As a dedicated player of Once Human, I've learned that not every adventure needs to be an epic saga. Sometimes, the most satisfying moments come from the small, efficient tasks that give you a nice boost early on. That's exactly what happened to me with the 'Materials Matter' quest. It was a brief detour on the road southeast of Meyer's Market, but the rewards made a real difference in smoothing out those early-game grinds. It’s a perfect example of how a simple fetch quest can be a smart investment of time for any player looking to get ahead.

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The whole quest revolves around a character named Duke Farton. I found him standing by the flooded street that leads toward the Harborside area, looking a bit lost. After a quick chat, he got straight to the point: he needed building supplies. His request was specific—five Bronze Ingots and five units of Glass. 😊 The beauty of this quest is its immediacy. If you're the prepared type who hoards materials (like I sometimes am), you can hand them over right then and there, finishing the quest in under a minute. If not, it's a quick trip back to your base.

Crafting what Duke needed was straightforward, but here’s the breakdown from my own experience:

For the Bronze Ingots:

  • Don't mix them up with Copper Ingots! 🚫 This is a common early-game pitfall. Bronze requires a mix.

  • You need a Furnace (or better yet, an Electric Furnace to save on fuel).

  • Smelt together Copper Ore and Tin Ore.

  • Where to find them? The Broken Delta region is your best friend. I spent maybe 20 minutes running the hills and rivers near Meyer's Market and came back with more than enough for the quest and some early weapon upgrades. The area is truly brimming with these nodes.

For the Glass:

  • Again, you'll need your Furnace.

  • The recipe is simple: Gravel + Charcoal (for fuel).

  • Gravel is everywhere—just look at the ground near rocky areas. Charcoal comes from burning wood in a furnace, which you're likely doing anyway.

  • A quick tip I wish I'd known sooner: prioritize building an Electric Furnace. Once you have it, you never need to worry about fuel for smelting again. It’s a game-changer for efficiency.

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With the materials crafted, I headed back to Duke. Handing over the ingots and glass felt satisfyingly simple. His gratitude was immediate, and so were the rewards. Here’s what I got, and why each piece matters in the grand scheme of things:

Reward Quantity (Approx.) Why It's Valuable
EXP A decent chunk Helps level up and unlock new content faster.
Energy Links A handful Essential for powering up your gear and base.
Stellar Planula A nice bonus Crucial currency! Used at Morphics vendors in settlements to buy Starchrom crates, Controllers, and powerful weapon attachments.
Eclipse Cortex 1 (Low-Level) THIS is the star reward. It's a primary source for generating Starchrom, one of the most important end-game materials even in 2025.

Completing 'Materials Matter' was a tiny blip on my journey, but its impact wasn't. That Eclipse Cortex started pumping out Starchrom right away, giving me a head start on the resource grind that defines the mid-to-late game. The extra Stellar Planula meant I could buy my first weapon attachment earlier than planned. For a quest that took me less than half an hour total (including gathering), the return on investment was incredible.

So, if you're new to the Broken Delta and see Duke Farton by the road, don't pass him by. 🎮 It’s a short, sweet, and incredibly rewarding side trip. It won't confuse you like some of the crazier side content (I'm looking at you, 'Lost in Madness'!), and it sets you up perfectly for the challenges to come. In a world of long, narrative-driven quests, sometimes the simple act of delivering some bronze and glass is exactly what you need.