Guide to Skills

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Skills Overview

Skills are divided into four ranks, Unfamiliar, Familiar, Trained, Professional with an increasing cost associated with the skill as you buy into higher ranks. You are given eight skill points in each category, Service, Occupational, and Combat. Occupational Skills have been divided here for easier reference, and are reflected as a single group in the skill selection screen.

Service Skills

Bartending

Users of this skill can create mixed drinks of varying quality, which provide a long lasting morale bonus to anyone who consumes them. This skill is activated by first mixing a drink in a Drink Mixer, then pressing Z to shake it. Alternatively, drinks can be stirred with a spoon by clicking on a completed drink.

Unfamiliar: Drinks you produce have no effect.

Familiar: Drinks you produce are slightly higher quality.

Trained: Drinks you produce are of moderately higher quality.

Professional: Drinks you produce are of significantly higher quality.

Cooking

Users of this skill gain bonuses when harvesting parts from animals.

Unfamiliar: You have no modifiers from cooking.

Familiar: You gain +1 product when butchering any animal.

Trained: You gain +2 products when butchering any animal.

Professional: You gain +3 products when butchering any animal.

Gardening

Users of this skill gain bonuses when harvesting grown plants.

0/+1/+2/+3 bonus yield when harvesting plants

0/ 1/3rd sec/ 2/3rd sec/ 1 sec faster Harvesting plants

Resolve

NOT CURRENTLY IMPLEMENTED

Represents a character's mental resilience, emotional stability, and ability to remain steadfast under stress.

Characters with greater Resolve have a permanent passive bonus to their effective morale value. This can provide small bonuses to a variety of interactions.

This morale bonus can also act as a pool of resistance towards psychic damage. This skill does nothing for any species which does not interact with Morale.

0/+3/+6/+9 passive permanent bonus of morale points

Carousing

Represents a character's ability to resist drugs and alcohol. Higher ranks in this skill slightly improve the filtration effectiveness of the character's liver. "his does nothing for characters that don't have a liver.

0%/+5%/+10%/+15% per rank to toxin/alcohol removal rate for the user's Liver.

Ministry

Represents a characters training in religious counseling. Having ranks in this skill unlocks the "Offer Blessing" ability, which offers a small morale modifier to an adjacent character. Additional ranks increase the morale modifier, which is empowered further if the recipient shares a religion with you.

UNFAMILIAR: You have no training in religious counseling.

FAMILIAR: You gain the "Offer Blessing" ability, which provides a small morale bonus to a recipient.

TRAINED: You gain the \"Offer Blessing\" ability, which provides a modest morale bonus to a recipient.

PROFESSIONAL: You gain the "Offer Blessing" ability, which provides a moderate morale bonus to a recipient.

Occupational Skills(Engineering)

Electrical Engineering

Electrical engineering covers usage and maintenance of various electrical systems, such as wiring.

Having less than TRAINED in this skill causes a 10 second delay when interacting with heavy electrical equipment such as emitters.

FAMILIAR: You have some experience working with electrical systems, though are not formally trained.

- You can use a power cell to attempt emergency power bypasses on piloting consoles when they're unpowered for limited battery life separate to using an APC. Higher ranks gives more battery life and having at least Familiar in Pilot: Spacecraft lets you complete bypasses faster.

- You can recognize what 30% of wires in an electrical device like APCs, Cameras, IFF Transponders, Radios, Smartfridges, and SMES units do.

TRAINED: You have formal training in electrical engineering concepts, equivalent to a Bachelor's Degree.

- You can recognize what 50% of wires in an electrical device does.

PROFESSIONAL: You have many years of training in electrical-related Engineering concepts, equivalent to a Master's Degree or better.

- You can recognize what 75% of wires in an electrical device does.

Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical engineering has to do with general construction of objects, walls, windows, and so on. It is also necessary for the usage of heavy machinery such as emitters. This skill is also commonly used for crafting items out of raw materials, and heavily governs the quality of said objects.

UNFAMILIAR: You have little to no experience working with physical machinery.

- Items you craft will typically be of low quality.

- You take twice as long to craft anything.

- You cannot craft any object that requires this skill.

- You cannot interact with most Engineering machinery.

FAMILIAR: You have some experience working with physical machinery, though are not formally trained.

- Items you craft will be of slightly lower than average quality.

- You take 50% longer to craft anything.

- You can interact with some Engineering-related machinery.

- You can deal 10% more damage when attacking structures such as airlocks, windows, or machinery.

- You can repair exosuits 25% faster.

- Each use of a welder on an exosuit repairs 5 more damage.

- You can recognize what 30% of wires in mechanical devices such as airlocks, disposal units, fabricators, and vending machines do.

TRAINED: You have formal training in general Engineering concepts, equivalent to a Bachelor's Degree.

- You can craft items at the standard speed.

- Items you craft are generally at average quality.

- You can interact with most if not all Engineering equipment.

- You can deal 15% more damage when attacking structures.

- You can repair exosuits 50% faster.

- Each use of a welder on an exosuit repairs 10 more damage.

- You can recognize what 50% of wires in mechanical devices do.

PROFESSIONAL: You have many years of training in general Engineering concepts, equivalent to a Master's Degree or better.

- You can craft items significantly faster.

- Items you craft are of much higher quality on average.

- You can deal 20% more damage when attacking structures.

- You can repair exosuits 75% faster.

- Each use of a welder on an exosuit repairs 15 more damage.

- You can recognize 75% of the wires in mechanical devices do.

Atmospheric Systems

FAMILIAR: You have some experiences working with atmospheric systems, though are not formally trained.

- You can recognize what 30% of wires in air alarms do.

TRAINED: You have formal training in Engineering concepts, equivalent to a Bachelor's degree.

- You can recognize what 50% of wires in air alarms do.

PROFESSIONAL: You have many years of training in general Engineering, equivalent to a Master's degree or better.

- You can recognize what 75% of wires in air alarms do.

Reactor Systems

Reactor systems envelops anything used for reactors, such as the computers and gyrotrons for the INDRA. It is also necessary to correctly interpret information from reactor monitoring programs.

UNFAMILIAR: You have little to no experience working with Reactor systems.

- You cannot interact with Reactor computers such as the INDRA controllers.

FAMILIAR: You have some experience working with physical machinery, though are not formally trained.

- You cannot interact with Reactor computers such as the INDRA controller.

- You can recognize what 30% of the wires in the Particle Accelerator Control Boxes do.

TRAINED: You have formal training in general Engineering concepts, equivalent to a Bachelor's Degree.

- This is the minimum skill level required to operate the INDRA.

- You can recognize what 50% of the wires in the Particle Accelerator Control Boxes do.

PROFESSIONAL: You have many years of training in general Engineering concepts, equivalent to a Master's Degree or better.

- You can recognize what 75% of the wires in Particle Accelerator Control Boxes do.

Occupational Skills(Medical)

Medicine

Governs the user's ability to perform basic first-aid, as well as operate medical equipment.

Surgery

Governs the user's ability to perform surgical procedures on organic humanoids, as well as what complexity of procedures can be performed.

+ A low rank in this skill causes surgery procedures to have a significantly higher chance to fail, while high ranks improve surgical chances.

+ The more advanced a surgery is, the greater the penalties will be from attempting it unskilled.

+ Having high ranks in this skill can also help offset the penalties from using non-ideal tools in surgery.

+ This does not affect "surgeries" performed on mechanical prosthetics, robots, or synthetics in general.

UNFAMILIAR: You have zero training or experience with surgery.

- You suffer a large penalty to the chances of successfully performing any surgery on organic humanoids.

FAMILIAR: You have minimal training on the basics of surgery. This is equivalent to a fresh med school graduate, or a military corpsman.

You can perform surgeries slightly faster.

You can perform the following procedures without any penalties:

- Opening or Closing incisions.

- Clamp bleeders.

- Fixing Arterial Bleeding

- Amputating a limb.

TRAINED: You have years of formal training and experience with surgery. This is equivalent to a fully licensed surgeon.

+ You can perform surgeries somewhat faster.

+ You can perform the following procedures without any penalties:

+ - Opening or Closing incisions.

+ - Clamp bleeders.

+ - Fixing Arterial Bleeding

+ - Amputating a limb.

+ - Repairing broken bones or muscle tendons. + - Sawing and retracting a ribcage.

+ - Facial Reconstructions only on organic humanoids, not synthetics.

+ - Remove or Insert implants.

+ - Re-attach (organic) limbs. Robotic limbs require the Robotics skill instead.

+ - Repair non-necrotic organs other than the brain, or mechanical prosthetics.

PROFESSIONAL: You are a world class surgeon with decades worth of training and experience.

+ You can perform surgeries moderately faster.

+ You can perform the following procedures without any penalties: + - Opening or Closing incisions.

+ - Clamp bleeders.

+ - Fixing Arterial Bleeding

+ - Amputating a limb.

+ - Repairing broken bones or muscle tendons.

+ - Sawing and retracting a ribcage.

+ - Facial Reconstructions only on organic humanoids, not synthetics.

+ - Remove or Insert implants.

+ - Re-attach (organic) limbs. Robotic limbs require the Robotics skill instead.

+ - Repair non-necrotic organs other than the brain, or mechanical prosthetics.

+ - Repair and debride necrotic organs.

+ - Repair damaged brains.

Pharmacology

Not currently implemented.

Anatomy

Governs the speed at which you can check yourself for injuries, as well as the quality of the information obtained when doing so.

UNFAMILIAR: You have zero training or knowledge of anatomy.

- You can only distinguish visible damage like cuts and burns.

FAMILIAR: You have minimal training on the basics of anatomy.

You can diagnose the following conditions:

- External injuries.

- Limb dislocation.

- Simple bleeds.

TRAINED: You have years of formal training and experience with anatomy.

You can diagnose the following conditions:

- External injuries at a high level of detail.

- Limb dislocation.

- Broken bones.

- Distinguish between simple bleeds and severed arteries.

- Limb necrosis.

- Tag injuries by triage priority.

PROFESSIONAL: You have extensive training and experience with anatomy.

- You can diagnose the following conditions at the highest level of detail:

- External injuries at a high level of detail.

- Limb dislocation.

- Broken bones.

- Distinguish between simple bleeds and severed arteries.

- Limb necrosis.

- Tag injuries by triage priority.

Forensics

Governs your knowledge of evidence gathering and analyzing.

UNFAMILIAR: You have zero training or knowledge of forensic principles.

FAMILIAR: You have minimal training on the basics of forensics and evidence preservation.

You can do the following:

- Automatically record time, place and gathering person on evidence bags and photos.

TRAINED: You have years of formal training and experience with forensic principles.

You can do the following:

- Automatically record time, place and gathering person on evidence bags and photos.

PROFESSIONAL: You have extensive training and experience with forensics.

You can do the following:

- Automatically record time, place and gathering person on evidence bags and photos.

Occupational Skills(Operations)

Robotics

Governs the user's ability to perform surgical procedures on synthetics, as well as the complexity of what procedures can be performed.

A low rank in this skill causes surgery procedures to have a significantly higher chance to fail, while high ranks improve surgical chances.

The more advanced a surgery is, the greater the penalties will be from attempting it unskilled.

Having high ranks in this skill can also help offset the penalties from using non-ideal tools in surgery. This does not affect "surgeries" performed on organics.

UNFAMILIAR: You have zero training or experience with synthetics.

- You suffer a large penalty to the chances of successfully performing any surgery on synthetics.

FAMILIAR: You have minimal training on the basics of synthetic repair and maintenance. This could be the level of a hobbyist, or someone currently pursuing a degree in robotics.

- You can recognize what 30% of wires in mechatronic devices such as hardsuits, suit storage units, robots, and tag scanners' do.

- You can perform the following procedures without penalties:

- Opening or closing external maintenance panels to make superficial repairs.

- Repairing basic damage with a welder or cables.

- Repairing external damage to mechanical limbs.

- Cutting someone out of a hardsuit.

TRAINED: You have years of formal training or experience on repairing and maintaining synthetics equivalent to a Bachelor's degree in Robotics.

- You can recognize what 50% of wires in mechatronic devices do.

- You can perform the following procedures without penalties:

- Opening or closing external maintenance panels to make superficial repairs.

- Repairing basic damage with a welder or cables.

- Repairing external damage to mechanical limbs.

- Cutting someone out of a hardsuit.

- Fully opening or closing mechanical parts to access internal systems, allowing repairs to any amount of damage.

- Repairing, removing, or adding mechanical organs.

- Facial Reconstructions performed on Shell IPCs.

- Attaching mechanical limbs (including to organics).

- Re-attach (organic) limbs. Robotic limbs require the Robotics skill instead.

- Perform all forms of internal repairs to IPCs.

- Prepare an MMI for cyborgification.

PROFESSIONAL: Not currently implemented, functions exactly as per Trained.

- You can recognize what 75% of wires in mechatronic devices do.

You can perform the following procedures without penalties:

- Opening or closing external maintenance panels to make superficial repairs.

- Repairing basic damage with a welder or cables.

- Repairing external damage to mechanical limbs.

- Cutting someone out of a hardsuit.

- Fully opening or closing mechanical parts to access internal systems, allowing repairs to any amount of damage.

- Repairing, removing, or adding mechanical organs.

- Facial Reconstructions performed on Shell IPCs.

- Attaching mechanical limbs (including to organics).

- Re-attach (organic) limbs. Robotic limbs require the Robotics skill instead.

- Perform all forms of internal repairs to IPCs.

- Prepare an MMI for cyborgification.

Pilot: Spacecraft

Governs the user's ability to pilot spacecraft of any size, and is required to do so in the first place.

UNFAMILIAR: You are inexperienced and mostly incapable of piloting spacecraft, but may attempt piloting shuttles in emergencies.

- There is only a 70% chance you will be able to view the consoles after several seconds waiting.

- Accelerations and Slows take 2 seconds to perform.

 - Additional 65% chance to accelerate further.
 - Additional 60% and 70% chances to slow further.

- Turns take 3 seconds to perform and have a 60% chance to continue in the given direction.

- Rolls have a 60% chance to move north/south, and a 70% chance afterwards to go further in it.

FAMILIAR: You are capable of piloting shuttlecraft.

• You may attempt piloting a level higher with mild penalties:

- Accelerations and Slows take 1 second to perform.

 - Additional 65% chance to accelerate further.
 - Additional 60% chance to slow further.

- Turns take 1 second to perform. - Rolls have a 60% chance to move north/south.

TRAINED: You are capable of piloting up to Class II ships, which are often unable to land or dock.

• Class II includes all other ships movable on the overmap, with one major exception

• You may attempt piloting a level higher with notable penalties similar to Unfamiliar:

- Accelerations and Slows take 2 seconds to perform

 - Additional 65% chance to accelerate more and a 70% chance to accelerate even further.
 - Additional 60% chance to slow further.

- Turns take 3 seconds to perform and have a 60% chance to continue in the given direction, PLUS another 70% chance to continue again. - Rolls have a 60% chance to move north/south, and a70% chance afterwards to go even further in it.

PROFESSIONAL: You are capable of piloting up to Class IV ships, the highest, rarest, and most complex category, where the SCCV Horizon falls under.

- The SCCV Horizon is the only Class IV ship normally.

- Your expert navigational training lets you deduce the current overmap coordinate from examining space with Help intent.

Pilot: Exosuits

Being Untrained in Pilot: Mechs causes every mech movement input to have a 10% chance to change into a random different direction.

Being Untrained in Pilot: Mechs causes a 5 Second delay when powering up a mech.

0/-0.5 secs/-1 secs/-1.5 secs to Movement Delays for Strafing, Reverse, and Turning with mechs. Forward movement is never modified. This results in significantly improved maneuverability with mechs.

Conditioning

NOT CURRENTLY IMPLEMENTED

Governs a character's ability to pick up, drag, and throw heavy objects, particularly crates and people. By default, most characters can comfortably lift or drag 1.25x their body weight without penalty. This includes determining how heavy a character you can fireman carry, and with how much slowdown. Without the relevant education, you may only reach the Professional level.

Human Lift Breakpoints: Rank 1: 90kg (lift a Skrell, Human, Offworlder, M'sai, KA, or ZA)

Rank 2: 112.5kg (Lift a Zhan, Shell, or Diona Coeus)

Rank 3: 135kg (Lift a (Non-Industrial) IPC, Unathi)

Rank 4: 157.5kg (No new breakpoints, though you get less a movespeed penalty from lugging around any of the above)

Can Never Lift: Industrial, Bullwark, Diona, Vaurca Ta'

Zhan Tajara Lift Breakpoints: Rank 1: 116kg (Skrell, Human, Offworlder, M'sai, Ka, Za, Zhan, Shell, or Diona Coeus)

Rank 2: 145kg (Non-Industrial IPC, Unathi)

Rank 3: 174kg (No new breakpoints, though you get less penalties from the above)

Rank 4: 203kg (Juuuust barely lift an Industrial or Diona with heavy slowdown)

Occupational Skills(Science)

Research

The Research skill governs your ability to conduct scientific research, iterate on designs in R&D and unlock the secrets of the universe. Currently only implemented for modular lasers.

Xenobotany

Not implemented at this time.

Xenoarchaeology

Not implemented at this time

Xenobiology

Xenobiology is the study of the research and cataloguing of alien lifeforms. It is necessary not only for the proper detailing of alien creatures, but also for their processing, such as with slimes.

- Having this skill at least at the "Trained" rank is required to extract cores from slimes.

- You know what 30%/50%/75% of the wires in stasis cages are.

- Ranks in this skill also provide small situational bonuses when interacting with aliens in general.

0%/+2.5%/+5%/+7.5% to Surgery Success Chances when performing surgery on a character of a different species than your own.,

0%/+5%/+10%/+15% to Surgery Speed when performing surgery on a character of a different species than your own.,

0%/+10%/+15%/+20% bonus melee damage When attacking any Xenofauna,

0/+1/+2/+3 butchering products when butchering any Xenofauna

Combat Skills

Unarmed Combat

Unarmed combat represents your training in hand-to-hand combat, or without a weapon. It also influences your ability to resist actions like disarms or martial arts. Higher ranks in Unarmed Combat provide bonuses when attacking with your fists, as well as bonuses to defending against others unarmed attacks and disarms.

UNFAMILIAR: You have rarely, if ever, fought someone in your life.

+ - You are more likely to miss when attempting to punch anywhere not the torso.

+ - You are less likely to block unarmed attacks that you are aware of.

+ - Enemies are more likely to block your unarmed attacks.

FAMILIAR: You have some experience throwing punches. You are no stranger to a close-quarters fight, though anyone with real training is likely to overwhelm you.

+ - You are slightly more likely to miss when attempting to punch anywhere not the torso.

+ - You are slightly less likely to block unarmed attacks that you are aware of.

+ - Enemies are slightly more likely to block your unarmed attacks.

TRAINED: You have been trained, whether by being in the military, taking close-quarters-combat classes or simply through experience, to both keep calm in a close-quarters fight and also fight well.

+ - You suffer no maluses to your close-quarters combat.

+ - You have no bonuses to unarmed fighting either.

PROFESSIONAL: You have had many years of martial arts experience. Probably having a Black Belt equivalent in one or more martial arts.

+ - You are slightly less likely to miss when attempting to punch anywhere not the torso.

+ - You are slightly more likely to block unarmed attacks that you are aware of.

+ - Enemies are slightly less likely to block your unarmed attacks.

Armed Combat

Armed Combat influences your effectiveness when fighting with any melee weapon. Having low ranks in this skill slightly decreases damage dealt with melee weapons, while higher ranks can slightly increase it.

-20%/-10%/0%/+10% modifier to melee weapon damage

Firearms

Firearms represents your training in using all forms of ranged weapons. Having a high rank in in this skill provides bonuses to accuracy when shooting.

UNFAMILIAR: You have no knowledge of how firearms work at all.

+ - Firearms you shoot have a 60 degree spread-angle increase, making them very inaccurate.

+ - You have a decent chance of failing to find the safety when attempting to switch it on or off.

FAMILIAR: You have fired a gun once or twice in your life, but are by no means fully trained. At least you know how to not shoot yourself in the foot or get scope-eye.

+ - Firearms you shoot have a 30 degree spread-angle increase, making them somewhat less accurate.

TRAINED: You have both training and actual experience with firearms. Equivalent to a few years of experience in roles such as military, police, or armed security.

+ - You suffer no maluses to firearms use.

+ - You have no bonuses to firearms use either.

PROFESSIONAL: You have many years of experience with firearms, potentially even in actual combat. Retired special forces, police marksmen, and hardened mercenaries fall under this category.

+ - Firearms you shoot have a 30 degree spread-angle decrease, making them somewhat more accurate. This generally doesn't apply to weapons fired in semi-auto, but will make burst and automatic fire more manageable.

Leadership

Leadership represents a characters skill with inspiring others. Having ranks in this skill grants access to the "Deliver Speech" action. Which can be used to give a morale modifier either in an area, or to a single person. Additional ranks increase the morale modifier provided.

UNFAMILIAR: You have no skill with motivational speeches.

FAMILIAR: You gain the "Deliver Speech" ability, which provides a small morale bonus.

TRAINED: You gain the "Deliver Speech" ability, which provides a modest morale bonus.

PROFESSIONAL: You gain the "Deliver Speech" ability, which provides a moderate morale bonus.

Tenacity

0/+0.1/+0.2/+0.3 Bonus minimum heart efficiency

0/+1.25/+2.5/+3.75 Bonus effective blood volume

0/+0.05/+0.1/+0.15 Bonus Pulse

0/+0.075/+0.15/+0.225 Bonus Bleed resist

0/+0.0375/+0.075/+0.1125 Bonus Arterial resist