Can I capture outside of combat?
No. Capture happens during expedition battles once you fire capture rounds at a valid weakened target.
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At A Glance
This Pax Autocratica capture guide covers the full prisoner loop from Multiverse: weaken a foe on an expedition, fire capture rounds, haul them home, jail them, then indoctrinate or shock until they can enlist — or exile / execute them as a warning. Verified August 16, 2026 · Steam.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Platform | Steam PC · Windows · Steam Deck Playable |
| Genre | Satirical colony sim · FPS roguelite |
| Mode | Single-player at launch · co-op planned |
| Capture input | Fire capture rounds (commonly F) mid-combat |
| Craft source | Weapons Research / Weapons Resource Center |
| Loot source | Resource nodes while exploring early sectors (e.g. Elysia / Allesia naming varies by UI) |
| Conversion tools | Indoctrinate · Electroshock (once each per day) |
| Verified | August 16, 2026 |
Next: Feed captives into the colony
Matched by build plan, shared topics, and guide progression — not random related links.
When should I capture instead of kill?
Pax Autocratica capture is how the war economy grows a workforce. Kills clear the map; captures feed citizens, barracks staffing, and long-term expedition strength. Prefer capture when the colony needs hands more than it needs one more scrap pile.
| Situation | Prefer | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Early colony short on workers | Capture | Converted citizens fill mining, cooking, research, and hauling |
| Elite / high-will target | Capture if rounds ready | High value, but basic rounds struggle — bring upgrades |
| Ammo dry / squad dying | Kill or extract | A dead squad cannot haul prisoners home |
| Need fear spike at home | Capture then execute later | Gallows executions intimidate remaining citizens |
| Pure Core Fragment farm run | Kill faster | Capture slows clears; switch when workforce is stable |
Humanoid targets matter
Official framing emphasizes weakening and capturing enemy soldiers, then imprisoning and converting them into loyal citizens. Vehicle wrecks and pure bullet-hell trash mobs are usually kill targets; save rounds for bodies that can walk your base later.
Next you need inventory discipline — capture rounds are a craftable ammo type, not a free F spam.
How do I get and use capture rounds?
Capture only works during expedition battles. You need capture rounds either looted from resource nodes while exploring early space or crafted at the weapons research / weapons resource center on the colony.
- Do01Build the weapons research / resource center as soon as production allows
- Do02Queue continuous capture-round crafting (early recipe needs cheap materials such as tendril logs)
- Do03Stock a departure pile before you board the shuttle — community starters often keep ~50 on hand
- Do04In combat, lower the target’s health (about three-quarters is a common soft rule) before firing
- Do05Press the capture fire key (commonly F) and confirm the foe moves into captive holding
- Do06Stop ally focus fire so your squad does not finish the target
Four round tiers (EA)
Community guides report four capture-round tiers, each with better bag rates. Early game you only craft the simple tier. Better blueprints unlock as the base upgrades and as you loot reactors / chips on the star map. Elites need the upgraded rounds — cheap rounds waste time as enemy strength rises deeper into an expedition.
Difficulty scales with exploration
The longer you push an expedition, the harder captures become. Front-load important captures early in a sector clear, then finish leftovers with lethal fire once the round pouch is thin.
Once a round sticks, the fight is not over — logistics start at captive holding.
What happens after a successful capture?
Captured enemies sit in captive holding until you assign prison cells. You do not instantly lose them if a prison is unfinished, but conversion cannot advance until cells exist.
| Step | Action | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Return from expedition | Captives wait in holding |
| 2 | Build prison cells | Multiple small prisons can be cheaper than one huge upgrade early |
| 3 | Move each captive into a cell | Open building research / blueprints if cells are locked |
| 4 | Start daily questioning | Indoctrinate or electroshock — see next section |
| 5 | Hire at Victory Square | When will breaks, enlist them as workers/soldiers |
Prison capacity strategy
Upgrading a single prison raises capacity but front-loads resources. Early Early Access advice often prefers placing several prison buildings you can dismantle later rather than starving other production for one mega jail.
With bodies in cells, the daily conversion choices decide whether they become citizens or cautionary tales.
How do I convert prisoners into loyal citizens?
Once jailed, you question prisoners to break will and prepare recruitment. Two methods appear in current guides: Indoctrinate (persuasion) and Electroshock (shock therapy). Each technique may be used once per day per the community workflow.
Suggested cadence
Start with indoctrination for the first two or three days to read how resilient the prisoner is. Then mix periodic electroshock. High-will elites take longer — do not expect same-day enlistment.
When they are ready, hire them at Victory Square. That is the formal handoff from prisoner to citizen/soldier in the colony layer.
Should I indoctrinate, shock, exile, or execute?
Use this mid-page decision block whenever holding is full. It keeps Pax Autocratica capture choices tied to colony needs instead of impulse clicks.
| Goal | Choose | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Grow workforce fast | Indoctrinate → hire | Needs days; plan food and beds first |
| Break stubborn elite will | Indoctrinate then electroshock | Do not spam shock on day one — read resilience |
| Free cell space, low drama | Exile | Lose the body; no fear spike |
| Scare striking citizens | Execute (gallows) | Requires gallows; raises fear, can hurt happiness |
| Need combat XP / clear speed | Skip capture next run | Stock rounds again before the next elite sector |
Tie capture to the colony loop
Every successful conversion is another named person who can mine, cook, research, or fight beside you. That is why capture is not a side minigame — it is the bridge between combat and colony.
Before you celebrate, check the mistake list that burns the most Early Access runs.
Which capture mistakes waste an expedition?
These habits burn rounds, lose elites, or stall the prison pipeline.
- Avoid01Departing with empty capture stock because “I will loot some” — node RNG is not a plan
- Avoid02Softening a target then letting squad AI finish the kill
- Avoid03Spamming basic rounds on elites instead of crafting upgraded blueprints
- Avoid04Capturing deep into a sector when capture difficulty has already spiked
- Avoid05Leaving bodies in holding for days without building cells
- Avoid06Electroshocking every day one without reading will — risking dead prisoners on harsh settings
- Avoid07Executing for fun when the colony already has max fear and empty kitchens
Patch awareness
Capture round recipes, keybinds, and prison UI labels can shift during Early Access. Re-check the weapons research panel after patches, and confirm current tips on the official Discord or community Discord page.
FAQ
Do I lose captives if I have no prison yet?
They wait in captive holding. Build cells before conversion can proceed; community guides say you do not instantly lose prior captures for lacking a prison.
How many capture round types exist?
Current community guides list four tiers. Early craft is the basic type; better blueprints unlock with base progress and expedition loot.
Indoctrinate or electroshock first?
Start with indoctrination for a couple of days to gauge will, then mix electroshock. Each method is limited to once per day in the documented workflow.
Where do hired prisoners appear?
When ready, hire them at Victory Square so they join as workers or soldiers in the colony roster.
Related pages
Matched by build plan, shared topics, and guide progression — not random related links.