DIRECT ANSWER / GRAIN ROT ARTIFACT MACHINE
The ball machine is the Outpost gacha: you spend Artifact Coins to roll for artifacts, which the unlocker then opens into blueprints. Purple loot carries Artifact Coins, and glowy orbs are kept out of both the ball machine and the Grinder. The exact machine's in-Outpost placement is part of the recorded Murch workshop layout.
FIELD NOTE / 01
Start with the run loop
The supplied guides agree on a simple loop: enter the Deep Layers, decide what to dismantle, carry valuable objects toward the extractor, and bank the coins needed to leave. Glowing items are easier to identify while using Spark inspection, and purple items are described as carrying Artifact Coins. The important decision is whether to leave with a safe haul or keep exploring while enemies and hazards are active.
The elevator should be prepared before the run becomes an emergency. The material specifically advises placing the required coins into the elevator first, because pressing the exit button repeatedly while being chased costs time. Objects, furniture and bodies can remain on the elevator between trips, which makes it useful as both an extraction point and a small stash.
FIELD NOTE / 02
Spark, objects and danger
Pressing R or the right trigger ejects the Spark. In that form, the life bar drains over time and can be healed by allies, friendly NPCs or some light sources; the Spark can also scout, inspect, open doors, open chests and activate levers. A drained Spark may still move, but the run is not safe until a new vessel is found or the team can extract.
The guides repeatedly warn that damaging an object can reduce its value. Use crates for smaller loot, keep glowing valuables away from impacts, and use the Grinder only when the item's role is clear. Barrels and crates can also be used to obstruct enemies, while traps, the Grinder, lantern fire and radiators can turn the environment into a defensive tool.
FIELD NOTE / 03
The keyword-specific answer
This page keeps the searched question narrow, then connects it to the systems that affect the answer: loot value, the elevator, Spark possession, the Outpost and the threat loop. That structure is intentional. It lets a player get the direct answer first without losing the practical context needed for the next run.
Where the material gives a mechanic, the wording stays close to the supplied guides. Where it gives only a search intent, the page says “待确认” rather than filling the gap with a role name, cost, damage value, unlock condition or patch claim.
FIELD NOTE / 04
Practical checklist
Before descending, bring a way to break furniture and leave space for valuable objects. During the run, inspect rooms as Spark, protect purple or glowing items, and bank the elevator requirement early. When a chase starts, block a route, lead enemies into a hazard or retreat; greed is only useful if the crew can still reach the elevator.
Some numerical details in community material are version-sensitive. The site keeps those values tied to their source or marks them pending instead of turning one video observation into a universal rule. That is especially important for search pages about prices, damage, player counts, unlock levels and live data.
FIELD NOTE / 05
Answer for this search
Keep the evidence chain clear: identify the purple item, protect it, extract, and only then feed the pipeline at the Outpost.
The ball machine is the Outpost gacha: you spend Artifact Coins to roll for artifacts, which the unlocker then opens into blueprints. Purple loot carries Artifact Coins, and glowy orbs are kept out of both the ball machine and the Grinder. The exact machine's in-Outpost placement is part of the recorded Murch workshop layout.
FIELD NOTE / 06
How to use this record
Use the answer at the top when you need a quick decision, then read the field notes when the next action affects your run, purchase or account safety. The page keeps the practical game loop separate from platform, community and live-data claims so one confirmed mechanic does not accidentally become proof of something else.
If a future official source fills the missing field, update the marked sentence and keep the source visible. Until then, the pending label is intentional: it tells the player exactly what the supplied research can support and where verification must continue.
For a run question, carry the confirmed mechanic into a small, reversible test: protect the item, prepare the elevator, communicate the route and extract if the evidence stops. For a store or platform question, pause before spending money and return to the official page.
FIELD NOTE / FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the artifact ball machine?
A gacha machine at the Outpost where you spend Artifact Coins to roll artifacts, which the unlocker opens into blueprints.
What loot feeds the artifact pipeline?
Purple loot carries Artifact Coins for the ball machine; glowy orbs are kept separate from the ball machine and the Grinder.

