Obtaining blueprints

[Rav3n]

I know I can buy them, but I am a little unsure about the how to "steal" blueprints. I've been flying around the stations and looking for the red exposed wires, but what do I do when i find them?

[Wraith]

you need to research to grab certain module.
like docks,production,storage,defense,habitation.

You can either find natural dataleak. (look for sound wave below shield)
or you can create it yourself using EMP bomb from spacesuit.

Just make sure to have the research done if you want specific module.
Some modules can't be gotten through leaks.
Like ship building modules those have to be bought.

[Snork]

Not sure what wraith was talking about, but in my experience if you want to guaranteed steal any given station blueprint what you need are EMP bombs (they launch from the space suit)

You attach the EMP bomb to the outside of the station part you want a blueprint for, then detonate it.

At that point you'll see those sparks, generally three total.

Check each one, you'll then get the blueprint.

EMP bombs aren't easy to come by, but they are far from impossible. Takes a little work to figure out which station section is which, but that's definitely the easiest part.

[uni790]

Originally posted by Mister Rupert:

I know I can buy them, but I am a little unsure about the how to "steal" blueprints. I've been flying around the stations and looking for the red exposed wires, but what do I do when i find them?

Ok, to actually answer your question, you fly up close to it, there'll be a little chime, and a message bottom left, you won't always get something.

[Snork]

Yes, by check each one I meant enable scan mode, fly close to them, like you're trying to kiss them. (if your ship is much larger than a fighter it may not work. In fact, you'll probably be best off doing this in your space walk skivvies as well.)

A little noise goes off, and pretty damn quickly the thing resolves and tells you what you've obtained.

You won't get the blueprints though without EMP bombing. Hoping to find these things at random and then hoping they give you the blueprint either has tiny tiny odds or 0 odds, as it never worked for me even after dozens of tries.

However, every single time you EMP bomb a segment you WILL get the blueprint for it from one of the three "signal" nodes that are formed on it. Scan all three, one of them will have it.

[Warchild]

OP - If you're talking about actually *stealing* the blueprint by scanning the station, it doesn't always happen.. But.. If you've progressed far enough to have the player HQ and have actually started researching some of the tech in the Boron's Lab, then you will notice that one of the things you can research is Storage Hack, Production Module Hack, and Docking Hack.
What these do is, when you have an EMP bomb, in your suit, you place one of these on the module in question i.e. what ever module you're trying to hack the blueprint for..
***.and be sure to read everything I'm typing here....***
1. You MUST be in your space suit to plant the Emp Bomb
2. Do NOT set the EMP bomb off while you are outside the ship in your suit. No it will not kill you, but you WILL become wanted. ( Happened to me enough to make a note not to do it that way)
3. Once inside the ship and at the controls of the ship. Target your EMP bomb, you MUST be in scan mode to see it.
4. Right click to bring up the menu for the bomb and what you want it to do and click detonate (Or was it activate) either way...set off the EMP bomb from INSIDE your ship.

If you've followed these instructions, then there should be 4 or 5 NEW SIGNALS where the EMP Bomb Exploded.
Get back into your space suit and go and scan them. You can only do it from the suit anyway. ONE of these should be the station blueprint. I would say its a Guarantee, but I did have it not give me a blueprint once or twice and just had to do it again.

And THAT is how you steal the blueprint for a station module that you don't want to purchase with credits.

Since I did have the station patrol ships turn red for me once or twice doing this, I think it goes without saying that it's illegal in most sectors...barring the pirate or empty sectors. So try not to get caught.

Also might add that its a wise idea to have the teleportation technology researched before you do this so you can get in and out without being seen right away...mainly for getting back ON the ship both for planting the EMP bomb and for getting back in after scanning the the signals you produced to hack the blueprint.

EMP bombs CAN be made...
For this you just need to go to a crafting station and see what you need to build them yourself.
However iirc Snork is correct, those items aren't the easiest to come by.
You can always check the Free trade stations, they look like pirate stations as well as the pirate stations proper.
Silent Witness XI usually has a pirate/free trade station and the sector directly attacked to it (in the upper part of the sector map, an accelerator ring) will lead to SIlent Witness xx?? (Can't recall the name now) but that one always has a pirate station in it...at least for me it does.
Beware the mines and search for the pirate station there.
They will be able to sell them to you if they have them. Usually they have one or two, but you can also purchase the parts to make the EMP Bomb from these stations as well.

You won't usually find the parts or even the EMP bomb in normal stations like Argon Prime, but you might... very iffy at best.

I hope this helped some