Research and Development is generally the main part of what the Research department, mainly Scientists will prioritize on while working there. They will reverse engineer objects through the Destructive Analyzer to gain research levels. These research levels, the higher they are will unlock better items and gear that all departments will benefit off of. As such, it's considered one of the most vital parts of the Research department. This guide will cover the devices in your department, how to raise research levels, and what various departments might want from R&D.
The Machines found in R&D
The Research and Development room will most commonly hold some different machines that will help you in your research, as well as fabricate tools, gear, circuit boards, or items in general that will be helpful to the crew of the station.
Research Computer
The computer that you're going to be accessing in order to use the Protolathe, Circuit Imprinter, and Destructive Analyzer. It also saves the research nodes, which you will need to remember to sync to the Research Servers often after completing enough research. This can be done in the Settings tab.
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.
Circuit Imprinter
This makes circuit boards required for machines, mechs, and AI laws. This industrial printer requires glass, sulfuric acid, and occasionally gold and diamond. Sulfuric acid is usually obtainable from a dispenser on the wall nearby in the room, but if it isn't available, you can try to get it from a chemistry lab that's usually available in the science department. 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.
Destructive Analyzer
This is the machine used to reverse engineer and deconstruct various items inserted. When items are deconstructed, a percentage of the material cost is given back and stored in the Protolathe. This is the machine used to advance research levels otherwise. If an item has a higher or equal tier of research level than the current research level, the deconstructed item will advance research up higher levels.
Upgrading the Destructive Analyzer's manipulator, scanning module, and micro-laser will improve the material return rates per item. Currently, tier 4 parts or higher will actually give back more material than you would've spent to make that item!
Autolathe
This lets you build some basic items like glasses, hypovials, glass beakers, basic tools - including a multitool, and cable coil. For toxins and grenade making, it can also be used to make igniters, signalers, and timers, among other things. Useful and important for some research.
Cell Charger & Recharger
Sometimes you will be asked for specific cells at the counter. It's helpful to charge those cells before giving them to the crew who request them. You insert those cells into these machines to charge them. Larger cells (Usually Hyper cells) are to be put in the cell charger, and smaller cells (Weapon & Device cells) will be put in the recharger. These chargers will draw from the APC's power, so make sure someone has given power to the station before accidentally draining the room of power!
You can speed up the rate at which they recharge items by upgrading the capacitor inside of them. More advanced larger cells are also used to upgrade some machines with.
Researching
While we could say that you should experiment and see what items give what, we can also just be boring and just give you the "meta" list. Because let's be honest - this research system is ultimately a bit linear, and you probably want to just get this done quickly so you can get to work on helping those who need items. Any researcher on-station will just give you a "meta" list that looks similar to this list too, so why lie about it? You basically just need to shove items into the destructive analyzer, and destroy them using the console. Here is the full guide of how to advance research as high as it can get in the most efficient manner.
Pre-Materials
This beginning portion uses only steel and glass to advance the research levels. Hence why it's often called "Pre-Mat" by other researchers.
Circuit Printer:
Usually, every station will have a circuit workshop room, where a circuit printer - a black device with little green moving lights is present.
Grab the Circuit Printer as well as the steel in there, and insert the steel into the circuit printer. Then print out...
- 2 Reagent Pumps from the Reagent category - Advances Engineering, Data Theory, and Biological Technology Research to Level 3 on deconstruction.
Protolathe:
- Bluespace Tracking Beacon - Blue-space Research to Level 2
- Handheld Translator - Data Theory 4, Engineering 4
Autolathe:
- 2 Industrial Welding Tools - Phoron Research 3
Circuit Printer:
First, print out Integrated circuit printer upgrade - advanced designs from the Protolathe, and then use it on the Circuit Printer. Then print out and deconstruct the following:
- Reagent Category: 3 Cryo reagent storages - Materials Research 5
- Power - Passive Category: 3 Metabolic siphons - Power Manipulation Technology 5, Engineering 5, Biological Technology 6
- Power - Passive: 2 Large tesla power relays - Power Manipulation Technology 7, Engineering 6, Data Theory 5
- Manipulation: 3 Grenade primers - Combat Systems Research 5
- Output: 2 Securitron sound circuits - Illegal Technologies Research 2
- Power - Active: 3 Large power transmission circuits - Electromagnetic Spectrum Research 6
- Remember to sync your research levels using the settings. This is usually a good checkpoint around this point.
Upgrading the Protolathe, Circuit Imprinter, and Destructive Analyzer (optional but strongly recommended):
You will have advanced research enough to be able to construct Tier 3 parts. Of these parts, you can only construct Pico-Manipulators and Super Matter Bins without other materials, but you will be spending significantly less materials for the following items if you upgrade the machines with Pico-Manipulators at minimum.
- Print out the Advanced Rapid Part Exchange Device (RPED) with the protolathe.
- Print out two Pico-Manipulators.
- Print out two Super Matter Bins.
- Scoop up the parts using the RPED.
- Use a screwdriver to open the maintenance panel of the Protolathe.
- Use the RPED on the Protolathe.
- Close the panel. Go to Settings on the research console to connect the Protolathe again.
- Print out an additional three Pico-Manipulators and scoop them up with the RPED.
- Open the Destructive Analyzer, Circuit Imprinter, and Autolathe. Upgrade them using the RPED.
- Reconnect the DA and CI using the console settings.
Protolathe:
- Pico-manipulator - Materials Research 6
- Triangulation device (GPS) - Blue-space Research 3
- Alden-Saraspova counter (x2) - Bluespace 4, Anomalous 2,
Upgrading to Tier 4:
If you got Durasteel and Verdantium alongside some other materials from mining at this point, you can make tier 4 parts. These are Planck Manipulators, Hyper Matter Bins, Quantum Scanning Modules, Hyper-Power Micro Lasers, and Hyper Capacitors. You can upgrade the Protolathe, Destructive Analyzer, Circuit Imprinter, Autolathe, and the chargers again at this point. This will make any items you create after this even cheaper, which is strongly recommended once you start doing things like running upgrades to other machines or providing specific departments with certain tools or resources. After upgrading the Protolathe, you can print out 5 of each parts to fully upgrade the R&D room. If you have not gotten materials from mining at this point, ignore this. But do get Tier 4 parts as soon as possible when you do receive materials!
Protolathe:
- Holographic equipment kit:
- Any clothing item from inside the box - Illegal Technologies 3
- Another clothing item from inside the box - Illegal Technologies 4
- The gun - Combat Systems 6, Illegal Tech 5
Circuit Imprinter:
- PACMAN Generator - Phoron Research 4
- Exonet node - Data 6, Blue-space Research 5
- Telepad - Blue-space 6, Phoron Research 5
- Sync your research!
Post-Materials
The "Post-Mat" section. If the miners have brought you materials, or, you're lucky enough to have materials in the ore silo to use this shift, this is where you get to use them. Otherwise, you're done until you are given materials. If you do have them, place 10 of each material into the protolathe. It's recommended the Matter Bins in the protolathe are upgraded here, otherwise you may not be able to fit all the materials in. Make sure you have the following, from most to least importance: Steel, Glass, Uranium, Silver, Gold, Phoron, Diamond, Plastic, Osmium, Lead, Plasteel, Durasteel, Verdantium, Copper, & Metallic Hydrogen.
Protolathe:
- 2 Advanced T-ray Scanners - Materials Research 7, Engineering Research 8, Electromagnetic Spectrum 8
- Fuel-rod cannon - Combat Systems 7, Illegal Technology 6
- Cell-loaded revolver - Combat Systems 8
- 2 Personal translocators - Illegal Technology 8
- The translocators come included with a weapon cell that you can take out before deconstructing them. Useful!
- Improved health analyzer - Biological Technology 7
- Advanced Health Analyzer - Biological Technology 8
- Phasic Health Analyzer - Biological Technology 9
- 2 Durasteel sheets - Materials Research 9
Wrapping Up
Sync your research. You're done for now, until someone brings in something special enough that will grant you access to a certain new research level known as Precursor Research. If that ever happens, you can print out Quantum pad circuit boards in the circuit printer to upgrade that to Level 2, which will let you print out Tier 5 parts, deemed Omni parts - provided someone had provided or made morphium. But that's a (WIP) guide for elsewhere.
Upgrading Machines
WIP
Improving Yours, and other Departments
WIP
Guide Table 
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