R&D in SS13 v1.2

Lola's how to not be shit at the Protolathe, because I'm sick of being one of the handful of people that can do it. v1.2

So you're a scientist, this gives you 3 areas to play in. Toxins for bomb making, Xenobiology for being eaten by metroids and R&D, lets talk about that.

Research is conducted by throwing crap into the Destructive Analyzer and ripping it apart. Every item that fits into the machine has tech levels in different techs which the computer will helpfully tell you before you destroy it. If the item's levels are EQUAL or above what the station has, it'll increase that tech level by ONE (except when the item's levels are way beyond what you have, then the items will raise things to a level BELOW the stated tech levels, this will only ever be useful with Illegal tech), so don't go wasting rare high tech items for nothing. Lets begin.

First thing we're gonna do is take a minor shortcut, leave science and head for the dorms. Steal 2 laser tag guns and a bruise pack (probably a good idea to grab the ointment too, we'll need it). Back to science. You'll notice when destroying the laser tag guns they are Combat 1 and ESR 2, not only does this get us started on Combat it gives a very helpful boost to ESR. Remember to toss the bruise pack in as well as it's Bio 1.

(Laser tag guns missing? Fear not, an empty toolbox works just as well for Combat and ESR will come from analyzer in the toolbox mentioned next paragraph and then a Destructive Analzyer board from the Circuit Imprinter)

Time to look around, on the south table are toolboxes and the worst power cells in existence. Raid the toolbox for an analyzer (and a screwdriver which you should pocket) and grab one of the useless power cells, grind them down for Engineering and Power. On the east table is a bunch of actually useful things at times, only thing you want right now is a micro-manipulator, a tiny hook looking thing with wires. Grind it for a Material and Data level. Now sync your research to the main server or you'll have robotics crying in your ear more then usual.

Ok time to load the machines. The way I do it is put the max amount of metal into the Protolathe, then use the computer to eject 5 sheets. I take those 5 sheets and make a machine frame somewhere, usually under the Circuit Imprinter or Destructive Analyzer. I then take the glass, max load into the Protolathe and max load into the Circuit Imprinter. By this time, if Chemistry isn't full of morons, you should have a large beaker of sulphuric acid (if you don't, shout at them), pour that into the Circuit Imprinter. Make sure you have 100 units in there, if they've given you a small beaker or not enough acid shout at them. If no one is there, break in. ALWAYS give back the large beaker, they are precious, if you don't then you don't deserve any more acid.

Now mass research can begin, from the Protolathe menu, breaking down each item as you go

Tracking Beacon (Blue Space)
High-Capacity Power Cell (Power)
Mining Drill (Materials, Engineering and Power)
Advanced Matter Bin (Materials)
High-Power Micro Laser (ESR)

Switching to the Circuit Imprinter

PanD.E.M.I.C. 2200 (Bio and Data)
Cloning Machine Board (Bio and Data)
Subspace Receiver (Data, Engineering and Blue Space)
Subspace Broadcaster (only needed for Engineering)
Gygax OR Durand Weapons & Targeting Control Module (only needed for Combat)
A Second Gygax OR Durand Weapons & Targeting Control Module (only needed for Combat)
A Third Gygax OR Durand Weapons & Targeting Control Module (only needed for Combat)

(In the event the Gygax/Durand boards aren't available, the stun baton from Xenobiology is Combat 2)

Sync it up, refill the Circuit Imprinter to full and wait for mining as they're usually not there yet. While we wait we can do a few things. First is make an Autolathe. Add wires to the machine frame you made earlier until they stick out, then add an Autolathe board from the Circuit Imprinter. Then add a console screen from the east table, 3 of your best matter bins and your best manipulator. Use the screwdriver on it and you're done. At this point I personally eject 10 metal sheets from the Protolathe (making extra room for incoming mining materials) and just jam whatever glass was left over into the machine. You can make a multitool and hack it if you want now, the ointment you pinched earlier is for any accidents from lack of insulated gloves. Also if Chemistry have been good to you, time to reward them with a few large beakers using your spare glass.

Still no mining? Next is Xenobiology. The care, killing and harvesting of metroids is covered elsewhere. Each core is worth Bio 4, so you only need one for research. You can either use one now or wait for chemistry to hand you back a dud, depends on how competent the chemists are really.

STILL no mining? Last is start a flamethrower, we don't need to finish it, just enough for it to register. Use the screwdriver you pocketed earlier on a welder, get it ready for modification. That complete, take a metal rod (either from breaking into Chemistry or create some using spare metal sheets) and combine it with the welder. Place the result in the Destructive Analyzer (you can also get one from a hacked Autolathe). That's Plasma 1 done. For Plasma 2 you want solid plasma from mining or if you're very lucky, chemistry will give you their spare.

Also at this point you might try experimenting with other things outside this guide, maybe things the /tg/ wiki says will help you. One of many things the /tg/ wiki neglects to tell you is the more high tech items produced in your Protolathe won't go into the Destructive Analyzer, citing a lack of damage and other nonsense (or is it?). Now if these items were spawned at the start of the game, like say the MMIs in Robotics, those work fine, but if they came out of your Protolathe you're fucked.

So mining has finally shown up with the goodies, if they have half a brain there will be diamonds along with everything else. Gold is Materials 4, Uranium is Materials 5 and Diamonds Materials 6. We want to avoid blowing diamonds mindlessly so a pair of uranium sheets is best right now. If you must gold and then a diamond can work too. Remember to put sheets of materials into the Destructive Analyzer ONE AT A TIME, put a stack of 50 in there and whole lot goes, a complete waste. At any rate, with the Materials tech boosted you can now make diamond drills which makes mining very happy. They take an entire sheet of diamond each so if mining didn't bring enough it's their fault. If the miner wants more then 2 drills, wrap the extras up in the packing materials you have around, otherwise the drills are too bulky to add to backpacks.

Ok, time to load the new materials, I personally add 2 sheets of everything new to the Protolathe, then jam in as many diamonds as possible. The Circuit Imprinter needs diamonds and gold too, so remember to give it a sheet or two of each. Now we've done that, we can finish off our R&D.

Diamond Mining Drill (Materials, Engineering and Power)
Subspace Ansible (only needed for ESR)
A second Subspace Ansible (only needed for ESR)
Sheet of Solid Plasma (Plasma)
Second Sheet of Solid Plamsa (only if you didn't use the flamethrower earlier)

Finally go the Circuit Imprinter and get a new PACMAN Generator board for the final Plasma level. Make a final server sync and give robotics the hard-on of a lifetime.

That's it, as a scientist that's all you can do (to my knowledge). Now people with access to the Teleporter Room can get the hand tele and research it, it's Blue Space 3 and the Bag of Holding that results in can go into the Destructive Analyzer as well so you'll have Blue Space 5 by the end. There's also parts on the Tcomms Sat, most notably the subspace transmitter (look like fangs) allowing you to get to Blue Space 4 without destroying the hand tele. If robotics is active, the Wormhole Generator works as well.

And whatever other forbidden fruit is out there really, Traitor items for Illegal tech levels, admin only items, so on. You can also experiment, work out what reliable and not broken enough actually mean. Enjoy the 60 seconds of accomplishment you'll have before the shuttle arrives or the round ends.