travelling

Travelling the Astral

Each day more players reach the maximum character level and look forward to construction of their own ships and sailing the Astral for the first time on their own. We have gathered some useful tips for those who are getting ready to set off on their journey.

1. Why only high-level characters?

Building a ship is a huge milestone in the character’s development. By the time they get to do it, they need to have put in a lot of effort, completed numerous quests, and gone through various adventures. That is why only most experienced and daring heroes of Sarnaut gain the opportunity to acquire their own ships.

2. Where to start?

In order to start building your own ship, you first need to reach level 35 and take the introductory quest from the Guide in your faction’s capital. He will direct you to the shipmaster. Then, the quest chain will lead you to Coldberg, Avilon, and Dragon Ring, where you will get three licenses from the Free Traders, Historians, and Demon Hunters. Having added 1,500 gold to these documents, you will be able to start constructing your ship.

3. Period of construction

Currently, building a ship takes 33 actual days. You can accelerate the construction by completing everyday quests or by using the Builder’s Rune from the Boutique.

4. The ship’s owner and the crew

Finally, that day comes – the ship is ready, it’s time to embark on a journey! First, the owner of the ship needs to complete the tutorial quest in the Hangar. It will help you learn the basics of Astral navigation. Remember that it is almost impossible to travel in the Astral on your own, so you should put together a crew of maximum 6 characters and assign the following positions to them. 4.1. Helmsman The Helmsman is responsible for ship’s maneuvers. The Helmsman uses the following devices:

Helm. Changes the ship’s course at different rates. Can be fixed in the central position.
Turbine. Changes the flying altitude.
Motor. Changes the flight speed. Used to stir the ship out of hangars on allods. Don’t forget that speeding up increases the reactor’s load!

Your ship’s survival capability depends on the proficiency of your Helmsman!

4.2. Navigator The Navigator, or the pilot, runs the scanner that lays the ship’s route to the desired Astral region. The scanner is a 3D model of the surrounding space. The scanner displays the current and the neighboring regions. The Navigator picks the destination using the following scanner possibilities:

Detecting enemy ships within the nearest regions.
Searching for the closest teleport to other Astral sectors (all sectors are divided into regions). The ship can travel between them systematically or chaotically, controlled by the motor. It is only possible to enter another sector through a teleport.
Searching for the nearest Astral allod.
Searching for a stable region – or, simply put, an allod with a harbor, which can belong either to your or to the opposite faction.
Calculating route to a specified allod.
Misalignment – makes your ship invisible for all Astral demons for a designated period of time, or until you fire a cannon.

The scanner consumes a special resource – Astral Emanations. Each ship stocks up on them before entering the Astral. Additional Emanations can be gained by killing demons or from the Boutique (Barrel of Astral Emanations). Remember: if an Astral demon hits your ship, it will slow it down. To regain the speed, you will have to kill the attacking demons. The experience in navigation is very important. If your pilot hasn’t sailed that much, you may easily get lost in the Astral!

4.3. Visor The visor is the device that tracks ships and Astral demons within the current region. Visors are used to examine the targeted ship in detail, define the state of the devices, and operate the shields on your ship. Also, the visor can perform the following actions:

Scan the region – reveals all the invisible ships, Astral demons, and other objects.
Target acquisition – finds its weak spots, increasing the damage dealt by 25% for 15 seconds.
Shield boost – completely restores a damaged shield.
Intense cooling – reduces the reactor’s temperature by 50% from the maximum.
Sharp turn – instantly reverses the ship.
Diversionary shot – stuns demons for 10 seconds or disables the enemy ship’s reactor for 3 seconds.
Energy outbreak – inflicts damage on 5 demons within a 400 yard radius.
Energy discharge – removes 30% of the demon’s current health.
Local jump – teleports the ship to the spot, selected at the visor – a demon or another ship.

The proficiency and the reaction speed of the visor operator can decide the outcome of the battle.

4.4. Mending crew Such a complicated vehicle as an Astral ship will surely be damaged during an Astral battle. This is why each ship is provided with a group of trained goblin menders. To fix a device, you need to descend to the ship’s cargo hold, grab one of the menders and bring him to the damaged object. As soon as the goblin comes around the broken device, he will start fixing it. After some time, the goblin will disappear and will have to be replaced with another mender. The goblin also disappears if the character receives damage while carrying him.

The captain decides who is responsible for the maintenance. If the ship’s hull is damaged, it can be mended in the Astral as well as at the shipyard. If the ship is mended on the run, the ship’s durability is averaged, and the maximum durability is reduced. To fully restore the ship, you will have to mend it at the Hangar, having provided the necessary material – planks, which can be purchased from the Hangar vendors. Mending the ship will take some time, depending on the damage degree. To shorten the time, use the Mechanic’s Rune from the Boutique.

4.5. Cannoneer The biggest captain’s concern before flying the ship should be its fighting capability. Astral ships are equipped with two types of weapons – board cannons and stationary artilleries, set up at the bow. Thus, there can be several cannoneers on a ship. Hitting the target requires precise anticipatory shooting. A ship can be equipped with sixteen board cannons and two artilleries. There are several cannon modifications available in the game, each with its specifications and purpose. Think through your ship’s equipage! Read more about upgrading your ship here.

5. About your ship

The ship’s hull of the 1st generation has 12,000 points of durability (this value can be increased by upgrading the hull). The ship is surrounded by a damage-absorbing energy shield. At first, all incoming damage is absorbed by the shield, but as soon as it is breached, the damage is inflicted on the hull. A breached shield can be restored over time, though it will consume energy. The load of the reactor should not exceed the maximum limit, so watch the indicator closely. When it reaches a critical point, its color goes from green to red. The indicator is located in the top-right corner of the screen, along with the indicators of the shield’s and hull’s condition, compass and other important ship’s status indicators. The mana reactor is the heart of the ship. It converses the Astral substance into energy that enables the operation of ship’s devices. Excessive maneuvering and incoming damage can overheat the reactor, which can cause malfunction of other devices and even injure the characters on board. So the captain’s duty is to watch the energy consumption and the reactor’s temperature as well as manage the crew. When the reactor is disabled, all devices go offline as well. The motor is another important part of the ship. It stirs the ship and define its maximum speed and acceleration rate. Characters who die or fall into the Astral are resurrected in the Sick Bay. Obtained chests are stored in the Treasury. They can be opened in a harbor only. It is important to understand that the crew’s discipline is the key to a successful Astral journey.

The journey awaits! So, your crew is assembled, the roles are assigned, the positions are taken, the orders are given. What’s next? Full ahead!

Choose which Astral layer you wish to travel to, depending on your crew’s strength and possibilities. At the moment there are three Astral layers in the game. The first one is available for everyone; the other two will be unlocked as soon as you complete the required quests.

6. Astral allods

There are two types of allods:

Astral allods – unique adventures with their own bosses and completing process.
Reflections of heroic adventures, which players go through as they develop their characters.

6.1. Loot Equipment, looted from Astral bosses, can be upgraded. Read more about it here.