Research and Development

Research and Development

Research and Development (commonly called R&D or RnD) is the job of the scientists. The department typically lies behind purple and grey doors. In the department typically exists a set of Lathe and R&D machines. Often you will see lockers with lab equipment in them.

Point Generation

Research points can be acquired through a few different sources. Most commonly, points are gained passively from a Research Point Source, which produces a constant low stream of points to the selected server. Points can also be acquired through research disks, which can be found in maintenance, salvaged from space, or given as a result of identifying a disease.

The most profitable form of point generation is Xenoarcheology, which is the process of analyzing and activating different randomly generated artifacts, the process of which makes up a majority of the activities of the science team.

Equipment

R&D Computer

The R&D computer at the start of the Round with no technologies researched.

In the R&D computer new technologies can be unlocked via points. To research a technology, click on it if it's in the Unlockable technologies column. Technologies in the Future technologies are locked behind others, requiring you to research a previous technology (in the Unlockable technologies column). Technologies in the Unlocked technologies section have already been researched.

Autolathe

The Autolathe doesn't require any research but only makes engineering and botanical tools as well as low-voltage cables. Requires plastic, steel and glass to use.

Example recipes:

	Airlock Painter
	Crowbar	A tool that is needed to pry open unpowered doors.
	Gas Analyzer
	Global Positioning System	A hand-held device used to see what the GPS coordinates are of your position in the map.
	LV cable coil	A piece of wire that can be used to connect powerered objects to an APC. Refer to Power
	Minihoe	A tool that is used by a Botanist to remove weeds from a Hydroponics Tray
	Multitool	A tool that can be used for Hacking
	Screwdriver	A tool that is needed to open/close panels of devices such as doors. It is also needed when building some items.
	Shovel	A tool that is used by a Botanist to remove plants from a Hydroponics Tray
	Spade	A tool that is used by a Botanist to remove plants from a Hydroponics Tray
	T-Ray Scanner	A tool that shows underground wires and pipes.
	Utility Belt	A belt that stores Engineering tools
	Welding Tool	A tool that enables objects to be welded open/closed. Welded items must need a Welding Tool to be unwelded. It is also needed when building some items.
	Wirecutter	A tool that enables you to cut wires of powered devices such as doors and vending machines. Refer to Hacking. You may also need to cut wires of some objects as part of their deconstruction process.
	Wrench	A tool that enables you to anchor / unanchored objects. Anchored objects cannot be moved until unanchored. Unanchored objects are unpowered.

Protolathe

The Protolathe is a machine capable of printing most of what you've researched. It can make things such from beakers or ammo. Requires steel, glass and sometimes plastic to use.

Note that for some machines (such as the Cloner), higher quality parts can be used to improve the quality of the machine. For example low quality components for a Cloner results in a 50% chance of failure to clone. A low-capacity power cell has less charge than a high-capacity power cell.

A lot of the parts available in the Protolathe are used to craft something. Use the Craft hotkey to open the Craft dialog. By default this should be 'G'.

Example recipes:

Image	Name	Description	Required Items	Required Research	Value
	Advanced Capacitor
	Advanced Matter Bin		Advanced Parts
	Advanced Scanning Module
	Air Alarm Electronics	A component needed to make an air alarm
	APC Electronics	A component needed to make an APC (power unit)
	Appraisal Tool	A tool used by Cargo Technicians to see how much each object can be sold for.	500 steel
	Bottle	A glass bottle container that can hold 30u of liquid. Used by chemists to store chemicals. Can be drunk from. Does not shatter if dropped.
	Bucket	Can contain liquid that is spilled if you trip. You can drink out of a bucket and extract liquid into it from other containers. Used by Botanists and Janitors.
	Butcher's Cleaver	A tool that Chefs use to butcher corpses for meat
	Capacitor		50 steel, 50 plastic
	Cautery
	Chemical Payload	A component needed to make a modular grenade
	Conveyor Belt	When connected to a lever, it can be used to move objects in a single direction as dictated by the lever. Commonly used in Cargo and the Disposal -> Recycling circuit.
	Cryostasis Beaker	Can contain chemicals in low temperatures and ensure that they do not mix.	250 steel, 50 plastic
	Drill
	Drone
	Dropper	A container that holds a tiny amount of liquid.	200 glass, 100 plastic
	Fire Extinguisher
	Flashlight	Provides a cone of light infront of the holder that is much more illuminating than a PDA. Uses charge from a power cell. Left click to turn on and off.
	Flourescent Light Tube	Light tube for lights on the walls of the station.
	Glass	Extract some glass from the machine	100 glass	10
	Handheld Crew Monitor	A tool used by the Chief Medical Officer and other medical staff to see the coordinates and vitals of crew staff that have turned on the associated sensors in their jump suits.
	Hatchet	A tool used by Botanists used to cut down trees such as apple / banana trees to harvest wood and fruit.
	Hemostat
	High-Capacity Power Cell	A battery used to power some tools like a flashlight. Chargeable by a Power Cell Charger
	High-Power Micro-Laser
	Holofan Projector	A component needed to make a Holofan
	HV Cable Coil	High Voltage wire. Used to connect power generation to power storage by Engineers.
	Incandescent Light Bulb	Light bulb for lights on the walls of the station
	Kitchen Knife	A knife used by Chefs
	Large Beaker	A container that can hold 100u of liquid that shatters when dropped.	200 glass
	Left Borg Arm	Used to create Bots such as the MedBot.
	LV Cable Coil	Low Voltage wire. Used to connect APC units to machines such as vending machines, chemistry machines, lights, auto-doors by Engineers.
	Mailing Unit Electronics	A component used to create a mailing unit.
	Matter Bin	A component used to craft some machines.	50 steel, 50 plastic		20
	Medium-Capacity Power Cell	A battery used to power some tools like a flashlight. Chargeable by a Power Cell Charger
	Metal Saw
	Micro-Laser	A component used to craft some machines.	50 steel, 50 plastic, 50 glass		20
	Micro-Manipulator	A component used to craft some machines.	50 steel, 50 plastic		20
	Mining Drill	A drill used by a Salvage Technician to mine rocks faster than a Pickaxe	500 steel, 100 plastic
	Mop	A tool used by Janitors to mop up liquid spillages from floors.
	MV Cable Coil	Medium Voltage wire. Used to connect power storage to APC units by Engineers.
	Nano-Manipulator
	Node Scanner		100 steel, 50 plastic
	Pill Cannister	A container that can hold up to 9 pills	100 plastic
	Plastic	Extract some plastic from the machine	100 plastic	10
	RCD Ammo
	Reinforced Glass	Extract some reinforced glass from the machine	100 reinforced glass	10
	Remote Signaller
	Right Borg Arm	Used to create Bots such as the MedBot.
	Scapel	A tool for doctors
	Scanning Module		50 steel, 50 plastic, 50 glass
	Scythe	A tool used by Botanists to harvest some types of plants from a Hydroponics tray
	Shovel	A tool used by Botanists to clear a Hydroponics tray contents
	Signal Trigger	A type of trigger for a bomb / grenade
	Small-Capacity Power Cell	A battery used to power some tools like a flashlight. Chargeable by a Power Cell Charger
	Spray Bottle	Can hold a little liquid that can be sprayed onto a sentient or floor. Commonly used to hold space cleaner or weed killer. A chemist can fill this with the desired liquid.
	Steel	Extract some steel from the machine	100 steel	10
	Syringe	A container that can hold up to 15u of liquid and can draw from / inject into people/animals	100 plastic, 25 steel.
	Timer Trigger	A type of trigger for a bomb / grenade. The default timer is 5 seconds.
	Voice Trigger	A type of trigger for a bomb / grenade

Circuit Imprinter

The Circuit Imprinter is a machine capable of printing machine boards used for creating machines and computers. They require steel, glass and sometimes gold.

Example recipes:

Image	Name	Description	Required Items	Required Research	Value
	Door Electronics	A component needed to make a door	50 steel, 50 plastic		100
	Fire Alarm Electronics	A component needed to make a fire alarm.	50 steel, 50 plastic		100
	Firelock Electronics	A component needed to make a Firelock door.	50 steel, 50 plastic
	Hotplate Machine Board	A component needed to make a Hotplate .	100 steel, 900 glass
	Ore Processor Machine Board	A component needed to make an Ore Processor.	100 steel, 900 glass, 100 gold
	Reagent Grinder Machine Board	A component needed to make a Reagent Grinder.	100 steel, 900 glass
	Technology Disk Terminal Board	A component needed to make a Technology Disk Terminal.	100 steel, 900 glass, 100 gold

Plan of action

Your main priority at the start of the round is to use the RD computer to research medical machinary & basic parts manufacture , and then everything else. Then it's recommended that you build cloning pods for medbay , chemical dispensers and ChemMasters for chemistry or just hoard them and hand out tricord foam bombs to clowns.

Troubleshooting

"I can't get any points/I can't print anything"

The likely cause is that the RD Computer/Protolathe isn't synced up with the RD server.

To fix this in the RD Computer/Protolathe click Server list, click on ID x || RDSERVER and then exist the window. Now when you click Sync it should (hopefully) work.