A Mechanic's Guide to Pods! (And space)

[Citinited]

 

1. Introduction

 

Hello there! I'm Simon Grey and today I'll be running through some pointers for how to do your job as a space pod pilot! This guide is... fairly lengthy, but it covers basically everything that you need to know as a pilot, and has some relevance if you just want to explore space (part eight). Please note that, while this guide is aimed primarily at Mechanics, it also does apply somewhat to Security Pod Pilots (skip to part six if that is the case).

 

SO YOU THOUGHT THIS SHIT WAS EASY?! Well, it is, but there's some details that you might want to bear in mind, to maximise your survival in space. It's dangerous out there!

 

2. Overview of both positions

 

Both the Mechanic and the Security Pod Pilot cost 30KP and allow you to have a new degree of freedom, which is the one to easily navigate space in a space pod. You're pretty mobile, adept at reconnaissance of anything in space and, in the case of the Security Pod Pilot, you are equipped to take down any threats from space.

 

If you are the Security Pod Pilot, bear in mind that just because you have a spacepod does not mean that you can go off into space to try defeat the syndicate outpost. You are still an officer that needs to enforce Space Law, which means that if the threat is on the station - go and deal with it!

 

3. Your workshop

 

Your bastion. Guard it with your life and robust anyone who breaks in (or electrify the grilles for the lulz). Here it is:

 

 

Several things to note:

 

 

• Your cell charger is public. You might want to move it inside, and replace that table with a window or wall.

• You have all of the materials to make a new pod, but a second one requires uranium, so ask cargo for minerals.

You have blast doors covering a podlock leading to space, and another set of blast doors which separates your workshop from the podbay. Use them to prevent people breaking in and flying off in your pod.

The space pod locator shows the coordinates of any pod with a tracking device in it, and also shows the name of the current pilot.

 

4. The spacepod fabricator

 

Your spacepod fabricator is required to create your spacepod. Stick materials in it and you can build all this crap. Here's the standard list of things you can make with it:

 

 

• Spacepod frame (fore port, aft port, fore starboard, aft starboard pod frame)

• Pod armour (civilian)

Spacepod mainboard

Spacepod core (requires uranium)

 

By syncing your R&D console, and then syncing your spacepod fabricator with the R&D console you have, you can get: more designs, more efficiency, and reduced build times.

 

In addition to the basic pod parts (frame and armour), these items can also be made by syncing:

 

 

• Better powercells (hyper-capacity requires gold and silver)

• Spacepod tracking system (screwdriver to enable / disable)

Spacepod weaponry! These come in lockboxes and the laser system requires gold and silver.

 

5. How to build your pod

 

First things first, insert all the glass, all the plasma, and all the metal into the spacepod fabricator (but keep five metal back).

 

 

• 1. Fabricate all parts of the pod frame and the civilian pod armour. (You can add them all to the queue to save some time.)

  2. Drag and arrange them so that they make a pod shape. (fore port at top left, fore aft at bottom left, etc.) By clicking a part you can rotate it.

  3. Wrench each part into place. (You can walk over an unwrenched part)

  4. Use 10 metal rods on the unassembled frame.

  5. Use 5 pieces of cable on the spacepod frame.

  6. Screwdriver the frame to secure cable.

  7. Insert the spacepod mainboard.

  8. Screwdriver the frame to secure the mainboard.

  9. Insert the core.

  10. Wrench the core to secure.

  11. Use 5 metal on the frame.

  12. Wrench the metal to secure.

  13. Weld the spacepod. (Use the welding goggles you're given!)

  14. Attach the pod armour.

  15. Wrench the armour to secure.

  16. Weld the armour into position.

 

Congratulations, you have created a spacepod!

 

 

6. Spacepod maintenance

 

Loathe as I am to say it, your job description is not merely to piss off into space and die on the syndicate outpost. You also need to maintain and repair the various spacepods of the NSS Cyberiad. Here's how to fulfil that.

 

Recharging cells and replacing parts

 

Pretty easy. First, crowbar the pod to open the maintenance hatch. Then click the pod. This will bring up a menu that allows you to remove any internal parts. Select the energy cell to remove the dead powercell, and then insert a new one. Crowbar the pod again to close.

 

To insert a part, just click the spacepod with a valid part in hand.

 

Repairing a spacepod

 

This is also easy, but you will want eye protection. Crowbar the pod to open the maintenance hatch, then just click the spacepod with a lit welder. This takes a lot of fuel, so make sure you're near to a fueltank when you repair one (luckily you get one in your workshop!). WARNING: DO NOT BE AN IDIOT AND BLOW YOURSELF UP WITH THE FUELTANK!

 

Remember that if your pod drops to 0% integrity, it will be unable to be repaired. If it sustains more damage beyond that, then it will explode, so do be careful and don't screw up your pod.

 

7. Tips on not dying in space

 

So you're mobile, and bound for the stars. Great! Here are some tips for maximising the experience.

 

 

• ALWAYS carry a spare powercell (or two!). You do not want to have to abandon your precious spacepod just because it ran out of charge. Remember, there is a cell charger on the DJ station, as well as the mechanic's workshop, the spacepod pilot's bay, and around the station. You can check power levels on the 'status' tab, and can replace pod parts without having to venture outside.

• Bring a crowbar so you can replace cells and whatnot.

If you can get a GPS unit from science, do so – it'll prevent levels of frustration unbeknown to non-pilot crew as you try to navigate back to the station and somehow always end up back at the derelict z-levels are psuedo-random, in that crossing over the edge of one will always lead to the same z-level. This means that you should be able to remember where things are in space, but don't forget that the connections are reset every round.

Your pod has lights; turn them on in the 'spacepod' tab.

Spacepods can take a single passenger. Lock your doors in the 'spacepod' tab to prevent unwanted boarders.

If you click-drag a dead person onto your pod, you can pick them up – perfect for rescuing dead crew from space!

Your spacepod has its own air supply, so don't be afraid to smoke in the comfort of your own spacepod.

Removing the powercell from your spacepod when you leave it in a place for longer than about five seconds serves as a first line of defence against pod theft.

Don't forget to pack a snack or two so you're not doomed to diona-levels of runspeed.

 

 

8. What's in outer space?

 

Well, that's a big question, and one that you might enjoy finding out if you explore! However, here's a couple of hints as to what you can expect. (This is not an exhaustive list)

 

The Derelict

 

The Derelict is a large, Russian, abandoned station near to the station. Among other things in its ruins, it contains: two spacesuits and two suspicious toolboxes, a police baton, an intellicard, and Officer Buzzsky. Buzzsky does NOT like visitors, so be warned.

 

In close proximity to the Derelict is the syndicate outpost (south of the SE solar), where many space explorers have met a quick end at the hands of the robust turrets on it.

 

If you head south of the chapel mass driver, there is a teleporter you can use to get back.

 

West-ish of the Derelict's northern side is the DJ Station, where you can enable a telecoms relay to establish a link to the station and spy on command. (And order pizza and smoke the cigarettes that are located there and look like a badass with the tactical turtleneck.)

 

Engineering Outpost

 

Where engineers go to hide from nuclear operatives and skive from work. It also is frequently used by cultist engineers who want somewhere to hide from prying eyes.

 

To the east of the outpost is a huge construction site, and there's also a… drug lab near to the outpost.

 

Telecomms

 

The telecomms satellite can be accessed from space, but unfortunately you can't do much on the main satellite if you don't have access. You can hack your way in to get to the telecomms teleporter, which serves as a way back to the station.

 

Northwest of the telecomms satellite is the fabled white ship, a large medical vessel equipped with: a medical hardsuit, a black and green spacesuit, a retro laser, various powercells, a health kit, a large oxygen tank, and more. The ship itself is full of air and entirely habitable. On the southwest side of the ship is a podbay - you can open and close the blast doors to manoeuvre inside of the ship.

 

Southeast of the telecomms satellite is an adandoned teleporter, which has some nice loot like a pair of gloves and an intellicard. You could also try to get it up and running, which requires constructing an APC for it.

 

The Asteroid

 

This is the large rock where miners go to mine the minerals R&D is so reliant upon, and scientists go to unearth deadly artifacts that kill you in ten seconds flat sometimes useful artifacts and not-so-useful fossils nothing, RIP xenoarchaeology.

 

There's an abandoned mining outpost on the NW side that contains (thankfully) dead xenomorphs, along with a spacepod, a black-and-red space suit, and a xeno suit. You can also nick a mining drill from cargo and go hunting for artifacts in the stone-cold asteroid.

 

Other risks

 

Outer space is not all fun and games, though. Remember that carp spawn in proximity to the station, and will attack your pod and damage it. If you're the Security Pod Pilot, it's your job to take out those pesky carp, so change out the tasers for lasers and go hunting! (Two lasers kill a carp.)

 

Remember that the syndicate outpost also shoots at your pod and will take it down in a matter of seconds if you don't perform evasive manoeuvres.

 

Outer space is cold, so don't forget to gear up in suitable equipment beforehand.

 

9. Closing thoughts

 

Well, that was a long guide! This should be all the information you need to perform your job to a satisfactory level, as should be expected from a job that costs 30KP. If nobody else is using pods on the station, then feel free to have your own space adventure, listen in to command on the DJ Station, start a space-born drug cartel, or whatever you fancy! The stars are the limit.

 

Anyway, that's all from me, hope to see you all soon!

 

-Simon Grey, Pod Pilot

 

Edited July 31, 2015 by Guest

[tigercat2000]

Lovely guide, I probably should have written one after I made the construction changes (whoops). I will note that I do not think "shift-drag a prone person" is a thing- just drag-dropping any dead person onto a pod loads them in, unless someone changed it without me noticing.

[Citinited]

 

Lovely guide, I probably should have written one after I made the construction changes (whoops). I will note that I do not think "shift-drag a prone person" is a thing- just drag-dropping any dead person onto a pod loads them in, unless someone changed it without me noticing.

 

Oh yeah, they have to be dead. Editing

 

[tigercat2000]

Pretty sure you don't have to hold shift either, a simple drag-drop should work fine

[Citinited]

Heh, it means to say click-drag

[LordMoorden]

Another addition to section 8 is the telecomm satellite, north-west of which is the medical ship, and south-east is the abandoned teleporter.

[Citinited]

 

Another addition to section 8 is the telecomm satellite, north-west of which is the medical ship, and south-east is the abandoned teleporter.

 

I know about those, didn't want to give *too* much away though

 

[Artorp]

They have to be dead or unconscious. I think it was intentionally nerfed to prevent malicious pod drivers from arresting someone, and then dropping them off in outer space.

[tigercat2000]

Artorp is correct, but I will point out that 'nerf' is not really the correct term, as the two-seat pod system has had that restriction in place from day 1

Edited April 28, 2015 by Guest

[Fj45]

Really awesome guide, hopefully more is added to pods soon.

[Citinited]

Late update -updated guide to include how z-levels work, and added info on telecomms.

[davidchan]

 

If you can get a GPS unit from science, do so – it'll prevent levels of frustration unbeknown to non-pilot crew as you try to navigate back to the station and somehow always end up back at the derelict z-levels are psuedo-random, in that crossing over the edge of one will always lead to the same z-level. This means that you should be able to remember where things are in space, but don't forget that the connections are reset every round.

 

Unless there has been a recent update, this is not true. I've tested it personally with a gps and space pod, going back and forth over the border of two zones, while 90% of the time I ended up in z-level 3,4 or 7, I did occasionally end up back on z-level 1 where I could get back to the station. I think it's a slightly wieghted RNG that determines where you go from z-level to z-level, that or it's on some kind of timer, I've had near infinite loops as a stranded borg floating past telecoms for 20+ minutes, but flying under your own power you can eventually force the RNG to send you somewhere new by repeatedly turning around and going back the way you came.

 

[pinatacolada]

 

Well, from this thread http://nanotrasen.se/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=5442:

 

Say, we have hidden portals on a specific spot on the edges of z levels. Like, you'd know if you get to a bearing of 210 from the station at 100 nautical miles, and you go a tile south, you'd get to the mining asteroid. You wouldn't see anything there, it'd be just space, but it'd be persistent during the round, and randomized across rounds. Maybe a fun little task to map out the shift? I'd be down for it.

 

 

Pinatacolada, um. That's already a thing. That's, uh, exactly how z-level transitions work, actually. They are assigned to a cube layout at roundstart.

 

But I swear that it doesn't look like it is what is happening right now.

 

[DZD]

The cube layout does work, the issue is that z-level transitions aren't necessarily bidirectional. For example, if on a given round going off of the eastern edge of Z1 gets me to Z5, every time something goes off the eastern edge of Z1 they get to Z5, however going back across the western edge of Z5 wouldn't necessarily get you back to Z1, but instead will often get you to another z-level, but always the same z-level on a given round. The transitions differ each round, but it is possible to map them out for a certain round with enough time.

[pinatacolada]

That explains it, thanks.