User:Hordes/Mechanitor

With the Biotech DLC, friendly mechanoids can be gestated. They are controlled by a Mechanitor (pronounced Mek-AN-it-TOR), a pawn who has installed a mechlink.

Mechanitor

In order to control, build, and repair mechanoids, you need a mechanitor - a human pawn who has installed a mechlink. They are required to initiate the mech gestation processes, and at least one mechanitor must be present in order to work on mech-related research. Multiple mechanitors may exist in a colony without conflict.

Mechlink

In order to become a mechanitor, they need a mechlink. Other than starting out with one, mechlinks can be obtained in the following ways:

• Destroying an ancient exostrider midsection, which generates in most new maps. This allows you to call in a mechanoid ship, with the mechlink and some hostile mechanoids. Note that the Mechanitor starting scenario prevents the spawning of the exostrider by default.
• The "discovered mechinator complex" quest, with hostile mechanoids guarding it.

Mechlinks are self-installed implants, meaning a solo colonist can become a mechanitor.

Pawns that are psychically deaf can't become mechanitors, and pawns that can't do Smithing can't actually gestate/repair mechs. Also, pawns with trauma savant can't summon a diabolus from the comms console. You must have another mechanitor call it in, or wait for diaboli to spawn in high level mechanoid raids.

Mechanitor Upgrades

All mechanitor upgrades are installed like the mechlink itself.

• Control sublink: Increases work speed by +6% per sublink, and increases control groups by +1, to a cumulative max bonus of +6 additional control groups and +36% work speed.
  • Standard control sublinks can be installed 3 times.
  • High control sublinks can be installed 3 times on pawns with 3 standard sublinks already installed.
• Mech gestation processor: Increases mech gestation speed by 33.3% per implant. Can be installed up to 6 times.
• Remote repairer: Allows repairing mechanoids from range. Can be installed up to 3 times to increase range.
• Remote shielder: Allows creation of bullet-blocking shield on a mechanoid. Can be installed up to 3 times.
• Repair probe: Increases mech repair speed by 33.3% per implant. Can be installed up to 6 times.

Mechanoid Creation

Once you have a mechanitor and the required research, the following is required to begin gestation:

• 1. The mechanitor must have enough bandwidth to support the mech at the time of creation.
• 2. You must have enough resources to create the mech. Notably, all mechs require a subcore (basic, standard, high). Basic subcores can be crafted at a subcore encoder, while high subcores require killing a human with a subcore ripscanner.
• 3. After being "built" for a tiny amount of a mechanitor's work, mechs must gestate for a while at a mech gestator or large mech gestator (depending on the mech).

Gestation time is measured in cycles - larger mech require more cycles.

Gestation cycles

Rather than traditional work to make them, creating mechanoids requires the undertaking of some number of gestation cycles. A mechanitor must work at the gestator for 1,800 ticks (30 secs)^[Modified?] in order to initiate each cycle, but once initiated each cycle will run independently for its duration. Initiating a gestation cycle is considered Smithing work.

Each gestation cycle lasts for a baseline of 2 days, modified by the initiating mechanitor's Mech Gestation Speed. Mech Gestation Speed is controlled by the mechanitor's Crafting skill and the number of mech gestation processors they have installed. This varies the resulting duration from 64 hrs with 0 Crafting skill and no processors, to 14.77 hrs with 20 Crafting and 6 processors. Gestation cycle time is updated when Mechanoid Gestation Speed is, even if a cycle is already running - if you start a cycle, then install a Mech gestation processor or level the Crafting skill, then it will reduce the remaining cycle time proportional to ratio of the new speed to the old. For a full breakdown of the factors affecting mech gestation speed and the resulting cycle durations, see Mech Gestation Speed.

If a cycle is interrupted temporarily (e.g. by losing power), the cycle will pause until the interruption is ended (e.g. by power being restored), but no other adverse effects will occur.

Controlling Mechanoids

When "working" (i.e. not drafted), mechs are fully autonomous. You cannot order mechanoid work in any direct way, though you can indirectly control it through setting zones. Specifically, mechs are put into control groups, which can then be assigned to one of four orders:

• Work: Do available work tasks. Start charging after reaching a configurable % of power left.
• Escort: Follow the mechanitor around and fight enemies. Start charging after reaching a configurable % of power left.
• Recharge: Look for available recharging stations and use them. Enter dormant self-charging if full or no available charging stations.
• Dormant self-charging: Turns off the mechs. While dormant, mechs recharge a very small amount of power (+1% power / day) without a charger or any pollution.

Control groups and orders may be changed, though the mechanitor must be controllable (not downed and not under a mental break), and their mechs must be in the same map. If they are separated, mechs will continue to do their tasks without a problem, and won't become hostile. However, control groups and their orders cannot be changed. Mechs can be rezoned regardless of the state of the mechanitor, allowing for them to be imprecisely controlled even when the mechanitor is having a mental break.

Mechs can also be drafted for combat, where they are controlled like any colonist. However, the mechanoid can only be ordered to move to spaces within a 25-tile radius from their master, and they can only be ordered to do other commands while in said radius. Mechs can be drafted outside of this range (but not if the mechanitor is downed), where they can defend themselves, carry out previous combat commands, or be commanded to go near the mechanitor.

Mechanoids in a caravan contribute towards its carrying capacity. They do not use power as long as they are on the world map.

If the mechanitor dies or runs out of bandwidth, mechanoids will go into the Uncontrolled state. They will not be uncontrolled if the mechanitor is downed, in a caravan, etc. After 1 game-day, or 60,000 ticks (16.67 mins) uncontrolled, they may go feral, joining the enemy mech hive. There is a MTB of 10 in-game days, with a cascade radius of 25 tiles.^[Verify]

Mechanoid Summary

In general, mechanoids are immune to fire, toxicity, and temperature extremes, despite having a Comfortable Temperature. They are vulnerable to EMP attacks, being stunned by them. Mechanoids do not need to eat, sleep, and have no mood. However, they require power, and cause pollution in the process.

Mechs considered "light" use a regular mech recharger and mech gestator. Mechs considered "medium" or heavier use the large mech recharger and large mech gestator.

Power

Player mechanoids use a variable amount of power, depending on their state.

• They use 10% power / day when active: labor mechs doing work, or combat mechs being awake at all.
• Labor mechs use 3% power / day while idle, or not doing work.
• Mechanoids can be commanded to enter a state of dormancy, preventing power drain, instead recharging at a very slow rate of +1% power / day. Mechs that run out of power will also enter this state.
• When downed, or in the world map on a caravan, they use 0% power.

They can instead be recharged at a mech recharger or large mech recharger, which quickly recharges them - +50% power / day. This leads to a theoretical uptime of 83.3% - 5 days working, 1 day charging. The mech recharger itself creates waste. Once its waste meter is filled, toxic wastepacks are created. The amount of waste is directly correlated to the mech's bandwidth, where 1 bandwidth = 5 wastepacks.

Mechanoids can be repaired at the cost of their power, the rate dependent on which mech it is. This will restore otherwise permanent injuries. If killed, mechanoids can be resurrected at the cost of some size-dependent steel and 1 gestation cycle, so long as some part of their corpse is intact.

Work Speed

Most mechanoids have an effective Skill of 10, but a natural Global Work Speed of 50%. Tunnelers have a Global Work Speed of 150%, and the agrihand and constructoid have special modifiers to their specific job's work speed (applied after all Global Work Speed calculations).

Work speed can be increased in a number of ways, and final work speed is controlled by the following equation:

Final work speed = (Base Work Speed × Mech booster) + (6% * Num. Sublinks) + Mechanoid Labor Bonus

• Being in range of a mech booster boosts workspeed by 50%, multiplicative. This does not multiply any future factors to work speed.
• Each control sublink installed into the mechanitor increases Global Work Speed by +6%, after the mech booster is applied. Up to 3 standard and 3 high control sublinks can be installed at a time, for a +36% boost.
• If their mechanitor follows an ideoligion with the Mechanoid Labor: Enhanced precept, mechs gain an additive +20% boost to Global Work Speed, at the cost of colonist work speed. This boost is additive with sublinks and the booster but its effect is not multiplied by the boosters.

As most mechs start with 50% Global Work Speed, additive boosts are larger than they seem. For example, Labor: Enhanced will boost most mechs from 50% to 70% - that's a ×140% increase.

For example, with a work speed of 50%:

Control Sublinks	Work Speed	Mech Boosted	Mech Boosted + Labor: Enhanced
0	50%	75%	95%
1	56%	81%	101%
2	62%	87%	107%
3	68%	93%	113%
4	74%	99%	119%
5	80%	105%	125%
6	86%	111%	131%

Work speed can be further modified by regular factors, such as light and the Manipulation stat.

Raid points

Main article: Raid points

The market value of mechs, and of any weapons they carry, do count as wealth for raid point calculations. Mechs also contribute towards "pawn points" relative to their mech's combat power. The exact percentage depends on current wealth and can be viewed in the pawn points section. The combat power of all combat mechs can be viewed here.

Research

While Basic Mechtech can be researched as soon as you have a mechanitor, to research more advanced technology, you'll need to kill certain mechanoid bosses.

• In order to research Standard Mechtech, you must fight a Diabolus and study its signal chip.
• In order to research High Mechtech, you must fight a War queen and study its powerfocus chip.
• In order to research Ultra Mechtech, you must fight an Apocriton and study its nano structuring chip.

Mech signaling

Mechanoid bosses may be called in by a mechanitor via the Summon Mech Threat gizmo.

• Diabolus - Powered comms console
• War queen - Mechband antenna
• Apocriton - Mechband dish

Except for the comms console, the building used to call in the mech will be destroyed. After a delay, the respective boss will drop in from the outskirts of the map. There is a cooldown before spawning in another boss.

Bandwidth

Bandwidth controls how many mechs a single mechanitor can control at any one time. The mechlink itself gives +6 bandwidth. To increase it further, you must build or craft items.

Mechanoids cannot be gestated without enough bandwidth. If a mechanitor's bandwidth is lowered below their bandwidth cost, then the mechanoids will become uncontrolled. Uncontrolled mechanoids may leave or become hostile to your colony after enough time. A mech's bandwidth cost also dictates how many toxic wastepacks they will produce after recharging.

Bandwidth cost

The heavier the mechanoid is, the more bandwidth it takes up:

Mechanoid Type	Bandwidth	Wastepacks Per Recharge
Agrihand, Cleansweeper, Constructoid, Fabricor, Lifter, Militor, Paramedic, Scorcher	1	5
Legionary, Pikeman, Scyther	2	10
Lancer, Tesseron, Tunneler	3	15
Centipede blaster, Centipede burner, Centipede gunner	4	20
Centurion, Diabolus, War queen	5	25

Increasing bandwidth

Apparel and gear items must be worn, and band nodes must be powered, for bandwidth to actually increase.

• Band node: +1
• Airwire headset: +3
• Mechlink: +6
• Array headset: +6
• Mechcommander helmet: +6
• Bandwidth pack: +9
• Integrator headset: +9
• Mechlord helmet: +12
• Mechlord suit: +12

Therefore, the maximum bandwidth possible without band nodes, is acquired with a mechlink, bandwidth pack, mechlord helmet and mechlord suit for a total of 39.

To connect to a band node, select a band node, click the Tune to... button and select an available Mechanitor. Tuning for the first time lasts 5 seconds, re-tuning lasts 3 days. Band nodes stay tuned to a pawn when they leave the map. A band node is no longer tuned when the connected mechanitor dies. When band nodes no longer receive power, they shutdown and because of that, mechanitors bandwidth gets lowered, which can lead to unconnected mechanoids.

List of Controllable mechanoids

Click to

Mechanoid		Class	Armor (S/B/H)	Body Size	Health Scale	Move Speed	Melee DPS (Post Hit Chance)	Ranged weapon	Bandwidth	Research	Cost	Cycles	Market Value
	Agrihand	Light	20% / 10% / 200%	0.7		3.4 c/s	4 (2.48)	-	-	Basic mechtech	50 +  1	1	800
	Cleansweeper	Light	20% / 10% / 200%	0.3		3.4 c/s	2.31 (1.43)	-	-	Basic mechtech	50 +  1	1	800
	Constructoid	Light	20% / 10% / 200%	0.7		3.4 c/s	3.45 (2.14)	-	-	Basic mechtech	50 +  1	1	800
	Lifter	Light	20% / 10% / 200%	0.7		2.8 c/s	2.31 (1.43)	-	-	Basic mechtech	50 +  1	1	800
	Militor	Light	20% / 10% / 200%	0.7		3.8 c/s	2.31 (1.43)	Mini-shotgun	-	Basic mechtech	50 +  1	1	1800
	Centipede burner	Heavy	72% / 22% / 200%	3	4.32	1.9 c/s	6.03 (3.74)	Inferno cannon	-	High mechtech	255 +  255 +  8 +  1	6	2600
	Centipede gunner	Heavy	72% / 22% / 200%	3	4.32	1.9 c/s	6.03 (3.74)	Minigun	-	High mechtech	255 +  255 +  8 +  1	6	2360
	Diabolus	Superheavy	75% / 25% / 200%	4	4.5	2.4 c/s	6.06 (3.76)	Charge blaster turret Hellsphere cannon	-	High mechtech	300 +  300 +  2 +  1	12	3000
	Fabricor	Light	20% / 10% / 200%	0.7		3.4 c/s	2.31 (1.43)	-	-	High mechtech	100 +  1	1	800
	Lancer	Medium	40% / 20% / 200%	1	0.72	4.7 c/s	5.63 (3.49)	Charge lance	-	High mechtech	75 +  75 +  4 +  1	2	2555
	Paramedic	Light	20% / 10% / 200%	0.7		3.8 c/s	2.31 (1.43)	-	-	High mechtech	100 +  1	1	800
	Pikeman	Medium	40% / 20% / 200%	1	0.85	2.5 c/s	5.23 (3.24)	Needle gun	-	Standard mechtech	100 +  40 +  4 +  1	2	2600
	Scorcher	Medium	40% / 20% / 200%	1	0.7	4.5 c/s	5.23 (3.24)	Mini-flameblaster	-	Standard mechtech	80 +  32 +  3 +  1	2	2200
	Scyther	Medium	40% / 20% / 200%	1	1.32	4.7 c/s	10 (6.2)	-	-	Standard mechtech	75 +  75 +  4 +  1	2	1200
	Tunneler	Heavy	80% / 40% / 200%	3.5	1.5	1.9 c/s	7.59 (4.71)	-	-	Standard mechtech	150 +  75 +  4 +  1	4	1200
	Centipede blaster	Heavy	72% / 22% / 200%	3	4.32	1.9 c/s	6.03 (3.74)	Heavy charge blaster	-	Ultra mechtech	255 +  355 +  8 +  1	6	2600
	Centurion	Superheavy	75% / 25% / 200%	3.6	3	1.6 c/s	6 (3.72)	Charge blaster turret	-	Ultra mechtech	300 +  200 +  2 +  1 +  1	12	1600
	Legionary	Medium	40% / 20% / 200%	1	0.72	4.3 c/s	5.23 (3.24)	Needle launcher	-	Ultra mechtech	100 +  6 +  1	4	2600
	Tesseron	Medium	40% / 20% / 200%	1	0.72	4.7 c/s	5.63 (3.49)	Beam graser	-	Ultra mechtech	110 +  7 +  1	4	1344
	War queen	Superheavy	75% / 25% / 200%	4	5.2	1.6 c/s	2 (1.24)	Charge blaster turret	-	Ultra mechtech	600 +  300 +  3 +  1 +  1	12	1600
	War urchin	Light	20% / 10% / 200%	0.7	1.3	4.2 c/s	3.17 (1.97)	Spiner	-	Ultra mechtech	25		1300

Version history

• Biotech DLC release - Introduced.
• 1.4.3555 - Mechs now count as partial pawns for determining raid points. Added Mechanoid labor precept. Combat mechs now count as Autonomous Weapons for the Autonomous weapons precept.

---

Mechanoids

Mechanoids | Core

Centipede (Blaster, Burner, Gunner) • Lancer • Pikeman • Scyther • Termite

Combat

Centurion • Legionary • Militor • Scorcher • Tesseron

Command

Apocriton • Diabolus • War queen (War urchin )

Labor

Agrihand • Cleansweeper • Constructoid • Fabricor • Lifter • Paramedic • Tunneler

Cluster | Buildings

Condition causer • Count-down activator • Mech assembler • Mech capsule • Mech drop beacon • Mech high-shield • Mech low-shield • Mech node • Proximity activator • Unstable power cell

Turrets

Auto charge turret • Auto inferno turret • Auto mortar • Mini-slugger turret

Creation | Pawn

Mechanitor

Buildings

Mech gestator • Large mech gestator • Mechband antenna • Mechband dish