In The Outer Worlds, effectively managing your crew aboard the Unreliable involves understanding the nuances of companion selection, gear management, and the ship’s layout. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the essential aspects of crew management:

Managing Your Crew on the Unreliable

The Unreliable serves as your primary spacecraft and base of operations in the Halcyon System. It features two main decks:

– Upper Deck: This area includes crew quarters, a galley for food preparation, and a bathroom.
– Lower Deck: Contains additional functional areas that contribute to the ship’s operations.

As you progress through the game, you can recruit up to six companions, each possessing distinct perks, abilities, and personal missions. Companions enrich gameplay with their unique skills, enhancing both combat and exploration dynamics. They can be found scattered throughout various locations in the game world, and once recruited, they accompany you on the Unreliable.

It’s important to note that while your companions are part of your crew, changing your active party members must be done outside of the ship environment. You cannot swap companions directly from the Unreliable; instead, you must use designated locations or specific game menus during out-of-combat situations to make these changes.

Equipping Your Companions

Equipping your companions with weapons and armor is a crucial aspect of maximizing their combat effectiveness. Here’s how it works:

– Accessing Inventories: You can manage your companions through the game’s inventory menu, where you can access their gear and equip them based on their combat styles and abilities.

– Complementing Strengths: Each companion has unique strengths that can be enhanced by appropriate gear. For example, Parvati offers an engineering boost and an area-of-effect melee attack, making it beneficial to equip her with melee weapons and armor that complement her combat mechanics.

– Personal Stash: The Unreliable includes a personal stash where you can store surplus items and gear. However, be aware that this stash is separate from the companions’ inventories. To equip companions, you need to transfer items from your main inventory or stash to their specific gear slots through the menu.

Summary

– Recruitment: Locate and recruit companions across the game world; they will become part of your team aboard the Unreliable.
– Management & Equipping: Companion management and gear equipping are primarily done through the character and inventory menus, not directly on the ship.
– Swapping Companions: Change your active companions only at specific locations outside the Unreliable.
– Item Storage: Use the ship’s stash to store extra gear and items as needed.
– Operational Hub: The Unreliable acts as a home base, providing crew quarters without facilitating on-ship customization for companions beyond item storage.

This management system emphasizes strategic preparation for missions and combat through inventory and menu-based interactions, allowing you to focus on optimizing your crew for the challenges ahead in Halcyon.