All in-game footage in this blog post is from an alpha build and may differ from the final game.
Vagabond! Nice to see you on this frequency.
Seeing you tune back in again means you have successfully avoided being attacked by Batgulls or dragged away by a Larker. Well done! We’ve also noticed you’re getting better at understanding the fuel consumption of your Wasp and adjusting your voyages. You are on a good way to fully live up to your title as Vagabond. Keep up the good work!
Have you ever looked up towards the skies, and noticed the islands soaring above you? Or maybe you’ve stood by the edge, looking down the seemingly infinite heights and spotted luscious forests peeking through the clouds? Well, your eyes aren’t fooling you: There are in fact islands both above and below us.
As we’ve already gone through, the soil of the islands here on Tycos seem to generate, contain and sometimes release hydrogen. This whole process is called hydrogenogenesis. It is firmly believed that this process is why the islands, despite gravity, are floating in the first place. There are a quite a few working theories as to what this process looks in detail, but none of them has been widely accepted yet. Here, I knew I saved those published articles. Take a look at them if you’re curious about the assumed processes behind it all. I reckon, that when those scientists can agree on one proper theory, they can probably start focusing on why most islands float at different levels. My focus, and that should be your focus as well, is however to stay alive. We’ll leave the science behind it all to someone more capable than us.
So, the thing I want you to remember is that there are not only islands next to us, there are also islands above and below us. Most of these islands are as far as I know unexplored, due to the difficulty reaching them. Advancing to a new layer does not only require more fuel in your tank. If it only was that simple! No, unfortunately, a journey like that is regrettably a big strain on the Wasp, regardless of class. In order to successfully traverse in between layers you’ll need to upgrade your Wasp to at least have a stronger engine.
Barren desert
What we’ve gathered this far, is that there seem to be a total of three major regions of islands spread across three distinct layers. Out of these three, we are currently located in the middle region. Each layer seem to have their own, original biome.
The middle region, where we are right now, is the region that PACE has occupied the most. The islands at this altitude are characterized by great plains, dry rocks and barren landscapes. Here, both vegetation and animals are scarce, but don’t let that fool you. Among these islands are a lot of caves. Some of them were colonized by PACE, whilst others were left alone. One can only imagine what might hide in the abandoned ones…
When the PACE pioneers first arrived to Tycos, they probably chose this region for their colonies because of its accessibility and biome. You see, this particular region is the most forgiving to travel, and allows for a somewhat smooth base construction.
It seldom rains in this area. Even though we’ve found some oases between the steep ridges, we are still not sure how animals and plants manage to stay alive and even thrive in this environment. In fact, we know very little about the Tycan wildlife in general. What we’ve noticed however, is that most of the vegetation here seem similar to typical succulents you’d find on Earth. The plants store water in their leaves, making them plump and almost a bit bouncy. Thanks to this clever evolution, they can go weeks and sometimes even months without water.
Lush forests
Below us, hiding in the clouds, we have what we think is the lowest accessible region of planet Tycos. It is possible for us to travel to these islands, but it requires quite a bit from both the Wasp itself and the piloting Vagabond. In general, traversing in between regions is not for the faint hearted. Often surrounded by clouds, the lower region is naturally subjected to more moisture. Due to this, the biome of these islands is very lush and almost overgrown, especially compared to the middle region.
The lower islands are covered in vegetation consisting of gigantic, spherical trees, bushes, fungi and a lot of moss. Make sure to scan your surroundings thoroughly before landing here: The dense verdure leaves a lot of crannies and hidden holes for various species to hide in. Some of the creatures that inhabit these forests are completely harmless and not very interested in us humans, whilst others… aren’t too fond of us.
Below all moist foliage is solid stone. All the cracks and crevices were probably formed a long time ago, when the islands started to rise from the ground. Some parts seemed to float at a higher speed, making them break apart from the rest, creating deep ruptures and caves, and sometimes even forming into new islets.
The unsettled isles
If you turn your gaze upward, I think you will be able to spot the islands above us. This is the third and highest region of islands here on Tycos. I’ve never reached these islands myself, in fact, I don’t think I know anyone who has. Going further up in the atmosphere than our current altitude has proven quite tricky, and requires you to have a upgraded and durable Wasp. So far, no one has been able to salvage enough parts to meet the requirements for such a journey. Long ago, PACE planned for a few expeditions to this region, but these projects got abandoned, as they had more pressing matters to attend to. Transformative events don’t leave much room for science and exploration, I suppose.
Since neither PACE nor the Vagabonds have managed to reach this region, we know very little about it. Honestly, I know about as much as you. The only things we are aware of are the things we can see from our spotting scopes. It looks rather barren, but not like a desert. Based on the color, it almost looks like snow or frost, but this being Tycos, it could also be something completely different.
The rock formations sometimes look a little strange in certain lights, as if they were round, spherical almost. But I’m guessing it’s just a trick of the light, it’s only the silhouette that can be seen. If you, aspiring Vagabond, were to ever reach those parts of the sky, you must promise to inform me!
Weather phenomena
Tycos exhibits rain, thunder, fog, sunshine and hurricanes. While it’s nice to be able to recognize and interpret most of the weather changes, there are still some phenomena we still can’t quite put our finger on.
Fortunately, it doesn’t happen very often, I’ve just encountered it a few times during my entire time on this planet. Most of the time it’s quite subtle, but it’s almost as if the sun… Was buzzing? I know it sounds strange, and if it weren’t for the changes in animal behavior or equipment breaking down at the same time, I would be fairly certain that I was just imagining it. But there seems to be something going on here. When the buzzing starts, animals seek shelter in various ways and electricity-powered equipment is going haywire. Whatever you do, do NOT try to fly your Wasp during the buzzing. Vehicles become extremely unpredictable and unreliable.
Sometimes the buzzing only lasts a couple of seconds, sometimes it can go on for minutes. As I said, it happens very rarely. I’m guessing that’s why we know so little about it: We don’t have enough time to study it. And trying to predict it has, at least with our current technology, proven impossible. The best chance you’ll have to take shelter in time is to be attentive to the behavior of wildlife and to try and keep your ears open for that strange buzz. Trust me, you’ll know when you hear it.
Apart from this strange phenomenon, adapting to the the different weathers is pretty straightforward. Clear skies and a light breeze? You’re good to go. Heavy rain, cyclones and lightning? You should probably wait it out.
Nature’s abundance
Aspiring Vagabond, I’m happy to inform you that not everything on Tycos is a challenge or something that wants to kill you! All regions here on Tycos offer their own, unique and useful resources that can both be used in crafting as well as in cooking. Intuitively, you’ll find a lot of wood and fruits and berries to eat on the lower islands. Natural to this biome is also the Solar plant! This little herbage has the remarkable ability to capture energy from the sun and store it during the daytime, only to release it in the form of bio-luminescence during nighttime. They light up the surrounding forest with their gleaming light, and also works as a charger for your backpack! As you well know by now, your backpack is running on solar energy. If you run out of power during night time, this might be a problem… but not if you’re close to a Solar plant! Just get close to it and your backpack will recharge. Apart from this, they also keep some hostile animals away. Some creatures only seem to be active during nighttime, and because of this tend to stay away from light sources in general.
Luckily, the water here on Tycos doesn’t contain any toxins or odd bacteria, making it safe for us humans to drink. Isn’t that wonderful? While the lower regions contain a lot of moisture naturally, finding water in the middle regions can be a challenge. To bypass this problem, PACE built big rain water collectors. Imagine an umbrella turned upside down, and you get the idea of it. Even though most of these buildings were abandoned long ago, they still function quite well. In other words, it might be a good idea to use your backpack to have a look inside them.
Scrap
Apart from natural resources such as wood and hydrogen, you will most likely find a lot of scrap during your voyages. Long ago, PACE was very industrious, with various big scale productions. They produced materials such as glass, textiles an plastic, and also combined these into various items, trinkets and equipment. Today, that production has stopped, but you will still find quite a lot of these modules out in the world, like traces of a past era. Most of these items are scattered around the abandoned PACE facilities and camps, but sometimes you might stumble upon these things out in the wilderness. I’m assuming some PACE engineer accidentally dropped them during transport, or an animal dragged them away and then decided they weren’t interesting anymore. Nevertheless, there is useful items and materials out there for those who seek it. Keep your eyes open!
There is actually even scrap to be found in the skies. It’s not too common, but there have been reports of clusters, or fields of debris floating in the skies. Mostly it’s discarded industrial equipment such as large tanks with discarded hydrogen stored or equipped with buoyancy balloons. This can be picked up with a Cargo Wasp, if you were to have one at hand.
Well done, Vagabond
This is only a sample of the wonders and challenges of Tycos. There is yet much to explore and overcome, which is why we’re training the new generation of Vagabonds. My time is soon over, and we need new, agile and durable comrades on our side.
We can tell that you are a serious in your intention in becoming a Vagabond. Trust us, all the hard work and effort you’re putting in does not go unnoticed, we see it. I’ve spoken to the other veterans and we all agree that you are ready to meet your fellow aspiring Vagabonds. Thriving on Tycos requires much from you, and it does not become easier by being alone. I won’t be here forever, so get out there and find yourself some suitable squadmates!
As always, remember to stay on frequency and to report back to us. And to keep on the blue side, of course!
// Apog Labs