Vending Machine
The Vending Machine sells items for you while you sleep. Everything inside is offered at +10% of its value, plus the retail markup if one applies, and event modifiers are ignored. It draws 2 power per night, comes with a small 8-by-2 grid and a low attractiveness of 15, and grows with upgrades.
| Item ID | vending_machine |
| Value | 0 (not sold in shops) |
| Base power draw | 2 per night, +1 per capacity upgrade |
| Starting size | 8 wide, 2 rows (max 12 rows) |
| Starting attractiveness | 15 (max 100) |
| Description | “Items will be sold at +10% additional value and with Retail Markup if applicable but is not affected by event related modifiers.” |
| Flavor text | “A vending machine that sells items automatically overnight.” |
| Names | Торговый автомат (ru), Verkaufsautomat (de), Máquina expendedora (es), Distributeur (fr), 自動販売機 (ja), Automat do sprzedaży (pl), 自动售货机 (zh) |
How do I get one?
- The Vending Machine network upgrade from Joe Wild (1,200 credits) installs it in your store immediately.
- The Vending Machine starting perk starts the game with one installed.
The Vending Fountain is the water twin of this machine and is bought separately. See Network upgrades and Perks.
How do I use it?
- Put an Energy Cell in the power slot.
- Fill the grid with items you own. The machine refuses contraband, containers, machines, hazardous waste and liquid containers (wine containers are allowed).
- Sleep. Each night the machine rolls a sale for every eligible item.
- Open the machine and press “Transfer All” to move the earnings to your cash. Sales are stored in the machine until you do.
What sells, and how often?
Each item’s chance per night is Attractiveness x a category multiplier x 200 / (200 + price), in percent.
| Item type | Multiplier |
|---|---|
| Food, water rations, drinks, processed food, treats | 1.5 |
| Energy cells and tools | 0.5 |
| Materials | 0.33 |
| Luxury items | 0.165 |
| Modules, nodes, gun mods, chemical supplies | 0.15 |
| Anything else priced 100-200 | 0.5 |
| Anything else priced above 200 | 0.25 |
At the starting attractiveness of 15, a 20-credit meal has about a 20% chance per night.
If fewer items sell than the guaranteed minimum, the machine sells cheap ones (50 credits or less, never luxury) to reach it: 1 item below attractiveness 25, 2 from 25, 3 from 50. Extra copies of the same item are listed with halving odds (the second copy 50%, the third 25%, and so on), so stock variety sells better than stacks.
How do I upgrade it?
- Attractiveness: drag Electronic Parts (Common) onto the Core. Each part adds +5, up to 100 (17 upgrades).
- Capacity: drag a Metal Ingot onto the Core. Each adds one row, up to 12 rows (10 upgrades), and each row raises the nightly power use by 1.
Is it worth it?
It converts idle stock into cash while you sleep and adds 10% to the price. Risks: mislabelled goods (an item whose real condition is worse than shown) are found by buyers, which costs reputation and informs Security, so only load honestly graded stock. Radioactive Waste cannot be loaded at all; see radioactive waste.
FAQ
Does the machine need power? Yes, 2 per night from an Energy Cell or other source.
Are event bonuses applied? No. The price is fixed regardless of active events.
Can I sell contraband? No. The machine refuses it.