A scanner can reveal resource deposits in The Alters. That sounds straightforward enough, but it’s far more complex than just equipping and using a tool. Instead, you have to place Polygonal Scanners, investigate their findings, use Scan Waves, and improve your search area to find the deepest part of a resource deposit.
As you and your beloved clones can’t outrun the sun without a proper resource intake, it’s absolutely vital to understand this mechanic. Here’s how to use scanners in The Alters.
How to use scanners in The Alters
First things first, before you can use the scanner, you must locate a resource deposit on the map. Explore the areas you haven’t been to before, and if you come across any deposits, they will be marked on the map. In the picture below, every striped area (four in total) is a resource deposit.
Image: 11 Bit Studios via Polygon
If you hover over the deposit, it’ll tell you which type of resource you’ll find there: Organics, Metals, Minerals, or Rapidium.
To mine these resources, stand in the middle of a deposit and equip the Polygonal Scanners (you’ve unlocked this feature in the prologue).
Image: 11 Bit Studios via Polygon
Next, place up to six Polygonal Scanners in a (somewhat) circular form anywhere within the deposit limits. This will automatically scan the ground below them. If you happen to place the Polygonal Scanners on the deepest part of the deposit, great! A marker will automatically appear to show you where to place your Mining Outpost.
Image: 11 Bit Studios via Polygon
However, if you don’t find the deposit core right away, you must retrieve your Polygonal Scanners and place them all over again.
If you look carefully at the area you just scanned, you may see a color difference; the more reddish the ground, the closer you are to the deposit core. Try to place your Polygonal Scanners near the red area. In the example image below, the arrow points towards the deposit core based on the color.
Image: 11 Bit Studios via Polygon
To make it easier to locate a deposit core, you can also use a Scan Wave (unlocked at the start of Act 1). Place the Polygonal Scanners as before, press the ‘Scan Wave’ button, and look at the ground. See the lines moving in a certain direction? The deposit core is in that direction, so place your next set of Polygonal Scanners there.
In the picture below, you can see a thin white line which, take my word for it, is moving upwards. This means the deposit core is in that direction.
Image: 11 Bit Studios via Polygon
While scanning for resources in The Alters, there are a few important things to keep in mind:
- Beware of the range; only Polygonal Scanners placed within 5.5 metres of each other will connect. As you walk further away from a nearby Polygonal Scanner, you’ll see how many metres you’ve got left before the connection is lost.
- Every Scan Wave costs 1 energy. If you don’t have additional batteries, beware that you may run out of energy. It’s therefore wise to use your Scan Waves on as large an area as possible!
- The Scan Wave is optional, so if you run out of energy but don’t want to give up, you can still keep scanning with the Polygonal Scanners. If that happens, spotting the red coloration becomes twice as important!