Boundless Retail
Level Classification
Difficulty | 2/5 | Boundless Retail is straightforward to colonize and explore, although it may be a lengthy process due to its size. |
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Entity Count | 3/5 | There are many entities in Boundless Retail, yet not all are hazardous with the proper preliminaries. |
Chaos Gradient | 1/5 | Glitches rarely happen, and even if they do, they usually affect the walls or the floor. |
Basset-Frazier Index | 2/5 | This level is one of the best to resupply, get rest, and then move forward to another level. If you ever need supplies or certain objects, the mall should have them if you come across them. |
Description
Boundless Retail resembles a neon mall from the 1980s. The mall is spread across thousands of miles. The most critical areas — named blocks — are lettered from A to Z, after which the block system will use numbers instead. Inside these secured blocks, entities have been eradicated by humans, leading to the establishment of the "Entity Exclusion Zone" that was inside the block system. You will find many stores spread out across the mall. These stores are littered with supplies and gear. The mall has two completely identical floors and houses lines of stores.
The stores themselves resemble shopping centers, restaurants, and clothing stores. Each store has a mini-map of the current area and where you are for easy navigation. The stores hold a variety of supplies that can help with survival and your journey through The Backrooms. You can find these stores throughout the level, but it is not recommended to claim a store without confirming it is safe. Stores can contain entities and other potential dangers.
Additionally, there are intersections between blocks that display sleek wooden railings and ocean blue tiling. You may also find doors labeled "Staff Only" while traversing the crossings. Opening these doors exits the level.
You can get around the level in security buggies that you can find near any escalator. You can find elevators near the lobby areas of the mall, near the bathrooms. The elevator will most likely take you to the second floor, but on occasion, you can travel to The Apartments or Electrical Station. Upon arrival, the elevator will shudder.
The further you stray from the central blocks, the more the mall deteriorates in quality. This can be observed in many ways. Notable examples of such deterioration are paint chipping, shattered glass displays, and misplaced equipment. If you venture far enough, you may find yourself surrounded by foliage, and run-down stores still flickering with neon light. The contents of the farther regions of Boundless Retail have never been documented; however, it is assumed that the building retains its deteriorated state throughout the rest of the level.
The more recent observations of Boundless Retail have yielded results. The further blocks of the level have been observed to be covered in snow on certain days. It is unknown where the snow comes from, but it is hazardous due to the large entity groups surrounding it and the below-freezing temperatures inside the blocks coated in snow.
Recommended Equipment
When first arriving in Boundless Retail, you may find yourself needing supplies for trade and survival in general. It is suggested you bring almond water, food, and items that might be of value to a person. It is also suggested to get some secure storage options because theft occurs frequently.
Valuable ResourcesThere are lots of valuable resources to be found on Boundless Retail. They can be divided into three categories: supplies, items, and objects. Supplies are things such as food, water, and other basic survival necessities. Items are considered to be valuable tools such as flares, weaponry, and amenities. Often you can find them in intersections or stores just past the entity exclusion zone. Objects are the rarest potential spoils of this level. You cannot see objects inside Boundless Retail; You may only find objects by traveling very far from the entity exclusion zone. They can be located inside stores, usually guarded by entities. The objects themselves can range from boxes of edible Amartía fruit to artifacts like Entangled Batteries.
Recommended Actions
It is advised to stay for a while if you need to restock on supplies or items, then move on to the next level. If you are dedicated to Boundless Retail, you should follow the Grand Mercantile Guild process and set up your store.
Communities
The Grand Mercantile Guild
The Grand Mercantile Guild is a group of 50 people who initially discovered Boundless Retail. They were the first to set up a basic trading system and are the governing force of Boundless Retail. It is always welcoming to new archivists. They push for a future where Boundless Retail is the main base of supplies and resources for other archivists and a functioning society to thrive on Boundless Retail.
If you want to start trading in Boundless Retail, you must register with The Grand Mercantile Guild and get a product license to start a trade shop. You can find the guild in Block A, where they will grant you the equipment needed to start trading and food supplies if needed. They will take a 5% cut of your overall gain from trade, so some archivists choose to refrain from joining the guild. The idea of the trade is that of an adage: "Scratch my back, and I will scratch yours." It has proven itself to be a successful system in Boundless Retail.
The UNCB is allied with the Guild, allowing for resources to be traded between the two groups to keep both thriving inside The Backrooms. While the UNCB has not built an outpost inside of Boundless Retail, there are currently plans to in the future.
If you wander outside of the entity exclusion zone, you risk running into hostile entities and face death. You should only explore if you are mapping an area that will be potentially integrated into the block system. If you wish to scout out Boundless Retail and contribute to the establishment of Boundless Retail's communities, you are invited to join The Scouting Division.
The Scouting Division. They scope out near areas outside of the blocks, deeming them worthy of expansion or not. Archivists who are desperate for supplies are advised to join because they hand out rations and almond water. If you do join The Scouting Division, then be prepared to map new areas, fight against entities, and run.
Entrances and Exits
Entrances
One of the entrances to Boundless Retail can be accessed by entering an elevator on The Apartments. You can find this elevator at many locations within the forever expanding halls of The Apartments. When you do, press the up button, and the doors will close. When the doors open, you will arrive in Block A of Boundless Retail. You can also find a dome-shaped mall in the Neighborhood of Darkness. It has a massive sign in front that says 'Megaplex.' Once you enter through the front doors, you will find yourself in Boundless Retail.
When exploring the Electrical Station, you may come across a staircase. It will have a red railing and EDM music reverberating above. When you walk up the stairs for about ten flights, opening the steel doors should transport you to Block A of Boundless Retail. Be careful on the stairs because entities like to lurk there. Make sure you do not open any of the doors until you have reached ten flights of stairs. If you open doors before this point, you will instead arrive at The Halls.
Passing through the front of one of the stone arches atop The Temple of Blood will lead through an identical stone arch in an abandoned shop in Boundless Retail.
Exits
You can exit the level by looking around for an elevator in any of the main blocks. Once you find this elevator, you can enter and press the up button. You will either be taken to The Apartments or Electrical Station. Occasionally you may end up on the second floor of Boundless Retail. In any of the blocks, you can come across a shopping store called "MidTown." If you walk inside, you will be inside the clothing store. When you exit, you will arrive on one of the streets of The Ruined City. In the intersection between blocks, when you open the door labeled "Staff Only," The Backrooms will take you to Electrical Station or The Sub-Basement after walking through the doorframe. Some abandoned shops contain carved stone arches which lead to The Temple of Blood. There is also an assumed exit inside of the snow blocks, although not much is known about it at this time.