Hauling in Pax Autocratica changed with Directive ST-11 (September 11, 2026): the Resource Transfer Station unlocks helper drones at level 2, and two production buildings joined the transfer network. This guide summarizes exactly what the official patch announcement confirms, separates it from what still needs in-game verification, and links the full directive log.
Quick answer
Upgrade the Resource Transfer Station to level 2 and it gains drones that carry resources for you. The same patch adds the Ore Refinery and the Wood Processing Plant to the resources handled by the transfer system, so their output no longer depends on citizens walking each load across the base.
What the ST-11 announcement confirms
The official announcement text for Directive ST-11 states, in its base-systems section:
- The Resource Transfer Station, at level 2, unlocks drones that assist with hauling.
- The Ore Refinery and the Wood Processing Plant have their resources join the transfer system.
Both statements are official and dated September 11, 2026. The wording is short, which matters for what comes next.
What the announcement does not say
The patch text does not publish numbers. As of this guide's verification date, the following are not officially documented and should be checked in your own colony:
- How many drones a level 2 station fields, and whether the count grows with the level.
- Drone carrying capacity, speed, and recharge or idle behavior.
- Whether drones replace citizen hauling for the two new buildings entirely or only supplement it.
- The upgrade cost of level 2, and whether the higher Foundations cap from AG-25 changes the math of centralizing production around the station.
When the developers publish these details, or the community documents them with footage, this section will be replaced with sourced values instead of growing a list of guesses.
Why this matters for your colony layout
Before ST-11, refinery and wood output moving by hand meant citizens spent working hours in transit. If you are planning a new base, the confirmed behavior argues for placing the Ore Refinery and Wood Processing Plant within the transfer network's reach instead of optimizing walking paths. The batch-dismantling feature added in the same directive makes rearranging an existing base cheaper than it was at launch; see the ST-11 feature guide for everything else the directive shipped.
For the surrounding colony loop (citizen values, facilities, workforce), the colony management guide remains the starting point; transfer drones are one optimization inside that system, not a replacement for it.
How this page stays honest
Every claim above either quotes the ST-11 announcement or is explicitly marked as unpublished. Patch statements can be superseded by balance changes in later directives; the patch notes guide carries the running log, and this page is recalibrated when a new directive touches hauling or the transfer station.
Sources and verification
- Primary source: Directive ST-11 announcement, September 11, 2026, via the Steam news feed. The transfer-station drones and the two buildings joining the transfer system.
- Directive AG-25 announcement, August 25, 2026, via the same feed: the higher Foundations cap referenced above.
- Store page: Pax Autocratica on Steam.
- Verified Sep 14, 2026.