I spent some time this evening talking with Brian Giaime, one of the designers on State of Decay 2, and managed to get a few more details about how the various preorder bonus content would work. We have already been told on the State of Decay 2 FAQ that while the weapons and supplies can be called in only once per community, the vehicles could be called in repeatedly, albeit after a cooldown and with an associated influence cost.

When asked if the non-vehicle bonus items had an influence cost as well, Brian informed me that they did not. When I expressed my surprise at this, Brian replied, “Most of the items get consumed, and the weapons eventually break. You can repair the weapons, but it costs resources. So there’s not much advantage given that we need to ask the player for resources to start. The amount of total benefit was carefully considered so that you could have this stuff very early, and enjoy it, but not harm the overall experience by gaining so much power.”

When asked if they counted on players who go out and get all five preorder packs, Brian responded with, “Count on? No. But we’re super grateful for your support…”

Brian went on to say that the weapons and supplies would be called in as a supply drop, meaning that players would be able to space them out as much as they want or need to.

I’d like to thank Brian for his time spent answering my questions and providing all this information.

So, did this address all of your preorder bonus questions? Is there something else you’d like to know? Let me know in the comments below and I will do my best to find out.

State of Decay 2 launches May 22 on Xbox One and Windows 10, with special early access for those who purchase the Ultimate Edition starting in May 18.