Mechanitor

Mechanitors are pawns who have installed a mechlink. They are used to control mechanoids in the Biotech DLC.

Mechlink

Colonists can become mechanitors through a mechlink, which can be obtained in the following ways:

Starting out with one
Destroying an Ancient Exostrider. This allows you to call in a mechanoid ship, with an extractable mechlink and some hostile mechanoids.
The "discovered mechinator complex" quest, with hostile mechanoids guarding it.

Outside of starting with a mechlink, obtaining one will have you extracting it from the long-dead corpse of an ancient mechanitor.

Mechlinks are self-installed implants, meaning a solo colonist can become a mechanitor. Multiple mechanitors may exist at once, and function normally. Mechanoids may be transfered to different mechanitors.

Summary

Mechanitors are required to control, build, and repair your allied mechanoids. They are required to initiate the mech gestation processes, and at least one mechanitor must be present in order to work on mech-related research. Mechanitors are limited to controlling mechs they have enough bandwidth for (See #Bandwidth for detail).

They can't tame mechanoids that are already hostile, even if they were once part of your colony.

Mechanoid Control

Once built, mechs may be drafted like a colonist. However, they may only be actively controlled if their location is or would be within a 25-tile radius from their mechanitor. In addition, the mechanitor must be controllable by the player, e.g. not downed and not under a mental break. Mechs can be drafted outside of this range (but not if the mechanitor is downed), where they can defend themselves and carry out combat commands that were already ordered.

Outside of combat, mechs are put into control groups. Each group can then be assigned to one of four orders:

Work: Do available work tasks. Start charging after reaching a configurable % of power left.
Escort: Follow the mechanitor around and fight enemies. Start charging after reaching a configurable % of power left.
Recharge: Look for available recharging stations and use them. Enter dormant self-charging if full or no available charging stations.
Dormant self-charging: Turns off the mechs. While dormant, mechs recharge a very small amount of power (+1% power / day) without a charger or any pollution.

Control groups and orders may be changed so long as the mechanitor and their mechs are in the same map. If they are seperated, mechs will continue to do their tasks without a problem, but control groups and their orders can not be changed. Mechs won't leave or become hostile if the mechanitor is away. You cannot order mechanoid work in any direct way, though you can indirectly control it through setting zones.

By default, each mechanitor has 2 groups available. Control groups can be increased by wearing a control pack or installing a control sublink. Both control sublink (standard) and control sublink (high) may be installed multiple times; 3 for standard, and a further 3 for high (on top of 3 standard sublinks). Sublinks also boost the efficiency of mechanoids.

Bandwidth

Bandwidth controls how many mechs a single mechanitor can control at any one time. The mechlink itself gives +6 bandwidth. To increase it, you must build or craft items.

Mechanoids cannot be gestated without enough bandwidth. If a mechanitor's bandwidth then decreases below their bandwidth cost, then the mechanoids will become uncontrolled. Uncontrolled mechanoids may leave or become hostile to your colony.

Bandwidth Cost

The heavier the mechanoid is, the more Bandwidth it takes up:

1: Lifter, Militor, Cleansweeper, Paramedic, Fabricor
2: Scyther, Pikeman, Scorcher, Lancer, Legionary
3: Tunneler, Tesseron
4: Centipede (all)
5: Centurion, Diabolus, War queen

Increasing Bandwidth

Apparel items must be worn, and band nodes must be powered, for bandwidth to actually increase.

Mech Signaling

Mechanoid bosses may be called in by a mechanitor via the Summon Mech Threat gizmo.

Except for the comms console, the building used to call in the mech will be destroyed. After a delay, the respective boss will drop in from the outskirts of the map. There is a cooldown before spawning in another boss.

Version history

Biotech DLC Release - Added.

Mechanoids

Mechanoids | Core: Centipede (Blaster, Burner, Gunner) • Lancer • Pikeman • Scyther • Termite
Combat: Centurion • Legionary • Militor • Scorcher • Tesseron
Command: Apocriton • Diabolus • War queen (War urchin )
Labor: Agrihand • Cleansweeper • Constructoid • Fabricor • Lifter • Paramedic • Tunneler
Cluster | Buildings: Condition causer • Count-down activator • Mech assembler • Mech capsule • Mech drop beacon • Mech high-shield • Mech low-shield • Mech node • Proximity activator • Unstable power cell
Turrets: Auto charge turret • Auto inferno turret • Auto mortar • Mini-slugger turret
Creation | Pawn: Mechanitor
Buildings: Mech gestator • Large mech gestator • Mechband antenna • Mechband dish

Mechanitor

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