Ruckingenur Kit

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The Mechanics Workshop. This is where the magic happens!

The Mechanics Workshop. This is where the magic happens!

The Mechanics Workshop. This is where the magic happens!

The Mechanics Lab. This is where the magic happens!

The Mechanic's Lab. This is where the magic happens!

The ruckingenur kit, also known as the ruck kit or simply rkit, is a handy device that can be used to reverse-engineer and duplicate certain electronics, so you can make extras for projects and the like and replace devices that have gone missing or are broken beyond repair. Replicating devices this way is called mechscanning.

With the proper prepwork, this machine can your best friend. Has a Spy Thief made off with the cloning pod? This machine can make blueprints for another one. Is a Blob threatening to consume the ship/station? Convince the Captain or HoS to get their energy gun (and a recharger) scanned and arm the crew. Do the Botanists want more trays? It's easy to make more copies with the rkit. You can do all this and more with the help of this peculiarly-named machine.

Once upon a time, copying stuff with the ruckingenur was super complicated. You had to attach stuff to boards, insert the correct number of resistors and like a dozen other components, stuff like that. See Old Electronics for what it was like. There also used be a whole job dedicated to this machine called Electrician. It was later renamed to Mechanic, hence why duplicating devices via the ruckingenur was sometimes simply referred to as "mechanics" and "mechscanning". (It still is, in some cases.)

Reverse-Engineering for Fun and Profit

Copying electronics with the ruckingenur kit is a fairly involved process. It's more complicated than switching out a lightbulb, to say the least. Still, it's easier than before.

Readying Up

To start off, make sure you have the following tool and items. All of these can be found in the Mechanics Workshop.

• A device analyzer. If you're an Engineer, your PDA works just as well and has additional functionality, described in the next section.
• A soldering iron.
• A ruckingenur kit, of course.
• A manufacturer or fabricator. Almost any kind will do, but the Reverse-Engineering Fabricator is the most convenient since it's located in the same room as the ruckingenur.

Ruckengenuring for Real

Once you have the above, follow these instructions:

1. Click on the item/machine you want to scan with the device analyzer.
   • The device analyzer can't scan everything, but it can still scan a lot of things, including weapons, circuit boards, vending machines, certain machinery, even some things you wouldn't reasonably expect to be made of electronic components. Experiment!
   • If you're scanning something like a disposal unit, a microwave, or something that you normally insert items into, make sure you're not on Harm intent. Same if you want to scan something fragile or something that attacks you if you hit it in melee (like a securitron).
2. Go back to the Mechanics Workshop and click on the ruckingenur kit while holding the scanner. The ruck kit will research the item and add it to its database.
   • Alternatively, you skip these two steps if you use an Engineer PDA. If you scan something with its Device Analyzer app, it will send the blueprint straight to the ruckingenur kit (or kits if there are multiple).
3. Click on the ruck kit to bring up its interface. Print a blueprint of the item you want to copy.
4. Go to your manufacturer/fabricator of choice and click on it while holding the blueprint to insert the print into the machine.
5. Click on the fabricator/manufacturer and make a frame. Make sure the fabricator/manufacturer is stocked with enough materials for whatever you're making. Some electronics consume a hefty amount of resources or require certain minerals that can only via mining or smelting.
6. Finally, click on the frame with a soldering iron to deploy it. Some items cannot be moved once deployed, however they can be deconstructed back into a box-frame.

Replication Caveats

For the most part, the items produced through the above process are perfect copies of the original. However, there are some exceptions:

• Vending machines start out empty. Be sure to ask the Quartermasters for some vendor restock cartridges. (Or get them yourself if you're the Chief Engineer.)
• Stun batons, stun canes, and several energy weapons start out with cells that are empty. They also have lower self-recharge rates and less capacity than the original.

Run Out of Materials?

If you run out of materials for your Reverse-Engineering Fabricator, then you'll need to restock it. All you'll need is the portable reclaimer that's already in the Mechanics Workshop and then the actual materials themselves. While more advanced electronics often require materials with special qualities, a lot of the devices on the station/ship are pretty simple and only need only 3 basic types of materials: Metal/Dense Metal, Crystal and Conductive Material. You can satisfy each of these requirements using just steel/metal sheets, glass sheets, and copper wire respectively.

While you can try searching for some of these resources around the station/ship or perhaps salvaging it from various rooms (if you like getting stern talking to from the Chief Engineer), it can take a while to find everything. Don't worry though, you'll get those mats before you know it. How? Through the power of space Amazon Prime of course! Just stroll on over to your local Cargo Bay or Quatermaster's Office and place an order for the 200 Glass Sheets, 200 Metal Sheets, and Electrical Supplies Crate (red) - 2 pack (though any color will do) crates for a total of only 6k credits.

Once you've collected everything you need, go over to your portable reclaimer and place it adjacent to your Reverse-Engineering Fabricator. Click drag the reclaimer onto the fabricator; now the reclaimer will deposit processed materials directly into the fab. Next, put all of the materials on to the floor next to the reclaimer. With the cable wires, you can pick up the boxes in your hand and click drag them on to the floor. This will dump out all its contents. With everything out in front of you, click drag everything into the reclaimer and then just click on it it. After a while of working, it'll sound a beep, indicating that it's finished. Congratulations, you've managed to restock the fab. Now you can get back to your projects. Enjoy!