Protocore Farming in Love and Deepspace
In Love and Deepspace protocores are these little power cores you slot into Memories to make your team stronger. In the story, they’re scavenged from Wanderers, but in gameplay terms they’re basically a gear system you unlock after clearing Main Story 4-13. They’re where the real min-maxing starts.
Table of Contents
The Basics
Rarity & caps: Protocores come in three tiers: blue R, purple SR, and gold SSR. The higher the rarity, the better the stats and the further you can level them. R cores cap out pretty early at level 9, SRs go up to 12, and SSRs can hit 15.
Classes/slots: Each Memory has four slots for Protocores: Alpha (α), Beta (β), Gamma (γ), and Delta (δ). Alpha and Beta only work with Solar Memories, while Gamma and Delta go with Lunar ones. On top of that, the Protocore has to match the Stellacrum (its color and shape) of the Memory, otherwise it will not fit.
Attributes & leveling: Every Protocore starts with one main stat (its Primary) and can unlock up to four extra bonuses (its Secondaries) as you level it up. You get a new secondary or an upgrade every three levels, usually filling out by level 12. To level them, you need Core Energy and Gold, and if you have extras you can break them down to recycle into Core Energy.
How to Get (and Farm) Protocores
1. Core Hunt (your main farm)
Core Hunt is where you’ll spend most of your time farming Protocores. It’s a battle mode with rotating areas, and the further you push, the better the rewards. Running it costs Stamina, so you’ll want to plan your farming around the weekly schedule.
Weekly schedule and drops:
- Fusion Area – open Monday, Thursday, and Sunday – drops Emerald and Ruby cores
- Dissociation Area – open Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday – drops Sapphire and Pearl cores
- Disambiguation Area – open Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday – drops Violet and Amber cores
Pro tip: Sunday is the best day to farm since all three areas are open.
Event boosts: Sometimes the game runs “double-drop” weeks like Hunting Season. During these, your first Core Hunts each day will give twice the usual loot (there’s usually a daily limit). It’s a good idea to save up Stamina items and burn them during these events.
2. Decomposition (turning extras into fuel)
As you farm, you’ll pile up a ton of Protocores you don’t really need. Don’t let them sit there—batch-decompose them. Breaking down unused Protocores gives you Core Energy, which is what you use to upgrade the ones you actually keep. If you’ve already enhanced something and then decide to decompose it later, you’ll get Core Energy back plus some extra Gold.
Smart Building: Putting Protocores to Work
Match first, then optimize.
Before worrying about stats, make sure the Protocore actually fits. Each slot (α, β, γ, δ) has its own type, and the Protocore also has to match the Memory’s Stellacrum. If it does not line up, you cannot equip it. If it does, you will see an immediate boost.
Invest where it matters.
Blue R cores are fine as temporary fillers, but do not sink too much into them since they cap out fast. Save your Core Energy for purple SRs and gold SSRs with good primary stats. Those are the ones worth pushing past level 10 and building around.
Know the breakpoints.
Every few levels (3, 6, 9, 12) your Protocore either gains a new secondary stat or upgrades an existing one. By level 12 you will have all four secondaries revealed, and anything past that just strengthens what you already rolled. It is worth planning your upgrades around these points so you do not waste resources.
The Efficient Farming Loop
First, play through the story until you hit 4-13, that’s when the Protocore system unlocks. At the start, just slot in any R cores that match so you can get the ball rolling.
Next, work on Core Hunt. Push as far as you can and try to 3-star the highest stage you can reliably auto. The deeper you go, the better the drop quality.
Use the weekly schedule to farm the colors you’re missing, and if you need multiple types, Sunday is your big farming day since everything’s open then.
When a double-drop event rolls around, always knock out your daily Core Hunts first to grab the bonus loot. After that, you can go back to your usual grind.
And finally, don’t hoard junk cores. Keep a small stash of SRs and SSRs with good stats, then break down the rest for Core Energy. Use that fuel to push your best pieces to level 12 or 15, since those breakpoints are where they really start to shine.
Common Pitfalls
Dumping too much EXP into blue R cores.
They hit their cap really quickly, so think of them as temporary fillers. Use them early on, but move your resources into SR and SSR cores as soon as you get them.
Forgetting slot and class rules.
If a slot calls for an α core with the right Stellacrum, nothing else will fit. Always double-check the little icons so you do not waste time wondering why a core will not go in.
Skipping event weeks.
Double-drop events are huge. They turn days of farming into just a few runs. Make sure you save up stamina items and tickets so you can take full advantage when these pop up.
Protocores can feel a little confusing when you first unlock them, but once you start farming and experimenting, it all clicks into place. They are really just about steady progress, slotting in what you have, upgrading bit by bit, and slowly building a set that makes your team shine. As long as you keep an eye on the weekly schedule, save your stamina for the right days, and avoid wasting too many resources on throwaway cores, you will keep moving forward. It takes some patience, but finally hitting level 12 or 15 on a good SR or SSR feels so satisfying. That is when you really see your team come alive.
Be sure to keep up with the updates and new content being release for Love and Deepspace.
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