You’re probably going to need help if you want to achieve everything that there is to achieve in Deserts of Kharak. And so, here we have ready for you a full guide- this guide includes a list of upgrades and unlocks, a guide to expeditions, and some general suggestions and tips for the game.

So without further ado, let’s get on with it:

TECH UPGRADES AND UNLOCKS

Like any strategy game worth its salt, Deserts of Kharak presents the player with a tantalizing set of possibilities in the form of an enormous tech tree. The tech tree represents further upgrades that you can unlock for yourself by researching them over time. To the newcomer, these tech trees can be flat out daunting and overwhelming- so we’ve decided to at least list them out here with their benefits and type, so you can make a decision if you need or want to.

Level 1

• Support Cruiser Anti-Air
  Support Cruisers get anti-air capabilities
  Upgrade
  Unlocks nothing
• Power Reserve 1
  Gives 5 more power to Carrier
  Upgrade
  Unlocks – Power Reserve 2
• Light Assault Vehicle Fabrication
  Opens LAV
  Engineering Type
  Unlocks – Railgun, AAV, LAV Assault Pack, LAV Armor Level 1

Level 2

• AAV Fabrication
  You can make armored tanks
  Engineering Type
  Unlocks- Upgrade Carrier Production, Heavy Vehicles Armor Level 1, Missile Battery, Battle Cruiser, Assault Cruiser
• LAV Assault Pack
  LAV enhanced with 2 armor
  Upgrade
  Unlocks – Vehicle Damage Level 1
• Power Reserve 2
  Carrier gets 5 more power
  Upgrade
  Unlocks – Power Reserve 3
• Tech Fighter and Gunship Fabrication
  Opens fighters
  Engineering Type
  Unlocks – Tactical Bomber Fabrication
• Railgun Fabrication
  Railgun fabrication allowed
  Engineering Type
  Unlocks- Railgun Mag Accelerator Upgrade

Level 3

• Heavy Vehicles Armor Level 1
  Adds 2 armor to AAV, Railgun, Missile Battery
  Upgrade
  Unlocks – Heavy Vehicles Armor Level 2
• Vehicle Damage Level 1
  LAV gets 2 more damage
  Upgrade
  Unlocks – Vehicle Damage Level 2
• Battle Cruiser Fabrication
  Battle cruiser unlocked
  Engineering
  Unlocks nothing
• Assault Cruiser Fabrication
  Assault cruiser unlocked
  Engineering
  Unlocks – Assault Cruiser Anti-Air Capabilities, Artillery Cruiser
• Upgrade Carrier Production
  Upgrades carrier production by giving additional production queue
  Upgrade
  Unlocks – Upgrade Carrier Production
• LAV Armor Level 2
  LAV gets 2 armor
  Upgrade
  Unlocks Nothing
• Power Reserve 3
  Carrier gets 5 more power
  Upgrade
  Unlocks Power Reserve 4

Level 4

• Assault Cruiser Anti-Air
  Assault cruiser gets anti-air capabilities
  Upgrades
  Unlocks nothing
• Vehicle Damage Level 2
  LAV gets 2 more damage
  Upgrade
  Unlocks nothing
• Upgrade Carrier Production
  Gives additional production queue
  Upgrade
  Unlocks nothing
• Heavy Vehicles Armor Level 2
  AAV, Railgun, and Missile Battery get 2 armor
  Upgrade
  Unlocks – Heavy Vehicles Armor Level 3
• Artillery Cruiser Fabrication
  Artillery cruiser unlocked
  Engineering
  Unlocks nothing
• Power Reserve 4
  Carrier gets 5 more power
  Upgrade
  Unlocks – Power Reserve 5

Level 5

• Power Reserve 5
  Carrier gets 5 more power
  Upgrade
  Unlocks – Cruise Missile Silo
• Heavy Vehicles Armor Level 3
  2 Armor added to AAV, Railgun, Missile Battery
  Upgrade
  Unlocks nothing

Level Nukes

• Cruise Missile Silo
  Takes half a carrier’s health and 2-minute cooldown
  Upgrade
  Unlocks nothing

GENERAL TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS

Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak is a rather nuanced and complicated real time strategy game. Fans of the original game, or of other classic RTSs, should be able to get a handle on it very quickly- especially since the new game basically uses a control scheme and mechanics that are all but identical to the original game (which got a remastered release last year).

However, whether you’re a veteran or a complete newbie, a crash course on some basic but helpful tips can’t hurt. Here are some basic tips and strategies you should keep in mind:

• Use the overlay map. You activate it by pressing [Space], and it takes you to a stripped down view of the map, which lets you issue orders to to your units far easier.
• Double click a unit, and all units of that type will be automatically selected.
• Use the EMP ability that Rachel S’Jet has to disable multiple units if you are ever being mobbed or swarmed.
• Rachel also repairs units.
• Observe enemy units, and try to learn their movement and attack patterns. Use that knowledge to your advantage.
• Kapisi Carriers are basically tanks- they can take a lot of beating, as long as they are managed properly. Keep an eye on their power levels, and make sure they are not too close to running out of health, and they can be used to hold back an attack.
• Finally, don’t complete tasks assigned to you by missions straight away. Take the time first to bolster up your resources and your defenses, and when you feel confident enough to proceed, you can do so.

ERRORS AND GLITCHES

Please be advised that the following methods are to be used at the sole discretion of the platform owner. GamingBolt or its staff members take no responsibility for problems that may arise or issues that may occur from trying the below. Always remember that official support is always the best support. 

Access Violation/KERNELBASE.DLL error

• Verify game cache files on Steam to restore any missing .dll files.

“Your Game Crashed” error

• Verify game cache files on Steam to restore any missing files.

Framerate issues

• Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak is not optimized for overlays and background applications and operations. Turn off the Steam overlay;
• If that does not work, switch your game to lower settings.

Game crashes to the desktop randomly

• Make sure you are not running the game on an integrated GPU- switch over to your discrete one.

The crown jewel of Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak is the single player story mode- this is the first RTS in years which places the campaign front and center, and the campaign just happens to be a devious one. You’re probably going to want some help on how to make your way through the story- so we’ve got you covered. Below, you’ll find the full story walkthrough for yourself, played on Classic, which will almost certainly answer any questions you may have about single player progression.

Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak is now available for PC. The game is developed by Blackbird Interactive and published by Gearbox Software.  Check out the video walkthrough of Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak below and let us know if you have any questions in the comments section below. For video game guides, tips and wikis, check out our gaming portal here.

Just remember, there will obviously be spoilers, so try not to get ahead of where you are in the story.

Blackbird Interactive’s prequel-esque Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak is available from today onwards for PC users. You can head over to Steam today and purchase it for $49.99.

Deserts of Kharak is fairly different from previous Homeworld games. Though it focuses once again on finding your home world, the combat mostly takes place on planet-side rather than in space. Nonetheless, the prequel manages to nail the essence of what makes Homeworld such a fantastic game.

Height differences are still in play when navigating terrain and the game still features a robust multiplayer mode as seen with the recent Artifact Retrieval. It certainly helps that Blackbird Interactive is made up of employees from Relic Entertainment which worked on the previous Homeworld games.

What are your thoughts on Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak, especially since it’s a new step for the franchise? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more information on the same.

Believe it or not but classic RTS series Homeworld will be returning tomorrow with Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak. Developed by Blackbird Interactive, Deserts of Kharak once again deals with finding one’s home world. There’s plenty for multiplayer fans to like though – a new sneak peek video of the Artifact Retrieval mode has been released with lead game designer Rory McGuire and executive producer Jonathan Dowdeswell providing input. Check it out below and how various heights come into play during combat.

Though Deserts of Kharak focuses a lot on ground combat, the game has been developed by veterans of both the original game and Company of Heroes. If that weren’t enough reassurance, you can pre-order the game on Steam and receive the Homeworld Remastered Collection for free. On the other hand, Homeworld Remastered Collection owners will receive a 20 percent discount on Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak if they pre-order.

What are your thoughts on the multiplayer footage? Let us know in the comments and stay tuned for the game’s release tomorrow.