Alright, so here’s the deal. Talking about “The Alters” feels a bit like chatting about a moody indie film you caught late at night. You know? It’s got that vibe. So, buckle up because it’s a rollercoaster.
First off, the game’s pretty out there—definitely packs a punch. But hey, not everything’s rainbows and unicorns. I mean, unlike Frostpunk, you don’t get that endless “I’m never gonna stop” mode. Just mainline the Jan Dolski campaign and that’s it. Cool for what it is, but folks are itching for more. There’s DLC on the horizon, sure, but patience isn’t exactly this crowd’s forte.
Enter the modding community, right? They’re all set to flip what “The Alters” has on its head. Now, most mods are like, “Let’s make everything a tad easier,” turning the game’s gritty survival into a picnic in the park. Thanks to this one person, Caites—who seems to be everywhere—you can stretch the in-game resources so much you’d think they’re growing on trees. Days last longer, research goes warp speed, practically bending space-time. Wild stuff.
But let’s switch gears! Among all these tweaks, there’s some mod called the “All-Ters.” And oh boy, this one shakes things up. Normally, you’re stuck with just six Alters, but with this mod? You can get up to ten! It’s like doubling down on the cosmic weirdness. The game originally introduces you to new ones in stages — mad scientist style. But this mod? Throw that schedule out the window.
Replayability? Sure, great word for it. But sticking to only six Alters? It kind of cramps the player’s style. Caites fiddled with things to bypass any ‘nope, can’t do that’ barriers. Though there are some hiccups. Like, there’s a point where ten Alters could make the AI logic have a meltdown. But mostly, it sails smoothly. They even added a second Ark Sarcophagus! Whatever that means, sounds intense.
Here’s the kicker though: while mods are neat little side quests from the main game, “The Alters” kind of knew what it was doing from the start. The player’s choice is a puzzle piece in itself. It’s all a part of the game’s mad genius balancing act. Crazy, right? Limiting the Alters wasn’t about techy-limitations, but more about sculpting a better challenge—and I respect that.
So, you can’t just steamroll through with all versions of Jan. It’s a feature, not a bug, because without those constraints, it’d be too darn easy. The base game borderline babysits you already. Meanwhile, mods open up whatever crazy whims you might want to explore after the first playthrough. First-timers? Dive straight into the vanilla experience, get a feel for it. Mods are like toppings, jazzing things up on subsequent runs.
And there we go. “The Alters” in all its messy, quirky glory, waiting for you to take it for a spin.
