What networks do you have and were are they?

[Warcold]

*suddenly feels like he should tidy up his study too*

[Jeremiah]

It is possible link from extractor to extractor and route directly to the launchpad - links are physical transport systems and use powergrid, routes are logistical information and don't use power-grid but can overload links. I try and set up the links to be able to handle maximum flow (30 minute extraction cycle) which has meant the occasional upgrade. You can tell the load on a link by mousing over it. An example of a local upgrade would be on the Gas planet - the "necklace" of extractors - goes roughly like this A->30%->B->60%->C->90%->D->110%, overloaded so upgrade->55%->E.  This meant a bit of juggling with power-grid by changing the number of extractors. Thinking about it a cross + type setup is more efficient than a necklace --- ho hum something to think about.

Each of the basic products I try to build up a buffer supply - mostly by overloading with 30 minutes cycles when I'm online.  But my present question mark is how to avoid over extraction and ensure "just-in-time" supply of basic product to the basic processors.  Each planet has 1 advanced processor to make P2 products.  At the moment I am shuttling P1 around to make a stockpile of P2s to make the pre-cursor products for wetware mainframes.  When I'm able to use 5 planets I plan to have a set of factories P2->P4. I will probably stop the shuttling at that point to save on import duties (curse you mercantilist protectionism - free trade now!!! - when goods cannot cross borders armies will blah blah).

I arrived at these networks by trial and error - I could of course have "done the math" in advance with a spreadsheet but where's the fun in that? Of course the planetary interface is a sort of spreadsheet with graphics anyway.  I used to be fascinated by Operations Analysis (including queuing theory - shoot me now) so this was quite fun to do.

[Jeremiah]

So (with thanks to Mang)

Ocean


Ocean - separate bacteria extractor  


Gas


Lava


Barren

(Mang: Edited your links in Tyr)

[Caradir]

"just-in-time" supply

that quote alone reminded me of SOO many Engineering lectures

[peo]

So where are we with this

I've started training linnea now, will also train hrod and the cyno-gunner in gw to do it as well.

My thoughts (which might be stupid as heck) is to let linnea and hrod do most of the extraction while ignoring it with the cyno-gunner as to save training time (no sensing at all should be enough for pure processing right?).
As for products, pos-fuel is going to be it try to become self sufficient in at least some of them.

I can't start until after I've stopped working though so about 2 weeks before I can play around with it.

[Jeremiah]

Well my networks are completely different now - I dabbled with P4 production but I reckon all the money is in POS fuel and Nanite Paste right now.  I'm upgrading my planets by moving from hi sec to lo sec (its not as dangerous as people fear and it is easier to get a 3000 per 30 minutes "well" to keep my processors going).  At the momentt I am stockpiling my POS items until the big (100K +) sell orders disappear from the market and the speculative spike stops affecting prices.  In any cases prices are generally rising so I don't want to sell at the bottom. 

[Jeremiah]

The problem with splitting the extraction from the processing is you have to export the raw materials which is expensive on export duties and then re-import them to your processor - then export the final product, result? more customs duties than you want.  The ideal is to keep as much of the process on a single planet as possible only exporting when you have reached the highest product in the chain.

[Jeremiah]

oh - and I think it is better to train up Command Centres to IV first then the interplanetary consolidation - don't bother to build until you can use Advanced Command Centres.

PS.  my Cyno / Guner alt will be ready soon - does she need any special skills to get a cloned into the rorq?  and can she have a lift out to GW with her cheap cyno ship / hauler?

PPS.  you know when you've done too much PI when you start looking for clown faces in you planet scans.