Engineers
The Engineers are secretive, eccentric individuals who can modify the weapons and modules of ships to exceed baseline performance standards. As they reside in Workshops on planetary surfaces, they are only accessible to ships equipped with a Planetary Approach Suite. The modifications that Engineers offer vary depending upon their skill sets and personal preferences. Some Engineers will be more beneficial for explorers, while others will be more beneficial for combat specialists.
Engineers and Workshops
Pilots will initially learn about some Engineers through rumors, but as they gain access to Engineers and build reputations, those Engineers will inform them of other Engineers with a wider variety of or more potent modifications. In order to obtain an invitation to an Engineer's workshop, their invite requirements (listed as "How to Get Invite" in table below) must first be met. These requirements vary and some Engineers are easier to obtain an invite from than others. Be aware that attempting to land at a workshop without an invitation is treated as trespassing, and offenders will be immediately attacked by the workshop's defences. Once invited and having traveled to their workshop, an Engineer's services can be unlocked by completing an additional task, ranging from providing a specific item to turning in bounties.
Ship Engineers
There are a total of 25 Engineers who specialise in ship modifications.
| Engineer | Base Name | System | Planet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tod "The Blaster" McQuinn | Trophy Camp | Wolf 397 | Trus Madi |
| Selene Jean | Prospector's Rest | Kuk | B 3 |
| Didi Vatermann | Vatermann LLC | Leesti | 1 A |
| Bill Turner | Turner Metallics Inc | Alioth | 4 A |
| Broo Tarquin | Broo's Legacy | Muang | 5 A |
| Liz Ryder | Demolition Unlimited | Eurybia | Makalu |
| Hera Tani | The Jet's Hole | Kuwemaki | A 3 A |
| Tiana Fortune | Fortune's Loss | Achenar | 4 A |
| Felicity Farseer | Farseer Inc | Deciat | 6 A |
| Colonel Bris Dekker | Dekker's Yard | Sol | Iapetus |
| Juri Ishmaak | Pater's Memorial | Giryak | 2 A |
| The Sarge | The Beach | Beta-3 Tucani | 2 B A |
| Elvira Martuuk | Long Sight Base | Khun | 5 |
| The Dweller | Black Hide | Wyrd | A 2 |
| Lei Cheung | Trader's Rest | Laksak | A 1 |
| Marco Qwent | Qwent Research Base | Sirius | Lucifer |
| Professor Palin | Abel Laboratory | Arque | 4 E |
| Zacariah Nemo | Nemo Cyber Party Base | Yoru | 4 |
| Lori Jameson | Jameson Base | Shinrarta Dezhra | A 1 |
| Ram Tah | Phoenix Base | Meene | AB 5 D |
| Etienne Dorn | Kraken's Retreat | Los | A 2 B |
| Marsha Hicks | The Watchtower | Tir | A 2 |
| Mel Brandon | The Brig | Luchtaine | A 1 C |
| Petra Olmanova | Sanctuary | Asura | 1 A |
| Chloe Sedesi | Cinder Dock | Shenve | A 6 |
Pilot Equipment Engineers
There are a total of 9 Engineers who specialise in pilot suit and handheld weapon modifications.
| Engineer | Base Name | System | Planet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domino Green | The Jackrabbit | Orishis | 4 |
| Hero Ferrari | Nevermore Terrace | Siris | 5 C |
| Jude Navarro | Marshall's Drift | Aurai | 1 A |
| Kit Fowler | The Last Call | Capoya | 2 |
| Oden Geiger | Ankh's Promise | Candiaei | 9 C |
| Terra Velasquez | Rascal's Choice | Shou Xing | 1 |
| Uma Laszlo | Laszlo's Resolve | Xuane | A 3 |
| Wellington Beck | Beck Facility | Jolapa | 6 A |
| Yarden Bond | Salamander Bank | Bayan | 7 B |
Engineer unlock sequence
Initially, commanders are aware of a subset of Engineers from public knowledge. As commanders improve their reputation with these Engineers, they will unlock referrals to other, more selective Engineers who offer further sets of modifications. For example, to gain access to Lori Jameson, a commander must first develop reputation with Elvira Martuuk to earn a referral to Marco Qwent, then develop reputation with Qwent to earn a referral to Jameson.
Engineer Ranks
Upon unlocking the services of a ship-focused Engineer, a pilot can begin accruing reputation with that Engineer to unlock higher grades of modifications. Reputation is measured in 5 tiers, with tier 5 representing the maximum level. Each modification that a pilot purchases will increase their reputation; low-grade modifications provide a smaller reputation boost than high-grade modifications, and each reputation tier requires more and more reputation to progress. With some Engineers, reputation can also be increased by selling commodities, exploration data, or bounty vouchers at their Workshops. It should be noted that Engineers may not be able to craft all 5 modification grades for a module type.
| Engineer Reputation Level | Required Profit |
|---|---|
| Grade 1 | Unlocked as soon as Engineer task has been completed |
| Grade 2 | Selling Exploration data/Commodities with a net profit of 500,000 Credits |
| Grade 3 | Selling Exploration data/Commodities with a net profit of 2,000,000 Credits |
| Grade 4 | Selling Exploration data/Commodities with a net profit of 8,000,000 Credits |
| Grade 5 | Selling Exploration data/Commodities with a net profit of 16,000,000 Credits |
Engineers that focus on pilot equipment do not use a reputation unlock system, and offer all of their modifications immediately upon fulfilling their meeting requirements.
Crafting
Ship Modifications
Materials are required by the Engineers to upgrade modules on the player's ship. Each blueprint specifies which materials are needed, and how to get them; material sources include (but are not limited to) destroyed ships, mission rewards, ship/wake scans, signal sources, mining, planetary surface resources, and more. Different Engineers require different materials, meaning not all materials gathered can be used by the same Engineer. Up to one blueprint can be pinned per Engineer; pinned modifications can be crafted at any station equipped with a Remote Workshop, but a modification crafted remotely will not contribute to reputation with its Engineer.
Before upgrading a module, an information screen lists the materials needed for the modification, and the range for applied effects. Negative effects are static for a given grade and will only increase with higher grades, while positive effects increase per grade as more materials are spent on them. Eventually, a grade will be increased to a maximum value, at which point the only way to upgrade that modification further is to advance to the next grade. As modifications are purchased, reputation with the Engineer increases, unlocking access higher grades of modifications.
Grades must be progressed through consecutively from 1 to 5; it is not possible to immediately apply a Grade 5 modification to a module unless the module already has a Grade 5 legacy modification from before 3.0. Legacy modifications can converted into 3.0 modifications, but will be reduced in quality by one grade in the process.
While a modification is applied to a module, an additional quantity of materials can be spent to apply a single Experimental Effect to further enhance the module. Experimental Effects are only available at Engineer Workshops, and cannot be applied remotely.
Please note that only one Engineering modification can be installed per module. Installing a new modification will overwrite the old modification as well as the currently applied Experimental Effect permanently. It is only possible to obtain modules with two modifications under certain circumstances. This limitation should not be confused with the number of stat changes and effects a modification has, as these are determined by the particular modification and can be numerous.
Pilot Equipment Modifications
Modifications for Suits and Handheld Weapons are applied differently from ship modifications. All Suits and Handheld Weapons can be upgraded to have up to four modification slots. While equipment can occasionally be purchased with pre-installed modifications at Pioneer Supplies locations, the most straightforward way of installing a specific mod into a specific piece of gear is to seek out the Engineer who specialises in that mod. Equipment mods offered by Engineers are purchased with a selection of Components, Data, and Goods, and a payment of Credits. Unlike ship mods, equipment mods are only available in a single quality grade, and require only a single transaction with the Engineer to fully apply it. Once a mod is installed on a particular Suit or Handheld Weapon, it cannot be removed or replaced by another mod.
Engineer Summary
The following tables summarize the modifications, locations, and access requirements of all Engineers.
Ship Engineers
| Engineer | Modifies up to: | Location | How to find | How to get invite | How to unlock | How to gain reputation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tod "The Blaster" McQuinn | G5 Railgun & Multicannons, G3 Frag Cannons, G2 Cannons. | Wolf 397 | Common knowledge | Earn 15 bounty vouchers | Provide 100,001 CR worth of bounty vouchers | Craft modules, Hand in Alliance vouchers to Trophy Camp. |
| Felicity Farseer | G5 FSD
G3 DS Scanner, Sensors & Thrusters, G1 Interdictor, Power Plant & Shield Boosters. |
Deciat | Common knowledge | Exploration rank Scout or higher | Provide 1 unit of Meta-Alloys | Craft modules, Sell exploration data at Farseer Inc. |
| Elvira Martuuk | G5 FSD, G3 Shields, G2 Thrusters, G1 Shield Cell Bank. | Khun | Common knowledge | >300 ly travel distance from starting system | Provide 3 units of Soontill Relics | Craft modules, Sell exploration data at Long Sight Base. |
| Liz Ryder | G5 Missile Rack & Torpedo Pylons, G3 Mines, G1 Hull Reinforcement & Armour. | Eurybia | Common knowledge | Friendly reputation with Eurybia Blue Mafia; complete mission from Chris & Silva's Paradise Hideout | Provide 200 units of Landmines | Craft modules, Sell commodities to Demolition Unlimited. |
| The Dweller | G5 Power Distributor, G4 Pulse Laser, G3 Burst & Beam Lasers. | Wyrd | Common knowledge | Deal in stolen or illicit goods at 5 Black Markets | Pay 500,000 CR | Craft modules, Sell commodities to Black Hide. |
| Lei Cheung | G5 DS Scanner, Sensors & Shields, G3 Shield Boosters. | Laksak | Learned from "The Dweller"[nb 1] | Trade with at least 50 markets | Provide 200 units of Gold | Craft modules. |
| Selene Jean | G5 Hull Reinforcement & Armour. | Kuk | Learned from Tod "The Blaster" McQuinn[nb 1] | Mine at least 500 tons of ore | Provide 10 Painite | Craft modules, Sell commodities, exploration data to Prospector's Rest. |
| Hera Tani | G5 DS Scanner & Power Plant, G3 Power Distributor & Sensors. | Kuwemaki | Learned from Liz Ryder[nb 1] | Minimum Outsider rank with Imperial Navy | Provide 50 Kamitra Cigars | Craft modules, Sell commodities to The Jet's Hole. |
| Broo Tarquin | G5 Burst, Beam & Pulse Lasers. | Muang | Learned from Hera Tani[nb 1] | Combat rank Competent or higher | Provide 50 Fujin Tea | Craft modules. |
| Marco Qwent | G4 Power Plant, G3 Power Distributor | Sirius (Permit Required) | Learned from Elvira Martuuk[nb 1] | Invitation from Sirius Corporation | Provide 25 Modular Terminals | Craft modules, Sell commodities to Qwent Research Base. |
| Zacariah Nemo | G5 Frag Cannon, G3 Multicannons, G2 Plasma Accelerator. | Yoru | Learned from Elvira Martuuk[nb 1] | Invitation from Party of Yoru | Provide 25 units of Xihe Biomorphic Companions | Craft modules, Sell commodities to Nemo Cyber Party Base. |
| Didi Vatermann | G5 Shield Boosters, G3 Shields. | Leesti | Learned from Selene Jean[nb 1] | Gain trade rank of Merchant or higher | Provide 50 units of Lavian Brandy | Craft modules. |
| Colonel Bris Dekker | G4 Interdictor, G3 FSD. | Sol (Permit Required) | Learned from Juri Ishmaak[nb 1] | Friendly rank with Federation | Provide 1,000,000 CR worth of combat bonds | Craft modules. |
| Juri Ishmaak | G5 DS Scanner, Mines & Sensors, G3 Kill Warrant Scanner, Missiles & Torp Pylons. | Giryak | Learned from Felicity Farseer[nb 1] | Earn more than 50 combat bonds | Provide 100,000 CR worth of combat bonds | Craft modules, Hand in combat bonds to Pater's Memorial. |
| Professor Palin | G5 Thrusters, G3 FSD. | Arque | Learned from Marco Qwent[nb 1] | Attain a maximum distance from pilot career start location of at least 5,000 ly | Provide 25 units of Sensor Fragments | Craft modules, Sell exploration data to Abel Laboratory. |
| Bill Turner | G5 DS Scanner, Plasma Accelerator & Sensors, G3 AFMU, Fuel Scoop, Life Support, Refinery, Manifest, Wake, & Kill Warrant Scanners. | Alioth (Permit Required) | Learned from Selene Jean[nb 1] | Friendly with the Aliance of Independent Systems | Provide 50 units of Bromellite | Craft modules |
| Lori Jameson | G5 DS Scanner & Sensors, G4 AFMU, Fuel Scoop, Life Support & Refinery, G3 Shield Cell Banks, Manifest, Kill Warrant & Wake Scanners. | Shinrarta Dezhra (Permit Required) | Learned from Marco Qwent[nb 1] | Gain combat rank of dangerous or higher | Provide 25 units of Konnga Ale | Craft modules, Sell exploration data to Jameson Base. |
| Ram Tah | G5 Chaff, Electronic Countermeasures, Heat Sinks & Point Defence,
G4 Collector, Fuel Transfer & Prospector Limpet Controllers, G3 Hatch Breaker Limpet Controller. |
Meene | Learned from Lei Cheung[nb 1] | Gain exploration rank of Surveyor or higher | Provide 50 Classified Scan Databanks | Craft modules, Sell exploration data to Phoenix Base. |
| Tiana Fortune | G5 Sensors, Manifest, Wake, & Kill Warrant Scanners, all Limpet Controllers, G3 Detailed Surface Scanner & FSD Interdictor. | Achenar (Permit Required) | Learned from Hera Tani[nb 1] | Friendly with the Empire | Provide 50 units of Decoded Emission Data | Craft modules, Sell commodities to Fortune's Loss |
| The Sarge | G5 Cannon & All Limpet Types, G3 Railgun. | Beta-3 Tucani | Learned from Juri Ishmaak[nb 1] | Midshipman or higher with the Federal Navy | Provide 50 units of Aberrant Shield Pattern Analysis | Craft modules, Sell exploration data to The Beach |
| Etienne Dorn | G5 Life Support, G3 Power Distributor. G2 Sensors, Power Plant. G1 Scanners, Plasma Accelerator, Rail Guns. | Los | Learned from Liz Ryder[nb 1] | Trade rank of Dealer or higher | Provide 25 units of Occupied Escape Pods | Craft modules |
| Marsha Hicks | G5 Collection Limptets, G4 Multicannons, Prospecting Limpets, Fuel Scoops, G3 Refineries, G2, Cannons, Fragment Cannons, G1 Fuel & Hatch | Tir | Learned from The Dweller[nb 1] | Exploration rank of Surveyor or higher | Mine 10 units of Osmium | Craft modules |
| Mel Brandon | G5 Thrusters, Shield Cell Bank. G4 Beam Lasers, Shield Booster. G3 Pulse Laser, Shield Generators. G2 FSD, Burst Laser. G1 FSD Interdictor. | Luchtaine | Learned from Elvira Martuuk | Gain an invitation from the Colonia Council minor faction | Provide 100,000 credits of bounty vouchers | Craft modules |
| Petra Olmanova | G5 Armour, Hull Reinforcement, Utilities, Mines, Missiles, Torpedoes, & AFMU | Asura | Learned from Tod "The Blaster" McQuinn[nb 1] | Combat rank of Expert or higher | Provide 200 units of Progenitor Cells | Craft modules |
| Chloe Sedesi | G5 Thrusters, G3 FSD | Shenve | Learned from Marco Qwent[nb 1] | Attain a maximum distance from pilot career start location of at least 5,000 ly | Provide 25 units of Sensor Fragments | Craft modules, sell exploration data to Cinder Dock |
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 These Engineers will provide information about the locations of other Engineers in their network only after Grade 3 access, plus approximately half of the progress bar to Grade 4 access, has been achieved with them. The game may need to be restarted in order to trigger the notification.
Pilot Equipment Engineers
| Engineer | Modifications | Location | How to find | How to get invite | How to get referral |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domino Green | Enhanced Tracking, Extra Backpack Capacity, Reduced Energy Use, Greater Range, Stability | Orishis | Common knowledge | Travel 100ly in Apex Interstellar Transport shuttles | Provide 5 Push |
| Hero Ferrari | Improved Jump Assist, Increased Air Reserves, Increased Sprint Duration, Faster Handling, Noise Suppressor | Siris | Common knowledge | Complete 10 Conflict Zones | Provide 15 Settlement Defence Plans |
| Jude Navarro | Added Melee Damage, Extra Ammo Capacity, Damage Resistance, Magazine Size, Reload Speed | Aurai | Common knowledge | Complete 10 Restore or Reactivation missions | Provide 5 Genetic Repair Meds |
| Kit Fowler | Added Melee Damage, Faster Shield Regen, Extra Ammo Capacity, Magazine Size, Stowed Reloading | Capoya | Learned from Domino Green | Sell 10 Opinion Polls to Bartenders | Provide 5 Surveillance Equipment |
| Oden Geiger | Enhanced Tracking, Improved Battery Capacity, Night Vision, Scope, Stability | Candiaei | Learned from Terra Velasquez | Sell 20 total Biological Sample, Employee Genetic Data, and Genetic Research to Bartenders | N/A |
| Terra Velasquez | Combat Movement Speed, Increased Air Reserves, Increased Sprint Duration, Improved Hip Fire Accuracy, Noise Suppressor | Shou Xing | Learned from Jude Navarro | Complete 6 Covert Heist and 6 Covert Theft missions | Provide 15 Financial Projections |
| Uma Laszlo | Damage Resistance, Faster Shield Regen, Headshot Damage, Reload Speed, Stowed Reloading | Xuane | Learned from Wellington Beck | Reach unfriendly rep with Sirius Corporation | N/A |
| Wellington Beck | Extra Backpack Capacity, Improved Battery Capacity, Reduced Tool Battery Consumption, Greater Range, Scope | Jolapa | Learned from Hero Ferrari | Sell 25 total Classic Entertainment, Multimedia Entertainment, and/or Cat Media to Bartenders | Provide 5 InSight Entertainment Suites |
| Yarden Bond | Faster Handling, Improved Hip Fire Accuracy, Audio Masking, Improved Jump Assist, Combat Movement Speed, Quieter Footsteps | Bayan | Learned from Kit Fowler | Sell 8 Smear Campaign Plans to Bartenders | N/A |
Double-modified Modules
Double-modified modules were introduced as Community Goal rewards. These special modules feature two Engineering modifications, beyond what Engineer services allow, and some may even be modules that cannot normally be Engineered. They can only be obtained by achieving a certain participation tier in a related Community Goal or purchasing them through a Technology Broker. Double-modified modules will lose their second modification if another modification is applied, but Experimental Effects can be safely added or changed without affecting the modifications.
Notes
- Engineers were introduced in the Elite Dangerous: Horizons 2.1 update. Engineering mechanics were overhauled and improved with Elite Dangerous: Beyond Chapter One (3.0).
- Four Engineers based in the Colonia Region were added with Beyond Chapter Three (3.2).
- One Engineer based in the Witch Head Nebula was added by the Interstellar Initiative The Enclave.
- Nine Engineers specialising in Suit and Handheld Weapon modifications were added with Elite Dangerous: Odyssey.
- A future update for Odyssey will add more pilot equipment Engineers to the Colonia Region.[1]
- Players can only pin one blueprint per Engineer for use at Remote Workshops.
- As part of the special Bonus Weekend event in May 2018, Engineering material costs were temporarily reduced.
Videos
Gallery
- From Newsletter #117: Concept art - Approaching an engineer's base in Elite Dangerous: Horizons
- An Engineer's base as seen in Newsletter #121
- A hangar in an Engineer's Base as seen in Newsletter #121
- Another Engineer's Base as seen in Newsletter #121
- Preview of a Engineer Info screen as seen in Newsletter #122
- Engineer unlock screen For Colonel Bris Dekker (as at 2017-04-24)
