The following page is out of date and/or needs to be revised. If the page's guide needs revision, see here for an example. The revision reason is: "Missing info about new Revolver ammo types."
R&D (not to be confused with the RD) consists of scientists spending (mostly) automatically generated research points on a tech web to unlock technology that can be used for various departments.
Essentially this means that a scientist in this modern world doesn't actually have to know any of the concepts he's working with; it's all about pressing science buttons and playing with the resulting toys! Ain't life grand?
DRINK ALCOHOL GODDAMNIT. If you drink juuuust the right amount of alcohol, you can research new technologies faster. However, if you drink too much alcohol, you research new technologies slower. As a scientist, instead of slurring, you start shouting out phrases from the pool below. Some of these phrases signify good blood alcohol levels, some of them signify pretty damn unhealthy blood alcohol levels.
Ballmer Phrases: The Good Sayings (indication that you've drank enough alcohol to get that sweet tech boost)
Hey guys, what if we rolled out a bluespace wiring system so mice can't destroy the powergrid anymore?
Hear me out here. What if, and this is just a theory, we made R&D controllable from our PDAs?
I'm thinking we should roll out a git repository for our research under the AGPLv3 license so that we can share it among the other stations freely.
I dunno about you guys, but IDs and PDAs being separate is clunky as fuck. Maybe we should merge them into a chip in our arms? That way they can't be stolen easily.
Why the fuck aren't we just making every pair of shoes into galoshes? We have the technology.
Windows ME Phrases: The Bad Sayings (indication that you've drank too much alcohol, please don't do RnD)
Yo man, what if, we like, uh, put a webserver that's automatically turned on with default admin passwords into every PDA?
So like, you know how we separate our codebase from the master copy that runs on our consumer boxes? What if we merged the two and undid the separation between codebase and server?
Dude, radical idea: H.O.N.K mechs but with no bananium required.
Best idea ever: Disposal pipes instead of hallways.
Toxins bombs detonated at the test site generate points through the Tachyon-Doppler Research Array which records the size of the blast. Somehow this generates points. After a change 2018 the maximum amount of points you can get from a bomb and round is 50 000.
The formula returns the delta between the total points generated and the points that would be generated by the bomb. The above graph statically applies whether you detonate the smaller bomb first or last, the downside being that improving your bomb will still reward you but with significantly less points than before. A maxcap bomb (purple), and a 700 (red) and 1000 (orange) radius bomb are marked on the graph with horizontal lines.
Radiation Collectors can be set to generate research points instead of power, if the engineers are bored and you're already rolling in power. Radiation collectors require a mix of tritium and oxygen to produce research points. These gasses are consumed at a very rapid pace when the rad collector is in research point production mode. Work together with science or atmos techs to increase the station's research point production at the temporary cost of power production. For reference, one room temperature tank with 50% tritium, 50% oxygen will produce a total of 50 research points with the most frequently used supermatter setup. More radiation will increase the rate at which research points are generated, and packing more moles of both gasses into the tank will increase the amount of time a rad collector will be able to generate research points.
Tesla Coronas (a variant of tesla coils) can be set using a screwdriver on the circut board to generate research points instead of power, if the engineers are bored and you're already rolling in power. Unlike the radiation collector, it simply generates research points through electricity striking the object, not through variable gas mixtures. This means that although the Tesla Corona generates points more reliably, you don't have as many ways to increase the actual amount of points generated.
Research points are generated at a static rate by the R&D Network (albeit more research points can be generated by the E.X.P.E.R.I-MENTOR) and can be spent on Technology Nodes at the console.
This is what your console will look like at the start of the round.
Simply click into any of the technologies to see what it requires and what it unlocks.
The number next to each technology represents its cost.
To unlock a technology, click the cost to spend your research points on it.
The console will update the screen to reflect your new research and send out a notification in chat.
At the start of a round, if you don't have any other research directives you should strongly consider aiming for:
Industrial Engineering
Applied Bluespace Research
Mining Technology and Advanced Mining Technology
Tier 3 stock part technologies (High Efficiency Parts, Advanced Electromagnetic Theory, Applied Bluespace Research, and Advanced Power Manipulation)
Industrial Engineering is available as soon as you get your first 7500 research points, unlocks tier 2 stock parts for machine upgrades, and unlocks the RPED. It's also a pre-requisite for ALL of the other research items suggested here, so it's probably a good idea to consider doing it first of all. Possibly the biggest benefit for Science from this technology is that that someone can grab an RPED and go update Cargo's Ore Redemption Machine (ORM) immediately after finishing this topic. If the ORM is upgraded before the miners bring back their first load, then right off the bat ore gathered increases 35% and miners get 35% more points to spend on directly upgrading their mining equipment... which ultimately helps them bring in more ore for Science!
Mining Technology and, later, Advanced Mining Technology will give mining the tools needed to bring back much more ore to stock your protolathe. That makes these high-priority topics for most rounds. To research Mining Technology (2500) requires Industrial Engineering (7500) first, then Basic Plasma Research (2500). Advanced Mining Technology requires a bit more work and you will research most of the tier 3 stock parts or their prereqs on your journey to researching it.
Applied Bluespace Research allows miners to get Mining Satchels of Holding and also opens up the Bluespace RPED, which makes machine upgrades (your responsibility!) trivial. This technology is available for 5000 research points after unlocking first-tier research topics Industrial Engineering (7500) and Basic Bluespace Theory (2500). This is also a Tier 3 stock part technology.
The Tier 3 stock part technologies are listed above.
Applied Bluespace Research (5000) requires Industrial Engineering (7500) and Basic Bluespace Theory (2500). It is also a good topic to research for you and mining, as mentioned above.
High Efficiency Parts (7500) requires Industrial Engineering (7500) and the basic research topic Data Theory (2500).
Advanced Electromagnetic Theory (3000) ONLY requires Electromagnetic Theory (2500), but you are basically spending 5500 points just for laser parts (which let the ORM generate more mining points for miners.)
Advanced Power Manipulation (2500) is the only one immediately available after researching Industrial Engineering (7500).
The diagram below gives a quick overview of the suggested early research priorities above.
Deconstruction is done through the Destructive Analyzer:
Sync the Destructive Analyzer to the research computer if it's not synced.
Insert an item into it.
Use the computer.
The computer will show you the name of the object, if it unlocks any tech nodes, and how many materials you get from deconstruction.
The Destructive Analyzer will recover a portion of the materials contained inside scanned items and transfer it to a connected protolathe. Upgrading it will increase the amount recovered.
All machines are composed of components. There are better versions of many components, attained through research. They are organized in 4 tiers, and upgrading the tier of a machine's components will have different effects for each machine.
Without minerals, you can achieve up to tier 2-3; to go further you'll require ores for production.
Tier 2 parts are all unlocked with "Industrial Engineering," which also unlocks the RPED. Others are unlocked as noted.
Stock Parts
Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3
Tier 4
Usual Effect
Micro-Manipulator
Nano-Manipulator
Pico-Manipulator1
Femto-Manipulator5
Improves speed and efficiency.
Basic Matter Bin
Advanced Matter Bin
Super Matter Bin1
Bluespace Matter Bin5
Improves capacity.
Basic Micro-Laser
High-Power Micro-Laser
Ultra-High-Power Micro-Laser2
Quad-Ultra Micro-Laser6
Improves speed and efficiency.
Basic Scanning Module
Advanced Scanning Module
Phasic Scanning Module3
Triphasic Scanning Module5
Improves scanning precision.
Basic Capacitor
Advanced Capacitor
Super Capacitor4
Quadratic Capacitor7
Improves power efficiency.
1: Unlocked with High Efficiency Parts 2: Unlocked with Advanced Electromagnetic Theory 3: Unlocked with Applied Bluespace Research 4: Unlocked with Advanced Power Manipulation 5: Unlocked with Miniaturized Bluespace Research 6: Unlocked with Quantum Electromagnetic Technology 7: Unlocked with Bluespace Power Technology
Once you unlock advanced components, people around the station will probably want you to upgrade the machinery. Overall, the process is simply replacing obsolete stock parts with higher-tier parts.
The least efficient way is to upgrade by hand. Since the RPED unlocks at the same time as tier 2 parts, there's really no reason to ever do this unless your station for some incomprehensible reason just can't afford an RPED.
Screwdriver on the machine.
Crowbar on the machine.
Take the board and re-insert it into machine.
Insert parts you want to use.
Screwdriver the machine closed.
As a much more efficient alternative, you can use RPED (Rapid Part Exchange Device), which unlocks with the Industrial Engineering topic. That is, the RPED unlocks as soon as you actually have your first upgraded parts, so you should pretty much always be upgrading with an RPED. The RPED replaces each component in a machine with the highest component of its tier that's loaded in the RPED.
Load RPED with parts, such as stock parts, loaded power cells, beakers and vendor restocking units.
Screwdriver on the machine.
Click on it with RPED.
Screwdriver again to close the machine.
The best alternative is to use the even more advanced Bluespace Rapid Part Exchange Device (BRPED), which functions just like an RPED except that you don't need access to the machine, screwdrivers, or even adjacency! That's right: BRPED works even through camera views. Consider building a camera console in R&D once you have a BRPED instead of running all over the station. This device is unlocked with Applied Bluespace Research and operates as follows:
Load Bluespace RPED with parts, such as stock parts, loaded power cells, beakers and vendor restocking units.
Click on the machine to upgrade with the Bluespace RPED. That's it! No screwdrivering or asking the AI or people to open doors into their departments.
Robotics starts with two of these. This machine will build everything a roboticist needs to do his job, aside from circuits. To update its research levels:
Sync the R&D Research Console.
Sync the Robotics Research Console.
Sync the Exosuit Fabricator.
Can be used directly, without the Research Console.
Items available from the start:
Exosuit Fabricator Round-Start Manufacturing List
Icon
Item
List
Cyborg endoskeleton
Cyborg
15000
Cyborg torso
Cyborg
40000
Cyborg head
Cyborg
5000
Cyborg left arm
Cyborg
10000
Cyborg right arm
Cyborg
10000
Cyborg left leg
Cyborg
10000
Cyborg right leg
Cyborg
10000
Ripley/Firefighter chassis
Ripley
20000
Ripley torso
Ripley
20000
7500
Ripley left arm
Ripley
15000
Ripley right arm
Ripley
15000
Ripley left leg
Ripley
15000
Ripley right leg
Ripley
15000
Hydraulic clamp
Exosuit Equip
10000
Exosuit drill
Exosuit Equip
10000
Exosuit extinguisher
Exosuit Equip
10000
Cable layer
Exosuit Equip
10000
Exosuit mining scanner
Exosuit Equip
5000
2500
Cyborg reclassification board
Borg Upgr
5000
Cyborg emergency reboot module
Borg Upgr
20000
5000
Exosuit tracking beacon
Misc
500
Power cell
Misc
700
50
Man-machine interface
Misc
1000
500
Synthetic flash
Misc
750
750
Reseachable items:
Exosuit Fabricator Researchable Manufacturing List
The Circuit Imprinter requires glass and occasionally gold or diamond. Here you will find circuits for most of the station's machinery and robotics' exosuits. With gold and diamonds, you can also make AI law modules.
The departmental Protolathe requires materials such as metal, glass and mineable minerals. Each sheet gives 2000 units when inserted into a Protolathe or its connected Ore Silo. It allows you to build objects such as stock parts, power cells and much more, depending on department.
Building 5 or 10 of the same item is faster than building it one at a time for 10 times; if you need lots of a particular item, mass produce them!
The departmental Techfabs are circuit imprinters and departmental protolathes combined, except their available circuit boards differ depending on their department.
Protolathe Manufacturing List
Icon
Item
Required Tech
Engi
Sci
Sec
Med
Serv
Supp
Rapid Part Exchange Device
Industrial Engineering
Yes
Yes
10000
5000
Intellicard AI Transportation System
Artificial Intelligence
Yes
1000
200
Personal Artificial Intelligence Card
Basic Robotics Research
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
500
500
Plant Data Disk
Botanical Engineering
Yes
200
100
Bluespace Rapid Part Exchange Device
Applied Bluespace Research
Yes
Yes
15000
5000
2500
Design Storage Disk
None
Yes
300
100
Technology Data Storage Disk
None
Yes
300
100
Micro Manipulator
None
Yes
Yes
100
Nano Manipulator
Industrial Engineering
Yes
Yes
150
Pico Manipulator
High-Efficiency Parts
Yes
Yes
200
Femto Manipulator
Advanced Bluespace Research
Yes
Yes
200
60
30
Basic Capacitor
None
Yes
Yes
100
100
Advanced Capacitor
Industrial Engineering
Yes
Yes
150
150
Super Capacitor
Advanced Power Manipulation
Yes
Yes
200
200
100
Quadratic Capacitor
Bluespace Power Technology
Yes
Yes
200
200
100
100
Basic Scanning Module
None
Yes
Yes
100
50
Advanced Scanning Module
Industrial Engineering
Yes
Yes
150
100
Phasic Scanning Module
Applied Bluespace Research
Yes
Yes
200
150
60
Triphasic Scanning Module
Advanced Bluespace Research
Yes
Yes
200
200
60
30
Basic Micro-Laser
None
Yes
Yes
100
50
High-Power Micro-Laser
Industrial Engineering
Yes
Yes
150
100
Ultra-High-Power Micro-Laser
Advanced Electromagnetic Theory
Yes
Yes
200
150
60
Quad-Ultra Micro-Laser
Quantum Electromagnetic Technology
Yes
Yes
200
200
100
60
Basic Matter Bin
None
Yes
Yes
100
Advanced Matter Bin
Industrial Engineering
Yes
Yes
150
Super Matter Bin
High-Efficiency Parts
Yes
Yes
200
Bluespace Matter Bin
Advanced Bluespace Research
Yes
Yes
250
100
100
Subspace Ansible
Telecommunications Technology
Yes
Yes
100
100
Hyperwave Filter
Telecommunications Technology
Yes
Yes
100
100
Subspace Amplifier
Telecommunications Technology
Yes
Yes
100
100
100
Subspace Treatment Disk
Telecommunications Technology
Yes
Yes
100
200
Subspace Analyzer
Telecommunications Technology
Yes
Yes
100
100
Ansible Crystal
Telecommunications Technology
Yes
Yes
800
100
100
Subspace Transmitter
Telecommunications Technology
Yes
Yes
100
100
100
Basic Power Cell
None
Yes
Yes
700
50
High-Capacity Power Cell
Industrial Engineering
Yes
Yes
700
60
Super-Capacity Power Cell
Advanced Power Manipulation
Yes
Yes
700
70
Hyper-Capacity Power Cell
Advanced Power Manipulation
Yes
Yes
700
80
150
150
Bluespace Power Cell
Bluespace Power Technology
Yes
Yes
800
160
300
300
160
300
100
Light Replacer
Advanced Sanitation Technology
Yes
1500
3000
150
Inducer
Electromagnetic Theory
Yes
Yes
3000
1000
Man-Machine Interface
None
Yes
Yes
1000
500
Positronic Brain
Positronic Brain
Yes
Yes
1700
1350
500
Bluespace Beaker
Applied Bluespace Research
Yes
Yes
3000
3000
250
250
Cryostasis Beaker
Cryostasis Technology
Yes
3000
Syringe
None
Yes
10
20
Bluespace Syringe
Applied Bluespace Research
Yes
Yes
2000
1000
1000
500
Cryo Syringe
Cryostasis Technology
Yes
2000
1000
Piercing Syringe
Advanced Biotechnology
Yes
2000
1000
Blood Pack
Biological Technology
Yes
(1000 plastic )
Intravenous Medicine Bag
Biological Technology
Yes
(2000 plastic )
Medical Spray Bottle
Biological Technology
Yes
(2000 plastic )
Bluespace Body Bag
Applied Bluespace Research
Yes
Yes
3000
200
500
500
Plasmaman Jumpsuit Refill
Advanced Biotechnology
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
4000
1000
Defibrillator
Biological Technology
Yes
8000
4000
3000
1500
Defibrillator Mount
Biological Technology
Yes
2000
1000
Security Holobarrier Projector
Electromagnetic Theory
Yes
5000
1000
1000
1000
Engineering Holobarrier Projector
Electromagnetic Theory
Yes
5000
1000
1000
1000
ATMOS Holofan Projector
Electromagnetic Theory
Yes
5000
1000
1000
1000
PENLITE Holobarrier Projector
Advanced Biotechnology
Yes
500
500
100
Welding Shield Eyes
Cybernetic Implants
Yes
600
400
Breathing Tube Implant
Cybernetic Implants
Yes
600
250
Toolset Arm Implant
Advanced Cybernetic Implants
Yes
2500
1500
1500
Surgical Arm Implant
Advanced Cybernetic Implants
Yes
2500
1500
1500
Medical HUD Implant
Cybernetic Implants
Yes
600
600
500
500
Security HUD Implant
Cybernetic Implants
Yes
600
600
750
750
Luminescent Eyes
Cybernetic Implants
Yes
600
1000
X-Ray Implant
Combat Cybernetic Implants
Yes
600
600
1000
600
600
1000
Thermals Implant
Combat Cybernetic Implants
Yes
600
600
1000
600
600
Anti-Drop Implant
Combat Cybernetic Implants
Yes
600
600
400
400
CNS Rebooter Implant
Combat Cybernetic Implants
Yes
600
600
500
1000
Nutriment Pump Implant
Cybernetic Implants
Yes
500
500
500
500
Nutriment Pump Implant PLUS
Cybernetic Implants
Yes
600
600
500
750
Reviver Implant
Advanced Cybernetic Implants
Yes
800
800
500
1000
2000
Thrusters Set Implant
Combat Cybernetic Implants
Yes
4000
2000
1000
1000
Implanter
Subdermal Implants
Yes
Yes
Yes
600
200
Implant Case
Subdermal Implants
Yes
Yes
Yes
500
Sad Trombone Implant Case
Clown Technology
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
500
Test-range Firing Pin
Weapon Development Technology
Yes
500
300
Mindshield Firing Pin
Advanced Weapon Development Technology
Yes
600
200
600
Tesla Revolver
Electric Weapons
Yes
10000
10000
10000
Advanced Energy Gun
Radioactive Weaponry
Yes
10000
2000
4000
1000
Telescopic Riot Shield
Electric Weapons
Yes
4000
5000
300
200
Decloner
Illegal Technology
Yes
5000
10000
Rapid Syringe Gun
Medical Weaponry
Yes
5000
1000
Energy Crossbow
Illegal Technology
Yes
5000
1500
1500
1500
Temperature Gun
Beam Weaponry
Yes
5000
500
3000
Floral Somatoray
Botanical Engineering
Yes
2000
500
Large Grenade
Explosive & Pyrotechnical Weaponry
Yes
Yes
3000
Pyro Grenade
Explosive & Pyrotechnical Weaponry
Yes
Yes
2000
500
Cryo Grenade
Cryostasis Technology
Yes
Yes
2000
500
Advanced Release Grenade
Explosive & Pyrotechnical Weaponry
Yes
Yes
3000
500
X-ray Laser Gun
Advanced Beam Weaponry
Yes
5000
5000
4000
2000
2000
Ion Carbine
Beam Weaponry
Yes
8000
6000
2000
Bluespace Wormhole Projector
Advanced Bluespace Research
Yes
5000
2000
2000
3000
WT-550 Auto Gun Magazine (4.6×30mm)
Ballistic Weaponry
Yes
4000
WT-550 Auto Gun Armor Piercing Magazine (4.6×30mm AP)