Research System
The Research System is your progression gate for late/advanced content. You perform Research Recipes using a Research Station and nearby Research Pedestals, powered by FE and backed by Research Units that provide computation (and consume AE power + coolant).
EACH PEDESTAL NEEDS ITS OWN RESEARCH UNIT MULTIBLOCK
Completed research writes an unlock key to a Data Drive. Those keys are then checked by the Recipe Fabricator.
Video Tutorial
Research Station
The Research Station is the “orchestrator”:
- Has a small internal FE buffer (25k FE).
- Uses a single Disk slot for a Data Drive (keys are stored on the drive).
- Automatically scans nearby pedestals and starts research when the inputs match a recipe.
Energy usage
Every tick while researching, the station drains energy from its internal FE buffer. If it can’t pay the cost, the research hard-resets (progress goes back to 0).
Research Pedestals (inputs + computation routing)
Research inputs are not placed in the station GUI. Instead, the station reads items from nearby Pedestal Tops.
Scan range and placement:
- The station scans a 7×7 area centered on itself (radius 3 blocks).
- It looks for Pedestal Top block entities at Y + 1 (one block above the station’s level).
- The matching Pedestal Bottom must be directly under each top.
How recipes bind to pedestals
For a recipe to be valid, each Consumable entry must be satisfied by exactly one pedestal:
- The pedestal top must hold the right item.
- That pedestal must contain enough items.
- That pedestal’s connected computation must be at least the amount required by that consumable.
That means you generally can’t "combine" multiple different consumables on one pedestal.
Research Units (computation + coolant)
Research Units are multiblocks that provide the computation the pedestals/station rely on.
Computation value
Computation is derived from the amount of AE2 crafting storage blocks inside the structure:
- 1k = 1/16
- 4k = 1/4
- 16k = 1
- 64k = 4
- 256k = 16
Operating costs (per tick)
When a pedestal asks a unit to do work, the unit must successfully pay both costs:
- AE power: 64AE for each 1 computation unit (cu)
- Coolant: drains 1mb Research Fluid per 4cu.
If either cost can’t be paid, the unit refuses work for that tick, and the research will reset.
Coolant tank location
The unit looks for the sky stone tank at its top, and it accepts only Research Fluid as a valid coolant.
Research process (what actually happens)
- Place the required items onto pedestal tops around the station.
- Insert a Data Drive into the station Disk slot.
- Supply FE to the station.
- Ensure your connected Research Units have:
- AE power available
- Research Fluid available in the external tank
Progress speed
Progress increases by total computation per tick across all pedestals assigned to the active recipe.
So if you want faster research, increase computation available to the pedestals (more/bigger crafting storage in Research Units)
Completion
When progress reaches the recipe’s duration:
- The station consumes the required item counts from the assigned pedestals.
- The station writes the recipe’s unlock to the inserted Data Drive.
- A small particle/sound effect plays.
Data Drives and unlock keys
- Keys are stored directly on the drive and are portable.
- Research won't start if:
- there’s no drive inserted, or
- the drive already contains that recipe’s unlock key.
The drive is not consumed.
Troubleshooting
-
Nothing starts:
- Make sure pedestals are within radius 3.
- Make sure each consumable is on its own pedestal with enough item count.
- Make sure computation per pedestal meets the recipe requirements.
-
It starts, but constantly resets:
- The station is running out of FE.
- One of the pedestals can’t do work (no AE power / no coolant / unit not formed).
- Someone moved/changed a pedestal stack mid-research.