The Altersis a powerful gaming experience, no doubt about it, but it might leave some players wanting more. After all, it’s not likeFrostpunk, 11 Bit Studios' other most famous survival sim, which includes an endless mode for a greater challenge and customization opportunities. And, while there is DLC planned forThe Altersnext year, there’s currently only the main Jan Dolski campaign to enjoy, leaving many players anxious for more content.
This is where the modding community comes in, ready to offer unique spins onThe Alters' core gameplayand simulation elements. Currently, most of the game’s mods (many of which come from a particularly ubiquitous creator called Caites), focus primarily on cheat-like tweaks that reduce the severity of certain mechanics and punishments. For instance, players can modThe Alters' resource economy to be more abundant, its days to be longer, and its research times to be shorter or nonexistent. But there are also some more radical, transformative mods, which can have a more significant impact on a given run.
The Alters' ‘All-Ters’ Mod Lets Players Acquire Every Jan
How a Mod Bypasses The Alters' Greatest Restriction
Published by Caites on NexusMods, the appropriately named All-Ters mod lets players surpass the six-Alter limit, opening the door to a gameplay experience that involves a total of ten Alters. In the base game, Alter acquisition is actually quite structured, withTechnician and Scientistcoming onboard during the first act, leaving the player to choose which additional four they want to welcome aboard in the second. The third act typically doesn’t introduce any new Alters.
This makesThe Altersmore replayable, certainly, but it also stands in the way of more outlandish or aggressive playstyles. In other words, there’s less freedom as a result ofThe Alters' six-Alter limit, which is what Caites' mod seeks to rectify. There are certainly some kinks to work out—Caites has reported some internal logic issues when all ten Alters are active at once—but the mod appears to work smoothly otherwise. It even includes a concession for a second Ark Sarcophagus, allowing players to completely finish the game with all ten Alters onboard.
The frictionless execution of this mod, aside from being a testament to Caites' skill, reveals nuances aboutThe Alters' game design. For example, the mod makes it easier to see how each Alter functions as a sort of flexible puzzle piece, able to exist in different in-game contexts without losing plausibility. It would seem, then, that 11 Bit Studios chose to limit players' Alter population not as a result of technical complications, but for the purpose of better game design.
The All-Ters Mod Is Great, but the Vanilla Game’s Restrictions Serve an Important Purpose
While some players might be disappointed that they can’t collect all versions of Jan during a single playthrough, this limitation actually benefits the game in key ways. There’s the aforementioned replay value, of course, but there are also mechanical reasons for the hard max:The Altersis already a little too easy, and bringing on more Alters would essentially eliminate any semblance of challenge. This is especially true considering the low upkeep costs for each Alter.
That’s not to say that the All-Ters mod isn’t worth downloading, of course. But if it’s someone’sfirst time playingThe Alters, and they are feeling discouraged after hearing about the Alter limit, they should still give the vanilla game a go. This is where the trueAltersexperience is to be had, after all. During subsequent runs, as players experiment with the game’s various systems and narrative beats, something like the All-Ters mod is a more appropriate addition to the sandbox.
WHERE TO PLAY
The Alters is an ambitious sci-fi survival game with a unique twist. You play as Jan Dolski, the lone survivor of a crash-landed expedition on a hostile planet. To survive, you must form a new crew for your mobile base.
Using a substance called Rapidium, you create alternative versions of Jan - THE ALTERS - each one shaped by a different crucial decision from the protagonist’s past.
