Core Concepts

Core Concepts

PandaWorks AutoLoot is not just a simple “grab everything nearby” mod.

PWAL is a loot routing framework.

That means it does three main things:

1. Finds loot.
2. Decides whether that loot is allowed to be looted.
3. Sends that loot to the correct destination.

If something does not loot, it usually failed one of those three steps.

PWAL now covers both supported ground loot and supported space salvage. From the player’s point of view, it is one framework. Internally, ground looting and space salvage may use different paths so each system can be handled safely.

Looting Must Be Enabled

PWAL does nothing unless looting is enabled.

If looting is off, the framework is paused.

This is intentional.

Ground Loot vs Space Salvage

PWAL handles both ground-based looting and supported space salvage.

These systems are connected through the same overall framework, but they are not all forced through the same backend scanner path.

Ground looting handles normal loot sources such as:

• Loose items
• Containers
• Corpses
• Harvestables
• Scanner-based loot sources
• Supported world objects

Space salvage handles supported space-based loot sources such as:

• Asteroid deposits
• Space cargo
• Destroyed hostile ship debris

Space salvage uses its own isolated pipeline instead of being forced through the normal ground-looting scanner.

This keeps space salvage cleaner, safer, and easier to maintain while still allowing PWAL to act as one unified loot framework from the player’s point of view.

Space salvage does not mean PWAL can loot every object floating in space.

Some space objects are scenery, quest objects, activators, markers, or Bethesda nonsense wearing a rock costume.

Why One Framework Matters

Before PWAL supported space salvage, players often needed separate solutions for different parts of Starfield’s loot cleanup.

That could mean:

• One auto-looter for normal ground gameplay
• Another tool for asteroid deposits
• Another tool for ship debris
• More overlap
• More conflicts
• More chances for two mods to fight over the same inventory source

PWAL brings supported ground loot and supported space salvage together under one player-facing framework.

One setup. One routing system. One place to check. Less mod stacking. Less repetitive cleanup.

Categories Control What Gets Looted

Loot categories control whether PWAL is allowed to loot a type of item.

Examples include:

• Weapons
• Armor
• Ammo
• Aid
• Chems
• Food
• Drinks
• Resources
• Collectibles
• Books
• Dataslates
• Junk
• Containers
• Corpses
• Scanner-based loot sources

If a category is turned off, PWAL will ignore that category.

Do not report this as a bug. The setting is doing its job.

Space salvage may have its own supported features and backend handling depending on the version and plugin. Do not assume every space object is controlled by the same category logic as normal ground loot.

Destinations Control Where Loot Goes

Destinations control where loot is sent after PWAL decides it can be looted.

Supported destinations include:

• Player
• PandaWorks Inventory
• Player Ship Cargo
• Lodge Safe
• The Void, where available

Categories and destinations are separate systems.

A category can be enabled but still routed somewhere other than the player.

If you cannot find an item in your inventory, check the destination you assigned.

Supported space salvage is intended to route recovered space loot into Player Ship Cargo.

Some Items Are Forced

Not every item should be freely routed.

Some items must go to the player because they are tied to progression, unlocks, quest behavior, or direct player acquisition.

Examples include:

• Credits
• Keycards
• Skill magazines
• Landmark books
• Certain activator-based pickups
• Quest/progression items when detected by the game

These items are not normal storage loot.

They belong to the player.

Contraband Is Special

Contraband is handled differently because Starfield’s contraband scan system is annoying and easy to break with automation.

If contraband is silently moved into the wrong place, the player can get stuck in stupid arrest loops.

PWAL protects against that by treating contraband as a special case.

By default, contraband should go to PandaWorks Inventory unless the framework specifically allows another safe behavior.

This is not an accident.

This is the panda preventing space jail nonsense.

PandaWorks Inventory

PandaWorks Inventory is PWAL’s dedicated storage container.

It is used for items that should be collected but not necessarily dumped into the player’s inventory.

Good candidates for PandaWorks Inventory include:

• Junk
• Misc items
• Contraband
• Overflow loot
• Items the player wants stored but not carried

The point is to reduce inventory clutter.

Player Ship Cargo

Player Ship Cargo is useful for resources, heavy storage, and supported space salvage.

Good candidates include:

• Inorganic resources
• Organic resources
• Manufactured resources
• Crafting materials
• Supported asteroid deposits
• Supported space cargo
• Supported destroyed hostile ship debris

Supported asteroid deposits, space cargo, and destroyed hostile ship debris are intended to feed recovered items into ship cargo.

Ship cargo depends on the player having a valid home ship.

If the player does not have a valid home ship yet, ship cargo actions may fail safely or be redirected depending on the current framework behavior.

Lodge Safe

The Lodge Safe is useful for long-term storage.

Good candidates include:

• Collectibles
• Rare items
• Display items
• Items the player wants to keep but not carry

Some players may prefer to send collectibles to the Lodge Safe.

Others may route them elsewhere.

Set it how you want it.

The Void

The Void is a disposal-style destination.

Items sent to The Void are not stored normally.

The Void is intended for cleanup and optional salvage-style behavior, not free money printing.

If you send something to The Void, do not expect to pull it back out later.

The void eats. The void does not apologize.

Utility Device

PWAL includes a portable utility device.

The utility device opens the utility terminal from your inventory.

It is meant for quick access to:

• PandaWorks Inventory
• Lodge Safe
• Player Ship Cargo
• Transfer utilities
• Looting toggle
• Logging toggle

The utility device is not the main configuration tool.

Use the PandaWorks AutoLoot Terminal for full setup.

Main Terminal

The PandaWorks AutoLoot Terminal is the main configuration interface.

It is found in the Weapons section of your inventory.

Use it to configure:

• Loot categories
• Destinations
• Settings
• Always Loot behavior
• Radius behavior
• Utility menus

If you are setting PWAL up for the first time, start with the main terminal.

Terminal Menus

PWAL uses terminal menus instead of dumping every setting into random aid items or hotkeys.

This keeps configuration organized.

Major terminal areas include:

• Loot categories
• Loot destinations
• General settings
• Always Loot settings
• Utilities
• Inventory access
• Transfer tools

If you are lost, go back to the main terminal.

Always Loot

Always Loot allows specific enabled categories to keep being looted even when normal looting is paused.

The category still needs to be enabled.

Always Loot does not mean “loot everything in the universe.”

It means selected systems can keep running under controlled conditions.

Radius Settings

PWAL uses scan radius settings to control how far it looks for supported ground loot.

Higher radius means more coverage, but also more work.

Lower radius means less coverage, but better performance.

Do not crank every radius to max and then act surprised if Starfield starts sweating.

Use a radius that fits your machine and your playstyle.

Space salvage may use separate detection behavior depending on the source being processed. Do not assume the ground loot radius controls every space salvage source.

Restricted Locations

Some locations may be restricted or controlled by settings.

This is to prevent PWAL from looting places where automated looting may cause problems.

Examples may include important interiors, faction areas, player homes, outposts, ships, or other special locations depending on settings.

If PWAL is not looting in a specific area, check restricted-location settings before assuming the mod is broken.

Transfers

Transfer utilities move items between supported storage locations.

Examples include moving items between:

• PandaWorks Inventory
• Player Ship Cargo
• Lodge Safe
• Player

Transfers are separate from auto-looting.

Auto-looting collects items.

Transfers move already-collected items.

Do not confuse the two.

Basic Ground Loot Logic Flow

PWAL’s basic ground loot logic looks like this:

1. Is looting enabled?
2. Is the item in range?
3. Is the location allowed?
4. Is the item category enabled?
5. Is the item valid to loot?
6. Does the item have forced routing?
7. If not forced, what destination did the player choose?
8. Move the item.

If any step fails, the item may not move.

That does not automatically mean the mod is broken.

Basic Space Salvage Logic Flow

PWAL’s basic space salvage logic looks like this:

1. Is looting enabled?
2. Is the installed version or plugin able to support that space salvage source?
3. Is the target a supported space salvage source?
4. Is the player in a valid ship state?
5. Does the player have a valid home ship or ship cargo target?
6. Can the recovered loot be safely processed?
7. Move the recovered loot to ship cargo.

If any step fails, the salvage may not move.

Space salvage is not the same thing as normal ground looting. It uses different assumptions, different targets, and different failure points.

Supported Space Salvage

Confirmed supported in version 1.1.2:

• Asteroid deposits to ship cargo
• Space cargo to ship cargo
• Destroyed hostile ship debris to ship cargo

This does not mean every rock, wreck, marker, activator, or visual object in space is lootable.

Supported means PWAL has a working path for that source.

Unsupported means the object may not expose usable inventory, may not be safe to process, or may simply be Bethesda nonsense wearing a convincing costume.

Player Responsibility

PWAL gives you control.

That also means you are responsible for your settings.

Before reporting a bug, check:

• Looting is enabled.
• The category is enabled, if the system uses category control.
• The item is close enough, if range applies.
• The item belongs to the category you think it does.
• The destination is configured.
• The destination is available.
• The location is not restricted.
• The item was not routed somewhere else.
• The target is actually a supported loot or salvage source.
• For space salvage, you checked Player Ship Cargo.
• Space salvage is supported by the version or plugin you installed.

Most “missing loot” reports are really “the item went exactly where the player told it to go.”

Or, in space, “that thing was never a valid salvage source in the first place.”

Summary

PWAL is built around four core ideas:

• Categories decide what can be looted.
• Destinations decide where loot goes.
• Forced rules protect important gameplay items.
• Space salvage uses its own pipeline where needed.

Set those correctly and the framework works.

Ignore them and the panda will happily obey your bad instructions.