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 salvage tools. Materials must first be inserted into the machine and cannot be extracted. 100 steel equates to 1 steel sheet.

Example recipes:

Image	Name	Description	Required Items	Value
	Airlock Painter		300 steel, 100 plastic
	Crowbar	A tool that is needed to pry open unpowered doors.	200 steel	40
	Gas Analyzer		800 steel, 300 glass
	Global Positioning System	A hand-held device used to see what the GPS coordinates ware of your position in the map.	800 steel, 300 glass
	LV cable coil	A piece of wire that can be used to connect powerered objects to an APC. Refer to Power	100 steel
	Multitool	A tool that can be used for Hacking	200 steel, 200 plastic
	Pickaxe	A tool that can be used by a Salvage Specialist for mining ore	200 steel, 100 wood
	Screwdriver	A tool that is needed to open/close panels of devices such as doors. It is also needed when building some items.	200 steel, 50 plastic
	T-Ray Scanner	A tool that shows underground wires and pipes.	800 steel, 300 glass
	Utility Belt	A belt that stores Engineering tools	100 cloth, 50 steel
	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.	400 steel
	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.	200 steel, 50 plastic
	Wrench	A tool that enables you to anchor / unanchored objects. Anchored objects cannot be moved until unanchored. Unanchored objects are unpowered.	200 steel	40

Protolathe

The Protolathe is a machine capable of printing most of what you've researched. It can make things such from beakers or ammo. Materials must first be inserted into the machine but can be extracted with the Material Sheet Printing research. 100 steel equates to 1 steel sheet.

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. Yet higher quality parts require better research and more materials.

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'.

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

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)	50 steel, 100 glass	Electromagnetic theory
	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 a chemist to store chemicals. Can be drunk from. Does not shatter if dropped.	200 glass	Chemistry technology
	Bucket	Can contain 250u of liquid that is spilled if you trip. You can drink out of a bucket using Alt+click and extract liquid into it from other containers 50u at a time. Cannot be inserted into machines like the ChemDispenser. Used by a Botanist or Janitor.	100 steel	Cleaning technology
	Butcher's Cleaver	A tool that a Chef uses to butcher corpses for meat but also a Weapon	300 steel, 50 plastic	Food and beverage technology
	Capacitor		50 steel, 50 plastic	Scientific technology
	Cautery
	Chemical Payload	A component needed to make a modular grenade	200 steel, 300 plastic	Chemistry technology
	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.	500 steel, 50 plastic	Industrial engineering
	Cryostasis Beaker	Can contain chemicals in low temperatures and ensure that they do not mix.	250 steel, 50 plastic	Chemistry technology
	Drill
	Drone
	Dropper	A container that holds a tiny amount of liquid.	200 glass, 100 plastic	Chemistry technology
	Fire Extinguisher	A device that sprays water to put out fires or used in Space Navigation	200 steel	Industrial engineering
	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.	100 steel,100 plastic, 100 glass	Industrial engineering
	Flourescent Light Tube	Light tube for lights on the walls of the station.	50 steel, 50 glass	Electromagnetic theory
	Glass	Extract some glass from the machine	100 glass	Material Sheet Printing	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.	200 steel, 100 plastic	Biological technology
	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.	200 steel	Electromagnetic theory
	Incandescent Light Bulb	Light bulb for lights on the walls of the station	50 steel, 50 glass	Electromagnetic theory
	Intercom Electronics		50 steel, 50 plastic	Industrial engineering
	Kitchen Knife	A knife used by a Chef but also a Weapon	200 steel, 50 plastic	Food and beverage technology
	Large Beaker	A container that can hold 100u of liquid used by a Chemist or Chef that shatters when dropped.	200 glass	Chemistry technology
	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.	100 steel	Electromagnetic theory
	Mailing Unit Electronics	A component used to create a mailing unit.
	Matter Bin	A component used to craft some machines.	50 steel, 50 plastic	Scientific technology	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	Scientific technology	20
	Micro-Manipulator	A component used to craft some machines.	50 steel, 50 plastic	Scientific technology	20
	Mining Drill	A drill used by a Salvage Specialist to mine rocks faster than a Pickaxe	500 steel, 100 plastic	Salvage Equipment
	Minihoe	A tool that is used by a Botanist to remove weeds from a Hydroponics Tray	200 steel, 100 plastic	Biological technology
	Mop	A tool used by a Janitor to mop up liquid spillages from floors.	100 plastic	Cleaning technology
	MV Cable Coil	Medium Voltage wire. Used to connect power storage to APC units by Engineers.	150 steel	Electromagnetic theory
	Nano-Manipulator
	Node Scanner		100 steel, 50 plastic	Scientific technology
	Pill Cannister	A container that can hold up to 9 pills and used by a Chemist	100 plastic	Chemistry technology
	Plant clippers	A tool used by Botanists to extract seeds from a growing plant	200 steel, 100 plastic	Biological technology
	Plastic	Extract some plastic from the machine	100 plastic	Material Sheet Printing	10
	RCD Ammo
	Reinforced Glass	Extract some reinforced glass from the machine	100 reinforced glass	Material Sheet Printing	10
	Remote Signaller		100 steel, 200 plastic, 100 glass	Electromagnetic theory
	Right Borg Arm	Used to create Bots such as the MedBot.
	Scapel	A tool for doctors
	Scanning Module		50 steel, 50 plastic, 50 glass	Scientific technology
	Scythe	A tool used by Botanists to harvest some types of plants from a Hydroponics tray	300 steel, 200 plastic	Biological technology
	Shovel	A tool used by Botanists to clear a Hydroponics tray contents	200 steel, 100 wood	Biological technology
	Signal Trigger	A type of trigger for a bomb / grenade	300 steel, 200 plastic	Electromagnetic theory
	Small-Capacity Power Cell	A battery used to power some tools like a flashlight. Chargeable by a Power Cell Charger
	Spade	A tool used by Botanists	200 steel, 100 plastic	Biological technology
	Spray Bottle	Can hold a little liquid that can be sprayed onto a sentient or floor. Commonly used to hold space cleaner for a Janitor or weed killer for a Security Officer. A Chemist can fill this with the desired liquid. It sprays 5u of liquid at a time. Corrosive chemicals when sprayed on a person can eat through their gear and skin causing Caustic damage	100 plastic	Cleaning technology
	Steel	Extract some steel from the machine	100 steel	Material Sheet Printing	10
	Syringe	A container that can hold up to 15u of liquid and can draw from / inject into people/animals	100 plastic, 25 steel.	Chemistry technology
	Timer Trigger	A type of trigger for a bomb / grenade. The default timer is 5 seconds.	300 steel, 200 plastic	Electromagnetic theory
	Voice Trigger	A type of trigger for a bomb / grenade	300 steel, 200 plastic	Electromagnetic theory

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
	Air Alarm Electronics	A component needed to make an air alarm	50 steel, 50 plastic	Industrial engineering
	Autolathe Machine Board	A component needed to make an autolathe	100 steel, 900 glass	Industrial engineering
	APC electronics	A component needed to make an APC	50 steel, 100 glass	Electromagnetic theory
	Booze Dispenser Machine Board	A component needed to make a Hotplate .	100 steel, 900 glass	Food and beverage technology
	Circuit Imprinter Machine Board	A component needed to make a Circuit Imprinter.	100 steel, 900 glass	Industrial engineering
	Door Electronics	A component needed to make a door	50 steel, 50 plastic	Industrial engineering	100
	Fire Alarm Electronics	A component needed to make a fire alarm.	50 steel, 50 plastic	Industrial engineering	100
	Firelock Electronics	A component needed to make a Firelock door.	50 steel, 50 plastic	Industrial engineering
	Hotplate Machine Board	A component needed to make a Hotplate .	100 steel, 900 glass	Chemistry technology
	Intercom Electronics	A component needed to make an intercom.	50 steel, 50 plastic	Industrial engineering
	Mailing Unit Electronics	A component needed to make a Mailing Unit.	50 steel, 50 plastic	Industrial engineering
	Microwave Machine Board	A component needed to make an Ore Processor.	100 steel, 900 glass	Food and beverage technology
	Movable Wireless Camera Board	A component needed to make a Movable Wireless Camera.	100 steel, 900 glass	Surveillance technology
	Ore Processor Machine Board	A component needed to make an Ore Processor.	100 steel, 900 glass, 100 gold	Salvage Equipment
	Protoloathe Machine Board	A component needed to make a Firelock door.	100 steel, 900 glass	Industrial engineering
	Reagent Grinder Machine Board	A component needed to make a Reagent Grinder.	100 steel, 900 glass	Chemistry technology
	Substation Machine Board	A component needed to make a Substation .	50 steel, 450 glass	Electromagnetic theory
	Surveillance Camera Monitor Board	A component needed to make a Surveillance Camera.	100 steel, 900 glass	Surveillance technology
	Surveillance Camera Router Board	A component needed to make a Surveillance Camera.	100 steel, 900 glass	Surveillance technology
	Surveillance Camera Wireless Router Board	A component needed to make a Surveillance Camera.	100 steel, 900 glass	Surveillance technology
	Surveillance Wireless Camera <Monitor Board	A component needed to make a Surveillance Camera.	100 steel, 900 glass	Surveillance technology
	Soda Dispenser Machine Board	A component needed to make a Hotplate .	100 steel, 900 glass	Food and beverage technology
	Technology Disk Terminal Board	A component needed to make a Technology Disk Terminal.	100 steel, 900 glass, 100 gold	Scientific technology
	Television Board	A component needed to make a Television .	100 steel, 900 glass	Surveillance technology
	Uniform Printer Machine Board	A component needed to make a Uniform Printer.	100 steel, 900 glass	Industrial engineering
	Wireless Camera Board	A component needed to make a Wireless Camera.	100 steel, 900 glass	Surveillance technology

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.