In this guide, we’ve covered the Lethal Company Radio Operator. After reading this guide, you’ll learn everything about the radio operator!
Lethal Company Radio Operator Guide
Summary
Lethal Company is a team-oriented horror game that involves running headfirst into facilities in order to grab as much loot as possible while not getting killed in the process. While some may think that the “scavengers” are the most vital component, they are not. In fact, the most critical role in the entire game is in actuality the Radio Operator (despite being called the “laziest”). His job, first and foremost, is to help his team find as much loot as possible, avoid surrounding hostiles, and lead them to safety whenever possible. This guide aims to be a complete and thorough reference on the topic.
Preconditions & Setup
A good Radio Operator serves to keep his team alive and expedite the entire process so as to avoid hostiles both inside and outside the facility. However, it is important to recognize that for him to be effective, the following conditions must be met:
- Terminal should be configured to view the monitor (via: ‘view monitor’)
- Both the Scavenger Leader and the Radio Operator should have walkie talkies (too many walkies among the group can easily clutter comms as we will see shortly)
- The monitor should be primarily set to the Scavenger Leader while occasionally checking on other members (he is your direct link to the rest of the team inside)
- The Scavenger Leader is highly encouraged to follow to directions from the Radio Operator, but sometimes situations will rely on pure instinct
Goals & Objectives
Finding Loot
Loot via the monitor/terminal appears as a bright green triangle. You can scan via the terminal (i.e. ‘scan’) to determine the total estimated amount of scrap on the specified moon.
While guiding your Scavenger Leader to loot is generally straightforward, sometimes you’ll run into an issue of depth perception (i.e. it appears to be on the same floor but for the team inside, it’s on a different floor level). The most important thing is to actively communicate.
Keeping the Team Alive
The moment your team enters the facility, you should be constantly scanning for possible threats that may come their way. This can range from a simple Hoarding Bug to the deadly Jester. How you handle these threats is the critical difference between survival and death. Further in this guide, I’ve drawn some actual examples of deadly situations that my former crew have faced.
Your team may choose to approach these situations head on, and there is very little that you can do about it sometimes. The most important thing you can control is relaying vital information regarding the current predicament. If there is no teleporter available (which is an absolute must), sometimes this may involve leaving behind a teammate who is doomed to die to save the rest of the crew. This might mean telling your team to abandon a member who is completely surrounded or locking him in via a bunker gate to save the rest of the team. These are obviously last resorts, but they are the critical decisions you will have to make.
Remembering the Maze
As you’re navigating your team deeper and deeper into the facility, it’s important that you remember the way to safety via the main entrance or one of the emergency exits. Far too often teams will be led deep into the foundation only to be lost with no clue at all from the Radio Operator. Your job is to make it so that even if they have no flashlights with them, they can make it out to safety. The good news is that you have a wide perspective and should be taking note of the overall direction of where you are guiding your team.
How to Communicate
Now that you understand the core responsibilities of being a Radio Operator, it’s important that you begin to learn how to communicate like one. A common issue that people commit is either oversharing or being too ambiguous. Your goal is to provide only enough information that is necessary for your team’s purposes. The following are actual examples from prior experiences:
- Bad: “There’s a thing over there”
- Good: “Hostile on your left”
- Bad: “Ummm, just keep walking ok, and ummm, it’s over there….I mean right”
- Good: “Keep going straight. Go right”
- Bad: “Wait wait wait wait….you just missed it. Ummm, can you turn around for me and go left”
- Good: “Stop. Turn around. Take next left”
Generally speaking, the more succinct you can be, the better (assuming that information is not being lost in an attempt to be more “efficient”). We don’t be like Kevin from The Office where he chopped up his words to be more efficient.
While knowing how to effectively deliver comms is vital to the role of Radio Operator, it is fundamental that you do not ignore all the other core facets as mentioned prior.
Entity Identification (Outdoor)
Many entities in the game have distinct and memorable movement/attack patterns, which can be seen on the ship’s terminal/monitor. This section is dedicated to explaining and describing the way all entities within the game do so.
This section covers: Forest Keepers, Eyeless Dogs, Baboon Hawks, Circuit Bees, and the Earth Leviathan.
Forest Keepers
Appearing as a large blip on the monitor, these hostiles can be heard from very far. Most times, the Radio Operator will not see them on the monitor unless they are chasing a player. As these giants are deaf, it is safe to communicate with your allies that they are present. Besides being extremely loud, they are also one of the only outdoor entities that give you time to teleport during their attack animation. If you believe an ally is about to get eaten, hitting the teleport button quickly can save their life (and body) as Forest Keepers take roughly 3 seconds to kill someone after picking them up.
Eyeless Dogs
Eyeless Dogs appear as a mediocre-sized red blip on the monitor. They make straight, smooth lines of movement before stopping to turn and can also be identified as when they charge at a player, they do so in a straight line, which the player can run perpendicularly to, avoiding a swift death. As these are the only hostile entities that are reactive to sound, it may be best not to communicate this information to any person outside when you have identified they are near.*
Baboon Hawks
An entity that will remain docile until provoked or when they are in a group that outnumbers yours. These entities make unique staggered bursts of movement as they hop around. Most times, they will not be an issue, but if you manage to spot a crewmate being attacked by one, it may be the best course of action to teleport them out of there.*
Circuit Bees
Circuit Bees are the only stationary hostile located outdoors. As a Radio Operator, you can ignore these entities as in-player, they make an audible buzzing noise, which is enough to alert a player to their location. They appear as a lone piece of scrap on the monitor with small particulate dark red interference.
Earth Leviathans
When you spot these bad boys on your screen, they’re the Godzilla of blips. Their moves are all over the place, and they’ve got a thing for locking onto players faster than you can say “game over.” If you’re rocking the role of a Radio Operator and find yourself near one, don’t hesitate – teleport anyone in the danger zone, because death’s knocking on the door.
Entity Identification (Indoor)
This is where the action happens, especially for us Radio Operators. It’s the real deal.
The lineup includes Spore Lizards, Snare Fleas, Hoarding Bugs, The Bracken, Bunker Spiders, Coil-Heads, Hygroderes, Jesters, Thumpers, Mines, Sentry Turrets, and The Ghost Girl.
Spore Lizards
Let’s start with the harmless ones – the Spore Lizards. They’re shy; catch them spying on a player, and they’ll back off. These guys stroll around the facility at a chill pace, looking like a medium-sized red dot. When they’re stepping back, it’s in slow motion, gradually picking up speed – that’s your cue to spot them.
Snare Fleas
Tiny dots glued to the monitor, Snare Fleas love to hang out in corridors, making them hard to distinguish from Bunker Spiders. As a Radio Operator, your job is to give your crew the heads-up.
Hoarding Bugs
At first glance, these bugs seem average on the monitor. Smooth moves around corners, often seen in groups of three. They’re the only indoor squad that hauls scrap, stashing it away. No big deal unless someone steals from their stash or ticks them off.*
The Bracken
Appearing once in a blue moon, the Bracken is a stealthy stalker. It crawls up on players, moving like a sinusoidal speed demon. As the go-to guy for alerting your buddies about threats, shout out as soon as you spot this elusive entity.*
Bunker Spiders
These dudes play the waiting game – finding a spot, weaving their webs, and chilling. If you see a bigger dot on the monitor, it’s a Bunker Spider, not a Snare Flea.*
Coil-Heads
The easiest indoor IDs go to Coil-Heads. They zip around in short bursts, locking onto players. If someone’s dealing with a Coil-Head and lacks brain cells or is surrounded by other nasties, teleport them out – their life’s worth more alive than dead.
Hygroderes
Big dot alert! Hygroderes are the giants indoors, moving at a slow, steady pace. Not much of a threat solo, but paired with other entities, they can be trouble. Teleport decisions here are situational, depending on the lurking threats. And, of course, if your teammates are being a bit dumb.
Jesters
These pranksters aren’t much trouble unless your buddies are deep into the facility. Jestering around, they’ll sneak up on players, tailing them for about 20-40 seconds. After that, they freeze in place and start their winding act. Now, it’s your gig to swiftly guide your pals to the exit – assuming you’ve got the facility layout stored in your memory bank.*
Thumpers
The annoying roadblocks of the game, Thumpers can be a real headache when your squad is on a scrap hunt. If a teammate’s caught in a Thumper tango on a railing, it’s decision time. Communicate with your buddy on their escape plan:
- Teleport them but kiss the scrap goodbye.
- Smack the Thumper with a handy object for a kill.
- Let them try their luck (may lead to a pitfall demise).
- Monitor-stare until you’re satisfied they’ve waited long enough.
- Just leave them in Thumper-land.
Mines
These tiny red dots are like silent troublemakers, each with its own secret code. They stay put, waiting for an unfortunate soul to step on them. As a Radio Operator, you’ve got options:
- Teleport them off (the safest route).
- Deactivate the mine from the terminal and coax them off.
- Drop something of equal weight on the mine for a less techy approach.
- Let them embrace the explosion (not recommended).
Sentry Turrets
Mini turrets with a red dot and a see-through red cone, these bad boys can be temporarily silenced with their access code. Your move:
- Warn your crew about these pint-sized troublemakers.
- Disable them when necessary.
And there you have it – navigating the quirky challenges of Jesters, Thumpers, Mines, and Sentry Turrets in the gaming universe!
