Unlock the Doloc Town drone by advancing the River Valley and Guild task line until the combat drone and training range become available. Cod is associated with weapon progression, while Mody handles frames and other parts. Auto-fire is convenient but can target normally passive creatures, so switch to manual control when target choice or battery use matters.
Unlock the combat drone and training range
The task walkthrough and two gameplay videos place the drone in River Valley and Guild progression. This is a quest-system unlock rather than an item that should be present from the opening day. If the equipment menus are missing, continue the connected story tasks before searching shops for a workaround.
The training range appears with the same broader progression and gives a safe place to understand weapons. The source pack does not specify a universal calendar day for the unlock. Quest order is more dependable than a guessed date.
Use manual and auto-fire for different jobs
Recent footage shows auto-fire as a practical clearing option. It also warns that the drone may attack creatures that were not initially hostile, which can change an otherwise safe route. Manual control is better when a specific target or interaction must be preserved.
Community sources mention middle mouse or R for toggling behavior, but key bindings can be changed. Check the current Controls menu and treat its label as authoritative. The page describes the function without claiming one immutable key.
Understand frames, weapons and support parts
Drone equipment is divided into Frame, Weapon, Engine, Support or Gadget and Chip categories. A part that will not equip may belong to a different slot or require a frame that exposes that slot. Comparing names alone is not enough because the frame controls build capacity.
Upgrade decisions should start with the task the drone must perform. Auto-fire needs accuracy and battery discipline, while active close-range use can tolerate a different weapon profile. No universal best combination is game-verified in the collected evidence.
Use Cod and Mody for different progression paths
Cod is linked to firearms and weapon-related progress. Mody runs the drone frame and part shop at Doloc Port, on the right bank near the elevator. The recorded shop hours are 10:00-20:00, although the current 1.0 sign should be checked when you arrive.
Not every part comes from a shop. The material also reports weapons from enemies and chests, but does not provide verified drop rates. Keep shop stock, quest rewards and drops separated when building an inventory list.
Choose upgrades without inventing a tier list
Start with a frame that supports the required slots, then add the weapon and energy-related parts that fit the intended control mode. A higher-tier frame can provide more flexibility, but the source pack does not establish a complete 1.0 progression table. Avoid buying around a build whose price or unlock condition is still unknown.
Community builds are useful candidates, not proof of one best drone. A proper comparison must use the same enemy, duration, battery level and control mode. Until that test exists, the guide keeps recommendations conditional.
Sources and evidence status
The broad drone system is part of the official Steam description. Unlock order and shop roles are cross-checked through the quest guide, a community drone-shop entry and gameplay video timestamps at 04:18-04:39 and 13:24-14:22. Research was checked on August 11, 2026.
The next update needs original 1.0 captures of the Controls screen, training range and each equipment slot. Those captures can confirm labels without copying third-party assets. System and shop roles are source-backed; exact bindings and complete unlock tables remain pending.