Probably Stolen modules guide
Modules are chips you place in a machine’s module bay to change its Performance, Efficiency and Quality. Performance makes the machine work faster, Efficiency cuts its power use, and Quality improves its output in a way that depends on the machine. Most system modules trade one stat against another, so pick them by what the machine does.
What do Performance, Efficiency and Quality mean?
Each module has three percentages, added together across the bay:
- Performance: raises the machine’s speed. For an Evaporator it is the volume evaporated per night (base 300 ml, times 1 plus the bonus).
- Efficiency: lowers power use. Power draw becomes base minus the Efficiency percentage of base, never below 1. A negative Efficiency raises consumption.
- Quality: machine-specific. Evaporator: the share of evaporated vapor captured into the Distillate slot (0 to 100%). AgeWell: one extra aging day per 125 Quality. Hydroponic System: maximum yield. DNA Manipulator: success chance.
Hydroponic Systems and the DNA Manipulator count Performance and Quality at half weight (a ratio of 2), so a +16 Performance module gives +8% growth speed on a Hydroponic System. On the AgeWell, Performance and Efficiency only change power use.
What system modules exist?
| Module | Performance | Efficiency | Quality | Base value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blank Module | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60 |
| Performance Module | +16 | 0 | 0 | 70 |
| Efficiency Module | 0 | +16 | 0 | 70 |
| Quality Module | 0 | 0 | +8 | 70 |
| Overclock Module | +36 | -44 | 0 | 100 |
| Eco Module | -16 | +32 | 0 | 100 |
| Refinement Module | -8 | -15 | +25 | 100 |
| Streamlining Module | +8 | +25 | -16 | 125 |
| Corrupted Module | -8 | -5 | 0 | 45 |
| Ruined Module | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 |
| Neural Core Module (Capped) | +100 | -100 | +50 | 250 |
| Neural Core Module (Uncapped) | +200 | -100 | +100 | 1,500 |
The Blank Module can be rewritten into something useful with the right machine. A Corrupted Module can be restored with Electronic parts, and a Ruined Module can be broken down with a Screwdriver for salvage. Both Neural Core Modules are contraband (levels 3 and 4); the uncapped one is described as high-performance but unstable and illegal, with an AI core that tends to go rogue.
Which machine-specific modules exist?
| Module | Machine | Stats and effect | Base value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemical Equipment Module | Blender, Heating Plate, Chem Finisher | See the chemistry guide | 250 |
| Evaporator Solvent Recovery Module | Evaporator | Efficiency -25, Quality +50; recovers only solvent (alcohol) | 275 |
| Hydroponic modules (7 kinds) | Hydroponic System | Change what a crop becomes, see the hydroponics guide | 100-200 |
| Genetic Stabilizer, Positive Trait Filter, Negative Trait Filter | DNA Manipulator | Extraction options | 500 |
| Precision Extraction Module | DNA Manipulator | Extracts one chosen trait | 1,000 |
| Metal Printer, Computer Numerical Control, Melee Batch | Printers | Printing options | 250-400 |
| Furnace Module (Blast), Furnace Module (Junk Processing) | Furnace | Output and conversion changes | 120-150 |
| Alarm Transmitter Module | Alarm | Gains reputation each night | 100 |
Universal modules (the system modules above) fit ordinary module bays, such as the Evaporator and Hydroponic System. Machine modules only fit their own machine, and chemical machines accept nothing but the Chemical Equipment Module.
What are module effects?
Some modules roll an extra effect:
| Effect | What it does |
|---|---|
| Premium | Base stats +20%, costs much more |
| Inferior | Base stats -20%, costs much less |
| Receiver | +10% stats per adjacent Node |
| Top Mount | +20% stats when touching the top edge of the bay |
| Side Mount | +20% stats when touching the left edge of the bay |
| Overcharged | Base stats doubled, with a 10% chance to be permanently ruined on use |
| Degrading | Starts at double stats and loses 1 point per use |
| Learning Algorithm | Starts with no positive stats and gains 1 per use, up to a maximum |
| Negative Feedback | Positive stats +25%, but takes a quarter of adjacent modules’ negative stats |
| Support Node | Gets a fifth of each adjacent module’s base stats as a temporary bonus |
Small and Medium Nodes (50 credits each) are slot pieces that give or receive bonuses from neighbors. Placement inside the bay therefore matters.
What does stuck mean, and how does the Module Extractor work?
A Chemical Equipment Module becomes stuck the moment you install it and can only be removed with a Module Extractor. Some broken or pre-owned machines also contain stuck modules, including corrupted and ruined ones. Stuck modules show “[Stuck. Requires a Module Extractor.]”. Modules cannot be inserted or removed while the machine is working.
| Tool | Value | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Module Extractor (Basic) | 100 | 6 uses; can be partly refurbished with Electronic Parts |
| Module Extractor (Advanced) | 350 | Does not wear out |
| Module Bay Expansion Kit | 150 | One use; adds module slots, up to two expansions |
The Module Bay Expansion Kit does not work on chemical or other special machines.
Player-reported, unverified: a streamer installed a chem module on a Chem Finisher and found it “stuck” afterward, which matches the in-game description.
Which modules suit which machine?
Evaporator: Quality sets how much of the evaporated liquid you recover as distillate, so with no Quality you recover nothing. Performance raises nightly volume, Efficiency lowers battery use. The Solvent Recovery Module captures alcohol only, which can be reused as a solvent. If you want more liquid cleared per night, add Performance.
Hydroponic System: Performance and Quality count at half weight, and the Dream Cap Neutralizer module adds +15/+15 in addition to its effect. Efficiency modules cut power use.
AgeWell: Only Quality matters for wine age (125 Quality per extra day).
Where do you get modules?
Dr. Jackson sells modules. The Jackson Investment I and Jackson Investment II network upgrades (400 and 650 credits) raise his budget and make him always stock modules, with more on the second level.
FAQ
Do several modules add up? Yes, the stat percentages of every module in the bay are summed. The Dream Cap Neutralizer’s description says its unique effect can be stacked; the Fillerweed Production module says its effect is not stackable.
What do negative stats mean? An Overclock Module trades 44 points of Efficiency for 36 Performance, so the machine runs faster and uses more power.