BASE

New to Against the Storm? Learn about the essential upgrades like Quicker Trader Arrival, Hearth Upgrades, and Embarkation Points to boost your early game success.

Alright, let's talk about upgrades! As you start out in Against the Storm, you'll be earning Citadel Resources from your expeditions. These are super important because you'll use them to buy upgrades that make your future settlements stronger. Think of it like leveling up your base camp! There are three types of resources you'll collect: Food Stockpiles, Machinery, and Artifacts. You'll see these listed as requirements for each upgrade. Here's a breakdown of some of the most important early upgrades you'll want to aim for: Dim Square Upgrades: * Quicker Trader Arrival: This is a big one early on. Getting traders to show up faster means more opportunities to buy or sell goods, and crucially, to snag those vital blueprints and cornerstones. Each level gives you a +3% bonus to trader arrival speed. * Trade Routes: Unlocking this lets you establish trade routes with other settlements. This is a game-changer for getting resources you might be lacking. * Extra Merchandise: Traders will offer an extra cornerstone or blueprint. More choices, more chances for something amazing! * Special Discount: A 10% discount on perks and blueprints from traders. Every little bit helps, right? * More Trade Routes: You can have an extra trade route active. More trade means more efficiency! * Essential Blueprint: Field Kitchen: This unlocks the Field Kitchen building, which is super useful for managing your food needs. * Embarkation Bonus: Pack of Provisions: This gives you a new option to start with Provisions when you begin a new settlement. Brass Forge Upgrades: * Production Speed Increase: A +2% boost to global production speed per level. Faster production means more stuff, faster! * Hearth Upgrade - Neighborhood & District: These are fundamental upgrades that improve your Hearths, which are central to your settlement's well-being. * Starting Resources: Planks: Getting 5 Planks right at the start can be a huge help for early construction. * Embarkation Bonus: Planks, Bricks, Fabric: These give you a starting bonus of these essential building materials. * Starting Ability - Beavers: If Beavers join your settlement, this upgrade extends their trade offer range. * Larger Storage: More storage means less worrying about resources piling up and spoiling. * Worker Capacity Increase: Your workers can carry more, making them more efficient. Pioneer's Gate Upgrades: * Villager Speed Increase: A +2% increase to villager walking speed per level. Faster villagers mean faster work! * Embarkation Points: This is HUGE. Each level gives you +1 Embarkation Point, which you use before a new settlement starts to buy crucial resources and bonuses. Prioritize these! * Greater Embarkation Range: You can see more of the world map, helping you plan your expeditions better. * Increased Town Vision Range: Your town reveals more of the world map. * Starting Ability - Foxes: If Foxes join your settlement, this reveals a nearby geyser. Obsidian Archive Upgrades: * Queen's Patience: This reduces the speed at which the Queen's Impatience grows. Less impatience means more time for you to get things done without the Queen getting angry. * More Citadel Resources: You get +10% more Citadel Resources at the end of each settlement. More resources for more upgrades! * Consumption Control: This unlocks advanced options for managing what your villagers consume. Very useful for fine-tuning your economy. * Additional Blueprint Choice: You get an extra option when choosing blueprints as a Reputation reward. More choices are always good! * Blueprint Reroll: Lets you spend Amber to reroll blueprints. A lifesaver if the current offers are terrible. * Rainpunk Engines: This unlocks the ability to use infused rainwater to boost production buildings. A powerful late-game boost. * Starting Resources: Pipes: Get 10 Pipes at the start of a settlement. * Factions: This fundamental upgrade introduces Factions to the game, opening up new trade and competition opportunities. Remember, you have to claim upgrades in order within each line. So, you can't get 'Special Discount' at Level 3 without getting Level 1 and Level 2 first. Plan your resource spending wisely, and happy building!