Organics are an essential resource in The Alters, as you’ll need them to charge your base and craft important items. During the prologue, you’ll be tasked with “finding an Organics deposit area,” but of course, the game doesn’t tell you where to look.
Have no fear, as this guide will show you how to get Organics in The Alters, along with the first Organics location on the map and how to reach it.
How to get Organics in The Alters
To find Organics in The Alters, you must leave the safety of your base and explore the map. Use the Airlock to leave your base, then look around for blue smoke, which indicates an Organics deposit.
Image: 11 Bit Studios via Polygon
Once you’ve found such a place, you must use the scanner to establish a Mining Outpost. However, if it’s late in the day or if you’re in dire need of Organics, you can also look around for loose pieces of Organics, which look like the following:
Image: 11 Bit Studios via Polygon
You can pick these up right away, and they’ll net you roughly 8 Organics. It’s not enough to sustain your base, but it’s a start.
To set up the Mining Outpost, you need the Outpost itself as well as a bunch of Pylons. In the Prologue, five Pylons should suffice. If you don’t have this yet, craft it at the Workshop inside your base.
First, you need to find the deposit’s deepest part, which is where you’ll place the Mining Outpost. While standing in the middle of the blue smoky area, equip the Polygonal Scanners. Place all six of them on the ground, like this:
Image: 11 Bit Studios via Polygon
Make sure each Polygonal Scanner connects with another (no less than 0 metres apart) so they can form a full circle. Doing so will scan the ground inside the Polygon Scanners. If the ground turns red, you’re close to the deepest part of the Organics deposit.
Hold the “retrieve” button to remove your Polygonal Scanners, then place them again, nearer to the red deposit core. With any luck, a second area scan will reveal the perfect position for the Mining Outpost, but if not, retrieve the Polygonal Scanners and try again. Keep getting closer to the red area!
If the perfect mining position has been revealed, it’ll be marked by a droplet symbol. Equip the Mining Outpost and place it on the marker.
Image: 11 Bit Studios via Polygon
Just one more step before you can mine Organics: You must connect the Mining Outpost to your base.
Equip the Polygons (not to be confused with the Polygonal Scanners) and walk towards your base. See the green line above you? That’s the connection between the Mining Outpost and the Polygon. Place the Polygon as far as possible from the Mining Outpost without breaking this line.
Image: 11 Bit Studios via Polygon
Repeat this process until there’s a fully connected line between your base and the Mining Outpost. And that’s it! If you return to the Organics Deposit to mine Organics, they’ll be transported to your base automatically. What’s more, this connection can transport you as well, since a connected Mining Outpost functions as a fast travel point.
How to find the first Organics location
If you’re having trouble finding Organics in The Alters’ prologue — the first instance where you need to find them — here’s the deposit location on the map:
Image: 11 Bit Studios via Polygon
Note that the Organics deposit is on a higher ledge, which can be climbed with a Climbing Hook. If you don’t have one, you can also take a detour to the left, and when you see the Rapidium in front of you, turn right. If you follow this path, you can reach the Organics Deposit and establish a connection without needing a Climbing Hook.