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Planetary Interaction: Long Term Rules?
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Edlorna Tinebe
The Elerium Trust
#1 - 2012-11-20 21:39:32 UTC
I have a couple planets up and running now. I run them on a one-day cycle, since logging on and spend five minutes to restart each extractor head isn't a terrible burden. The output is a nice boost to my income, for very little work.

However, I wonder if perhaps I could be doing things better. For example, I generally don't care where I put the command center, since there's no need at all to have it close to the resources I want extracted. If I want something on the opposite side of the planet, I can just stick a launchpad over there, right? Am I wrong for thinking like that? How often do people break down their launchpad / extractor / processors and move them around to another spot on the planet? Is there some trick that allows me to avoid doing so?

I suppose I'm looking for guidance, not on how to set up extractors and whatnot, but on basic care and feeding of a planet after it's been up and running for a week or more.
Masterofone
#2 - 2012-11-20 21:59:09 UTC
Yes, you can put your command center wherever you want and locate the launch pad near whatever resources. The only painful part I find in this is the view goes to your command center by default, then you have to spin the globe to find your harvester, unless there is a shortcut I've missed.

As for picking up and moving your harvesters/launch pads... I don't. Typically I run a three day cycle, which allows me to tend to them every three days. I rarely ever drop below an "acceptable" level of material at the site, although it does drop off a tad bit after the initial run or two. Granted this is not maximizing output/profit, however i don't have to spend the time and isk tearing down and setting up on 27 planets (3 characters x 5 planets each + 2 characters x 6 each), although I do adjust the heads from time to time. This in on null sec planets btw.

Fly fast and shoot straight, find peace when you need it, war when you want it, love always and turn up the music.
Denal Umbra
Coffee Hub
#3 - 2012-11-20 22:14:26 UTC
Depends on the setup you are using for extracing.

If you are just producing p2 then you will rarely have to move the whole operation, if ever. Unless it is a very popular high-sec / low-sec planet. In that case, it is often better to drop the CC next to the operation for ease of use. No need to spin the globe to find your extractors. The most maintenance needed is to move the extractor heads around or changing the programs on the 2 Extraction Units (EU). Material A->B on EU1 and Material B->A on EU2.

If you however, are using massive p1 extraction planets(strip mining), then you will need to move around the heads / launchpads quite often. If you happen to be using a low tax (or 0% tax poco), you can even launch to poco and back to a different launchad which connects to the basic factories.

On strip mining planets, I used to like to place a CC / Basic facilites not near a hot spot, but in range of multiple hot spots. In that case, you can demolish the exctractor unit and move it to a new place with ease. Most of the time, still had the PG for 10 heads even with long links. 1 day programs usually do not overburden the unupgraded links and if they do... you are extracting more than you are using up anyway, which is very rare.
Edlorna Tinebe
The Elerium Trust
#4 - 2012-11-20 22:15:50 UTC
Thanks for the input. I didn't think it would be all that complicated, but I just wanted to check.

As a related topic, does anyone know how resources are replenished and consumed? Do I need to be checking for other players mining a particular resource hotspot before I place my own extractors? I've read about some people who claim that resources are replenished at downtime, or that if you start a 14 day extraction run, then all 14 days of resources are removed as soon as you press submit.
Denal Umbra
Coffee Hub
#5 - 2012-11-20 22:28:36 UTC
Edlorna Tinebe wrote:
Thanks for the input. I didn't think it would be all that complicated, but I just wanted to check.

As a related topic, does anyone know how resources are replenished and consumed? Do I need to be checking for other players mining a particular resource hotspot before I place my own extractors? I've read about some people who claim that resources are replenished at downtime, or that if you start a 14 day extraction run, then all 14 days of resources are removed as soon as you press submit.


I believe it was Spyth who posted a quite accurate and long detailed view on how extraction / replenishment works in a thread about 2-3 pages back? Might try searching for it if interested. From experience, i have noted the same mechanics at work. There has however, never been an official statement from CCP on how it really works.

In essence, there is a set amount of materials on a planet. You extract amount A, and amount B is replenished. If the extracted amount A is higher than the replenished amount B, the hot spot dwindles and will take more time to replenish. If A and B are very similar, the hot spot is more or less unchanged unless the materials "moves" itself (gas clouds moving etc). Also, the higher the "abundance" meter (the bar that next to the resource name), the higher the replenishment rate.

I have never seen proof to the "14 day depletion" myth and have tried to replicate the results and failed. The change visible in 'yields' is most of the times the lack of planetology skills. Skilling up the character, reduces/removes the visible discrepancies.

As for when the change is recalculated... then it's either after DT or after the program has extracted some materials. My guess would be, that replenishment happens during DT and the materials are removed after it cycles. However, to make things fair then you can't take away all the materials that someone else is extracting in the same spot so everyone gets an 'average' yield.
Bugsy VanHalen
Society of lost Souls
#6 - 2012-11-21 14:49:17 UTC
Edlorna Tinebe wrote:
I have a couple planets up and running now. I run them on a one-day cycle, since logging on and spend five minutes to restart each extractor head isn't a terrible burden. The output is a nice boost to my income, for very little work.

However, I wonder if perhaps I could be doing things better. For example, I generally don't care where I put the command center, since there's no need at all to have it close to the resources I want extracted. If I want something on the opposite side of the planet, I can just stick a launchpad over there, right? Am I wrong for thinking like that? How often do people break down their launchpad / extractor / processors and move them around to another spot on the planet? Is there some trick that allows me to avoid doing so?

I suppose I'm looking for guidance, not on how to set up extractors and whatnot, but on basic care and feeding of a planet after it's been up and running for a week or more.

Yes you can place planetary structures anywhere on the planet. There is no requirement for them to be linked to the command center. You could place two launch pads on opposite sides of a planet with adjacent extractors pulling two different resource nodes. Almost as if you had two separate facilities.

However doing this is usually counter productive as since the cpu/pg of links were changed most planets are small enough a link running half way around the planet uses less resources than a second launch pad. Unless you already need the extra storage.

There is potential for huge isk income from PI. However it is directly related to how much time and effort you put into running it. I have several planets where my facilities have moved far away from the command center from changing production or chasing hot spots. Why tear down and rebuild the CC if their is no need to keep it linked to the rest of your facilities. Dropping and upgrading the CC is the most expensive part of setting up PI. After that you can change the location of your cluster of LP and factories anywhere you want on the planet.

I have a few set ups on smaller planets where two extractor hubs are placed halfway around the planet from each other. I then have the launch pad and factories somewhere in the middle. The crazy long links are worth the extra CPU/PG to get the extractors into the best position. I will often leave the launchpad and factories in a central location and move the extractors anywhere on the planet to chase down the best hot spots. Sure I may be limited to the number of heads I can have out, but 3 heads on a really good hot spot can bring in more than 10 heads in a bad location. Chasing hot spots is well worth it if you do not mind paying to move extractors all the time.

the ket is to decide how much time per day or per week you are willing to spend on PI, then work out a plan to maximize your income for that schedule. for some that do not want to spend any time on PI setting up planets to extract two P0 and produce P2 running on a 4-8 day cycle is the best option. Low income but only needs attended once per week. At the other extreme there are players who make most of there isk off PI importing all needed P1 to factory planets making P4. You can make way more isk running 6 factory planets with zero extraction planets but you need a lot of isk to get it going and it can require spending several hours every day to keep it running. There are also a tonne of other possibilities in between.

There is no right or wrong way to do PI. It is all about finding what works best for you. The only rule is always move mats thru a storage facility or launch pad. If diectly routed when an extractor cycles any mats the P1 factory can not take are lost if they are not routed thru a storage. When a P3 factory cycles before the P4 factory is able to receive the mats the mats from the P3 factory will be lost. Always route outputs to a storage or launchpad. And then route from there to the next step in the chain.
Styth spiting
Brutor Tribe
Minmatar Republic
#7 - 2012-11-21 20:07:58 UTC
Edlorna Tinebe wrote:

However, I wonder if perhaps I could be doing things better. For example, I generally don't care where I put the command center, since there's no need at all to have it close to the resources I want extracted.


The CC placement dosen't really matter other then when you first view a planet this is where it will zoom to, so I just place it near my factories.

Edlorna Tinebe wrote:

If I want something on the opposite side of the planet, I can just stick a launchpad over there, right? Am I wrong for thinking like that?

I know some people do this but its just never been viable imo. I just always make sure I can reach at least 1/2 of the planet with 10 heads from my silo/storage.


Edlorna Tinebe wrote:

How often do people break down their launchpad / extractor / processors and move them around to another spot on the planet? Is there some trick that allows me to avoid doing so?


There is really no reason to do this. materials spawn randomly though out the planet (but some spawn in specific regions of a planet). for example planktic colonies spawn more frequently about 25 degrees away from the poles, microorganisms spawn more frequently near the enter of the planet (warmest areas I guess?) and so on. So even if you have some materials spawning on the other side of the planet the next day they might be right next to your setup. Also remember other players are extracting materials on the planet and these people also affect the planets materials (so generally, place your setup opposite of other players).

I do move extractors to different positions based on hot spots, materials I want/need or quantity of material, but factories/silo never get removed, though at times i do remove/add more as needed in production or power needs.


Edlorna Tinebe wrote:

I suppose I'm looking for guidance, not on how to set up extractors and whatnot, but on basic care and feeding of a planet after it's been up and running for a week or more.


For maximum yield change your extractors based on what is spawning on the planet. Watch for hot spots each days and extract from these as often as you can based on the value of the material. For example on a plasma planet if you have the choice between 10,000 non-cs crystals or 50,000 suspended plasma you'll naturally make more extracting plasma. On a temperate if you have the choice between 30,000 microorganisms and 30,000 aqueous liquids choose liquids because water sells at a higher price.
Styth spiting
Brutor Tribe
Minmatar Republic
#8 - 2012-11-21 20:18:39 UTC
Denal Umbra wrote:
Edlorna Tinebe wrote:
Thanks for the input. I didn't think it would be all that complicated, but I just wanted to check.

As a related topic, does anyone know how resources are replenished and consumed? Do I need to be checking for other players mining a particular resource hotspot before I place my own extractors? I've read about some people who claim that resources are replenished at downtime, or that if you start a 14 day extraction run, then all 14 days of resources are removed as soon as you press submit.


I believe it was Spyth who posted a quite accurate and long detailed view on how extraction / replenishment works in a thread about 2-3 pages back? Might try searching for it if interested. From experience, i have noted the same mechanics at work. There has however, never been an official statement from CCP on how it really works.


Here is the link I believe you are talking about https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&m=2126438#post2126438

It describes how depletion of materials work and how they respawn over a planet. it is purely speculation based on the ridiculous amount of time i've spent researching PI. It might be far more info then you're interested in, but learning about stuff is fun!