Planet Crafter: Planet Humble - Liquid Water Stage

T1 Ore Extractor

No sign of any liquid water yet. I made it back to base with my bags full of osmium. It's been a few days since I played and I forgot what I needed it for - the ore extractor. I built it near my base because I don't know what underground resources are where on Humble and I found it showed it would be mining dolomite, so basic resources. I might try moving it around to see what I can mine elsewhere, or just wait until I can build more extractors.

Biolab on level 2

Dining room on level 2

I had enough osmium to build the biolab as well, so I built that on the second floor, connected to my biodome. I added a couple more food growers in the biodome, set to grow different crops that may be needed for recipes in the biolab. There was a space in the corner between the biolab and biodome for another room, so I made a little dining room. I couldn't make flower pots yet, so I used a T2 vegetube for decoration, as well as a display case (with no trophies to display yet). I plan to add another room on the other side of the corridor to be the kitchen.

Hooray, I got my T1 jetpack! I used up all the fabric I found in making furniture for the dining room, so I'll need to go hunting for more crates. When I was getting osmium, I saw some crates on the hills above the Colosseum, so I will go exploring up there. Maybe I'll find some rocket engines or fertilizer or other new items.

Colosseum Roof

Broken Hills (north of Colosseum)

I did indeed find rocket engines, fertilizer, squash seeds and some iridium and uranium rods among other things. I also found that the area on top of the Colosseum would be a great place to build - it's a large flat area with a good view and quite central once you can get around quickly. I also found it had a view of that area north of the Colosseum I didn't get to explore during the Barren stage. There are some more hangars and debris there that look interesting, so I'll have to try and get there soon. 

Osmium Cave frozen lake melted

Starform Robotics green crate

The frozen lake in the Osmium Cave has melted (4.4MTi) and I can now swim to the bottom of the lake and reach the osmium! I also found my first Starform Robotics green crate after some of the ice has melted in the Osmium Cave open cavern near my starting base. It had some really nice goodies in there - a new spacesuit Starforma, an effigy of a Starform Robotics drone, a new flower seed (Humblea seed with 600% oxygen multiplier) and some bioplastic nuggets. The large closed cavern is now open - you can see the sky. The lake there is still frozen.

I found another entrance to the Underworld and started exploring cautiously, trying to not get lost. I also found puddles of liquid water down there. If I can get some food growers and an atmospheric water collector going, I should be okay to survive underground.

Underworld Bunker

Rockets in the Underworld?

Underworld Greenhouse

Someone else has been down here! There's power generators and an atmospheric water generator next to an underground bunker! There was an ore crusher and it had zeolite and obsidian in the storage container. Are those rockets and ... a launchpad? Underground? It's also very dark at night. Even with the torch on I could barely find my way back to my air shelter and had to use an oxygen cannister. I looked in the bunker: the person who lived there in 3055 was hacking into the Starform Robotics drones. I found some circuit boards that might be useful later. Further down, there was a greenhouse with some lirma and tree seeds. The drone outside had a message about how larvae and early lifeforms will likely spawn underground because conditions on the surface may be too inhospitable.

Broken Hills Hangars

Broken Hills Rocket

Broken Hills Launchpad

Meteor Shower

I made my way out of the Underworld and headed north of the Colosseum to that area with hangars I saw from the Colosseum roof. It was quite a large area and there were lots of broken rocky outcrops with hills and valleys. I found several hangars and some solar panels, a crashed rocket, a trade rocket launch pad, a cave shipwreck etc. I also nearly got hit by a meteor shower while exploring.

Rover

I finally got back to base and built the vehicle station and rover. This will make long distance travel and exploration much easier! Some upgrades like extra inventory and unlimited oxygen (in the vehicle) will be very helpful too once I can unlock them.

Osmium Cave Roof

Osmium Cave Roof Shipwreck

I noticed the map showed a large ship near the Osmium Caves so I went to investigate. I was able to use the jet pack to climb the mountain and get on top of the caves, and there is a lot more osmium and super alloy up there, as well as a large shipwreck. The shipwreck had a spacesuit locker and two levels. On the upper level is a fusion reactor that could open extra doors when powered with a fusion cell (not available yet). There is also some technical debris that require a T2 deconstruction tool. Apparently the ship belonged to smugglers who thought the planet's resources would make them rich, but weren't prepared for a planetary defense system.

Liquid Water in the Coral Forest (10 MTi)

The terraformation index was going up rather slow, so it was time to start launching some rockets to boost heat and pressure. I went hunting for some iridium and uranium that came down in the meteor showers and I found some small puddles in the Coral Forest!

I unlocked the T1 algae generator (can place it in the osmium cave lake) and the flower spreader. Now I can replace the grass spreaders because these are a straight upgrade (and they look prettier too!). I will need to start making more fertilizer in the biolab (it requires algae so I'll have to get that going first).

Liquid water in Black Rift during storm (25 MTi)

Obsidian Cave between Black Rift and Volcano

Liquid Water near Central Hangars (25 MTi)

I took the rover for a drive to the Black Rift to look for crates. I found some crates with oxygen fuses (can't use them yet), but no fertilizer. I also found more puddles of water spreading in the canyons of the Black Rift and between the Central Hangars and the Colosseum. I also need to find obsidian (to be able to open the map anywhere), and zeolite (for the rover upgrades and T2 deconstruction tool).

I found the Obsidian Cave when I followed the path from the Black Rift entrance to the Volcano. I only got a few pieces because I was running out of food and water (need to keep some in the rover!), but it's enough for now.

The frozen tunnel between the Osmium Cave open cavern and the Uranium Cave has melted. Nice to have a shortcut between them. The cave entrance near the repair dome in the Sandy Basin has started melting too, enough to enter and discover some osmium, sulfur and pulsar quartz.

Broken Hills Cave Shipwreck

Dining Room (with some new decorations from the shipwreck)

It only took one explosive to blast open the shipwreck in the Broken Hills. There is a fusion reactor that requires a fusion cell down a ladder from the entrance level. It will open a few extra doors. The wreck contains some destructable decorations such as ivy, bonsai pots and big flower pots that provide blueprints for building them, and some of the crates contain terra tokens (I found 400 TT). Unlocking the blueprints for decorations are very helpful; some of them (e.g. ivy) increase increase oxygen and plants by quite a lot, are cheap to build and don't require power. There is also a vault with several big safes with lots of loot. I also found a poster and an animal effigy. Be careful not to get lost - I don't think this wreck is procedurally generated so it's not a huge maze, but you don't want to run out of air in there.

Black Rift air shelter underwater (40 MTi)

I came back from the Broken Hills shipwreck via the Black Rift - the water level has risen quickly and flooded one of my air shelters. It was on top of the rocks not in the canyon, so I thought it would be safe, but now it's underwater.

T2 Biodome

Plant Rocket

I unlocked the plant rocket, but I couldn't craft it until I unlocked and built the T2 biodome because the rocket needs tree bark. I added the T2 biodome onto the second floor and expanded out near the biolab. I launched the plant rocket just before reaching the Lakes stage at 50 MTi.

Planet Crafter: Planet Humble - Blue Sky, Clouds and Rain Stages

The Barren stage took awhile, what with exploring the world and only building a couple of T1 or T2 machines. These next few stages went by in a blur! 

 Blue Sky Stage

Main Base at start of the Blue Sky stage

The upstairs Biodome

My first priorities are: I need more storage, a communications antenna and more drills to boost pressure. Aluminium is a bottleneck. I'll go to the Sandy Basin and get more bauxite and convert that to aluminium. I built the drills at my starter base in the Osmium Caves so as to not clutter up the area around my main base. The terraformation index started going up pretty quick. Then I built the advanced crafting station (to upgrade my backpack and oxygen tank) and started working on the biodome. Oxygen started going up quick and then I unlocked the grass spreader which helped increase oxygen even more and suddenly I was at the Clouds stage!

 

Clouds Stage

The rocket launch platform

The biodome and grass spreader used up all my power so I had to fix that by building some solar panels before I could build the rocket launch platform. Then I unlocked the nuclear power generator, so I went to the Uranium Cave to collect uranium and uraninite. Before I could even build the nuclear reactor I had reached the Rain stage and unlocked the atmospheric water collector!

 

Rain Stage

Raining in the Osmium Caves

It started raining immediately when I reached the Rain stage. I finally built my nuclear reactor and atmospheric water generator and next aimed to start launching some rockets, but I needed rocket engines and they required uranium, iridium and super alloy. Fortunately, the uraninite can be converted into all three, so I went back to the Uranium Cave to collect more. I built the T1 GPS rocket so I could view the map, then I went looking for blue crates over near the Colosseum. I found lots of blue crates, plus super alloy and an entrance way to a massive underground cave network that I call the Underworld. I could easily spend days down there exploring, but with a limited supply of air, water and food I don't want to get lost, so I'll wait until later in the game. 

Underground Bunker in the Osmium Caves closed cavern

I was exploring the large closed cavern in the Osmium Caves and found an underground bunker. Part of it was blocked off by data servers that can be deconstructed with a T2 tool (which I don't have yet). I'll have to come back and explore the rest of it later, but there was also a nuclear power generator I could deconstruct and reconstruct to connect it to my power grid.

Another Volcano entrance

I found some bean seeds so I have replaced all the eggplant seeds in my food growers because beans give more health. I went back to the Volcano to get more iridium to make iridium rods for an ore extractor (I found another entrance as well, but I think it's a one-way entrance - jumping down some cliffs that I'm not sure I'd be able to get back up). I could have just got uraninite to convert into iridium, but I like the Volcano - it's such an interesting area. Now I need osmium for the ore extractor and the biolab so I'm off to the Crystal Valley. I should really make some agility boots or the jetpack for faster travel. I reached the Liquid Water stage just as I collected my first osmium crystals. 

Planet Crafter: Planet Humble - Barren Stage

Landing pod

Starting biome (Coral Forest)

Landing pod message

The landing pod arrived in an area with strange coral-like tree trunks. This starting biome may  also be known as Coral Valley or Coral Forest. There is a storage container full of food, water and air canisters as well as a flower seed (I got a Snepea Seed which gives a 200% oxygen multiplier), a basic crafting station and a message from Sentinel Corp. telling you your job is to terraform the planet and start by increasing oxygen, heat and pressure to reach 175,000 Ti and a blue atmosphere.

T1 ore crusher for converting ores

Gather resources nearby to make starting equipment such as a backpack, oxygen tank, construction/deconstruction tools, torch and exoskeleton. Make a few basic wind turbines for power then build an ore crusher - this converts dolomite (a new ore that looks similar to iron but glows blue in the dark) to basic ores such as cobalt, iron, magnesium, silicon and titanium. Cobalt can be hard to find naturally, so you will need the ore crusher.

Air shelter

Osmium Cave entrance

Osmium Cave lake

Get used to running around with 3 iron, 2 titanium and 1 silicon so you can quickly build a living compartment and door to replenish your air supply. I recommend heading west of the landing pod towards the snowy mountains as there is ice in and around the caves which is essential for making water in the early game. Inside the cave is a frozen lake with osmium crystals at the bottom.

Osmium Cave open cavern

There is a tunnel that leads to a large open cavern where you can see the sky and several wrecked or frozen drones. The cavern contains basic ores, ice, super alloy and several blue crates, but no dolomite. It's reasonably flat so there is plenty of room to build a base. Once you decide on a starting base location, you will need to start building more wind turbines, drills, heaters and vegetubes to start increasing the terraformation and unlocking new technology. You can also start building some information screens that will help you monitor your progress.

I found some new flower seeds in the blue crates: Seleus Seed (gives 300% oxygen multiplier bonus) and Furteo Seed (350% oxygen multiplier). You want to use the seeds with the highest oxygen multiplier in the vegetubes to increase oxygen generation quicker. Food is hard to find, so it's also important to boost oxygen production to unlock the food grower as soon as possible.

Osmium Cave closed cavern

If you follow the super alloy trail, there is another tunnel leading to a huge covered cavern with another frozen lake. There is a lot of uraninite in this cave. Uraninite is a new ore on Humble that can be used in the ore crusher and converted into other ores such as iridium, uranium or super alloy. There are also some wrecked drones and equipment in this cavern that can be looted.

Try to upgrade your equipment and terraforming machines when you can. The compass is useful to help with navigating (there are lots of caves and tunnels on Humble). Keep an eye out for aluminium which is reasonably rare in the early game but needed for better tiers of equipment and machines.

Rocket Valley cave entrance

Rocket Valley

Following the edge of the frozen lake in the closed cavern to the east leads to another tunnel that takes you out of the mountains and into Rocket Valley (where a rocket has crashed). Rocket Valley is north of Coral Forest and has some blue crates and crashed drones to investigate.

Uranium Cave outer entrance

Uranium Cave inner entrance

South of Rocket Valley is another cave entrance. Inside, the branch on the right (west) opens into a cave scattered with chunks of uranium, while the branch on the left (east) is blocked off by a wall of ice (for now).

Central Hangars

East of the Uranium Cave and south-east of Rocket Valley is a fairly flat area with several large hangars. The edge of the Coral Forest is just to the south. We've almost come full circle! There are a number of T2 solar panels near the hangars that can be deconstructed and reconstructed to provide a good chunk of power (I think of it like disconnecting them from the old power network and connecting them to my new power network). I have decided to build my main base on a plateau between the Central Hangars and the Coral Forest. Why do I call them the Central Hangars? There is easy access to biomes to the north, east, south and west, similar to the Central Plateau on Planet Prime.

My starter base in the Osmium Cave has been making progress with terraformation while I have been exploring. I unlocked the food grower around 40 kTi. Now I need to find more aluminium to make more food growers - I'd like at least 3 to start with because the veges take time to grow.

Alleyway towards Volcano

Smoking Sinkholes

Volcano cave entrance

I'd like to explore some more of the world and see it before it starts to change. So, I will head back to the Coral Forest then travel east towards the Volcano, then north. There is a lot of iridium, aluminium and bauxite near the Smoking Sinkholes and Volcano. Bauxite can be converted to aluminium in the ore crusher. There are some hot rocks that can be blown up with explosives. I couldn't enter the cave into the Volcano because of heat damage close to the lava. It seems a dangerous place to go in early game - bring plenty of food and water with you.

Sulfur Terrace from a distance

Sulfur Terrace

Sulfur Terrace cave

I turned north and headed for the Sulfur Terrace. It looks like it has yellow waterfalls, large shallow pits and a yellow fog. There are plenty of lumps of sulfur and some dolomite here as well. Fortunately, I found some cargo containers with food and water which were very helpful. I found a small cave in the Sulfur Terrace with a crashed drone at the end. I had some microchips taking up space in my backpack so I quickly built a blueprints screen in my air shelter to unlock the recipes. The mapping screen would be very nice and I would love to get a bigger oxygen tank. I'll have to upgrade everything when I get back to base.

Colosseum

Black Rift

Black Rift entrance to the Volcano

I just reached 100 kTi and got our first meteor shower. On the northern edge of the Sulfur Terrace we came to a cliff and could look north-west and see some hills and pillars of rock that look a bit like the Colosseum, with ice inside, or we could look to the north-east and see a rocky valley under an arch with a crashed ship. I headed north-east first and I can see why some people call it the Black Rift - it does look a bit like the Grand Rift on Prime, but with smaller dark pointy rocks and cliffs. I also found another entrance to the Volcano area from the Black Rift.

Black Rift crashed ship

Drone Valley

Approaching the crashed ship, I found some uraininite. I also discovered I will need to build a staircase to reach the entrance to the ship, so I will come back later. I am running out of food and water again and need to find some more crates or head back to base. I learnt the hard way that you don't want to get stuck down in those canyons - there's not many resources down there and no quick or easy way out. Beyond the Black Rift I found a valley full of giant mining drones I guess. I think I'll need a jetpack to reach the control panels. I start heading back towards the Colosseum.

Valley north of Black Rift

I got a little distracted heading towards the Colosseum - there was another valley north of the Black Rift and Colosseum. I don't have enough food and water to go explore there now, but I'll come back to it.

Colosseum

Colosseum close-up

Colosseum crystals

Closer to the Colosseum, I found there are lots of blue crates and interesting crystal formations, and when the ice melts it looks like there will be some large caves to explore. There was also a path heading north and some areas on top of the Colosseum to explore as well. Since there are several of these colosseum structures, I will probably try to number them or label them by position (e.g. Colosseum West would be the round one closest to the Central Hangars).

Sea of Fog at night

Northern Gateway

I made it back to base. To the south of the Coral Forest are cliffs and a Sea of Fog, so I can't go that way. To the north of the Central Hangars is a path heading further north beyond a pair of pillars of rock jutting out like a broken arch or gateway. I'll head out that way and hope I can finish my world tour before I reach the Blue Sky stage.

Sandy Basin

Sandy Basin Drone DR04

Drone DR04 message

I found a huge sandy basin surrounded by cliffs and there is a biodome and an icy cave! There was a lot of bauxite and dolomite scattered across the sands. I found a wrecked drone called DR04 that seemed to be sentient and questioning its instructions. Interesting.

Crystal Valley from a distance

Crystal Valley close-up

I tried heading north from the Basin, but I couldn't find a way out so I had to go back through the Northern Gateway to the path heading north from the Colosseum. I found lots of super alloy along this path and could see a crashed ship on a plateau north of Rocket Valley, and some shiny black crystals or rocks north of the Basin. The black crystals glowed purple up close and it seemed to be perpetually dark as night. There is osmium and a biodome nearby.

Ship Plateau view to the north-east

Ship Plateau view to the south

Ship Plateau view to the south-east

Ship Plateau view to the west

Ship Plateau hangars

Entrance to crashed ship on Ship Plateau

I continued west up a hill and made it to the Ship Plateau. The view was amazing! It would be a good flat place to build except for being far away from everything in the early game. The ship was pretty big and there were some more hangars nearby. The door to the crashed ship was open so I had a peek inside. Lots of things to deconstruct and paths going in all directions! I'll need lots of oxygen to explore in there.

Finally, I reached the Blue Sky stage at 175kTi. I think I saw most of the world in it's early state. It will be interesting to see how it all changes as the world terraforms. Now it's time to head back to base and start building some more machines.