Rust offers two primary safe zones where players cannot attack each other:
Outpost:
- Location: Marked on the map with a gear icon.
- Services: Vending machines (buy/sell resources, components, some blueprints), Research Table, Repair Bench, Recycler, Refinery, Water Catcher, Green Card puzzle.
- Rules: No weapons drawn, no attacking other players or NPCs. Breaking these rules results in being shot by automated turrets.
- Use: Excellent for recycling unwanted items into raw resources, researching blueprints, and safely refining High Quality Metal.
Bandit Camp:
- Location: Marked on the map with a skull icon.
- Services: Vending machines (buy/sell resources, components, some blueprints, gambling), Research Table, Repair Bench, Recycler, Water Catcher, gambling games.
- Rules: Similar to Outpost, no aggression.
- Use: Good for recycling, researching, and a bit of risky gambling if you're feeling lucky. It often has slightly different items for sale than Outpost.
These safe zones are invaluable for new players to process loot, gather essential resources, and learn blueprints without the constant threat of PvP. However, getting to and from them can still be dangerous.