Guide to Research and Development

Research and development basically consists of a scientist shoving everything he can find into a destructive scanner, where it is disintegrated, its workings analyzed, and the connected computer tries to integrate the technology with other known workings at the highest efficiencies it can. Essentially this means that a scientist in this modern world doesn't actually have to know any of the concepts he's working with; it's all about melting things down and playing with the resulting toys! Ain't life grand? Some machines can even be upgraded by replacing parts with newer parts from the protolathe to make them more efficient.

LAZY SCIENTIST'S GUIDE TO WORKING RND

The previous guides were several years out of date, so have a new one. Effective as of 20 January 2023. Notes will be in italics.

- DECON: Telepad board (Data 5, Engi 4, Mats 4, Bluespace 5)
Disassemble the telepad in telescience. We make another board to replace it later, trust me.
We do this because it's the only reliable way to get Bluespace 5, it gives us a huge head-start and streamlines research, and we can literally just make another board now.
- LATHE: Nanopaste (Mats 5)
- LATHE + KEEP: Portable integrated circuit printer + advanced designs card
- LATHE + KEEP: Rapid Part Exchange Device + pico-manipulator x4
You can start making the integrated circuits while you wait for the lathe.
- ICP: large power transmission circuit (Engineering 5, Power 7, EM 6)
- ICP: metabolic siphon (Biotech 6)
- ICP: large tesla power relay (Engi 6)
- UPGRADE: Protolathe, Circuit Imprinter
- LATHE: Pico-manipulator (Mats 6)
- CIRC: Advanced radioisotope thermoelectric generator board (Phoron 4)
- CIRC: Hazard hardsuit control and targeting board (Data 6, Combat 5)
- CIRC: Combat hardsuit control and targeting board (Data 8, Combat 7)
- CIRC + KEEP: Telepad board
I told you we'd replace it!

Total without mining (🏆 indicates all items unlocked)
Materials 6 (pico-manipulator)
Engineering 6 (large tesla power relay)
Phoron 4 (advanced radioisotope thermoelectric generator board)
🏆 Power 7 (large power transmission circuit)
🏆 Bluespace 5 (telepad board)
🏆 Biotech 6 (metabolic siphon)
🏆 Combat 7 (combat hardsuit control and targeting board)
🏆 Electromagnetic 6 (large power transmission circuit)
🏆 Data 8 (combat hardsuit control and targeting board)

Got mining? Want to go even further beyond?
- DECON: Diamond (Mats 8, REQ: Diamond)
Unlocks incision management system at Mats 7.
- LATHE: Planet core KA power converter (Phoron 5, REQ: Gold, Uranium, Diamond)
Unlocks phoron capacitor, gatling rotator, and various KA upgrades at Phoron 5.
- LATHE: Recoil reloader KA cell (Engineering 7, Phoron 6, REQ: Silver, Gold, Uranium)
Unlocks bluespace capacitor at Phoron 6, Engineering 7.

Total with mining:
🏆 Materials 8 (diamond)
🏆 Engineering 7 (recoil reloader KA cell)
🏆 Phoron 6 (recoil reloader KA cell)

Illegal tech requirements cap at 4 (energy glaive, energy shield). You can get all the other illegal stuff at 3, though.
Arcane research does nothing... and also only comes from cult bloodpikes.

Total cost:
36,120 steel (19 sheets)
Mostly the RPED and integrated circuit printer, which you're keeping.
16,000 glass (8 sheets)
With mining:
10,000 steel (5 sheets)
6,000 glass (3 sheets)
8,000 uranium (4 sheets)
4,000 gold (2 sheets)
3,000 silver (2 sheets)
3,000 diamond (2 sheets)

Deconstruction

Deconstruction is easy. Simply stick items into the destructive analyzer and turn it on. Remember, you'll only advance one level at a time per item, and only if the tech level is equal or greater than your current research level. It is possible to eject items from the deconstructive analyzer if, say, security notices their missing laser guns. As always, experiment! Some technology on the ship is just so basic that the analyzer won't even bother with it, but things like bruise packs, flashbangs, and some of the odds and ends in your very lab will all work.

Protolathe

This is how you create the advanced technologies you (read: the computers) have discovered by increasing tech trees. You will have nothing too exciting at first, but soon you will get increasingly more esoteric devices as you advance the various fields of research. Higher research levels produce items that malfunction once in a while, but putting your broken toys back in the analyzer will allow the computer to see what went wrong and fix the problem. With every broken device, a more efficient device is just around the corner.

Circuit Imprinter

This industrial printer requires glass, sulfuric acid, and occasionally gold and diamond. Each board requires different levels of data theory and materials research, and some require specific field advancement, such as biological or blue-space. With gold, you can make AI law modules, or AI related circuit boards. Machine boards can also be built in the Circuit Constructor, including mech suits and power generators.

Server Saving

Make sure to head into setting and sync with database periodically. This will update the server on the ship, making a back-up. The Research Director can access the R&D server management computer and either transfer or delete research blueprints to other computers on ship. If no one else has, you should probably allow robotics to access your research findings by that computer. It is usually applicable to their research, too!

Research and Development Weapons

If a weapon was created in Research and Development, it is advised not to leave Research and Development department with the weapon without proper paperwork from Command Department. If you are found with a fabricated research weapon outside of your department, you are subject to be arrested at any given time and weapon likely turned over to Security.

You will require firing pins. There are several different categories of firing pins.

• Normal Firing Pin: A normal firing pin that do not require special circumstances or have special effect.
• Sabotaged Firing Pin: One that always fails, and can replace other pins.
• Laser Tag Firing Pin: You could make it so you could only shoot a gun while wearing a laser tag vest.
• Testing Range Firing Pin: Which only allows firing in specific areas - of which are mapped in currently.
• DNA Locked Firing Pin: Fires if you have the same DNA imprinted. Includes subtype which will explode if someone else tries to use it.

Research Department
Head of department	Research Director
Personnel	Scientist - Xenobiologist - Xenoarcheologist - Roboticist
Useful guides	Guide to Research and Development - Guide to Xenobiology - Guide to Xenobotany - Guide to Xenoarchaeology - Integrated Electronics - Guide to Telescience - Guide to Modular Weaponry