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.

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	steel+glass+plastic+gold bar	Advanced Powercells	1	7,500
Mining drill	steel+plastic	Salvage Equipment	1	7,500
Grappling gun	steel+glass+gold bar
Welding gas mask	steel+glass
Experimental welding tool	steel+plasma	Advanced Tools	2	10,000
Power drill	steel+plastic
Jaws of life	steel+glass+plasma+gold bar
Ore bag of holding	steel+silver bar+plasma+uranium	Mass Excavation	2	12,500
Diamond tipped mining drill	steel+plastic+silver bar+refined diamond
Handheld mass scanner	steel+glass	Space Scanning	2	7,500
Holofan projector	steel+glass+plastic	Advanced Atmospherics	2	7,500
Bag of holding	steel+silver bar+plasma+uranium	Bluespace Storage	3	15,000
Satchel of holding
Duffelbag of holding
Microreactor power cell	steel+glass+uranium+gold bar	Portable Fission	3	10,000

Arsenal

Item	Crafting Cost	Research	Tier	Research Cost
Template:Item icon	steel+plastic+plasma	Explosive Technology	1	10,000
Template:Item icon	steel+plastic
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Template:Item icon	steel+plastic+glass
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Template:Item icon	steel+glass+silver bar	Salvage Weapons	1	5,000
Template:Item icon	steel+gold bar	Experimental Battery Ammo	3	15,000

Experimental

Item	Crafting Cost	Research	Tier	Research Cost
Template:Item icon	steel+plastic	Basic XenoArcheology	1	5,000
Template:Item icon	steel+plastic+glass+plasma+silver bar	Anomaly Core Harnessing	1	10,000
Template:Item icon	steel+glass	Basic Anomalous Research	1	5,000
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Template:Item icon	steel+plastic	Local Magnetism	1	7,500
Template:Item icon	steel
Template:Item icon	steel+plasma+uranium	Deterrence Technologies	2	7,500
Template:Item icon	steel+plasma+glass
Template:Item icon	steel+glass	Advanced Anomaly Research	2	10,000
Template:Item icon	steel+glass+uranium	Quantum Leaping	3	10,000
Template:Item icon	steel+glass+silver bar	Gravity Manipulation	3	10,000
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Civilian Services

Item	Crafting Cost	Research	Tier	Research Cost
Template:Item icon	steel+plastic+glass	Advanced Entertainment	1	7,500
Template:Item icon	plastic+steel+glass	Advanced Cleaning	2	10,000
Template:Item icon	plastic
Template:Item icon	steel+glass	Advanced Spray	2	10,000
Template:Item icon	steel+glass
Template:Item icon	plastic	Faux Astro-Tiles	2	5,000
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Template:Item icon	steel+plastic	Biochemical Stasis	2	7,500
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Template:Item icon	steel+plastic+silver bar	Quantum Fiber Weaving	3	10,000
Template:Item icon	steel+plastic+plasma+silver bar	Bluespace Chemistry	3	10,000
Template:Item icon	steel+plastic+glass+plasma+silver bar

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
Template:Item icon	steel+glass+gold bar	Ripley APLU	1	7,500
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Template:Item icon	steel+glass	Power Generation	1	7,500
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Template:Item icon	steel+glass
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Template:Item icon	steel+glass
Template:Item icon	steel+glass+gold bar	Industrial Engineering	1	10,000
Template:Item icon	steel+glass+gold bar
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Template:Item icon	steel+glass
Template:Item icon	steel+glass+gold bar	Mechanical Compression	1	10,000
Template:Item icon	steel+glass+gold bar	Salvage Equipment	1	7,500
Template:Item icon	steel+glass+gold bar	Atmospherics	1	7,500
Template:Item icon	steel+glass
Template:Item icon	steel+glass+gold bar	Advanced Power Cells	1	7,500
Template:Item icon	steel+glass+gold bar	Shuttlecraft	2	10,000
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Template:Item icon	steel+glass
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Template:Item icon	steel+glass	Space Scanning	2	7,500
Template:Item icon	steel+glass+gold bar	Advanced Atmospherics	2	7,500
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Experimental

Item	Crafting Cost	Research	Tier	Research Cost
Template:Item icon	steel+glass+gold bar	Basic XenoArcheology	1	5,000
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Template:Item icon	steel+glass	Basic Anomalous Research	1	5,000
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Template:Item icon	steel+glass	Basic Robotics	1	5,000
Template:Item icon	steel+glass+gold bar	Alternative Research	1	5,000
Template:Item icon	steel+glass+gold bar	Artifact Recycling	2	5,000
Template:Item icon	steel+glass+silver bar	Advanced Anomaly Research	2	10,000
Template:Item icon	steel+glass+gold bar

Civilian Services

Item	Crafting Cost	Research	Tier
Template:Item icon	steel+glass	Basic Hydroponics	1	5,000
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Template:Item icon	steel+glass+gold bar
Template:Item icon	steel+glass	Meat Manipulation	1	7,500
Template:Item icon	steel+glass+gold bar
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Template:Item icon	steel+glass+gold bar	Critter Mechs	1	7,500
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Template:Item icon	steel+glass	Advanced Entertainment	1	7,500
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Template:Item icon	steel+glass	A/V Communication	1	5,000
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Template:Item icon	steel+glass+bananium	H.O.N.K. Mech	2	7,500
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Template:Item icon	steel+glass+gold bar	Bluespace Cargo Transport	2	15,000
Template:Item icon	steel+glass+gold bar	Biochemical Stasis	2	7,500
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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.