How to Unlock and Use the Rover in The Planet Crafter: A Complete Guide

If you’re an avid player of The Planet Crafter, you know the excitement that comes with every new update. The developers have consistently kept the game fresh, and one of the latest and most significant additions is the introduction of a fully functional rover. Until now, getting around the planet required a combination of agility boots and a jetpack, which was fine for short distances. However, the rover takes mobility to the next level, offering features that make exploration smoother and more efficient.

In this article, we’ll dive deep into how to unlock and craft the rover, upgrade it for maximum performance, and use it effectively on the planet’s harsh terrain. If you’ve been wondering how to navigate through rocky landscapes or what upgrades are essential for the rover, this guide has got you covered. Let’s get started!

What Makes the Rover Special in The Planet Crafter?

The rover is a game-changer. While boots and jetpacks are great for agility, the rover provides several features you don’t get from these basic tools. Not only can it carry cargo, but it also offers a more comfortable way to traverse the planet’s harsh environments. Plus, with the right upgrades, it can do even more than just move you from point A to point B.

But, like everything in The Planet Crafter, the rover comes with its pros and cons. Driving a large vehicle across a map that lacks proper roads or flat surfaces can be tricky. However, the developers anticipated these challenges and added features to make navigating easier. The first step is unlocking and crafting the rover.

How to Unlock and Craft the Rover

Before you can zoom across the map, you’ll need to unlock the rover, which involves building a Vehicle Station. This station becomes available once you hit a terraformation index (TI) of 6.5 MTi. By this stage, you should have already unlocked the rocket pad, and lakes may have started to form on the planet.

To craft the Vehicle Station, you’ll need the following resources:

• 3 Aluminum
• 2 Super Alloy
• 1 Iridium Rod

Once you’ve gathered these materials, you can place the Vehicle Station outside your base. One key thing to note is that the station has a ramp. You should position this ramp in the direction you want the rover to point when it’s crafted.

The Vehicle Station has two monitors on one side. The central monitor is where the magic happens you can craft both the rover and its upgrades here. To build the rover itself, you’ll need:

• 2 Rocket Engines
• 1 Uranium
• 1 Iron
• 1 Fabric
• 1 Silicon

The right monitor is for respawning any rover you’ve previously crafted. While you can’t give your rover a custom name, it’s listed by its coordinates, so you’ll always know where it is. This feature is useful when you get stuck or lose the vehicle in rough terrain.

Rover Respawn and “Return to Garage” Feature

One of the most valuable aspects of the rover is the ability to respawn it at any time. If your rover gets stuck in an awkward location or you can’t find it, the “Return to Garage” function comes in handy. This feature takes about 600 seconds (or 10 minutes) to reset before you can use it again, but the cooldown only applies to the specific Vehicle Station you’re using. So, if you build multiple Vehicle Stations across the map, you can bypass this cooldown entirely.

Additionally, if you pair a Vehicle Station with a teleporter, you can quickly travel to another part of the map and summon your rover to your location. This combination makes it incredibly easy to move your rover around even the toughest terrain.

How to Upgrade the Rover: Essential Enhancements for Efficiency

One of the best parts about the rover is its ability to be upgraded. The Vehicle Station allows you to craft several upgrades that improve the rover’s speed, cargo capacity, and even its headlights. Some upgrades are tied to terraformation milestones, while others require blueprint microchips to unlock.

Below is a detailed list of some of the most useful rover upgrades and how to unlock them:

1. T1 Equipment Upgrade

• Recipe: 1 Super Alloy, 1 Silicon, 1 Iridium
• Benefit: Increases the number of equipment slots from 2 to 5, allowing you to carry more gear on your adventures.

2. T2 Equipment Upgrade

• Unlock: Requires a blueprint microchip
• Recipe: 2 T1 Equipment chips, 1 Obsidian, 1 Super Alloy
• Benefit: Increases equipment slots from 5 to 10.

3. T1 Inventory Upgrade

• Unlock: 17.5 MTi terraformation milestone
• Recipe: 1 Silicon, 1 Fabric, 1 Super Alloy
• Benefit: Expands the rover’s inventory from 30 to 48 slots.

4. T2 Inventory Upgrade

• Unlock: Requires a blueprint microchip
• Recipe: 2 T1 Inventory chips, 1 Osmium, 2 Fabric
• Benefit: Expands inventory to 64 slots.

5. T1 Speed Upgrade

• Recipe: 2 Zeolite, 1 Rocket Engine
• Benefit: Doubles the rover’s movement speed, making it much faster to navigate large distances.

6. Unlimited Oxygen Upgrade

• Recipe: 4 Zeolite, 2 Oxygen Capsules
• Benefit: Allows the rover to replenish your oxygen even underwater, making it a mobile life-support system.

7. Logistics Upgrade

• Unlock: 6.7t Animals milestone
• Recipe: 2 Circuit Boards, 1 Osmium Rod, 2 Bioplastic Nuggets, 1 Super Alloy Rod
• Benefit: Enables automatic supply and demand orders for the rover’s inventory, making resource management much easier.

How to Use the Rover

Now that you’ve unlocked and upgraded your rover, it’s time to take it for a spin. Driving the rover is simple, but there are a few things you should know to get the most out of it.

Rover Interactions

• Driver’s Seat: Clicking on the front cabin lets you enter the rover and start driving.
• Equipment Slots: On the left side of the rover is a black box. This is where you install your upgrades.
• Inventory: The blue chest at the back holds the rover’s cargo. Here, you can add or remove items and manage logistics if you have the Logistics upgrade installed.
• Passenger Seats: The two seats at the back are for multiplayer use, allowing other players to ride with you. However, they don’t provide oxygen replenishment unless you’ve installed the right upgrade.
• Beacon Control: If you’ve installed a beacon, you can change its color by interacting with a display on the rover’s right side.
• Grab Button: On the back of the rover, you’ll find a red “Grab” button. This feature lets you add the rover to your personal inventory if it’s empty, allowing you to redeploy it elsewhere.

Rover Driving Tips

Navigating with the rover can be tricky due to the planet’s uneven terrain, but with the right tips, you’ll be a pro in no time.

• Rocky Terrain: The rover struggles to climb rocks but performs exceptionally well in water. Consider using water routes whenever possible.
• Unlimited Oxygen: The oxygen replenishment upgrade is invaluable, especially when you’re exploring underwater or in extreme environments.
• Flipping the Rover: If the rover flips over, don’t panic. You can press F4 from the driver’s seat to reset its position, or you can use the “Return to Garage” feature.
• Jetpack vs. Rover: A fully upgraded rover is about as fast as an upgraded jetpack. However, the rover has the added benefit of being a mobile outpost, which makes it ideal for long trips.

FAQs About the Rover in The Planet Crafter

Q: How do I unlock the rover in The Planet Crafter? A: You need to reach 6.5 MTi in your terraformation index to unlock the Vehicle Station, which allows you to craft the rover.

Q: What materials are needed to craft the rover? A: To craft the rover, you’ll need 2 Rocket Engines, 1 Uranium, 1 Iron, 1 Fabric, and 1 Silicon.

Q: Can I upgrade the rover? A: Yes! You can upgrade the rover’s speed, inventory space, headlights, and more using the Vehicle Station.

Q: What should I do if my rover gets stuck? A: You can either press F4 to reset its position or use the “Return to Garage” feature at a Vehicle Station to respawn it.

Q: Is the rover faster than the jetpack? A: With full upgrades, the rover is about as fast as the jetpack, but it offers more utility as a mobile base.

By following this guide, you’ll be able to fully utilize the rover in The Planet Crafter, making your gameplay smoother and more efficient. Whether you’re zooming across the landscape or managing resources with the logistics upgrade, the rover is an essential tool for surviving and thriving on this hostile planet.Bottom of Form