Shipwright Archive
Thread: Guide To Reverse Engineering
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TomoRainer
Sun Feb 27, 2005 3:17 pm
#1
Reverse Engineering's a bit of a complex process, one that tends to raise a lot of questions here, and while most of this information can be found in the shipwright FAQ and elsewhere on the forum, I'm not sure it's all combined in one place. As such, I've tried to collect my experience as a shipwright and a pilot here.
Reverse Engineering: The Basics
Reverse Engineering (REing from here on out) is the process of combining multiple loot components to create a single, superior component. To RE an item, you'll first need a number of components equal to their RE level: so 6 level 6 engines, 4 level 4 capacitors, 10 level 10 blasters, etc. There are a number of loot items whose certification level differs from their RE level, so make sure that, when assembling your parts, you're sure all the RE levels match. (Notable items where the cert and RE levels differ: a level 10 capacitor with RE level 5; level 4 cap with RE level 5; level 4 engine with RE level 2; level 10 droid interfaces with level 3 or 1 RE; level 7 DI with level 5 or 3 or 1 RE. There are plenty of others.) In early beta, it was necessary for all your loot items to have identical names as well (so you would need 3 "Novaldex Sarlacc S3" level 3 capacitors, for instance), but this is no longer the case. The only thing that matters now is that the RE level of each part is the same.
Shipwrights: Skills And Tools Needed To RE
Pilots don't need to worry about how to physically combine the parts, but if you're a shipwright, the process is simple: build a Component Analysis Tool, drop the parts you wish to RE into the tool, and select the Analyze Component option from the radial menu. Resource quality won't matter in the REing results, all it does is give you more charges on the tool.
Novice shipwright will give you the ability to RE all level 1 components. With each box you train, you will get +2 levels to your REing ability for that line of components. The first line of boxes, Spaceframe Engineering, allows you to RE armor; the next, Propulsion Technology, allows engines and boosters; Core Systems is capacitors, droid interfaces, and reactors; and Defense Systems is weapons and shields. So if you have one box of Defenses, you'll be able to RE up to level 3 weapons and shields, two boxes will grant you up to level 5, etc. Master shipwright gives +1 to all REing stats, for a total of +10 to all components, allowing you to RE up through the highest level of loot available in the game.
Shipwright skills won't affect the outcome in any way, all they do is determine how high a level of loot you can RE. A novice shipwright will RE the level 1 parts he can handle every bit as well as a master.
An Example Of An RE Job
The greatest benefit to REing is that, when combining the parts, the best stat from each category will be used in the final product. With carefully selected loot, this can result in some remarkable components. Let's say you're REing 2 level 2 capacitors, Cap A and Cap B:
Capacitor A, a level 2 capacitor, has the following stats:
Mass: 1200.0
Reactor Drain: 1100.0
Recharge Rate: 20.0
Stored Energy: 900.0
Capacitor B, a level 2 capacitor:
Mass: 1800.0
Reactor Drain: 800.0
Recharge Rate: 35.0
Stored Energy: 600.0
The end product will take the best available stat from the RE'd components, so here it will use the mass (1200) and stored energy (900) from Cap A and the reactor drain (800) and recharge (35) from Cap B as the basis for a final product, Capacitor C, with the following stats:
Mass: 1200
Reactor Drain: 800
Recharge Rate: 35
Stored Energy: 900
REing Bonuses
These stats are not yet accurate, however, as REing also adds a percentage-based bonus to the final product which will boost each stat by a number determined by the RE level of the components. This bonus is as follows:
Level 1 components: +1%
2-3: 2%
4-5: 3%
6-7: 4%
8-9: 5%
10: 6%
The REing bonus will always improve a stat as appropriate--i.e., it will decrease mass by the given percent, increase damage, increase recharge rates, decrease command times on droid interfaces, etc. (The one exception to this is that the reactor drain stat doesn't get the % bonus. It will give you the lowest drain among the assembled parts, and then claim to decrease it by the given %, but I've tested this out and it's a bug in the system. UPDATE: This bug has been fixed as of publish 24.) So, in the example above, Capacitor C's final stats will be as follows:
Mass: 1176 (1200*0.98)
Reactor Drain: 784 (800*0.98)
Recharge Rate: 35.7 (35*1.02)
Stored Energy: 918 (900*1.02)
(You'll note the formula for stats that see their numbers reduced--mass, energy drain, droid command speed, refire, etc.--goes as follows: "best stat*(100% - bonus %)" This is slightly different from how I had it listed earlier.)
The bonuses on a level 2 item may seem slight, but once you're REing high-level stuff, it will really start to add up for some significant additions to your components.
This is the underlying theory of REing and the bare essentials of what a pilot would need to know. The next post will get into more specifics and complex situations which could be valuable for any serious REer, shipwright or pilot.
Reverse Engineering: The Basics
Reverse Engineering (REing from here on out) is the process of combining multiple loot components to create a single, superior component. To RE an item, you'll first need a number of components equal to their RE level: so 6 level 6 engines, 4 level 4 capacitors, 10 level 10 blasters, etc. There are a number of loot items whose certification level differs from their RE level, so make sure that, when assembling your parts, you're sure all the RE levels match. (Notable items where the cert and RE levels differ: a level 10 capacitor with RE level 5; level 4 cap with RE level 5; level 4 engine with RE level 2; level 10 droid interfaces with level 3 or 1 RE; level 7 DI with level 5 or 3 or 1 RE. There are plenty of others.) In early beta, it was necessary for all your loot items to have identical names as well (so you would need 3 "Novaldex Sarlacc S3" level 3 capacitors, for instance), but this is no longer the case. The only thing that matters now is that the RE level of each part is the same.
Shipwrights: Skills And Tools Needed To RE
Pilots don't need to worry about how to physically combine the parts, but if you're a shipwright, the process is simple: build a Component Analysis Tool, drop the parts you wish to RE into the tool, and select the Analyze Component option from the radial menu. Resource quality won't matter in the REing results, all it does is give you more charges on the tool.
Novice shipwright will give you the ability to RE all level 1 components. With each box you train, you will get +2 levels to your REing ability for that line of components. The first line of boxes, Spaceframe Engineering, allows you to RE armor; the next, Propulsion Technology, allows engines and boosters; Core Systems is capacitors, droid interfaces, and reactors; and Defense Systems is weapons and shields. So if you have one box of Defenses, you'll be able to RE up to level 3 weapons and shields, two boxes will grant you up to level 5, etc. Master shipwright gives +1 to all REing stats, for a total of +10 to all components, allowing you to RE up through the highest level of loot available in the game.
Shipwright skills won't affect the outcome in any way, all they do is determine how high a level of loot you can RE. A novice shipwright will RE the level 1 parts he can handle every bit as well as a master.
An Example Of An RE Job
The greatest benefit to REing is that, when combining the parts, the best stat from each category will be used in the final product. With carefully selected loot, this can result in some remarkable components. Let's say you're REing 2 level 2 capacitors, Cap A and Cap B:
Capacitor A, a level 2 capacitor, has the following stats:
Mass: 1200.0
Reactor Drain: 1100.0
Recharge Rate: 20.0
Stored Energy: 900.0
Capacitor B, a level 2 capacitor:
Mass: 1800.0
Reactor Drain: 800.0
Recharge Rate: 35.0
Stored Energy: 600.0
The end product will take the best available stat from the RE'd components, so here it will use the mass (1200) and stored energy (900) from Cap A and the reactor drain (800) and recharge (35) from Cap B as the basis for a final product, Capacitor C, with the following stats:
Mass: 1200
Reactor Drain: 800
Recharge Rate: 35
Stored Energy: 900
REing Bonuses
These stats are not yet accurate, however, as REing also adds a percentage-based bonus to the final product which will boost each stat by a number determined by the RE level of the components. This bonus is as follows:
Level 1 components: +1%
2-3: 2%
4-5: 3%
6-7: 4%
8-9: 5%
10: 6%
The REing bonus will always improve a stat as appropriate--i.e., it will decrease mass by the given percent, increase damage, increase recharge rates, decrease command times on droid interfaces, etc. (The one exception to this is that the reactor drain stat doesn't get the % bonus. It will give you the lowest drain among the assembled parts, and then claim to decrease it by the given %, but I've tested this out and it's a bug in the system. UPDATE: This bug has been fixed as of publish 24.) So, in the example above, Capacitor C's final stats will be as follows:
Mass: 1176 (1200*0.98)
Reactor Drain: 784 (800*0.98)
Recharge Rate: 35.7 (35*1.02)
Stored Energy: 918 (900*1.02)
(You'll note the formula for stats that see their numbers reduced--mass, energy drain, droid command speed, refire, etc.--goes as follows: "best stat*(100% - bonus %)" This is slightly different from how I had it listed earlier.)
The bonuses on a level 2 item may seem slight, but once you're REing high-level stuff, it will really start to add up for some significant additions to your components.
This is the underlying theory of REing and the bare essentials of what a pilot would need to know. The next post will get into more specifics and complex situations which could be valuable for any serious REer, shipwright or pilot.
Message Edited by TomoRainer on 10-23-2005 02:25 AM
TomoRainer
Sun Feb 27, 2005 3:18 pm
#2
Links:
Guide To Looted Weapon Effects - Check what style of projectile your loot blasters will fire here. Includes screenshots.
My Favorite Firespray Thread - Lots of flaming, but also a good mix of experiential and theoretical discussion of randomness and the KSE Firespray drop system. The disk drop rate was worsened significantly a couple weeks after this thread, but everything else should still be relevant.
RE Levels of Looted Equipment - Pretty much every loot component listed by type and level
Full Stats on All Shipwright Crafted Items - Already stickied, but useful for comparing your loot and RE'd components to the best a shipwright can make.
Average Loot Stats - A good reference for what levels of looted components tend to be good and where yours compare to the standard.
Loot Stats, High and Low - Incomplete and using small sample sizes in places, but still useful. For Excel owners, there are some spreadsheets down the thread that provide a nice look at stats on some of the most desireable kinds and levels of loot.
More references will be added as they're suggested or written.
Guide To Looted Weapon Effects - Check what style of projectile your loot blasters will fire here. Includes screenshots.
My Favorite Firespray Thread - Lots of flaming, but also a good mix of experiential and theoretical discussion of randomness and the KSE Firespray drop system. The disk drop rate was worsened significantly a couple weeks after this thread, but everything else should still be relevant.
RE Levels of Looted Equipment - Pretty much every loot component listed by type and level
Full Stats on All Shipwright Crafted Items - Already stickied, but useful for comparing your loot and RE'd components to the best a shipwright can make.
Average Loot Stats - A good reference for what levels of looted components tend to be good and where yours compare to the standard.
Loot Stats, High and Low - Incomplete and using small sample sizes in places, but still useful. For Excel owners, there are some spreadsheets down the thread that provide a nice look at stats on some of the most desireable kinds and levels of loot.
More references will be added as they're suggested or written.
Message Edited by TomoRainer on 07-08-2005 10:08 PM
newwb
Sun Feb 27, 2005 3:20 pm
#3
/cheer
well done Tomo. Now i hope half the threads started on this board wont be questions like'what isre?' or the ever popular 'if i have onelevel 6 part, what do i need to get it REd?'
Message Edited by newwb on 02-27-2005 02:21 PM
Sar-larid
Sun Feb 27, 2005 4:51 pm
#4
"When Certification and RE Levels Differ:
I believe it will use the RE level of the components to determine the final product's cert level, though this may not be the case. It may be that it uses the cert level of the first item put in the RE tool. I'll doublecheck this later."
I believe it will use the RE level of the components to determine the final product's cert level, though this may not be the case. It may be that it uses the cert level of the first item put in the RE tool. I'll doublecheck this later."
It IS the certification level of the first item entered, just to confirm it.
So if it's a level 5 capacitor with RE level 10, use that one first...and if it's the other way, use it last, hehehe.
....
Excellent guide, btw, 
Message Edited by Sar-larid on 02-27-2005 07:51 PM
TomoRainer
Sun Feb 27, 2005 5:19 pm
#5
Thank you, and thanks for the confirmation, I've added it in.
Duskrider
Mon Feb 28, 2005 10:54 pm
#6
dumb newb question (newb to SW that is, as I'm planning on grinding it just to get a firespray without paying the 15 mil people sell them for on Bria) How many 'sprays can be made from a single schematic, just one?
TomoRainer
Mon Feb 28, 2005 11:51 pm
#7
Answer's buried at the end of the guide, so I can see how you'd miss it, but a Firespray schematic will give you 3-6 uses, seemingly at random.
newwb
Thu Mar 03, 2005 5:26 pm
#9
Duskrider wrote:
dumb newb question (newb to SW that is, as I'm planning on grinding it just to get a firespray without paying the 15 mil people sell them for on Bria) How many 'sprays can be made from a single schematic, just one?
if your planning on grinding all the way, it might just be cheaper to buy one, on lowca they go from 5-10 mil, so im sure you could find cheaper than 15 mil on your server
MonsofoLexius
Thu Mar 03, 2005 10:17 pm
#10
Excellent post (yet again) from Tomo. Cross-stickied on the pilot FAQ's. A real credit to both the SW and pilot forums......
TomoRainer wrote:
TomoRainer
Fri Mar 04, 2005 2:28 am
#11
Thanks Monsofo. I have to say you're doing an excellent job keeping up with and organizing all this stuff, there's a hell of a lot of it.
MonsofoLexius
Fri Mar 04, 2005 2:33 am
#12
TomoRainer wrote:
Thanks Monsofo. I have to say you're doing an excellent job keeping up with and organizing all this stuff, there's a hell of a lot of it.
No $%(#)%. you nailed that on the %$#%$ head.
And glad to do it.....
TomoRainer
Wed Mar 16, 2005 11:52 am
#13
Just giving this a nudge. I've tracked down and updated a couple of the bugs and more complex issues; and besides, there are always plenty of REing questions.
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