T0 Salvage Guide - What we know so far

Thalstan

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This week, we have been given a peek at what the T0 salvage mechanic might be looking like. This thread will be used to compile publicly available information that we can use to help inform our salvage crews on what the future salvage involves. Do not post Evocati leaks in this thread!
If you have a contribution for this thread, I will include it in the main post. Once 3.18 and T0 salvage goes into Wave 1, I will look to do a more comprehensive update, with an eventual goal of putting out a salvage guide like Black Sunder used to do for mining and refining.

What is the T0 salvage mechanic? What can I do with it?
The T0 salvage mechanic the part of the salvage process called "hull scraping" This is where you remove the skin of a wreck, and recover materials that were used to make up said skin. The materials you use can then be loaded into SCU boxes and then sold at appropriate locations. For handheld scrapers, you can also reverse the process, using materials gained from salvaging a wreck to help repair your own ship. However, your ship will not be "fully" repaired this way and it will leave a "battle scar"
T0 will not have component recovery that we know of, nor will it have hull "munching" where you completely grind up a hull.

What is capable of doing salvage work?
There are three ways of performing hull scraping
Using a Multi-tool with the correct attachment. You will probably need a backpack or some other container where the material that you gain from hull scraping will be deposited.
Using the Vulture, which is anticipated to be flyable in patch 3.18
Using the Reclaimer. While the other salvaging methods are mostly solo friendly, a Reclaimer will require more crew to operate effectively.

How does the multi-tool work?
Like other systems using the Greycat multi-tool, you will need to obtain the appropriate attachment, which is probably for sale
Once you find a wreck, you EVA or walk over to it, then point at the area you want to start with and then just start moving your beam back and forth, getting the materials.
Currently, it is unknown if there will be a golf swing or other type of "keep it in the green" mechanic for optimal gathering. Considering you need to keep moving the beam, I would personally doubt it. The skill will probably be ensuring that you are maximizing the area that is stripped with each pass, getting all the material while not doubling up or leaving gaps in your coverage.
You can also reverse the process, using materials gained from salvaging a wreck to help repair your own ship. However, your ship will not be "fully" repaired this way and it will leave a "battle scar"

How does the Vulture work?
The Vulture is a single person ship. Once you have located a wreck, you will point your gathering beams at the ship hull and sweep back and forth to remove the skin. You will (probably) be able to strip a larger section of the hull. From what I have seen in ISC Vulture Venture (https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/transmission/18881-Inside-Star-Citizen - Specifically the Reclaimer portion) and the Vulture that was present at the 2051 IAE, I am speculating that once you have filled a single box, you may need to stop what you are doing, go down into the hold areas, move the box around in your cargo grid using the tractor beam attachment on your multi-tool, and then go back up to the cab and the process. The vulture will work best on small and medium wrecks.
It is unknown and unlikely that you will be able to use the Vulture's scraping beams to repair ships. HOWEVER, there is speculation that you will be able to take some of the material you gathered and then in coordination with the handheld device, use that to repair your ship.

How does the Reclaimer work?
The Reclaimer is a multi-crew ship and will require a number of crew to operate it effectively. At a minimum, you will probably need 4-5, or more people. 1 person piloting the ship and moving the ship around so the beam operators always have a good section of the ship to scrape. 1 person (or 2, maybe more) operating the salvage beams. 1 person in the scrapping areas where the material is placed into SCU modules, and them moving those modules using the multi-tool with a tractor beam attachment to the access hole where you drop the SCU container down to the cargo hold. Finally, you need a person in the cargo hold to move and stack the SCU crates that are being dropped from the scrapping room. Note, this optimal crew configuration results in a full crew compliment of 5 for the Reclaimer. That mean you probably also need to have people doing double duties in some situations, such as defending the ship by moving from their current job to crew the turrets.
It is unknown and unlikely that you will be able to use the Reclaimer's scraping beams to repair ships. HOWEVER, there is speculation that you will be able to take some of the material you gathered and then in coordination with the handheld device, use that to repair your ship.

Can the Vulture and/or Reclaimer apply the reclaimed skin back to a ship, turning it them into repair ships?
Unknown. This is a possibility, but I do not expect it. If they do allow it, I fully expect it to be temporary until repair ships like the Vulcan and Crucible come online.

Can the "repair beam" replace wings/engines/etc?
No, it can only replace the hull material and increase the health of the hull. It will not 3D print items or replace components/structures that have been destroyed.

What is the difference between a Vulture and a Reclaimer in T0 salvage?
Not much. The major difference will be in Salvage T1, when ship munching is introduced (reduction of the frame to small bits), and the amount of salvage you can hold. Nothing else has been said about the size of the beams or the time it takes to strip a certain area.

Can I use a hull stripping beam on a non-wreck that is powered up with shields?
No. As long as the ship is shielded, you won't be able to touch the hull with the scraper beam

Can I use a hull stripping beam on a non-wreck that is not powered up/no shields?
Yes.

Can hull stripping beams harm/injure people or destroy a person's armor?
Unknown, but this is a possibility.

How do I make money with salvage?
Once you have either finished stripping a hull, or stripped the hull enough to fill your cargo bay in the Vulture or Reclaimer, you can then either travel to a station to sell your good, or you can sell them to a third party hauler and transfer your cargo via hand held tractor beams

Can I refine the hull scrapings to make them more valuable?
Unknown at this time, but it seems logical that CIG might want to implement something like this

How do I find hulls to strip?
The harvestable system will be expanded to spawn to fresh derelicts. These can spawn in asteroid fields, LaGrange points, and you will be able to find them using scanning. You then approach them like you would a mineable and then scrape off the hull.

Is the Drone Room active on the Reclaimer? (Can I use drones?)
Unknown, but since drone functionality has not mentioned as part of 3.18, probably not

How many crew can I use on the Reclaimer?
There are 5 beds, but you may need more depending on where you are operating.

Can the life support on the reclaimer handle more than 5?
Probably not for extended periods of time, but this functionality really isn't in the game yet.

Have components been physicalized on the Reclaimer yet?
Not from what I saw in Arena Commander in V3.17.2

What/where are the Salvage Turrets in the Reclaimer?
From the Video, it looks like these are the two "tractor beam" turrets location just behind the cockpit. Not the scanning stations or remote turret access station.

The Inside Star Citizen video shows a machine that sends out a box that I will move, yet when I look in my Reclaimer in 3.17.2, I don't see this equipment
Yes, this looks to be a new piece of equipment in the Reclaimer

The Inside Star Citizen video showed a cargo grid in a room that is different from the cargo hold. Does this mean we get a second cargo hold?
Unknown, but probably not for just routine buying and selling of good. The second hold looks to be used exclusively for reclaimed materials.

Can I strip the hills of static crashes?
early information is no, so you won’t be striping the hull from the static crashed Javelin, MSR, or reclaimer sites
 
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Thalstan

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I have added more questions and updated current answers based on the video and me looking at the Reclaimer in Arena Commander in V3.17.2
 
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00LeviCivita

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So have a a major question about this. During the video introduction, I thought they said that ships we destroy could be salvaged. What would stop a corp from setting up an assembly line of ships being claimed, blasted, salvaged, reclaimed ? If salvage is profitable, this seems like it could be easily exploited.
 

Thalstan

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Jun 5, 2016
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Thalstan
So have a a major question about this. During the video introduction, I thought they said that ships we destroy could be salvaged. What would stop a corp from setting up an assembly line of ships being claimed, blasted, salvaged, reclaimed ? If salvage is profitable, this seems like it could be easily exploited.
Eventually, this type of system would be classified as "insurance fraud" which will result in the loss of your insurance and possibly your ship.

Yeah, that reclaimer make us a few hundred K in credits...but was it worth the 400 cash you paid for the ship?
 

00LeviCivita

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Aug 29, 2022
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00LeviCivita
Eventually, this type of system would be classified as "insurance fraud" which will result in the loss of your insurance and possibly your ship.

Yeah, that reclaimer make us a few hundred K in credits...but was it worth the 400 cash you paid for the ship?
I appreciate your response and that makes sense for ships paid for in $. Your idea for insurance fraud could definitely shore things.

But for in-game bought ships, if the price of salvage exceeds the price of reclamation fee by what could be considered worth it, I would imagine the loop could still exist.
 
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Thalstan

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I doubt the salvage value would exceed the purchase price, but if it did, people have been buying and parting out cars for decades…just make sure you are not eating your pledged ship if you go that route
 
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