Carrier

"looks like a pigeon, but more like a Glinthawk. I wonder what's inside it's chest?" this machine is in the second stages of playtesting, and I'm working on refinement of it.

that's a bit of a teaser that beautifully summarizes the Carrier. a Medium Transport (specifically, the type that delivers Resources to Human Settlements) Machine. specifically, this machine, when out in the Wilds, will not engage in combat. instead, it will summon all nearby Machines, which can even include normally passive ones. one significant drawback of this idea is, despite having a whole army to guard it, the only defense it has is to fly away as other machines force the Player to try another means or fight the enemies arrayed before them.

ATTACKS

as far as I said, the only component, and it's ability to draw reinforcements, is in it's Alarm Signal Node. this has exactly one spot it comes from, though a Carrier has two at any given time (more if it has a Processed Metal Block handy).

• Alarm Call: from the back of the Carrier comes a small node looking similar to the same spot on a Glinthawk. this node, similar to a Longleg, starts emmitting a signal for all the machines within the distance from the Thunderjaw site just west of Freeheap (the one that has the only known instance of two thunderjaws being present at the same time), and the Thunderjaw site to the north. now, that's in all directions, so you can imagine EVERY (including herd ones) Machine in that vicinty all headed straight to the Carrier.

DEFENSE

now, as stated, it can only fly away. but that doesn't mean it isn't exceptionally good at that.

• Invisability: for the next thirty seconds, as if like a Stalker, the Carrier goes invisible, while also recieving a 33% speed boost.
• Carry: considered to be used outside combat, this basically picks up a Small Machine (including Machines the size of, say, a Grazer) in a sort of flyby that usually deprives a hunter of their kill. attacking the Carrier enables the same thing as if it spotted you while stripping a Machine. mainly, hordes of machines all coming to defend their only defense against literally everything, including bandits and such.

USES

now, this replaces the loot section (because it's near impossible to kill them, seeing as they're highly armored, extremely resistant to all damage, and project a forcefield similar to a Tallneck). but, they're actually more useful to keep alive than killing.

• DROPOFF: when a Carrier recieves a full stockpile of machine parts, they head to a pre-designated settlement, during which time they become completely friendly to other humans, and will even let them touch them. however, attacking will result in this never happening at this particular settlement again. they have been known to deliver a whole warehouse amount of machine parts, including processed metal blocks (about five), plenty (a full stack) of Sparkers, Blaze, Metal Vessels, Chillwater, Echo Shells, Wire, and about 1000 metal shards, all of which stored in a hollow metal block similar to a processed metal block in appearance.
• PACIFY: when a Carrier flies over a group of machines, it is a calming influence. like a mother passing near her children, it will readily release signals to them, indicating it's safe and calm. any machine within the same radius as I mentioned previously, and not called by a Carrier, will find it much easier to just run from a hunter. though, if attacked, the recon or combat machines nearby will alert the Carrier, especially Longlegs, who can send messages directly between themselves much faster (near instantly). so, as long as a hunter doesn't attack, Machines will let them walk among them if they have a Focus and have been deemed "non-threatening."
• COLLECTION INCREASE: every year a settlement goes without attacking a Carrier, another Carrier replaces a lost one, or, if no settlement has attacked a Carrier in the last year, then another Carrier will be added to a settlement (usually Meridian and Freeheap, but Pitchcliff, Mothers Crown, Mothers Heart, and even Mothers Watch will recieve them if Meridian has beforehand. if all of the listed ones have recieved a extra Carrier, then other settlements, such as that Ban-uk Encampment will, or even liberated Bandit Camps). this benefit, however, only applies in streaks. if, for instance, Meridian attacks when they have Three Carriers, then they won't recieve a single Carrier for the next three years. and those that were in service to meridian will fly off and help the Cauldrons with Recycling dead machines, meaning machine sites will increase temporarily.

\besides that, Carriers are also Moutnable, and can be overridden if you've completed the OMICRON Cauldron (see Cauldrons for details, one of my Blog Posts). they also, if you complete ZETA, will become much more common, as it becomes every half year they produce another (though, I will say that it remains a year if they are attacked, and after ZETA, it will become two).

if, however, you override one, it no longer will draw in swarms of normal machines. instead, it will become a personal mount, meaning overriding one of these is well worth it. the Settlement will recieve plenty of loot still, as another Carrier will be produced to fill in the gap. you can only have one of these overriden at a time.

SKILLS

now, this section is useful, as once you override a Carrier, you learn this skill

• Mounted Carry: you can order your Carrier to pick up and scavenge a fallen machine. once it doesn, it will fly up somewhere high and secluded, or stay there and instantly start looting it. no matter what, you gain the ability to Mount the Carrier and access "Carrier Inventory" when accessing yours. it will show you all loot, including resources, modifications, and, as if you had Scanvenger+, you get an greatly increased chance to pick up Machine Scavenger Boxes. these, once taken, can be looted as if you'd looted them yourself.

that's it for the Carrier, a Medium Transport (Delivery) Machine. bow in awe of the personal mount feature, as it is incredibly useful.

oh, and as for repairing it, you treat it as if it healed very slowly so long as it's not being mounted and it's not in combat. which, it will only defend you by picking you up and carrying you outside their reach if you use the Call Carrier Button after entering combat (for the sake of simplicity, Machines will not attack the Carrier, as they know it poses no threat. also, if it carries you away, it usually ignores any carcasses you point out, instead taking the more important order of "get me outta here!") any machine who sees a Carrier will act friendly towards it, and if a Carrier spots you in trouble with a group of humans, it will usually try to intimidate them. combined with player interaction, it often works.