Matrix Games Forums

The resort/mine has a commerce center. I dont believe you can even save the design without one. Anyway, the bases are working fine. I just want to know if I can make them work better.
What are mining caps? Does it depend on the resource%?

ORIGINAL: Nedrear

The % just tells you the maximum extraction overall.

Yes as I mentioned before, 90% means a maximum extraction of 90 per week by mining (360 in gases). This is achieved through 3 lv 1 mining devices a 27 units with 81 per week or with four giving 90 a week, wasting 18 of 27 (66%).

If it would be a 45% world it would be 13,5 per mining devices, adding up to 40/45 with three and 45 a week with 9 waste of 13,5, still 66% in waste.

Hmm..

First, let me see if I understand you.

On planets and asteroids:
N% = N units available per month

On mining bases and ships:
R rate of extraction = R units extracted per week or 3 x R units extracted per month

So far so good?

I have noticed the extraction rate on the design screen seems to vary by number of components in a non-linear fashion.
So instead of focusing on component count I will focus on overall extraction rate of the base in question.

Now, assuming I am correct so far...
On an asteroid with 90% rating, the ideal extraction rate for my base would be 30 (30 per week = 90 units per month = 90%)

On an asteroid with 60%, the ideal station would have a rating of 20.

Etc.

Is this correct? Thank you for bearing with me.

No N% = N ressource PER TICK (a week) and N% = 4xN ressource in case of gases.
 
The extraction is always Rx10 for 100%. The data in your design window calculates for 10% worlds. Therefore keep that in mind. You always need a total extraction of 10 for mines (3,33 mining devices lv 1 in stations). The 10 will scale with the %. You always need the SAME AMOUNT for EVERY ressource and every AMOUNT OF ressource. On a planet with luxury and mining ressources, even if two of both, you only need 4 luxury and 4 mining devices. Though since you get twice cap of two ressources, the wase lowers to 33%.
When mining 3 or more than 3 ressources of one type, 4 becomes the efficient way of extraction.
 
AGAIN: The maximum extraction rate counts per tick, which is a week. Therefore you should have 90 extracton overall. This means 3 extractors with 81 efficiently and 90 with four through waste.

Excellent!
The two things that confused me are finally now dancing in harmony.
To paraphrase, in the case of mines, you want an extraction rate of 10 ideally. What you are saying is that since level 1 mines have an extraction rate of 3 you either take 3 components and get 90% of the potential resources or you take 4 components and get 100% (you have a rating of 12 but beyond 10 the rating is meaningless--this is the "waste" you refer to, ie wasted cost for the superfluous 2 extra rating points).

Independent of this, high % resource locations generate more resource in the same amount of time so for mining stations it might be a good idea to put some extra storage on them if they are at a resource rich location, right? Pointless to mine that much if you cant hold it until the freighters get there, right?

Finally, back to asteroids, they may have a high % when compared to many planets, but since they invariably have only one resource, you should consider this when deciding where to build. An asteroid of 90% steel will give you maximum of 90 units but a planet of 50% steel and 50% gold will give you 50 units of each in the same period of time. You dont get as much steel, but you do get more total resources overall.

This is very interesting. Thank you.

Well we took long enough to settle that.
 
Don't forget 4 extractors are always worth it with 3 or more ressources. In that case 3 would be inefficient.
 
Reason:
1 lv 1 100% extractor generates 30
 
4 Extractors lv 1 on 1 ressource = 90 + 10 + 66% waste
4 Extractors lv 1 on 2 ressources = 180 + 20 + 66% waste
4 Extractors lv 1 on 3 ressources = 270 + 30 + 66% waste
4 Extractors lv 1 on 4 ressources = 360 + 40 + 66% waste
 
The waste is 66% meaning 20/30. Therefore you make a win - win situation by 20 as it is an overall ressource bonus of 20 which is the extraction of 66% on a 1 ressource world. With 4 ressources you practically get a bonus considering it a 2 extractor mine on a planet for free. But consider this step only at worthy locations... materials your industry eats a dozen.

Frankly, I think the 66% waste thing is a bit misleading and unnecessarily confusing. At least for me. You arent wasting resources. Its just the cost to performance ratio of 3 mining components versus 4. On a single resource 100% world it is like 750 spacebucks to get 90 resources versus 1000 spacebucks to get 100. But, as you point out, the cost benefit curve changes dramatically when multiple resources are present and since time and resource market value are also factors, it really makes sense to push your stations to 10 or more extraction rate as long as you can pay the maintenence costs. Even considering maintenance, intuitively it seems wise to have one expensive high yield resource mine versus scattered smaller ones. Particularly if in your home system.
What is the strategic value of a single extractor mine? Just to keep other empires from mining the location? Admitedly caslon fuel stations are an obvious exception--I am thinking about non-gas mines, though.

Ned: you should incorporate your post into your mining guide as an overview. The examples given on the game mechanics with multiple resources at a mining location is interesting and would help emphasise the conclusion you reach on your mining guide.

ORIGINAL: Nedrear

Well we took long enough to settle that.

Don't forget 4 extractors are always worth it with 3 or more ressources. In that case 3 would be inefficient.

Reason:
1 lv 1 100% extractor generates 30

4 Extractors lv 1 on 1 ressource = 90 + 10 + 66% waste
4 Extractors lv 1 on 2 ressources = 180 + 20 + 66% waste
4 Extractors lv 1 on 3 ressources = 270 + 30 + 66% waste
4 Extractors lv 1 on 4 ressources = 360 + 40 + 66% waste

The waste is 66% meaning 20/30. Therefore you make a win - win situation by 20 as it is an overall ressource bonus of 20 which is the extraction of 66% on a 1 ressource world. With 4 ressources you practically get a bonus considering it a 2 extractor mine on a planet for free. But consider this step only at worthy locations... materials your industry eats a dozen.