Generation Zero offers a unique post-apocalyptic world filled with tension, strategy, and survival. As players navigate through hostile environments populated by deadly machines, any advantage can be the difference between life and death. One of the most exciting features added to the game is the Companion a friendly AI-controlled robot that can assist you in combat, defense, and exploration. Knowing how to deploy a Companion effectively is crucial to maximizing its potential and improving your experience in Generation Zero’s open-world survival setting.
What Is a Companion in Generation Zero?
The Companion is a player-deployable machine ally introduced in a major update to Generation Zero. It is customizable and capable of providing both offensive and defensive support. Whether you’re exploring alone or with a team, deploying a Companion can turn the tide of battle, distract enemies, and even revive you when you’re downed. This mechanical partner enhances solo play and adds tactical depth for coordinated group strategies.
Unlocking the Companion
Before you can deploy your Companion, you must first unlock it by completing the associated missions and obtaining the required crafting blueprints. The Companion Bot is typically tied to a questline that becomes available after a certain point in the game’s progression, particularly after updates such as the Companion Update. Players need to visit specific locations, defeat powerful machines, and collect unique components to assemble their Companion at a Crafting Station.
- Complete the Companion mission chain to unlock the initial blueprint.
- Gather specific machine parts, circuitry, and crafting components.
- Craft the Companion using a Crafting Station in a safehouse or base.
Requirements to Deploy the Companion
After crafting your Companion, there are certain conditions that must be met before it can be deployed in the field. These include having an active Companion Slot and ensuring the Companion is equipped with all necessary modules such as a processor, power core, and mobility component. Additionally, you’ll need to assign the Companion to a quick access slot in your inventory.
- Ensure the Companion is crafted and assembled correctly.
- Equip it from your inventory or Companion menu.
- Assign it to a quick slot for fast deployment during gameplay.
How to Deploy the Companion in the Field
Deploying the Companion in Generation Zero is a straightforward process once you’ve met all prerequisites. Follow these steps to get your robotic ally into action:
- Open your inventory and locate the Companion device.
- Assign it to one of your quick-access slots.
- Exit the inventory and press the corresponding hotkey during gameplay.
- The Companion will deploy and appear beside you, ready to fight or assist.
The deployment can occur in most outdoor areas, but may be restricted in narrow interiors or unsafe zones. If deployment fails, you’ll see a warning message indicating the issue. Ensure the ground is clear and that you’re not too close to enemies or interactable objects.
Controlling and Communicating with the Companion
Once deployed, your Companion acts semi-autonomously but can also be given specific commands via the Companion Command Wheel. This feature allows players to issue tactical instructions such as follow, stay, engage enemies, or patrol.
- Follow: Your Companion will stick close to you at all times.
- Stay: Keeps the Companion in place, useful for guarding a position.
- Engage: Orders it to prioritize hostile machines in sight.
- Patrol: Allows you to assign a patrol path in a specific area.
Using the right command at the right time can make your Companion more efficient in battle or exploration. If your Companion takes too much damage, it will become disabled and must be repaired before it can be used again.
Repairing and Upgrading the Companion
Your Companion isn’t invincible and may take damage during combat. When it gets disabled, you can repair it using a toolkit or repair consumables crafted from machine parts. Repairs can be performed either manually in the field or at a base station.
Upgrading Your Companion
The Companion in Generation Zero can be modified to suit different playstyles. After deployment, you can access the Companion Customization Menu where you can change its loadout, behavior modules, and even appearance. Some upgrades include improved targeting systems, better armor, or support utilities like healing pulses or ammo supply modules.
Examples of Companion upgrades:
- Armor Plating: Increases durability against heavy attacks.
- Weapon Modules: Equip your Companion with SMGs, shotguns, or energy weapons.
- Support AI: Adds features like enemy scanning or item detection.
Best Practices for Companion Deployment
While the Companion is helpful, using it strategically is key. Here are some tips to get the most out of your mechanical ally:
- Deploy the Companion before initiating combat to have full control of the battlefield.
- Use Stay or Patrol commands to guard chokepoints or alert you to incoming threats.
- Pair it with stealth play by letting it create distractions while you flank enemies.
- Upgrade regularly to keep up with stronger enemy types.
- Always carry spare repair kits when adventuring into high-risk zones.
Companion Synergy With Co-op Play
When playing with friends, each player can deploy their own Companion, leading to team-based strategies involving multiple bots. You can coordinate roles such as having one Companion go on the offensive while another provides support or suppresses incoming enemies. Communication and planning are crucial in maximizing this potential.
Companion Limitations and AI Behavior
Although the Companion is a powerful tool, it does have limitations. It won’t always perfectly track moving targets or avoid damage intelligently. At times, its pathfinding may falter in dense terrain or indoors. It’s important to keep these limitations in mind when planning your movement and positioning during battle.
- Limited response time to surprise attacks
- Can be overwhelmed by enemy swarms if unsupported
- Requires manual repairs if destroyed mid-combat
Deploying and utilizing a Companion in Generation Zero adds a compelling new dynamic to the survival gameplay loop. Not only does it provide backup in combat, but it also enriches the tactical depth of exploration and base defense. From its customizable modules to intelligent AI commands, the Companion becomes a reliable partner as you take on increasingly dangerous missions across the vast, hostile world of Östertörn. Mastering its deployment and maintenance will ensure you’re never truly alone in your fight for survival.