Exocraft

The subject of this article is from the ExoMech update.
The information from this article is is up-to-date as of 10 June, 2020.

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.

Six 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. Note that Exocraft Terminals can only be built on planets.

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 any planet in a system removes the distance condition for the entire system, allowing the player to summon any owned Exocraft to their position from any other location or planet in the entire system.

Players who own a freighter may build an Orbital Exocraft Materialiser. This powerful technology allows you to summon your Exocraft whenever your freighter is present in the current star system.

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

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

20170316234719 1 — 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

See: Nautilon

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

Minotaur

The Minotaur is a mechanical walker containing 28 slots that can be used to safely explore all planets, performing mining, combat, and exploration tasks. It has an independent jetpack, and is immune to all planetary hazards. The Minotaur's standard mining laser can be upgraded to a Minotaur Bore if desired, enabling the alteration of terrain on planets.

Acquiring Exocraft

20200411110508 1 — Five land Exocraft with their respective Geobays

All Exocraft Geobay blueprints may be obtained at the Construction Research Station.

After constructing an Exocraft Terminal, acquire the Roamer, Nomad, and Colossus 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 and Minotaur Geobays blueprint can only be purchased from the Construction Research Station for 10 Salvaged Data, the same applies to the Exocraft Summoning Station blueprint.

The Nautilon Chamber is available as part of the Dreams of the Deep mission. If the Nautilon is obtained with the Construction Research Station, then the blueprint for the Hydrothermal Fuel Cell must be obtained from a Manufacturing Facility, or an Operations Centre.

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
Hazard Protection Upgrades

Upgrades for Nautilon

For Nautilon upgrades, see the dedicated Nautilon page.

Upgrades for Minotaur

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.^[1]
- 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
Beyond
- Added fully modelled cockpits / interiors for all the Exocraft and the Nautilon Submarine.
- Fixed a number of issues where trees and rocks could not be run over by Exocraft.
ExoMech - added the Minotaur exocraft, all other exocrafts no longer fully protect from elements without extra protection upgrades.