SALVAGE / VISUAL FIELD GUIDE
Your first salvage run
Meet the Vulture, understand the work, and prepare for a first run with someone who knows the route.
01
STEP 1 OF 15
Learn one complete hull-scraping cycle
For a first run, learn hull scraping, output handling and a return before adding structural salvage. Hull scraping produces RMC. Breaking and disintegrating the structure creates a different resource stream with its own processing steps.
The finish line is not a full buffer. It is collected material handled successfully and brought to a destination that accepts it.
What do these words mean?
- Hull scraping
- Removing usable surface material from a wreck with the scraper beam.
- RMC
- Recycled Material Composite, the resource collected by hull scraping.
- Buffer
- Intermediate machine storage. Its capacity is separate from space to place produced cargo boxes.
Nomad’s field note
SC Nomads practice goal: scrape a small amount, produce and move its box, then return. Repeat that complete cycle before filling the ship.
Read the complete guide as text
The same published instructions in one readable view. Use the steps above for controls and practice panels.
Learn one complete hull-scraping cycle
For a first run, learn hull scraping, output handling and a return before adding structural salvage. Hull scraping produces RMC. Breaking and disintegrating the structure creates a different resource stream with its own processing steps.
The finish line is not a full buffer. It is collected material handled successfully and brought to a destination that accepts it.
- Hull scraping
- Removing usable surface material from a wreck with the scraper beam.
- RMC
- Recycled Material Composite, the resource collected by hull scraping.
- Buffer
- Intermediate machine storage. Its capacity is separate from space to place produced cargo boxes.
Field note: SC Nomads practice goal: scrape a small amount, produce and move its box, then return. Repeat that complete cycle before filling the ship.
Walk the Vulture workflow before launch
The Vulture is a manageable first platform because one pilot can fly and operate its salvage equipment. Cargo work still requires leaving the cockpit. A larger ship can add separate crew stations rather than remove those jobs.
Locate the output before you collect anything
While safely parked, walk from the pilot seat to the cargo area. Find the filler/output controls, the place a box emerges and the cargo-grid positions it can occupy.
Expected result: You can explain the path from buffer to box to cargo position before the buffer is full.
If it did not work: If you cannot reach the output with your planned load, leave more working space. Cargo volume alone does not provide a clear walking route.
Test the tractor with one available box
With a suitable tractor tool, practise positioning a box in a clear area. Use the wheel for distance and hold R with mouse movement for rotation.
Expected result: You can align a box without blocking the output or the route to the cockpit.
If it did not work: Read mass and reach warnings if the tractor will not handle it. Do not force a box through occupied space.
- Output machine located
- Cargo route clear
- Tractor available
- Return services planned
If you want to learn in a Reclaimer
A Reclaimer can be the ship you learn on, but its workflow is spread across stations and cargo machinery. Join an owner and learn one full cycle before trying to keep every job moving alone. The Vulture lesson still teaches the material flow, while the Reclaimer adds movement and coordination.
Ask for a three-stop ship tour
While safely parked, visit the pilot position, the station that operates your assigned salvage equipment, and the output machine with its cargo route. Sit at the work station and identify its displayed mode.
Expected result: You can reach your station and explain where the material goes next.
If it did not work: If a screen does not expose the expected controls, check the seat before changing bindings. A large bridge is not proof the pilot controls every industrial function.
Agree who pauses when the buffer fills
Assign the first pass to a pilot, salvage operator and cargo handler, combining roles if necessary. Have the cargo handler call for a pause before output blocks.
Expected result: Everyone knows which task stops while an operator is walking to another station.
If it did not work: Solo: stop the beam and check ship position before leaving. With two players, agree who watches flight while the other clears output; do not silently leave both roles unattended.
Make the first run a shared lesson
A useful teaching session changes roles after one complete cycle. Have the learner explain the mode, the storage readout and the next physical job before pressing the control. This gives both people a way to notice a misunderstanding.
Repeat the cycle with the learner controlling it
Agree who pilots and who moves cargo. Let the learner perform a small scrape, stop, produce and place its output, then explain what changed.
Expected result: The learner can repeat the sequence without the teacher silently doing a missing step.
If it did not work: If a stage failed, replay that stage with one change and record the visible result. Avoid turning the lesson into an unexplained speed run.
- Name one thing you want to learn
- Take a screenshot of an unfamiliar screen
- Record the game build with your notes
Field note: When proposing a guide correction, include the game build, occupied station, exact action and observed result. Ask permission before publishing another player's image or name.
Pack for the cargo job and the trip home
SC Nomads preparation drill: take a functioning tractor tool suited to the box mass, its required supplies, a suit and helmet for EVA, medical supplies, food and water. A salvage attachment strips hull or repairs; a tractor attachment moves a box. Check which attachment is actually fitted before leaving.
Check fuel, quantum fuel, damage and access to the output while parked. Keep credits for services, travel and any contract fee. A full ship can still fail to finish the trip if the chosen destination cannot accept its landing size or material.
For a first lesson choose one legal target, one small scrape and one sale. Reserve structural work for a later cycle if the extra refinery leg would exceed your session. Do not copy old hourly-profit figures into a current budget.
Test the actual tool you packed
Move one available box with your intended tractor, place it back on a valid grid position and verify you can walk past it. Check the tool is on your character after the trial.
Expected result: You have proved the cargo job with the equipment you will carry.
If it did not work: A tool in local storage cannot help at a distant wreck. Resolve a mass, reach or attachment warning before launch.
Choose two destinations before accepting a fee
Name the RMC buyer and, if doing structural work, a refinery with suitable ship access. Leave enough time for unloading and any later collection trip.
Expected result: The plan ends with a confirmed sale or a recorded stored batch and refinery order.
If it did not work: If the destination or next material stage is uncertain, do the small RMC practice first instead of filling a structural buffer.
- Tractor tested
- Suit and helmet equipped
- Fuel and service reserve
- Output aisle clear
- Destination and return time agreed
Check the binding and the station before the beam
Source review: 17 October 2026. The official patch index identifies Alpha 4.10.2. The current salvage page describes Alpha 4.4 onward, and its structural-material refinery instructions are used here. SC Nomads has not played this procedure on 4.10.2.
The latest extracted CIG control comparison inspected here is 4.9.0-LIVE.12344265 against 4.10.0-PTU.12479687 on 22 August 2026. It reports unchanged actions. That comparison does not establish 4.10.2 defaults. The existing lesson cards retain these latest known keyboard defaults; your saved bindings and the current Options screen take precedence.
Controls to identify: Toggle Salvage Operator Mode, Focus All Salvage Heads, Focus Left/Right Salvage Head, Toggle Fire Focused, Cycle Focused Salvage Modifiers, Salvage Gimbal, Relative Beam Spacing, Toggle Fire Fracture and Toggle Fire Disintegrate. Head focus selects what a later command affects. It does not move you into a different physical station.
Read your active device and named action
Open Options > Keybindings, choose the device you actually use, then Advanced Controls Customization. Find each named action above and note its assigned input. Check both left and right Alt when comparing keyboard bindings. Keep your existing working profile.
Expected result: You can name the input for selecting the tool, firing it and stopping it at this station.
If it did not work: If a combination performs a different action, compare that binding and any conflict before changing anything. Do not repeatedly try a remembered shortcut beside the wreck.
Field note: Current gameplay verification remains outstanding. The guide does not label an older extracted binding as a tested 4.10.2 control.
Read the salvage permission and conditions
Use an appropriate available contract or a clearly agreed legal target. A damaged player ship, even one without anyone visible, is not automatically yours to process.
Read the job before accepting its fee
Open Contracts and inspect the available salvage offer, location, access conditions, fee and time requirement. Accept only a job that fits your ship and available session.
Expected result: Your accepted list contains the intended job and identifies the actual target area.
If it did not work: If there is no suitable offer, ask a crew member to teach on a permitted target. Do not spend a large access fee before understanding the basic loop.
Check the target when you arrive
Match the wreck to the job and inspect the area before approaching. Leave room to stop and turn around while you position for the first surface.
Expected result: You have a suitable target and a clear working position.
If it did not work: Withdraw if ownership, mission permission or nearby threats are unclear. A profitable-looking wreck is not worth losing the whole first session.
- Read the job conditions
- Check for fees and restrictions
- Leave if the situation is unclear
Field note: Record any contract fee separately from sale proceeds when working out what the run earned.
Make the work seat position stable
SC Nomads operating rule: stop relative motion and keep clearance from the wreck before working. A zero speed indication alone is not a guarantee of fixed separation from a moving target. Compare distance and the target position against your reticle for a short observation before starting.
In atmosphere, wind, gravity and ship behavior can change your position while you walk away. Do not assume unattended hover, decoupled flight or switching engines off will hold a Vulture or Reclaimer safely. There is no verified universal wind threshold or automatic station-keeping promise in this guide.
For a first solo station-change lesson use open space with generous clearance. If the work requires continuous flight correction, keep a pilot at the controls or postpone that target. With crew, the operator calls beam stopped before the pilot moves, then confirms range and aim again.
Observe position before leaving the controls
Stop the tool. Check relative distance, closing motion and nearby obstacles. Before a solo cargo trip, ensure you can return to flight controls and that the ship is not relying on your continued input to avoid collision.
Expected result: Separation stays usable during your observation and the next station change has a clear return route.
If it did not work: If drift returns, remain at flight controls and reposition. Do not walk farther into the ship to solve a cargo problem while flight is already deteriorating.
Select the scraper, start it, and watch two results
Aim at an intact salvageable hull surface. Progress has two parts: the surface is stripped and recovered material enters the buffer. Watch both so you can distinguish collection from a beam that is merely active.
Enter salvage mode and select the heads
From the salvage-capable station enter salvage mode. Inspect its HUD, then focus both scraper heads with Left Alt + S if that is the setup you want to operate.
Expected result: The HUD shows salvage controls and the focused heads you intend to use.
If it did not work: If you are in structural mode or the wrong station, correct that before firing. A Reclaimer pilot seat is not every salvage station.
Start scraping a small patch
Aim the focused scraper at usable surface within the displayed range and start the beam. Move deliberately across the hull while observing the surface and recovered-material readout.
Expected result: The worked surface becomes stripped and RMC increases in the buffer.
If it did not work: If the surface is already bare, move to unworked hull. If no material enters storage, check range, target suitability and available buffer space.
Compare scraper settings on a controlled patch
Stop and read the current scraper modifier. Cycle modifiers only when you can observe the new selection, then compare how it works on a similar nearby area.
Expected result: The displayed modifier changes and you can compare its behavior without losing track of the active mode.
If it did not work: Do not treat a modifier name as universally best. Check the installed equipment and current operating feedback.
Stop before changing jobs or leaving the station
Stop the beam and confirm it is inactive before getting up to handle cargo or investigate a problem.
Expected result: The salvage system is no longer collecting while the operator is away.
If it did not work: A low yield or empty surface does not prove the beam is off. Check its visible firing state.
- Salvage mode visible
- Correct heads selected
- Usable surface in range
- RMC increasing
- Beam stopped before leaving
Read the mode, the surface and the buffer separately
Use the existing CIG HUD image as a labeled reference, not a screenshot of a tested 4.10.2 cockpit. Find the current selected tool or mode, installed scraper/modifier, effective range and storage indication on your own display. Layout and wording may differ by station.
A firing effect proves only that an effect is visible. During a small scrape, confirm an unworked patch becomes stripped and the RMC quantity rises. A material rate can fall on an already bare area. Compare it with a fresh patch before blaming the head.
The buffer is intermediate material storage. Cargo grid capacity is physical box storage. The filler turns the stored resource into boxes. Unused floor space does not clear the buffer, and a fractured wreck is still outside your cargo system.
Make a controlled strip and stop
Aim at one unworked patch within the displayed effective range. Start the selected scraper, make one deliberate pass, stop it and compare the visible surface and RMC reading with their starting states.
Expected result: Both surface removal and RMC collection are observable.
If it did not work: If only the effect is visible, check selected head, range, salvageable surface and buffer. Change one condition and repeat a short test, rather than sweeping the entire wreck.
- RMC
- Recycled Material Composite from hull scraping. It can be boxed for sale or used in supported repair workflows.
- Raw structural material
- Rubble, Pieces or Salvage from structural processing. It follows the refinery path, rather than the immediate RMC sale path.
Use surface, buffer and box count to find the bottleneck
Our teaching check has three questions: is useful hull disappearing, is RMC increasing, and can the filler still produce a box? Each observation points to a different part of the operation.
The beam is on but the surface does not change.: Stop and check mode, usable hull, aim and the displayed range. Reposition onto unworked material before comparing scraper settings.
Scraping worked, then production stopped.: Read buffer state and inspect the dispenser. Clear the produced box and usable grid space before collecting more.
There is floor space but the dispenser remains blocked.: Move the box that occupies the actual output opening. Empty space elsewhere does not clear that opening.
A solo run spends more time walking than scraping.: Plan smaller batches or crew the cargo role. Test whether a smaller ship gives you a more enjoyable complete cycle before treating capacity as the only upgrade.
Produce the box, move it, and return with it
A box left in the dispenser can obstruct further output. Clear the machine and keep usable cargo positions and the access aisle separate. Use the cargo-hauling guide for a fuller freight-elevator lesson.
Export what the buffer can produce
At the filler/output controls inspect the available material and production option. Produce the available box, then wait for it to appear before using the tractor.
Expected result: A physical cargo box appears at the output and the buffer state reflects production.
If it did not work: If production is blocked, inspect material amount, output clearance and storage. Repeated clicks do not create missing capacity.
Move each box onto a usable cargo position
Take the produced box clear of the output, orient it and place it on the cargo grid. Recheck the output opening and walking route before producing another.
Expected result: The machine can produce again and you can still return to the cockpit.
If it did not work: Do not stack loose boxes across the ladder or exit solely to claim a larger load.
Verify the buyer and sale
At the intended destination follow its storage and unloading requirements. Select your RMC at the relevant selling terminal, inspect the quantity and quote, and confirm the intended sale.
Expected result: The sold quantity and your balance change, with any unsold material still accounted for.
If it did not work: A buyer may not accept the material or entire quantity. Keep track of the remainder rather than assuming landing sold everything.
- Physical box produced
- Output clear
- Cargo accounted for
- Return fuel retained
- Sale or stored remainder confirmed
Trace one batch from buffer to buyer
SC Nomads batch drill: read the stored material name and amount before producing a box. Use an available output option, wait for the physical container, then move it clear. Check the material readout changed and that the dispenser is ready before producing the next one.
Use valid cargo-grid positions and preserve the access aisle, ladder, doors and output clearance. Loose overstacking is not the ship's advertised cargo capacity and can obstruct people or machinery. This guide deliberately gives no unofficial maximum box count.
Before departure account for both boxed cargo and remaining buffer material. A selling terminal cannot be assumed to sell unboxed buffer contents. Plan where you can produce any remainder and keep enough physical space to do it.
Clear the output without creating a new blockage
Stop collection before cargo work. Produce one box, tractor it to a clear grid position, release it and check it stays placed. Return to inspect the output and remaining buffer.
Expected result: There is one accounted-for box, a clear output and usable intermediate capacity.
If it did not work: If output is blocked, stop production and move the obstruction first. If no box appears, inspect the available amount and current production option before another click.
Confirm the sale and remainder
At a buyer that accepts the actual material, select the correct accessible inventory and inspect quantity, price and total. Confirm only the intended transaction, then compare remaining cargo and balance.
Expected result: The sold quantity is accounted for and the remaining batch has a known location.
If it did not work: If the material is missing, check selected storage, ownership/access, unloading requirements and buyer acceptance. Do not claim the ship as a refresh for a cargo problem.
Field note: A partial sale is a completed transaction for that quantity. Record the remainder instead of treating a successful terminal click as proof the whole load sold.
The buffer, the boxes and the sale
RMC and structural processing share intermediate capacity. Clear the relevant output before switching to fracture and disintegration. Structural resources follow the current refining workflow, so keep that next lesson separate from this first hull-scraping run.
A larger salvage ship adds coordination: the pilot, salvage station and cargo handler may be in different places. If playing solo, stop safely before changing stations and allow time for the return, unloading and sale.
- Buffer checked
- Output path clear
- Refinery or buyer chosen
- Return fuel reserved
The beam is active but nothing is being collected.: Check unstripped surface, effective range, selected head/mode and free buffer capacity. Watch actual RMC storage rather than the beam animation alone.
There is room on the floor, but the ship will not collect more.: Inspect the processing buffer and dispenser. Produce and move boxes to free the machine; physical floor room does not empty the buffer automatically.
My structural salvage is not the RMC the buyer expects.: Hull scraping and structural processing produce different resources. Read the item name and use the current structural-refining guide instead of treating all salvage as the same commodity.
Recover the first missing result
Stop the active tool before troubleshooting. Work forward through the chain: eligible target, correct occupied station, correct tool, useful range/alignment, visible target change, material increase, physical output, cargo placement, receiving inventory, refinery or buyer acceptance. Find where evidence first stops.
Record the build, ship, occupied station, selected tool, target, buffer state and exact missing result when reporting a fault. Change one condition at a time and repeat a small trial. A later box problem should not be diagnosed by repeatedly firing the beam.
Close the run with evidence
Write the boxed quantity, buffer remainder, sold amount and any station inventory or unfinished order. Note any failed stage and what recovered it.
Expected result: The next session starts with a known batch and a specific lesson to repeat.
If it did not work: If a loss cannot be verified, record the uncertainty. Do not convert a missing terminal entry into a claimed successful sale.
Scraper effect is visible, but RMC does not rise.: Check fresh surface, selected scraper, displayed effective range and free buffer. Compare a short test on an unworked patch. Stop if the ship is moving out of position.
Scraping or disintegration stops despite empty cargo floor.: Inspect intermediate storage and the filler. Produce the stored material and clear the physical output. Free grid space and free buffer space are different states.
A fractured wreck remains outside and the hold is empty.: Fracture is the breakup stage. Verify eligible pieces and disintegration, then verify material collection and box production separately.
The ship drifts while I handle cargo or use a distant seat.: Stop work and return to flight controls. Reposition with clearance; use a dedicated pilot when continuous correction is necessary. Do not assume unattended hover is safe in wind.
Salvage audio continues after shutdown.: CIG lists looping salvage audio in 4.10.2 Known Issues and recommends restarting the game. Sound alone cannot confirm collection. First stabilize the ship and account for cargo; a restart is not a cargo-persistence guarantee.
Raw structural output will not sell as finished CM.: Read the actual material label and follow the refinery stage. Verify the receiving inventory and offered order before transporting another full load.
A station change or UI failure threatens the trip.: Stop collection, preserve recoverable cargo and choose a safe return. Avoid Claim, destructive resets or unsupported persistence tricks as an initial cargo recovery step.
Sources & guide information
Checked 17 October 2026. Bindings: 4.9 LIVE versus 4.10 PTU; not gameplay tested on Alpha 4.10.2.. Reference information, not a claim of current-patch playtesting.
RSI Galactapedia: VultureCIG Salvage Gameplay Guide, Alpha 4.4 onward, current page checked 17 October 2026RSI Alpha 3.22: introduction of structural salvage, 2023RSI Knowledge Base: CommoditiesRSI Alpha 3.24: introduction of personal hangars and freight elevators, 2024CIG defaultProfile.xml extraction comparison: 4.9 LIVE versus 4.10 PTU, 22 August 2026, checked 17 OctoberRSI Missions and ContractsRSI Crime Rating, updated 31 Mar 2026CIG Cargo Guide, checked 17 October 2026RSI Playing with Friends, updated 24 Jul 2026CIG Engineering Gameplay Guide, Alpha4.8 availability reference; checked20October2026, not gameplay testedCIG Alpha 4.10.2 release notes, checked 17 October 2026RSI: Set up keybindings for your peripherals, updated 17 February 2026RSI Alpha 4.10.2 Known Issues, updated 9 October 2026CIG Alpha 4.3.2 structural salvage patch watch, historical mechanics changeCIG Vulture Q&A, 2018 design reference, not current operating instructions