Praxis', Jeb's, and Cid's Guide to RnD (WiP)

[SkyPing]

 

The following is a work in progress developed by the three of us in three hours. It is not completed, but it is good enough to serve it's purpose. Please continue to help us edit it if you see any mistakes. (Sorry about the banter, it's just... google docs, yknow?)

 

 

WHAT IS RND?!

RnD stands for Research and Development, which SOUNDS exciting until you realize that all you’re doing is shoving a shit ton of crap into a machine and destroying it. And even that isn’t the explosions kind of destruction - it’s just watching a little machine shoot the technologies with a laser. Disappointing, I know.

 

The basic principle is that all items on the station, from your brain to circuit boards to plasma pistols, have a technology level. You stuff these items into the destructive analyzer to research these tech levels, so that your protolathe and circuit imprinter can learn about the technology, and then replicate these items/make cooler things. As your tech levels rise, you can build better and more efficient things, upgrade the station machinery, and test out new alien technology!

 

RnD is the most important science available on the station, and since RnD was established by Aristotle back in 550 BC (Citation not needed), scientists have spent MILLENNIA getting the PERFECT order in order to max the efficiency of everyone's machines. As such, it has become a standard to max out RnD within the first 25 minutes of a shift.

 

Why do you have to max this so quickly? Well!

- Miners will be able to get more materials out of their Ore Processor quicker

- Cloning will be more efficient and will require less resources, a must for major disasters

- A lot of major disaster round types (such as Nuke Ops, Blob, and Meteors) generally occur within the first 10 minutes of a normal shift. You won’t be done in 10 minutes, but you’ll be far enough to change the balance of the round.

 

Those only scratch the surface of disasters that could happen.

 

So, are you intimidated yet? If you are don’t worry; we’ll be here for you to make sure you can get Research done quickly. Cause once you finish RnD and the upgrades are out, you can focus the other aspects of research for your personal gain (Chemical, Toxins, Xeno, Experi-*Shot*)

 

THE R (For RESEARCH)

 

Research works in a simple way - many items have a certain tech level of one kind or another. Researching an item once brings the current tech level to one value below the item’s tech level. Another round in the analyzer bring the tech level to equal the item. A third and final time brings the level one above the item’s level - this is where the core of research lies. For example, say you managed to acquire three Radio Enabled MMIs at the start of the round - this item has a Biological Technology rating of four. If you analyze one, the researched tech level for BioTech will go from one to three. The second MMI will bring it to four. The third MMI will bring it to five - from this point, MMIs have lost their research value. Research orders can be modified using that information and this page from the server wiki. (http://nanotrasen.se/wiki/index.php/Des ... e_Analyzer)

 

HOW DO YOU DO IT?!>+?

 

A few things to note before starting. Plasma bars are necessary for some items - they can be grabbed from the Test/Chem Lab and Xenobiology.

 

You’ll also need to physically construct certain items (I know, ACTUAL fucking work, I’m sorry). The two items you’ll need to construct are the FlameThrower and the Stunprod. These are both weapons, so close the blinds in case Beepsky rolls by.

 

Flamethrower:

What you need: Welding Tool, Screwdriver, Metal Rod

How you make: Use the screwdriver on the welding tool to make it ready for modifications. Shove a metal rod in. Done.

 

Stunprod:

What you need: Metal Rod, Cable Cuffs (from wires), Power Cell (any), Wirecutters

How you make: Place the four components on the same table tile. Drag the table itself to your person. Tablecrafting magic.

 

USEFUL SHIT

MANIPULATOR (WEST TABLE)

CAPACITOR (WEST TABLE)

ANALYZER (BLUE TOOLBOX)

FLAMETHROWER (CONSTRUCTED)

STUNPROD (CONSTRUCTED)

HEALTH ANALYZER (AUTOLATHE)

HIGH-CAP CELL (SOUTH TABLE)

MINING DRILL

PERSONAL AI CARD (HEAD NERD OFFICE OR PROTOLATHE)

TRACKING BEACON

SUPER-CAP CELL

SUPER-CAP CELL

MASS-SPECTROMETER

MMI (ROBOTICS OR PROTOLATHE)

NANO-MANIPULATOR

HIGH-POWER MICROLASER

PLASMA SHEET (SCI CHEM, MED CHEM, XENOBIO)

PACMAN BOARD (THE LAZIEST DEPARTMENT, OR IMPRINTER)

PORTABLE CHEM DISPENSER CIRCUIT BOARD

=UPGRADE R&D AND MINING ONLY=

FIVE MANIPULATORS FOR R&D. RE-LINK THE MACHINES TO THE COMPUTER.

ONE MANIPULATOR, MATTER BIN, AND MICRO LASER FOR MINING.

THIS ORDER MATTERS.

RELAY MAINFRAME CIRCUIT BOARD

DURAND WEAPONS CIRCUIT BOARD

DURAND WEAPONS CIRCUIT BOARD

ADVANCED MASS SPECTROMETER

MRSPACMAN BOARD

PICO MANIPULATOR

=UPGRADE ROBOTICS EXOSUIT FABRICATORS (MICRO-LASERS AND MANIPULATORS).

CIRCUIT PRINTER IF YOU’RE NICE=

 

PHAZON HEAD (NEEDS PLASMA. TAKE FROM XENOBIO, SCI CHEM AND MED CHEM)

MECH WORMHOLE GENERATOR (EXOSUIT FABRICATOR)

(IF YOU DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO ROBOTICS, USE THESE THREE INSTEAD)

PHASIC SCANNING MODULE

QUADRATIC CAPACITATOR

TELEPAD BEACON

 

TELEPAD CIRCUIT BOARD

TELEPORT HUB CIRCUIT BOARD

FEMTO MANIPULATOR (PHAZON TORSO?)

=UPGRADE THE PROTOLATHE WITH TWO MANIPULATORS=

=UPGRADE THE REST OF THE STATION YOU LAZY SHIT=

/USEFUL SHIT

 

INCREASES TECH LEVELS, BUT THEY DO NOTHING FROM HERE

RADIO MMI

PROGRAM UNLOADER BOARD

PROGRAM UNLOADER BOARD

TRIPHASIC SCANNING MODULE OR QUAD-ULTRA MICRO LASER

SOME BLUESPACE CELLS

/INCREASES TECH LEVELS, BUT THEY DO NOTHING FROM HERE

 

EXPERIMENTOR

USEFUL

RADIO MMI

NUTRIMENT PLUS IMPLANT

PLASMA PISTOL

XRAY GUN

ENERGY CROSSBOW

FREEDOM IMPLANT

/USEFUL

EXTRA

TWO REVIVER IMPLANT (ONE EXPERIMENTED - ONE NOT)

EXPERIMENT WELDER

TRIPHASIC SCANNING MODULE

PROGRAMMABLE UNLOADER

/EXTRA

/EXPERIMENTOR

 

(Anything with a question mark is unconfirmed, but most likely true. I/we should set up a private server to test them at some point.)

 

THE D (For DEVELOPMENT)

 

One important aspect of R&D is the D. Development (you pervert). As a researcher, half your job is to let the rest of the station enjoy the fruits of your labor, and the most immediate way to do so is through upgrading machines. Every machine - the protolathe, cryogenic tubes, the ore redemption machine, etc. - is composed of a metal frame, wires, circuit board, and stock parts. Upgrading the stock parts improves machines in various ways, depending on the part and machine. For example, upgrading the protolathe makes it more efficient when using materials and able to store more materials.

 

Enough about what machines are made of - you’re here for one reason. To know how to upgrade them! Every machine contains at least one of the six types of stock parts: power cells, manipulators, micro-lasers, capacitors, scanning modules, and matter bins.

Each part plays a different role in each machine, though they follow certain themes between machines.

-Matter bins are always storage capacity.

-Manipulators involve efficiency and speed, in relation to building.

-Micro-lasers are similar to manipulators

-Capacitors relate to power

-Scanning modules relate to information

-Power cells always give more power

 

There are two tools to upgrade any and all machines - the Rapid Parts Exchange Device (RPED) and the Bluespace RPED (BRPED). First, the functions they share. Both of them are capable of picking up a number of stock parts at once; this means that if you have some manipulators, power cells, and matter bins all sitting in a pile on the floor, clicking on them with either RPED picks them all up at once. Additionally, clicking on a disposal unit with an RPED empties out the entire contents into the bin. A machine’s components can be viewed by clicking on it with either RPED, but science goggles can also do this upon examination of the machine - just make sure the research analyzer function is on.

 

The normal RPED looks like a big box with a green screen, and can hold 50 parts at a time. It’s too bulky to fit in a backpack, so it takes up one hand slot at all times when in use. To upgrade with it, first fill it with the desired parts. Use a screwdriver to open the hatch on a machine, click the machine with the RPED (you should hear a satisfying mechanical noise), then screwdriver the hatch shut. That’s all there is to it. Superior parts in your RPED will replace the inferior ones in the machine, which will be placed in the RPED.

 

The BRPED is a direct upgrade of the RPED, with enough part space to upgrade the whole station in one go, but it requires silver and more research. Lucky for you, Cargo has some silver in the airlock to the mining shuttle - don’t hesitate to ask them to process it for you. The BPRED has vastly increased storage capacity over the RPED, and it can upgrade machines both at a distance and without needing to open the machine. Simply click on any machine in sight, and the best parts available will be applied. Also, it shoots out a Cool-Ass Blue Laser™ and makes some rather… interesting noises. Don’t get scared when you hear them - you’re a scientist, and you welcome the unknown and strange.

 

That’s really it. Upgrading is quite simple, but seldom done, and even less often done well or completely. A recommendation is to only upgrade R&D, the ore redeemer in Cargo Lobby, and the exosuit fabricator to start with. Upgrade the entire station (or as much as you can), once you have all the top tier parts.

 

Enough upgrades for every machine on the station (Top tier in parentheses)

55 Matter Bins (Bluespace)

40 Manipulators (Femto)

35 Lasers (Quad Ultra)

35 Capacitors (Quadratic)

15 Scanning Modules (Triphasic)

30 Power Cells (Bluespace)

 

(Several hundred capacitors if you want to upgrade every AI holopad like a madman)(Pls Don’t)

(Several hundred lasers if you want to upgrade cameras, you psychiatric patient)(*Scream)

 

 

 

THE E.X.P.E.R.I-MENTOR (AKA THE RNG-MACHINE)

Try not to have an aneurysm when using it

 

The RNG Machine is a cancer of science - the cancer of science, really. The driving principle behind it is that you stuff any item with a tech level in it, then spam various actions until something happens. That something is often not good - cue the release of space bears, the item becoming a corgi or some ice cream, or an EMP blasting the poor IPC scientist who tried using the machine.

 

The single useful function of this machine is the fact that it has a chance to increase all the tech levels of the object inserted into it by one. The two safest actions for achieving this result are Poke and Irradiate. The two functions have a finicky behavior, so just alternate between each one. The desired outcome is known as a “Blood Curse,” in which the machine drains your life force and damages every limb on your body to upgrade the item inside it. More likely, and more frustrating, are the instances in which the item is destroyed and converted into a cat, corgi, or ice cream cone.

 

To somewhat bypass the this problem, a single component of the E.X.P.E.R.I-MENTOR can be upgraded - the manipulator. This single upgrade makes the machine less likely to perform a Blood Curse, but also reduces the amount of time between actions; effectively increasing the chance of an upgraded tech level, or at least decreasing the amount of time until it happens.

 

Items with an increased tech level can be analyzed. The most notable tech types for which this method is recommended are BioTech and Illegal Tech. Improving a Radio-Enabled MMI and analyzing it unlocks several cybernetic implants, while improving an energy crossbow unlocks a few illegal designs.

 

GETTING $PAID$

Spaceman! Have you wondered if you can do your satisfying and intriguing job and turn a profit from it? Then this is the place for you! NanoTrasen, glory be to our fair company, is willing to pay their scientists for shipping valuable data to Central Command. The R&D lab starts with two data disks, but more can be made from the Autolathe. Load a disk into the R&D computer, then use disk operations to download a certain technology type onto the disk. Once you’ve gathered your desired disks, head over to (strikethrough)your good friends(/strikethrough) those bothersome box-handlers at cargo. Place every disk directly into the crate - not in a box in the crate, but straight to the crate - and have them ship it back with the rest of their junk. It’s that easy! Your payment should arrive immediately upon the cargo ship’s arrival to Central Command. Now, spaceman, what will you spend your valuable space monies on?

 

Credits

 

This guide was written by Praxis Chailer, Cid Squishings, and Jebediah.

 

Jack Price was my initial consultant, and his list was the original tech order we used. The one listed here is something we modified.

 

Credit to Satan for the Experimentor.

 

Thanks to K.E.V.I.N for his amazing ass RnD tool that has saved millions of lives.

 

Edited June 30, 2016 by Guest

[Urbanliner]

It seems like there is no way to construct items that have LV5+ combat in RnD, is poking/irradiating a Durand weapon board or something until it gets upgraded or asking for a combat shotgun from Security the only two ways to reach Combat LV6?

[Cidolfus]

You can also use the EXPERImentor on a Plasma Pistol, I /think/, to get combat 6.

[Crazylemon]

 

A plasma pistol won't get you to combat 6, but combat shotguns from cargo will.

 

You may also want to add a section that details how to receive payment for your research (print out 10 tech disks, load each technology type onto them via "disk operations", deliver to cargo and have them put the disks directly inside a crate, no extra containers).

 

[Cidolfus]

By default, you're correct, the plasma pistol only has Combat 4. But if used in the EXPERImentor until a "Blood Curse" occurs, it's tech levels will rise to combat 5 and plasma 4, I think.

[SkyPing]

 

ProperPants made some updates like, 2 days ago, and I JUST now added them! List should be more up to date, and a section on how getting paid was added.

 

I also removed the part where we talk about the machines. This guide assumes that you've TRIED RnD, but have no idea how to upgrade and have no idea which order to put items in.

 

[LordMoorden]

 

Let it be known that Nanotrasen officials do not like it when you research illegal tech. Should one visit the station, do not, under any circumstance, offer to show them the awesome energy crossbows and reviver implants you can make, or they will arrest you.

 

:'(

 

Still get paid for shipping it, though.

 

[Keroman]

Technically security should be cracking down on you if you're researching illegal tech. If you give them fancy toys, however, they're quite likely to look the other way.

[LordMoorden]

Pass out freedom implants to security on shadowling rounds and they may feel slightly bad about lynching you and blowing up your research computer. Probably not, though.