Space Pod

Where Space Pods are born!

Space Pods are the station's pilotable support craft, capable of holding one pilot, a number of passengers depending on the pod's armor, and a variety of fun gizmos.

Pods can dock in the many pod bays on the station as well as the mining outpost. There are other docks in deep space, and of course you can always stop near interesting places and take a spacewalk.

How to build the damn thing is a different story. Grab your welding mask, put on some mechanic's overalls and get cracking!

Before the Pods, there was nothing

Certain pod bays are equipped with fabricator capable of manufacturing the parts needed to make a space-worthy pod. However, this is not your average puzzle or toy building blocks set! This dirty, hard and laborious process requires patience and a bit of materials.

Try and keep the hanger doors closed when you are building the pod itself, unless you wish to suffocate. If pods are flying in and out of the hanger when you are working in said hanger, there should be a button on a wall in the room somewhere (Not the one right next to the hanger doors that looks like some kind of microchip. You can only use those when in a pod.) which opens/closes the doors. With this, you can close the doors as soon as a pod leaves/enters to minimize air loss.

Pieces of the Pod

Note: See Guide to Mining for an overview of the ore classifications.

Construction

Item	Image	Resource Cost	Description
Pod Frame Kit		30 Sturdy Metal	The most basic part of the craft is the frame. A mass of jumbled-together metal bars and beams that need assembled to produce the frame of the pod. You start your piloting career here.
MiniPutt Frame Kit		15 Sturdy Metal	Ditto.
Pod Circuity		5 Crystal, 5 Conductive Material	A box of electrical components needed for the pod to work.
MiniPutt Circuity		2 Crystal, 2 Conductive Material	Ditto.
Engine Manifold		10 Sturdy Metal, 5 Conductive Material	Needed to propel the pod.
MiniPutt Engine Manifold		5 Sturdy Metal, 2 Conductive Material	Ditto.
Pod Control Interface		10 Crystal, 10 Conductive Material	Can't fly a pod well without controls, right?
MiniPutt Control Interface		5 Crystal, 5 Conductive Material	Ditto.

Pod Armor

You can't replace a pod's armor once it is already built, so consider the options carefully.

Item	Image	Resource Cost	Description
Light Pod Armor		30 Sturdy Metal, 20 Conductive Material	Standard hull plating available to civilians. Light pods move faster than most other models, but can carry only one passenger. Numerous pods can be found in the main hanger and elsewhere on the station.
Heavy Pod Armor		30 Sturdy Metal, 20 Dense Metal	Heavier armor for prolonged dogfights. Pods equipped with this armour can carry two passengers. Law enforcement has access to command pods in the security hanger, along with everything needed to stop those spaceborne criminals.
Syndicate Pod Armor		N/A	Almost exactly the same as the green variant. These pods have a large amount of armor, allowing them to take a decent amount of hits before going down, and can carry up to two passengers. The only readily available pod equipped with this armor is usually located on the Syndicate shuttle, where its owners use it for dastardly deeds. This armor kit automatically installs a hatch locking mechanism.
Industrial Pod Armor		25 Dense Metal, 10 High Energy Conductor, 5 High Density Matter	Even stronger armor, at the cost of low speed. The miner's pods are equipped with this armor, and can carry three passengers.
Strange Pod Armor		N/A	Stolen prototype NT armor system. It is stamped with the Nanotrasen symbol and a lengthy list of classified warnings. Neat. Found in deep space in a dark, damp place of a very seedy establishment.
Gold Pod Armor		N/A	Bling. Golden pod plating. Golden pods can move faster than all other pods. Also found in deep space.
Custom Pod Armor		Depends	Crafted with the help of the arc smelter. Speed and durability depend on materials used.

MiniPutt Armor

MiniPutts use the same armour plating as the larger pods, and can be upgraded with the same components.

Item	Image	Resource Cost	Description
Light MiniPutt Armor		30 Sturdy Metal, 20 Conductive Material	A couple of civilian putts are parked on the station at the start of every shift. They are equipped with a phaser cannon, but aren't particularly speedy or durable.
Heavy MiniPutt Armor		30 Sturdy Metal, 20 Dense Metal	A fast and heavily armored attack craft.
Syndicate MiniPutt Armor		N/A	The Syndicate's version, which is standard equipment for their operatives. This armor kit automatically installs a hatch locking mechanism.
Industrial MiniPutt Armor		25 Dense Metal, 10 High Energy Conductor, 5 High Density Matter	Slow and sluggish in combat, but quite sturdy. Available to the engineering department.
Strange MiniPutt Armor		N/A	Heavily armored.
Gold MiniPutt Armor		N/A	The fastest MiniPutt by a considerable margin.
Custom MiniPutt Armor		Depends	Crafted with the help of the arc smelter. Speed and durability depend on materials used.
Strelka		N/A	Usually found parked on a derelict Soviet space station. Comes with a prismatic laser array by default, but cannot be assembled by hand.
IridiPutt		N/A	An experimental vehicle based on the Syndicate's IRIDIUM project. Cannot be assembled by hand.
Escape Pod		N/A	Escape pods are custom-built from random bits and pieces left over in the hangars to make sure escapees are carried away from the confines of the station. Unlike regular putts, the escape pods all have autopilots. Cannot be assembled by hand.

Secondary Systems

Item	Image	Resource Cost	Description
Cargo Hold		20 Sturdy Metal	Standard equipment of all pods. Use the HUD icon to load/unload nearby cargo. You can also load/unload items by drag-and-dropping them onto the pod or an adjacent tile respectively. The cargo hold accepts crates, closets, canisters, air pumps, scrubbers, space heaters, large artifacts, bots and the nuclear bomb.
Small Cargo Hold		N/A	Standard equipment of all putts. Works the same as the larger model, but can only store one object at a time.
Ore Scoop/Hold		N/A	Heavy-duty version of the ore scroop with a maximum capacity of 300 pieces of ore. Install and activate the system, fly over ore to collect it, drag & drop the pod onto an adjacent tile to empty out the hold when necessary. This component spawns near the mining pods.
Tractor Beam		N/A	Pulls one item (small or large) towards the pod. The tractor beam is controlled through the secondary system HUD icon: select a target to activate the beam, or use the icon again to shut it down. A couple of tractor beam modules can be found in the security pod bay.
Pod GPS		N/A	Displays your current coordinates.
Syndicate Explosive Entry Device		N/A	This upgrade turns the pod into a flying bomb. On contact with the station, it will crash through a limited number of normally impenetrable (for a pod) obstacles such as walls, windows or regular floor tiles and then blow up, creating a sizable explosion. The pilot can either bail out before impact or chose to rely on the automatic ejection system. Once activated, the SEED cannot be shut down or disarmed.
Medusa Stealth System 300		N/A	More Syndicate hardware. Takes a huge chunk of power to run, but will cloak your pod from the naked eye. Other pods, cyborgs and people with thermals can still see you.

Comm Systems

Item	Image	Resource Cost	Description
Robustco Comm Array		N/A	Default communication array for most pods and putts.
Radioarbeiten Comm Array		N/A	Used by Syndicate ships and the Strelka. Cannot interface with NT pod hangar doors.
NT Magnet Link Array		N/A	Remote control for the mineral magnet (7 tile range) intended as an upgrade for mining pods. This array doesn't have a built-in radio or external speaker.

Sensors

Item	Image	Resource Cost	Description
Standard Sensor System		N/A	It's a basic sensor system that comes standard with all pods and putts.
Conclave A-1984 Sensor System		1 Power Source, 5 Crystal, 2 High Energy Conductor	Essentially the same as the standard sensors, with the added bonus of upgrading the pod with optical mason scanners and a geological scanner for mining asteroids.

Main Weapons

Item	Image	Resource Cost	Description
Mk.1 Combat Taser		N/A	Pods shooting tasers! Complementary equipment for security's command pods. In addition to stunning humans like a regular taser, it's also useful to disable the systems of hostile crafts.
Mk 1.5 Light Phaser		15 Sturdy Metal, 15 Conductive Material, 15 Crystal	A pair of weak phaser weapons.
Mk.2 Scout Laser		N/A	Pods shooting lasers! The Head of Security (or people who find their own way in) has access to a couple of these in the armory.
Mk.3 Disruptor		N/A	Pod-mounted variant of the disruptor gun. Deals a minor amount of burn damage and also stuns people, so it effectively combines the characteristics of the phaser and taser.
Svet-Oruzhiye Mk.4		N/A	Better known as the prismatic laser. The Soviet version of Nanotrasen's phaser array.
Ballistic System		N/A	A pair of linked guns firing kinetic cluster shot. Basically dual shotguns. Available to nuclear operatives.
Assault Laser Array		N/A	A slow-firing pair of heavy lasers, which set people on fire and can destroy walls. Where you buy this is another quest.
Heavy Disruptor Array		N/A	Fires heavy disruptor shots. Its power roughly matches that of the assault lasers, but doesn't cause unintentional damage to walls.
40mm Grenade Launcher Platform		N/A	This autocannon fires explosive shells akin to pipe bombs. Unlike other pod weapons, it requires ammunition (namely 40mm grenades) but comes with 14 shots by default. To check the current ammo count or reload the weapon, open the maintenance panel and insert grenades if necessary. Devastating to pods, station, and personnel alike. Try not to fire it point-blank to the pod, dumbass.
Industrial Utility Arms		N/A	Consists of two systems. The foam nozzle (activated by default) dispenses a small patch of metal foam to repair hull breaches without the need for EVA gear, whereas the cutter blades are useful for mining or as a general-purpose weapon. To select between the two, open the Access Main Computer panel and click on the underlined Industrial Utility Arms entry. Available in engineering.
Plasma Cutter System		10 Power Source, 10 Dense Metal	Shoots bolts of plasma that dig up asteroids. Available to the mining department.
Rock Drilling Rig		N/A	A weapon system that only works at pointblank range, but does a good amount of damage. Great for digging up asteroids.

Engines

Item	Image	Resource Cost	Description
Warp-1 Engine		N/A	The standard engine of all pods and putts. Will be equipped automatically when you install the engine manifold component.
Helios Mark-II Engine		20 Sturdy Metal, 10 Dense Metal, 15 High Energy Conductor	Produces more energy, and is slightly faster than a standard engine.
Helios 3.0 Engine		20 Dense Metal, 20 High Energy Conductor, 5 Power Source	Produces more energy, and is slightly faster than a Helios engine.

Other

Item	Image	Resource Cost	Description
Pod Locking Mechanism		5 Crystal, 10 Conductive Material	Controlled through the HUD interface. The user can lock the pod and set a four digit code for the lock. Players can leave a locked pod without issues, but must click on the pod with an empty hand and enter the four digit code to unlock the hatch. Pods can still be dismantled while they're locked, so don't park your shiny new ride in a bad neighbourhood, or it'll be stripped on blocks by the time you return.
Paint Job Kit		N/A	Pimp My Space Ride! Simply apply the kit to a finished pod or putt. A variety of kits are available from different space merchants.

Building the Pod

Main guide: Construction

Upgrading the Pod

To add extras, use a crowbar on the south-west corner of the pod and add any system. To replace an existing system (like the engine), click the pod with an empty hand while the maintenance panel is open to bring up an interface for adding and removing installed systems. The maintenance panel cannot be manipulated if the pod is locked, however.

You can also change the gas mix used for the engine and the gas mix used for the pod's life support system, though this doesn't have much of a use other then to suffocate the people in the craft with plasma.

Flying the Pod

Getting inside the pod is easy enough. Simply right click on it and select Board or drag-and-drop yourself onto the pod. The engine and life support start turned on. Steer with the arrow keys, keeping in mind that the pod will experience some inertia. The process is as follows:

• A basic direction change requires two presses of the directional key. The first only makes you face the desired direction, you'll still go careening where you were headed until you hit it again.
• Doing a 180 requires three presses: the first changes where you face, the second stops your pod, and the third gets you moving again.

While inside a pod, you can access the controls easily through the HUD interface or the Ship tab. Most are self-explanatory, some are a little more complex:

• Access Main Computer will show you the components of the pod, and the status of the fuel and life support tanks. Components of the pod can be activated or deactivated via this panel, but it's usually easier to just use the HUD icons instead.
• Create Wormhole is how you reliably get places. It will list existing navigation beacons, including some strategically placed on the main station and in the debris field.
• Return To Station sets a course for the station Z-level, and will send you there the next time you cross the border of the map.
• Toggle Hangar Door lets you open hangar doors by remote control. Type in their full name to open or close, not just the number like it tells you. Or you can just click the door control panel while inside the pod, provided your pod's comm system is online and of the correct type. Syndicate and Soviet ships for instance will be denied access to all hangars on the station.

If you think you'll end up in space for any amount of time outside your pod, wear a spacesuit, breath mask and oxygen tank. You'll be able to explore more and you won't die as fast. This should be obvious, but most people will just jump in a spaceship without much thought.

Dogf- er, Podfighting

Going out into space without an idea of where to go - indeed, your first trips will probably consist of figuring out where to go - will usually see you encountering some enemies, often in the form of Syndicate drones. Space is a wide-open area with a lot of room to chase, and critters oh so love to chase you; unless they get stuck on an obstacle of some sort, they'll hound your pod relentlessly - even into hangars that don't have the doors closed (or don't have doors at all!). This is very bad, as critters aggro pods like any other player, even when empty. Coming back from raiding a derelict only to see your pod reduced to scrap and the drone waiting to ambush you is a nightmare scenario in space.

Thus, your best option when encountering an enemy in space is to destroy it on sight. Some enemies don't have ranged attacks, but most of them do, and they like to be cheating bastards and shoot you diagonally while you can only shoot in four directions. But don't worry, in most cases your pod will be way more durable than the target, so hammer away at them with whatever weapon your pod of choice came with, and move on once it's destroyed. Note that some enemies have mean tricks that can mess with your pod in ways other than direct damage, so watch out for that. The important thing to remember is to fire while strafing and reversing. Once you get the hang of it, most Drones aren't really a threat anymore.

Other players, on the other hand, can give you a hell of a time. Opposing players can be smart and try to board your pod with you in it: in most cases there's nothing you can do to shoo them out and then can fuck with your pod's systems and movement, so practice some basic vehicle security and lock the damn door when you're piloting. Especially common in nuke rounds, but otherwise rare, is having to fight an enemy pod with your own. Most Syndicate pods will heavily outgun you, but it's not impossible to beat them if you have some good piloting skills.

You'll know a pod has taken a lot of damage if it sets on fire, and is near-death if it explodes. If it explodes a second time after that, then it's officially dead and you'll be ejected in a flaming heap before the pod detonates fully. Staying in the pod and waiting for the eject is bad, as the final explosion can hurt quite a bit, but if you're feeling spiteful then you can kamikaze into the thing that ruined your ride (Syndicate operatives in particular hate this). On the other hand, should you and your pod survive and you want to repair it, it's a simple as hitting it with a lit welder from the outside.