Alien Ruins: restore the Research Station and establish a foothold
After investigating the Tadpole Pens, cross the gorge east to the Alien Ruins, insert a battery into the Research Station's bedroom socket, then speak to NOA in the command room. Your next priority is a nearby powered base and a Modification Station. These give you somewhere to resupply and build the upgrades needed for the deeper area.
Updated .
Pack for the crossing and the base
The objective beyond the Tadpole Pens takes you more than 600 metres east across open seabed patrolled by a Collector Leviathan. Repair your Tadpole, charge its power supply and carry a spare Power Cell. The Scout Ray Chassis blueprint is inside the Pens and provides a useful vehicle upgrade before this crossing.
Pack food, water, healing, backup batteries and the Habitat Builder. Take Titanium, Quartz, Copper and Silver for the new outpost rather than filling every slot with optional loot. Reserve one charged battery for the Research Station. If you still need a spare vehicle power supply, complete your salt gathering before heading out.
Cross the gorge and switch on the station
- Set the Alien Ruins objective as your destination. Leave the Pens area with a repaired Tadpole and follow the eastward crossing.
- Choose a clear path across the open water. The published route recommends travelling close to the seabed or near the surface. Neither removes the Collector threat; keep moving toward the far side instead of stopping to gather materials.
- Use the far-side cliffs for cover. Once across, find a sheltered stopping point and inspect the vehicle for damage before continuing.
- Enter the Research Station. Insert your reserved battery into the socket in the bedroom to restore power.
- Visit the command room and interact with NOA. Read the available objectives. Return to NOA as the conversations advance to obtain the corresponding quest markers.
- Scan the Modification Station near the entrance. Carry that unlock back to the outpost you build nearby.
Build a second base before chasing deep objectives
A small base near the Research Station cuts out repeated gorge crossings. Start with a usable entrance, power, a Fabricator and storage. Keep the vehicle approach clear. Where a natural current is available, a Hydroelectric Turbine is a useful local power option; position it in the current and check the base's power state before relying on it for oxygen or manufacturing.
Keep a locker for the return journey's battery, food and water. Use the rest for materials gathered nearby. Add the Modification Station once you have Celestine, then choose an upgrade goal instead of trying every deep marker in one outing.
| Next build | Current recipe | What it enables |
|---|---|---|
| Modification Station | 2 Titanium + 2 Celestine + 2 Copper | Build it with the Habitat Builder to make tool upgrades. |
| Bioscanner | 1 Scanner + 2 Enameled Glass + 3 Conduit Crystal | Craft at the Modification Station after the blueprint unlock; scan creatures for Biomods. |
Choose the depth or Bioscanner branch
For deeper vehicle travel: the published route places a Tadpole Depth Module unlock near Ruby's second black box, in a cave beneath the Needler nest roughly 270 metres southeast of the Alien Ruins. Gather the unlock and check the module recipe before committing to a deeper expedition. Install the completed upgrade and verify the vehicle's displayed depth limit.
For creature scanning: the Bioscanner blueprint route leads to CICADA wreckage roughly 500 metres southeast of the Research Station. This is a separate trip from finding the Modification Station. Once you have the blueprint, gather Creature Enamel for Enameled Glass and reserve three Conduit Crystals for the upgrade.
Treat these distances as approaches from the Research Station, not from the Lifepod. Return to the outpost between branches if batteries, oxygen or storage are running low. Later Power Plant objectives add Atacamite, Troilite and Axum materials to your route; use the Power Plant preparation guide once your local supply loop is working.
If progression stalls
- The station is dark: check the bedroom battery socket and use a charged battery before trying the command-room NOA.
- NOA names locations but no marker appears: finish the current conversation and revisit the terminal as objectives progress.
- The upgrade cannot be crafted: the station and the upgrade have separate unlocks. Scan the Modification Station at the Research Station, then obtain the blueprint for the specific upgrade.
- Your outpost has no power: inspect generator placement and the power connection. A turbine outside a natural current does not provide a dependable supply.
Route reference
The crossing, station rooms and southeast upgrade approaches follow PC Gamer's Alien Ruins walkthrough. Follow current mission markers and the landmarks together when choosing your approach.