Can't "build" prototech stuff?

[ChanceGateau]

Is it even possible to build the prototech stuff from scratch? Like, find the resources, build the components and then construct the refiner etc...? I have an industrial refinery, capable of building every component, except the prototech stuff.

If that's the case; that they want to diversify the game, make prototech "rare" or whatever, but not being able to build it yourself takes away from the single-player, and private multi-player experience. From what I am reading, you have to use merge blocks to "hijack" the tech, what if said tech is on a ship/platform/base you don't want? What then?

[Farrel]

Prototech parts generally need to be captured rather than built. There is a prototech assembler which you can capture, but it still can't make prototech frames, which all the prototech equipment uses.

Capture the blocks whole where you find them, DO NOT DISSASEMBLE, instead, use merge blocks to graft them onto your builds.

You can find components in prototech containers, again, watch out for frames, those can't be manufactured.

[ChanceGateau]

Why the heck would they do that? It takes away my fun to have to lasso tech, go here and there in the wide cosmos to find random stuff. My present game is planetside, and I do realize this tech is late game stuff, I also don't want to have to use merge blocks for everything. What am I supposed to do? Take apart a space station or enemy platform because it has a piece of tech I want?

I also think it takes away from the creative aspect of the game NOT being able to build it, even if it were to use some rare, exotic mineral only found in space, or only in 1% of planetary deposits. I mean think about it: you have an existing ship, how does one incorporate that into an existing structure if one cannot built it?

[Farrel]

I think the idea is that the prototech parts are intended as exclusive and end game rewards for building something strong enough to actually obtain them.

If you don't want to mess around with merge blocks, you can always just loot the components in containers at those encounters and use those to build with. You may still need a prototech assembler... I'm not sure, I haven't even looked at the prototech stuff myself.

I think of it as less of a taking away a creative liberty as making us work for it... All the parts are are more powerful versions of existing tech. Using merge blocks makes it an engineering problem, but it's not too hard to solve by either building around the new parts, or making some kind of little hover-tug ship and merging the block in to place.

How to incorporate into an existing design? Well, some cutting will be required... Cut, install, rebuild... I do the same with batteries already because I find it fun to be miserly about never grinding them down and destroying the battery components.

Edit: You could always spawn in the relevant components using creative mode if it's that big of an issue.

[Nidoboros]

I haven't done a lot of exploring into it, but are the frames components that you can pull out of a cargo container in Prototech zones to then build them where you want, or are they ALL merge block items?

Because there are different approaches to each, and I kind of do get being annoyed at having to go through the whole merge process every time. Then again, it is an engineering project, and this is Space ENGINEERS.

Anyway, I think you can paste them in creative mode, design ships that it's easy to merge them onto or something.

[Baratheon79]

Actually, getting the prototech stuff isn't that big of a deal, once you're far enough along to be able to handle the encounters. Nor is incorporating it into existing builds. Earlier this evening I went to investigate one of the markers, which turned out to be a Factorum warship. In addition to the small-grid prototech thruster in its hangar, I also managed to nab 2 prototech gyros and a pair of prototech batteries, which I installed in the ship I used for the encounter.

Wasn't too difficult to attach the blocks, but then I sorta cheated and just installed them along the walls of the hangar.

And yes, you can just paste them onto a ship in creative mode (or in survival with creative mode tools enabled). I didn't do it for my little quick-and-dirty refit, but I did test it in another save.

Edit: As for the thruster, I've got a plan for that. Just want to scavenge one more first. ;)

[Fives5555]

Originally posted by Nidoboros:

Anyway, I think you can paste them in creative mode, design ships that it's easy to merge them onto or something.

It's more easy than that. In creative mode, the Prototech blocks are just like any other block. You can find them in the g-menu, and place them on your ship. So you can blueprint, and build ships in creative with them. But in survival, you can only build them using the encounters, or finding them.

[Capt Fuzzy]

Ok, let's break this down into it's simplest of terms.
Based on everything that I've learned about Prototech, the very first block that you want to get hold of is the Prototech assembler.
The reason for this is practicality. There are 8 Prototech components and the Prototech assembler can make 6 of them. It cannot make Prototech frames or Prototech scrap.
Those you have to find in encounters or bases belonging to The Factorum.
The Prototech refinery is basically just a regular refinery on steroids.
There are no special ores or other materials that require a special refinery to produce.
So, based on this information, you want to get your hands on a Prototech assembler as soon as possible. This will allow you to make at least some of the parts that you will need to repair the other Prototech blocks that you will eventually get hold of.

P.S. - If you have ALL of the needed components, you actually CAN build your own Prototech blocks. The trick is, getting all of the needed parts to do it.

[Dan2D3D]

Hi, yes we can but not the frame part, that one we must Battle for.
+ You will have to buld a good Warship to recover the Prototech Assembler in space,

+
About the Contact Update :

A lot asked the SE Devs to add new PVE and I remember some asking for uncraftable unique blocks as special "Quest" because there was nothing to do once we are Rich having all the important worker ships, all important stations, all Warships and all contracts completed at the Trade stations.

There was nothing to do after that, so the Devs added "Endgame blocks with Enemy Faction, all showing in that brand new video :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTbfFVk6eY0

[Dan2D3D]

+ You may do like me, I already have my Warships ready for years, so I pasted one in and I am upgrading it ready for the "First Contact"
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3351639933
Tip
Place long range turrets in front of your Warship, the ones that start shoting at 1400m like Assault Cannon Turret, I also recommend 2-3 Tiny AI Drones or Large block Warships with Ai to help you in Battle.
+
Don't forget to set your trurrets on Target Weapons only, so they will not destroy the Prototech blocks and Prototech components in containers.

[Daynen Drakeson]

The prototech frame is the only component that cannot be crafted but it CAN be found as loot in containers, allowing you to build the block of your choice. After almost two dozen encounters I have found ONE frame, so choose wisely which block you want to place. A jump drive is a good idea since these encounters may be quite distant and some are more strictly timed to deny you your loot.

[Shaken_Widow]

Originally posted by Daynen Drakeson:

The prototech frame is the only component that cannot be crafted but it CAN be found as loot in containers, allowing you to build the block of your choice. After almost two dozen encounters I have found ONE frame, so choose wisely which block you want to place. A jump drive is a good idea since these encounters may be quite distant and some are more strictly timed to deny you your loot.

you get them from dismantling prototech mostly, the whole point is that you're scavenging the parts, you can either keep the whole part or dismantle it if you don't need that specific one.

and pay attention to broken antenna signals they point you to them.

[Daynen Drakeson]

Originally posted by Shaken_Widow:

Originally posted by Daynen Drakeson:

The prototech frame is the only component that cannot be crafted but it CAN be found as loot in containers, allowing you to build the block of your choice. After almost two dozen encounters I have found ONE frame, so choose wisely which block you want to place. A jump drive is a good idea since these encounters may be quite distant and some are more strictly timed to deny you your loot.

you get them from dismantling prototech mostly, the whole point is that you're scavenging the parts, you can either keep the whole part or dismantle it if you don't need that specific one.

and pay attention to broken antenna signals they point you to them.

Nope, the frame is scrapped when you grind the block away. Each block only gets one and if it's ground or popped, it's gone. Everything else can be assembled but the frame; you either find it in a crate or tow the whole block home.

[A_O_A]

They didn't actually test all of the new block to completion when they added them to the game because simply merge blocking them to your ship doesn't work for most of the blocks. The refinery, assembler, and jump drive are all turned off by default and because they belong to prototech you can't control them even when merged. You have to find enough random parts in containers to replace all of the parts that get turned to scrap so you can hack the new blocks. The only method i've found that works is you drag the new blocks off to a safe place and merge them to a powered grid you own (like an asteroid base for example) so trash cleanup doesn't take them then keep raiding Prototech bases until you gather enough parts to replace the ones that get scrapped when you grind the block down to hack it.
The only good news is the parts that get ground down to scrap are few in number, usually you only need to find a few of each to bring a hacked block back on line but it was obvious they only play tested the thrusters and gyros becuase they're the only ones you can merge and use without requiring the tedious hacking routine.

[Baratheon79]

Originally posted by A_O_A:

They didn't actually test all of the new block to completion when they added them to the game because simply merge blocking them to your ship doesn't work for most of the blocks. The refinery, assembler, and jump drive are all turned off by default and because they belong to prototech you can't control them even when merged. You have to find enough random parts in containers to replace all of the parts that get turned to scrap so you can hack the new blocks. The only method i've found that works is you drag the new blocks off to a safe place and merge them to a powered grid you own (like an asteroid base for example) so trash cleanup doesn't take them then keep raiding Prototech bases until you gather enough parts to replace the ones that get scrapped when you grind the block down to hack it.
The only good news is the parts that get ground down to scrap are few in number, usually you only need to find a few of each to bring a hacked block back on line but it was obvious they only play tested the thrusters and gyros becuase they're the only ones you can merge and use without requiring the tedious hacking routine.

From what I've seen so far, it's not that difficult to hack the prototech blocks that need it. With all the ones I've seen so far (the 2 batteries I mentioned in my previous post, plus a refinery I nabbed in a test save), there are other components in between the computers and the prototech stuff that gets turned to scrap. So with careful grinding, you can hack the block without touching the prototech components. To give yourself a better margin of error, may want to consider using a regular grinder instead of an elite one.

Can also use the hacking computer mod from the workshop, though it won't always get everything. And I've seen one case so far where the prototech block I was grabbing was a separate grid locked in place with a magnetic pad.

[A_O_A]

Originally posted by Baratheon79:

Originally posted by A_O_A:

They didn't actually test all of the new block to completion when they added them to the game because simply merge blocking them to your ship doesn't work for most of the blocks. The refinery, assembler, and jump drive are all turned off by default and because they belong to prototech you can't control them even when merged. You have to find enough random parts in containers to replace all of the parts that get turned to scrap so you can hack the new blocks. The only method i've found that works is you drag the new blocks off to a safe place and merge them to a powered grid you own (like an asteroid base for example) so trash cleanup doesn't take them then keep raiding Prototech bases until you gather enough parts to replace the ones that get scrapped when you grind the block down to hack it.
The only good news is the parts that get ground down to scrap are few in number, usually you only need to find a few of each to bring a hacked block back on line but it was obvious they only play tested the thrusters and gyros becuase they're the only ones you can merge and use without requiring the tedious hacking routine.

From what I've seen so far, it's not that difficult to hack the prototech blocks that need it. With all the ones I've seen so far (the 2 batteries I mentioned in my previous post, plus a refinery I nabbed in a test save), there are other components in between the computers and the prototech stuff that gets turned to scrap. So with careful grinding, you can hack the block without touching the prototech components. To give yourself a better margin of error, may want to consider using a regular grinder instead of an elite one.

Can also use the hacking computer mod from the workshop, though it won't always get everything. And I've seen one case so far where the prototech block I was grabbing was a separate grid locked in place with a magnetic pad.

Several of the blocks including the jumpdrive have components that turn to scrap near the top of the list so "carefully grinding" then is a completely moot point, you get scrap regardless of the type of grinder to technique you use.