Engineer¶
Job type: Engineer. Access: Engineering, Maintenance. Difficulty: Medium
Overview¶
Engineers are the repairmen and electricians of the station. If there's a hole in the station providing one of the hallways or departments with a fresh view of space, it's the Engineer's job to fix it. If wires have been cut and half the station is out of power, it's the Engineer's job to fix it.
As an Engineer, people expect you to know at least the basics of Construction, how the power system works and how to lay wires, etc. If you're ever confused on what to do, ask the Chief Engineer. They should give you advice, since they are your superior and it's their job to coordinate and assist engineers.
At the bare minimum, you must know how to fix a hull breach and how to turn on the SMES. Learn how to do these as an assistant to the CE before you play as the only engineer on a low population server. Otherwise, you will have a really angry station on your back.
Bob the Builder¶
this is just a very basic guide to how the construction system works. for a more in-depth guide, see Construction.
In Unitystation, there are three materials you'll need to worry about: Metal Plates, Glass Sheets, and Metal Rods. There are some more, but these are the ones you'll most often be using. In order to craft/construct something, have a material selected in your hand, and either press Z or click on it in your hand. This will open a construction menu where you can select what item to build. Keep in mind some items will need more materials than others, for example a department battery will need 30 metal plates where as a girder will only need 2.
Once you've clicked on the item you want to build, wait for the bar above your head to fill up, and boom, you've built the item you want to build. Another note is that some items in the construction menu are intermediary constructions that must be finished with additional construction. For example, to build a wall requires you to construct a metal girder with 2 metal sheets, then finish the wall by clicking on the girder with 2 more sheets.
Construction materials will go very fast, especially with a full engineering department. It will likely be necessary to order more materials from Cargo. If you have a CE, get in touch with them about what you need. Their status as a head will get things ordered and shipped faster. However, the Shaft Miners might randomly show up with a humongous shipment of construction materials, both basic and exotic, to let you go nuts with. Be thankful you don't have to share them with Science yet.
Electricity¶
An Engineer's job is also to keep the station powered. At the beginning of the round, the station will have some power available in the SMESs, but it won't last long. It is your responsibility to start the engine.
Different maps will have different engines for you to work with. The plasma generator is pretty typical and easy to set up. On some maps it will have to be taken out of storage, but you wrench it onto the high voltage power line that feeds into the transformer and then you power it on. In most stations, a crate of plasma will be available to you at round start, but the rest of engineering's stockpile is usually kept locked by shutters, unlockable only by the Chief Engineer. If someone complains about the lack of power despite the generator being fine, head to the area without power and make sure the wiring hasn't been cut.
The alternative choices to powering the station are much more complicated, and can go horribly wrong if you don't manage things closely. It is highly recommended to not mess with them without having read the guides or having a more experienced engineer walk you through the steps.
click here for the guide to starting the Singularity and Tesla Engines
click here for the guide to starting the nuclear reactor
Tools¶
Engineers get given a set of tools, both in their toolbelt and in toolboxes stored around the department. These include:
A Crowbar, for prying up floor tiles and prying open stuck doors and firelocks. A Screwdriver, for detaching windows, grilles, and dismantling unsecured girders. A Welder, for detaching the plates from walls and making repairs to damaged components. A Wrench, for securing and unsecuring items (such as vents, girders, plasma tanks [when in a shuttle's fuel slot], etc.) A Wirecutter, for cutting wires and destroying grilles A Multitool, used for connecting electrical machine to an APC and a variety of niche purposes. Also used for hacking. *High, medium, and low voltage wires.
In addition, on most stations, each Engineer gets their own hardsuit. Cherish your birthright and never take it off. It will save your life.
Traitorneering (traitor engineer)¶
A traitor engineer isn't as easy as you might think it is. While you do have good access, a lot of useful equipment (including a hardsuit), and a generally effective excuse to be in lots of places you aren't supposed to ("just making repairs!"), you critically don't get access to any swanky weapons. No matter where you go, you also have a responsibility to look busy. Lingering around a place for too long without doing anything will very quickly arouse suspicions, so find things to do.
| Department | Roles |
|---|---|
| Command | Captain, Head of Personnel |
| Security | Head of Security, Warden, Security Officer, Detective |
| Engineering | Chief Engineer, Engineer, Atmospherics Technician |
| Science | Research Director, Scientist, Geneticist, Roboticist |
| Medical | Chief Medical Officer, Medical Doctor, Paramedic, Chemist, Virologist, |
| Cargo | Quartermaster, Cargo Technician, Shaft Miner |
| Service | Bartender, Cook, Janitor, Clown, Mime, Curator, Lawyer, Chaplain, Assistant, Psychologist |
| Synthetic | Station AI |
| Ghost Roles | Ancient Engineer, Ash Walker, Fugitive |
| Antagonist | Revolutionary, Nuclear operative, Traitor, Blob, Wizard, |
| Centcom | Centcom Officer, Death Squad, Emergency Response Team, Redshield Officer |