Golden cube

This article is about the miscellaneous object added by the Anomaly DLC. For the object used in an Ideoligion's Reliquary, see Relic.

Golden cube

A cube that fits snugly in the hand. Golden in color, it is always invitingly warm to the touch, like a trusted pet or a hug from a good friend. Those that look closely are rewarded for their attention, by the delightful way light plays across its welcoming surface. The cube seems impervious to most damage.

Base Stats

Type

[[{{{type}}}]]

Market Value

1200 

Mass

1 kg

Beauty

400

Flammability

0%

The golden cube is an anomalous object obtained from quests in the Anomaly DLC.

Acquisition

The golden cube can be found in Events in which you are contacted by either a planetary faction^[verify] or an anonymous AI. The quest giver will ask that you receive some unspecified cargo and refuse any questions about the shipment. Once the quest has been accepted there is a chance that the object which is given to you is the golden cube^[verify]. Alternatively, the cube can be acquired through the void provocation ritual.

Summary

Once received, colonists will begin to obsess over this object^[verify], starting with the first colonist as soon as the cube spawns.. They gain significant mood bonuses as long as they are allowed to interact with the cube, but also severe penalties to mood if they are separated^[verify].

Colonists will often stop whatever they were tasked with to 'Play' with the cube. Any obsessed colonists will be unable to have their task changed while playing, but can still be drafted. Upon playing with the cube, a colonist will get a +15 mood increase called "Cube Joy." Obsessed colonists will go on periodic mental breaks^[verify] during which they will build a sculpture related to the cube. The building speed of the sculpture of affected by construction skill, but the quality will always be normal and the sculpture will always provide 4 beauty. The sculpture is constructed from whatever material the colonist is standing on or by. For example, colonists standing around dirt will make dirt sculptures while those on concrete will make scrap or stone sculptures^[verify]. This artwork will provide a stacking +1 mood buff for each statue to the creator of those statues. This buff does not appear to have a limit except for space to actually build the sculptures. Uninstalling the sculptures does not affect this mood buff, but destroying a sculpture takes away the +1 as well as inflicting a −5 to the creator of the sculpture. The negative effect does stack, but its impact is reduced by 20% for each additional stack. These sculptures cannot be deconstructed and must be destroyed by attacks. All of the moodlets are independent from colonist to colonist, so both the positive and negative effects from a cube sculpture only apply to the colonist who built the structure.

If an obsessed colonist is prevented from playing with the cube for an extended period of time, they start going through withdrawal. When they do, they get the "Cube Withdrawal" health condition. The rate at which cube withdrawal worsens increases the more obsessed a colonist is with the cube. At it's initial stage, it results in a consciousness loss of 10% and a −15 mood penalty. At its moderate severity, it results in a consciousness loss of 15% and a −20 mood penalty. At its extreme severity, it results in consciousness loss of 20% and a −30 mood penalty. If withdrawal reaches 100% severity, the affected colonist will immediately fall into a cube coma lasting 3-24 days, the duration depending on the colonists obsession level. Upon waking up from the coma, the colonist will no longer be obsessed with the cube. However, it should be kept in mind that nothing stops the recently woken colonist from immediately become obsessed with the cube again. Destroying the cube using shards with colonists in this coma will wake them.

When enough studies have been conducted on the golden cube^[verify], an option to permanently deactivate it becomes available which requires 1 Archotech Shard. This destroys the cube and breaks its hold over your colony. However, doing so will send any currently obsessed colonists who are not in a cube coma into Berserk Mental Breaks, even if on other map tiles. Any affected colonists within a caravan at the time of destruction will leave the colony permanently. Colonists who are obsessed with the cube will not willingly destroy it, so this action must be performed by an unaffected colonist. Temporary pawns from quests may deactivate the cube so long as they are not currently affected^[verify]. The Cube can be easily disposed of via Caravan dumping or transport pod, but doing so does not remove a colonists obsession with it. This means that if you get rid of the cube but do not destroy it, all colonists obsessed with the cube will eventually develop cube withdrawal and fall into a coma. However, if you are willing to wait out the coma duration of 3-24 days , your colonists will wake up without an obsession with the cube.

Upon deactivation the golden cube drops 144-166 Gold^[verify].

Analysis

As with any anomalous object, care should be taken that the colony is able to reliably deal with adverse side effects brought on by the entity. The introduction of the cube may severely cut down on overall productivity, but also grant a substantial mood bonus to any colonist allowed to consistently interact with the golden cube. Colonies with many pawns who are constantly in danger of mental breaking may find a use, as the huge mood buffs will change potentially dangerous mental breaks into smaller sculpture creation breaks. However, constant sculpture making can prove troublesome as it not only wastes a pawns time, but also takes up space with relatively low value sculptures which cannot be broken without a mood penalty.

The cube itself has a considerably high beauty value (about on par with a Good quality golden statue) which can even increase the mood of pawns who are not obsessed but simply share the same room as the cube. This can quickly increase the beauty value within a room colonists frequent, such as a rec room or dining room. Keeping the cube on display may prove difficult though, as many of your pawns may attempt to play with it constantly. This may limit the display time and relocate the golden cube afterwards. Placing a dedicated 1x1 [Stockpile Zone] or a [shelf] for the cube can ensure that it always returns to a specific viewing point.

Caravans are made substantially more difficult to form and maintain as any affected colonists will eventually be plagued with constant mood penalties due to undergoing cube withdrawal^[verify]. Often, you may be restricted to keeping any obsessed colonists at home while unaffected pawns can safely do quests on the world map.

If kept away from the cube for extended periods of time, obsessed colonists will begin going through cube withdrawal. Withdrawal starts as a slight reduction in consciousness and a mood reduction (similarly to a drug) and eventually escalates into a coma. Colonists who fall into this coma cannot be woken for 3-24 days or until the cube is destroyed. Allowing an obsessed pawn to play with the cube will get rid of their withdrawal.

Destruction of the cube can be both difficult and dangerous. If all of your colonists are obsessed there will be no way to conventionally deactivate the object, as affected colonists refuse to do so. Any unaffected colonists should be ready to promptly secure and subdue obsessed pawns who go berserk. Be sure to return any affected colonists to the home map before destroying the golden cube, otherwise they will permanently leave. This is likely intended to force affected pawns into the Berserk state and prevent them from avoiding this by caravanning away.

Placing an affected colonist in a Cryptosleep casket will result in them escaping the casket and beginning a berserk rage mental break normally. Anesthetized colonists will be unaffected by the cube's destruction and will not suffer from cube withdrawal, so if you can manage it, this may be the safest option. Even the slightest amount of cube fascination will result in berserk break when the cube is destroyed; the meter doesn't need to be full.