In Once Human, you get to choose a Memetic Specialization node once every five levels. This means you can have 10 of these active on your fully maxed level 50 character.
With how the Memetic Specialization system is designed in Once Human, you are somewhat at the mercy of RNG. Every five levels, you are given a choice among four perks from a pool consisting of perks ranging from incredibly useful to arguably useless.
You can reset a maximum of five times with the Specialization Cleaners you get from your season goals, but specialization choices carry a lot of weight: They essentially dictate how your character progresses in a season.
With that in mind, here are our recommendations for the best Memetic Specializations in Once Human that you should choose if they are up for picking.
Best Memetic Specializations in Once Human
10) Combo Chipset
You can never have too much Energy Link in Once Human. This is where the Combo Chipset specialization shines; with this, you can turn Electronic Parts, Metal Scrap, and Parts into the Combo Chipset at the Supplies Workbench. This sells for a fat chunk of Energy Links.
The earliest you can get this Specialization node is at level 20. I’d suggest picking this up as early as you can to minimize the grind for Energy Links as you approach the late game.
9) Portable Rainwater Collector
The Portable Rainwater Collector specialization trivializes the thirst mechanic of Once Human. With this item in your backpack, your Hydration will be continually restored on rainy days and you’ll also enjoy a 30 to 60 percent chance of obtaining one portion of Dirty Water, Pure Water, or Acid every minute.
This is one of the nodes you should get at level five, then you’ll never need to bother with one of the nagging survival needs in the remainder of your run.
8) Portable Fridge
Corollary to how the Portable Rainwater Collector trivializes the Hydration mechanic, the Portable Fridge does essentially the same thing for your hunger. With this item in your backpack, your perishable food items spoil 70 to 90 percent slower. This means no more barrage of “spoiled food” notifications.
7) Pickaxe: Moonlight Mining
Pickaxe: Moonlight Mining is another awesome early-game Memetic Specialization for gathering efficiency. With this, you’ll enjoy a 25 percent boost in yield when mining the various metal ores (Copper, Tin, Iron, Aluminum, and Tungsten) with your Pickaxe during the day. Going with the moonlight theme, it doubles to a 50 percent yield boost at night.
6) Supplies Workbench: Anti-Armor
As you approach Once Human’s late-game, you’ll be chewing through stacks of ammo. As you might have already guessed, crafting them isn’t too cheap on resources. The Supplies Workbench: Anti-Armor specialization boosts your AP ammo yield by 30 percent in the Supplies Workbench at the cost of 50 percent reduced crafting speed.
Although waiting around is no fun, the saved resources for the Advanced Ammunitions make it absolutely worthwhile.
5) Supplies Workbench: Ammo Factory
The Ammo Factory specialization is essentially the early-game precursor of the Anti-Armor node. With this, you have a 50 percent yield boost on regular ammunition at the Supplies Workbench without any downsides. This means less time wasted farming for metals and smelting them to fuel your ammo needs.
4) Backpack Expansion
Once Human is a loot fiend’s dream. The huge map is filled to the brim with stuff to collect and whether you min-maxed your body weight in the character creator, you are bound to feel contrived with your limited backpack at some point. That is, until you unlock Backpack Expansion.
This early-game Memetic Specialization node raises your max load by 40 to 80 percent. Now you can finally trudge along the post-apocalyptic world with all the bits and bobbles you can’t part with.
3) Furnace: Precision Refining
This is yet another early-game Specialization node that helps with the drab metal grind. With the Furnace: Precision Refining node, it will cost you 30 percent less ores for smelting your metal ingots (Copper, Bronze, Steel, Aluminum, and Tungsten) at a Furnace or Electrical Furnace.
This comes with a drawback though—a 30 percent hit to smelting speed—but you can always do other things during the smelting process. Much better than the extra ores you’d have to mine otherwise, right?
2) Solar Drill
The mid-game Solar Drill specialization node is a godsend. If you get this one, you can easily forego all the advanced pickaxes in the Memetic Tree unlockables and save your Cipher Points for other things.
The Solar Drill grants you a 15 to 40 percent additional yield on metal ores and it charges itself on sunny days. That’s not all though—you have to never repair it. Yes, you read that right, it comes with infinite durability.
1) Sulfur Chemist
You can’t have enough Acid in the Once Human late-game. While farming them by killing enemies is an entirely feasible method in the early stages, you’d undoubtedly embrace something that automates the grind.
The Sulfur Chemist Memetic Specialization node lets you make Acid at the Synthesis Bench from Sulfur and Energy Link. With this, you will have a much easier time bulk-producing your Aluminum and Tungsten Ingots, and Batteries all of which need Acid as an ingredient.
