The Division 2’s control points, territories, and donation system may be one of the more underappreciated aspects of the game. But do not underestimate their value. Understanding how this complex system works goes a long way to understanding the core mechanics that make up The Division 2. It may also serve to the benefit of your agent’s overall progression in the grand scheme of things.
During your quest to take back Washington D.C, you will come across enemy occupied control points that can be taken over by yourself, or by calling in A.I. support via flare gun. It takes them roughly half a minute to arrive on the scene. They may take even longer if they encounter a random enemy patrol along the way. The HUD will tell you if your allies are going to be delayed. My advice is to survey the surrounding area, looking for minigun positions and sniper spots. Once you are in a defensible position, you can fire the flare. The flare itself alerts all nearby enemies, alerting them of your position.
From this point on, you will need to hold your ground while clearing enemies off the point. Once the initial set of guards are dead, the enemy leader will arrive on the scene. Killing the leader and the rest of the reinforcements will clear the Control Point. But the point is not truly under your control until your deal with the counterattack wave.
Congratulations, the point is yours. So what did that accomplish? In the most practical sense, you’ve unlocked a fast travel point that’ll help you reach further areas of the map. In the sense of taking back the city, you’ve essentially made the area safer for you and nearby friendly A.I. But that’s not the end of it. Speaking to the control point officer, allows you to donate resources for the upkeep of the outpost. Now, you might be asking yourself, “Do I constantly need to donate resources to keep this point active?” And the answer is “no”. Donating is completely optional. Doing so gets you experience points that’ll help you in the long run. On that note, the overworld map will tell you which resources they need to maintain upkeep. So you know what resources to look for before going to that particular control point.
In time, resources in each control point will deplete over time. Keeping its resources above 50 units each will allow the outpost to send out scavenging parties to look for resources themselves. Essentially, lessening their dependence on you for the upkeep. (You can tell that a resource node is under friendly control if the icon’s color is green.) Another benefit of having teams looks around come in the form of scouting reports. Allies on the field will know to keep you posted with regards to map activities and nearby resource nodes. This is a good way of keeping the area under control and lessening enemy faction activities within the area.
Capturing a control point also includes access to the supply room. Think of it as the place where the bad guys store all their loot. Inside you will find resources, a couple bits of armor, and good weapons. A large heavy duty crate lies at the heart of the room, usually containing a rare or unique piece of gear. Once every 24 real-world hours, the containers will restock on basic items. With the exception of the central crate, of course. If you so choose, you can make a daily run, fast traveling to all allied control points and farming resources and crafting materials.
The Quartermaster provides a couple of perks to strengthen your outposts. The detection perk activates better detection of loot containers in a 20 m radius, for 10 min on the condition that you donate enough resources. Getting the second level will allow the detection of enemy activity within the same area and time. Having more knowledge of the surrounding area will greatly increase your efficiency in terms of loot collection and seeking out enemies. The second perk that relates to the control points is the Resources perk. Each tier of the perk allows you to carry 50 more food, water, and components. The more resources you can donate, the more experience you can get.
Taking over control points and farming resources is one way of reaching the Endgame. But that’s the thing, it’s ONE way of doing it. You can completely ignore this gameplay loop and proceed to every mission like nothing happened. The control points are just another way to enjoy the game outside of the missions. At the very least, donate all your food, water, and crafting supplies. Every piece of resource that sits idly in your inventory is just another chunk of potential experience for your agent. It may not be much, but every bit of experience you gain gets you that much closer to the endgame.
Well, that’s about it for this round of guides. Stay tuned for our next article involving Skill Power and Skill Mods.