Of the city-building games out there, few manage to be as bleak and desperate as Frostpunk. The world is getting colder, and it is up to the player to build a city and keep it heated for all its citizens. Along the way, as with other games of its genre, they will have to make tough choices with major consequences. As of writing, it is also free on the Epic Games Store for a limited time, so PC gamers can try it at no cost.
It isn’t long before temperatures start dropping within the city, so players need to get things up and running quickly. In addition to citizens needing shelter, food, and medical facilities, players will need to gather resources. One unassuming building is the gathering post, which can help make obtaining resources easier and more efficient. The building is technically optional, but gathering posts have an important function early in the game. Here’s why.
Why gathering posts are important in Frostpunk
Gathering posts are important for getting resources efficiently. When players begin a new game, there are resources scattered around the playable area. These include coal piles, wood crates, and steel wreckage. It is possible for players to assign workers (or engineers) to gather the resources without needing any building. Still, they should build gathering posts as soon as possible and connect them to the generator by way of streets.
When building a gathering post, there is a circle of influence around it, indicating how far workers will go to gather resources. Players should try to tag as many as possible to maximize efficiency.
As it gets colder, people can get frostbite from attempting to gather resources. Gathering posts offers its workers a little warmth, which can be increased by researching technologies like heating. If the heat is on, workers can warm up after delivering resources.
In addition, it takes less time to gather the resources with a gathering post. When gathering resources normally, workers will trudge through the snow, gather resources, then trudge all the way back to the resource depot. With a gathering post, that becomes the drop-off area for those assigned to work there. It also takes fewer people to gather resources from a gathering post, freeing up citizens for other tasks. However, players can assign more people to gather from the piles to get resources even more quickly.
Once all resources in an area have been obtained, the gathering posts don’t have much use, unfortunately. The building can then be destroyed for resources. There are some exceptions where gathering posts can be kept though. For example, coal thumpers generate new coal piles, so keeping a gathering post around is useful in this situation.
Frostpunk is available now on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, and Mac