find in the sequel. They are naturally recruited while following quests or finding them while exploring.
Power outposts appear as an electrical symbol on the map, and every map has at least 2 available. Claiming a power outpost will cost 2000 influence, and require a free outpost slot. To free up an outpost slot in State of Decay 2, go to the Base tab in the main menu and locate the outpost section on the right. Choose the one to drop and confirm the selection.
With the new update, players will have to ensure they have destroyed any nearby Plague Hearts, or they won’t be able to claim the outpost. Fans of horror might be obsessed with killing zombies, but Plague Hearts shouldn't be taken lightly. The Blood Plague freaks come in droves during these areas, and players should bring their best guns and explosives to deal with them.
Although destroying Plague Heart is no mean feat, the hardest step in upgrading the command centre is acquiring the ‘Knowledge of Computers’ skill, as it mostly depends on random luck.
Before searching for a way to learn the skill, players should check if they already have a survivor who has the 'Knowledge of Computers'. To do this, bring up the game’s menu and go to the survivors tab. Each person will have a list of their skills on the right-hand side. If players have specialized the ‘Knowledge of Computers' skill, it will show as ‘Programming’ or ‘Electronics’. While players are there, they might want to look for the controversial 'Punches Nazis' trait to see if they have any good fighters on their team.
If no survivor has this skill, players will have to find a person with the skill and recruit them, or search for a Computer textbook that lets them teach the skill to somebody with an empty skill slot. The book can be found anywhere on the map while searching containers or trading with survivors, but it is more likely to be found in libraries or offices.
Be sure to check the map for any limited-time traders who appear as ‘Network Trader’ in the mission description. Although they are rare, this trader sells the Computer textbook.
If players aren’t finding the Computers Textbook while searching, they can build a Trade Depot in their base, which lets them call in a Parts Trader or Network Trader who is more likely to sell it. This requires players to have a Trade Leader appointed, and a Large Outdoor Slot available.
Finding the textbook is a little convoluted, and fans are hoping State of Decay 3 will have a better open world. A clear indicator of where items like the Computer textbook are located would go a long way in making an open world environment more enjoyable.
A Signal Antenna can be installed as a mod at the Command Centre to receive 1 additional outpost slot. For 2 outpost slots, a Network Signal Booster can also be installed at the Command Centre as a mod. The catch is the Network Signal Booster is a lot rarer than the Signal Antenna to find.
Signal Antennas can be found:
- In tech-loot
- Bought with influence from normal traders
- From finding the unique Parts Trader or calling one in by building the Trade Depot
Network Signal Boosters can be found:
- In tech-loot (very rare)
- Bought with influence from normal traders (very rare)
- Finding a Network Trader on the map, or calling one in by building the Trade Depot
Only 1 mod can be installed at the Command Centre at a time, so if players are lucky enough to have both the Signal Antenna and Network Signal Booster, they should choose the latter.
State of Decay 2 fans have received many free perks, including an update for the Series X|S, but players will have to purchase DLC to receive the benefits of extra outpost slots.
Daybreak is a horde mode that leans more into the action and horror elements in State of Decay 2. It can be found from the main menu, and players need to earn 2750 Prestige from playing in this DLC to unlock Red Talon Contractors in the main campaign.
Use the radio to call in the Red Talon Contractors in the main game, and then check their skills. The contractor will need to have the ‘Hacking’ Quirk Skill for players to get an extra outpost slot. If they don’t have this skill, players can refuse to recruit them and have their prestige refunded.
The 8th and final outpost slot can only be obtained by playing the Heartland DLC, accessed from the main menu. Players will eventually receive the quest to help IzzBee, who can then be recruited. After this, IzzBee will have to earn the Hero Community Standing by completing quests and destroying Plague Hearts. Killing freaks also counts towards this, and although State of Decay's hordes need improvement, they are great for getting a lot of freak kills quickly.
State of Decay 2 is available now on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.