Quick Links
The Research Lab is one of the most important modules for the mobile base inThe Alters. You need it, along with the Scientist, to unlock new upgrades, including mission-critical components that you’re able to’t finish the game without.
Progressing along the tech tree takes time, and some advanced technologies require rare Planet Samples. That means that it’s actually impossible to research everything on a single playthrough, and the order in which you take your upgrades can have a significant impact on your overall efficiency. If you’re not sure what would be the best use of the Scientist’s time, it’s hard to go wrong with these picks.
We’ve left techs from the Mission category off this list - they’re necessary to complete objectives, including the main story, rather than being useful options.
Metals Efficiency 1 / Non-Metals Efficiency 1
Most of your resources will come from Mining Outposts, extracted over long hours worked either by you or an Alter assigned to the task. Keeping a steady supply of Metals, Organics, and Minerals is necessary to staying on top of production, soenhancing your extraction efficiency in both of these categories straight awayis a solid first step.
The sooner you research these two technologies, the more resources you’ll have to work with, and the fewer shortages you’ll run into.
Recycler
Organics are a resource that areeasy to forget about until you run out.They have their own storage tank separate from other resources, and a day of drilling at an Outpost can keep the base operating for a while under normal conditions. However, if your supplies get low, things can turn ugly fast.
Basic food - edible Mush - is crafted from Organics, and at the end of each Act you’ll need a large quantity equal to the base’s overall mass to start the engines and move on before the sun rises and cooks everyone alive. A Recycler doesn’t produce enough Organics to stay ahead of your daily needs, but it helps slow your usage considerably.
A Recycler producesmore Organics if there are more people in the base, but that also means you need to produce more food, either by using those Organics to grow crops or converting them into Mush. Try not to think about the details, and just focus on the numbers.
Hook Upgrade
Most of the areas that you may explore in The Alters have several routes to get anywhere; the short path is usually resource-intensive and requires research, while the long path eats up precious time and may have hazards like radiation or anomalies.Upgrading your climbing hook as early as possiblelets you start taking the short path more often than not.
Using the hook to climb up costs suit energy, until you research the tier-four techFree Climbing. Climbing down is always free, though, and you can do it from any height regardless of the hook’s upgrade level.
The firstHook Upgradelets you climb medium cliff walls, at an initial cost of2 Energy.It’s well worth it, as it opens up several shortcuts in the first Act and lets you find lost cargo pods and new resource deposits.
Magnetic Storm Analysis
Magnetic Storms are when you’re the most vulnerable in The Alters. Lasting around two days, these weather phenomena wreak havoc on the base’s systems and quickly irradiate any character brave enough to venture outside in search of bonus resources. On the plus side, the crew will work extra hours during a Magnetic Storm without complaint, knowing their survival is at stake.
After surviving your first Magnetic Storm in Act 1, you’ll be able to research Magnetic Storm Analysis, which provides you with atimer in the lower-right corner of the screen. From then on, you’llalways know exactly how long you have until the next one, and how much longer you have to wait it out when it hits.
There are two storms in each Act, with Sunrise occurring roughly five days after the second one. When the second storm hits, that’s your cue to hurry up and get out of the area!
Base Expansion
By the time you find your firstQubit Chip, things in the base will start looking a bit cramped. No matter how efficient your module placement or resource management, you’re going to need more space as the game goes on. Unlocking the second tier of research by upgrading the Quantum Computer allows you to increase the base’s maximum volume.
In all likelihood, you don’t even need this guide to tell you that researching Base Expansion is a good idea. A few days of running out of storage space and not having anywhere to put more rooms will be all the incentive you need to do it on youir own.
Suit Upgrade 1
The first Suit Upgrade is one of the earliest technologies thatrequires a Planet Sample, so you won’t be able to get it until you’ve developed the Luminator and followed at least one Interal Trail. It’s well worth the extra effort, though, as upgrading the suit gives youextra battery and slightly increased radiation protection.
While the second Suit Upgrade is a bit pricier, as later technologies compete pretty aggressively for Samples, bumping your maximum Energy from 6 to 8 is a sure thing.
Probes Upgrade 1
Scanning for Deep Deposits can get tedious, especially given the small number and range of your starting probe set. A single upgrade is all it takes tomake the whole process much more efficient.
By increasing the range of the probes, you can cover more ground, making it easier to find the drilling location without having to spend too much time. Better yet, the upgrade gives you a few more probes to work with, letting you place a few more triangles before having to collect them all.
ALX Conversion
Once you start using the Luminator to neutralize Anomalies, you’ll be able to collect the leftover matter that they drop, called ALX. It will just take up space in your inventory, though, until you research a way to use it.
The ALX Conversion technologies let youuse the Refiniery to turn ALX into Organics, Metals, or Minerals. The Organics tech is required to unlock the other two, and it’s overall the most useful, for two reasons. First, converting ALX to Organicsfrees up space in your storage, as the Organics go to the fuel tank instead of just changing to another type of solid material. Second, theexchange rate is nearly double that of the other resources, with 10 ALX netting you 18 Organics.
If you have a spare Planet Sample, you’re able to also researchALX Conversion Efficiencyat tier 4 to get even better yields.
Anomaly Shield 1
Even if you’re careful, there’s a pretty good chance that you’ll walk into an Anomaly every once in a while. Doing soseverely increases your radiation level, and if it was already high it can knock you out, ending the day early and injuring the Alter that has to come rescue you.
Anomaly Shieldstake one hit for you, then burn out until you return to base. In many cases, that one save is all you need to stay on your feet long enough to make it to safety, making this technology well worth the time investment.
You can also craft single-useShield Chargesto regain lost shields in the field, but they’re expensive and not usually worth the resources.
Automatic Outpost
This tier-three technology has a lot of prerequisites, and will eat into your supply of Planet Samples pretty significantly, but it can be very worthwhile. Though expensive, Automatic Outpostsdon’t require a crew, instead generating resources automatically each day.
The downside is that they’reslightly less efficient than human-operated Outposts;combined with their high cost, they’re best as a supplement to your usual operations, but they still make a world of difference. Our recommendation is to build them onEnriched Metals Deposits, where you can then safely drill without anybody getting irradiated. It’s the best way to use Enriched Metals, whichotherwise aren’t worth the risk.
