While technically you can drive your van anywhere on the map in Outbound, everything stops when you encounter an uphill road. I, like many others, tried to move the van forward, hoping it would move an inch per second, but nothing came of it. The van would just sit in the same spot like a deer on the road. After getting a bunch of blueprints and a few workarounds, here is how you can ride your van on steep slopes in Outbound.
How to Drive Your Van Uphill in Outbound
You will need to build a Vehicle Research Station to allocate resources to research your van’s technology. If you have ever played any RTS game, then you must be aware of the research tree nodes, where every investment gets you closer to higher research and more upgraded items for the town. In Outbound, the research tree hides behind the Vehicle Research Station, which is a machine that you must build on top of the counter like any other machine (Food Processor, Sawmill, Recycler).
The size of the Vehicle Research Station appears the same as any other machine in the game. You will need Scrap Metal x4 and Everwood Plank x4 to build the research station.
Note: Scrap Metal can be found around the towers with blueprints. And Everwood Plank can be obtained by investing in Everwood logs via the Sawmill.
Install the Vehicle Research Station and press the E button to interact with it. Here you will get to choose between three options:
- Vehicle Powertrain Upgrades
- Vehicle Building Space Upgrades
- Base Building
Now select Vehicle Powertrain Upgrades, and then select Motor Upgrade 1. This research will require x10 Bolts as resources to activate.
Note: You can build a BoltPress machine and then convert common Scrap Metal into Bolts. (x2 Scrap Metal = x1 Bolt)
The research will take mere seconds to activate. Once activated, head to the back of the van and interact with the Workshop. Now build the Motor Upgrade 1 (Bolts 5/ Scrap Metal x4). After crafting, it will get automatically added to the van. You can check the status of the Motor-related details by opening the engine and interacting with the machine titled, ‘Motor Info.’
You can now take your van on steeper slopes. If you want to fasten the process of slope-driving, then you can further invest in Motor Upgrade II and Motor Upgrade III; the higher-tier upgrades will require more unique resources than just a few bolts. The more the merrier, get some of your friends to join your game session for easier resource gathering, raising the overall efficiency in Outbound.
