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In this guide, we’ll go through the five most important things to know in The Alters before you start your first playthrough.
The Alters is the latest science fiction survival simulator from 11 Bit Studios, the developers behind popular games such as Frostpunk and This War of Mine. Unlike those titles, in The Alters, you play as a space explorer, Jan Dolski, who is stranded on an inhospitable planet far from home. You will need to create a base and collect materials to upgrade various facets of the base and your equipment. The primary goal is to avoid the sun, whose rays are so radioactive that they can immediately kill Jan.
While these mechanics are common in survival sims, what sets The Alters apart is the “Alters” system. Jan will need to create alternate versions of himself (similar to clones) to help him survive, and these duplicates are known as Alters.
If you’re left scratching your head right now, we get it. There’s a lot to grasp for new players. So, in the following article, we’ve listed the top five most important things to know in The Alters before you start playing.
5 Things To Know in The Alters
The following are the five most important things you need to understand about the game before starting your first playthrough.
Gameplay
The gameplay primarily involves Jan Dolski exploring the harsh planet to collect resources and craft upgrades. You will need to unlock and build new rooms in your wheel-shaped base using the materials you collect. Every decision you make while expanding your base will impact how safe you are from the sun’s radiation.
You won’t be able to do all of the work alone, however. As you progress, you will start unlocking Alters. Each Alter is a version of Jan who has made different life choices. For instance, one of the Alters may have decided to pursue a career as a scientist, making that individual especially helpful in your scientific pursuits on the planet.
But they aren’t just workers. Each Alter has distinct personalities, likes, and dislikes. This can often cause narrative-driven friction between them. So, besides collecting resources and crafting base upgrades, the real Jan will also need to broker peace between the Alters and maintain their happiness.
How Time Works in the Game
Apart from managing resources, you will also need to be mindful of time. Every three seconds in real life equates to one minute passing in-game, so time can go by quickly. Understanding how time works is important because you can only be outside your base during a limited portion of each day. Initially, you can explore the outside between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.
As 9 p.m. approaches, you will receive a warning about impending radiation. Staying outside past this time can kill Jan in just a matter of seconds. So, you’ll need to leave whatever you’re doing and head back to the safety of your base.
Maintaining a regular sleep schedule is also important. Make sure to head to bed by 10:30 p.m. Otherwise, your next day will start late and you won’t be able to get as much done. While the game allows you to pause time, opening the Production or Overview menu will not stop it.
Alter Creation
As mentioned previously, Jan will need the help of Alters during this journey. He will use a special computer known as the Tree of Life to create specific Alters by revisiting important decision-making points in his life. You will have to spend Rapidium, a collectible resource, whenever you want to create Alters. At first, you will have just one Alter slot, although more slots will unlock as you continue progressing.
Deciding which Alter to create at a particular juncture can be tricky. For instance, you might want to create a scientist Jan to help you survive the harsh planetary conditions, but remember that each Alter also has a distinct personality. The Alter you connect with may not be as agreeable to your orders or commands as you’d like. This can lead to ego clashes and other problems. The risk of such disagreements will increase as you unlock even more Alters.
Every Alter you choose to create will take several hours to be “born,” so it’s best to begin Alter creation at night. That way, the character becomes available the next morning, and you minimize wasted time.
Assigning Duties To the Alters
You can assign various duties to Jan’s clones through the Assignments tab. However, it’s best to use each Alter for tasks suited to their specialties. For instance, you can only assign the Doctor to the Infirmary, where he can heal other Alters. Similarly, the Refiner, Miner, Botanist, Technician, and Worker Alters provide a boost to production in specific areas such as the Mining Outpost, Refinery, and Greenhouse.
Keep in mind that Alter assignments can affect their morale. For instance, if you activate the Crunch Hours option, every Alter will need to work overtime, which will cause them to become upset.
Alters Have Branching Storylines
One of the major things to know about The Alters is that, aside from the main plotline, each clone also has a distinct story. You can talk to the Alters to learn about their backstories. Depending on the dialogue choices you make during these conversations and your actions in general, you will lead their stories to different conclusions.
So, every little thing you say or do to your clones will matter and will determine how sad or elated they are. Since there’s no way to unlock all of the Alters in a single playthrough, these branching storylines also add significant replayability to the game.
Thank you for reading the article. We provide the latest news and create guides for Baldur’s Gate 3, Starfield, ARK Survival Ascended, and more. Also, watch Deltia play games on Twitch or visit his YouTube channel!
