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

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.

R&D Tree

Industrial

Tier 1

Power Generation - Costs: 7,500

*

P.A.C.M.A.N.-type portable generator machine board

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
Solar control computer board
Solar tracker electronics
Emitter machine board

Industrial Engineering - Costs: 10,000

*

Hyper convection circuit imprinter machine board

Hyper convection autolathe machine board
Hyper convection protolathe machine board
Sheet-meister 2000 machine board

Atmospherics - Cost: 7,500

*

Freezer thermomachine machine board

Gas recycler board

Mechanical Compression - Cost: 10,000

*

Flatpacker 1001 machine board

Salvage Equipment - Cost: 7,500

*

Mining drill

Grappling gun
Mining cyborg module
Grappling gun cyborg module
Industrial ore processor machine board
Welding gas mask

Advanced Powercells - Cost: 7,500

*

High-capacity power cell

Turbo recharger machine board

Ripley APLU - Cost: 7,500

*

Ripley harness

Ripley left arm
Ripley right arm
Ripley left leg
Ripley right leg
Ripley central control module
Ripley peripherals control module
Hydraulic clamp

Tier 2

Advanced Atmospherics - Cost: 7,500

*

Hellfire freezer machine board

Portable scrubber machine board
Holofan projector

Advanced Tools - Cost: 10,000

*

Experimental welding tool

Power drill
Jaws of life
Advanced tool cyborg module
RCD cyborg module

Shuttlecraft - Cost: 10,000

*

Shuttle console board

Thruster machine board
Gyroscope machine board
Mini gravity generator machine board

Space Scanning - Cost: 7,500

*

Radar console computer board

Handheld mass scanner
GPS cyborg module

Tier 3

Bluespace Storage - Cost: 15,000

*

Bag of holding

Satchel of holding
Duffelbag of holding

Portable Fission - Cost: 10,000

*

Microreactor power cell

Arsenal

Tier 1

Tier 2

Tier 3

Experimental

Tier 1

Tier 2

Tier 3

Civilian Services

Tier 1

Tier 2

Tier 3

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.