Fans ofMy Time At Portiacan rejoice with theearly access releaseofMy Time At Sandrock.Set near an oasis in the desert, players can settle in at Sandrock to become the next amazing builder who can save the town from economic catastrophe.
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Similar toPortia,My Time At Sandrockisa life simulatorthat has players dealing with crafting, base building, combat, farming, and exploring. A bit of everything if you will. After creating a character players will be dropped into the world and can begin putting together their base of operations. However, dealing with all these various aspects of the game can feel overwhelming but with a little guidance and some tips, players will be able to grasp the basics.
5Stamina
The game emphasizes several things in the game including XP, water, and Gols (Sandrock currency). These can be acquired via resource gathering or exploring (basically anything that requires exertion). However, to do all these things, players requirestamina.Since there isn’t any coffee or quick access to energy bars, in the beginning, players will have to manage this resource by going to be at a reasonable time. Sleeping past midnight and your character will complain whilst going past 3 am will cause your character to completely pass out and have reduced stamina the next day.
Players should have their characters retire at a decent time to ensure their stamina levels remain solid. Some other activities don’t require stamina such as talking to NPCs, shopping, or crafting. The key is always to balance andsee what needs doing.
4Baby Steps
When players first arrive, there won’t be that much they can do since machines require water to do anything and money is limited. Players should first make therecyclersince it’s what the game first tasks players with. Once that is completed, players won’t have much stamina left.
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However, there are still things players can do to maximize their first day. The town (as it’s in decline) hastrashthat players can pick up and acquire scraps, which will grant additional resources. Players canexplore the nearby townfortreasure chestswhich are dotted around the town and on buildings themselves. Players can also punch or run into nearbytumbleweedsas doing so will give scraps that can be fed into the recycler.
Players should also head over to the commission board and pick up a side quest (they can do so 1 at a time). The player can also try and top up their water by making it (which requires 10 dew) or buying it from town, which can be a little expensive. Players are also advised to getacquire abronze pickhammerand afeather dusterto clean up their machines and areas as sand buildup can debuff them.
3Salvage Area
The salvage area is one of the most important areas of the game. Located on the hill behind the player’s workshop, gamers can hack away at thejunk pilesand receive all sorts of various resources which can be fed into their recycler. More importantly, is that these piles can give players data disks which will allow players to head on over to the research center (east side of town) to then develop their base of operations.Players are advised to startwith the processor or grinder as it will tremendously speed things up for them later on in the game.
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Players should also be on the lookout forshiny scorpionswho will occasionally pop out when bashing at junk piles. Players will need to give chase and pick them up before they can escape. Why are they useful? These scorpions can sell for quite a bit of Gols, and add some much-needed cash into the bank.
2Talk to NPCs
As this action requires no stamina, players can interact with various characters within the town of Sandrock by chatting with them once a day. Players can receive gifts from NPCs depending on their standing with them. Alternatively, players cangive gifts to particular NPCsto increase their standing and rapport.
The player may also choose to play a cute minigame (critters) with them which is similar to rock, paper, scissors, or even engage in a duel to the death (it’s a sparring match). Sparring with NPCs will initiate an arena mode where players and the NPCs will fight in a duel. A quick note is that underneath each health bar are a series of circles. These circles represent thebreak meterand the more attacks inflicted on an enemy, the fewer circles there are. When these circles deplete, the target will receive critical damage.
Players are advised to wear away their opponent’s break meter and then do as much damage as possible to inflict maximum pain as the break meter does recover. Should players emerge victorious, they will be granted some money, increased reputation, and XP for combat.
1Skill Trees
The skill tree is divided into 4 distinct pathways:Gathering, Workshop, Combat, and Social.Starting players are recommended to put points into the workshop as it not only improves workshop capacity but affects and adds bonuses to production, planting, home, and ranching. Moreover, players should specifically invest points intowater conservationandfuel-saving knowledge.Water conservation has machines that require less water and can help produce more water with less dew whilst fuel-saving knowledge just has machines that require less fuel.
Combat is another area players will need to focus on. As there are several types of weaponry to choose from, players shouldselect 1 melee weapontype and stick with it. This is important because a maxed-out weapon will also maximize the combo sequence of that weapon, which helps players destroy enemy break meters. If players aren’t happy with their skill tree choices, they can always go toFanglocated in themedical clinic,and select theacupunctureoption to respec skills.
My Time at Sandrockis available in Early Access for PC.
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