Being cast adrift on an alien planet comes with more than its fair share of problems, as you’ll soon learn in 11 bit Studios’ The Alters. One of the biggest threats to Jan Dolski’s survival (aside the rebellious versions of himself, of course) are Magnetic Storms, highly destructive phenomena that take a whole crew to overcome. Worry not though, for we’ve got some handy tips on how to deal with Magnetic Storms in The Alters.
What is a Magnetic Storm in The Alters?
Highly destructive, long-lasting planetary phenomena, Magnetic Storms are a massive drain on resources, time, and your well-being. After the first one you’ll be able to craft a device that gives you an early warning system, which is vital.
When they hit, going outside will give you radiation poisoning fast, but you’ll also be able to mine resources 50% faster, meaning it’s worth taking the risk if you’re prepared. That said, you’ll likely be needed in the mobile base while it’s happening.
How to deal with Magnetic Storms
Be proactive, first and foremost. You’ll eventually be able to craft a Radiation Repulsor Module toi make your Radiation Filters last twice as long, but a storm will still deplete them fast. Once you have the warning system, keep an eye on it. You’ll usually get between 5 and 8 days’ warning. In this time craft a few extra Radiation Filters and Repair Kits. You want to go into the Storm with at least four of each.
As the storm goes on your modules will fail in quick succession, so assign two Alters to Base Maintenance and one to the Workshop. If you have the Worker put him on the latter, and try to make sure the Technician is assigned to one of the maintenance slots. Alternatively, man the Workshop yourself to speed things up. Keep the Repair Kits and Radiation Filters coming. If the filters fail, the base will be flooded with radiation and you’ll have 5 hours to craft one before critical failure. Likewise, if too many modules go down at once you’ll lose the base, so try to keep on top of these two things in particular.
Don’t neglect your other duties
Of course, you mustn’t forget essentials like cooking, so if you have an Alter with nothing to do, get them in the kitchen. And if you have the Refinery and some ALX or Enriched Metals that you can refine, do so. Running out of Metals or Organics during a storm can be deadly if you have to go out and mine some during a critical failure window.
Some Magnetic Storms can last more than 24 hours, and you will eventually need to sleep. Ideally, you want to enable the “Crunch” setting, to keep your Alters working 12-hour shifts during an emergency.
So now you know how to deal with Magnetic Storms in The Alters. Hopefully they won’t give you too much trouble.
