Your Alters are not mere extra pairs of hands—they are human beings in the midst of an existential crisis in an unforgiving, merciless universe. While you are trying to keep the base running and alive against the threats of the planet, you also have to ensure their mental and emotional well-being.
If you ignore their moods, they will refuse to work, rebel, or worse. Here’s how to keep everyone’s morale high and breakdowns at bay.
Mood in The Alters
Alters don’t have a single morale bar. Instead, their mood is decided by a mix of emotions—like Joy, Motivation, Frustration, or Rebellion. The latest and most recent emotions come to the front and dictate their behavior.
You can’t directly control Alters’ feelings, but you can create an environment that promotes good feeling and discourages negative ones.
Daily Needs: Food and Beds
Neglecting basic needs is the fastest morale loser. Ensure that every Alter has:
A bed: The Dormitory has space for four Alters. Personal Cabins only have space for one but provide a mood bonus. Since you are limited to a total of six Alters, one Dorm and one Cabin is ideal.
- A meal: Basic Mush is fine and won’t hurt morale, but Cooked Meals provide a mood bonus. Assign a Cook early to make the most of this.
- Pro tip: Never end a day without making sure everyone has eaten and somewhere to sleep.
Conversations and Choices Matter
Your dialogue with Alters can improve or worsen their mood. Dialogue choices are not always clear, but you can get more positive outcomes by:
Reading each Alter’s biography in the Quantum Computer to discover their history and values.
Making dialogue and decisions that align with their personalities.
Alters also interact with each other, and these interactions can lead to joy or conflict. You’ll also be pulled into conflicts from time to time—your responses will determine their attitudes toward you and the group.
Gifts and Personal Touches
Now and then, you’ll find Cargo Pods containing Jan’s old belongings scattered around the planet. Some of these can be distributed to Alters to improve mood—but not every gift is ideal for every Alter.
Read the item description and Alter’s biography before gifting.
If an Alter’s portrait has a speech bubble over their head, this usually means you can gift them a unique item.
Use Entertainment Modules Wisely
You can build several base modules that give Alters ways to unwind between shifts. These rooms work passively when unstaffed but can also be interacted with directly for greater morale boosts.
Social Room (Most versatile)
Passive
Alters socialize and hang out.
Active
- Beer Pong: 1-hour minigame with a single Alter. Win for Motivation, lose (or auto-play) for Joy.
- Movie Night: 3 hours and gives huge morale to all participants (if they go). Picking a movie when out and around is necessary.
- Best with social Alters like the Technician.
Gym
Best for sporty Alters (i.e., the Refiner). Passive-only, but reliable at giving small mood boosts.
Park with Bench (Needs Holoprojector in Act 2)
A quiet room for introvert Alters like the Scientist. Passively works, good for downtime.
Contemplation Room (Emergency-use)
Used to calm down extremely unhappy Alters. Can treat 2 Alters at once, excusing them from work temporarily. Assign a Shrink or Guard to speed up recovery (either works just as well).
Proactive Tips to Keep Everyone’s Morale Up
- Balance the roster: Don’t overwork anyone. Rotate tasks and give downtime.
- Watch for warning signs: Speech bubbles, disobedience, or skipped meals are a sign of trouble.
- Keep them busy but not burned out:Inactive Alters get bored or frustrated. Just don’t overdo it.
- Invest early in mood-improving infrastructure: A Social Room should be one of your first upgrades.
Managing Alters is as much a question of compassion as it is of efficiency. Keep their fundamental needs met, engage with them in ways that are meaningful, and provide spaces for them to relax. If you make your crew feel like individuals—not tools—they’ll see you through the worst of the game.
