The Cycle – Contracts Guide

There are a number of contracts available in The Cycle for prospectors to complete while they’re working for one of the three factions who need their help on Fortune III

When you land in The Cycle, you’re tasked with the singular goal to complete as many contracts as you can while you’re on the planet. You’re competing with not only every NPC you encounter but against 19 other like-minded prospectors in the area. There are several contracts available to players in the game, and here are the details of how to complete each one to earn points.

Guide to Contracts in The Cycle

Capture Uplink

To capture the uplink, you need to find the waypoint on your map with the radio signal out of it. When you get there, you should find a large object in the middle of a circle. When you enter the circle, you’re going to start capturing it, and you’ll have to hold the position for a little bit of time. If you leave the circle before the uplink completes, you have to start over.

Drill Minerals

There are several lumps of purple crystals on the planet you can locate. You’re going to call down a mining unit to start extracting these crystals from the deposit. However, doing so makes enough noise to draw the attention of local wildlife. While the mining unit extracts the minerals, you’re going to have to defend it from the creatures. They’re going to come in waves until the machine finishes. Be careful, because if you don’t get to the unit fast enough, another player can freely take it when it’s done.

Hold the Zeal

This is one of the harder contracts to complete in the game; Zeal is a yellow crystal you need to carry on your person for a certain amount of time. While you’re holding it, all of the players in the game are going to know your location. You don’t want to do this contract too early, especially if you’re not equipped to defend yourself. You cannot remove the Zeal after you’ve picked it up. You must complete the contract first.

Hunt for Biomass

When you hunt for Biomass, you’re killing the local creatures, the NPCs, on the map. They’re going to be scattered throughout the terrain. After you’ve taken them out, you need to approach their location and pick up their remains. The contract requires more and more Biomass as you complete more of them. They’re an excellent way to get points early because killing creatures also gives you additional credits to spend on weapons and abilities.

Power Up Facility

There’s an abandoned facility that needs three different consoles turned on to have power restored to it. You’re going to see the main computer, a large, circular computer in the center. You need to find three terminals nearby to turn it on. You can see small, transparent lines connecting the main computers to the various terminals, to make finding them easier. Destroy the flora growing over the terminals, turn them all on, and then return to the main computer.

Refine Letium

Much like the Drill Minerals contract, you’re going to call down a machine to refine the materials you want to capture. You’re going to acquire the Letium over time, and need to protect your refiner. Unlike when you Drill Minerals, you’re not going to need to return to the refiner to pick up the crystals. They automatically go to you, so long as the refiner remains under your name.

Salvage Drones

To salve the drones left behind, you need to protect them as they’re out in the open. There’s three in the area, and you need to return to the main container. To do so, approach them and send them flying back. NPCs or other players may attempt to stop you, so ensure you get to them in time, and they don’t take too much damage. The more damage they take, the less you’re going to get back for each one.