Guide - Getting Started (starting location)

**\*Please note that the sections after the General Tips section will contain gameplay and storyline spoilers.**

## 1. General Tips

* Follow the quest directions in the upper left corner of your screen.
* Info messages will appear in the upper right corner. Press and hold the *TAB* key to get more details.
* This is your time to get a feel for the hunger, thirst, and fatigue bars (referred to as Health Parameters) that you'll need to manage throughout your voyage. These stats will drain faster on higher difficulty settings than they would on Easy or Normal. Because of this, your gameplay loop will adjust accordingly. If these are too difficult (or just plain not fun for you), you'll want to start a new game with a lower difficulty.
* Your inventory is fairly limited, but you won't run into that issue here. Don't be afraid to pick up all the items you find, particularly machine parts.
* Picked fruits and vegetables have a fairly short "shelf life" before they spoil. It's better to not pick up fruits until needed, as they may just turn into rotten food.
* Take your time preparing your ship for departure. Everything you need to survive while you do is readily available to you.
* Research as much as you can once you have the Research Station, and check the Fabricator to make sure you have crafted everything you need before you depart.
* Don't be afraid to scan everything once you've located the Scanner. Many of your new discoveries will yield new blueprints that will aid you on your journey.
* If you found all the machine parts in the starting area, you have enough to do all the initial researches, and craft one of all the items you need.
* When you've located the deck extractor, objects in the world that can be broken down into their base materials are highlighted with a gold aura. You may even find a secret location, shortcut, or path forward by keeping a keen eye!
* You only *need* one engine for takeoff, but it's totally up to you whether you want to build a second one. Keep in mind that they will contribute heavily to your overall weight limit, and that time spent flying can be time spent extracting or taking care of your Health Parameters.
* Before you leave, the only quest you should have left is the one to depart the location. All others can be completed at this first location.
* Before you leave, check the Studies tab of your inventory/database to make sure you scanned everything here before you go (this is a good practice for all locations).

## 2. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) *\*This section will contain spoilers\**

This section has some of the more common questions/places where people get stuck. If you are having trouble, you might find your answer here.

### Q. How do I get past the locked doors?

A. The very first door, you have to use the emergency release (press/hold the *E* key). The locked door up the stairs unlocks when you power the computer after finding a solid state battery.

### Q. This bridge/ramp/stair looks pretty sketchy... can I fall off?

A. Yes, you can absolutely fall off. Watch your step!

### Q. How do I power the laptop?

A. You'll find a solid state battery in a power box behind the Sunmelons. You have to jump over the small raised area to get to it.

### Q. I caught a virus! How do I cure it?

A. Don't panic! You'll catch Photophobia by eating a raw Sunmelon (this is an optional objective that introduces you to the virus system). You'll notice that Photophobia really only hurts you when you stare directly at the sun. The good news: you can cure it by eating anything you catch with the Insect Catcher on the airship.

### Q. Where is the Research Station found?

A. In the workshop, directly behind the airship. You must set up and use the Deck Extractor to remove the blockage to get back there. (Don't worry, you can move the Deck Extractor at any time by holding the *Q* key.)

### Q. I need a third battery to make the scanner. Can I get the first one back somehow?

A. If you played the demo, you may remember that there was a way to jump back down to retrieve the first battery. You no longer need to do that. Instead, you'll find that there are two solid state batteries in the case in the workshop.

### Q. I'm dying of hunger and thirst?

There is an Insect Catcher and Water Condenser on the ship at the start. There is a first Simple Insect Lure and Condenser Membrane in the hut by the top of the stairs. You can make more of both once you open up researches, with the materials floating through the skies (Metal Clusters and Synthetic Clusters) with the Deck Extractor. You can make as many Insect Lures and Condenser Membranes as you need, for as long as you need.

### Q. How do I make my ship bigger?

A. That option isn't available until you leave this location. Right now, you'll need to cram everything you've crafted into the ship. It'll likely feel cramped, but you won't need to worry about that for long.

### Q. How do I get the "Poster: New Nature" ?

A. It's in the hidden room you can open up with the Deck Extractor. Look for the shiny glass wall to the left of the dirty water source.

### Q. I have researched everything, and I can't make a Condenser Membrane!

A. You have to first scan one of the floating Synthetic Clusters. This will open up new researches, one of which is the Water Condenser and Condenser Membrane.

### Q. Should I turn the ship engines off before I'm ready to leave to save on fuel?

A. The engines do not burn fuel unless the ship is actually moving. The ship will not move unless you are controlling it (or have locked its heading and speed.)

## 3. Detailed Walkthrough *\*This section will contain spoilers\**

If the above sections weren't helpful to you, or you want to go through and ensure you didn't miss anything, this step-by-step walkthrough of the starting location is exactly what you're looking for.

### Getting out of the wrecked pod

You've crash landed on the planet Earth, though likely not the planet Earth as you recognize it. Let's get down to business: First, look at the tablet directly in front of you (on the windowsill) and press the '*E*' key to read about the Broken Signal from the Lost Expedition.

Turn left until you can see the door to exit. Either pick up ('E') or use (hold 'E') the First Aid Kit stored just to the right of the door.

The doors are jammed, and you must use the "Emergency Escape" (hold 'E') to exit. Just pressing 'E" to open the doors will only move them a little and they will close again.

As soon as you open the doors, you'll receive your first quest, "Return To Planet Earth". When prompted in the upper right corner, hold TAB to open the quest log and see the details.

Take a moment to enjoy your first view of ruined Earth!

Cross the bridge. **Watch your step -- you can absolutely fall off the bridge and to a grisly, untimely death!**

When you reach the other side, you'll get a notification that your Health Parameters are low. Hold TAB to learn how to read the health meters. You also get your second quest objective, to satisfy your hunger.

Go UNDER the stairs. Pick up the 3 machine parts on the shelves ('E' to pick up). Then back out and go up the stairs.

### Restoring the computer and Photophobia

The doors ahead of you are locked. Turn left: there is a ledge that goes back to another door behind where you came up the stairs. Go through there.

*Optional: If the coming corridors are too dark to see, save yourself the trouble of troubleshooting your brightness settings and press the "F" key to toggle your flashlight. (The flashlight battery does not drain, so don't be concerned with wasting it.)*

Attempt to use the computer ('E'). You'll find that it doesn't work, and you'll likely be on hold with tech support for what will seem like *forever.* This opens another quest objective, to power the computer. You'll notice the computer has several wires connected to a power box directly to its right. Look at it closely to see that it requires a solid state battery.

Open the cabinet just to the left of the computer to find and pick up another machine part.

Past the computer is a set of wire shelves with 2 more machine parts on them. Go around behind it (to the left) to pick up a third one.

Past the computer is a set of wire shelves with 2 more machine parts on them. Go around behind it (to the left) to pick up a third one.

Come back around in front, and to the right of that set of shelves is a smaller wire locker. Open it ('E') and pick up another machine part.

Read the tablet on the table just to the right to learn "It's all gone to hell".

A few more steps to the right (past the cot) is a night stand with "old canned water" on it. Either pick it up ('E') or consume it (hold 'E'). At this point, you probably need to just consume it.

You can open the cabinet underneath it, but it's empty.

Continuing to the right, you will see writing on the wall "Do you remember the forests?". At this point, you need to do a U-turn to the left, to go up the stairs.

At the top of the stairs is a room with sunmelons growing in it, and a body on the floor. Consume one (the sunmelon, NOT the body) (hold 'E') to complete the quest to satisfy your hunger. This will also give you your first virus, Photophobia. Hold TAB to open the virus entry in your database, and get a clue what you need to cure it (Lecithin). Hold TAB again to see the new quest objective to find the cure. Leave the rest of the sunmelons on the plants for now. They spoil rapidly when picked, and you can come back and get them for food later, when you have a way to eat them safely.

At the top of the stairs is a room with sunmelons growing in it, and a body on the floor. Consume one (the sunmelon, NOT the body) (hold 'E') to complete the quest to satisfy your hunger. This will also give you your first virus, Photophobia. Hold TAB to open the virus entry in your database, and get a clue what you need to cure it (Lecithin). Hold TAB again to see the new quest objective to find the cure. Leave the rest of the sunmelons on the plants for now. They spoil rapidly when picked, and you can come back and get them for food later, when you have a way to eat them safely.

*Optional: look directly at the sun to experience the effects of Photophobia. You now will take damage if you look directly at the sun. Fortunately, this is fairly easy to avoid.*

Jump (spacebar) onto and cross the metal grating between the sunmelon plants to get back to the power box (follow the blue wire).

Open the power box ('E') and take the solid state battery (on the right side of the box) ('E').

Turn around and retrace your steps back to the laptop: jump on the metal grating, go back down the stairs, go back through the room and take the first left back to the laptop. Look at the power box beside it, and press 'E' to insert the solid state battery and complete the step to power the laptop. Hold TAB to read "Undelivered Message". You also get a new quest, to find a way to depart this location.

*Editor's Note: If you played the original demo version of Forever Skies, you could remove and reinsert the Solid State Battery which would allow you to re-lock the door. This feature has been removed from the game.*

### The path to the Airship

Continue to retrace steps, back out of the hut. Go to the doors that were locked. The power box that powers the computer is also powering the doors, so you can now open them ('E') to enter a new area.

Don't go up the stairs yet.

To your right are shelves with 3 more machine parts. Pick those up. Open the locker to the left of them and pick up a first aid kit.

Go past the locker and enter the doorway into a room with another body slumped near the door, and more artwork on the walls. Turn right to look into the room.

Pick up the data pad on the bed ('E') to read about "Noah's Madness".

To the left of the bed there is a small night stand with another old canned water. Either consume it (if needed), or pick it up for later.

On the stand to the left of that, is an old food ration. These do not spoil, and are always safe to eat. Consume it (hold 'E') to fill your hunger bar, as the melon that gave you Photophobia wasn't very filling. You can open the cabinet under it ('E'), but there's nothing in it.

Go back out of the room, and go back to the door, turn around, and start up the stairs. At the first landing, pick up the machine part on the landing, and then turn right and pick up the one that was on top of the shelf above the cabinets that you could not see or reach from below.

Continue up the stairs (being careful of the missing part on the right) and when you reach the top, admire your airship for the first time (the doors open when you reach the top).

### The Deck Extractor

Beautiful as it is, don't go to the ship yet. Turn right, and pick up the empty bottle on the table beside the basin of dirty water. Don't fill it from this basin.

Drink some of the dirty water from the basin (hold 'E') to start the water purification quest. Hold TAB to see the new quest entry in your journal.

Drink some of the dirty water from the basin (hold 'E') to start the water purification quest. Hold TAB to see the new quest entry in your journal.

Turn slightly left: there is a structure (directly behind the airship) that is likely conveniently blocking the sun for you. Go over there, and there is a data card laying on the table. Read that to get the "Airship to-do list" which adds the quest to finish building the airship (with the steps you must follow). Hold TAB to see the new quest in your journal.

Near where the datapad was, there is a transformer. Pick that up ('E'). Also pick up the Fabricator on the table where the datapad was. This advances your quest objective.

Go over to the airship, and place the Fabricator on it. It must be INSIDE the ship (it cannot go on the catwalk). A good place for the starting ship is to the left of the steering column (you will want to move it later when you have more room).

Once the Fabricator is placed, it opens multiple blueprints for crafting, and advances your quest. The next step is to craft a Deck Extractor.

Open the Fabricator ('E') and it defaults to the "Tools" tab, which has only one item: the Deck Extractor. The text should be white, which means you have the materials to make it in your inventory already (if the text is red, you are missing something). Mouse over it and confirm you have the 1 Transformer and 5 mechanical parts you need (you should have 13 mechanical parts by now).

Click and hold on the Deck Extractor button to tell the Fabricator to craft it. The button will do a "radar sweep" while you hold it as a confirmation that you really want to craft this item.

It only takes a moment for the Deck Extractor to build. Once done, remove it from the Fabricator ('E') and place the extractor on the catwalk of the ship. Unlike the Fabricator, which must go INSIDE the ship, the Deck Extractor cannot go inside, and must go on the catwalk OUTSIDE the ship. Go back out the door you used to enter the ship (towards the building), and place the extractor on the catwalk there, facing the building.

Take control of the extractor (look at it and press 'E'). Items which are flashing a glowing effect are extractable. This includes (but is not limited to):

* pieces of metal walls/floors/ceilings (for metal)
* glass walls (for glass)
* casks (for synthetics)
* flying balls of debris (mostly synthetics, with some metal)
* metal scaffolding of some buildings (for metal, and some cool special effects)

While you will need to collect a lot of metal and synthetics, the critical item right now is to remove the metal blocking the door of the structure directly behind the ship.

WARNING: do NOT try to remove the metal bits at the TOP of the structure: they are blocking the sun for you, and you can't remove those until you cure your Photophobia. For now, just clear the door, which will advance the quest.

### The Workshop, Research Station and Scanner

Go into the workshop area just opened. Grab the 3 machine parts on the shelves to the left of the entry, then go inside. You will have to crouch (left control) to get in.

As soon as you enter, pick up the 4 machine parts on the floor (turn on your flashlight and look around on the ground if you can't see them all right away):

* two obvious directly in front of you
* one to the left
* one to the right

There's a data pad on the table to the right of the entrance. Read that ('E') to learn about "Blueprint Research", which explains the relationship between the Research Station and Scanner. You must scan things to learn enough about them to have new items to research. You can then research those new items for new techs. This is important to understand, as it's the main game loop.

There's a power box on the table where the data pad was. It has TWO solid state batteries. Remove both ('E').

Finally, at the back of the room is a big object hanging down. That's the Research Station. Pick it up ('E), and return to your airship (don't forget to crouch to leave the workshop area).

Like the Fabricator, the Research Station must go inside the airship (and you cannot place it upside down. Believe me, I tried). Place it along the back wall (without blocking the doors). It's fairly large, so may need some moving around to place. You will want to move this later when you have more space on your ship. This will advance your quest.

In order to work, the Research Station needs a solid state battery. You just picked up two, so put one in the slot on the right side of the machine (where the big red "no power" icon is). You get 10 researches from each battery, which is enough for what you need to do here.

Open the Research Station ('E') and look at your options. You'll note that the names of each item are written in white (you have all the necessary materials), yellow (you have some of the required materials, but not all), or red (you do not have any of the required materials).

The first thing you need to make is the Scanner. If you've been following this guide to the letter, the Scanner Tool option is likely showing as yellow. If you click and hold through the 'radar sweep', whatever materials you have towards this research will be applied. You can then see you need 5 synthetics. Go out to your Deck Extractor, and gather at least 5 synthetics from your environment. You will need a lot more materials, so gather some more metal as well (start with about 20-25 of each for now). The floating balls of material regenerate and are never-ending, so as long as you see those, you ALWAYS have metals and synthetics, the two most basic resources in the game. Note they are appearing to your right (if you put the extractor facing the building), while the sun is to your left, so you can easily do this without triggering harm from the Photophobia virus.

*NOTE: Synthetic clusters are more common/frequent than the metal ones, and you will need a lot of metal as you play. Prioritize metal clusters if you see them.*
After you gather some materials, go back to your Research Station, and finish applying the materials to research the Scanner. Gather a few more materials while it researches.

After you gather some materials, go back to your Research Station, and finish applying the materials to research the Scanner. Gather a few more materials while it researches.

When you get the "Researched Finalized" voice message, go back inside. Go first to the Fabricator, and set the Scanner to build.

Turn around and tell the Research Station to research Machine Parts. You must have one to research these, but you should still have plenty. This will enable you to make more machine parts later if you run out,

Pick up your scanner off the Fabricator (it finishes fast). This opens a new quest. Hold TAB to see the Studies list.

### Getting Food and Water

The Studies list tells you all the currently-available things to scan, which will then open new things to research. Click on "Communication Facility Ruins" to see available items to scan. There's only one: Synthetic Clusters. These are the balls in the air you were harvesting. Go outside, and scan the floating items (there are also metal clusters, which will not open any new techs, but you can still scan those) until you get new techs opened up (Point the scanner - there is a small targetting dot in the middle of the screen - at a floating object, and press and hold the left mouse button until the scan completes). Scannable items will have a glowing effect, but ONLY the items in the Studies list actually open new researches: everything else will give you some general information about the world, and a new database entry.

NOTE: your scanner has limited charges, and you have no way to recharge it here, or make another. It may be possible to deplete all charges if you scan everything, but it would be hard to do. You do need to have some charges available at your next location. Most items here, you will see in other places. The only thing you MUST scan is the Synthetic Cluster. Everything else is optional here. Or you can run back through and scan everything you see. Your choice.

Go back to the Research Station and open it up, and you will see there are now more items to research. If you have the materials to do the "Water Condenser and Membrane", do that first. If not, do any other research available.

Go straight out the ship's door, and go into the building there. Straight in on a small table (next to an IV stand) is another First Aid Kit. Pick that up.

To the right you will see a table with a microscope. On that table, pick up everything:

* The data pad on Photophobia Virus Research. This will tell you the cure to Photophobia is Lecithin, which is found in Dust Moths and other things in the dust layer. It mentions a way to catch them with a lure, and mentions the water condenser as well.
* The Basic Insect Lure
* The Condenser Membrane.

You can open the door under these items, but the cupboard is empty.

Turn to the right and you will see an Old Food Ration laying on a table, which you probably need to eat by now, so just consume it.

Turn around until you are facing the door you came in. To the left it are some shelves with another machine part. Pick that up.

Don't go back out the door yet. Turn right, and you will see a yellow ladder in the back of the room. Head back towards it, using crouch to go under some debris.

Before you go up the ladder (but after crouching under the debris) there are 3 machine parts to your left, and also another Old Canned Water. Pick up the machine parts, and either drink the water (if needed, probably is by now), or pick it up and hold onto it for later.

To climb the ladder, look at it and press 'E' ("Use"). Look slightly up and walk forward to climb it. You will automatically get off it at the top.

Directly in front of you is a small doorway with a water collector beyond it. Step through there, and fill your bottle (that you didn't fill earlier) until this collector is empty. There's another machine part to the left of the water collector, on the ground. Pick that up.

Turn back around and go back towards the ladder you came up. Don't go back down. There's a path to the right that will take you to a bunch more water collectors. Finish filling your bottle from one of them. By filling the bottle up here now, you don't have to climb back up here unless you need more.

Once your water bottle is full, just drop down to level with your airship (this is not a big enough drop to cause damage).

Go to your Fabricator, and construct the Water Purifier. If you don't have enough resources, use the extractor to get what you need (and some extras).

While that's crafting, start the Empty Bottle research, then go to get more materials until your purifier completes.

Pick up the completed Water Purifier, and before you place it first go out the opposite door (the one facing out over the edge of the building) where there are 2 devices. Look at the water condenser (on the right) and press 'E' to add the membrane to it. It will now start collecting water from the air and storing it in its container. Turn left and look at the Insect catcher. Open the lure container (press 'E') and put the insect lure in there. Don't drop the lure just yet.

Go back in, and mount the purifier on the wall just to the left of the door that faces out over the edge of the building (so beside the door where the insect catcher and water condenser are). Immediately put your dirty water in it (look at it and press 'E'). The bottles can hold 5 water, and the purifier can hold 5 water (max). If you put less than 5 water in the purifier, you cannot put in anymore until it finishes what it has, and you remove what it completed, so it's best to always do 5 water at a time. It takes a few minutes to purify. While it does that, set the Fabricator to craft another bottle, and the Research Station to research "Engine and Fuel". Gather more resources to get these started if you must.

Next, go and collect 5 more dirty water from the collectors on top of the building (go in, turn left, crouch under debris, climb ladder, and turn around).

Return to your ship by dropping down again. Go to the Insect Catcher, and lower the lure (hold 'E'). It takes a few moments to catch something, so while it's doing that, go pick up your completed empty bottle, and set the Fabricator to make an Electric Cooker. Harvest more materials with the Extractor if you need to in order to do this.

Whenever the Insect Catcher lures something, raise the lure (hold 'E'), and just consume whatever it caught (it could be one of a few things). This will do several things:

* gives a pop-up informing that cooked food is better
* fills some of your hunger
* take away part of your health (from eating raw food)
* cures your photophobia, and updates the virus entry in your database with whatever you ate that cured it.

By now, your water should have finished purifying. You should still have that bottle of 5 dirty water, and an empty bottle. Look at the purifier, and press 'E' to collect 5 clean water into your bottle, then immediately press 'E' again to put the 5 dirty water back in to start purifying. This will complete the Water Purification quest. Drink water from this bottle to get your hydration level back up to max (shouldn't be more than 3 uses)

The last research you can complete here is the Repair Patch (the last research needs plastic scrap, which you don't have yet). Get that started, then go to your Fabricator, pick up the Electric Cooker, and start crafting a bed. Place the Electric Cooker directly below the Water Purifier. Note you will want to move all these items later, when you have more space. Open the Cooking Station (press 'E'), and put the remains of your water bottle in there (after you drank from it). You need clean water to cook food, and each time you cook, it will consume 1 clean water.

### The rest of the basics for the ship

Pick up the bed from the Fabricator, and place it against the wall opposite the cooker. Using the bed will restore your stamina, and advance the clock. We aren't ready to rest yet, though. Set the Fabricator to make an engine.

Now, you have two options:

1. Run back through the building to where the sunmelons were, and pick all remaining ones (usually only 1 or 2 left), or
2. Use the Insect Catcher again.

Either will get you a food item. Put the food in the Cooker, and click the "BOIL" button. This takes a few minutes. Set the Insect Catcher running again while you wait.

Pick up the Engine from the Fabricator, and go outside either door, and mount the engine on the SIDE of the ship, but on the very back strut of the frame, as high up as you can. This will let you access the engine from the door of the ship, or just slightly on the catwalk, and it doesn't block the doors. You can also walk underneath it.

Whenever your insect catcher is done, raise it, but don't pick up the catch yet.

Start a second Engine crafting on the Fabricator. Again, collect more resources if you need them. You should have exactly 1 machine part left after this step.

Whenever the cooker finishes, eat the finished meal by holding 'E'. Take your catch and put it in the cooker, and set it to boiling.

Pick up your second engine, and mount it on the opposite side of the ship from the first, keeping in mind that you'll need access to it at a moment's notice if the fuel runs out. There's no exact science here, it just needs to be accessible.

Craft another Condenser Membrane, and put it in the Water Condenser. Fill your bottle from the Condenser ('E'). It will be exactly 5 water, and fill your bottle with dirty water again, and it will start to collect more. Note that like the purifier, the condenser has a max of 5, so you can fill an empty bottle from it, and just dump it right in the purifier.

At this point, you now have infinite food and water, as long as you can make lures and membranes (from materials from the extractor). You have infinite materials floating past, so at this point it's simply time management that you're looking to balance.

As needed, make more lures, condenser membranes, purify water, catch insects and cook them to fill up your hunger and thirst. You may want to make a 3rd water bottle, to have clean water in your inventory as well as in the cooker.

The last thing you need to do is make enough synthetic fuel to fill your tanks, and have some available for refueling. One craft makes 50 fuel, and it stacks to 100, so you need to craft 6 batches of synthetic fuel (you will need a LOT of synthetics for this).

Once you have a total of 300 fuel, put a stack in each of your engines (look at the engine, and press 'E' to open the fuel container). The third stack is to top off fuel after you travel somewhere.

### The Hidden Room and Departure

The last thing to do, is make sure you have extracted all resources from this building. You especially want to collect the glass wall, and all walls to the left of it. This latter will open up the final hidden room. Don't forget to get the metal over the workshop that was blocking the sun (that you no longer need).

Finally, go over to the very left-most part of the building (the part closest to the workshop). There is an arch there you can crouch under to go into a room that was blocked until you extracted it. In there, you will find 2 things:

1. an Old Isotonic Drink, and
2. The Poster: New Nature, your first ship decorative item.

Return to the ship, and place the poster on the ceiling (for now... move it later when you have more room).

If necessary, sleep (look at the bed and press 'E' to advance the clock).

NOTE: you drop a good bit of hunger and thirst while sleeping, so have cooked food and some water available when you wake up.

As needed, sleep, eat, drink, and collect more food/water before departing. You may also want more water bottles, and a spare lure and condenser membrane.

### Prepare for Takeoff

When ready to leave, look at the helm and press 'E' to take control of the ship. Press any movement key (*'W*' is a great choice here) to launch the ship.

Your first destination, a flashing red light, should be visible more or less directly in front of you. And with that, you now have a good grasp on the basics of flight, survival, and scavenging in this brave new world. Enjoy your time in *Forever Skies!*