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I've noticed on my multi-tool that if I can only have up to one of a specific upgrade but can have multiples of the same type of upgrade if they give different bonus amounts.

For example, let's say I've got a mining laser and the level 2 upgrade that gives it more combat damage. I go into the crafting screen and see that I can still craft and add the level 1 upgrade that gives it more combat damage, but I can't create a second level 2 upgrade for it.

If it has both the level 1 and level 2 upgrade, do they stack, or does it just take the best one? I'm currently coming at this from the reverse way where I've got a multi-tool that has multiple upgrades of the same type on it that I want to dismantle to make space if the lower-level ones aren't actually doing anything, but am afraid to try it out because I don't have the blueprints to recraft them if it stacks. Plus, I'm not entirely sure the best way to test it.

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  • There seems to be three types to every upgrade that you stack with each other; Sigma, Tau and Theta.
    – VanBuzzKill
    Aug 13, 2016 at 3:46
  • You'll find the blueprints by the time you have space to include both the higher- and lower-level ones, if you're talking to aliens regularly, visiting abandoned buildings, and grabbing the blue holograms on all the walls.
    – Tin Wizard
    Aug 18, 2016 at 23:00

2 Answers 2

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The answer is yes they do stack, but only if they are in the correct position. They have to be adjacent to one another horizontally. I'm not exactly sure yet if order matters (ie level 1 on the left, level 2 on the right). But, if you do have it in the correct order, a yellow box will appear around both of them. No yellow box, then not stacking. I have personally tested this out on a scanner, and it gave me a massive increase to its range.

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  • For me, the color of the border on the box is different for different components, but does only light up when you have them stacked next to each other. The scanner border is yellow, mining beam is green, and boltblaster is red. If you have 2 upgrades and they don't have a border color, they aren't stacking AFAIK.
    – xtoq
    Aug 14, 2016 at 17:38
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    I thought putting them next to each other just increased effectiveness. Are you sure that's not the case?
    – Kat
    Aug 15, 2016 at 7:21
  • You and the other answer have contradicting claims - you say placing upgrades together makes a difference in effectiveness, the other answer says it does not. Do you have any experiments/sources to back your claim?
    – Mage Xy
    Aug 17, 2016 at 15:19
  • @MageXy The other answer says adjacency DOES help but that some advantage occurs even if they aren't adjacent. Testing suggests that the other answer is correct.
    – SRM
    Aug 19, 2017 at 4:48
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    @aaron-addison Are you sure about "adjacent to one another HORIZONTALLY"? In my actual version of NMS the colors around adjacented upgrades also appears if they are vertically aligned.
    – PeterCo
    Aug 5, 2018 at 10:19
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Upgrades of the same type will stack regardless of position. For instance, if you have a +1 and a +2 upgrade to your heat resistance and they are not adjacent in your inventory, you will be protected from heat damage for a total time that is equal to the time granted by the +1 and +2 upgrades. If they are adjacent, you will be protected for slightly longer.

In short, yes they stack, but if they are adjacent, they will stack AND you will get a bonus on top of it. For more info about how the adjacency bonus works, see this question.

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    How do you know this is true?
    – Kat
    Sep 16, 2016 at 8:14
  • @Kat sorry, just saw your comment. It displays this in the UI.
    – Vemonus
    Sep 28, 2016 at 15:33

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