Improvement

Improvements are structures and natural features that can be built in your camp by the Drakes living there. Many of them require leveling up and using schematics to unlock, and use up materials you gather, as well as some of your improvement budget.

## **Crafting**

### **Cleansing Cauldron**

* Camp Level: 1
* Budget: 1
* Schematics to Unlock: 0
* Materials: 5 Lumber, 2 Glowstone Shards
* Provides: 4 Food, 4 Drinking Water

This is the first improvement you will make if you're following the tutorial in campaign mode, and should be the first thing you make anyways, as this is your only source of food and water for your Drakes at level one. The Cleansing Cauldron will produce food as long as it has either Baneberries or Blightshrooms stocked in it, and will produce water as long as it has Juice Boxes stocked in it. It is capable of holding up to 16 of each of these items all at one time, although there doesn't seem to be a benefit to stocking both Baneberries and Blightshrooms at the same time.

### **Simple Curio Workshop**

* Camp Level: 1
* Budget: 1
* Schematics to Unlock: 1
* Materials: 5 Lumber, 10 Charms

The Simple Curio Workshop will allow players to craft Aether Wards, Apparition Charms, Healing Salves, and Waypoints by interacting with it. Once each of these Curios has been crafted once, they can be crafted an infinite number of times afterward without interacting with a table, even while not at camp. There is no downside to dismantling this improvement either after each curio you can make at it has been crafted, or after you build an Advanced Curio Workshop.

### **Advanced Curio Workshop**

* Camp Level: 3
* Budget: 3
* Schematics to Unlock: 1
* Materials: 6 Lumber, 4 Scrap Metal, 2 Fabric, 20 Charms
* Requires: 1 Power

The Advanced Curio Workshop gives players access to all of the crafting recipes for curios and for ammunition, when interacted with and when provided power. As with the previous workshop, this can be safely dismantled after all available recipes have been crafted.

## **Defense**

### **Wood Fence**

* Camp Level: 3
* Budget: 0
* Schematics to Unlock: 0
* Materials: 2 Lumber, 5 Charms

This is the first, and most important, defense you get for your camp. The material cost uses the two easiest to obtain materials in the game, and when built up, these can stop the Feral from damaging any of your other, more expensive improvements.

### **Tall Wood Fence**

* Camp Level: 4
* Budget: 0
* Schematics to Unlock: 1
* Materials: 4 Lumber, 10 Charms

Has more health than the short counterpart, but can be difficult to see over during a raid, and also can't be jumped over.

### **Spinning Chopper**

* Camp Level: 6
* Budget: 4
* Schematics to Unlock: 2
* Materials: 6 Scrap Metal, 2 Circuitry, 20 Charms
* Requires: 4 Power

Spins around and chops any Feral that wander into range. The range of this improvement is quite small, and it takes too much power to really be a viable defense.

### **Bunker**

* Camp Level: 6
* Budget: 4
* Schematics to Unlock: 4
* Materials: 16 Scrap Metal, 16 Stone, 100 Charms

Up to two Drakes can occupy a Bunker and use the weapons within to fight off the Feral.

### **Wood Gate**

* Camp Level: 7
* Budget: 0
* Schematics to Unlock: 1
* Materials: 4 Lumber, 4 Scrap Metal, 10 Charms

Automatically opens to let players and Drakes in and out of the camp, but won't open for Feral. You can jump over short walls, and other methods can be used to cross tall walls, so these are more for aesthetics than anything.

### **Tesla Coil**

* Camp Level: 7
* Budget: 4
* Schematics to Unlock: 6
* Materials: 12 Scrap Metal, 6 Stone, 12 Circuitry, 2 Fabric, 100 Charms
* Requires: 4 Power

Deals damage to nearby Feral in a larger radius than the Spinning Chopper, for the same amount of power, and these can be kept behind walls without impeding their ability to deal damage. The cornerstone of any good camp defense system.

### **Metal Fence**

* Camp Level: 8
* Budget: 0
* Schematics to Unlock: 1
* Materials: 16 Scrap Metal, 20 Charms

Costs a lot of metal for not much of an improvement in health over wood fences. This also makes the repair cost quite high.

### **Tall Metal Fence**

* Camp Level: 8
* Budget: 0
* Schematics to Unlock: 2
* Materials: 16 Scrap Metal, 8 Stone, 20 Charms

Still costs a ton of metal, and will block your vision, and still isn't much of an improvement over the wood counterpart.

### **Stone Wall**

* Camp Level: 9
* Budget: 0
* Schematics to Unlock: 2
* Materials: 2 Stone, 10 Charms

Stone walls are better than wood fences, and should be almost as cheap by the time you reach the level to build them.

### **Ballista**

* Camp Level: 9
* Budget: 3
* Schematics to Unlock: 5
* Materials: 12 Lumber, 4 Scrap Metal, 50 Charms

A Drake can get on this and fire it at the Feral. It is very effective in helping fend off raids.

### **Tall Stone Wall**

* Camp Level: 10
* Budget: 0
* Schematics to Unlock: 2
* Materials: 4 Stone, 20 Charms

A taller, healthier version of the stone wall. Comes with the same tradeoff that all tall walls do: more expensive and less visibility for more health.

### **Electric Fence**

* Camp Level: 11
* Budget: 1
* Schematics to Unlock: 3
* Materials: 16 Circuitry, 16 Scrap Metal, 30 Charms
* Requires: 2 Power

This wall is even more expensive than the metal fence, requires power, uses your budget, and the only advantage you get out of it is some extra damage. Tesla Coils give much better coverage and damage for your power and budget, so just use those behind regular walls.

### **Tall Electric Fence**

* Camp Level: 11
* Budget: 2
* Schematics to Unlock: 5
* Materials: 16 Scrap Metal, 16 Circuitry, 16 Stone, 30 Charms
* Requires: 3 Power

The tall version makes all the issues the short version has worse, and offers no real upside.

### **Metal Gate**

* Camp Level: 11
* Budget: 0
* Schematics to Unlock: 3
* Materials: 32 Scrap Metal, 16 Lumber, 16 Circuitry, 40 Charms

Same thing as the wood gate, just with more health.

## **Furniture**

### **Thatched Bed**

* Camp Level: 1
* Budget: 0
* Schematics to Unlock: 0
* Materials: 2 Twigs, 2 Leaf Bundles, 5 Charms

The Thatched Bed gives a single Drake a restful sleep for a single night before being used up. Players will need to use these until they level up and can build permanent beds for their Drakes.

### **Bed**

* Camp Level: 2
* Budget: 2
* Schematics to Unlock: 1
* Materials: 4 Lumber, 4 Fabric, 20 Charms
* Provides: 1 Bed

This is a permanent bed, which will be claimed by a Drake after it is built, and that Drake will sleep here every night. The name of the Drake that claims each bed is printed on the mailbox that can be found at the foot of the bed.

### **Bunk Bed**

* Camp Level: 3
* Budget: 4
* Schematics to Unlock: 1
* Materials: 8 Lumber, 4 Scrap Metal, 4 Fabric, 50 Charms
* Provides: 3 Beds

Bunk beds are the most efficient way to keep your Drakes sleeping well, as you get 3 beds for the budget price of 2 regular beds. Their names don't get printed on the mailbox though.

### **Massage Bed**

* Camp Level: 9
* Budget: 2
* Schematics to Unlock: 4
* Materials: 4 Lumber, 2 Stone, 12 Scrap Metal, 6 Circuitry, 8 Fabric, 100 Charms
* Requires: 4 Power
* Provides: 1 Bed

The description of this improvement erroneously states that it provides entertainment, but it does not. The developer has stated that this is because it was intended to be cut from the game before launch, as it was not working correctly, but it was left in so other things weren't disrupted while larger issues were fixed.

## **Power**

Power sources must be connected to other improvements in order to provide them with power. You can do this by going into Inspect Mode and interacting with either your Power Improvement, or with the Improvement that requires power to operate. Then you run the cable to the Improvement you didn't interact with first and interact with it to connect it.

### **Treadmill**

* Camp Level: 3
* Budget: 3
* Schematics to Unlock: 1
* Materials: 4 Lumber, 4 Scrap Metal, 20 Charms
* Provides: 5 Power

The Treadmill is your first power source, and while it isn't great, you won't get a better one for a few more levels. It requires either a player or a Drake to walk on it to produce power.

### **Power Relay**

* Camp Level: 4
* Budget: 0
* Schematics to Unlock: 1
* Materials: 2 Scrap Metal, 1 Stone, 10 Charms

The Power Relay can be used to make your power lines look more tidy by connecting through it, but it is by no means necessary.

### **Small Battery**

* Camp Level: 6
* Budget: 1
* Schematics to Unlock: 1
* Materials: 12 Circuitry, 4 Scrap Metal, 50 Charms
* Provides: 3 Power

This is an incredibly expensive improvement for what it provides, especially since you get a much better alternative in just one level. Save your circuitry and don't build this.

### **Windmill**

* Camp Level: 7
* Budget: 4
* Schematics to Unlock: 2
* Materials: 4 Scrap Metal, 8 Stone, 2 Circuitry, 2 Fabric, 50 Charms
* Provides: 10 Power

Provides plenty of power with no need for input, and is quite cheap to make.

### **Solar Panel**

* Camp Level: 8
* Budget: 4
* Schematics to Unlock: 4
* Materials: 6 Scrap Metal, 8 Stone, 12 Circuitry, 6 Fabric, 100 Charms
* Provides: 15 Power

Solar Panels are the best power source, as they give the most, take no resources, and work even at night. Replace all your other power sources with them as soon as you can.

### **Large Battery**

* Camp Level: 10
* Budget: 2
* Schematics to Unlock: 4
* Materials: 24 Circuitry, 8 Scrap Metal, 100 Charms
* Provides: 5 Power

As with the small version, this is just too expensive and provides too little of a benefit, especially when you have access to Solar Panels before you get this.

### **Geothermal Generator**

* Camp Level: 12
* Budget: 6
* Schematics to Unlock: 6
* Materials: 16 Scrap Metal, 48 Circuitry, 200 Charms
* Requires: 2 Utility Water
* Provides: 15 Power

Gives the same power as a Solar Panel, but takes water to run and costs more in materials, budget, and schematics.

## **Entertainment**

### **Poppet**

* Camp Level: 1
* Budget: 0
* Schematics to Unlock: 0
* Materials: 1 Upholstery Scrap, 2 Cattails, 5 Charms

The Poppet is the starting source of Entertainment, providing your camp a one-time boost of 2 Entertainment before being used up. As with beds, permanent sources should be used once they become available.

### **Yoga Ball**

* Camp Level: 2
* Budget: 2
* Schematics to Unlock: 1
* Materials: 2 Stone, 5 Fabric, 20 Charms
* Provides: 4 Entertainment

The Yoga Ball is the first permanent source of Entertainment, and is fairly cheap to build in large numbers early on in the game. This will likely be your main source of entertainment for several levels, as some of the next unlocks are costly for not much of an improvement.

### **Pinball Machine**

* Camp Level: 3
* Budget: 4
* Schematics to Unlock: 1
* Materials: 4 Lumber, 4 Scrap Metal, 8 Circuitry, 50 Charms
* Requires: 3 Power
* Provides: 8 Entertainment

The Pinball Machine offers no budget efficiency above Yoga Balls, and costs Circuitry as well as Power, making it far more expensive for absolutely no benefit.

### **Disco Floor**

* Camp Level: 7
* Budget: 6
* Schematics to Unlock: 3
* Materials: 4 Lumber, 2 Stone, 2 Circuitry, 20 Charms
* Requires: 1 Power
* Provides: 20 Entertainment

Disco Floors are far more efficient than your lower level options, and don't require much to make and maintain.

### **Hot Tub**

* Camp Level: 7
* Budget: 6
* Schematics to Unlock: 4
* Materials: 4 Lumber, 4 Scrap Metal, 4 Circuitry, 4 Fabric, 50 Charms
* Requires: 2 Power, 2 Utility Water
* Provides: 30 Entertainment

While the Hot Tub takes far more in terms of materials and resources than the Disco Floor, it provides the most efficient entertainment in terms of budget, so if you can afford to make them, it is worth it.

### **Swing Set**

* Camp Level: 8
* Budget: 4
* Schematics to Unlock: 3
* Materials: 4 Lumber, 4 Fabric, 20 Charms
* Provides: 16 Entertainment

A decent source of entertainment that doesn't require the use of any resources. If your camp has a shortage of power, these are a good option to keep your Drakes entertained.

### **Puppet Show**

* Camp Level: 10
* Budget: 4
* Schematics to Unlock: 5
* Materials: 8 Lumber, 2 Stone, 2 Circuitry, 4 Fabric, 50 Charms
* Provides: 12 Entertainment

A TV that magically doesn't take any power to operate. Also happens to be horribly inefficient for your budget considering the lower level options you should have available.

## **Drinking Water**

### **Cleansing Well**

* Camp Level: 2
* Budget: 2
* Schematics to Unlock: 1
* Materials: 2 Lumber, 5 Stone, 20 Charms
* Provides: 4 Drinking Water

The first permanent source of Drinking Water, and the only one with no requirements for inputs. It is recommended to make lots of these early to prepare for Summer, when all of your Drakes will be more thirsty.

### **Cleansing Water Cooler**

* Camp Level: 5
* Budget: 4
* Schematics to Unlock: 3
* Materials: 4 Scrap Metal, 2 Lumber, 2 Circuitry, 20 Charms
* Requires: 2 Utility Water
* Provides: 12 Drinking Water

Once you get this, you should replace all of your wells, as this is far more efficient, and can make use of the extra utility water you'll have on hand for this level.

### **Cleansing Water Tank**

* Camp Level: 9
* Budget: 6
* Schematics to Unlock: 4
* Materials: 8 Scrap Metal, 2 Circuitry, 6 Stone, 50 Charms
* Requires: 3 Utility Water
* Provides: 24 Drinking Water

Gives even more water for your budget, and doesn't use as much utility water either.

## **Utility Water**

Utility Water sources must be connected to the improvements that require utility water in the same way that you connect power improvements.

### **Blighted Water Pump**

* Camp Level: 4
* Budget: 4
* Schematics to Unlock: 1
* Materials: 4 Scrap Metal, 4 Stone, 20 Charms
* Provides: 5 Utility Water

The first source of utility water in the game, and even though it isn't a great one, the improvements you can use along with this one are too good to pass up. This requires a Drake to use it to pump water up to be used.

### **Water Relay**

* Camp Level: 4
* Budget: 0
* Schematics to Unlock: 1
* Materials: 2 Scrap Metal, 1 Stone, 10 Charms

The Water Relay can be used to make the water lines in your camp look more tidy, but they are by no means necessary.

### **Electric Water Pump**

* Camp Level: 5
* Budget: 4
* Schematics to Unlock: 3
* Materials: 6 Scrap Metal, 4 Stone, 4 Circuitry, 2 Fabric, 50 Charms
* Requires: 2 Power
* Provides: 10 Utility Water

An excellent source of utility water, and one that doesn't require a Drake to manually pull water up before use.

### **Cleansed Water Alchemizer**

* Camp Level: 8
* Budget: 6
* Schematics to Unlock: 4
* Materials: 2 Lumber, 10 Scrap Metal, 10 Stone, 10 Circuitry, 100 Charms
* Requires: 2 Power
* Provides: 15 Utility Water

The Alchemizer gives the same budget efficiency as the Electric Water Pump, so which one you use comes down to preference.

## **Food**

### **Planter**

* Camp Level: 2
* Budget: 2
* Schematics to Unlock: 1
* Materials: 4 Lumber, 4 Stone, 20 Charms
* Provides: 6 Food

While this is a dedicated food source, it doesn't come without limits, as you will have to plant seeds in it. As long as either a Cabbage Seed or Carrot Seed is planted, the Planter will continue to produce food. The Planter can hold a maximum of 8 of any combination of the two seeds it can take.

### **Tub Planter**

* Camp Level: 4
* Budget: 3
* Schematics to Unlock: 2
* Materials: 4 Scrap Metal, 8 Stone, 4 Fabric, 50 Charms
* Requires: 1 Utility Water
* Provides: 12 Food

The Tub Planter uses the same seeds, and can store the same amount, as the regular Planter, but gives double the food, making this slightly more budget efficient.

### **Lobster Pen**

* Camp Level: 5
* Budget: 6
* Schematics to Unlock: 1
* Materials: 8 Lumber, 2 Scrap Metal, 4 Stone, 2 Fabric, 50 Charms
* Requires: 2 Power, 2 Utility Water
* Provides: 16 Food

This is the first source of food you get that doesn't require regular inputs of seeds or other resources.

### **Greenhouse**

* Camp Level: 6
* Budget: 6
* Schematics to Unlock: 1
* Materials: 8 Lumber, 4 Scrap Metal, 4 Fabric, 50 Charms
* Requires: 1 Utility Water
* Provides: 20 Food

This is another food improvement that requires seeds. While more efficient than the Tub Planter, it is often preferable to just use Lobster Pens, since they don't require any additional player input once built and connected.

### **Hydroponic Greenhouse**

* Camp Level: 10
* Budget: 8
* Schematics to Unlock: 4
* Materials: 32 Lumber, 4 Stone, 8 Circuitry, 16 Fabric, 200 Charms
* Requires: 2 Power, 1 Utility Water
* Provides: 30 Food

The Hydroponic Greenhouse requires seeds and resources, but is the most efficient way to use your budget to provide food, if you're really hurting for improvement budget.

### **Pumpkin Patch**

* Camp Level: 11
* Budget: 10
* Schematics to Unlock:
* Materials: 24 Lumber, 24 Stone, 16 Fabric, 100 Charms
* Provides: 30 Food

Gives the same amount of food as a Hydroponic Greenhouse, but requires no resources and no inputs. Its recommended to build these unless you are hurting for budget and can't find a better way to free some up.

## **Trees**

Trees are so plentiful in the world, you can have over 1,000 Lumber before Summer easily. Considering that all of these trees do the same thing, and their seeds all sell for 30 Shiny Objects, it is strongly recommended not to make them.

### **Fir Tree**

* Camp Level: 2
* Budget: 0
* Schematics to Unlock: 1
* Materials: 1 Fir Cone

### **Pine Tree**

* Camp Level: 4
* Budget: 0
* Schematics to Unlock: 1
* Materials: 1 Pine Cone

### **Birch Tree**

* Camp Level: 6
* Budget: 0
* Schematics to Unlock: 1
* Materials: Birch Seed

### **Maple Tree**

* Camp Level: 8
* Budget: 0
* Schematics to Unlock: 1
* Materials: 1 Maple Seed

### **Oak Tree**

* Camp Level: 10
* Budget: 0
* Schematics to Unlock: 1
* Materials: 1 Acorn

## **Heat**

### **Wood Stove**

* Camp Level: 9
* Budget: 0
* Schematics to Unlock: 0
* Materials: 4 Lumber, 4 Fabric, 20 Charms

Since this is the only Heat Improvement that doesn't use your camp budget, it should be the only one you ever build.

### **Space Heater**

* Camp Level: 10
* Budget: 2
* Schematics to Unlock: 1
* Materials: 8 Lumber, 4 Circuitry, 4 Fabric, 50 Charms

Gives Heat in a larger radius, but is much more expensive and takes your budget and schematics.

### **Radiator**

* Camp Level: 12
* Budget: 4
* Schematics to Unlock: 3
* Materials: 16 Lumber, 4 Scrap Metal, 8 Circuitry, 4 Fabric, 100 Charms
* Requires: 2 Power

Gives heat in an even larger radius, but now takes resources, even more materials, more budget, and more schematics.

### **Geothermal Heater**

* Camp Level: 12
* Budget: 6
* Schematics to Unlock: 4
* Materials: 32 Scrap Metal, 24 Circuitry, 8 Fabric, 200 Charms
* Requires: 3 Power, 1 Utility Water

Larger heat radius, takes more of everything, Wood Stove is still a zero budget option. If you're intent on building a compact camp, one of these could probably heat the entire camp with ease.

## **Tips**

### **Conserving Materials**

* Player can dismantle structures and get most, if not all, of the materials back. Charms are never refunded, but they are the easiest material to obtain anyways.
* Batteries use a huge amount of circuitry for little benefit, so it is recommended never to build them.
* Tall walls and metal fences are not recommended, as short walls make for easier assessment of threats during a raid, and metal fences aren't enough of an improvement over wooden fences to be worth the scrap metal.

### **Conserving Schematics**

* The trees don't seem to serve any purpose, so you can save 5 schematics by not unlocking them.
* The Pinball Machine uses far too much power for the entertainment it provides, and there shouldn't be any trouble keeping entertainment up until you get the Disco or Swingset.
* Batteries don't provide a lot of power for the amount of circuitry they use, so its recommended to skip unlocking them.
* Resource Relays don't seem to be necessary, so skip unlocking them.
* Heaters beyond the Wood Stove are unnecessary and actually use your improvement budget, so I recommend skipping them and leaving space for more Wood Stoves in your camp.
* Most of the defensive improvements aren't worth unlocking: Spinning Chopper uses up too much power too early, tall walls aren't as ideal for defending against raids, metal fences aren't enough of an improvement over wooden fences to warrant using the much more valuable resource, and electric fences don't deal enough damage to be worth using since they take some of your budget.

### **Conserving Budget**

* Once you've crafted all the curios from each workshop, you can dismantle them with no penalty to regain the budget they would use
* Once you have Lobster Pens, you should have enough food and water sources to safely dismantle your Cleansing Cauldron.
* Higher level improvements will usually offer a better ratio of resources to budget, so upgrading when new things become available can make some extra space in your budget.
* Minimizing the number of Drakes you have will in turn minimize the amount of improvements you need to provide food, water, entertainment, and beds. This will allow your camp to have more defensive improvements.

### **Making a camp that’s easy to defend**

* Using short walls can make it easier to see what enemies are where during a raid, which can help players prioritize where they need to pitch in for defense. This will also negate the need to make gates, since you can easily jump over the walls.
* Making your camp as small as possible can help with the time it takes to move to a new spot to defend. Put improvements as close to each other as you are allowed, and only expand the area inside your walls when you absolutely need to.
* By making a circle of waypoints around your camp, not connected to your supply chain, you can quickly move around the perimeter of your camp during a raid to defend.
* The tree stump in the center of camp, the Depot, the area used by each biome's caretaker in campaign mode, and retired Drake statues are all invincible and can't be attacked or passed through by Feral, so they can be incorporated into your defenses, if needed.

## **References**

1. ↑ https://discordapp.com/channels/699663494618022149/699663494618022153/768951169036058686