Exploration (artifacts & relics)

Exploration is finding hidden value in the terrain — a strong solo activity at any level. It comes in two forms: artifacts, which are personal and hidden, and relics, which are open and contested.

flowchart TD
    A["Load artifact scan charges\ninto geoscanner\n(100 / 300 / 500 m)"] --> B["Scan from your position\n(your character's set only)"]
    B --> C["Fly to a found position"]
    C --> D["Pick up the artifact"]
    D --> E["Loot container: components\n+ robot shards"]
    D -->|observer / infestation types| F["Hostile NPCs spawn with it"]
    F --> D

Artifacting

Artifacts are points that exist per character: the server keeps a separate artifact set for every character on every island, so what you find is yours alone. They are invisible until you scan for them.

1. Load artifact scan charges into a geoscanner module. There are three charge grades with different scan ranges (100 / 300 / 500 m).
2. Scan from your robot's position — the scanner returns the artifact positions within range (the geoscanner's accuracy stat narrows the reported position).
3. Fly to a found position and pick the artifact up; it spawns a loot container at the spot.

Two things make artifacting a combat activity as well as a gathering one:

• Some artifact types spawn NPCs with you — the "observer" and "infestation" variants pull in hostiles the moment the artifact is found, so pilot something that can fight.
• Loot is random per artifact type: module components (armor plates, hardeners, generators, repairers…) and robot shards — the faction-specific research/production ingredients, which is what makes artifacting a core industrial career.

Artifact types are tiered (level 1–3, more loot at higher levels) and exist in neutral and per-faction variants.

Relic hunting

Relics are open-world: the zone spawns them at random positions (on a roughly 90-minute respawn cycle with random spread), they are visible objects with a beam, and whoever picks one up first gets the loot. Loot is a roll of NIC plus robot shards, scaled by the relic's level and the island's value tier — the same shards artifacting produces.

Relic types are tiered per island (levels 1–3, with different EP values by level) and come in neutral, per-faction and industrial variants. Some relics are tied to outposts — the SAP activity spawns its own relics, which live up to 12 hours — and on open-PvP islands the spawn points sit in contested ground, so expect to meet other hunters.

Missions pay for it too

missions can also put artifact work in front of you, where you are paid directly and the goods go to the employer instead of your inventory.