Blueprints
Blueprints are the bridge between the prologue and the tycoon phase. They represent intellectual capital — technical designs, research findings, patents, and methodologies you accumulate as an employee. This knowledge is what lets you start a company.
The Five Blueprint Categories
Each category maps to one of the five affinities:
| Category | Affinity | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Propulsion | Technical | Ion thruster schematics, solid fuel formulas, engine designs |
| Navigation | Analytics | LEO insertion calculations, transfer orbit models, tracking algorithms |
| Operations | Command | Launch sequence protocols, supply chain templates, crew scheduling |
| Life Support | Resolve | Radiation shielding specs, emergency EVA procedures, habitat designs |
| R&D | Innovation | Solar sail prototypes, ion harvesting theories, experimental materials |
How to Get Blueprints
During the Prologue
Blueprints are rare drops from quest completions:
| Rarity | Drop Rate | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Common | ~15% on main quests | Any career-aligned quest |
| Uncommon | ~5% on main 3-star, ~8% on side quests | Specific quest lines |
| Rare | ~1% on main 3-star only | Late prologue (level 15+) |
Important: Only 3-star completions have a chance to drop uncommon and rare blueprints. This is the main incentive to replay quests at maximum performance.
Safety Net
The game guarantees minimum blueprint drops at quest milestones. Every player will have enough blueprints to launch at least one tycoon service by level 20, regardless of luck. You won’t get softlocked.
After Level 20
Once you’re a tycoon, blueprints continue to matter:
- Mission drops — tycoon missions drop blueprints for services you haven’t unlocked yet, encouraging diversification.
- Research — spend credits and time on research projects (ties to your R&D affinity).
- Trading — a future multiplayer feature will allow blueprint exchange between players.
Blueprint Rarity
Blueprints come in three rarity tiers:
| Rarity | Relative Value | How to Get |
|---|---|---|
| Common | Plentiful, foundational | Regular quest drops |
| Uncommon | Meaningful upgrades | 3-star main quests, side quests |
| Rare | Game-changing | 3-star late-prologue quests, special events |
What Blueprints Unlock
Blueprints are the primary requirement for tycoon services. Each service requires a specific combination of blueprint categories and counts. For example, launching a Satellite Launch service might require 3 Propulsion blueprints and 2 Navigation blueprints.
Your archetype determines which blueprint categories you accumulate naturally during the prologue, which in turn determines which services you can launch first. See the Tycoon Services page for the full requirements table.
Strategy
- Don’t sell or discard blueprints. Every blueprint has value, even if you don’t need it now.
- Chase 3-star ratings on main quests for the best drop rates.
- Your archetype predicts your blueprint strengths. Engineers naturally accumulate Propulsion and R&D blueprints; Scientists lean toward Navigation and R&D.
- Plan your first service around the blueprints you’re collecting, not the other way around.