There are multiple stations within the Space Rig, your home base in Deep Rock Galactic. As you level up your character and progress through the game, more stations unlock. One of these unlockable stations is the one that sets up Deep Dives. Deep Dives essentially allow you to access better content for longer hours.
You have to work to get to Deep Dives and all they have to offer. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to access Deep Dives and what they really are in Deep Rock Galactic. It's easy to binge an action-packed roguelike until there's nothing left. Deep Dives allow you to continue chugging on until you're going into the hundreds for playtime.
You Must Unlock Access To Deep Dives
To unlock the Deep Dives station, you need to promote one of your dwarves at least once. When you play as one of the dwarves, you're levelling up your player level and your specific dwarf level like the Scout or Engineer. There is a maximum dwarf level you can reach before you can no longer level up. That level is 25. After that, you must work towards promoting that dwarf if you want to continue growing with him.
Once you hit level 25, you have to start completing Promotion Assignments at the Assignments terminal on the Space Rig. These are a series of normal missions that you've done plenty of times before. Once you complete them all, you unlocked the ability to promote.
Promote your dwarf by going into the Memorial Hall on the Space Rig. This can be found by accessing the elevator to the far left of you when you leave your bunk. At the far end of the Memorial Hall is a terminal to promote your dwarf, which then costs you some money and ore. After this, Deep Dives will be accessible as a terminal on the Space Rig, as well as the Forge. Both can be found at the far end of the Space Rig, past the bar.
It's Three Missions In One
Deep Dives are three long missions combined. One normal mission lasts you around 45 minutes, while a Deep Dive will last you a couple of hours. The point of this is to give you more gameplay to indulge in for a longer time instead of getting a quick fix. Not only is a Deep Dive one big and long mission, but it adds challenge too.
There are regular Deep Dives and Elite Deep Dives. Elite Deep Dives add exceedingly difficult challenges for the duration of the mission. Elite Deep Dives can only be unlocked once you've completed one normal Deep Dive.
As you play through your Deep Dive mission, you must complete all tasks before going on to the next area and mission. You keep everything you've collected as you move on to the next mission and the next.
No Optional Side Tasks
During a normal mission, you have your main objective and your optional side task. Main objectives tend to be things like collecting six alien eggs or connecting liquid Morkite pipes. Secondary objectives usually ask you to collect a certain amount of Aquarq or ore. If you don't complete your secondary objective in a normal mission, you can complete the mission and move on. While in a Deep Dive, it's the opposite.
In a Deep Dive, you cannot move on or register the mission as complete unless every single objective is complete. There are no optional secondary objectives for extra experience. Everything must be picked apart to move on to the next portion of the Deep Dive. A lot of grinding and work must be done to get those epic Deep Dive rewards.
Deep Dives Offer More Unique Rewards
Now let's get to the rewards. When you first promote your dwarf, you unlock the Deep Dive terminal and the Forge. These go hand in hand. When you complete Deep Dives, you earn matrix cores. There are different types of matrix cores that will give you different types of rewards. All must be equipped and purchased through the use of the Forge.
When you complete a Deep Dive, you can receive a blank matrix core, cosmetic matrix core, or weapon matrix core. Cosmetic matrix cores are just that. Special cosmetics you can't find anywhere else but through Deep Dives, which means they look extra spicy.
Weapon matrix cores are powerful weapon modifications. Usually, you can add a few upgrades to your weapons at the Equipment terminal in the Space Rig. But you can only upgrade your weapons so much. After that, it's up to the weapon overclocks you receive from Deep Dives that allow you to add further upgrades to your tools. These affect things like reload speed, damage, accuracy, and more.
Blank matrix cores are something different altogether. These are special items only used for randomized events. Sometimes, throughout a normal mission, you may find a Machine Event. You can find Machine Events no matter your player or dwarf level, but you can only activate one if you've promoted the dwarf you're playing with. Once you activate it and complete the event, you can only access the reward if you have a blank matrix core, provided by completing Deep Dives.
Deep Dives Refresh Every Week
You can play through a Deep Dive multiple times a day during the week, but after one week, the seed for the Deep Dive will change. Each week, there is one Deep Dive mission that can be repeated until the week is over. You can continue to grind through this Deep Dive seed for cosmetics and powerful rewards. The next week, a new mission and biome will become available and will replace the previous Deep Dive.