Planetary exploration across planet Tycos revolves around gathering four primary resource families: Sky Crystals, Aerograde Scrap, Condensation Ice, and Electrochemical Fuel Pellets. Knowing where to prospect and how to extract without plummeting into the void is fundamental to expanding your air fleet.
1. Primary Resource Categorization
Luminescent Sky Crystals
- Appearance: Vibrant cyan and purple crystal spires jutting from underside cliff walls.
- Extraction Tool: Vibration Laser Cutter (tuned to resonant frequency).
- Usage: Required for crafting ion thrusters, shield coils, and energy capacitor cells.
- Danger: Often surrounded by unstable gravimetric micro-vortices.
Aerograde Scrap & Hull Plating
- Appearance: Twisted titanium alloy beams from shattered orbital stations.
- Extraction Tool: Industrial Torch or Wasp Tow Winch.
- Usage: Basic structural building blocks for Cloud Cruiser deck extensions and Wasp armor plating.
Condensation Ice & Pure Water
- Appearance: Dense crystalline ice blocks found in perpetual sub-zero clouds above 4,000 meters.
- Extraction Tool: Hand pick or onboard atmospheric condensers.
- Usage: Melted into drinking water and split via electrolysis into pure breathable oxygen.
2. Tow Winch Extraction Operations
Heavy mineral boulders embedded in cliff faces cannot fit into player backpacks. To harvest them:
- Bring the Wasp scout to a stable hover (
V) within 20 meters of the deposit. - Fire the magnetic tow cable from the ventral launcher.
- Once clamped, engage vertical thrusters to tear the mineral boulder free from the bedrock.
- Ferry the suspended load directly into the Cloud Cruiser’s sorting bay.
3. High-Altitude Prospecting Protocol
- Survey with Electromagnetic Ping (
C): Releases a 500-meter radar sweep highlighting hidden interior cave veins through solid rock. - Secure the Anchor Point First: Always plant a piton grapple anchor into the stone before beginning prolonged laser drilling.