Editing Mechanoid creation

#REDIRECT [[Mechanitor]]

{{Biotech}}{{Merge| destination = Mechanitor | reason = Significant overlap, search optimisation}}
''For the enemy structure that creates mechanoids in the [[Royalty DLC]], see [[Mech assembler]].''

With the release of the [[Biotech DLC]], '''mechanoids''' may be built, gestated, and controlled by a colony - specifically, by a [[mechanitor]].

== Acquisition ==
[[Mechanitor]]s are required to build, gestate, and control your own mechanoids. [[Research]] must be done with a valid mechanitor in the colony, and only the mechanitor may initiate any of the mech creation processes. First, creating your own mechs requires the [[Research#Basic Mechtech|Basic Mechtech]] research, which in turn requires the [[Research#Electricity|Electricity]] research to be completed first.

#Mechanitors must have enough [[bandwidth]] for the mechanoid in question. The larger and more complex the mechanoid is, the more bandwidth is required.
#All mechanoids require a subcore to create, along with other materials like [[steel]]. Simple mechs use a [[basic subcore]] (from a [[subcore encoder]]), while more complex ones require a [[standard subcore]] (from a [[subcore softscanner]]) or [[high subcore]] (from a [[subcore ripscanner]]). The ripscanner in particular requires killing a human pawn to create.
#After being "built" for a tiny amount of a mechanitor's work, mechs must gestate at a [[mech gestator]] or [[large mech gestator]]. 
:: Gestation types are measured in cycles, where larger mechs require more cycles, and each cycle will need to be initiated by the mechanitor after the previous one is completed. When cycling is done, the mechanitor must take the mech out. If power is lost during gestation, the cycle will be paused, but no other adverse effects will occur. 

More complex mechanoids require more research. Mechanoid research in particular requires killing one of three mechanoid commanders - the [[diabolus]], [[war queen]], and [[apocriton]], in order of progression - and studying their specific item before it is possible.

Hostile mechanoids cannot be tamed or converted in any way, even if once part of your colony. You can create every mechanoid in the game, except for the [[termite]] and [[apocriton]].

=== Gestation cycles ===
{{Stub|section=1|reason= Initiating time modified by anything? What happens if the mechanitor dies mid cycle?}}
Rather than traditional work to make them, creating mechanoids requires the undertaking of some number of gestation cycles. A mechanitor must work at the gestator for {{Ticks|1800}}{{Check Tag|Modified?|Is this time value modified by any stat or skill?}} in order to initiate each cycle, but once initiated each cycle will run independently for its duration. Initiating a gestation cycle is considered [[Work#Smith|Smithing]] work. 

Each gestation cycle lasts for a baseline of 2 days, modified by the initiating mechanitor's [[Mech Gestation Speed]]. Mech Gestation Speed is controlled by the mechanitor's [[Crafting]] skill and the number of [[mech gestation processor]]s they have installed. This varies the resulting duration from 64 hrs with 0 Crafting skill and no processors, to 14.77 hrs with 20 Crafting and 6 processors. Gestation cycle time is updated when Mechanoid Gestation Speed is, even if a cycle is already running - if you start a cycle, then install a [[Mech gestation processor]] or level the Crafting skill, then it will reduce the remaining cycle time proportional to ratio of the new speed to the old. For a full breakdown of the factors affecting mech gestation speed and the resulting cycle durations, see [[Mech Gestation Speed]].

If a cycle is interrupted temporarily (e.g. by losing power), the cycle will pause until the interruption is ended (e.g. by power being restored), but no other adverse effects will occur

== Summary ==
[[Mechanitor]]s are required to control mechanoids. A mechanitor has a limited amount of [[bandwidth]], which limits the number of mechanoids they can command. Larger and more complex mechanoids require more bandwidth.

In general, [[mechanoid]]s are immune to [[fire]], toxicity, and [[temperature]] extremes, despite having a Comfortable Temperature. They are vulnerable to [[EMP]] attacks, being stunned by them. Mechanoids do not need to eat, sleep, and have no mood. However, they require [[power]], and cause [[pollution]] in the process. 

Mechs considered "light" use a regular [[mech recharger]] and [[mech gestator]]. Mechs considered "medium" or heavier use the [[large mech recharger]] and [[large mech gestator]].

=== Power ===
Player mechanoids use a variable amount of power, depending on their state.
* They use 10% power / day when active: labor mechs doing work, or combat mechs being awake at all.
* Labor mechs use 3% power / day while idle, or not doing work. {{Check Tag|Including tunneler?}}
* Mechanoids can be commanded to enter a state of dormancy, preventing power drain, instead recharging at a very slow rate of +1% power / day. Mechs that run out of power will also enter this state.
* When [[downed]], or in the world map on a [[caravan]], they use 0% power.

They can instead be recharged at a [[mech recharger]] or [[large mech recharger]], which quickly recharges them - +50% power / day. This leads to a theoretical uptime of 83.3% - 5 days working, 1 day charging. The mech recharger itself creates waste. Once its waste meter is filled, [[toxic wastepack]]s are created. The amount of waste is directly correlated to the mech's bandwidth, where 1 bandwidth = 5 wastepacks.

Mechanoids can be repaired at the cost of their power, the rate dependent on which mech it is. This will restore otherwise permanent injuries. If killed, mechanoids can be resurrected at the cost of some size-dependent [[steel]] and 1 gestation cycle, so long as some part of their corpse is intact

=== Behavior ===
{{Stub|section=1|reason=Upon death or exceeding bandwidth, which go wild? Only enough to reduce bandwidth demand to less than current or all? If the former, is which are selected it predictable, and if so, which are selected?}} 
Mech are fully autonomous. Mechanoids assigned to work tasks have an effective [[Skill]] of 10, though most have a 50% [[Global Work Speed]], and some of them work even slower. You cannot order mechanoid work in any direct way, though you can indirectly control it through setting [[zone]]s. Specifically, mechs are put into '''control groups''', which can then be assigned to one of four orders:
*'''Work''': Do available work tasks. Start charging after reaching a configurable % of power left.
*'''Escort''': Follow the mechanitor around and fight enemies. Start charging after reaching a configurable % of power left.
*'''Recharge''': Look for available recharging stations and use them. Enter dormant self-charging if full or no available charging stations.
*'''Dormant self-charging''': Turns off the mechs. While dormant, mechs recharge a very small amount of power (+1% power / day) without a charger or any pollution.

Control groups and orders may be changed, though the mechanitor must be controllable (not [[downed]] and not under a [[mental break]]), and their mechs must be in the same map. If they are separated, mechs will continue to do their tasks without a problem, and won't become hostile. However, control groups and their orders cannot be changed. Mechs can be rezoned regardless of the state of the mechanitor, allowing for them to be imprecisely controlled even when the mechanitor is having a mental break.

Mechs can also be drafted for combat, where they are controlled like any colonist. However, the mechanoid can only be ordered to move ''to'' spaces within a 25-tile radius from their master, and they can only be ordered to do other commands while ''in'' said radius. Mechs can be drafted outside of this range (but not if the mechanitor is downed), where they can defend themselves, carry out previous combat commands, or be commanded to go near the mechanitor.

Mechanoids in a [[caravan]] contribute towards its carrying capacity. They do not use power as long as they are on the world map.

If the mechanitor dies or runs out of [[bandwidth]], mechanoids will go into the Uncontrolled state. They will not be uncontrolled if the mechanitor is downed, in a caravan, etc. After 1 game-day, or {{ticks|60000}} uncontrolled, they may go feral, joining the enemy [[mech hive]]. There is a {{MTB}} of 10 in-game [[time|days]], with a cascade radius of 25 tiles.{{Check Tag|Verify|Based on data from files, verify accuracy in-game and delete this check tag}}