Diamond Settlement

“Welcome to ze Revolution, mon ami!” This article or section presents information pertaining to Pikmin: Antarctic Survival, a fanon game created by A Friendly Amprat.

The Diamond Settlement, also referred to as the Diamond Campsite, and other names depending on its current building progress, is the main hub area in Pikmin: Antarctic Survival. It is the central base of operations for the characters' survival efforts, as it is where resources are gathered and stored, where buildings are constructed, and where the resident characters live and interact.

Plot

Prior to the events of the story, the Diamond Settlement was established by Tatoursin and his allies in the central region of the Chilly Valley, after they were able to defeat and Awaken the region's Tyrant, the Jewel of the Snowlands. The Settlement was settled in the middle of the Tyrant's former territory, where Mamuselah quickly began preparing the place for building construction, clearing snow and planting flowers. The residents of the Settlement were able to gather a small supply of resources and began construction on a few buildings before reaching the point in time where the game's story begins.

When the players reach the Diamond Settlement on the first day after being Awakened and brought to the Settlement by Tatoursin, their traveling group is stopped by Crystal, who informs them that while Tatoursin and the others were out exploring, a large group of creatures from the Trampled Tundra launched an organized attack on the Settlement, and in the ensuing chaos the buildings that were under construction were demolished, and nearly all of the Settlement inventory was carried off by the rampaging creatures. At this point, the Settlement is left with no buildings and a minimal stock of supplies. After the tutorials of the first day are completed and the second day begins, the players and residents begin reconstruction efforts on the Settlement, gathering more resources from the surrounding area and starting construction on housing once they have enough material.

As the days progress, the Settlement is expanded and more buildings are constructed. The snow from the surrounding areas is cleared, allowing all suitable ground in the area to be used for construction. There comes a point where no more suitable ground can be found, as all of the remaining territory surrounding the Settlement is unstable and covered in too much snow to remove. As a result, there is a limit to how many buildings can be constructed in the Settlement for some time, just enough space to fulfill the requirements needed to officially constitute the area as an official settlement, rather than a mere campsite. This is as far as the Settlement can be developed for a while, until Furienne is recruited as a resident, at which point the usable space can be expanded much further through Furienne's “Flattener” skill.

Once the “Flattener” skill becomes available, it becomes possible to develop the Settlement much further. This continues throughout the next several chapters of the game, with more space being prepared for construction and more buildings being made. As the Settlement continues to develop, it reaches several major milestones, with each granting new unlocked features and rewards.

Layout

The Diamond Settlement is located in the Chilly Valley region. It is built into a cluster of walled hollow tree stumps similar to those of the central Distant Spring in Pikmin 1. Much like this area of the Distant Spring, the cluster of hollow tree stumps was formerly the territory of an aggressive lithopod, in this case an Arctic Cannon Beetle which was the Chilly Valley's tyrant before she was Awakened and became a Settlement resident.

The solid ground of the base of the tree stumps makes for an ideal construction foundation, so many buildings are constructed here throughout the game. At the beginning of Pikmin: Antarctic Survival, there are no buildings left standing in the Settlement due to a creature attack that transpired just before the events of the game. However, buildings made of raw material and other resources are quickly built into the Settlement during the game, with the types and locations of buildings built being up to the players.

Other than buildings, the Diamond Settlement is decorated with a variety of plantlife. The Chilly Valley overall is very rich in Pellet Posies, with many of them springing up in the Settlement each morning and functioning as the residents' main source of food. There are also small gardens of flowers planted throughout the Diamond Settlement, which are grown and maintained by Mamuselah when he is not engaging in official construction duties.

The Diamond Settlement ends at the edges of the constructed buildings and planted flowers, where the terrain continues into the surrounding Chilly Valley.

Progression stages

One of the main features of the Diamond Settlement, as well as one of the most central core mechanics of Pikmin: Antarctic Survival, is the Settlement's progression and leveling system. The Settlement starts at level 1 at the beginning of the game and can be upgraded to a new stage of progression if certain conditions are met. With each level reached, various new features and buildings are unlocked, and a one-time supply of raw material is rewarded, with more raw material given for reaching higher levels. This progression reward system is somewhat similar to the Rescue Command Post in Pikmin 4, where the settlement is expanded as the game progresses and raw material is rewarded for each major stage of expansion.

The progression of the game as a whole is directly tied to the current progression stage of the Diamond Settlement, with Pikmin: Antarctic Survival's story structure being split into five different chapters. The game starts in the first chapter, when the Settlement is at its first level, and the first chapter ends when the first Settlement upgrade is complete and its requirements have been met. As Pikmin: Antarctic Survival is an open-world game and areas can be explored and bosses fought in any order, this chapter progression system is the primary way to identify game progress, and is directly tied to the quality of the Settlement overall.

There are five total progression stages of the Diamond Settlement, with each having its own name, unlock requirements, and rewards.

Settlement names

The Diamond Settlement's in-game name is constantly changing as the game progresses. While the name “Diamond Settlement” can be used to refer to it at any point, this name is used very rarely in-game. Instead, the characters of Pikmin: Antarctic Survival refer to the Settlement with different titles depending on its current progression level. The name used to refer to the Settlement changes with each progression stage that it goes through.

At the beginning of the game, at the first level, the Diamond Settlement is referred to in-game as the “Diamond Campsite”. This in-game title changes with each subsequent level advancement:

• Second level: “Diamond Hamlet”
• Third level: “Diamond Village”
• Fourth level: “Diamond Town”
• Fifth level: “Diamond City”

Settlement level requirements

Several requirements must be simultaneously fulfilled in order for the Diamond Settlement to advance to its next stage of progression.

• First level “(Campsite”):
  • The initial settlement level.
• Second level (“Hamlet”):
  • 15 housed residents
  • 20 used building space
  • 40 safe item capacity
  • 10 settlement quality
• Third level (“Village”):
  • 30 housed residents
  • 50 used building space
  • 150 safe item capacity
  • “Settlement Hall” building must be constructed
  • 25 settlement quality
• Fourth level (“Town”):
  • 50 housed residents
  • 100 used building space
  • 500 safe item capacity
  • “Settlement Hall” building must be upgraded
  • 45 settlement quality
• Fifth level (“City”):
  • 100 housed residents
  • 200 used building space
  • 2000 safe item capacity
  • “Settlement Hall” building must be upgraded to its second level
  • 100 settlement quality

Settlement Level Rewards

With each milestone of settlement level reached, several rewards and new features are unlocked. These rewards are provided once, when the unlock level is first achieved.

• First level:
  • Because the initial level is unlocked from the beginning of the game, it has no associated rewards.
• Second level:
  • Maximum region exploration team size is increased (5 -> 7)
  • Level 2 building blueprints are unlocked
  • A few more creatures appear in the Chilly Valley
  • The players are granted a one-time reward of 20 raw material
• Third level:
  • Maximum region exploration team size is increased (7 -> 10)
  • Level 3 building blueprints are unlocked
  • A few more creatures appear in the Chilly Valley
  • The ability to upgrade settlement buildings is unlocked
  • Moss makes an appearance at the edge of the Diamond Settlement
  • The players are granted a one-time reward of 30 raw material
• Fourth level:
  • Maximum region exploration team size is increased (10 -> 14)
  • Level 4 building blueprints are unlocked
  • The second level of building upgrades is unlocked
  • The players are granted a one-time reward of 50 raw material
• Fifth level:
  • Maximum region exploration team size is increased (14 -> 20)
  • Level 5 building blueprints are unlocked
  • The final level of building upgrades is unlocked
  • The players are granted a one-time reward of 80 raw material

Quotes

“Welcome to ze Diamond Campsite! Our own little “diamond in ze rough”.”

“... emphasis on the “rough”.”

– Tatoursin and Rush's comments on the Diamond Settlement when first reaching the Settlement with the player on the first day

Trivia

• The Diamond Settlement is named for Crystal herself, as the Arctic Cannon Beetle's carapace is incredibly shiny and reflective, making her the defining fixture of the Settlement. The name also refers to Tatoursin's ideal of making the Settlement into a “shining beacon of civilization,” a place of safety and community in the hostile Antarctic surroundings. The name was chosen by Tatoursin and unanimously approved by the others.
• The Diamond Settlement has an unused sixth stage of development, requiring 100% completion of everything in the game. This sixth stage would grant it the progression title "Diamond Metropolis", but gives no other rewards.

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