# Bond & Personality

Bond and personality are cosmetic. They never change what a companion can do.

## Traits

Every companion is born with one of six traits that shapes how it idles and what it says:

| Trait | How it behaves |
|---|---|
| Curious | Wanders off to look at things, then comes back |
| Grumpy | Keeps its distance and grumbles at strangers. It still likes you |
| Loyal | Sticks close and salutes when asked |
| Show-off | Flips and poses when you look at it |
| Shy | Hides behind you when strangers come close |
| Sleepy | Naps whenever nothing is happening |

## Chatter

Companions now and then say something in a small speech bubble above their head: a greeting, a grumble, "found
ore", "battery low". Other players nearby can see the bubbles too.

- The **Chatterbox** chip doubles how often it talks, **Hush** cuts it to a quarter, **Silent Running** stops it.
- `/nscomp privacy chatter off` silences your companions and hides other players' companions' chatter from you.

## Bond

Bond grows from 0 to level **4**:

- **time together**: being near you (within 16 blocks),
- **pats**: right-click it with an empty hand (counts once a minute),
- **finished jobs**.

Levels need 100, 300, 700 and 1 500 points; level 4 takes roughly eight hours of play together. The Companion
screen shows the level and what the next one brings.

| Level | What you get |
|---|---|
| 1 | It starts looking around on its own |
| 2 | A second idle habit and a happy greeting |
| 3 | A trick it shows off now and then when you are close, and a heart by its name |
| 4 | A coloured nameplate |

Several skins and hats unlock at bond levels: see [Skins & Hats](Skins-and-Hats.md). Bond belongs to the companion
and travels with it through Capsules, Bays and recovery.

## Perching

Small companions (the Helper Drone and the Scrapling) hop onto your **right shoulder** after a few seconds near
you. Sneaking, taking a hit, flying with an elytra or lying in bed sets them down.