Learning helper

Some of the lessons in the Learning Helper. From earlier versions.

Learning helper sits in the top right of the screen. If something happens relating to a concept the player hasn’t learned, that lesson will be activated and shown on the learning helper. It can then be opened and read. Lessons are automatically marked as learned when the player does the necessary interaction, and can be marked as learned manually. Lessons are shown as needed by circumstance, or on a slow timer. The overall idea is that you’ll never be shown a lesson you already know, but always be shown the lessons you need to know now. It can be expanded and searched for any lesson, so you can look up how to do a specific thing at any time.

The learning helper can have custom lessons added by mods.

List of lessons

Name	Content	Learning opportunity
Alerts	The alerts at the right edge of the screen tell you about issue that need your attention. Keep an eye on the alerts.	None
Animals don't attack doors	Manhunting animals generally won't attack doors or inactive turrets. You can escape them by getting inside or behind a wall. But they'll wait for you.	---
Bills tab	To make colonists work at a table, select the table and open the Bills tab. Here, you can say what meals to cook, what things to craft, what creatures to butcher.	---
Build orbital trade beacon	To send items or silver to orbital traders, you must build an ORBITAL TRADE BEACON and place a stockpile of items near it.	---
Camera dolly	Move the camera by clicking and dragging the MOUSE BUTTON 3 (middle button) or with the {Key:MapDollyUp}-{Key:MapDollyLeft}-{Key:MapDollyDown}-{Key:MapDollyRight} keys.	None
Camera zoom	Zoom in and out with the MOUSEWHEEL or the {Key:MapZoomIn} and {Key:MapZoomOut} keys.	None
Capturing	When an enemy is downed on the ground but not dead, you can CAPTURE them. To capture, select a colonist, right-click on the incapacitated enemy, and select Capture. You'll need an extra bed marked for prisoner use.	---
Drafting	To control colonists directly for combat, Draft them by selecting them and hitting the DRAFT button. A drafted colonist will do only what you tell them, and can only take combat actions. Those with weapons will use them when possible. Don't leave colonists Drafted forever - they'll starve and become unhappy.	---
Door opening speeds	Doors open at different speeds depending on what they're made of. Warning: Stone doors open very slowly. Anyone passing through will be significantly slowed down.	---
Drug addiction	You can inspect your colonists' desire to take a drug in their Needs tab. As long as their need level is at zero, their addiction changes to a "withdrawal" state which can have various negative side effects. However, after long enough in withdrawal, their addiction will end and the drug need will disappear.	---
Drug burning	Drugs can be useful, but can also lead to harmful addictions. If you want to avoid drugs in your colony, you have the option of burning them at a campfire.	---
Drug policies	You can assign colonists to take specific drugs on a specific schedule. For example, you can make them take anti-malaria drugs regularly, or drink a beer a day to stay happy . Open the ASSIGN tab and press the 'Manage drug policies' button. Create a new drug policy. Then, you can assign this policy to colonists. Colonists can still take drugs not in their policy. You can tell them what to do, but they also follow their own desires!	---
Equipping weapons	Your colonists arrived with some weapons. Equip them! Select each colonist and right-click on the weapon you want them to equip.	None
Forbidding	Colonists will not interact with items marked FORBIDDEN. Forbidden items have a small red X attached. Select a forbidden item and use the controls at the bottom to UNFORBID it.	None
Forbidding doors	You can FORBID doors so colonists and tame animals won't go through them. Note that this isn't a door lock. Doors are always locked, so enemies can't pass freely. Forbidding just directs your colonists not to use the door. Colonists who are going crazy might use the door anyway.	None
Growing zones	To grow food, place GROWING ZONES using the Architect menu. They can only be placed on fertile ground .	None
Interacting with traders	You can talk to people with ? over their heads. Select a colonist and right-click on the character with ? attached to his head.	---
Mining	You can designate where to mine by opening the ARCHITECT menu and selecting the ORDERS tab. Some mineable blocks yield STEEL, GOLD, PLASTEEL, and other useful materials.	None
Pausing	Hit {Key:TogglePause} to pause or unpause the game. You can give orders while paused. Remember this - if things get hectic, just hit {Key:TogglePause}!	None
Reforming caravans	After an encounter, you can easily re-form a caravan by using the RE-FORM CARAVAN command in the World view.	---
Rescuing	To rescue a wounded person, select a healthy colonist and the right-click on the wounded one. If you rescue a non-colonist, they won't necessarily join your colony. They may simply walk away after healing. If you want to guarantee that they join, capture them and recruit them.	---
Set what plant to grow	You can set what to plant in a growing zone. You can even grow trees! Just select the growing zone, open the Growing tab, and click the 'plant' button.	---
Shield belts	Shield belts stop ranged attacks from coming in or out. They have no effect on melee attacks. To fight against shield belts, either concentrate a lot of gunfire on the target, or fight hand-to-hand.	---
Time control	You can speed up time. Try controlling time with the {Key:TimeSpeedNormal}, {Key:TimeSpeedFast}, and {Key:TimeSpeedSuperfast} keys, or with the time controls in the bottom right.	None
TV for sick people	Sick people can watch TV while laying in bed.	---
Using the comms console	To communicate, select a colonist and right-click on the comms console.	---
Work settings	You can set each colonist's work settings in the WORK tab at the bottom left of the screen. They will always do the highest priority work that they can find. If nobody has a certain work type assigned, or if they are busy with higher-priority tasks, it will never get done.	None
World view camera movement	Zoom with the MOUSE WHEEL or <Zoom in key> and <Zoom out key> keys. Pan with the {Key:MapDollyUp}-{Key:MapDollyLeft}-{Key:MapDollyDown}-{Key:MapDollyRight} keys, or by MIDDLE-CLICKING and DRAGGING.	At start