User:Kingfish

The Tesla Engine is an alternative power source to the singularity engine, located in Engineering.

How it Works

Tesla Generator

The tesla generator works just like the singularity generator does, except that it makes an energy ball.

Energy Balls

This big floaty ball of pure electricity can only be contained by the containment field. When you shoot the energy ball with the Particle Accelerator, it gains energy like a singularity, but when it hits 300 energy, it generates a mini-energy ball that orbits the big energy ball. This will send off an extra shock when the energy ball pulses, and this can happen as many times as you let it. The energy ball will also naturally generate small amounts of energy, so eventually a second ball will form.

Be warned, the more mini-balls the energy ball has, the more shocks it sends out at once, and the further it can travel each move. A good engineer can use this to generate lots of power, and a bad one can abuse this to murder the entire station.

An energy ball will shoot bolts of electricity off at conductors, which it prioritizes in this order:

• Tesla coils
• Grounding Rods
• Mobs
• Machines

It will also strike the closest distance-wise of the list after it goes through these criteria.

Tesla Coils

Tesla Coils will attract the bolts. They will take half the power of the bolt (if they are connected to a powernet), pump it into the powernet it is hooked to, and then will send the other half of the power to the next available conductor, which follows the criteria listed above. Preferably, this will be another coil to harness more of the power and pump it into the grid.

Grounding Rods

Grounding Rods are safety precautions to prevent the tesla bolts from hitting machinery or personnel. If the tesla is loose, being near one will usually keep you safe from direct shocks. It does NOT, however, protect from dusting if you touch the core or from the explosions caused by machinery.

Setting It Up

• Step 1: Wrench down loose parts: Grounding Rods and Tesla Coils.
• Step 2: Take out the singularity generator. IMPORTANT! YOU DO NOT WANT BOTH THE SINGULO AND THE TESLA LOOSE!
• Step 3: Turn on the emitters, don't get hit by the beams. Do this before step 4.
  • Step 3.5: Use your ID on the emitters to lock them and prevent tampering.
• Step 4: Turn on all the shield generators. Wait for them to turn on before continuing to the next step!
• Step 5: Set up the Particle Accelerator, in the same way you would with the singularity engine.
  • Step 5.5: (Optional): Hack the PA, and cut the limit wire. This allows you to set the PA to a power of 3, and this will generate enough power to compete with a Stage 3 Singulo. The best part is, that there's absolutely zero penalties for doing so.
• Step 6: Turn on the Particle Accelerator. You can leave the PA at its maximum output without the tesla breaking loose, unlike the Singularity

At this point the tesla is set up; keep an eye on the containment once in a while to make sure nobody sets it loose.

The tesla is probably easier than the singularity because you don't have to fill up plasma tanks and you don't have to worry about a subverted AI setting the PA to max. This guide will assume that you're doing it alone, whether because you're the only engineer that signed up, or because everyone else buggered off like they always do.

The engine is housed inside the station, just south of where you begin off at round start. You'll need some tools to set it up, all of which you can conveniently acquire right in Engineering. You will need:

• Wrench.
• Some wires.
• Screwdriver.
• Set of internals.
• Hardsuit.
• Insulated Gloves, because the Tesla is a giant spinning ball of electricity

Now that you have your supplies, it's time to get to work! Note that the steps below can be done in any order as you like, as long as you turn the Particle Accelerator on last.

Upgrading

Bug science to upgrade your Tesla Coils with a RPED so it can generate even !!MORE!! power.

TESLOOSE

If the Energy Ball is to get out of containment somehow, it will pass through walls, windows, anything. It will shoot electricity at conductors, mobs, etc, and direct bolts from the Energy Ball will instantly kill a spaceman; you can protect yourself partially with either insulated gloves or a hardsuit, while wearing both will make you immune to electric bolts. Being hit by the ball itself will turn you into a pile of dust regardless of protection. Any piece of electronics, such as consoles, machines, or airlocks, will violently explode when hit, causing vast damage to the station.
The Energy Ball usually moves towards the last direction it shocked, which means that it will actively seek areas with more machines and conductive materials.