Resources
There are many ways of obtaining the resources required to run a successful operation:
- Scavenging
- Looting
- Extorting
- Purchasing
Occasionally you can capture a specialist such as a wood scavenger or water diviner who will find resources for you each day.
Resources are used to build things in your base, such as alcohol stills, gambling dens, fortifications and other assorted structures.
The other use for resources is crafting, which will be the focus of this devlog.
Scavenging
Roaming the wasteland, you will discover the leavings of past civilizations. Scattered metal, wood, and garbage will give you enough to get started.
Crafting
Weapons, Armor, Shields, Helmets and Siege Machines can all be crafted in the game. While crafting isn’t completely necessary, the equipment you craft can come out better than looted or purchased equivalents, depending on the success of the crafting session.
In order to craft an item, you will require one of or a combination of wood, plastic, metal, cloth, and leather.
Reverse Engineering
To craft an item, you must possess the recipe for that item. And to obtain a recipe, you must break-down the item you wish to craft. So ultimately, you will have to loot and purchase items in order to break them down.
But once you have broken down an item, you will have that recipe for the entirety of that playthrough.
Breaking down an item will also return a portion of the resources used to build it.
Summary
Until a raider organization can become self-sufficient with crews of scavengers scouring the wastelands, you will have to do it yourself. Luckily the detritus of the past civilizations will be enough to get you started – but in order to truly strive, you will need to fight and extort the denizens of the wasteland in order to get what you need.
You are raiders after all.