Salvaging

Starting Your Shift

Salvage can be a fun job, and is accessible to everyone, even new players, as it's helps you get familiar with a lot of the game's Interactions. The Salvage Specialist page is always helpful to refer to, as it shows you the equipment available to you at the start of your shift. Equip your hardsuit, don your utility belt filled with tools, and slip on your Magboots, taking care of your internals as well. Note that on many stations, the tank that spawns with your equipment will not be filled with any air. It is recommended that you play a slime as they don't need air to breathe.

Next you'll want to make sure that a crate of steel sheets, and a bulk cable crate are ordered. Taking your time to also make a stack of metal rods, as these will allow you to get started on one of the most important parts of effective salvaging, a salvage platform.

Preparing For Space

Refer to Space Navigation

The Salvage Platform

An example of a salvage platform.

The purpose of the platform is to allow you to be closer to the salvage spawn, and to give you an area to land crates, and store them before you bring them into the station. Qualities of a good platform include:

• Is wide, to account for any accidental drift or bad throws.
• Is well lit, and also lights some of the salvage map.
• Has a conveyor, to transport crates inside quickly.
• Has a Disposal pipe to transport items/people quickly into and out of the station.
• Has a water tank, for refilling your fire extinguishers.
• Has an emitter attached to crack open botany and engineer closets. (You can also open them with a wielded spear - click on a spear in your active hand.) NOTE: It is against space law to have firearms if you aren't Security, so if you get caught opening firearm crates with this, you might be arrested.
• Has the Salvage Magnet outside, so that you don't have to re-enter the station to pull in more salvage.

Advanced Salvaging

Bringing back crates and canisters isn't all of your job. You can also easily deconstruct parts of the wrecks to bring back home.

• Crowbars can pry up floor tiles.
• Screwdrivers can deconstruct crates & chairs into metal sheets.
• Wirecutters can cut lattices into iron bars. (They can cut wires, too, but some wrecks still have power.)
• Your survival knife can damage most wooden objects to the point where they deconstruct themselves.

Space Critters

Fauna can be found in space. They aren't always welcoming to you.

Always remember: AI-controlled NPCs will never miss, unlike you. The best way to deal with a critter that's faster than you is to sit still and attack.

Space Carps	Not really dangerous on their own, in groups they are extremely dangerous, only fight groups of you have a gun, explosives, or you're really robust.
Space Bears	Slower than a salvager, despite their huggable appearance, they are vicious. A good space bear is a dead space bear.
Space Ticks	Really fast, and the venom they have is horrible.

Salvage Expeditions

Use the Expedition console to select a planet to warp to, then use the salvage shuttle to FTL to the planet.

Xenomorphs

Burrowers	Not much of a threat, slightly faster then a salvager but a few PKA shots or a crusher will take one out quickly.
Drones	A smidge bit faster then your average salvage, though not by much. Some PKA shots or robusting it with a crusher should work if you want to kill one.
Runners	A lot faster then a salvager, though you could kill one with just a survival knife. They're not common to find.
Rounys	Pretty rare, very recognizable because of their blood red color, not much of a threat and easy to kill. Quicker then your average salvager.
Spitters	They spit balls of acid, this is the only Xenomorph that can attack you from range, use sigynate to heal the damage their acid inflicts.
Pretorians	A little strong, faster than salvagers too. These things are easy to take down with a crusher.
Ravagers	These guys are big and red, think of them like a big ball of rage. They are faster then a salvager and deal a good chunk of damage.