ORBIT enables players to build their own space station where they can research a multitude of different and powerful technologies.
You can access a vast range of technologies in the research center, the NEXUS.
In addition to projects that increase production in your workshops, you will also discover new technologies to make your war fleet even more formidable in areas of conflict.
You can also use the relevant technologies to boost collection of rare raw materials and resources significantly.
Other technologies may affect the Big Five and the stock market; the Orbit DLC has something for everyone, whatever your gameplay style.
The space station must be extended, crewed by astronauts, and have an adequate supply of goods to enable you to research new technologies.
The construction methods in Orbit are refreshingly different from the norm, and players are encouraged to experiment and improvise.
When you upgrade the space station, you will also increase the number of astronauts you need; this is important, as they generate the "expertise" required to activate technologies in the NEXUS. As you will never have enough expertise to exploit all the possible technologies simultaneously, you must set priorities when selecting technologies in the NEXUS.
Our new realm in the Orbit.
Besides expertise, each technology needs the corresponding modules that you can incorporate into the space station, and each industrial sector has its own workshops.
These workshops also need a range of supply modules to operate with maximum efficiency, including solar panels, refrigeration units, greenhouses, and various other modules.
The individual modules are linked by connectors, and this needs to be done with care as each module generates either heat or cold.
Because each workshop only operates effectively within a specific temperature range, you should carefully study the position of each module - be patient as you make your first faltering steps into the Orbit until you are familiar with the system and feel you have it under control.
The first shuttle takes off from the training center where our astronauts carry out their training.
The technologies are extremely powerful and will open up many new opportunities in the game. In particular, interaction with the stock market and Tundra enable you to build some truly gigantic cities.
However, your own space station and research aren’t the only things ORBIT has to offer; you can now also pay to reconfigure the features in the orbital sector. Players who emphasize an aesthetic construction style will be delighted to see that trees will now slowly grow back upon request!
And anyone who’d love to sack Anthony Goodwin, after he issued separate warnings to 120 trading routes following a power outage, will be delighted to know he now performs this task with much greater efficiency.
All in all, ORBIT is a successful expansion of ANNO 2205 and it was fantastic to take part in this fan test.
Special thanks to the Blue Byte and UBI teams for allowing me this privilege.
You can really see that the ANNO 2205 team takes our feedback very seriously.
The final Skype conference was a good end to two extremely productive and enjoyable test weeks.
I hope I played a small role in making ORBIT as bug-free as possible by July 20th, and that the community has as much fun playing ORBIT as the tester team has over the last few weeks.