Death Stranding – How to Build Structures with the PCC

More Death Stranding Guides:

• Tips and Tricks for Surviving.
• How to Unlock Weapons and Equipment.
• Memory Chip Locations (Collectible Guide).
• How to Repair, Charge and Use Reverse Trikes and Trucks.
• How to Enter South Knot City With Nuke.
• How to Create, Equip and Use Grenades.
• How to Stop Timefall Rain and Snow.
• How to Check the Weather.
• How to Kill or Avoid BTs.
• Floating Carrier Guide.
• How to Fast Travel.
• More Guides!

Death Stranding is about more than just delivering packages across the land. A large part of your journey will also involve building various structures – both for your benefit, and for the benefit of other players, whose buildings can also help you out.

Early on in the Eastern Region, you’ll come across structures built by NPCs like Postboxes and Bridges that can be used by all, but later you’ll see structures made by other players – so long as you’re on ground covered by the Chiral Network. Otherwise, you’ll have to create structures yourself – at least until you bring that area onto the network.

How to Build Structures

All structures can only be built using the PCC – and item you can fabricate at any terminal connected to the Chiral Network. As you expand your adventure from the Eastern Region to the Central Region, you’ll gain more structures to build from your PCC, and even unlock a level 2 PCC capable of more advanced structures. All structures take up bandwidth – meaning you can’t just make a million postboxes or safe houses – but bringing more areas onto the Chiral Network will increase the amount of structures you can make.

To do so, make sure you are carrying a PCC (which can be fabricated, stolen from MULEs, or found as lost cargo), and select it by holding left on the D-Pad. Once you are carrying the PCC, you will see a hologram of the structure you wish to place. If it’s blue, you’re good to place it down by holding R2. If not, you must either find flat ground, move away from another player’s structure, or leave the safe area of a Facility or Prepper. If you don’t see the structure you wish to build when holding out the PCC, press down on the D-Pad to cycle between available structures.

Certain structures also require additional materials to build beyond just the PCC. These include Bridges (which need additional metal), and Safe Houses (which need Special Minerals), so you can either plan ahead and claim materials from a local Facility, Knot City, or Prepper – or request other players to help finish the job.

How to Upgrade Structures

Once a structure has been built, you can interact with them by holding square – or you can view structure options – including upgrading – by holding the option button. When viewing a structure’s settings, you’ll have the option to dismantle, upgrade, and customize. Every structure will gain increased perks when upgraded – including the ability to customize greetings when other players visit with either music, verbal messages, or holograms. Upgrading a structure to level 3 will lower the rate at which they decay.

Note: All structures are subject to wear and tear – especially those located in areas where Timefall Rain is frequent. Durability will slowly lower on these structures until they are rendered unusable – but you (and other players) can repair them quickly by donating Chiral Crystals). Consider also upgrading a structure to level 3 to decrease the rate of timefall damage.

Below you’ll find a list of available structures, how you can learn to build them, and tips for where and how to build each structure.

Postbox

• Requires – PCC Level 1
• Level 2 Upgrade – Storage Capacity Boost, Custom Slot (200 Metals)
• Level 3 Upgrade – Timefall Resistance Boost (600 Metals)
• Learned From – Complete Order 4

Watchtower

• Requires – PCC Level 1
• Level 2 Upgrade – Custom Slot (32 Chiral Crystals, 400 Metals)
• Level 3 Upgrade – Timefall Resistance Boost (150 Chiral Crystals, 800 Metals)
• Learned From – Start Order 7

Bridge

• Requires – PCC Level 1, 800 Metals
• Level 2 Upgrade – Custom Slot (96 Chiral Crystals, 1,600 Metals)
• Level 3 Upgrade – Timefall Resistance (500 Chiral Crystals, 2,800 Metals)
• Learned From – Start Order 10

Generator

• Requires – PCC Level 1
• Level 2 Upgrade – Charging Speed Boost, Charge Range Boost, Custom Slot (400 Metals)
• Level 3 Upgrade – Timefall Resistance Boost (100 Chiral Crystals, 400 Metals)
• Learned From – Complete Order 9

Timefall Shelter

• Requires – PCC Level 2
• Level 2 Upgrade – Container Repair Spray Effect Boost, Custom Slot (32 Chiral Crystals, 400 Metals)
• Level 3 Upgrade – Timefall Resistance Boost (300 Chiral Crystals, 1,200 Metals)
• Learned From – Complete Order 27

Safe House

• Requires – PCC Level 2, 300 Chiral Crystals, 2,400 Special Alloys
• Level 2 Upgrade – Custom Slot (500 Chiral Crystals, 4560 Special Alloys)
• Level 3 Upgrade – Timefall Resistance (1,000 Chiral Crystals, 6840 Special Alloys)
• Learned From – Complete Order 27

Postboxes

• Chiral Bandwidth: 200
• Unlocked: Complete Order 4

Postboxes are the most basic structure you can build, and are valuable as a means of storing items in dangerous areas, and as a cache for other players to offload cargo for others to use. Postboxes have both private and shared stashes, allowing you to leave essential items to pick up on a return trip – like leaving a few ladders in case of emergency, or storing cargo that needs to be delivered in the opposite direction.

Shared stashes can also be used to give other players items they may be lacking, like ladders and climbing anchors. They can also be used if a player decides they don’t want to make the trip back to deliver cargo to a destination, but want to give other players the chance to complete it instead – thereby earning likes and gaining Bridge Link Points.

Postboxes are best placed in the wilderness between Facilities or Prepper locations – as these places serve the same function. Consider placing Postboxes outside of known BT or Mule Territory to allow yourself and other players a place to gear up or remove un-essential cargo before forging ahead.

Watchtowers

• Chiral Bandwidth – 250
• Unlocked: Start Order 7

Watchtowers are an aid structure that can be used by all players who encounter them to scope out the surrounding territory without having to use the Odradek Scanner at closer ranges. Simply by interacting with the Watchtower, you can pan a camera from a high position to automatically ping any cargo, structures, or other points of interest in a wide area that will stay pinged even when exiting the Watchtower.

Watchtowers are best placed out the outskirts of dangerous territory – especially outside a MULE Camp, so that you can get an idea of where enemies and cargo is before you have to get in close. It’s also a great idea to place Watchtowers at the edge of known Chiral Networks, so that both you and other players following your footsteps can see what to expect when entering uncharted territory.

Bridges

• Chiral Bandwidth – 1,000

Though Bridges are one of the few structures that require additional materials to build, they can be incredibly useful when placed strategically. Bridges can cover a large distance that can be raised or lowered to span where ordinary ladders cannot reach, and are all but essential for crossing deep crevices or deep water. Even if you lack the resources, simply placing the foundation at a pivotal area is likely to attract other players to help finish the job.

It goes without saying, but always be on the lookout for large rivers or steep and narrow valleys and crevices to create bridges over. Try to ensure that both sides have a relatively flat landing for vehicles to easily pass over, and that they line up with a path that players may take to get from one side to the next. Note that in the Central Region, some areas can be paved using Road Pavers to create roads over rivers and the like, making bridges placed in that area redundant (though bridges cost a lot less to build than roads!).

Some examples of essential bridge locations include the main river in the Eastern Region outside the Waystation and Distribution Center, the narrow ridges below the Mule Camp in the center of the Central Region, and the large deep river below Mountain Knot City – to name a few.

Generators

• Chiral Bandwidth – 350

One of the most useful structures that’s useful for almost everyone, Generators allow you to create a small field around the pillar that will rapidly charge up anything running on batteries. This includes exo-skeleton devices, vehicles, and other items that can be worn that require batteries to run.

Whether you’ve got a vehicle running on empty, a power skeleton about to break, or just need some topping off, there’s almost never a reason not to pass through a generator’s field, and placing them in pivotal locations is a great way to ensure likes.

Almost every facility and prepper location will benefit from having a Generator placed at the edge of their territories. Even Knot Cities – which have parking spots with free generators located outside – can still benefit from a generator on the road leading out for players who don’t know otherwise.

Take note of common delivery routes, and be sure to find places along well-traveled routes where Generators can come in handy – especially if located near hills, rivers, or terrain that’s sure to put a strain on most batteries. Even in the middle of nowhere, you’re likely to have at least one grateful porter.

Timefall Shelter

• Chiral Bandwidth – 750

Timefall Shelters allow you to take refuge from the deteriorating effects of timefall rain, and also restore the container condition of anything you’re carrying. This makes the structure worth making for two different reasons – once you start to encounter more weather conditions in the Central Region, having Timefall Shelters built across these areas can help you wait out the rains, and also find multiple spots to repair your cargo before things get too damaged.

Like Generators, Timefall Shelters are a welcome sight almost anywhere, but are especially helpful when placed in remote areas where you’re likely to be far from a friendly facility. Wide open areas with little in the way of cover, or at the edges of Chiral Network regions to give other players a chance to rest up before moving into unknown territory should earn you likes.

Safe House

• Chiral Bandwidth – 2,500

Though it costs additional resources to build, having a Safe House nearby is always a boon to porters almost everywhere when out making deliveries. Safe Houses give you all the benefits of resting at a Knot City while you’re on the go – making them vital for recharging your stamina, de-stressing BB, repairing your vehicle, getting more Blood Bags – and even dropping off or picking up supplies.

Safe Houses have the added bonus of doubling as Postboxes to let you stash or claim items when needed, and you’re also able to store vehicles and get them repaired when far from a facility that has a garage. Because of this, they are extremely vital to have spaced out between delivery paths.

Safe Houses require a lot of flat ground to build, but you should always look to place one outside of a Prepper or smaller facility like waystations – since you cannot rest at most Prepper bunkers until you reach a level 5 connection link. If you don’t see any when you add them to the UCA Chiral Network, be sure to put the effort into building one, and you’re sure to have many grateful porters. You should also consider looking for halfway points between places to strategically place safe houses, especially outside dangerous MULE Camps or BT territory, allowing people to rest and recharge before or after going through these volatile locations.