Gate construction
From SpiralKnights
Gate construction is how players participate in creating new gates. This is done by putting minerals into them before they open.
Contents
Overview of Main Components
Minerals
Minerals are items that you get while playing in the Clockworks levels. There are five types: crimsonite, moonstone, valestone, luminite and dark matter.
You can see what minerals you have by viewing your arsenal and looking at the "Mineral" section between "Trinket" and "Material." Minerals cannot be traded.
Gates
Gates are entry points into the Clockworks. There are two kinds of gates: dormant gates and active gates.
By using minerals, knights power up dormant gates turning them into active gates ready for exploration and adventure. Dormant gates allow for 8 days of gate construction before becoming active gates. You can see an exact day:hour:minute:second indicator in the display when interacting with the mineral deposit box.
Each gate has a display monitor with a mineral deposit box. You can deposit minerals into a dormant gate by interacting with the mineral deposit box. Minerals can be directed to one of six strata of floors.
Stratum
Each gate has 6 strata:
- Stratum 1 — Depth: 01-03 (Tier 1)
- Stratum 2 — Depth: 05-07 (Tier 1)
- Stratum 3 — Depth: 09-12 (Tier 2)
- Stratum 4 — Depth: 14-17 (Tier 2)
- Stratum 5 — Depth: 19-22 (Tier 3)
- Stratum 6 — Depth: 24-28 (Tier 3)
Each stratum can hold a certain number of minerals, generally fewer minerals on lower number stratum. The number of minerals in a stratum will vary by gate and game developers have commented that it fluctuates based on the number of minerals spawned in dungeons during the previous week.
Once there are enough minerals deposited to a stratum (about 10% of what is needed), that stratum will begin to display its current theme that results from the current mineral ratios deposited in the stratum. This theme will affect all the levels that will be created for that part of the tier once the gate launches.
Once the stratum has reached its maximum number of minerals, it will lock, no longer allowing mineral deposits and the theme cannot change except through a game master's intervention via alloys.
Depositing Minerals into Stratum
The default stratum starts with Stratum 1 and after that is filled, it switches to Stratum 2, and so on. The current default stratum is indicated in the totem with an arrow on the right side. You can deposit minerals into the default stratum and receive crowns in return for your deposit. This is to encourage completion of lower numbered tiers first.
You can deposit minerals into other strata, but any time you deposit minerals into any strata that are not the default, it will pay fewer crowns. By paying to do this, you can use your minerals to help determine the theme of deeper, more dangerous floors in the Clockworks for that gate.
Power distortions can be found in some strata. Players cannot deposit minerals in stratum with a power distortion. This is because the dungeons have already been preset by game developers, often in order to include a boss fight.
Using the Mineral Deposit Box
Stand next to the mineral deposit box of the dormant gate that you wish to deposit minerals into. Use your ATTACK key to activate the interface. This will bring popups showing the gate stratum information, deposit box interface, and the mineral section of your Arsenal.
Select the stratum that you would like to add minerals to. You can only add minerals to one stratum at a time.
Click on the minerals in your Arsenal that you wish to add to the stratum. Use Shift-Click to add 10 at a time. If you wish to remove some of a particular mineral, click on it in the deposit box interface to put it back into your Arsenal, or you can use the "Empty" button to put all the minerals back into your Arsenal. After you have selected the minerals you wish to deposit, click on the "Confirm" button to deposit them. The display will show you how many crowns you paid or gained.
The "Auto Sell" button will automatically deposit your minerals into the stratum that will get you the most crowns in return. This button does not require the "Confirm" button. It will deposit your minerals and tell you how many crowns you gained immediately after you press it.
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Stratum Themes
As a gate is constructed, the themes of the various strata will become apparent through icons, which can be seen in the gate representation itself or in the mineral deposit box.
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How Minerals Affect Stratum Themes
According to Wegner in the Arcade:
- "Each recipe requires that two mineral colors be the highest. However, each recipe also has an 'anti-mineral' that if it is the third highest, will disrupt the recipe, changing the theme. Lastly, the percentage any stratum is filled equals the chance of that theme being produced. So if a gate launches with a beast stratum that is only half full, there is only actually a 50% chance that the stratum will lock in as beast themed. Only a completely filled stratum guarantees its theme."
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Alloys
Alloys are currently unavailable to players. For now, alloys are used by game developers[1] to change a finished stratum's theme to increase variety. An alloy count of 1 in a stratum means it has been changed from its original theme by a game developer, instead of using the mineral ratios to determine its theme.
