Connecting power to get your machinery working in StarRupture can be confusing at first. You might find yourself placing a bunch of Solar Generators, only to see that the Ore Excavators still won’t work. Don’t worry, this is an honest mistake that many new players encounter, and after reading this guide, you won’t have this problem anymore.
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How to Connect Power in StarRupture
In StarRupture, most base machines like OCLs or Ore Excavators require electricity to function. When a machine isn’t connected to a power source, you’ll see a red electricity icon when accessing its panel, indicating that it has no power. This means you need to connect it to a power source.
Your first power source will be Solar Generators. These cost 40 Basic Building Materials (BBM) to build. Each one puts out 10 power, which is enough to run a couple of machines.
In this game, there are no power cables. Instead, electricity travels through rails, platforms, and foundations. This makes powering machines fairly simple, connect your machinery to a power source using platforms or rails, and it will receive electricity.
Connecting Your Machines
You’ve got three ways to connect power to your machines:
- Direct Contact: Just place your Solar Generator right next to the machine. They touch, power flows. Simple as that.
- Using Rails: Build a rail between your power source and your machine. The rail acts like a wire and carries the electricity. This works great when things are spread out.
- Platform Bridges: You can use platform foundations to bridge the gap. Find these in the Module Components tab when you’re building. Just drop them between your generator and machine.
If you decide to keep some distance between your Solar Generators and your machines, you’ll first need to establish a connection using Supported Platforms that links the power source to at least one Railing Platform connected to your main base and machinery. Once this is done, power will flow automatically as long as the connections remain intact.
Managing Your Power Output
Each machine needs a certain amount of power. For example, an Ore Excavator needs 5 power, and so does a Smelter. One Solar Generator can handle both since it gives you 10 power total. If you want to add a third machine, you’ll need another generator, and so on.
To check how much power a machine requires, walk up to it and press E to open the machine’s panel, then click the info icon.
As you expand your base, cover everything with platforms and rails. This creates one large, connected power network; essentially a base floor with power flowing through it. No gaps mean no power problems!
It’s best to use Rail Connectors instead of one long, curved rail path, as they offer more options for branching in different directions. And they look neat!
If something isn’t working, it most likely doesn’t have enough power, so just add more Solar Generators. You can always tear down and rebuild if your layout isn’t working out, and the building materials will be refunded, so don’t be afraid to experiment with different layouts.
Now that you know how to connect power in StarRupture, go out there and build a thriving extraction base!