Terrain Manipulator

The subject of this article is from the Visions update.
The information from this article is up-to-date as of 13 August, 2019.

Terrain Manipulator
Category	Multi-tool - Tool
Recharged with	Ferrite elements
Updated	Atlas Rises

Terrain Manipulator
Category	Multi-tool - Tool
Recharged with	Ferrite elements
Updated	Atlas Rises

The Terrain Manipulator is an upgrade for the multi-tool.

Summary

The Terrain Manipulator is an attachment for the multi-tool which allows alterations to planetary terrain, both destruction and creation. Initially acquired in Awakenings, it is the first "weapon" acquired by the player which is able to mine large mineral deposits.

The Terrain Manipulator has four modes: Mine, Create, Restore, and Flatten. The player can switch between modes using the Change Secondary Weapon function (middle mouse button by default on PC, Triangle on PS4, and B on Xbox).

• Mine mode - terrain is removed within a sphere around the point of impact. The rate of terrain removal can be controlled by changing the size of the sphere to one of three sizes (on PC, this is done with R/T by default on keyboard).
• Create mode - terrain is added within a sphere or cube around the point of impact. The size of the shape is controlled as in Mine mode; shape selection and terrain type can be changed using a dedicated quick menu.
• Restore mode - terrain is restored to the original (as generated) state.
• Flatten mode - allows quick and easy flattening of a large area.

In all modes, firing the Terrain Manipulator drains its internal metal supply based on the current Game mode: 1%/tick in Survival and Permadeath modes and 0.5%/tick in Normal mode. If the supply is fully depleted, the Terrain Manipulator becomes unusable, requiring recharge with ferrite elements to restore functionality.

Game description

Advanced terraforming device. This modules overloads existing multi-tool systems, allowing the user to reshape regions as they wish.

Charged with metallic elements.

Crafting

Terrain Manipulator can be built using a blueprint and the following ingredients:

• Di-hydrogen Jelly x1  +   Carbon Nanotubes x2  →   Terrain Manipulator

Terrain Manipulator can be repaired using the following ingredients:

• Di-hydrogen Jelly x1  +   Carbon Nanotubes x1

Terrain Manipulator can be dismantled after construction, returning the following ingredients:

• Terrain Manipulator  →   Carbon Nanotubes x1

Upgrades

The Terrain Manipulator has no upgrades.

Recharge

The Terrain Manipulator is rechargeable using the following items:

• Ferrite Dust - 0.5%/unit
• Pure Ferrite - 1%/unit
• Magnetised Ferrite - 5%/unit
• Silicate Powder - 0.5%/unit

Additional information

• Using the Terrain Manipulator may delete resource rich plants and minerals as well as Knowledge Stones in the general vicinity. Objects destroyed in this manner do not yield any resources.
• Certain objects found in caves, namely Subterranean Relics and Humming Sacs, will disappear if the player attempts to dig to their location using the Terrain Manipulator.
• Resources gained from mineral deposits are obtained at a constant rate regardless of the size of the mining sphere. Therefore, maximal yield can be obtained from these deposits by using the smallest mining sphere size available.
  • Exception: if recharging with Silicate Powder. Since the resource is so plentiful and the harvest rate is much higher, go with the largest sphere setting to outpace your recharge needs faster than you use it up.
• The Terrain Manipulator is the only multi-tool weapon which is unable to deal damage at all.
• Terrain deformation does not attract Sentinel aggression.

Release history

• Atlas Rises - added as a multitool upgrade.
• NEXT - formula changed, formerly used Iron and Plutonium
• Beyond - Silicate Powder can be used for a recharge
• Synthesis
  • Added a flattening mode to the Terrain Manipulator to allow quick and easy flattening of a large area.
  • Added a ‘Restore’ mode to the Terrain Manipulator, allowing edits to be undone and the terrain restored to its previous state.
  • Edits made using the Terrain Manipulator within the bounds of a base are now protected in the same way as edits made by base parts, preventing them from being removed by further editing outside the base.