Exocraft

The subject of this article is from the Visions update.
The information from this article is up-to-date as of 22 November, 2018.

Size comparison: Pilgrim, Nomad, Roamer, Colossus

Exocraft are planetary exploration vehicles.

Summary

Exocraft are planetary exploration vehicles which, with the right technology, can locate specific Points of Interest, mine basic resources or engage in combat with Sentinels and some fauna.

Five Exocraft are available, and can be used to explore any planet once they have been summoned by building their respective geobays. In order to build any of the exocraft bays, a base must be built first to unlock its blueprint by building an Exocraft Terminal. You unlock the Exocraft Terminal by completing the mission Expanding the Base.

All Exocraft keep their inventories and installed tech when summoned, even on different planets, systems, and across galaxies.

Normally, the player can only summon an Exocraft if it is not more than 750u away from the desired summoning location. However, building an Exocraft Summoning Station on a planet removes the distance condition, allowing the player to summon any owned Exocraft to their position from any other location on that planet.

Exocraft can be customized in appearance at their respective summoning stations using the orange panel. Options include paint colours, decals and boost particle colour.

Nomad

Nomad gliding over water
(recommended for Portal Travellers)

The smallest and lightest Exocraft is the Nomad. What it may lack in cargo space (the vehicle only has 16 slots), this hovercraft makes up for in speed, agility and its ability to glide over water.

The Nomad has an Exocraft Acceleration Module pre-built.

Roamer

The Roamer in action.

The mid-range Exocraft is the Roamer, a great all-rounder with 28 slots which is capable of quickly crossing rugged terrain and adapting to most situations including underwater operations. The geobay blueprint for the Roamer can be unlocked at the Base Computer via the Base Computer Archives mission, allowing players to obtain an Exocraft without building an Exocraft Terminal.

Colossus

The Colossus is the largest Exocraft. This lumbering behemoth offers an enormous cargo hold (42 slots in total), perfect for those looking to harvest resources.

The Colossus has an Exocraft Mining Laser pre-built.

Due to its weak engine and general lack of grip, it was often regarded as a mobile cargo unit. To amend this problem and make it a proper space truck the Colossus received an update in NEXT, giving it more speed and agility (its base speed was augmented even further in Update 1.63). With the free calling of all ships and possesion without a freighter, it also lost its value as a cargo unit. Thus the update kept it relevant.

Pilgrim

The Pilgrim, a vehicle with 16 slots which comes with an Exocraft Acceleration Module pre-installed, is the only two-wheeled member of the Exocraft family. With full upgrades in place, it is the fastest of any Exocraft. It is the most land-based member of the exocraft family, having a much longer boost and being able to take huge leaps, but crawling while in water.

Nautilon

The Nautilon, a submersible vehicle that allows underwater navigation, combat and mining – and can be summoned to any ocean on the planet, as well as docked at underwater buildings.

Unlike other Exocraft, the Nautilon does not come with an engine installed. The player must choose an appropriate slot to install a Humboldt Drive, which requires Hydrothermal Fuel Cells to operate.

It also has two flashlights that will follow the centre of where the player is looking, brightly illuminating a small patch in the centre of the player’s vision.

Bugs

• If one attempts to surface with the Nautilon using the forward and upwards motion the submarine will jump out of the water and attempt to bounce on it repeatedly. Like a trampoline it will slowly gain height until it goes into space. This bug can be cancelled by aiming at the sky and pressing forward upon the next contact with the water.

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  Nautilon Surface Bounce Bug

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  Extreme fall speed. Calculate gravity?

Acquiring Exocraft

Nomad, Colossus, and Roamer with their respective geobays (left to right)

After constructing an Exocraft Terminal, acquire Exocraft by hiring a Vy'keen Technician for your planetary (or freighter) base and completing a new series of missions. You can place a Geobay on any planet. Doing so will summon the corresponding Exocraft.

The Pilgrim Geobay blueprint can only be purchased from the Blueprint Analyser for 10 Salvaged Technology, the same applies to the Exocraft Summoning Station blueprint.

The Nautilon Chamber is available as part of the Dreams of the Deep mission.

Upgrades for Nomad, Roamer, Colossus and Pilgrim

• Exocraft Acceleration Module - Enables boost function
  • Exocraft Acceleration Module Upgrades
• Exocraft Signal Booster - Allows the player to scan for Depots.
  • Exocraft Signal Scanner Upgrade Sigma - Allows the player to scan for Abandoned Buildings, and Drop Pods.
  • Exocraft Signal Booster Upgrade Tau - Allows the player to scan for Ruins, and Monoliths.
• Exocraft Mounted Cannon - Equips the Exocraft with an explosive-lobbing cannon
  • Exocraft Mounted Cannon Upgrades
• Exocraft Mining laser - Equips the Exocraft with a precision mining tool
  • Exocraft Mining Laser Upgrade Sigma - Increases power of mining laser and enables Advanced Mining Laser functions
  • Exocraft Mining Laser Upgrades
• Fusion Engine - This is a pre-built technology for the exocraft.
  • Fusion Engine Upgrades
• Exocraft Handling Modifications
  • Drift Suspension
  • Grip Boost Suspension
  • Hi-Slide Suspension

Upgrades for Nautilon

• Humboldt Drive
  • Osmotic Generator
  • Humboldt Drive Upgrades
• Nautilon Cannon
  • Nautilon Cannon Upgrades
• Tethys Beam
• High-Power Sonar - Allows the player to scan for "drowned" Ships, Crashed Freighters, "sunken" Buildings, and Submerged Ruins.

Release history

• Pathfinder - Introduced to the game.
• NEXT - Improved Colossus speed and climb ability to enhance its performance.
• NEXT 1.63
  • Added the Pilgrim and its blueprint for the Pilgrim Geobay can be purchased from the Blueprint Analyser.
  • Increased the inventory size of all Exocraft.
  • Increased the base speed of the Colossus.
  • Added Upgrade Modules for Exocrafts that can be purchased with Nanite Clusters from the Technician once their quest chain is complete.
  • Expanded the Exocraft Quick Menu options to allow all owned and in-range Exocraft to be summoned, not just the current primary Exocraft.
  • Added the ability to customise the Exocraft with unique paint, decals and boost particle options.
  • Added specific technology to customise Exocraft handling, allowing drivers to spec their vehicles for grip or drift.
  • Added a speedometer display to the HUD while driving an Exocraft.
  • Fixed an issue where Exocraft with laser upgrades could still not mine resources that required an Advanced Mining Laser.
  • Fixed an issue where Exocraft could not mine terrain resources.
• Abyss - Added the Nautilon

Gallery

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  Nomad exocraft

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  Roamer exocraft

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  Colossus exocraft

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  Pilgrim exocraft
  (NEXT 1.63)

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  Nautilon exocraft (Abyss)

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  Pilgrim render
  (NEXT 1.63)

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  Concept art of Pilgrim