The Games Industry On… Poached Eggs

Gaming eggcentricity

Shotgun From The Archives is an ancient RPS tradition we can’t believe you’ve only just noticed. Each Wednesday, we resurface some classic RPS writing. It’s like it never left (the content management system)!. This week, it’s eggs!

It’s not all news, opinions and minor complaints about videogames round here, you know. The games industry is bigger, brighter and smarter than the flood of trailers about shooting men to death might suggest, and I feel compelled to reflect that. As a new convert to the fine art of the poached egg (how did I manage to miss it all these years?), I was in need of significant help in perfecting the creation of this versatile, bird protein-based dish. But where could I possibly find it from? I turned to the one place I knew I could trust: the games industry. To use vinegar or not to use vinegar? Cling film or bespoke device? Salt or whirlpool? Shallow or deep-pan? There was much to consider. It seemed monstrously selfish to keep the advice of assorted developers, publishers and journalists to myself, however, so allow me to be your spiritual coach to poaching an egg - Oprah Vinegar-Free, if you will.

Contributing to this most essential of features are good folk from the likes of 2K Marin, Reflections, Ubisoft Montreal, Splash Damage, Positech, Honeyslug and Relentless, plus a raft of indie devs and games journos. Many, many thanks to everyone who sent in their eggstraordinary tips. That’s right, I went there.

Andrew Howat, Associate Producer, Ubisoft Reflections (Driver):

“Not mine, as I’m not an egg eater, but my wife would suggest getting one of these . She swears by it. And never at it.”

_

Ian Roberts, Creative Director, Red Redemption Ltd (Fate of the World):

“Lots of debate among the Fate of the World devs on this one. Klaude (our MD) is of the opinion that vinegar in the water is vital to keep the spheroid membranes from collapsing. Sam, however, has the controversial method of cracking the egg into a cup with a splash of water and nuking it in the microwave… simple but is it really a poached egg? Clearly the carbon footprint of the microwave method is better but what is the cost to deliciousness? Difficult choices and yet both are a compromise - why settle for vinegary eggs or funky texture? Difficult decisions require drastic solutions - I opt for the dangerous “vortex” method where I whip boiling water into a fury and drop the egg into it. It either works beautifully or causes eggy chaos possibly resulting in scolding, swearing and perhaps permanent scarring. No parallels with Fate of the World whatsoever.”

Johnnemann Nordhagen, Programmer, 2K Marin (BioShock 2, XCOM):

“Add a little vinegar to the water - helps the whites hold together. Create a vortex of swirling water; drop the egg in the middle. Oh, and water shouldn’t be bubbling, just very very hot.”

_

Ed Stern, lead writer, Splash Damage (Enemy Territory, Brink):

“Fuck the vinegar. Not literally. Fuck those silicone moulds. No, it’s a figure of speech. Fuck the frying pan. YES, LITERALLY. The eggs need to be room temperature, as should your room, and it should be a kitchen. There are two methods: one cute, one just perfect. Method 1: The cute method is to line a ramekin with a very lightly oiled square of clingfilm, crack the egg into it and then twist the clingfilm shut into a bag/pouch/cooking scrotum. Lower your egg-pouch (the one you just made, I mean, not one you may already be biologically furnished with) into simmering water, cook for three minutes and then dip it into iced water. Don’t let the loose handle of the pouch hang down on the pan or it’ll go evil and kill you. Remove after the aforementioned 3 of your Earth “minutes”, and when the bag is cool enough to touch without shrieking like a girl, the egg is ready and it’s perfect, like a little dimsum. Not your classic poached egg shape, but it works. Method A: Right, I take it back about the vinegar, for this Perfect method, you’ll need one drop thereof. Sort of half-fill a larger pan than you were going to use with water and bring to an angry, unresolved mother-issues sort of boil. Proper pinch of salt, add it. Break an egg (you can only cook one at a time this way) into a small jug or bowl (but a jug is better) and add one (1) drop of vinegar. Not balsamic, it’ll be rank. Now realise you don’t own a balloon whisk. Make or procure a balloon whisk. Now whisk that water unto a very vortex. Whisk it, no, that’s stirring, I said whisk, WHISK I SAY so there’s a whirlpool, a maelstrom, an inverted waterspout. NOW QUICKLY DROP THE JUG ON THE FLOOR. No, wait, into the water. Damn. I’m sorry. Yeah, so, boiling water, whisk really hard, vortex, and then the very moment you stop whisking gently pour/slide the jug of egg into the vortex-shaft. You’ll need to dunk the jug into the water a bit, so that’s why it’s better than using a bowl (unless it’s tiny, in which case you’ll drop it into the water, knowing you). Now turn the heat right down low and cook for EXACTLY THREE MINUTES. Then drain and serve as soon as you can. If you have taken the precaution of having previously procured sourdough bread and toasted it just right, and then applied a poached egg unto it, maybe with some spinach YOU WILL BE KING OF ALL EGGS. If you can make a foaming hollandaise for eggs benedict, you’re lying, or a professional chef in a very well equipped kitchen. Either way, I will give you folding pictures of the queen to make me some every twenty minutes, all day, for the rest of my life.”

Matt Lees, staff writer, Official Xbox Magazine UK :

“Crack egg into teacup. Heat small pan of water until simmering, then ease teacup into water - gently warming the white and teasing the edge of the egg to begin the cooking process. Remove teacup, and use spoon to create pan-vortex. Gently release egg into vortex. Voila.”

_

Ricky Haggett, designer and co-founder, Honeyslug (Hohokum):

“Poaching eggs is the ‘Go’ of cooking: simple to learn but hard to master, with seemingly unlimited variations. I like to do my poaching on a Saturday morning after a run, listening to 6music. I used to like poaching to Adam and Joe, but now it’s Andrew Collins and Josie Long. The most incontrovertible tip I offer is: ensure the eggs are fresh. I buy mine on Friday evening. In England we now have ‘Happy Eggs’, which have quickly become my preferred brand. I use a 10 inch pan, and I fill it to 3/4s with boiling water from the kettle, with a dash of vinegar. I bring it back to the boil, then down to a very gentle simmer on a small gas ring, with just a couple of bubbles rising per second: the key is to have the water as still as possible; I don’t go for a swirling vortex - as I’ve achieved at best only limited success with one egg, and it seems impossibly chaotic with more. So I open the eggs carefully, right on the surface of the water. Even if I burn the tips of my fingers, I want them lowered in gently so the water cradles them for a gentle descent. With unperturbed water, fresh eggs and steady hands, the white shouldn’t spread too much, which should ensure both a pleasing final shape, and that the yolk be protected from overcooking. No-one can tell you how long to poach eggs for - it depends how you like the yoke. My technique is to put my bread down in the toaster on setting 4 just before putting the eggs in, and lift them out again when the toast pops. This gives me a runny yoke inside, but with some slightly more solid yolk closer to the edges. Practice practice practice! My serving suggestion is on with toasted sourdough bread, topped with smoked salmon, black pepper and accompanied by fresh coffee and orange juice.”

Cliff Harris, founder, Positech Games (Gratuitous Space Battles):

“You have to have all the right kit. And make sure you have the latest drivers for your eggs.”

_

Caspian Prince, founder, Puppy Games (Revenge of the Titans):

“Pop egg in a small plastic pot with a drop of oil. Place in a small pan of boiling water with the lid on for 4 minutes.”

_

Rich Edwards, Rich Make Game! (Pineapple Smash Crew):

“Nothing fancy to it.. simmer the water till it’s just bubbling, then bring it down a little till the water is more still. crack an egg into a small bowl/cup, then very slowly pour the egg into the water. Now (slowly) bring the water temperature back up till it’s just bubbling again. cook for 1-2 mins (starting from when you put the egg in). Remove carefully and trim any small whispy bits if they have developed. If you’re gonna do another try remove any stray bits of egg from the saucepan with a strainery-ladle.”

_

Ian Hatch, AI programmer, Ubisoft Montreal:

“Pan, vinegar, swirl.”

Jonathan ‘Bidds’ Biddle, design director, Curve Studios (Explodemon):

“Add a capful of vinegar, then stir the pan of boiling water (3-4” deep) so there’s a whirlpool. Break egg into centre of whirlpool. Water should be simmering, not violently bubbling. Cook for just under 3 mins for that runny yolk joy."

_

Dan Marshall, founder, Size Five Games (Time Gentlemen, Please!):

“Bottomless ramekin rings are a poached egg’s best friend, keeps it all super tidy . Also, brown sauce.”

_

Pat Garratt, editor, Videogaming247.com :

“Still, gently boiling water and lots of vinegar. The acid sets the egg quickly so you don’t get explodo-egg. A brave man attempts poached eggs with no vinegar, fresh or nay. They use vinegar in every restaurant I’ve ever worked in. They keep them on ice, then reheat them for service.”

_

Michael Brough, smestorp (Vertex Dispenser):

“I like to poach them in oil with parsley and pepper.”

_

Ben Parfitt, editor, MCVUK.com :

“Don’t be afraid to spoon boiling water onto the top of the poaching egg to ensure an even cook.”

Kerry Turner, Littleloud (The Curfew, Sweat Shop):

“I use the old cling film trick .”

_

Kieron Gillen, father of the New Games Journalism:

“I’d suggest lightly olive oil-ing the cling film before adding the egg.”

_

Ian Hardingham, designer/programmer, Mode 7 Games (Frozen Synapse):

“My wife poaches my eggs using this weird plastic device which looks a bit like a flower.”

Tom Hatfield, PC Gamer :

“No matter how well you poach it, no-one will ever accept that it’s as well poached as the eggs they enjoyed when they were a child.”

_

Joe Martin, games editor, Bit-Tech /Custom PC:

“Ducks eggs work way better than chicken eggs.”

_

Lizi Attwood, programmer, Relentless Software (Buzz!):

“Use a crap load of white wine vinegar, basically.”

Thanks, games industry! Truly, you have made the world a better place this day.

Rock Paper Shotgun is better when you sign in

Sign in and join us on our journey to discover strange and compelling PC games.

All 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints and where to get them

These areas have the highest chance of giving you Blueprints

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Looking for more Arc Raiders Blueprints? It’s a special day when you find a Blueprint, as they’re among the most valuable items in Arc Raiders. If you find a Blueprint that you haven’t already found, then you must make sure you hold onto it at all costs, because Blueprints are the key to one of the most important and powerful systems of meta-progression in the game.

This guide aims to be the very best guide on Blueprints you can find, starting with a primer on what exactly they are and how they work in Arc Raiders, before delving into exactly where to get Blueprints and the very best farming spots for you to take in your search.

We’ll also go over how to get Blueprints from other unlikely activities, such as destroying Surveyors and completing specific quests. And you’ll also find the full list of all 75 Blueprints in Arc Raiders on this page (including the newest Blueprints added with the Cold Snap update , such as the Deadline Blueprint and Firework Box Blueprint), giving you all the information you need to expand your own crafting repertoire.

In this guide:

• What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?
• Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes
• Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders Blueprints obtained from quests Blueprints obtained from Trials Best Blueprint farming locations

What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?

Blueprints in Arc Raiders are special items which, if you manage to extract with them, you can expend to permanently unlock a new crafting recipe in your Workshop. If you manage to extract from a raid with an Anvil Blueprint, for example, you can unlock the ability to craft your very own Anvil Pistol, as many times as you like (as long as you have the crafting materials).

To use a Blueprint, simply open your Inventory while in the lobby, then right-click on the Blueprint and click “Learn And Consume” . This will permanently unlock the recipe for that item in your Workshop. As of the Stella Montis update, there are allegedly 75 different Blueprints to unlock - although only 68 are confirmed to be in the game so far. You can see all the Blueprints you’ve found and unlocked by going to the Workshop menu, and hitting “R” to bring up the Blueprint screen.

It’s possible to find duplicates of past Blueprints you’ve already unlocked. If you find these, then you can either sell them, or - if you like to play with friends - you can take it into a match and gift it to your friend so they can unlock that recipe for themselves. Another option is to keep hold of them until the time comes to donate them to the Expedition.

Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes

Below is the full list of all the Blueprints that are currently available to find in Arc Raiders, and the crafting recipe required for each item:

Note: The missing Blueprints in this list likely have not actually been added to the game at the time of writing, because none of the playerbase has managed to find any of them. As they are added to the game, I will update this page with the most relevant information so you know exactly how to get all 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints.

Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders

Below is a list of all containers, modifiers, and events which maximise your chances of finding Blueprints:

• Certain quests reward you with specific Blueprints .
• Completing Trials has a high chance of offering Blueprints as rewards.
• Surveyors have a decent chance of dropping Blueprints on death.
• High loot value areas tend to have a greater chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Night Raids and Storms may increase rare Blueprint spawn chances in containers.
• Containers with higher numbers of items may have a higher tendency to spawn Blueprints. As a result, Blue Gate (which has many “large” containers containing multiple items) may give you a higher chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Raider containers (Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, Medical Bags, Grenade Tubes) have increased Blueprint drop rates. As a result, the Uncovered Caches event gives you a high chance of finding Blueprints.
• Security Lockers have a higher than average chance of containing Blueprints.
• Certain Blueprints only seem to spawn under specific circumstances: Tempest Blueprint only spawns during Night Raid events. Vulcano Blueprint only spawns during Hidden Bunker events. Jupiter and Equaliser Blueprints only spawn during Harvester events.

Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, and other raider-oriented container types have a good chance of offering Blueprints. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints have a very low chance of spawning in any container in Arc Raiders, around 1-2% on average. However, there is a higher chance of finding Blueprints in particular container types. Specifically, you can find more Blueprints in Raider containers and security lockers.

Beyond this, if you’re looking for Blueprints you should focus on regions of the map which are marked as having particularly high-value loot. Areas such as the Control Tower in Dam Battlegrounds, the Arrival and Departure Buildings in Spaceport, and Pilgrim’s Peak in Blue Gate all have a better-than-average chance of spawning Blueprints somewhere amongst all their containers. Night Raids and Electromagnetic Storm events also increase the drop chances of certain Blueprints .

In addition to these containers, you can often loot Blueprints from destroyed Surveyors - the largest of the rolling ball ARC. Surveyors are more commonly found on the later maps - Spaceport and Blue Gate - and if one spawns in your match, you’ll likely see it by the blue laser beam that it casts into the sky while “surveying”.

Surveyors are quite well-armoured and will very speedily run away from you once it notices you, but if you can take one down then make sure you loot all its parts for a chance of obtaining certain unusual Blueprints.

Blueprints obtained from quests

One way in which you can get Blueprints is by completing certain quests for the vendors in Speranza. Some quests will reward you with a specific item Blueprint upon completion, so as long as you work through all the quests in Arc Raiders, you are guaranteed those Blueprints.

Here is the full list of all Blueprints you can get from quest rewards:

• Trigger Nade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Sparks Fly”.
• Lure Grenade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Greasing Her Palms”.
• Burletta Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Industrial Espionage”.
• Hullcracker Blueprint (and Launcher Ammo Blueprint): Rewarded after completing “The Major’s Footlocker”.

Alas, that’s only 4 Blueprints out of a total of 75 to unlock, so for the vast majority you will need to find them yourself during a raid. If you’re intent on farming Blueprints, then it’s best to equip yourself with cheap gear in case you lose it, but don’t use a free loadout because then you won’t get a safe pocket to stash any new Blueprint you find. No pain in Arc Raiders is sharper than failing to extract with a new Blueprint you’ve been after for a dozen hours already.

One of the best ways to get Blueprints is by hitting three stars on all five Trials every week. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints obtained from Trials

One of the very best ways to get Blueprints is as rewards for completing Trials in Arc Raiders. Trials are unlocked from Level 15 onwards, and allow you to earn rewards by focusing on certain tasks over the course of several raids. For example, one Trial might task you with dealing damage to Hornets, while another might challenge you to loot Supply Drops.

Trials refresh on a weekly basis, with a new week bringing five new Trials. Each Trial can offer up to three rewards after passing certain score milestones, and it’s possible to receive very high level loot from these reward crates - including Blueprints. So if you want to unlock as many Blueprints as possible, you should make a point of completing as many Trials as possible each week.

Best Blueprint farming locations

The very best way to get Blueprints is to frequent specific areas of the maps which combine high-tier loot pools with the right types of containers to search. Here are my recommendations for where to find Blueprints on every map, so you can always keep the search going for new crafting recipes to unlock.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Dam Battlegrounds

The best places to farm Blueprints on Dam Battlegrounds are the Control Tower, Power Generation Complex, Ruby Residence, and Pale Apartments . The first two regions, despite only being marked on the map as mid-tier loot, contain a phenomenal number of containers to loot. The Control Tower can also contain a couple of high-tier Security Lockers - though of course, you’ll need to have unlocked the Security Breach skill at the end of the Survival tree.

There’s also a lot of reporting amongst the playerbase that the Residential areas in the top-left of the map - Pale Apartments and Ruby Residence - give you a comparatively strong chance of finding Blueprints. Considering their size, there’s a high density of containers to loot in both locations, and they also have the benefit of being fairly out of the way. So you’re more likely to have all the containers to yourself.

Buried City

The best Blueprint farming locations on Buried City are the Santa Maria Houses, Grandioso Apartments, Town Hall, and the various buildings of the New District . Grandioso Apartments has a lower number of containers than the rest, but a high chance of spawning weapon cases - which have good Blueprint drop rates. The others are high-tier loot areas, with plenty of lootable containers - including Security Lockers.

Spaceport

The best places to find Blueprints on Spaceport are the Arrival and Departure Buildings, as well as Control Tower A6 and the Launch Towers . All these areas are labelled as high-value loot regions, and many of them are also very handily connected to one another by the Spaceport wall, which you can use to quickly run from one area to the next. At the tops of most of these buildings you’ll find at least one Security Locker, so this is an excellent farming route for players looking to find Blueprints.

The downside to looting Blueprints on Spaceport is that all these areas are hotly contested, particularly in Duos and Squads. You’ll need to be very focused and fast in order to complete the full farming route.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blue Gate

Blue Gate tends to have a good chance of dropping Blueprints, potentially because it generally has a high number of containers which can hold lots of items; so there’s a higher chance of a Blueprint spawning in each container. In my experience, the best Blueprint farming spots on Blue Gate are Pilgrim’s Peak, Raider’s Refuge, the Ancient Fort, and the Underground Complex beneath the Warehouse .

All of these areas contain a wealth of containers to loot. Raider’s Refuge has less to loot, but the majority of the containers in and around the Refuge are raider containers, which have a high chance of containing Blueprints - particularly during major events.

Stella Montis

On the whole, Stella Montis seems to have a very low drop rate for Blueprints (though a high chance of dropping other high-tier loot). If you do want to try farming Blueprints on this map, the best places to find Blueprints in Stella Montis are Medical Research, Assembly Workshop, and the Business Center . These areas have the highest density of containers to loot on the map.

In addition to this, the Western Tunnel has a few different Security Lockers to loot, so while there’s very little to loot elsewhere in this area of the map, it’s worth hitting those Security Lockers if you spawn there at the start of a match.

That wraps up this primer on how to get all the Blueprints in Arc Raiders as quickly as possible. With the Expedition system constantly resetting a large number of players’ Blueprints, it’s more important than ever to have the most up-to-date information on where to find all these Blueprints.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our Arc Raiders best guns tier list , as well as our primers on the best skills to unlock and all the different Field Depot locations on every map.

ARC Raiders

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

Rock Paper Shotgun is better when you sign in

Sign in and join us on our journey to discover strange and compelling PC games.