Water supply and systems
Water plays an important, if not the most important role in Endzone - A World Apart. The beginning of a new settlement already puts the player in front of several challenges which often only become apparent a long time later. Even if the water supply seems sufficient at the start, this status does not last long.
A functioning and constant water supply is the cornerstone for the survival of the settlers and is subject to constant control and optimization from beginning to end. Since each map in the Endzone is different from the previous one through its procedurally generated environment, it is always necessary to use various tactics to establish a water supply.
In order to give you an overview of the possibilities, we will introduce you to water and the corresponding systems in Endzone - A World Apart.
Watertower & Boardwalk
As already shown in the "How-To-Play"-Trailer, the beginning of a new settlement is immediately initiated with the construction of a Watertower and a Boardwalk.
Through this simple production chain, water is scooped from the nearby lake and put into the water reservoir. Pay attention to the placement of the Watertower since it is aimed to be near a boardwalk and will only function in the immediate area as well.
Important: The water supply will only take place if appropriate "carriers" are assigned to collect water.
Well
It is not uncommon for a settlement not to be built in the immediate vicinity of a natural water source. In this case the supply via a Watertower and a Boardwalk is almost impossible.
For this purpose we have developed the Well. This building can be used to pump groundwater from the immediate area and distribute it to the next Watertower. Of course, the yield is significantly lower and the necessary manpower is all the greater.
A Well therefore only serves as a temporary water supply in an emergency. It is essential for the player to build towards the water source in a timely manner and to expand the water supply. Several wells can be built, but there must be a certain distance between the individual buildings, otherwise they work less efficiently.
Important: The Well can also provide a small water supply in periods of drought, even if lakes have dried up and there is no rainfall.
Rain Collector
Rain Collector uncovered and covered from radioactive rain
A Rain Collector can also be built at a later date. This building makes it possible to obtain water from precipitation. The water is automatically stored in the Rain Collector's tank and even in periods of drought emptied by "carriers" and transported to the Watertower. Since it can never be said with certainty when and how many periods of drought the environment will catch up with, an extensive water supply through rainfall is essential in the later game. Lakes take too long to be refilled, just as well as wells only create weak water supplies.
Important: Contaminated rain, as already described in "Radiation & Humidity", is collected unfiltered by the Rain Collector and used as drinking water in the settlement. Always check whether the rainfall is contaminated and whether the Rain Collector needs to be covered.
Irrigation & Fertility
Different steps of fertility shown in the regular view
Different steps of fertility shown in the Water Heatmap
As in real life, there is no uniform distribution of resources in the environment in Endzone - A world apart. Water, the basis of all life, is also scarce in some areas. To make dry land fertile and usable, there is the possibility of installing irrigation systems.
In addition to dry soils, forests also benefit from a functioning water supply, as berries, herbs, trees and mushrooms can grow. It is also important to maintain a balance between making the soil fertile and supplying water to the settlers.
As can be seen in the pictures, foresighted planning is advantageous, because the fertilization of soils is a resource-intensive process - and certainly no one wants to see his settlers starve when other food sources are exhausted.
Important: Water for the Irrigator is taken from the Watertower. Always keep an eye on your supply, so your settlers won't die of thirst.
Charcoal Burner & Filtration
The Charcoal Burner seems at first glance to have nothing to do with water supply, but it represents an elementary building later in the game. Lakes can be contaminated by toxic rain and Rain Collectors only collect acidic water through contaminated rainfall.
By coal filtration in the Watertower the contamination can be reduced. Clean water is essential for the supply in the settlement. Contamination in drinking water can lead to diseases, just as irrigation with radioactive water can lead to contaminated fields.
Important: The Charcoal Burner uses wood to produce coal. Always keep an eye on your supply or you might run out of building resources!
Watertower without and with a coal filtration system
Note: This is a brief but already quite detailed overview about the water system in Endzone - A World Apart. The shown processes and dependencies are always under development and might be changed or optimized in future updates.
We hope we could provide you with a good overview of the complex systems behind Endzone - A World Apart. We thank you for all the great feedback, support and discussions about our game!
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