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.

Point Generation
Research points can be acquired through a few different sources. Most commonly, points are gained passively from a Research Point Source, which produces a constant low stream of points to the selected server. Points can also be acquired through research disks, which can be found in maintenance, salvaged from space, or given as a result of identifying a disease.

The most profitable form of point generation is Xenoarcheology, which is the process of analyzing and activating different randomly generated artifacts, the process of which makes up a majority of the activities of the science team.

R&D Computer
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.

Autolathe


The Autolathe doesn't require any research but only makes engineering and botanical tools as well as low-voltage cables. Requires plastic, steel and glass to use.

Example recipes:

Protolathe


The Protolathe is a machine capable of printing most of what you've researched. It can make things such from beakers or ammo. Requires steel, glass and sometimes plastic to use.

Note that for some machines (such as the Cloner), higher quality parts can be used to improve the quality of the machine. For example low quality components for a Cloner results in a 50% chance of failure to clone. A low-capacity power cell has less charge than a high-capacity power cell.

A lot of the parts available in the Protolathe are used to craft something. Use the Craft hotkey to open the Craft dialog. By default this should be 'G'.

Example recipes:

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.

Example recipes: {| class="wikitable" ! Image !! Name !! Description || Required Items || Required Research || Value -}
 * || Door Electronics||A component needed to make a door||50 steel, 50 plastic || ||100
 * || Fire Alarm Electronics||A component needed to make a fire alarm.||50 steel, 50 plastic || ||100
 * || Firelock Electronics||A component needed to make a Firelock door.||50 steel, 50 plastic || ||
 * || Hotplate Machine Board||A component needed to make a Hotplate .||100 steel, 900 glass || ||
 * || Ore Processor Machine Board||A component needed to make an Ore Processor.||100 steel, 900 glass, 100 gold || ||
 * || Reagent Grinder Machine Board||A component needed to make a Reagent Grinder.||100 steel, 900 glass || ||
 * || Technology Disk Terminal Board||A component needed to make a Technology Disk Terminal.||100 steel, 900 glass, 100 gold || ||
 * || Hotplate Machine Board||A component needed to make a Hotplate .||100 steel, 900 glass || ||
 * || Ore Processor Machine Board||A component needed to make an Ore Processor.||100 steel, 900 glass, 100 gold || ||
 * || Reagent Grinder Machine Board||A component needed to make a Reagent Grinder.||100 steel, 900 glass || ||
 * || Technology Disk Terminal Board||A component needed to make a Technology Disk Terminal.||100 steel, 900 glass, 100 gold || ||
 * || Reagent Grinder Machine Board||A component needed to make a Reagent Grinder.||100 steel, 900 glass || ||
 * || Technology Disk Terminal Board||A component needed to make a Technology Disk Terminal.||100 steel, 900 glass, 100 gold || ||
 * || Technology Disk Terminal Board||A component needed to make a Technology Disk Terminal.||100 steel, 900 glass, 100 gold || ||

Plan of action
Your main priority at the start of the round is to use the RD computer to research medical machinary & basic parts manufacture, and then everything else. Then it's recommended that you build cloning pods for medbay, chemical dispensers and ChemMasters for chemistry or just hoard them and hand out tricord foam bombs to clowns.

"I can't get any points/I can't print anything"
The likely cause is that the RD Computer/Protolathe isn't synced up with the RD server.

To fix this in the RD Computer/Protolathe click Server list, click on ID x || RDSERVER and then exist the window. Now when you click Sync it should (hopefully) work.