My first SERIOUS and self sustaining complex.

[foxy42]

Yeh, I'm pretty pleased, even if does look like that guy's attic in Arachnophobia...

Light of Heart:

5 x Space Fuel M
2 x Wheat Farm L
1 x SPP L
3 x Crystal Fab
3 x Cahoona Bakery M
3 x Cattle Ranch M
2 x Silicone Mine L (one 18 yield, one 17 yield, not much choice in LoH)

Everything is 100% resource usage except power cells where I'm producing just an extra 1000 per hour. I planned and built it all without using any complex calculator, it took about 3 hours (I only have one little Ellie!). Then when trying to see if I could work in my Silkworm complex, I found Merrocs super-duper excel complex calculator. That thing is excellent, and imagine my pride when it told me my complex efficiency is 97.71% Nice.

It makes about 1.4 million per hour (I have just one little harrier doing active selling to the Montelaar trading station, fills up quick, empties slow). Clear profit, all of it though.

I have quite a few complexes now, about 6, but this is my first completely self sustaining one. Here's to many more...

<Beaming with Pride>

[God-Demis]

Just one tip. Try not using M factories, they are a waste of time and money.
Use L factories and XL SPP. M should be only the crystal fab, as there are no L's.

Keep going pilot!!!

[foxy42]

Just one tip. Try not using M factories, they are a waste of time and money.
Use L factories and XL SPP. M should be only the crystal fab, as there are no L's.

Keep going pilot!!!

I calculated carefully, I would have ended up with a lot of left over resources if I'd used any more Ls, notice how I put 5 M distilleries and 2 L wheat farms

eg. your crystal fab example...If I'd put one cahoona L, I wouldn't have had enough, if I'd put 2 cahoona L or 1 L and 1 M, I woulda had way too much...get my meaning? This way the efficiency is as close to perfect as I think is acheivable. I don't plan to add to that complex, though I may plan an altogether bigger one somewhere else now.

[God-Demis]

I always want L's because I always keep adding factories. I had a 105 factories complex in my previous game. Using M's will get you out of space sooner.Besides, you can always sell the surplus.

[foxy42]

I always want L's because I always keep adding factories. I had a 105 factories complex in my previous game. Using M's will get you out of space sooner.Besides, you can always sell the surplus.

I see your point, but we seem to have different goals. I want to set up a complex and never have to worry about it again, especially not the hassle of selling intermediate resources, cos inevitably, if traded automatically, the computer will sell all of it, and leave the complex short. Trading intermediates manually? Forget it, I'd rather be taking the war to the Xenon.

[jlehtone]

I calculated carefully, I would have ended up with a lot of left over resources if I'd used any more Ls, notice how I put 5 M distilleries and 2 L wheat farms

5 M distilleries does exactly the same as 2 L distilleries. No resource difference there.

But you are right about 3 M for 1 SPP L. That is a three-part equation: Silicon, SPP, and the Crystal production line.

However, a tip: look at prices of Mines, SPPs, and Crystal production lines at different races. By Crystal production line I do mean Bio+Food+Crystal Fab. Argon Beef+Cahoona+Crystal is not the cheapest.

One can tell the Commercial Agent to sell only if the stock is over some value, so it will not clear up the place. But I do agree. The purpose of the self-sufficient complex is to produce its product with no hassle. One can take some of the surplus intermediates manually to kickstart the next complex, though. Perfectly balanced complex cannot start properly without kickstart.


I did try to plan a complex last night. Merroc's tool is good, but I used its standalone version due to lack of Excel. I failed to get the numbers match. Previously, I had made the plan in my head, but with the tool -- no go. Later, just thinking with my braincell, I did saw clearly why the calculations went wrong with the tool. That is the problem with tools. They make things look easy, but you still have to think yourself. If you can think, the tool will help, but if you cannot ...

This will be my second selfsufficient complex, but with a twist: I will spread it over three sectors.

[AleksMain]

I will spread it over three sectors.

So, you will use TS ships to bring resources from one complex to another?

[jlehtone]

I will spread it over three sectors.

So, you will use TS ships to bring resources from one complex to another?

Exactly. Worked in X2, and will work in X3 too. And not necessarily TS. Just the "best" ships for the task. Likely to be TS though. Bonuspack ship commands.

[foxy42]

I calculated carefully, I would have ended up with a lot of left over resources if I'd used any more Ls, notice how I put 5 M distilleries and 2 L wheat farms

5 M distilleries does exactly the same as 2 L distilleries. No resource difference there.

But you are right about 3 M for 1 SPP L. That is a three-part equation: Silicon, SPP, and the Crystal production line.

However, a tip: look at prices of Mines, SPPs, and Crystal production lines at different races. By Crystal production line I do mean Bio+Food+Crystal Fab. Argon Beef+Cahoona+Crystal is not the cheapest.

One can tell the Commercial Agent to sell only if the stock is over some value, so it will not clear up the place. But I do agree. The purpose of the self-sufficient complex is to produce its product with no hassle. One can take some of the surplus intermediates manually to kickstart the next complex, though. Perfectly balanced complex cannot start properly without kickstart.


I did try to plan a complex last night. Merroc's tool is good, but I used its standalone version due to lack of Excel. I failed to get the numbers match. Previously, I had made the plan in my head, but with the tool -- no go. Later, just thinking with my braincell, I did saw clearly why the calculations went wrong with the tool. That is the problem with tools. They make things look easy, but you still have to think yourself. If you can think, the tool will help, but if you cannot ...

This will be my second selfsufficient complex, but with a twist: I will spread it over three sectors.

Yeh, you're absolutely right, but this complex started life many moons ago, as just two distilleries and a wheat farm L. Are commercial agents available in unmodded game? I've never heard of this, do elaborate...

[jlehtone]

Commercial Agent (the CAG) is a signed script in the Bonuspack. Thus, it will not set the modified flag (latest version requires its HotFix). Therefore, Bonuspack could be considered as part of the "unmodded" game. I do. See the "Announcements" on the top of the Forum page.

[Temmujin]

Nice work foxy42, I set up my first few weed shops a few days ago and am amazed at how much cash rolls in.

havent figured out how to use the commercial agents yet, i think it s a bit tricky as i wasnt able to set them up right.

[jlehtone]

For comparison, my "first":

Sector: Njy's Deception
Type: Self-sufficient fleet support
Stations: 53
Cost: 220 million
Potential profit: 2.2 million / h (if it would sell anything)

Boron
5x Bio Gas Factory L
5x BoFu Chemical Lab L
8x Crystal Fab M
1x Solar Power Plant XL
1x Solar Power Plant L
2x Alpha Flak Artillery Forge
2x Beta Flak Artillery Forge
1x Beta PPC Forge
1x Beta PBE Forge
1x Shield Prod. Facility 125 MJ
1x Shield Prod. Facility 1GJ
1x Tempest Missile Factory
2x Drone Factory

Teladi
4x Silicon Mine L; 54, 13, 8, 5
4x Ore Mine L; 47, 21, 18, 14
2x Flower Farm M
2x Sun oil refinery M
2x Alpha PBE Forge
1x Typhoon Missile Factory
1x Silkworm Missile Factory

Split
1x Scruffin Farm M
1x Massom Mill M
1x Chelt Space Aquarium M
1x Rastar Refinery M
1x Wasp Missile Factory
1x Thunderbolt Missile Factory

Some of it:
[ external image ]

[rebelfox]

can anyone tell me where i can find merrocs tool? im pretty new to complex building and im not very clear on how i should set them up to function at 100%

[foxy42]

It's in the guides thread at the top of the first page, and the original topic is currently on the first page too.