Diff - automation - Starsand Island Wiki

11 Overview

33 Automation in Starsand Island allows players to reduce manual labor through sprinklers, robots, automated processing devices, and ranching equipment. As you advance through the Crafter and Farmer profession tiers, progressively powerful automation tools become available. A well-automated farm saves significant daily time, letting you focus on exploration, fishing, and relationship building.

55 Sprinkler System

77 Sprinklers are the first automation tool most players encounter. They automatically water nearby crops each morning, eliminating the daily watering chore. Sprinklers are placed between crop tiles rather than on top of them, so they do not consume farmland space. Higher-tier sprinklers cover more tiles, meaning fewer are needed to cover your fields.

1010 SprinklerUnlockCostCoverageKey MaterialsSprinklerIntermediate Farmer1,500 CoinsSmall area5 Hardwood Plank, 4 Iron Nail, 4 Bronze, 1 Bronze Watering CanSprinkler IIntermediate Farmer3,500 Coins4 tiles1 Alloy, 1 Solid-State Battery, 1 GearPressurized SprinklerIntermediate Farmer4,500 CoinsLarger than base5 Alloy, 5 Rubber, 3 Glue, 1 Sprinkler (base)Sprinkler IISenior Farmer10,000 Coins20 tiles1 Alloy, 1 Mini Reactor, 1 Spring, 1 RubberSprinkler IIIExpert Farmer25,000 Coins60 tiles (8x8 minus corners)1 Eternal Alloy, 1 Perpetual Reactor, 1 Chip, 2 Meteor Plank

1111 Sprinklers are placed between crop tiles and do not occupy farmland space. Sprinkler I covers 4 adjacent tiles, Sprinkler II covers up to 20 tiles, and Sprinkler III covers 60 fields in an 8x8 grid minus the four corner patches. The Pressurized Sprinkler is an upgraded variant of the base Sprinkler rather than part of the numbered tier chain. Plan your field layout around sprinkler coverage to maximize efficiency.

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1313 Note that sprinklers can be accidentally toggled off while harvesting nearby crops. If your sprinklers stop working, interact with them (F key on PC) to reactivate. Higher-tier sprinklers require materials from the Crafter profession. Items like Alloy, Solid-State Batteries, and Mini Reactors are processed at crafting stations unlocked through the Crafter advancement chain. Progress both the Farmer and Crafter professions in parallel to unlock the full sprinkler lineup.

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1515 Robots

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1717 Robots are advanced automation devices unlocked at Expert Crafter tier. They autonomously gather resources from designated areas and deposit their inventory once a day. All three robot types share the same crafting recipe and cost.

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1919 RobotFunctionBlueprint CostMining RobotAutomatically mines ore nodes in its assigned area. Gathers minerals, flame cores, diamonds, oil stones, and primarite.55,000 CoinsLogging RobotAutomatically chops trees in its assigned area. Gathers wood and tree products.55,000 CoinsGathering RobotHarvests crops and collects from livestock at the Homestead. Does NOT work in Moonlit Forest.55,000 Coins

2020 Upon completing the Expert Crafter certification quest (building the Robot Terminal), Zerine rewards you with one of each robot type for free. Additional robots can be purchased and crafted at Worktable III. All three types use the same materials:

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2222 3 Eternal Alloy2 Chips1 Lunar Crystal5 High-Performance Wire Sets3 Springs1 Spirit Cube III

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2424 Robot Limitations

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2626 Robots have several restrictions to keep in mind. Mining and Logging Robots are generally reliable, but the Gathering Robot has known issues:

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2828 Gathering Robots can ruin Gmax crops because individual crops in a 3x3 grid mature at staggered intervals, and the robot harvests them before mutation triggers.Gathering Robots lack item filtering. They may harvest flowers you want bees to pollinate or collect items you intended to leave.Robots cannot retrieve ammo, collect treasure maps, gather zero-stamina plants, open chests, or obtain enhanced seed drops.Robots occasionally get stuck on terrain objects. Moving away from the area lets them unstick. If they remain unresponsive, recall them through the Robot Terminal.

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3030 Robot Terminal

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3232 The Robot Terminal is the control hub for all automation robots. You receive it as a reward for completing the Expert Crafter questline. Place the terminal down, then interact with it to access the workforce menu where you can add or remove robots and designate what you want them to collect.

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3434 Robot Terminal Crafting

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3636 The Robot Terminal is crafted at Worktable III using:

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3838 5 Meteor Plank (Cutter III with Lunar Crystals and Premium Wood)4 Eternal Alloy (Flamecore Ingots, Alloys, and Coal)2 Perpetual Reactor (Energy Converter)3 Spirit Cube II

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4040 FeatureDetailsMaximum capacityUp to 12 robots per terminalStorageHolds up to 100 stacks of collected resourcesPlacementHomestead and Moonlit Forest campsites (campsite placement fixed in v0.2.1515, camps fixed in v0.3.2537)Robot deploymentInteract with terminal to assign robots to specific zones. Robots default to Standby when first added.Loot retrievalRobots deposit collected resources automatically once per in-game dayMoving the terminalEnter Build Mode (C key), interact with terminal, choose Remove

4141 Place the terminal near resource-rich areas for best results. The Moonlit Forest is the most popular location for robot deployment, as mining robots there passively farm valuable ores like primarite and salt bricks without manual effort. If robots appear stuck or unresponsive, try recalling them through the terminal menu to force them to unload their inventories.

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4343 Automated Processing

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4545 Processing stations run automatically once loaded with raw materials. You do not need to stand next to them or interact while they work. The following stations support automated processing:

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4747 StationFunctionProcessing TimeSeparatorProduces flour, fillets, pulps, powders, and steak bites from raw ingredientsInstantFurnaceSmelts ores into ingots and alloys (3 upgrade tiers)Varies by recipeChopperCrafts different types of fishing bait (3 upgrade tiers)InstantBrewing BarrelFerments ingredients into oil, vinegar, sauces, and sugarHalf a day to several daysJam MakerConverts 2 fruits + 3 sugar into jam (1.4x to 1.5x value multiplier)Half a dayPickling JarConverts 2 vegetables + salt into pickled goods (1.85x to 2.78x value multiplier)1 to 2 daysLoomProduces leather, linen, velvet, and other fabricsVaries by recipeGrinderGrinds crops back into seeds (Senior Farmer unlock)Instant

4848 Realm Box Integration

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5050 The Realm Box is a shared storage system (similar to an Ender Chest) where all Realm Boxes share the same inventory. Since patch v0.2.0909, processing stations can pull raw materials directly from a nearby Realm Box instead of requiring manual loading. This is one of the most powerful automation features in the game.

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5252 The Realm Box is crafted at Worktable II (Intermediate Crafter tier) using 5 Alloy, 5 Starflare Core, 3 Spirit Cube I, and 6 Hardwood Plank. It can be upgraded to hold more slots: Tier 1 holds 48 slots (costs 5 Spirit Cube I and 3 Starflare Crystal), and Tier 2 holds 72 slots (costs 5 Spirit Cube II and 6 Starflare Crystal).

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5454 To set up a processing pipeline: place a Realm Box in your crafting area, stock it with raw materials, then position your processing stations nearby. The stations draw from the Realm Box automatically, letting you run batch processing without constant inventory management.

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5656 Late-Game Processing Setups

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5858 The most profitable automated setups combine robot-gathered resources with mass processing:

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6060 SetupDetailsJam productionRun 10+ Jam Makers simultaneously with fruit from Gmax crops and sugar processed from beets. Each cycle uses 2 fruits and 3 sugar. At scale, this can generate over 100,000 Coins daily.Pickle productionRun 20+ Pickling Jars with vegetables and salt gathered by Mining Robots in the Moonlit Forest. Each cycle uses 2 vegetables plus salt. Production at scale can exceed 200,000 Coins daily.Merchant Ship salesSell processed goods via the Merchant Ship for a 200% value multiplier, dramatically increasing profits.

6161 Ranching Automation

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6363 Animal product collection can be automated with equipment unlocked through the Rancher profession and crafted at Worktable III:

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6565 DeviceFunctionBlueprint SourceAuto MilkerAutomatically collects milk from cows without manual interactionPastelle (Green Pasture Ranch)Auto ShearerAutomatically shears wool from sheep and alpacasPastelle (Green Pasture Ranch)Love FeederAutomatically feeds animals, boosting happinessWorktable III craftingFriendship CollarEnables riding mounts (Senior Rancher requirement)Green Pasture Ranch shop

6666 Place the Auto Milker and Auto Shearer inside your barns near the animals. These devices work passively, collecting products without player interaction. Combined with the Love Feeder for automated feeding, a fully automated barn requires almost no daily attention.

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6868 Fertilizer Automation

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7070 Standard Fertilizer Boxes (tiers I through V) are available from the Happiness Seed Shop at various Farming levels from Apprentice through Expert. They convert animal manure and organic waste into usable fertilizer, with higher tiers producing stronger output.

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7272 The Auto Fertilizer Box, unlocked at Senior Farmer tier, is a separate device that automatically applies fertilizer to nearby crops without player interaction. It is distinct from the standard Fertilizer Boxes and is required for the Expert Farmer certification quest (along with 3 Sprinkler IIs and 15 Immortal Seeds). Place the Auto Fertilizer Box near your crop fields and keep it stocked with fertilizer for fully hands-off crop treatment.

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7474 Automation Bug History

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7676 Automation devices had some bugs during early Early Access. Key fixes include:

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7878 PatchFixv0.2.0909Added Realm Box integration with processing devicesv0.2.1515Enabled Robot Terminal placement in Moonlit Forest campsitesv0.2.1598Fixed automation devices failing under certain conditionsv0.3.2537Fixed Robot Terminal robots blocking each other during pathfinding; fixed robots stopping frequently when collecting outputs

7979 Fiber Automation with Logging Robots

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8181 The Logging Robot is not only useful for wood collection; it also provides a reliable source of fiber. Each robot produces approximately 400 fiber per in-game day when placed in a vegetation-dense area. Plants regrow automatically between harvest cycles, so the supply is effectively unlimited. Deploying multiple robots in separate, non-overlapping zones scales production linearly (2 robots produce ~800 fiber/day, 3 robots produce ~1,200 fiber/day, and so on).

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8383 Fiber is consumed in large quantities for rope, fabric, and various crafting recipes throughout the game. Automating fiber collection early in the Expert Crafter tier frees up significant daily time that would otherwise be spent manually harvesting grass and bushes.

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8585 Building an Automated Farm

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8787 A recommended progression for building a fully automated farm:

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8989 StepDetailsStep 1Sprinklers. Reach Intermediate Farmer and deploy sprinklers. This is the single biggest time saver in the game.Step 2Processing pipeline. Set up a Realm Box with Separator, Furnace, Brewing Barrel, Jam Maker, and Pickling Jar nearby for automated material processing.Step 3Fertilizer Boxes. Automate fertilizer application alongside sprinklers for fully hands-off crop growth.Step 4Robots. At Expert Crafter, deploy Mining and Logging Robots with a Robot Terminal in the Moonlit Forest for passive resource gathering.Step 5Ranching automation. Install Auto Milkers, Auto Shearers, and Love Feeders in your barns to automate animal care.Step 6Scale processing. Build 10+ Jam Makers and 20+ Pickling Jars. Sell via the Merchant Ship for maximum profit.

9090 Tips

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9292 Sprinklers are the highest-priority automation investment. Build them as soon as you hit Intermediate Farmer.Place the Robot Terminal in a Moonlit Forest campsite for passive ore farming while you do other activities on the surface.Each Robot Terminal supports up to 12 robots. One well-placed terminal is usually enough for a full resource zone.Load processing stations before bed. Timed stations like the Brewing Barrel and Jam Maker work overnight.Plan crop field layouts around sprinkler coverage. A grid pattern with sprinklers at regular intervals wastes the least farmland space.The Realm Box eliminates manual loading of processing stations. Place one near your crafting area and keep it stocked.If robots seem stuck or unproductive, recall them through the Robot Terminal menu to force them to deposit their inventory.Progress both Farmer and Crafter professions in parallel. Higher-tier sprinklers require Crafter-processed materials like Alloy and Mini Reactors.

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