Astral Rifts Mechanics?

[DrPhiloponus]

Hi,

I'm playing my first run with Astral Rifts, but I don't understand the mechanics. I'm at 500 maximum storage capacity with "+11" wasted each month. The next action would cost me 550 so I can't do it. What should I do / How do I complete a rift?

Thanks!

[Pizza_0786]

Rifts work similar to archeology sites, however the core difference is that they have multiple possible paths. (Astral scars don't count, but they can become astral rifts)

Step 0: Research the "Rift Sphere" technology. That tech is tier 2 and costs 10000 physics research. I believe there is a situation that creates it as a guaranteed research option.
Step 1: Find a rift of sufficient size.
Step 2: get a scientist ship to the rift.
Step 3: enter the rift by telling the science ship to "explore rift". From there it will act like an archeology site, however there will be multiple options for each step of the rift which might differ in difficulty.

A warning: The result doesn't only depend on your choices, but also on the researchers skill level. While archeology sites have 2 options for each exploration step (Success or clue that will raise the chances for success), rifts have 3 (Success, clue or failure). Even if there are failures, the rift will be considered completed once you went through all steps, however completion of a rift with failures can lead to a net negative (though there are some very good positives if you succeed, including but not limited to a rift that either gives you very good invasion and defense armies or spawns an attack force made of that same army against you, permanent buffs or debuffs to your scientist where the buff you could get is opposite to the debuff ect.)

[Pizza_0786]

Also, if you overflow like this, you should consider selling excess thread on the galactic market. I suspect you've used the starting action enough times to increase the prize to this point?

[DrPhiloponus]

Publicado originalmente por Pizza_0786:

Step 1: Find a rift of sufficient size.
Step 2: get a scientist ship to the rift.

That explains it, I never did Step 2 until now. Should be marked with "[ ! ]" as the other possible research projects in my opinion. What does "sufficient size" mean? Thanks!

[Fat sheep]

Now you need to explore an astral rift. Each rift explored grant you 250 rift storage cap. Before exploring you need to finish Rift Sphere tech.

[Pizza_0786]

Publicado originalmente por DrPhiloponus:

Publicado originalmente por Pizza_0786:

Step 1: Find a rift of sufficient size.
Step 2: get a scientist ship to the rift.

That explains it, I never did Step 2 until now. Should be marked with "[ ! ]" as the other possible research projects in my opinion. What does "sufficient size" mean? Thanks!

there are astral scars which give you astral thread, but are too small to explore. They can become full astral rifts during the game. I forgot to mention initially, you'll need the rift sphere technology. I think there is a situation that unlocks it as a guaranteed research option after you encounter the first rift of explorable size?

Please check if you have a situation named "A rift in Space" or "Reaching into the rift" active, if it is, you may want to speed it up (though speeding it up may have side effects), otherwise you only have scars in your borders (Or it's already completed, in which case you should have the rift sphere research option with some research put into it under "Physics")

[DrPhiloponus]

Publicado originalmente por Fat sheep:

Now you need to explore an astral rift. Each rift explored grant you 250 rift storage cap. Before exploring you need to finish Rift Sphere tech.

I see. I don't have it yet. Only the mining tech.

[arronax06]

The ones you can explore with a scientist will have a special icon on the galaxy map, similar to how archeological sites do.

[Pizza_0786]

Publicado originalmente por DrPhiloponus:

Publicado originalmente por Fat sheep:

Now you need to explore an astral rift. Each rift explored grant you 250 rift storage cap. Before exploring you need to finish Rift Sphere tech.

I see. I don't have it yet. Only the mining tech.

In that case, you'll need to get an explorable astral rift into your border. This will start a situation which will guarantee the research option. If your origin is riftworld, however, that situation will trigger once you complete the archeological project in your home system instead.

Alternately, you could get it from someone who has it via research pact.

[HyperKnight]

One of the astral unlocks is an Astral Siphon building that increases storage cap.

[CrUsHeR]

Completing astral rifts does unlock new astral actions. You also get some edicts later, for when you just want to burn some threads.

But yes the whole mechanic is gratuitous, as is the DLC it came with.