Outposts
Outposts are contested mini-strongholds found while exploring. Capturing one gives you access to useful production, crafting or resource-gathering actions at that location, but other survivors may try to take it from you.
Finding outposts
Outposts are found at certain Explore locations. While at one of these locations, you can view every outpost there, including its owner, Defense level, and protection status. From the City, you can view only the outposts you currently control.
You must travel to an outpost's location to use its recipes and actions.
Taking over an outpost
An outpost may be abandoned or controlled by another player. Attempting a takeover requires you to travel to its location and spend Explosives. If its owner is defending, you must win the PvP fight to capture it.
The number of Explosives required matches the outpost's Defense level. A level 1 outpost costs 1 Explosives to attack, while a level 5 outpost costs 5.
Players can control three outposts by default. Your current Max Outposts stat is checked before every takeover, so any bonuses to that stat can increase the limit. You cannot attack an outpost while it is protected or while another attack is already underway.
Defended and undefended takeovers
A takeover is defended only when the owner is able to fight:
- If the owner is at the outpost's location and is not injured, the takeover starts a PvP fight. The attacker must win to capture the outpost.
- If the outpost is abandoned, or its owner is away or injured, a valid takeover succeeds without a defender fight.
After a successful takeover, ownership transfers to the attacker and the outpost receives six hours of takeover protection.
Takeover and abandonment resets
Both takeover and abandonment reset the outpost's Defense level, normal building level, and other outpost state. Active production or action jobs, active Defense upgrades, and the timers and progress attached to those jobs are removed.
The outpost remains at its exploration location. Items already paid to a player's normal inventory remain there. A takeover transfers ownership to the attacker and adds six hours of protection; abandonment returns ownership to the location and adds no takeover protection.
Using an outpost
Each type of outpost offers its own combination of actions. Depending on the outpost, these can include:
- Special crafting or refining recipes.
- Scavenging, mining, fishing or trapping actions.
- Machines that process resources or produce supplies.
Only the current owner can use an outpost's recipes and actions.
Defense
Owners can spend materials to raise an outpost's Defense level. Each level makes the next takeover attempt cost one additional Explosives. A protected outpost cannot be attacked until its protection expires.
Being physically present and healthy is the only way to personally defend an available outpost when another player attacks. If you are elsewhere, the attacker will not need to fight you.
Upgrade costs
| Defense level | Upgrade cost | Takeover cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (starting) | N/A | 1 × Explosives |
| 2 | 100 × Planks; 100 × Nails | 2 × Explosives |
| 3 | 250 × Planks; 250 × Nails; 2 × Rope | 3 × Explosives |
| 4 | 5 × Brick; 150 × Nails; 100 × Planks | 4 × Explosives |
| 5 | 10 × Brick; 5 × Tarp | 5 × Explosives |
| 6 | 5 × Brick; 5 × Cement; 10 × Tarp | 6 × Explosives |
| 7 | 10 × Brick; 5 × Cement; 15 × Tarp | 7 × Explosives |
| 8 | 1 × Barricade; 250 × Planks | 8 × Explosives |
| 9 | 1 × Barricade; 5 × Brick; 100 × Planks | 9 × Explosives |
| 10 | 5 × Barricade; 150 × Steel | 10 × Explosives |
Abandoning an outpost
Abandoning an outpost frees one of your ownership slots. Ownership returns to the location and the outpost is reset as described above, without takeover protection.
Outpost types
Outpost types have different recipes and actions. The current types are listed below:
Outpost locations
The current Explore locations containing outposts are listed below:
| Location | Outposts |
|---|---|
| Fuel Depot | 9 |
| Construction Yard | 65 |
| Demolition Site | 63 |
| Reclaim Zone | 11 |
| Fishing Reserve | 14 |
| Military Base | 64 |
| Data Center | 21 |
| Open Meadow | 9 |
| Research Facility | 18 |
Useful tips
- Carry enough Explosives for the outpost's Defense level before attempting a takeover.
- Check whether the owner can defend before attacking so you know whether to prepare for PvP.
- Stay at a valuable outpost when its protection expires if you want the chance to defend it personally.
- Choose outposts whose recipes and actions support the resource chains you use most often.
- Abandon an outpost you no longer need before trying to capture another when you are at your ownership limit.