Transportation¶
I like a journey with a stop for food and somewhere interesting at the other end. The island offers plenty of those, provided the road is actually going where you think it is.
Roads and ground vehicles¶
Roads connect settlements and services, with real traffic using the same space. Give reversing or obstructed vehicles room. Check a blind rise before accelerating over it; a stalled car can be scenery, a service or an ambush.
Fit a modular vehicle to the passengers and load. Carry fuel and repairs, and learn what your driving and mechanical skills contribute. An active convoy is a separate armed encounter on the road.
Locking your vehicle¶
Everyone must dismount before fitting a lock. Look at a nearby supported vehicle and use /vkeylock for a key lock or /vlock for a code lock. A carried lock supplies the item; otherwise the command can spend the normal resources to craft one. Set a code lock's code through its usual menu. Key locks are placed locked.
You can fit locks to your own vehicle, a current teammate's eligible vehicle or an unowned vehicle you can claim. Placing the lock claims an unowned vehicle. Current Rust teammates share access; a code lock's owner must retain code authorization for that sharing. An unlocked installed lock permits ordinary use. Damage, removal and feuds retain their own ownership rules.
Building restrictions still apply, and a modular car needs a driver cockpit. Public transport, service fleets and encounter vehicles cannot be claimed this way. Check the lock before leaving supplies aboard.
Taxi Dispatch¶
I have the Brindas and passengers ready before calling Taxi Service through a booth, home telephone or mobile directory. The car needs a valid marked road pickup. Once aboard, choose the destination with a map marker.
The taxi guide explains road eligibility, calling-device fares and payment. A nearby marker can still be unsuitable, particularly around settlement roads. The driver has a waiting limit; I prefer finishing the household argument before dispatch.
Use: Call from somewhere the vehicle can actually reach, then be ready when it arrives.
Cost: Brindas
After choosing a destination, inspect the road route and quoted fare. The caller pays before departure and can change the marker while the driver waits.
The computer's Services page reports dispatch status; booking requires a telephone.
Fare uses the calculated road route, rounded to whole Brindas. The minimum still applies to discounted calls.
The caller pays before departure. The driver reports an unaffordable fare so another destination can be chosen.
Service entitlements can lower the ordinary rate; the taxi's current quote is authoritative.
| Call from | Ordinary fare rate | Minimum trip fare | Pickup requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public phone booth | 7 Brindas per road km | 5 Brindas | Valid reachable road pickup |
| Deployed landline | 3.5 Brindas per road km | 5 Brindas | Valid reachable road pickup |
| Mobile phone | 0.7 Brindas per road km | 5 Brindas | Within 10 m of a road |
Taxis avoid the settlement roads in Green Camp and Wash City. An unreachable road, busy fleet or expired boarding wait can end a request. Exit when you arrive. The first dismount grants brief human-NPC grace, which an attack ends; wildlife, weather and legal player combat retain their ordinary rules.
Hot-Air-Balloon Transit¶
I look for the lit station and read the route before boarding. These free balloons fly a physical island-wide schedule; waiting at the right platform matters. The pilots belong to a secret society, which has not prevented them from keeping more useful hours than many people I know. The balloon guide explains the trip, and an Island Computer can show station status.
Use: Find a station, read its route, and wait for the balloon rather than expecting a destination menu.
Cost: Free
Bring clothing for altitude and allow for the next stop. The computer's balloon board shows arrivals, departures and delays.
Service Doors¶
I pay attention to unremarkable metal doors. Some conceal a public route worth remembering, provided I have learned where it leads and meet its access requirements. There is no destination menu to do the observation for me. The Service Door notes explain the known practicalities; Architect's Notes is the stranger account I keep beside them.
Use: Use the correct door with the required access item or learned route.
Cost: Access knowledge or the appropriate pass
Use the computer's Service Doors history when retracing a discovered connection.
Boats and open water¶
At a working boat-service vendor, a map marker selects another eligible station. The charter records the caller's team at dispatch. Keep the party together and follow the boarding instructions; berths, capacity and routes can prevent a departure.
An unsafe departure can cancel the charter and refund an undelivered trip, provided hostile action has not caused the loss. The captain returns passengers to a safe shore point when one is available. If there is no safe recovery point, the boat holds and reports the problem; ordinary disembarking remains available. Read that message before trying to swim home.
A boat of your own makes shoreline work and diving easier. Check hull, fuel, weather and a place to land. Stow a cold-water outfit and air gear where you can reach them. Scavenging explains the useful work beneath the surface.
Horses¶
Feed and rest a horse before a long ride. Riding skill and learned equine knowledge can improve handling, speed or stamina, while food and decent ground remain ordinary necessities. Secure the horse at the destination; I have spent enough evenings looking for the return journey.
Before leaving¶
Check the next leg, supplies for a delay and where you will get off. The map, weather report and current operation messages can change an otherwise familiar trip. Keep a little fuel and food outside the outbound calculation.