Crafting System
Stations with crafting facilities allow you to transform raw resources into valuable equipment and refined materials.
Facility Types
Each station may have different crafting facilities, each specializing in certain recipes:
| Facility | Produces |
|---|---|
| Refinery | Refined metals from raw ores |
| Shipyard | Ship components and hulls |
| Weapon Forge | Weapons and ammunition |
| Equipment Lab | Shields, engines, and enhancers |
Facility Tiers
Facilities come in tiers (T1-T4). Higher tier facilities can craft more advanced recipes:
| Tier | Unlocks |
|---|---|
| T1 | Basic recipes |
| T2 | Intermediate recipes |
| T3 | Advanced recipes |
| T4 | Elite recipes |
Higher tier stations are found in more dangerous sectors. The best equipment requires traveling to red zones!
How to Craft
- Dock at a station with the facility you need
- Open Station menu and select the facility
- Browse available recipes - grayed out recipes show missing ingredients
- Select a recipe to see required materials
- Pay the usage fee in credits
- Craft - output goes directly to your ship inventory
Ingredients
Crafting uses items from both your ship inventory and bank. The system automatically pulls from both sources:
- Bank items are consumed first
- Ship inventory items are used for any remainder
You don't need to manually transfer items from bank to ship before crafting!
Usage Fees
Each crafting operation has a fee based on:
- Recipe complexity - More advanced recipes cost more
- Facility ownership - Player-owned facilities may have different rates
- Station economy - Fees vary by sector
System-owned facilities charge a standard 10% fee based on the item's base value.
Example Recipes
Refinery
| Recipe | Ingredients | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Refined Iron | 5 Iron Ore | 1 Refined Iron |
| Refined Copper | 5 Copper Ore | 1 Refined Copper |
| Steel Alloy | 3 Refined Iron, 1 Refined Copper | 1 Steel Alloy |
Weapon Forge
| Recipe | Ingredients | Output |
|---|---|---|
| T2 Laser | T1 Laser, 2 Refined Copper | T2 Laser Cannon |
| T2 Kinetic | T1 Kinetic, 3 Refined Iron | T2 Kinetic Cannon |
Equipment Lab
| Recipe | Ingredients | Output |
|---|---|---|
| T2 Shield | T1 Shield, 2 Steel Alloy | T2 Shield Generator |
| T2 Engine | T1 Engine, 1 Refined Copper | T2 Engine |
Full recipe lists are available in-game at each facility. Recipes shown here are examples.
Crafting Tips
- Batch gather resources - Mine a full load before returning to craft
- Check multiple stations - Different stations may have different facilities
- Higher tiers save time - Crafting T3 gear is more efficient than upgrading step-by-step
- Plan your route - Find stations with the facilities you need most