Persona core

The persona core is a highly valuable item required to build a ship capable of leaving the planet.

Acquisition

Persona cores can only be found in an item stash world quest, or earned as a reward for completing quests for other factions. Once the Starflight Basics research project has been completed, you may also purchase the location of one from allied factions for the price of 1500 silver at a comms console.

It is also possible to go to the ship found in the Journey offer, deconstruct its ship computer core, and bring it to a colony. There is a chance for the persona core to be lost when deconstructing.

Summary

A single persona core is used to build the ship computer core. It has no other purpose, but sells for a high price.

Analysis

As you need only one core to win the game, additional cores can be traded away without fear of setting yourself back. Alternatively, if another victory condition will be performed, or none will be, then they can also be sold without consequence.

Profit

Due to the natural trade disadvantage, the profit from continually farming persona cores isn't very high. At 20 Social skill in Strive to Survive, you would get 3120 from selling a persona core, a profit of 1620. At 10 Social, this drops to a profit of 1260. However, this does not consider the time cost of a caravan or the material cost of a transport pod.

Usually, it is much easier to grow psychoid and cloth, drill for ore, or take the mood penalty for organ harvesting. Because caravans often take multiple days for a round trip, these options are more profitable per unit work. Even if they'd be slower for profit, these methods do not require nearly as much player interaction. They do not require colonists to venture to an item stash, or fight enemies there, or force your fighters away from home during a raid.

Version history

Beta 18 - AI persona cores can no longer be salvaged by destroying a psychic ship nor found for purchase from an exotic goods trader.
Beta 19 - you may now pay other allied factions a cost of 1500 silver for the location of one.
1.3.3066 - Texture updated.
? - Renamed from AI persona core to Persona core, sometime before 1.3.3117, possibly in 1.3.3066. At some point the description was changed from A hyper-advanced computer core that houses a superhumanlike artificial intelligence. In its isolated state the core is dormant. Installed in a proper support structure, however, it can become a mind of frightening power. to A hyper-advanced computer core that houses a peak-human-equivalent machine persona. In its isolated state, the core is dormant. Installed in a proper support structure, however, it can become a mind of great power, likely at the same time.