The vast alien world you get to explore in Lightyear Frontier is rich with resources for you to collect, but this process can be quite tedious at first. Luckily, you can make it a lot easier by upgrading your tools and Mech.
Accessing upgrades takes a bit of work, but the sooner you can unlock them the better since doing so enhances all of your abilities. If you’re unsure how to actually access and use this feature, here’s how to upgrade your tools and Mech in Lightyear Frontier.
How to upgrade your tools in Lightyear Frontier
Your basic tools can’t be upgraded, but all of your advanced tools through the Mech can be enhanced using an Upgrade Depot. The two basic tools you have outside of the Mech, which are the P.I.C.K.-Axe and the Paint Gun, aren’t much use anyway since you should always be using your highly powerful Mech when you can.
How to get an Upgrade Depot in Lightyear Frontier
To unlock an Upgrade Depot so you can access upgrades, you have to first find Aluminum Rods because the crafting recipe for the Upgrade Depot is locked until you have found them. Once you have some Aluminum Rods, you can then craft and place an Upgrade Depot from the Constructs – Essentials category using the following materials:
- 24 Stone
- Found around the world and mined using your P.I.C.K.-Axe or the Mech’s Spike Saw.
- Four Aluminum Rods
- Obtained from Aluminum Rod deposits using the P.I.C.K.-Axe or the Mech’s Spike Saw.
- Four Aluminum Frames
- Crafted using Aluminum Rods at an Assembler.
How to upgrade your Mech in Lightyear Frontier
To upgrade your Mech in Lightyear Frontier, you need to dock it at the Upgrade Depot. This can be done by hopping in your Mech and walking up to this machine. Once you’re close to it, the Interact option will appear. Hold down the button displayed next to the word Interact to dock your Mech so you can make upgrades.
Walk over to the small screen located at the opposite end of the Upgrade Depot and open the menu to access all the available upgrades. Your Mech has to stay docked while you make them, so don’t hop inside it unless you are done applying enhancements.
All upgrades in Lightyear Frontier
There are three types of upgrades you have access to in Lightyear Frontier which include farming upgrades, gathering upgrades, and traversal upgrades. Each category has quite an array of upgrades you can unlock, but the upgrade system is a tree which means you have to work through most of it in order.
- Farming upgrades
- Seed Shooter Lock-on: Allows the Seed Shooter to lock onto and hit up to nine mounds.
- Lock on Targets I: Increases the number of mounds to 18.
- Lock on Targets II: Increases the number of mounds to 32.
- Lock on Targets III: Increases the number of mounds to 64.
- Irrigation Hose Hydro Splash: Boosts the Irrigation Hose so it can splash multiple mounds at once.
- Hydro Splash Size I: Increases the splash range further.
- Hydro Splash Size II: Increases the splash range even further.
- Water Tank Capacity I: Enhances the amount of water your Mech can carry.
- Irrigation Hose Range I: Boosts the range of the Irrigation Hose so it can shoot further.
- Water Tank Capacity II: Allows the Mech to store additional water.
- Water Tank Capacity III: Allows the Mech to store even more water.
- Irrigation Hose Power I: Boosts the power of the Irrigation Hose so it can wash away strong slime.
- Irrigation Hose Power II: Boosts the power of the Irrigation Hose even more so it can wash away stronger slime.
- Seed Shooter Lock-on: Allows the Seed Shooter to lock onto and hit up to nine mounds.
- Gathering upgrades
- Spike Saw Power I: Enhances the power of the Spike Saw so it can break strong materials.
- Spike Saw Power II: Enhances the power of the Spike Saw so it can break stronger materials.
- Spike Saw Power III: Enhances the power of the Spike Saw so it can break even stronger materials.
- Spike Saw Damage I: Boosts the damage dealt by the Spike Saw so it takes fewer hits to break items.
- Spike Saw Damage II: Boosts the damage more.
- Spike Saw Damage III: Boosts the damage even more.
- Inventory Capacity I: Increases the Mech’s inventory capacity so you can carry more items before becoming Overencumbered.
- Vacuum Harvester Range I: Boosts the Vacuum Harvester’s range so you can reach items from farther away.
- Inventory Capacity II: Allows the Mech to carry more items.
- Inventory Capacity III: Allows the Mech to carry even more items.
- Vacuum Harvester Width I: Enhances the Vacuum Harvester’s width so it can gather items within a wider area.
- Vacuum Harvester Width II: Enhances the Vacuum Harvester’s width even more.
- Vacuum Harvester Power I: Boosts the Vacuum Harvester’s power so it can remove strong weeds.
- Vacuum Harvester Power II: Boosts the Vacuum Harvester’s power so it can remove even stronger weeds.
- Spike Saw Power I: Enhances the power of the Spike Saw so it can break strong materials.
- Traversal upgrades
- Pathmaker: Unlocks a new Mech mode that allows you to freely carve paths into the ground.
- Field Plow: Unlocks a Mech mode that lets you quickly create fields of mounds for gardening.
- Thruster Boost I: Enhances your Thruster Boost so you can use your Mech’s short burst of flight for a slightly longer period of time.
- Thruster Boost II: Enhances your Thruster Boost even more.
- Sprint Speed I: Boosts your sprint speed so the Mech moves faster.
- Sprint Speed II: Boosts your sprint speed even more.
- Pathmaker: Unlocks a new Mech mode that allows you to freely carve paths into the ground.
Upgrading your Mech enhances the power of all your tools and helps you navigate through the world faster, especially since there’s no fast travel. All of the upgrades are costly, but worth unlocking as soon as you can.
