GATE Cascade Research Facility

The following page contains spoilers. Read at your own risk. "Private Note. It's undeniable that operations at Cascade are being monitored by external forces. This much the Cascade Executive committee have been permitted to know. Exactly who has been infiltrating our communications, and to what ends, remains unknown." - Dr. Derek Manse

The setting of Abiotic Factor is the GATE Cascade Research Facility and connected Portal Worlds. It is one of several Facilities operated by GATE. The GATE Cascade Research Facility itself is located in Australia and resides within an old lithium mine, about 500m below the surface and is divided into eight sectors. The Cascade facility is focused on perforation and Immurment subject research.

Introduction locations

Restricted Zone

Riding with Lance

The GATE Cascade Restricted Zone is the blanket term used to describe the restricted area on the surface surrounding GATE Cascade proper. The only significant feature is the absence of any notable landmarks, as well as the presence of cameras concealed in some foliage. A solitary road leads to the entrance to Cascade, which is disguised as a small mining site. This is where Lance drives the player at the beginning of the introduction. The entrance to the actual Cascade facility is hidden within a shack,

Entry Shack

which conceals a security checkpoint and an elevator. There is also a useable outhouse close to the shack. The outside of the shack notably has a shutter, a camera and an intercom, through which Jackson inspects the player before granting entry. Past the shutter is a security office which Jackson is in, and on the desk in front of him is a GATE Pal. The induction wing is accessed through a stairway to the right of the desk.

Induction Wing

The induction wing is divided into three areas - Radiation screening, Staff processing and Ordo storage. Radiation screening features an elevator to Staff processing, from which some small parts of Cascade can be seen on the way down to Staff processing. Staff processing serves as a tutorial on basic game functionality like Radiation, the Inventory, crafting and so on. Ordo storage, a Clearance 2 area, appears to be a large warehouse which stores benign Immurement subjects. Though completely inaccessible, a large swath of the area can be seen on the way to the Residences lift. Most of the Induction Wing is only accessible in the introduction, though a small part of Staff processing (now abandoned and overgrown) is accessible in the main game through portals in manufacturing West and Reactors.

Office Sector

The Office Sector is the first sector the player encounters after the introduction, and is the sector through which most of the clerical work at Cascade is done, it also features some laboratories and recreation areas. It is divided into three levels and has three perforation silos. Most notably, the Office Sector also houses the tram plaza - a nexus through which most of the Cascade's sectors connect. This sector is mostly under Blue clearance with a few exceptions.

Layout

The office sector is divided into three levels stacked on top of each other, with level 1 being the smallest and level 2 being the largest. Level 1 houses the Cafeteria, the first area the player encounters and also the default respawn point. It is also connected to the Tram Plaza. Level 2, by far the most expansive out of all levels, features some recreational facilities, a couple of laboratories, numerous offices and two Perforation Silos. Level 3, the executive level, cannot be accessed from the get-go and requires the player to venture through the far Garden in order to reach it; though it can be reached through other means. Level 3 itself has some office spaces and most notably a perforation to Flathill.

Resources

Resources in the office sector are limited to early-game and basic materials such as Plastic Scrap, Metal Pipes , Duct Tape, Magazines, Anvils, et cetera. Bar GATE Security Crates and enemy drops, the area features no mid or late-game resources.

Enemies

As the Office Sector is an introduction to the game, it lacks any serious threats that can overwhelm the player; albeit as the game progresses, tougher enemies tend to start spawning in and around all levels according to the player's progress. Initially, the Office Sector is populated with Carbuncles, Pests and the occasional Peccary, though as the game goes on Exors and Exor Monks will become common throughout the sector. Four Security Robots are present throughout The Offices but only come out at night or when provoked.

Player Equipment

The player equipment in the Office Sector is limited by the materials available, which makes the Makeshift Armor Set the prevalent armor set for the bulk of the sector, but armor pieces like the Lead Vest and the Karate Helmet are available earlier due to them being spread around Level 2. There are also several Hazardous Materials Suits which can be found in the two Silos and Physics Lab D. While not strictly part of Office Sector progression, because of the single GATE Security Crate it is possible to obtain some parts of the Security Armor Set.

Weapons are mostly limited to what the player can craft as there are not a lot of weapons that naturally spawn (with the exception of Desk Legs upon breaking desks and tables), though it is possible to find some Security Pistols and 9mm Ammo behind Blue Clearance Keypads. As for crafted weapons, due to the limited resources it is possible to make Pipe Clubs, Makeshift Spears and the like.

Manufacturing West

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  Manufacturing West

Cascade Laboratories

Primary Containment

Adjustment Wing

Laser Lab

Location of the Laser Reflector recipe used to unlock the Rise Portal World. Access to the room requires Antethermite and [[Keypad Hacker (Tier 3).

Hydroplant

Note: Directions in this section are given in relation to downstream flow, with the reservoir at one's back.