How to Spaced Out

There is a transition to be done from the current game to the expansion. A lot of the stuff is familiar. But the gameplay is not the same. This guide only covers the research part of the transition, as it is the most important one.

I will use the first, Terra scenario.

The begining of the game is the same. I won't cover the basics here because it's been done and it's been done well. Quick reference though:
-Establish basic infrastructure. Beds, bathrooms, entertainment rooms.
-Sustain the base: Food, water, oxygen.
-Research and facilities.

One of the critical differences is the training. There is a 3rd and a 4th bar. One is for radiation research and the other one for databank research. It is important to understand the mechanics to progress in the game.

The radiation research can be done with Uranium.

There is a small dot of Uranium on the very first map of the first scenario. You will need to dig it up to use it.

The uranium has to be converted to radbolts to be used in the game. Two (probably more) buildings can do that:

The one on the left requires manual labor and will make a radbolt to be used in a research station. The one on the right uses a radiaton lamp to power the "radbolt generator" in the middle. This building will soak the radition and send a radbolt at a desiganted treshold.

Those can be found in the "Radiaton" section for the buildings.

This is the building you'll use to do "yellow research". Which is the 3rd bar.

This "Orbital Data Collection Lab" can be constructed inside a rocket. It uses plastic to make databanks. As far as i can tell, it's the most efficient way to unlock Tier 4 research. You won't find plastic on the first map of the first scenario. You will find a suitable asteroid using a teleporter, somewhere on the initial asteroid. You can either make the plastic on the asteroid where you'll find it, or you can move it somewhere else using the teleporters.

Plop, teleporters.

This "Virtual Planetarium" is the building where you'll do T4 research.

Unlocking T3 and T4 research will let you explore all the buildings and progress through the expansion. As in the first game, the objectives can be tracked on the original printing pod.

To get comfortable, it is possible to unlock the sandbox mode, under the "options / game option / sandbox" to get familiar with the buildings and their purposes.

Hope it helps, thanks.

On the terra scenario for Spaced Out, one of the main thing you'll have to do, is setup for steel mass production.

There is no oil on the first asteroid. You'll need some for the refinery cooling loop. Soon enough you'll find a teleport. 3 in fact.
-Dupe transpoortation
-Material input
-Material output

You will want to send a dupe to the swamp world.

Something noteworthy is the slugs. If you can setup a room for those with a live wire, one square down from the ceiling, the slug will atatch to it and recharge batteries on the circuit at 400 per slug. Easy.

Some of the main challenges will be setting up an oil well. to do that you'll have to fix a stable water input. There's a few fresh water spots and you could cool ice. Another solution is to refine mud into dirt and water. Polluted mud too i suppose, with a seive.

The temperatures are hot and honestly, making local suits might be a challenge. I would suggest to use the material transporters to gift yourself some atmos suits. There is some salt and rust. It should be plenty to setup oxygen for the suit docks.