Research and Development

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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.

R&D gameplay largely revolves around the acquisition and use of research points to gain new technologies for the station.

Point Generation

Research points can be acquired through a few different sources.

The most profitable form of point generation is Xenoarcheology, which is the process of analyzing and activating different randomly generated artifacts that can be found via events, salvage debris, and by ordering them from cargo. Most artifacts have more than one "Stimulus-Reaction" combination (known scientifically as Nodes), so make sure to scan and activate as many of them as you can before selling it to cargo, or keeping it around because its effects are cool enough to warrant keeping.

Another highly valuable source of research points is Anomalous Research. Most R&D departments come equipped with an Anomaly Generator, Anomalous Particle Emitters (A.P.E.) and Anomaly Vessels, which are used to spawn, interact with, and generate points from anomalies respectively. Anomalies can come in different forms, ranging from raging balls of pink-hot matter, to electrically-discharging motes of light, to radioactive gravity wells, so make sure to wear some protective gear while studying them.

Points can also be acquired through research disks, which can be found in maintenance, salvaged from space, or found on expeditions.

R&D System

The user interface of the R&D Console

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.

Alternative Research

There is another method to research a technology, and that is using the Technology Disk Terminal. If there is no such console available within the station, it can be created after researching the Tier 1 Experimental Technology, "Alternative Research".

By spending 1000 research points, a technology disk would be dispensed, containing the recipe of a single random item (of any tier) for the lathes to fabricate. The random item ranges from a HAMTR Harness within the "Critter Mechs" technology, a redundant item you've already researched, to the highly-sought-after (and expensive) satchel of holding.

When used early into the round, it may reward the research department with end-tier items immediately at the cost of the primary research progress. This is essentially gambling with research points, so ensure that your department agrees with this plan. When used late into the round, it may grant the research department recipes of technologies that have been locked out of the direct research method of unlocking the technology.

Equipment

There are many different recipes that can be locked behind research. The Protolathe, Circuit Imprinter, Security Techfab, Medical Tecfab, and the Exosuit Fabricator are currently the only machines that directly benefit by gaining new recipes when you achieve certain research. The following section will only cover what recipes are unlocked through research, for a full list on what each machine can craft please check out the Protolathe, Circuit Imprinter, Security Techfab, Medical Tecfab, and Exosuit Fabricator pages.

Protolathe

The Protolathe is a machine capable of printing most of what you've researched. It can make things such from large beakers to microreactor batteries. Protolathes are mainly found at science but can (sometimes) be found in engineering or on salvage expeditions.

Industrial

Item	Crafting Cost	Research	Tier	Research Cost
high-capacity power cell	3 steel+4 glass+2 plastic+0.5 gold bar	Advanced Powercells	1	7,500
mining drill	5 steel+1 plastic	Salvage Equipment	1	7,500
grappling gun	5 steel+5 glass+1 gold bar
welding gas mask	6 steel+2 glass
experimental welding tool	8 steel+2 plasma	Advanced Tools	2	10,000
power drill	6 steel+2 plastic
jaws of life	10 steel+5 glass+3 plasma+0.5 gold bar
ore bag of holding	20 steel+7.5 silver bar+15 plasma+1.5 uranium	Mass Excavation	2	12,500
diamond tipped mining drill	6 steel+2 plastic+2 silver bar+1 refined diamond
handheld mass scanner	8 steel+3 glass	Space Scanning	2	7,500
holofan projector	3 steel+0.5 glass+0.5 plastic	Advanced Atmospherics	2	7,500
bag of holding	20 steel+7.5 silver bar+15 plasma+1.5 uranium	Bluespace Storage	3	15,000
satchel of holding
duffelbag of holding
microreactor power cell	5 steel+4 glass+2 uranium+1 gold bar	Portable Fission	3	10,000

Arsenal

Item	Crafting Cost	Research	Tier	Research Cost
Advanced remote signaller	1 steel+2 plastic+1 plasma	Explosive Technology	1	10,000
Signal trigger	3 steel+2 plastic
Voice trigger
Timer trigger
Flash payload	0.5 steel+1 plastic+0.5 glass
Chemical payload	2 steel+3 plastic
Proto-kinetic accelerator	10 steel+5 glass+1 silver	Salvage Weapons	1	5,000
Svalinn laser pistol	20 steel+5 gold	Experimental Battery Ammo	3	15,000

Experimental

Item	Crafting Cost	Research	Tier	Research Cost
Node scanner	1 steel+0.5 plastic	Basic XenoArcheology	1	5,000
G.O.R.I.L.L.A. gauntlet	15 steel+3 plastic+5 glass+5 plasma+2.5 silver	Anomaly Core Harnessing	1	10,000
Anomaly locator	4 steel+1 glass	Basic Anomalous Research	1	5,000
Wide-spectrum anomaly locator
Magboots	10 steel+5 plastic	Local Magnetism	1	7,500
Moon boots	6 steel
Portable particle decelerator	7.5 steel+1.5 plasma+1.5 uranium	Deterrence Technologies	2	7,500
Force field projector	5 steel+3 plasma+1 glass
C.H.I.M.P. handcannon	5 steel+4 glass	Advanced Anomaly Research	2	10,000
Quantum spin inverter	7 steel+1 glass+1 uranium	Quantum Leaping	3	10,000
Force gun	5 steel+4 glass+1 silver	Gravity Manipulation	3	10,000
Tether gun

Civilian Services

Item	Crafting Cost	Research	Tier	Research Cost
Synthesizer	3 steel+3 plastic+1 glass	Advanced Entertainment	1	7,500
Advanced mop	4 plastic+1 steel+1 glass	Advanced Cleaning	2	10,000
Mega spray bottle	2.5 plastic
Spray nozzle	15 steel+5 glass	Advanced Spray	2	10,000
Backpack water tank	2.5 steel+10 glass
Astro-grass	1 plastic	Faux Astro-Tiles	2	5,000
Mowed astro-grass
Jungle astro-grass
Astro-ice
Astro-snow
Cryostasis beaker	2.5 steel+0.5 plastic	Biochemical Stasis	2	7,500
Cryostasis syringe	2 steel+0.5 plastic
Speed boots	15 steel+10 plastic+5 silver	Quantum Fiber Weaving	3	10,000
Bluespace beaker	5 steel+5 plastic+1.5 plasma+0.5 silver	Bluespace Chemistry	3	10,000
Bluespace syringe	1 steel+1.5 plastic+2.5 glass+1 plasma+0.5 silver

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.

Machine boards can be inserted into a Machine Frame whilst electronics can be inserted into computers or other machines built with Construction.

Industrial

Item	Crafting Cost	Research	Tier	Research Cost
Ripley central control module	1 steel+5 glass+1 gold	Ripley APLU	1	7,500
Ripley peripherals control module
P.A.C.M.A.N-type portable generator machine board	0.5 steel+3.5 glass	Power Generation	1	7,500
S.U.P.E.R.P.A.C.M.A.N-type portable generator machine board
J.R.P.A.C.M.A.N-type portable generator machine board
Power monitoring computer board	1 steel+5 glass
Solar control computer board
Emitter machine board
Solar tracker electronics	1.5 steel+6 glass
Hyper convection circuit imprinter machine board	1 steel+9 glass+1 gold	Industrial Engineering	1	10,000
Hyper convection autolathe machine board	1 steel+5 glass+1 gold
Hyper convection protolathe machine board
Sheet-meister 2000 machine board	1 steel+5 glass
Flatpacker 1001 machine board	1 steel+5 glass+1 gold	Mechanical Compression	1	10,000
Industrial ore processor machine board	1 steel+5 glass+1 gold	Salvage Equipment	1	7,500
Freezer thermomachine machine board	1.5 steel+5 glass+0.5 gold	Atmospherics	1	7,500
Gas recycler board	1 steel+5 glass
Turbo recharger machine board	5 steel+5 glass+1 gold	Advanced Power Cells	1	7,500
Shuttle console board	1 steel+5 glass+1 gold	Shuttlecraft	2	10,000
Mini gravity generator machine board
Thruster machine board	1 steel+5 glass
Gyroscope machine board
Radar console computer board	1 steel+5 glass	Space Scanning	2	7,500
Hellfire freezer machine board	1.5 steel+5 glass+0.5 gold	Advanced Atmospherics	2	7,500
Portable scrubber machine board

Experimental

Item	Crafting Cost	Research	Tier	Research Cost
Analysis computer board	1 steel+5 glass+1 gold	Basic XenoArcheology	1	5,000
Artifact analyzer machine board
A.P.E. machine board	1 steel+5 glass	Basic Anomalous Research	1	5,000
Anomaly vessel machine board
Exosuit fabricator machine board	1 steel+5 glass	Basic Robotics	1	5,000
Tech disk terminal board	1 steel+5 glass+1 gold	Alternative Research	1	5,000
Artifact crusher machine board	1 steel+5 glass+1 gold	Artifact Recycling	2	5,000
Anomaly synchronizer machine board	1 steel+7 glass+1 silver	Advanced Anomaly Research	2	10,000
Experimental anomaly vessel machine board	1 steel+5 glass+1 gold

Civilian Services

Item	Crafting Cost	Research	Tier
Seed extractor machine board	1 steel+5 glass	Basic Hydroponics	1	5,000
Hydroponics tray machine board
Industrial reagent grinder machine board	1 steel+5 glass+1 gold
Lipid extractor machine board	1 steel+5 glass	Meat Manipulation	1	7,500
Biocube fabricator machine board	1 steel+5 glass+1 gold
Biomass reclaimer machine board
HAMTR central control module	1 steel+5 glass+1 gold	Critter Mechs	1	7,500
HAMTR peripherals control module
Television board	1 steel+5 glass	Advanced Entertainment	1	7,500
Digital audio workstation machine board
News manager console board
Jukebox machine board
Surveillance camera router board	1 steel+5 glass	A/V Communication	1	5,000
Surveillance camera wireless router board
Movable wireless camera board
Wireless camera board
Surveillance camera monitor board
Surveillance wireless camera monitor board
Telecommunication server machine board
H.O.N.K. central control module	1 steel+5 glass+0.67 bananium	H.O.N.K. Mech	2	7,500
H.O.N.K. peripherals control module
H.O.N.K. weapon control and targeting module
Cargo telepad machine board	1 steel+5 glass+1 gold	Bluespace Cargo Transport	2	15,000
Stasis bed machine board	1 steel+5 glass+1 gold	Biochemical Stasis	2	7,500
Cryo pod machine board

Troubleshooting

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

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

To fix this in the Lathe/Imprinter/Computer click Server list, click on ID x || RDSERVER and then exit the window.