Cerebrex node

Cerebrex node

An interlink node scavenged technology from the cerebrex core of a mechhive. It can be used to summon mechanoids or mechanoid transport pods from the planet-wide mechanoid satellite network.

Base Stats

Type

Gear – Utility

Tech Level

Spacer

Mass

5 kg

Flammability

0%

Apparel

Clothing For Nudity

False

Coverage

Waist

Layer

Belt

Lifestage

Adult

Technical

defName

Apparel_CerebrexNode

thingCategories

ApparelUtility

tradeTags

Clothing

The cerebrex node is a utility item added by the Odyssey DLC that acquired by choosing "scavenge technology" during the Odyssey ending.

Acquisition

The cerebrex node will drop next to the cerebrex core after inspecting it and choosing "scavenge technology".

Summary

When worn, it gives a mechanitor wearing it +15 Mech Bandwidth and +12% Mech Work Speed Offset. It has no quality.

Once the wearer is drafted, three abilities are available, all with 30 ticks (0.5 secs) of warm up time. The wearer does not need to be a mechanitor to use these abilities.

• Call drop pods can spawn 2 to 3 mechanoid drop pods, each can hold up to 150 kg and can be launched up to 66 tiles, on a 180,000 ticks (50 mins) cooldown. The drop pods can land anywhere on the map within line of sight of the caster.
• Call mechanoids can spawn 750 to 1250 raid points of hostile mechanoids, on a 7,500 ticks (2.08 mins) cooldown. There is no maximum range, call mechanoids can fire anywhere within line of sight of the caster.
• Deactivate mechanoid can permanently disable a hostile mechanoid within 29.9 tiles, on a 7,500 ticks (2.08 mins) cooldown. Note that this ability will not actually kill the mechanoid but instead put it to sleep permanently. This means that mechs "killed" by this ability will need to be finished off lying on the ground. Also aprocritons will not release an EMP blast upon being killed by this ability. They will still release an EMP blast upon being finished off on the ground.

• 

  Call drop pods

• 

  Call mechanoids

• 

  Deactivate mechanoid

The cerebrex node is indestructible, including by collapsed rocks. However the cerebrex node can be lost if it is on a pawn or in a container and the containing thing is destroyed, by being thrown out of the map or from a caravan wipe.

Like all utility items, a cerebrex node is treated largely like any piece of apparel, however some exceptions exist. Utility items are worn on the waist and are mutually exclusive only with each other, regardless of the layer or coverage of other apparel worn. Additionally, utility items never become tainted, deteriorate from being worn, or inflict a worn-out or tattered mood debuff when damaged.

Analysis

Usage

Mechanitors should be the first priority to wear this item, as it strictly outclasses the bandwidth pack. Otherwise, trigger-happy and/or shooting specialist pawns have a slight advantage due to having shorter warmup times, but the node's warmups are low anyways, meaning these pawns will likely be better off wearing another item with a longer warmup.

Comparison to destroying the core

If there is no mechanitor, destroying the cerebrex core is predominantly the stronger/more impactful option, as two of three of its abilities are largely redundant.

• Drop pods can be replaced by passenger shuttles, which colonies should be able to afford to make and fuel by the time the node is obtainable. Drop pods are free and can be used for an emergency escape, but for general travel, shuttles are better due to their shorter cooldown.
• Deactivating mechanoids is redundant since destroying the core stops all mechs.
• This leaves call mechs as the most useful and hardest to replicate ability. The mechs are unlikely to end raids on their own, but can be valuable distractions, e.g., for luring out doomsday rocket launchers. The empire's military permits can perform a similar role, although have a much greater cooldown. Calling aid via comms console is within the same ballpark, but their location cannot be chosen, and doing this requires access to a comms console (which may not be the case in a solar flare or outside your base).

For mechanitors, the benefit is twofold: the cerebrex node itself provides buffs to bandwidth and workspeed, and not destroying the core means that mech bosses can still be summoned at will for their chips. The buffs, while large and not directly replaceable, can eventually be replicated by lategame colonies: the workspeed buff is unique but more mechs result in faster work, whilst bandwidth can be increased through a bandwidth pack and band nodes. The chips are harder to obtain after destroying the core, although the bosses can still appear through quests, and the chips can be farmed before destroying the core.

Meanwhile, destroying the core disables all mech enemies, including crashed ship parts and mech clusters. Weapons and strategies that are ineffective against mechs, e.g., beam repeaters and burn tunnels, become significantly more powerful. EMP is no longer relevant outside of turrets and low-shield packs, meaning any implants with EMP vulnerability (pilot assistant, circadian assistant, etc.) are safer to use. A permanent orbit base becomes a lot safer as the only enemies that can now spawn there are salvagers, who largely wear vacsuits and are thus slow.

Version history

• Odyssey DLC Release - Added.

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Utility

Utility

Firefoam pop pack • Orbital bombardment targeter • Orbital power beam targeter • Psychic shock lance • Psychic insanity lance • Shield belt • Smokepop pack • Tornado generator • Low-shield pack • Jump pack • Orbital mech cluster targeter • Bandwidth pack • Control pack • Tox pack • Biomutation lance • Deadlife pack • Disruptor flare pack • Shard insanity lance • Shard shock lance • Turret pack • Hunter pack • Cerebrex node