Once Human is a game that has a bit of something for everyone looking for a new MMORPG to play. If you're, say, a fan of collector games like Palworld, then Once Human also has you covered with its oddly complex Deviant system.
What are Deviants in Once Human?
As implied moments ago, Deviants are Once Human's answer to players looking to invest their time in creature collecting. Deviants are abnormal creatures with special abilities and perform unique tasks for your benefit. They come in many shapes and sizes, and each one is highly unique when compared to their peers. You begin Once Human with a butterfly-like Deviant that attacks your enemies when deployed, but as you progress through the game, you will undoubtedly collect more to use.
Related: Once Human Cheats List
What's special about Deviants is that they need to be personally cared for to remain useable and effective to your cause akin to how you would in Palword. To that end, you'll need to understand the core of the system to make use of these Deviants to great effect.
How to Summon a Deviant in Once Human
The first Deviant you'll obtain is the Butterfly's Emissary, obtained by following the tutorial prologue questline. This Deviant is rather basic compared to later ones, as its core function is to deal damage to foes. However, it won't do anything if you don't summon it from its Independent Secure Unit first, which you'll first need to build in your base.
Building an Independent Secure Unit
To construct an Independent Secure Unit, open your Build Menu, choose Facilities then navigate to the Functional tab. From here, look under the Special categories and select the Independent Secure Unit in the list of buildings.
To build it, you're going to need some common materials.
- 20 x Metal Scraps - Looted from surroundings, or obtained by disassembling junk loot in the Disassembler.
- 15 x Copper Ingots - Crafted via the Furnace
- 10 x Glass - Crafted via the Furnace
Summoning a Deviant from an Independent Secure Unit
When you have these materials, place the Independent Secure Unit in your base, at the location of your choosing. Now, Interact with the structure. A simple menu will open up that will allow you to choose which Deviant you want to put in the unit. For this example, I'll continue using the Butterfly's Emissary, so I recommend you choose that one to put into the unit.
When a Deviant is safe and sound in its unit, you can now make use of it for summoning. Interact with the Independent Secure Unit that has your Butterfly's Emissary and choose the Synchronize to Cradle option at the bottom right.
Synchronizing a Deviant to your Cradle (the pack on your back) allows you to summon the Deviant at will. Press and hold the Summon Deviant button on your control layout ("E" is the default for keyboard). This will open a selection wheel with a few options.
The Deviant you're using will determine what these options do, as they represent the special abilities available to them. In the case of the Butterfly's Emissary, you can either choose to summon it to the field to automatically attack nearby enemies, or throw it instead for additional effects. Make sure you read all about the mechanics each Deviant has access to before summoning.
How to summon a non-combat Deviant
Not all Deviants are combat-orientated. Instead, some focus all their energy on performing mundane but useful tasks around your base. These Deviants are typically not summoned by you. You don't even need to synchronize with them for them to function.
For example, 'The Digby Boy' is a Deviant with no combat function. His only purpose is to mine ore around your base. As long as he is assigned to an Independent Secure Unit, The Digby Boy will perform this function automatically, summoning itself as necessary. However, all Deviants, regardless of type will only work if they are properly taken care of.
How to keep Deviants happy in Once Human
A summoned Deviant only remains out and about for so long. This duration is usually determined by their Deviant Power, which caps at 100. Deviant Power is like a Deviant's stamina bar. Once it is at zero, it can no longer be summoned and will return to the Independent Secure Unit it was assigned to.
A Deviant in its unit is in a Dormant state, which means it is resting to restore its Deviant Power. This process is incredibly slow naturally, but you can directly influence the speed at which Deviant Power is restored by influencing a Deviant's Mood with proper care.
Every Deviant in Once Human has a Mood Bar that caps out at 100, like Deviant Power. Mood determines how effective a Deviant is at its various tasks. A higher Mood Bar means a stronger, more effective Deviant. A Deviant's mood is determined by the care you give it, and each Deviant has a different set of needs you should account for to make sure it is as happy as it can be. You can view these needs by examining a Deviant in its unit and looking at the bottom left portion of the menu.
Notice that The Digby Boy is happier when music is playing near the unit it is stored in, and toys are played around it as well. Additionally, it enjoys being heated and wants a 5W Power source attached. With all these cares considered, its Mood bar will recover significantly faster than normal.
One additional use for a Deviant's Mood is that you use it to instantly refill Deviant Power. By clicking on the Refill button in an Independent Secure Unit's menu, you can convert a Deviant's Mood into Deviant Power, allowing it to get back up and functional instantly.
This is very useful for situations where you need to make use of a Deviant's unique ability, regardless of how effective it is.
What are Deviation Traits in Once Human?
The early Deviants you'll obtain in Once Human will come with one or two special abilities that it can make use of. However, as you progress, you'll come across Deviants that have Deviation Traits: additional mechanics that alter how the Deviant functions. These are obtained as randomly as you'd find Deviants, and often they are rather straightforward in how they influence it. The rule of thumb: the more Deviation Traits a Deviant has, the more special abilities a Deviant will have.
How to get more Deviants in Once Human
There are two main ways of obtaining new Deviants. The first way is to complete quests. Some Deviants will automatically come into your clutches just by completing main story missions and side quests. These Deviants are typically bog standard, but they will help you get started.
The other method of obtaining Deviants is to find and loot them in the game world. Sometimes you may come across one randomly while looting a safe, while others you'll get by completing puzzles. Also, some may land into your possession if you defeat bosses. Currently, the origins of Deviants remain shrouded in mystery. However, this should aid you in discovering new ones, until precise locations can be pinpointed. When that information comes to light, I'll update this guide for you so you don't have to search the internet cosmos for such.
For more quality guides like this relating to Once Human, check out How to get clean water in Once Human right here on Pro Game Guides.
Write A Comment
Once Human Deviant Guide – How deviation works, how to keep deviants happy, & more
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.