Mechanitor

Mechanitors (pronounced Mek-AN-it-TOR)^[1] are pawns who have a mechlink installed. They are used to control friendly mechanoids in the Biotech DLC.

Mechlink

Colonists can become mechanitors through a mechlink. Mechlinks are self-installed implants, meaning a solo colonist can become a mechanitor. Multiple mechanitors may exist in a colony, and function normally.

Other than starting out with one, they can be obtained in the following ways:

Destroying an ancient exostrider midsection, which generates in most new maps. This allows you to call in a mechanoid ship, with the mechlink and some hostile mechanoids. Note that the Mechanitor starting scenario prevents the spawning of the exostrider by default.
The "discovered mechinator complex" quest, with hostile mechanoids guarding it.

Either way, you will have to extract the mechlink from the long-dead corpse of an ancient mechanitor. They can also be extracted from your dead colonists, assuming it isn't destroyed.

Pawns that are psychically deaf can't become mechanitors, and pawns that can't do Smithing can't actually gestate/repair mechs. Also, pawns with trauma savant can't summon a diabolus directly from the comms console, and have to be summoned by using the "summon mech threat" button of the pawn.

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.

Mechanoids require power and create pollution when recharged normally. See mechanoid creation for details on the mechs themselves.

Mechanoid control

Mechs are fully autonomous. You cannot order mechanoid work in any direct way, though you can indirectly control it through setting zones. Specifically, mechs are put into control groups, and the control group as a whole can then be assigned to one of four orders:

Work: Do available work tasks. Start charging after reaching a configurable % of power left (defaults to 5%).
Escort: Follow the mechanitor around and fight enemies. Start charging after reaching a configurable % of power left (defaults to 5%).
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. Mechs can be woken up again when they reach 15% energy.

Control groups and orders may be changed, however the mechanitor must be controllable (not downed and not under a mental break), and their mechs are in the same map. If they are separated, mechs will continue to do their tasks without a problem, and won't become hostile. However, control groups and their orders can not be changed. By default, a mechanitor has 2 control groups, but this can be increased through the use of control sublinks and the control pack.

Mechs can also be drafted for combat, where they are controlled like any colonist. However, the mechanoid can only be ordered to move to spaces within a 25-tile radius from their master, and they can only be ordered to do other commands while in said radius. Mechs can be drafted outside of this range (but not if the mechanitor is downed), where they can defend themselves, carry out previous combat commands, or be commanded to go near the mechanitor.

If the mechanitor dies or runs out of bandwidth, mechanoids will go into the Uncontrolled state. They will not be uncontrolled if the mechanitor is downed, in a caravan, etc., and mechs with enough bandwidth are unaffected. After 1 game-day, or 60,000 ticks (16.67 mins) uncontrolled, there is a chance for a mech to go feral with MTB of 10 in-game days, with a cascade radius of 25 tiles.^[Verify]

Upgrades

All mechanitor upgrades are installed like the mechlink itself.

Control sublink: Increases work speed by +6% per sublink, and increases control groups by +1, to a cumulative max bonus of +6 additional control groups and +36% work speed.
- Standard control sublinks can be installed 3 times.
- High control sublinks can be installed 3 times on pawns with 3 standard sublinks already installed.
Mech gestation processor: Increases mech gestation speed by 33.3% per implant. Can be installed up to 6 times.
Remote repairer: Allows repairing mechanoids from range. Can be installed up to 3 times to increase range.
Remote shielder: Allows creation of bullet-blocking shield on a mechanoid. Can be installed up to 3 times.
Repair probe: Increases mech repair speed by 33.3% per implant. Can be installed up to 6 times.

Bandwidth

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

Mechanoids cannot be gestated without enough bandwidth. If a mechanitor's bandwidth is lowered below their bandwidth cost, then the mechanoids will become uncontrolled. Uncontrolled mechanoids may leave or become hostile to your colony after enough time. A mech's bandwidth also dictates how many toxic wastepacks they will produce after recharging.

Bandwidth cost

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

Mechanoid Type	Bandwidth	Wastepacks Per Recharge
Agrihand, Cleansweeper, Constructoid, Fabricor, Lifter, Militor, Paramedic, Scorcher	1	5
Legionary, Pikeman, Scyther	2	10
Lancer, Tesseron, Tunneler	3	15
Centipede blaster, Centipede burner, Centipede gunner	4	20
Centurion, Diabolus, War queen	5	25

Increasing bandwidth

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

Therefore, the maximum bandwidth possible without band nodes, is acquired with a mechlink, bandwidth pack, mechlord helmet and mechlord suit for a total of 39.

To connect to a band node, select a band node, click the Tune to... button and select an available Mechanitor. Tuning for the first time lasts 5 seconds, re-tuning lasts 3 days. Band nodes stay tuned to a pawn when they leave the map. A band node is no longer tuned when the connected mechanitor dies. When band nodes no longer receive power, they shutdown and because of that, mechanitors bandwidth gets lowered, which can lead to unconnected mechanoids.

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.

References

↑ Tynan Sylvester Interview, Hot Potato 2022 [1]

[1] Tynan Sylvester Interview, Hot Potato 2022 [1]

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