Vehicles In The Apocalypse
Driving around the map is a staple of your State of Decay 2 experience. You can find many different vehicles around the map, including compact cars, sedans, minivans, and trucks. Your choice of vehicles to use is part of your overall survival strategy, so think carefully about what you want to drive through the apocalypse. Do you prefer big vehicles with lots of storage space in the trunk, such as a Vandito, so that you can bring back more from a scavenging run? Or do you feel safer in a small vehicle that can navigate through the wreckage of the apocalypse, such as the Hellion? Do you need a four-seater to bring lots of friends along, or is a two-seater enough for you? Additionally, vehicles have their own performance capabilities, including how they handle in water, so be sure to plan your route! Experiment with different vehicles to see what feels right for you.
Parking Spaces
Whenever your vehicle is at home, make sure it’s properly parked in one of the parking spots at your base. (You’ll know you’re parked when you see “Parked” show up in the HUD while in the driver’s seat.) Once a vehicle is parked, you can transfer items from the trunk directly into your Storage or Supply Locker. This saves a lot of time unloading your vehicle! As long as you have the trunk open in a parked space, you can also transfer items in your backpack into the Storage or Supply Locker.
Gas
Driving around in the apocalypse consumes gas. Eventually, you’ll need to refuel your vehicle with a gas can. You can find gas cans at gas stations and similar locations, or you can craft them at your Storage. If your survivor is carrying a gas can in their inventory, you can fill up your vehicle by finding its refueling point near the back of the driver’s side. This takes a little time, so it’s best to refuel when you’re not surrounded by zeds.
Damage
No matter how carefully you drive, your vehicle is likely to take some damage. Maybe you drove through a horde of zombies, or maybe you hit a barricade while trying to avoid a bloater. When your car starts smoking, it’s time for repairs.
In order to repair damage taken by your vehicle, you need a toolkit. Early on, you can scavenge for toolkits at auto repair shops and similar locations. If you upgrade your Workshop to a Workshop level 2 and have a community member with the knowledge of mechanics, you can also craft them using parts. To use the toolkit, just move to the front of the vehicle and follow the prompt that appears on screen. It’s a good idea to keep one or two toolkits around just in case a Juggernaut decides your car would make a great punching bag.
Upgrades
If you construct the Auto Shop facility, you can craft vehicle upgrade kits that transform your ordinary cars and trucks into apocalypse-ready beasts. These upgrades typically increase the vehicle’s durability, speed, storage space, and/or fuel capacity. Each upgrade kit (light, medium, heavy) describes which vehicles it can transform, so be careful to craft the right one for your favorite car or truck!
Stuck
Sometimes, you might take a risk driving in order to get somewhere quickly or to avoid the aforementioned Juggernaut. This can result in your vehicle becoming stuck in a ravine or high-centered on a rock. To overcome this annoyance, use the ‘Stuck?’ radio command while in the driver’s seat. If the car simply flips and isn’t stuck between 2 boulders, simply get out of the car, stand near it and the option to “Flip” will become available.