Controls & UI — The Alters Guide

Navigate The Alters' complex systems with our guide to controls and UI. Learn about base building, crafting, resource management, and keeping your Alters happy to ensure survival.

The Alters features a complex web of systems including time management, resource gathering, and crafting, all crucial for survival. This guide breaks down the essential controls and user interface elements to help you manage your base, your Alters, and your limited time effectively.

Your primary objective is to escape the planet before the sun rises. This involves refueling your base, manufacturing necessary equipment, and securing enough supplies. Success hinges on wise time management and understanding the game's interface.

Key elements covered include:

• Base Building: Access the building menu via the Command Center terminal. Modules must be placed adjacent to existing ones, with valid placement highlighted in green. Pay attention to base mass and storage capacity. Modules can be moved or deleted, though some are fixed.
• Base Mass: Each module increases base weight, requiring more Fuel (organics) for travel. Upgrade storage and the Organics Tank, and use the Scanner to locate and connect organic deposits via Mining Outposts and Pylons.
• Tiredness and Exhaustion: All actions consume energy. Monitor your Energy Bar to avoid becoming tired, which slows tasks, or exhausted, which impacts the next day's available time. Prioritize essential tasks.
• Crafting: Schedule crafting in the Workshop Queue via the 'TAB' menu ('Production' > 'Workshop'). Then, go to the specific room (e.g., Kitchen) and use the Workbench with the 'E' key. Crafting consumes significant energy.
• Workshop Recipes: Includes items like Mining Outposts, Pylon Components, Suit Batteries, Drill Cartridges, Repair Kits, Radiation Filters, and Qbit Chips, detailing materials and descriptions.
• Kitchen Recipes: Mush (x5 Organics) and Cooked Meal (x1 Raw Food).
• Greenhouse Recipes: Raw Food (x10 Organics) and Raw Food Package (x50 Organics).
• Refinery Recipes: Metals and Organics from x5 Enriched Metals.
• Alters: These are alternate versions of yourself. Keeping them happy is vital. Monitor their mood, health, and event logs in the Alters tab. Unhappy Alters can become dangerous. Prioritize High-Quality Meals, build the Social Room, and engage in activities like Beerbong and watching movies to maintain their happiness.