Your complex picture

[Hwitvlf]

In AP, I used to build all my factories on top of each other because it was close to hopeless to get them aligned nicely, but FL does a great job! What does yours look like?

A 120+ complex in Akeela's Beacon... beautiful!

[fireanddream]

I usually just line them up along the Z axis so they look nice on the minimap. And since the complex drags down the framerate by a lot I tend to not visit that particular sector that often.

Now that I've switch from a gen4 i7 to a 5600x, I'm looking forward to build a mega complex in my home sector too.

[-GoldenEye-]

beautiful

[Utsuho Reiuji]

nicely aligned <3. But the SPP seemingly does not face the sun.

When saying "but FL does a great job!" do you mean the complex planner deployment? I wonder because my the complex that was supposed to be build in my home system turned out to be something really grotesque.

[Novvak]

I have built a microchip complex in Mines of Fortune with the MK3 build software. The TL has plunked all the stations, moved the asteroids, etc., bought hub docking bay and then decided to just dock in my HQ in protest.
The reason for this was "notoriety too low", even though the stations were already bought and all factions involved in this construction love me.
This problem made me connect the stations manually, and it all went so wrong ... I had to buy new complex hub , place it roughly in the middle and move about 12 stations as they were too far to connect them.
This taught me that build software MK3 is causing more problems that it solves. Hence, the complex looks like a complete joke
The automated software can place station much more densely together compared to manual placement, that's why it looks so much better when it actually works.

[Hwitvlf]

When saying "but FL does a great job!" do you mean the complex planner deployment?

Yes, this was auto-built by MK3, and I also expanded the complex with MK3 and it turned out as pictured. Do you have a picture of your 'grotesque' complex? I wonder what was different.

I too had the 'notoriety too low' issue. It may happen when the TL can't haul enough connectors in a single load - not sure. I just connected everything manually and all went fine. It seems to recalculate all existing tubes each time you add a new one, so it wasn't always pretty along the way, but it ended up nice and symmetrical.

[Novvak]

I suspect that my problem might have been caused by the fact that there was not enough free space around (there are many huge asteroids in Mines of Fortune), and because of that the software couldn't place the complex hub in the right distance between each station. That lead to the glitch where it couldn't connect all the stations, so I had to move some of them.
I will definitely be careful when placing next complex, but for now there is a hole in my wallet.

Is there any automatic way of applying station upgrade kits? Or does it have to be done by hand for every station?

[Hwitvlf]

Yeah, I could picture an asteroid field making things ugly quick.
In 1.2 you can use MK3 to move an existing complex to a new location in the same sector. You make a "New Complex" plan, then use "Add existing factory or complex" to include the existing complex in the New Complex. Save the design and tell the TL to build it wherever you want the old complex moved to. Might make yours prettier, but you probably have to buy new connects. I don't think they're too expensive.

Does anyone know the max distance you can place your hub from the factories in FL?

EDIT: I don't know of a way to upgrade automatically, but you can do it from OOS obviously.

[Novvak]

That is a good suggestion re moving, I may try that at some point. At the minute I want the complex to support me financially as it was a huge investment that burned through almost all my money, and for the plex to be a closed loop I need several upgrade packs applied, which aren't cheap either.

As for upgrading - are you certain this can be done OOS? I don't thin that special command Drop Station is available when you are not in the sector.

[Hwitvlf]

Yep. you can apply station upgrades OOS by clicking on the pack in the TLs cargo hold

[Novvak]

Oh that is great, thanks! I thought it's only possible via Drop Station.

[danielr]

Asteroid placement of a self sufficient 1 billion credit weapons & tech complex deployed via deployment service.

[Hwitvlf]

Asteroid placement of a self sufficient 1 billion credit weapons & tech complex deployed via deployment service.

Love it! The Solar plants look tiny it's so big. What sector is this?

[danielr]

Asteroid placement of a self sufficient 1 billion credit weapons & tech complex deployed via deployment service.

Love it! The Solar plants look tiny it's so big. What sector is this?

Mines of Fortune

[Novvak]

Are these all the good asteroids in the sector?

HSAP sectors you can discover have some amazing asteroids in them, up to 130 yield of silicon - my next plex is going to be in one of these systems for sure.

[danielr]

Are these all the good asteroids in the sector?

Mines of Fortune is for sure, I think excluding the HSAP sectors this is the only one which could supply my complex with enough Ore and Silicon. For this complex all the double digit roids are selected.

[Novvak]

That is a beast for certain.
Do you recommend any sector except Ministry of Finance and Mines of Fortune that is safe (so not Savage Spur) that could support an omni-plex for producing everything ships may need?
So all shield fabs, some weapons, satelites, drones etc.?

[Hwitvlf]

In AP, when you destroyed an asteroid, it would respawn after some time with a different yield. I'm testing to see if FL is the same.

[danielr]

Do you recommend any sector except Ministry of Finance and Mines of Fortune that is safe (so not Savage Spur) that could support an omni-plex for producing everything ships may need?
So all shield fabs, some weapons, satelites, drones etc.?

I've built about 7 smaller complexes before this large one.
Ministry of Finance, Profit Center Alpha, New Income, PTNI HQ beta, Scale Plate Green, Tears of Greed.
Also a drug complex in the Unclaimed Sector next to Unseen Domain and placed a trading station there as well. Because this sector is now called "Space Cake Haven"

[Novvak]

So pretty much Teladi space
Thank you, I will make a note of these sectors for any future complex plans.