Difference between revisions of "Blueprint"

Revision as of 11:23, 22 December 2008

A blueprint is a set of instructions on how to manufacture an item. They can be bought on the market or via the contract system.

There are two different versions of a particular blueprint:

• A blueprint original (BPO) can be researched to improve efficiency and can be used over and over again to manufacture items.
• BPOs can be copied to create a BPC. These can also be used for manufacturing, although they have a limited number of runs. However one can often buy cheap copies of very expensive or well researched blueprints, such as those for capital ships. Their other main use is in invention, where one upgrades a T1 BPC into a T2 BPC.

One can often only distinguish between a BPO and a BPC through the right-click show info page; BPOs will have writing that says original near the top. When purchasing blueprints through the contract system the buyer must of course be vigilant they are buying the correct type!

Note that BPOs of most tech 1 items exist, but not of the meta variants. Various tech 2 BPOs do exist in-game and were once obtainable from research agents, but the R&D system has since changed, meaning they have become both rare and highly expensive. BPCs of various faction items exist, and can often be purchased from the LP store or, very rarely, found on rats; the associated BPOs do not exist in-game.

Blueprint attributes

• Material level goes towards lowering the material requirement when manufacturing. The higher the number, the less resources are needed; it can be improved through performing material research.
• Wastage factor tells you precisely how many extra materials are required as a result of the material level. Note that other factors, such as the players level of production efficiency, also affect the waste but their effects aren't displayed here.
• Productivity level determines how quickly the item can be manufactured, and can be improved by time efficiency research.
• Licensed production runs remaining are how many more items can be manufactured using this blueprint before it is destroyed. Note that this figure is infinite for BPOs, and varies for BPCs depending on the item type.
• Production limit is the maximum number of items that can be produced in one manufacturing job by this blueprint.

Below these attributes are the manufacturing and research times for the particular blueprint.

The bill of materials tab list the required minerals and components for manufacturing and research of the item, if applicable. (BPCs cannot be researched, and only T1 blueprints can have invention performed on them.)