Cargo Department
Welcome to the Cargo department!
The Cargo department is responsible for keeping the station stocked with all necessary materials and equipment that keeps the station running. Make vital purchasing decisions for the station such as a choice between 15 moth roach crates or a pizza party!
Cargo is a large department that is composed of a few sections. The sections that are under the science department includes Supply and Salvage. There are three jobs typically associated with the cargo department. The jobs that are associated with cargo includes Cargo Technician, Salvage Specialist, and Quartermaster.
Sections of Cargo
Supply
Supply is the lead distribution of minerals in the station.
Supply plays a vital role in taking order requests, managing finances, completing bounties, and trading at the Automated Trade Station(ATS). Supply mainly focuses on managing spesos (The galactic currency). Spesos can be gained by selling items at the ATS and completing bounties.
Salvage
Salvage is the main source of rare materials and equipment.
Salvage mainly operates through mining and scavenging useful equipment for the station. Salvage's main goal is to provide as many rare minerals and scrap to the station as they can early on so that they can turn it into valuable materials that supply can distribute.
Jobs of Cargo
Quartermaster
Quartermaster (QM) is in charge of the Cargo Department and mainly focuses on managing the employees within the Supply and Salvage sections.
In regards to the supply section, the QM will be expected to manage tough financial decisions, who will operate the desk, and efficiently assigning supply employees. In regards to the salvage section, the QM will be expected to direct the task decisions and mineral acquisition from the salvage employees. Leadership, task assignment, and organization are all highly valuable traits to aspire for when playing the role of QM.
Cargo Technician
Cargo Technicians operate as the labor force within the supply section.
Jobs that a cargo technician will operate includes operating the front desk, delivering goods, taking order requests, moving crates, delivering bounty requests, and delivering crates to/from the ATS. The main goal of a cargo technician is to follow the orders and leadership of the QM and ensure that cargo department is earning a steady income of spesos.
Salvage Specialist
Salvage Specialists operate as the main role that obtains rare minerals and bulk base materials.
Salvage specialists will constantly put their lives in danger to fight off hostile xeno creatures so that they may acquire minerals, scrap, and equipment. There are a few ways that salvage specialists can acquire the loot including salvage magnet, expeditions, and going to the "grid" asteroid. The salvage specialists must follow orders from QM and ensure that orders for specific minerals and materials are fulfilled.
Before purchasing any supplies, Cargo needs funding in the form of Spesos. All orders that can be made with the Cargo Request Terminal require some amount of money. Note that Cargo's funding strategy will, and should, change based on current circumstances, i.e. you shouldn't rely on salvage for profit when there's only one salvage specialist.
Some common sources of obtaining cargo funds are as follows:
Artifact Production
In the unique case that R&D discovers an artifact that can effectively infinitely print some kind of object/resource, Cargo can exploit it and sell the products. Notable products include monkeys, instruments, chemicals, material sheets, and bananas. Cargo may also sell the artefacts themselves when R&D is done with them.
Salvaged Goods
Selling the loot gained from salvage expeditions can be quite profitable, if not a little inconsistent. Of course, this will not be a viable source of cash if there are few/no salvage specialists.
Service Goods
Requesting food/plants/drinks from one of the many service departments to sell for cash. Generally, the botanists will provide the most consistent flow of produce for sale.
Mass Production
With the help of R&D, cargo can set up lathes to automatically produce simple items to sell. These are a common target of syndicate terrorism.
Shuttle Piloting
In order for the station to receive ordered goods, the cargo shuttle has to be piloted by a cargo technician. Refer to the Cargo Technician guide for advice.
Salvage
Salvage Specialists have one of the most dangerous jobs aboard the station: fighting sentient holograms for their drugs and other assorted loot, and going on expeditions to alien planets to collect cloning pods and power drills extract any natural resources or abandoned valuables they find. Visit the Salvage Specialist page to learn more.
