11 Bit Studios’The Altersis a survival sim and management game on paper, but in practice, it’s a bit more complicated than that. Ultimately,The Altersoffers a far more nuanced and unique gameplay experience than 11 Bit Studios' previous works, even more avant-gardereleases likeThis War of Mine. As such, it’s good to have a solid understanding of its inner workings, so as to avoid common pitfalls.
Much of this boils down to having a good strategy, of course, but it’s also worth heeding warnings about suboptimal playstyles and in-game decisions. Indeed, there are ample opportunities for players to slip up in one way or another, resulting in the occasional catastrophe or setback. Naturally, some players might choose to just roll with such punches, taking the bad with the good, but knowing what mistakes to avoid can also lead to a more enjoyable overall experience, free from unnecessary frustration or regret—a fitting aspiration, givenThe Alters' introspective narrative.
The following tips are delivered with the assumption that one is playingThe Alterson normal difficulty or higher.
The Biggest Mistakes Players Can Make in The Alters
Waiting Too Long To Expand the Base’s Size
There are three upgrades available for thesize ofThe Alters' mobile base, and they ought to be prioritized as early as possible. Essentially, unless there are mission-critical or time-sensitive upgrades pending, players should be aggressive about increasing base size, as this is the only way to expand organics storage. Without sufficient organics storage, the player won’t be able to move to the next story chapter without scrapping many of their modules, or worse, discarding their hard-earned resources. Along those same lines, if there isn’t enough room for non-organics storage, then players may be forced to abandon their outposts and pylons, which amounts to a major blow to efficiency.
Like manyaspects ofThe Alters, it’s best to get base size upgrades out of the way early on, before they are really necessary. They cost a good deal of resources, including the time spent on researching each upgrade, which can strain the player’s bandwidth during Alter conflicts, magnetic storms, and the like.
Moving Jan Scientist Out of the Research Lab
Unless there’s a major emergency, such as a critical shortage of some precious material, Jan Scientist should never leave the Research Lab, nor should the research queue ever be empty. UnlikeFrostpunk,The Altersdoesn’t require players to spend resources on researching new technologies, so there’s really no reason to put off such endeavors. And while otherAlters may be more efficientat specific tasks, Jan Scientist is theonlycharacter who can use the Research Lab; he can’t be replaced. As such, there’s almost never a strong justification to assign him to another post, even if a player thinks they don’t need to engage in more research. It’s better to be safe and proactive than sorry.
Talking To Alters or Using the Comms Room During the Day
One shortcoming ofThe Altersis how it fails to clearly communicate thatAlter conversations, calls in the Comms Room, and miscellaneous activities like Beer Pong, all consume time, just like any other task. As such, it’s crucial that players do not waste precious working hours on social activities and dialogue. As the in-game days draw to a close, Jan Dolski will struggle to complete manual tasks in a timely fashion, but his communications with other NPCs aren’t affected. Thus, for the utmost efficiency, it’s best to get as many practical tasks done during the day, then fraternize and chip away at side quests in the evening.
