Hello Riftbreakers!
Every time we visit a new biome on Galatea 37, we face new challenges regarding power production. The weather variations make our renewable energy sources less (or more) effective. We also might get access to some power generation resources that are not available anywhere else - like magma in the Volcanic Zone or Morphium in the Metallic Valley. The conditions differ from biome to biome, but one thing stays the same. As we access new biomes, our tech tree grows, and new energy technologies become available. The Swamp biome is no different. Today, we will look at the options available to us in World Expansion III.
The stars of today's show: Bio-Condenser and Gas Extractor.
The waters and the soil of the Galatean Swamp are full of organic remains. This gives life perfect conditions to grow and expand. New specimens can feed on the remains, grow, spread, and evolve. The rich fauna and flora of the biome are the best evidence for this - you won’t find a more varied ecosystem anywhere else on this planet. However, the fact that organic remains make up a large portion of the biomass has another advantage for Ashely and Mr. Riggs. As organic matter decomposes, it produces large amounts of flammable gases - an efficient power source.
Bio-Condensers are very easy to set up in the Swamp, despite having to be placed at a distance from one another.
Naturally, Riftbreakers are prepared to take advantage of such scenarios. Through research, Ashley will gain access to several buildings to make the most of the resources available in the Swamp. The first one is the Bio-Condenser. This facility must be placed directly on the surface of a mud pool. The Bio-Condenser filters the scattered organic remains from the mud and places them in a fermentation chamber. During the fermentation process, the biomass from the swamp turns into sludge, which can be further refined into flammable gas. Then, the gas can be transported through a pipeline and used for power generation. After all this, the mud is mixed and released into the ecosystem. It’s an inexpensive and reliable way to supply your base with gas power.
Since mud is virtually unlimited, you can even turn your Swamp outposts into gas-producing mega-factories, sending copious amounts of resources back to your HQ through compressors and decompressors.
A new type of resource deposit: Flammable Gas Vent. Hard to miss, really.
Some of the organic matter has been gathering beneath the surface of the Swamp biome for ages. Over time, natural pockets of Flammable Gas have appeared, with some of them bursting through the surface in a fiery fashion. Thanks to another new building, the Gas Extractor, Ashley and Mr. Riggs can safely use the gas beneath the ground. The Gas Extractor is built directly on top of a Gas Vent. Its airtight construction extinguishes the flames, allowing for controlled gas extraction by pipelines. While extracting the gas, the Extractor building also filters all the impurities, ensuring the fuel is suitable for immediate use. This means you can run a pipeline directly from an Extractor to a Power Plant with no steps in between. Gas Vents are relatively rare, but you should take advantage of them whenever possible.
You can even use the vent offensively!
Generating the electric energy necessary to run all the Riftbreaker facilities is an essential use of Flammable Gas. However, during your stay in the Swamp biome, you will also find out that the gas can be used offensively - as a fuel source for some truly devastating weaponry. (Especially given the fact that most creatures of this biome are very weak to fire damage). We won’t say much now, as the new tower types will get their own article, but you can expect some heavy-caliber machines of destruction, bigger than anything we’ve given you before.
If you would like to see these buildings in use, join our streams every Tuesday and Thursday at 3 PM CET. And if you would want to be the first to try them out once ready, join our Discord at www.discord.gg/exorstudios - we will notify you when the first experimental versions of the World Expansion III update go live. You can also chat with us and influence what the biome looks like in the end!
See you there!
EXOR Studios