Systems desk / field note 12

Scavland traders, factions & contracts

Follow the money, reputation, and job signals without collapsing two different progression systems into one.

Source-backed + thresholds open

Short answer

Scavland ties scavenging to jobs, traders, and faction relationships. The public sources establish the systems, but they do not publish a complete vendor inventory, exact rank thresholds, or a full contract reward table.

Three tracks to keep separate

A contract has an issuer, an objective, and consequences. The trader who gives the work is not automatically the faction that benefits from it. Treat the job board, trader stock, and faction standing as related signals rather than one invisible progress bar.

Source: Scavland Steam store page

Source: Scavland Day One Patch — Update 0.5.169

01 / workJobs are progression

Main quests, side quests, and contracts are part of the Early Access loop, not just optional flavor.

Official feature
02 / accessTrader stock is a question

Public patch notes discuss trader changes, but they do not provide a complete stock table or universal unlock thresholds.

Needs verification
03 / standingFaction choices matter

The game advertises ten factions and reputation-driven progression; exact faction routes need a current-build record.

Source-backed

Contract reading order

  1. Record who offered the job.Keep the NPC or trader name with the contract screenshot; this is the cleanest way to track personal progression.
  2. Identify who benefits.Note the faction, settlement, or group named in the objective before accepting a job that could change your standing.
  3. Compare risk with the route home.A far objective can be a different decision from a high-payout objective once ammo, food, repairs, and the Mist are included.
  4. Log the unlock, not the rumor.When stock or dialogue changes, capture the build, trader, rank, and item. One player report is a lead, not a complete table.

Progression question ledger

QuestionWhat the public record saysState
Are quests and contracts real systems?Job loopListed among the shipped Early Access systemsConfirmed
Does one trader equal one faction?Progression modelPublic material distinguishes trader and faction relationshipsNeeds live check
What rank unlocks an item?Vendor thresholdNo complete official threshold tableUnavailable
Which contract changes standing?Faction consequenceRequires objective and build-specific evidenceNeeds verification

Source: Steam Community discussions: trader, faction, and contract reports

Traders, factions and contracts FAQ

Should I take every Scavland contract?

Not automatically. Compare the issuer, objective, route, and supplies you can afford. The safest useful record is which NPC offered the work and what changed after turn-in.

Is trader rank the same as faction reputation?

Do not assume it is. The public record describes trader and faction relationships as separate questions; exact UI behavior and unlock thresholds should be checked in the current build.

Can this page list every trader and item?

Not responsibly yet. A complete table needs repeatable live-build captures across traders, ranks, modes, and patch versions.