Vehicles

Space Pods are the ship's/station's pilotable support craft, capable of holding one pilot, a number of passengers depending on the pod's armor, and a variety of fun gizmos.

Pods can dock in the many Pod Bays on the station/ship as well as well the Mining Outpost, Research Outpost, and many other off-station locales. Of course, you can always stop near interesting places and take a spacewalk/seawalk.

How to build the damn thing is a different story. Grab your welding mask and get cracking!

Note: Public pods that already exist tend to spawn locked. You can randomly get the codes for them sometimes when your character spawns.

The pod's HUD. Getting inside the pod is easy enough. Either drag-and-drop yourself onto the pod or left-click on the pod and select the icon of a little stick figure entering something that says Board. The engine and life support start turned on.

Steering depends on whether or not your pod uses has treads, though in both cases you should be mindful of inertia. You should also try to avoid running into any solid objects; if you collide into something, you'll damage both your pod and the thing you smashed into, depending on the angle of the collision and the speeds at which you and the other object collided. To brake and stop yourself from smashing into something, hold SHIFT.

Regular pods without treads are pretty intuitive. You press up, the pod goes up. Press down, the pod goes down. Press up and left, pod goes northwest. Let go, and you'll continue moving in the same direction by inertia.

A basic direction change requires one press of the directional key. You'll still go careening where you were headed by inertia unless you press the same key again. So, if you're going left and you press down, you'll go southwest, and if you press down again, you'll go straight down.

Doing a 180 requires at least two presses: the first changes where you face, the second stops you but eventually gets you moving again. A third press will accelerate you much faster.

Pods with treads are a bit different, because directional controls are separated from movement controls. Up moves you forward in whatever direction the pod's facing, while down moves you backward, opposite the direction the pod's currently. It might be northward, it might be downward, it might be southwestward, again, it depends on the direction of the pod. Left and right turn your vehicle counterclockwise and clockwise, respectively, rather than going east or west. It takes a bit of practice, but turning is much easier:

A basic direction change requires just pressing either left or right. Even better, you smoothly turn and maintain speed rather than awkwardly careening in the previous direction, and diagonal movement is more like moving along an actual diagonal instead of going up/down & left/right really quickly.

Under ideal conditions, a 180 requires only holding down one of the directional keys. In tighter areas, you might have to press left or right again a few times to quickly turn the pod around.

While inside a pod, you can access the controls easily through the HUD interface or by left-clicking on the pod. Most are self-explanatory, some are a little more complex:

If you think you'll end up in space for any amount of time outside your pod, wear a spacesuit, breath mask and oxygen tank. You'll be able to explore more and you won't die as fast. This should be obvious, but most people will just jump in a spaceship without much thought.

Going out into space without an idea of where to go - indeed, your first trips will probably consist of figuring out where to go - will usually see you encountering some enemies, often in the form of Syndicate drones. Space is a wide-open area with a lot of room to chase, and critters oh so love to chase you; unless they get stuck on an obstacle of some sort, they'll hound your pod relentlessly - even into hangars that don't have the doors closed (or don't have doors at all!). This is very bad, as critters aggro pods like any other player, even when empty. Coming back from raiding a derelict only to see your pod reduced to scrap and the drone waiting to ambush you is a nightmare scenario in space.

Thus, your best option when encountering an enemy in space is to destroy it on sight. Some enemies don't have ranged attacks, but most of them do, and they like to be cheating bastards and shoot you diagonally while you can only shoot in four directions. But don't worry, in most cases your pod will be way more durable than the target, so hammer away at them with whatever weapon your pod of choice came with, and move on once it's destroyed. Note that some enemies have mean tricks that can mess with your pod in ways other than direct damage, so watch out for that. The important thing to remember is to fire while strafing and reversing. Once you get the hang of it, most simple drones aren't really a threat anymore.

Other players, on the other hand, can give you a hell of a time. Opposing players can be smart and try to board your pod with you in it: in most cases there's nothing you can do to shoo them out and then they can fuck with your pod's systems and movement, so practice some basic vehicle security and lock the damn door when you're piloting. Especially common in nuke rounds, but otherwise rare, is having to fight an enemy pod with your own. Most Syndicate pods will heavily outgun you, but it's not impossible to beat them if you have some good piloting skills (or steal one of their pods if they fail to practice aforementioned basic vehicle security).

You'll know a pod has taken a lot of damage if it sets on fire, and is near-death if it explodes. If it explodes a second time after that, then it's officially dead and you'll be ejected in a flaming heap before the pod detonates fully. Staying in the pod and waiting for the eject is bad, as the final explosion can hurt quite a bit, but if you're feeling spiteful then you can kamikaze into the thing that ruined your ride (Syndicate operatives in particular hate this). On the other hand, should you and your pod survive and you want to repair it, it's a simple as hitting it with a lit welder from the outside.

The big ones that take up a 2 by 2 tiles of space. Their size has both benefits and drawbacks. They tend to have more health than MiniPutts, their podlights illuminate larger areas, and pod weapons fire two projectiles, one beside another, rather than just one, making it easier to score hits. At the same time, their larger size makes them unable to navigate narrow gaps and easier to hit, and they tend to be slower than their MiniPutt equivalents, e.g. a Syndicate pod is slower than a SyndiPutt, even though both have the same armor sets.

MiniPutts use the same armor plating as the larger pods, and can be upgraded with the same components. They're usually quite fast, though they tend to be lacking in health.

Note that all MiniPutts can fit only one driver, with no passengers available (unless you get creative with cargo holds and such).

The underwater version of miniputts. In addition to the usual components, they also come an extra “locomotion” slot for treads, so their controls are a little bit different from what you're used to. All the other components otherwise use the exact same parts as space-faring pods. Also, if a minisub collides into a wall or other obstacle, it damages the sub a bit. If a minisub collides into a person at high speed, it damages the person and can very briefly stun them.

A special subset of minisubs that shares the same control scheme. Like minisubs, they can readily turn to and move in all 8 directions, cross station, space, and seafloor tiles, and collide into people, walls, and other solid objects. Unlike minisubs, they use wheels instead of treads, so they can only turn while in motion (i.e. moving forward or backward), making entertaining screeching sounds in the process.

Note: See Guide to Mining for an overview of the ore classifications.

Before you add or replace any components, you first must open the maintenance panel by left-clicking the pod and choosing the jumbled circle icon that says “Show Parts Panel”. To add a part, click on the pod with the part in your active hand while the panel is open. To replace an existing system (like the engine), click the pod with an empty hand while the maintenance panel is open to bring up an interface for adding and removing installed systems. The maintenance panel cannot be manipulated if the pod is locked, however, or if someone is in the pod.

You can also change the gas mix used for the engine and the gas mix used for the pod's life support system, though this doesn't have much of a use other then to suffocate the people in the craft with phoron.

An extra slot found only on minisubs and land vehicles. They can't drive if this slot has nothing in it.

Certain Pod Bays are equipped with a ship component fabricator capable of manufacturing the parts needed to make a space-worthy pod. However, this is not your average puzzle or toy building blocks set! This dirty, hard and laborious process requires patience and a bit of materials. Minisub parts replace MiniPutt parts on underwater stations.

Try and keep the hanger doors closed when you are building the pod itself, unless you wish to suffocate. If pods are flying in and out of the hanger when you are working in said hanger, there should be a button on a wall in the room somewhere (not the one right next to the hanger doors that looks like some kind of microchip; you can only use those when in a pod) which opens/closes the doors. With this, you can close the doors as soon as a pod leaves/enters to minimize air loss.

You can't replace a pod's armor once it is already built, so consider the options carefully. MiniPutts, minisubs, and 2×2 pods all share an armor kit, i.e. unlike with frames, engine manifolds, and other parts used for pod construction, there isn't a separate set of armor for constructing MiniPutts, minisubs, and full size pods.

These miscellaneous circuits and gadgets are essential for constructing your very own space pod. They are all manufactured at a ship component fabricator.

There are many different vehicles that can be found for all of your drunk driving needs. For the most part, beginning your alcohol-fueled joy ride is as easy as click-dragging your character sprite onto the vehicle or right-clicking the thing and picking “enter”. Should some hooligan steal your ride, hit the vehicle with Disarm or Harm intent to shove them out, momentarily stunning them and giving you ample time to reclaim your ride.

The Security department's (and for some reason, Medical's) personal fleet, and the proud vehicle of mall cops across the country. Surprisingly robust for something meant to be a joke item. It's the fastest non-antagonist vehicle in the game, barring pods, and if you run into anyone while riding it, it will fling you over the handlebars, stunning both you and the person you ran over for a while. It also has lights and siren so that you can warn people to get out of the way. Be aware: if you get blinded by a flash's areaflash while on this thing, you don't just get stunned, you also get ejected from the segway.

As with all vehicles, you cannot use weapons while on a segway. However, if you use a mop or rod in-hand, you can raise it like a lance. If you collide into someone who's done the same, you'll joust each other, leading a variety of outcomes, ranging from just losing your hat to getting smacked in the face and knocked off your segway.

The segway can also be emagged. This makes it so that when you crash into someone while on a segway, you aren't flung off the thing. It's possible to tell if a segway is emagged by inspection; when Examine-ed, the description will say that “It looks like the safety circuits have been shorted out”. The act of emagging it is also rather obvious; people nearby will see it because they'll get a message like “The Space Segway beeps ominously”, and they'll hear it too because emagging it also causes the siren and lights to go off.

The Janitor's personal vehicle, and overall an upgrade over the standard mop and bucket. It can clean the floors simply by moving on them while the buffer's on, much faster than any mop could. The buffer itself drives pretty slowly, but it still mops up floors if you have it set to dry and drag it over the floors, which lets it outspeed the mop. If you switch out the massive (1700+ units!) reservoir of water and space cleaner with other chemicals, you can do far more than just clean. Expect to be pushed off frequently due to the fact that you're making everyone fall on their ass. And then it will be stolen and spaced or used to make everyone else fall down.

Designed for moving crates around the QM department. Cargo Bay, naturally, has one, while others occasionally appear in the Warehouse or Disposals areas. Features space for up to three crates or one pallet, free access through plastic flaps, and an amber emergency light (accessed through the Forklift tab) to warn crew that you're coming through and light your way a little bit. To load the crates, get in the forklift and click drag the crate onto the forklift sprite. To unload them, click on the Forklift tab on the right of your display, and choose “drop crates”.

Also surprisingly versatile for antags. Not only can the forklift be disabled and turned into an improvised barricade with a screwdriver and pair of wirecutters (use some wire then a screwdriver to reverse it), but it is also handy for kidnappings and hiding bodies. The AI cannot track you while you're inside the forklift because it completely hides your identity, anyone yelling at you from the outside will have to use the radio or you can't hear them, and if someone is in a crate, their screams for help will actually be seen as them being inside the forklift and not the crate.

There's a catch though: you're still vulnerable to attacks while in the forklift. People can attack the forklift itself to hit you, which will also knock you out of the vehicle, and tasers, lasers, and other projectiles can still affect you, though you'll still remain in the forklift.

Noticeably, it handles quite differently than all the other vehicles. It will keep moving without you if you don't apply the brake (accessible through the Forklift tab), even if you get pushed off or get out to activate a computer or something. In fact, unlike other vehicles, it's actually impossible to stop this thing without applying the brake or running into a wall/solid object. You can't stop it by letting go of your movement keys; the forklift will continue on in the direction it was going without your input. If you put a suitably large object in its path, it'll stop, but if you remove the object, it keeps going.

Doesn't run people over, sadly, or recreate that scene from Final Destination 3 where it knocks over shelving. Also, if you run into the crusher it'll eat the forklift but safely eject you so you can run, unlike other vehicles! Note that attempting to flip while inside one will give you a concussion and knock you unconscious.

A fun Traitor vehicle. Enter wearing at least two Clown clothing items and prepare for fun. Run people over to give them brute damage and a stun, letting you hop out and stuff them into your car via drag and drop or manually grabbing them. You can fit up to 30 people in the backseat. Even comes with a fun horn!

Crashing into a wall (though not any other solid object) will fling the driver through the windshield and occasionally the passengers too. Anybody clicking on the car with an empty hand can open the door to let them out.

The M.U.L.E can do far more than just carry crates; it can also be ridden like a surf board! It even drives itself! Simply climb on board and set your destination with your PDA program! Cut the speed limiter wire for the best, most GTA-esque experience. If you're a traitor, you should also remove the safety and watch in glee as it runs everyone over while you scream “GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY!” over the radio!

Essentially a airport baggage cart that's also a freight train. Found in Tech Storage, Customs, and/or Cargo Bay on some maps. Can transport crates, items, humans, ANYTHING, just by dragging and dropping its sprite onto an adjacent cargo cart. Connect new carts to it by dragging and dropping additional carts to the last cart of the tractor train. Drag and drop again to disconnect the carts. Strangely enough, only the actual tractor is solid, so other players can walk through the cargo carts with ease. Even stranger, it shares the same taser and laser immunities as the forklift.

Just be careful when connecting carts from a different utility tractor train. They tend act a bit… strange.

These can also be connected to storage carts (e.g. forensics carts, trash carts), using the same click-drag method as the cargo carts. However, while you can attach it to the end of a cargo cart like a caboose, you cannot attach another storage cart or cargo cart after it or link it directly to the tractor.

A blue version of the above located in Cog2's general Security area. Can be used for moving crates and valuables and transporting cuffed prisoners… or parading them around like in a tar and feathering.

Totally gnarly transportation, available exclusively from either Abandoned crates or Josh, a radical merchant you can talk to through the QM Console. In the far future, anyone can skate! Humans, Cyborgs, meatcubes, Ghostdrones, AI shellbots–anyone! Just click-drag yourself onto it, and you'll immediately, impeccably start skateboarding. You'll be quite slow at first, but as you do more SICK TRICKS off tables, racks, and other sorts of things, you'll go faster and faster and faster–much faster. Eventually you'll go so fast that you actually phase through walls through sheer hardcore skating. Just, try not to collide into a wall or someone not skateboarding on the way.

Things you can skateboard on:

• Tables, plain, reinforced, wood, glass, metal, whatever.
• Girders.
• Lockers.
• Racks.
• Crates.
• Doors.
• Asteroid rock walls.
• Space Pods, including Syndicate drones.

Things you can't skateboard on:

• Basically anything that's not solid. You'll just go through them though, rather than colliding and falling off.
• Walls.
• Windows.
• People. (It's fine if they're also on a skateboard, fine though.)

You have to repair it first with various parts scatted about the outpost, but once you do, it's pretty awesome. Specifically designed to resist dust storms, it's also similar to the forklift in that it completely hides your identity while you're inside it.

A fun virtual vehicle! Drag and drop your character on it and race for the finish line! Pick up power-ups and ride the yellow arrows for massive speed boosts! It's mainly only used in the VR world, but sometimes they're found on the station, usually through Admin shenanigans. Unlike many other vehicles, you cannot be pushed off a go-kart.

Your own personal space ship! Space pods can be equipped with a variety of weapons, tools, and other machines for many different jobs, from combat to mining to repairwork. They control much like you and I, but they can move in all eight directions and have a bit of inertia.

The underwater map's Space Pod equivalent, with many of the same components. The key difference is that they get an extra slot for treads, allowing them to travel on both ocean floor and station floor tiles. Instead of standard WASD controls though, they have tank controls, meaning A/Arrow Left and D/Arrow Right actually turn the vehicle leftward and rightward, instead of merely moving it left and right.

A rare specimen, only available from certain vendors and Admin shenanigans. One is rumored to be hidden in the walls of the maintenance tunnels. Like subs, they can travel on space, ocean, and station tiles, go in all eight directions, and collide into people for the authentic GTA-experience. Like actual cars, they must move forward or backward to face another direction.

Rare creatures, only found via admin shenanigans, that are identical in function to segways. Only they're cats.

A horrendous chariot of torture to the eyes. Enter wearing a full set of Cluwne gear and prepare for gut wrenching nightmares. Run people over to give them brute damage and a stun, letting you hop out and drag them to their doom.

Crashing into a wall (though not any other solid object) will fling the driver through the windshield as to give its victims a chance to catch their breath. Avoiding walls will not be enough as the car is a flaming pile of shit and may choose to eject its user for no reason whatsoever.

The single most dangerous item on this entire list, laying waste to all it touches.

Get in.

(Tanks, fightercraft, APCs, and more.)

Dropships have an assortment of components that can be manufactured in the dropship component manufacturer, which provide upgrades or augmentations to their abilities on the battlefield.