Grounded: How To Fix The Mysterious Machine

Locating and activating the tri-laser device is the very first major goal that you are supposed to accomplish when grinding your way through Grounded. A question that many newbies playing Grounded have is how to fix the mysterious machine. This Grounded guide intends to deliver the procedure of activating the two broken lasers associated with the device, all the while addressing certain issues that you are bound to face while embarking on this journey.

Locating The Mysterious Machine

We will begin our navigation from the Field Station. There are loads of things to explore in the area. From the Field Station, you are to move in the direction with the uneven path, which is damp with dirt and slime. You will see a red Mite eating on the corpse of a Gnat. You have the option to take hold of the Gnat corpse granting you some new recipes, but at the same time to be avoidant of the Mite since you have no offensive weapons at hand at the present.

Once you are done scavenging the corpse, look ahead in the clearing for a particular large object.

The Mysterious Machine

As you approach the large white object, you will see that the object has a top made of glass with circuitry on the inside. This circuitry can be explored and interacted with by entering through the holes on the object. Do note that there is nothing particular to collect here, thus no need to waste time exploring the insides. Just climb to the top and try interacting with the switch.

This is the point where you find out that only one of the set of lasers actually works. Now you are supposed to fix the other two in order to fix and activate the Mysterious Machine.

The Blocked Laser

Look exactly toward the end of the platform in the direction opposite to that of the switches, and then look upwards. You see that a certain tall blade of grass is the culprit behind the laser being blocked from reaching the device. This is where you cut the blade of grass, with a Pebblet Axe.

Now the Pebblet Axe can be crafted using a certain recipe of items, but in order to be able to do so, you need to have analysed the Pebblet at the Field Station earlier to unlock the recipe for the item. You should also make sure to have analysed the Plant Fiber, so that you have the Woven Fiber recipe with you.

Crafting The Pebblet Axe

The Pebblet Axe can be crafted using the following items:

• 1 Crude Rope
• 2 Pebblet
• 3 Sprig

Pebblets can be found in abundance in the starting area. Sprigs are small sprouts with two leaves, which are also found growing in ample amount in the starting area. In order to make Crude Rope, you need to have Plant Fiber, the very reason we specifically instructed for you to have learned the Woven Fiber recipe. Plant Fiber, unlike the other two items, is a little more difficult to find. It appears from small sprouts which are particularly close to the ground.

Once you manage to salvage Plant Fiber, craft a Crude Rope. Once all three ingredients are complete, you can go ahead and craft the Pebblet Axe, using which you are to cut the obstructing grass strand down, restoring direct connection with the laser.

Do note that grass strands which are chopped leave behind at the very least three grass planks. These can be used to craft a number of necessities, although they come with a price of being too big to fit into your inventory.

Building A Shelter

At this point, you will receive an alert about proceeding to build a shelter in preparation for the impending nightfall. This is where you make use of the Axe once again to chop yourself a clover stalk. You have to analyse the clover leaf at the field camp in order to unlock crafting for Lean-To. Chopping the clover leaf will also leave a blueprint for you to utilise later on during crafting of a Lean-To.

Next, you have to choose the Lean-To, place the blueprint that you acquired after chopping the clover leaf down on the ground and then proceed to craft it. Crafting a Lean-To requires the following set of items:

• 2 Sprig
• 3 Clover Leaf

Placement Of The Blueprint

You can place the blueprint anywhere on the ground, even when you do not have all the ingredients for the Lean-To at hand. You can dump the ones that you have, while the blue outline remains until you dump in everything that is required to complete the recipe.

Make sure not to stray away from the Mysterious Machine so much for setting up your Lean-To. This practice is encouraged not only for this particular situation, but for all future situations where you are setting up a Lean-To. When you set up your camp near a significant location or landmark, one; it ensures that you are safe from potential harm and two; you stay near the landmark to proceed easily with your quest. This essentially makes getting started the next day or after an accident much easier.

Building The Object

Once all the ingredients have been dumped into the blueprint, you can build it to complete the object. At this point, you can expand beyond the camp walls and also a door around the spot that you chose if you want. However, we find out that it is really not worth the time and resources this early into the game.

Now you are to interact with the Lean-To and choose to sleep. This will make you rest for eight straight hours. Upon waking up, you will have your health restored, but at the same time your hydration and fullness considerably reduced than when you went to sleep. Make sure to chop some dry grass, since you will be needing that to complete the quest.

Shelter As A Respawn Point

A shelter can also be set to act as a respawn point. A respawn point is where you restart the game from once you die. However you will not have any items left in your inventory when you do respawn. After playing around with shelters and trying to figure out how useful they are, we have some advice for our readers. Always make sure to build a shelter whenever you are venturing off to explore an area or a certain lab that you come across along the way.

A respawn point can help you save time on your quest to fixing the Mysterious Machine.

Cooking Spit

It is worthy of noting here that you can also learn to create a Cooking Spit at this point. For that, you will be needing to chop yourself some dry grass strands. These are sometimes super useful to have inside your camp. They allow you to cook raw insect parts that you salvage as you wander around. This provides you with actual meals, which serve to lower the frequency of you getting hungry.

Fixing The Second Laser

Although fixing the first laser did not come with any potential threats or instances of combat, but that does not happen to be the case for the second laser. Fixing the second laser involves combat to a certain degree. You can either make use of the Pebblet Axe that you crafted earlier for this purpose. A Pebblet Spear can serve as a very good alternative, an actual weapon as the name indicates.

You should also craft a few Fiber Bandages using sap, just in case. Fiber Bandages can prove to be very helpful in combat in that they restore a certain small amount of health immediately and then continue to replenish health over time.

You will also be needing a torch to proceed further.

Locating The Emitter

You need to trace the origin of the laser by looking to the skies. You will have to march your way through the thick, dense grass to finally reach the base of the emitter. The route that you take to reach the emitter is relatively safer, although you will find a few ants along your way. Just make sure not to mess with any of them to be safe. They are too much for you to handle at this point in game.

Once you reach the emitter, you will discover that the source of the problem is nothing but some annoying Mites. These Mites are chewing on the cable, essentially causing the device to be unable to function properly. In order to restore the functionality of the device, you will need to get rid of all the Mites along the entire length of the cable. Although it takes only a few hits to obliterate Mites, be careful because they can essentially unite and overwhelm you.

Combat Tips

Make use of the bandages you crafted earlier as and when required. Also make sure to block their lunging bites. You can block all damage from these attacks should you time it right. Block right before the thrust to ignore all potential damage from the attack.

The Cave

Keep on following the cable coming down from the laser emitter until you reach the opening a small cave. This is where you will be needing the torch to proceed further into the cave. You can equip a torch along with any given main weapon. Be vary of some stray Mites that might sneak up on you and attack from the depths. Keep eliminating the Mites chewing on the cable at the same time.

As you approach the end of the cave, you will come across some fluorescent slime mold-ish substance above the Mites. Make sure to pocket this mold, as it will come in handy for crafting items as you progress further into the game. You will also find some stone and quartz deposits here. Use a Pebblet Hammer to harvest resources from these.

Activating The Mysterious Machine

Once you are finished obliterating the last one of the Mites damaging the cable, head back to where the Mysterious Machine is. Now that the Mysterious Machine has been fixed, when you activate it this time around, it will fire up. This executes a huge explosion near the big oak tree in the yard. This is, as you must have guessed, your cue to move in that direction to proceed further.

And The Mysterious Machine Has Been Fixed

This has been a guide on how to fix the Mysterious Machine in Grounded. We hope that upon going through this guide, all your questions and troubles would have been sorted out as you venture through the green world in an attempt to fix the Mysterious Machine. If you still have any queries or wish to discuss any aspect of the game, do leave a comment down below.

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