Heya, beaver engineers! [url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1062090/view/2987564517226719794]Yesterday’s countdown post[/url] was 90% playing with water and 10% blowing stuff up. Let’s get even more technical today and talk about timbertech. It’s a term we coined to describe technology that connects wood and metal as much as the beaver and human ideas. Considering the vertical structures it allows you to build, it’s a perfect example of [i]hi-tech[/i]. [h1]Vertical architecture[/h1] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//36026812/a8849a07ee11c42b695f7f251b48cc0361f83619.jpg[/img] When there’s no limit to your creativity and the length of play – and there are none in the early access’ endless mode – you will realize you need to consider efficient space management. It may be a tall order, and that’s where the vertical architecture of Timberborn comes into play. As long as a building has a [b]Solid[/b] keyword, you may place other buildings on its roof. Some buildings such as Campfire still need to be placed on the ground, but many don’t – and that allows you to construct multi-level structures. You can also use [b]stairs[/b] and [b]platforms[/b] of different heights to organize your multi-level settlements while beavers walk on them or underneath. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//36026812/750d44d9346bd1f5e1cda37cbc43c9623c5a1892.jpg[/img] There are smaller, ordinary [b]wooden platforms[/b] of three heights you already know. But we've also added [b]metal platforms[/b], perfect for building a city on top of another city. They’re expensive to build, sure, but consider the fact you can build BELOW them, and they’re much more attractive. Also, remember that another unique building Iron Teeth were supposed to have? Well, guess what – only they can construct [b]the higher and larger variant of the metal platform[/b]. We’re also introducing our first [b]“Above-ground”[/b] buildings. If a structure has this tag, it means you can’t place it on the ground. For starters, we’ve got [b]Rooftop Terrace[/b], which is an above-ground variant of the Campfire, intended to showcase the verticality. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//36026812/02e10d462e5c3b1a8d027ac9be44b5dac0149add.jpg[/img] The sky (and the number of ruins on the map) are the limit here. [h1]Bridges[/h1] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//36026812/86e25f8375c57ecc47f44077c60cc5d60b442ea5.jpg[/img] We know you enjoy playing with verticality, so that’s why we’re also adding [b]suspension bridges[/b] to Early Access, with the most advanced ones using metal. You can build these bridges to span gaps and crevasses without reaching the bottom with platforms… but most importantly, to establish walking routes OVER other buildings. Correct, you can build over and below these bridges as long as there’s enough free space. To build a bridge, you only need access to one “attaching point” – and if that’s not enough to cross the gap, build another one on the other side. [h1]Wood industry[/h1] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//36026812/e58575e861d722ff2947313828055de368739d88.jpg[/img] Every beaver is a lumberjack at heart, allowing them to cut trees without tools, but processing timber is a different story. [b]Logs[/b] need to be properly stored, then you can turn them into [b]planks[/b], which in turn become [b]gears[/b]. You may also produce [b]paper[/b] used to print books and craft dynamite. The production chains require you to set up sawmills and specialized workshops. As wood is used in all Timberborn buildings in one form or another, you need a lot of it. That’s where foresters come in. Currently, they can grow [b]three types of trees[/b]. [h1]Food production[/h1] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//36026812/1c5a55db50104a2f9c21d6dc813cf489808d52dc.jpg[/img] The [b]berries[/b] gathered at the beginning of the game satisfy beaver hunger only for so long – soon, your beavers will need something more nutritious. (Unless we're talking Iron Teeth, who use them to grow kits in breeding pods). Once you employ farmers, you will be able to plant [b]carrots[/b]. Another step would be growing [b]potatoes[/b] but that adds a need for a grill. In the early access version of Timberborn, we also have [b]bread[/b] – there are even more steps between planting wheat and the end-product created by bakeries. Remember that Folktails are our expert farmers, and they can speed up crop growth with their unique beehives. [h1]Energy production[/h1] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//36026812/0ef4c8e38938e424233154c00184443be6596a96.jpg[/img] Numerous buildings require [b]power[/b] to operate and your colony can generate energy in different ways, some of them faction-exclusive. While Iron Teeth do not mind using an engine, Folktails would rather use the whimsical force of the wind. Both factions can use water wheels, powered by river currents, and the (slightly reworked and smaller) power wheels, where it’s up to an employed beaver to generate power. Connecting the power source to buildings can be done in two ways. You can either create clusters of buildings that transform energy when attached wall to wall or use modular power shafts. You may shape the latter to your needs, using intersections, placing them on platforms, or even connecting levels of different heights. [h1]Ruins and metal[/h1] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//36026812/aed52c3c95ff1871d3a5a04fc0c49e23e75f6d1d.jpg[/img] Human ruins scattered on Timberborn maps serve as a grim reminder of a long-gone civilization and a finite source of metal. [b]Scrap metal[/b] is gathered by beavers employed at scavenger flags – which replaced scavenger huts. To use it in buildings, you need to turn the scrap into [b]metal blocks[/b]. That’s where the shredder comes in – it’s a new, power-hungry building. Metal blocks it produces can then be used in advanced structures such as the longest bridges or the carousel. The metal usage is still in the early stage of development, but you should plan around the fact that once all ruins on the map are depleted, you will no longer have access to it and the related structures. So, what will YOU do with the timber-tech and vertical architecture when Timberborn launches in Early Access in just [u]four[/u] days? Let's hear in the comments or on [url=http://discord.gg/timberborn]our Discord[/url]!