Getting a pet is very easy. You'll simply need to feed an animal that you like the looks of & then go & interact with it. You can then claim it.

You can have up to 18 pets, but many of the slots are locked at first. They cost nanites to unlock - 500, 1000, 5000, 10,000, then all remaining slots cost 20,000 each.

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Pets have stats that can be changed through genetic modification - more on that in a minute.

Gentleness controls how aggressive it is towards other creatures. Increasing it makes them more docile while decreasing it makes them more aggressive. A more aggressive Companion will be marked with Aggression in the Companion Registry. Gentleness will make a creature scan for resources more often, while aggression will suppress this action more often. Higher aggression also increases the creature's want for attention from you. Aggressive creatures tend to randomly hunt for food, somewhat decreasing the need to feed them (but randomly slaying nearby docile creatures in the process).

Independence controls how often the companion needs attention from you. Devotion increases it, but Independence decreases it. Independence will increase the radius of which the creature will listen to commands from you while the opposite decreases it.

Helpfulness controls how often Companions help you with their unique abilities. Increasing it will make them do these abilities more often while decreasing them will make them goof around more. A less helpful Companion will be marked Playful in the Companion Registry. Playfulness increases how often a creature will do a 'playful' action. A creature with complete playfulness will not help you out whatsoever.

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If you want your pet to do more mining or finding treasure, or whatever, equip the appropriate accessory, raise their helpfulness or aggression (& their loyalty to you via petting & feeding + time). They'll use their attachment more often & to greater effect the higher those stats are. Pointing at things with your pet quick menu helps too.

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