Hi there! Galatea 37 is an entirely unknown planet when Ashley arrives there for her mission. Some rudimentary long-range scans were done before the start of the project, but they did not offer a lot of information on the creatures and plants. You are going to go in essentially blind, but it’s not entirely bad - it leaves you with a lot of things to research and explore. You’re going to need some special facilities to conduct your experiments and catalog your discoveries, and that’s where the Laboratory comes into play. [img]https://i.imgur.com/mLJYc83.jpg[/img] [b][i]The Laboratory building in its full glory.[/i][/b] The Laboratory is one of the most important buildings in The Riftbreaker base. Even though it does not directly contribute to resource or equipment production or defending your base, it provides you with the means to improve your technology and adapt it to the conditions on the planet. If you watched some of our streams or gameplay videos you might have seen little pickups dropping from enemies, shaped like a DNA helix. These are called specimens. Collecting and studying these samples will lead to breakthroughs that will grant you a better understanding of Galatea 37 and the science behind it. [img]https://i.imgur.com/fPvDw43.jpg[/img] [b][i]Sometimes the samples of alien DNA will come on their own right to your doorstep![/i][/b] Obtaining the samples will be a challenge in its own right. You will have plenty of opportunities to harvest them from the most common plants and animals. It’s actually very likely you will have the samples you need without going out of your way to get them. It all changes when the rarest species become the main point of your research. In that case, you will need to prepare a plan on how to obtain the necessary specimens. There will be several ways to get your chances of getting one higher, either by peaceful or hostile ways. [img]https://i.imgur.com/dyNBblw.jpg[/img] [b][i]You need to supply The Laboratory with fresh water. You can either find a pond or you can start filtering some other liquids using the Water Filtering Plant.[/i][/b] All the information that you collect will fill out the cards of your Bestiary. We haven’t decided on an official name for it just yet, but it will be just like an encyclopedia, featuring important pieces of information about each species that you decide to research. It will allow you to quickly learn what kind of loot drops can be expected from each and every one of them. Getting more specimens for each species will allow you to understand each species’ strengths and weaknesses and improve your chances in close encounters. Who knows, you might even learn some secrets! [img]https://media.giphy.com/media/WDpdQs5dz3mQywKHrY/giphy.gif[/img] [b][i]Here, for example, we are using a single pool of sludge to produce Flammable Gas for the Gas Power Plant, as well as water for the Laboratory.[/i][/b] The Laboratory will also allow you to research protective equipment and technologies to shield you from the dangers of Galatea 37, such as acid rain or radiation. In order to reap these benefits, you should better prepare a lot of resources to power your Laboratory, including lots of rare minerals, electricity, and water. Finding a steady source of fresh water won’t be easy, and making sure it is not interrupted will be crucial to the progress of your research… And the progress of your campaign, of course! The laboratory is just one of the more advanced and specialized buildings you will be able to utilize in the main campaign of The Riftbreaker. If you’d like to learn more about our plans for this game mode, visit our Discord at www.discord.gg/exorstudios and chat with us! You can also talk to us live during our streams - they take place every Tuesday and Thursday at 3PM CET at www.twitch.tv/exorstudios. See you there!