upgrade blocks won't open

[Anam]

the upgrade blocks in the first level -- the ones with the + sign in the middle, that are supposed to initiate the conversations with the developers -- won't open for me. In the videos I've watched of the game, after Tetrobot moves around a while the camera is supposed to just swing over to the upgrade block and show that it is lit up and the hatch open, but mine is nether lit up nor is it open.

This is a fresh install; that is, I just installed it today. I thought I had it on this machine before, but Steam made me re-download it. There was some old game data (I'd played 44 minutes before) but I started a new game this time.

[SomeGuy712x]

That upgrade station opens when you've collected 4 stone blocks, I believe, and you have to collect at least 4 stone blocks on your way to it anyway (so it should always be open by the time you first reach it). Did you collect 4 stone blocks (by headbutting them from below)? And if you did, and the upgrade station still isn't open, are you sure you haven't already gotten the upgrade? (Try pressing the drill button and see if Tetrobot's drill comes out. If it does, then you've already gotten the first upgrade.)

[Anam]

the drill does come out, yes. I never got any notification about it; I checked the keys, tested and there it was. How do I get the second upgrade, then?

[SomeGuy712x]

Oh, then I guess whatever save file you were playing had already gotten the upgrade(s). The second upgrade in the first level I think is unlocked by collecting 3 wood and 3 sand. However, maybe you already have that upgrade too. When you play the first level, look at the bottom of the screen when you first enter it. If you see icons for blocks with red numbers over them before you've even collected any blocks, that means that there's an upgrade that hasn't been gotten in that level. But, if you don't, then the upgrades have already been acquired. (Also, if you can choose any level past the first, then you most definitely already have those upgrades, since they're required to complete the first level.)

One thing that you may want to do is start a brand new save file. To do this, go to the main menu on the title screen, and look in the upper-left corner where it says "Change Save". Press the button shown there to change to one of four different save files, and then select a file that hasn't done anything yet (you can also delete a file from the file select screen if you need to).

Does this solve your issues?

[Anam]

yes -- I didn't know you could start a new save file. I did that, and it solved the issues. Turned out that with the game I mentioned here, I'd already been playing it a little while and had already upgraded Tetrobot and gone trough that. I just didn't remember doing it.

Anyway, thanks for your help with my own confusion :)