WARNING: The intel for this post has been taken from the beta version, and although the live version is already out, some content may be subject to changes.
Greetings, Captains~
The new Story Open World is arriving with version 6.1, which means that it's time to go all-out exploring!
But in order to be able to roam around freely, you might need to complete some missions first. And make sure you're well prepared before diving into the unknown.
Being similar to A Post-Honkai Odyssey Chapter 2, this Open World is divided into the base and the area outside, with corresponding surroundings and gameplay features. You basically start inside the base, so it will be the first thing covered in this guide.
Base
New Atra Sanctuary is a cold- and lonely-looking shelter built on the moon, where we can meet some old acquaintances and use various facilities which unlock gradually and provide assistance in exploration and obtaining rewards. Among these facilities are:
• Master Terminal
It is the soul of the base, where the data from all other facilities are gathered and summarized. It has specific requirement to be leveled up, and leveling it up increases the level caps of other facilities and unlocks more functions.
• Announcement Board
It is the mind of the base, represented by a control desk and a holographic map. It allows you to accept tasks with certain limits on the number of basic and advanced tasks that can be accepted and recorded. Leveling it up increases those limits.
• Soulium Storage
It is the heart of the base and your main source of mission and event rewards. Neither can it be leveled up nor is it affected by the Master Terminal. Its purpose is to contain the special resource called Soulium Core and issue rewards according to the amount collected, as well as to grant rewards for certain missions that you complete.
• Core Refinement
It is the veins of the base and one of the sources of Soulium Cores. It allows you to process regular and rare ore into them, but there is a limit to the number of research tasks. Leveling it up increases the limit and unlocks new research blueprints.
• Workshop V7 (also known as Robot Retrofit Workshop)
It is the bones of the base, and it allows you to unlock and upgrade the supporting robot's talents, which tremendously enhance your battle and exploration experience outside. Leveling it up grants access to more different talents and raises their level caps. Complete corresponding story missions to repair it.
Upgrading each facility up to the maximum available level grants respective achievements.
Outer Facilities
There are useful structures outside the base too. You can teleport to them to get around more quickly and do some other interesting things. There are two facilities on the surface:
• Base Portal
It only exists for teleportation purposes and cannot be upgraded. But in order to be able to use it, you have to repair it first. Seven Base Portals in total can be found across the map, and unlocking every Base Portal grants an achievement.
• Recycling Dock
It allows you to launch mining projects to obtain more ore. It cannot be upgraded and requires repairment before being used, and the repair materials can be obtained from a story mission. There is a limit on the number of certain ore mining projects. Two Recycling Docks in total can be found on the map.
Map Exploration
Before proceeding to the outside, make sure you're well prepared and have done everything you wanted at the base. Interacting with the exit gate opens the map where you can see and track the missions and commissions you have, as well as a summary of unlocked content, and choose the place where you want to spawn.
You will be able to deploy three Valkyries out of a selection of Trial and owned Valkryries. Keep it in mind that some battlesuits may be unavailable in this Open World. Also, ELFs cannot be deployed there.
To aid you on your expedition to the moon's surface, a special supporting robot called Mark 2 is introduced. You will get access to it through a story mission. Its functions are invaluable, ranging from providing basic stat bonuses to your Valkyries to aiding you in battle and allowing to do certain activities on the map.
Mark 2 has two talent types: combat and prospecting. Make sure you distribute materials to upgrade them wisely using the Workshop.
Note: Mark 2's combat talents will also be shown on and can be adjusted through the aforementioned map.
New places mean more treasures to find! There are twenty four treasure chests hidden all around. Some of them are easy to spot, but some are camouflaged. And all of them have a beautiful appearance. Mark 2 will also help you by signaling when you get close enough to a chest.
If anyone is less motivated or doesn't have enough opportunity to look for every single chest on their own, here's a treasure map lovingly tailored for Captains by Meow.
And there is another thing you can do while exploring. It is called Prospecting, and it becomes available once you obtain Mark 2 to accompany you and complete the relevant mission. While exploring, you may run into special nodes containing regular and rare ore. Interacting with them starts a mini-game, but depletes Mark 2's energy. The mini-game consists of two phases, which are analysis and deep mining. Getting perfect results in the mini-game will allow you to avoid spending too much energy and will therefore make it possible to gather more ore.
Materials
It's no secret that to upgrade the facilities on the base and repair the facilities outside, as well as to launch research tasks, various materials are required. As to what those materials are and where to find them, this part contains this information.
• Moon Dust
This is a common mineral that is required for most upgrades. Can be processed into few Soulium Cores in Core Refinement.
Main sources: hostile entities, Prospecting, Recycling Docks, commissions.
• Soulium: Fragment Θ
This is a rarer kind of ore that is used for specific upgrades, as well as Core Refinement research projects granting Soulium Cores.
Main sources: special commissions, Prospecting, Recycling Docks, treasure chests.
• Soulium: Variant Ξ
This is an even rarer kind of ore that is used for specific upgrades and can also be processed into Soulium Cores in Core Refinement.
Main sources: special commissions, trials.
• Soulium: Intermediary Ω
This is the rarest ore around that is used for specific upgrades and can be used in Core Refinement to produce Soulium Cores too.
Main sources: story missions.
Enemies
New enemy species have been spotted! Alongside the enemies you already know, including but not limited to Archangel, Void Hellion, and notorious Shell-Placido, mysterious crystalloids also known as remnants will appear in this Open World.
There are three crystalloid species, each having intimidating appearance, unique abilities, and pretty SFX.
Crystal Jellyfishes are covered with spikes from tip to toe. They are quite resilient and can summon a supporting star and a starry field. The supporting star launches multiple homing spikes together with its host to attack its target.
Rapid crystalloids have a long slender body and prefer to attack by dashing at their target at a straight line. They can also perform close attacks, and their attacks apply a special negative effect.
Crushing crystalloids' distinctive feature is a heavy hand that resembles that of Assaka a little. They usually use throw and close AoE attacks, which apply a special negative effect to their target.
The crystalloids' special negative effect's potency is shown as a gauge. It could be called crystal trauma for easier understanding. No, let's call it Moonshade Dust Magnet Trauma! Getting hit with multiple attacks fills the gauge, and with full crystal trauma your Valkyrie becomes crystallized, which makes her unable to move and act for the time being. It can be very dangerous, considering crystalloids' decent damage.
Trials
For those who like to have their mettle tested, there are three different challenge beacons in this Open World, called Steles of Reliving Calamity. They're displayed with a star icon on the map.
Each Stele of Reliving Calamity has its own stage effects and different enemy pools that correlate with Mark 2's talent branches, and contains 15 floors with checkpoints that allow you to continue from certain floors if you fail or choose to quit midway. Some floors also suggest upgrading Mark 2 to higher levels.
Daily challenge attempts are limited, but a single run only consumes one attempt, so you are free to try to clear as many floors as possible in a single run if you wish to save attempts, or you can choose to only clear one checkpoint gap per run if you don't have enough time or wish to take it calmly.
The suggested Mark 2's talents for each Stele go as follows:
• Northern Stele: Fire and implosion talent branches recommended.
• Southern Stele: Lightning and control talent branches recommended.
• Western Stele: Ice and control talent branches recommended.
Every floor has first-time clearing rewards and score rewards. The faster you clear floors, the more points and rare ore you get. And for those eager to compare their scores to those of other Captains, ranking records are being made, which can be checked on each trial's screen.
Rewards
As mentioned before, you can put Soulium Cores into Soulium Storage to reach milestones and get corresponding rewards. There will be time-limited event rewards and permanent rewards. Amongst them are useful materials, Ancient Willpower, Asterite, Crystals, and a truckload of Coins! Reaching an exact milestone during the event awards a new 4-star stigma from the Elysian Paragon set.
That's all the basic things you would want to know about the new Open World out of the storyline. For storyline info and references, please check other Captains' guides or playthroughs, or just wait for the corresponding update and experience it yourself!
Stay safe and enjoy your time aboard Hyperion~
