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How to increase carrying capacity in Lightyear Frontier

Here's how to increase your carrying capacity in Lightyear Frontier

Lightyear Frontier Mech suit
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Amplifier Studios

Looking to increase your carrying capacity in Lightyear Frontier? Lightyear Frontier is a charming crafting, farming game where you must set up a base on an alien world and colonise it for earthly inhabitants. As such, a large part of the game centres around resource gathering, and transporting quantities of ore back to base.

If your resource farming is interrupted by the over encumbered warning message, you'll likely need to upgrade your carrying capacity. Below, we've outlined just the Mech Upgrade you need to do so, along with a rundown of all the materials you'll need and where to find them.

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How to upgrade carrying capacity in Lightyear Frontier

Three Mech Upgrades in Lightyear Frontier will allow you to carry more weight. To craft these, you'll first need to build an Upgrade Depot from the build menu. Afterwards, dock your Mech into the Depot and use the console to craft a Mech Upgrade.

The Upgrade Depot should be relatively easy to make straight away in Lighyear Frontier as it only requires the following materials:

  • Stone x24: Can be collected from rocks on the ground with the Spike Saw attachment.
  • Aluminum Rod x4: Can be harvesed from ores within The Meadows biome.
  • Aluminum Frame x4: Made at an Assembler machine with two Aluminum Rods.
Lightyear Frontier Carry Capacity upgrade
There are three carry capacity upgrades in Lightyear Frontier. Each are worth prioritising to help gather more resources. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Amplifier Studios

Inventory Capacity I

The first upgrade you need is called Inventory Capacity I and requires five Aluminum Electronics to make. These can be made at an Assembler machine with two Aluminum Rods and one Copper Wire.

Aluiminum is a common ore deposit within the Meadows biome. Copper can be found within the Edge Cliffs biome.

After you have made this upgrade, your carry capacity should increase from 60 to 90. This will give you a great headstart when collecting materials from other biomes to make more advanced structures.

To access Inventory Capacity II and III, you'll also need to invest in upgrading your Vacuum Harvester. As much of the exploration in Lightyear Frontier relies on clearing biomes of Noxious Weeds, you'll likely need these upgrades anyway.

Inventory Capacity II

The next carry capacity upgrade requires five Batteries to make. Batteries can be crafted at an Assembler with the following materials:

  • Copper Ore x2: Can be mined from the Edge Cliffs biome.
  • Zappertwig x3: Zappertwig seeds grow within the Yellow Forest. You'll need to clear the area of Noxious Weeds and Slime first, then collect and grow the Zappertwig seeds.

Inventory Capacity II

The last carry capacity Mech Upgrade requires five Batteris and five Fractalite Bars to make. See the above section on making Batteries.

Fractalite Bars can be made from Fractalite Ore at a Furnace. Fractalite deposites grow within the Lowland Plains biome. This means you will need to upgrade your Vaccume Harvester to clear the area and you will need the highest Spike Saw upgrade to collect the ore.


Other storage solutions in Lightyear Frontier

Screenshot of a Silo in Lightyear Frontier
Silos can hold up to 600 weight of a single resource. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Amplifier Studios

How to make a Silo

A Silo can store up to 600 weight of a single resource. This means you can stockpile weighty ores like Aluminum, Copper and Iron inside Silos and conserve chest space at your base.

To make a Silo in Lightyear Frontier, you need the following materials:

  • Hardwood x8: Can be collected from Large Trees in any biome. Will require an upgraded Spike Saw.
  • Blue Crystal Dust x8: Can be made at a Grinder from Blue Crystal. Blue Crystal grows in the Yellow Forest biome.
  • Copper Wire x2: Can be made at an Assembler with Copper Ore. Copper Ore can be farmed from the Edge Cliffs biome.

After making a Silo, simply interact with it to bring up the inventory menu. Here, you can deposit a single resource type. We recommend building one Silo per major resource.

How to make a Shed

Screenshot of a Small Shed in Lightyear Frontier
Sheds are infinitely better than chests for storage at a base. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Amplifier Studios

A small shed can hold up to 200 weight. However, unlike a Silo, it can hold multiple resources at once. Essentially, it functions as a better chest. To make a shed in Lightyear Friontier, you'll need the following materials:

  • Hardwood x15: Can be collected from Large Trees in any biome. Will require an upgraded Spike Saw.
  • Iron Bar: An Iron Bar can be made in a Furnace with Coal and Iron Ore. To unlock the Furnace, you need to make Clay at an Assembler with Stone Dust (with Stone, at a Grinder) first.

The rounds off our guide to upgrading your carrying capacity in Lightyear Frontier. Now, you should be able to maximise your farming and carry more materials back to base. For more tips and tricks, check out our Nest locations guides and gain access to resource replenishment boosts in each map biome.

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