Mass Effect Andromeda guide: AVP, planetary viability and the best cryo pod perks to upgrade

By Alex Donaldson

Mass Effect Andromeda players can unlock some sweet, sweet perks by racking up AVP. Here’s what you need to know.

While you’ll spent a lot of Mass Effect Andromeda chasing after evil aliens, shooting things, chatting endlessly and getting romantically entangled, the core of the Pathfinder’s mission is colonisation. It’s easy to get distracted from this, especially because some of the game’s colonisation systems are a little buried in menus on terminals on the Tempest. If you want to get the most out of Andromeda, you need to learn how the AVP system works.

AVP (which stands for Andromeda Viability Points. Not Alien vs Predator, sorry – I was disappointed too) is basically a measurement of your colonial progress in the galaxy, and as it grows you’ll be able to unlock perks for your efforts.

Find more tips, tricks and explanations in our Mass Effect Andromeda guide and walkthrough.

There are a total of five planets you can settle in the game, and if you manage to settle each successfully (which is in no way guaranteed and is based on your in-game choices) you’ll have a planetary viability measurement out of 100% for each. Each time you add to that number increases your AVP across the board. You can continue to increase your AVP even after you’ve raised all five planets to 100% viability if you so wish – there are plenty of extra quests to do beyond that cap.

Your AVP is displayed in the top-right of the main menu and is counted separately from your main EXP counter for your character. It levels up at its own unique rate too, raising the Nexus Level – or how proficient the Nexus, your galactic hub for Andromeda, is. As the Nexus levels up new areas of the station will become available. You can check your progress from a dedicated menu in the pause screen.

How to earn AVP, increase planet viability and level up the Nexus quickly

There are a number of ways to increase your AVP and boost planetary viability – and doing both of these things will in turn raise your Nexus level. A higher Nexus Level will grow your Nexus, as previously mentioned, but will also allow you to wake more people up. The people you wake up will be put to work in their areas of expertise, and this thus manifests itself as Cryo Pod Perks – unlockable via the Tempest.

Here are the most reliable methods to boost your viability and gain AVP:

• Exploring and activating a Remnant Vault will net you 40% viability right away.

  This happens as part of the main quest on some planets, but on others you’ll have to seek the vaults out. As well as the huge uptick in viability vaults will make some of the more difficult to travel planets far easier to explore by making the climate more agreeable.

• Establishing outposts will give you 20% viability

  Establishing an outpost requires high viability to begin with, but it will reward you with 20% viability for doing so.

• Dropping Forward Stations adds 2% viability

  You’ll want to drop forward stations as a priority anyway since they act as fast travel points, but when you do it’ll give you 2% extra viability

• Planet main plot completion adds 10%-20% viability

  Each planet has some sort of quest that is its ‘main quest’ away from the Priority Ops of the main story of Andromeda, such as brokering terms with the Krogan or solving the turf war on Kagara. Completing this quest will add a significant chunk of viability.

• Architect Defeat and/or Enemy Base Clear will add 10% viability

  Architects are nasty, gigantic boss enemies found on several of the colonist worlds. Defeating them will add around 10% viability, and the same is true for the large enemy bases found on some worlds. Some worlds have both.

• Priority Ops will add between 5% and 10% to the related planet’s viability

  Some planets are deeply associated with priority ops, and in those cases you’ll gain 5-10% viability.

• Side Quest completion adds 2% to 5% to viability

  Side quests all contribute to viability, and are a great way to grind for viability and AVP quickly in small increments.

Getting all planets to 100% viability isn’t that difficult and actually carries an in-game reward. Once planets are at 100% viability you can keep pushing on with quests – viability won’t rise past 100%, but your AVP will continue to be added to your overall Nexus Level. Your Nexus Level is vital because it can be spent on…

Spending your AVP and Nexus Points on Cryo Pods

Every time your Nexus levels up from the amount of AVP you gain you not only see the Nexus grow a little busier and sometimes expand, but your AVP and Nexus Level also unlocks a new Cyro Pod Perk. When you hear SAM alert you that ‘you have AVP outstanding’, that’s what SAM is getting at. You can spend your AVP at a terminal on the Tempest or on the Nexus itself in the Operations area.

The Nexus upgrades are split into three main sections: Science, Military and Commerce. This is a little bit like Dragon Age Inquisitions advisor perks, except there’s a lore explanation this time: what you’re essentially doing is spending AVP to wake up certain colonists. The colonists you choose to awaken provide unique perks to you, so you have to pick carefully. Most important to note is at a point AVP and Nexus points max out, so it’s impossible to get all of the perks. Be careful!

Here are some of our favourites that we think you should prioritise picking up early:

The best Military Pod Perks to get early

• Advanced Training: You’ll have to unlock one other lower-level skill before this one (we recommend Reconnaissance), but this then gives you 10% bonus EXP from all encounters. Get this one early!
• Always Prepared: This pod requires the Munitions Pod be unlocked first, but this then gives you an extra consumables slot, used to equip items that give you a major boost in battle such as elemental ammo or defence buffs.
• Versatility: This pod is an upgrade of Always Prepared, adding one fourth and final slot. Having all four slots will give you a lot of options.
• Reconnaissance: Recommended above, this perk reveals hidden chests near forward stations on the open world maps. These chests contain great loot that you can use, sell, or break down for raw materials for use in crafting.

The best Science Cryo Pods to get early

• Improved Development: This upgrade will give you 10% more research data from all sources – vital if you plan to research new gear, and research is finite in the game.
• Improved Development II: As above, but this adds another 10%. If you’re crafting this stuff is a big deal.
• Innovation: If you get into crafting, this adds one more augmentation slot to all your research & development projects, meaning a chance tom make things even more powerful still.

The best Commerce Cryo Pods to get early

• Trade Capacity: This is an absolute no-brainer – it ups your inventory size. At a certain point in the game this becomes absolutely vital.
• Trade Capacity II: See above! Once you have the upgrade you can do this again – it’s still not big enough, mind. I eagerly await the PC inventory mod or trainer cheat app…
• Fusion Mod Support: This is a bit of a late-game upgrade, but it halves the penalty for all fusion mods. Fusion mods are hugely powerful armor mods that also carry a hefty negative hit to offset their huge bonuses in their area of expertise. This halves those penalties, making the mods much more viable.
• Market Dominance: If you’re more interested in crafting than buying, pick this up – it’ll expand shop inventories right across the Heleus Cluster a fair bit with rarer stuff.

When you get closer to endgame you may want to think about the perks that regularly cough up research points; there’s a finite source of research available in-game, and if you’re not keen on multiplayer this is your best way to keep it rolling in so you can unlock top tier gear.