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How to get the most science out of the MPL-LG-2 (most efficient way to use it)


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There really isn't one, I don't think. They are basically non-functional on the surface of Kerbin -- so you have to launch them into orbit. I like to fill them with Kerbin experiments before I launch them. Many players consider them to be overpowered. So many of us make up "house rules" to put additional restrictions on how we are allowed to use them. My house rule is that I can't process any data in them except Kerbin data until I have completed the tech tree.

There also seems to be some funny business going on about the level of the scientist running the lab. Putting many-star scientists into the lab doesn't generate much of a benefit, currently. So it's better to have two 1-star scientists than one 4-star scientist, or something like that.

 

Edited by bewing
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There is a strategy of running like a single science mission to the mun or minmus, stuff copies of experiments in a few labs, then timewarp until you unlock the whole tech tree almost for free.  That's the OP that people complain about.

If your house rule is "no timewarp outside of other missions," that just about kills the OP strategy.  And if you run harder than default settings, the labs can relieve a ton of grind (or you know, deprive you of the fun of having to go low-tech interplanetary to get science)

I tend to use it more as a roleplay element (all stations and motherships should have one, just because) and use an admin strategy to turn excess science to cash.

But using it as designed - basically just get an extra copy of every science experiment you do, process it in the lab, return the other copy to KSC, and every so often transmit the lab science and top it up with your extra copies of experiments.  The extra copy became a lot easier to manage in 1.2 with the new science containers - just designate one on your research lander for your lab.

There have been a few tutorials on these forums - here's one

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The best way to use it, is to not click that "Transmit Science" button on it...ever.

I am serious, it chips away at your soul piece by piece every time you click it. If you need science, hop around the Minmus binomes rather where you get earn real science(much more than you need anyway)...instead of making deals with the devil :/

just a joke :P

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12 hours ago, Blaarkies said:

The best way to use it, is to not click that "Transmit Science" button on it...ever.

I am serious, it chips away at your soul piece by piece every time you click it. If you need science, hop around the Minmus binomes rather where you get earn real science(much more than you need anyway)...instead of making deals with the devil :/

just a joke :P

you know...my best way its better than your best way. Just because its mine.

While I agree with you that Minmus/Mun missions are a better way to get science, I have a different reason. I can get enough science with regular missions to finish the tech tree without the need to setup labs, so why bother?

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59 minutes ago, Spricigo said:

While I agree with you that Minmus/Mun missions are a better way to get science, I have a different reason. I can get enough science with regular missions to finish the tech tree without the need to setup labs, so why bother?

Yes, you can easily complete the tree without mobile labs. But why? Funds:funds:, that's why.

To get the most out of your experiments you should do them multiple times. One set you take home, a second is transferred to an orbital lab and subsequent sets are transferred to labs in orbit around other bodies. This way the same experiment data can be vastly multiplied. And once the tech tree has been unlocked completely all this extra science can be converted into funds.
To get the best out of a single lab you should always fill both seats with as experienced scientists as possible. Better a single star scientist as no scientist at all. And keep the data storage as full as possible. The more data is stored the higher the daily output.
The MPL model has 6 seats. However the stock game only lets you place 2 Kerbals in it. The mod 6 Crew Science Lab lets you use the additional 4 seats.
The stock MPL can also hold a maximum of 500 data and 500 science. You can increase those numbers by editing the game files. Increasing the data limit will not only increase the amount that can be converted into science. It will also increase the daily output since this is tied into the data amount. Increasing the science limit will increase the time it takes to fill, therefore giving you more time between transmissions.

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Just now, fourfa said:

That got boosted in 1.2 to 750 data, 500 science.

I did the numbers from memory. It's very possible you are correct.
But boosting those numbers still dramatically increase the MPL's effectiveness.

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22 minutes ago, Tex_NL said:

Yes, you can easily complete the tree without mobile labs. But why? Funds:funds:, that's why.

 

So to clarify: I get all the currency I want (be it science , funds or reputation) without bothering with labs. 

Notice, this is just my personal preference. Other people may setup a few dozen MPLs around each celestial body, I just don’t care.

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58 minutes ago, Spricigo said:

 

So to clarify: I get all the currency I want (be it science , funds or reputation) without bothering with labs. 

Notice, this is just my personal preference. Other people may setup a few dozen MPLs around each celestial body, I just don’t care.

No. You can get bucket loads of funds WITH labs!

 

45 minutes ago, Jebodiah said:

you say that like its a bad thing

What I meant to say was the exact numbers on the stock MPL do not really matter if you're going to change them.

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1 minute ago, Tex_NL said:

No. You can get bucket loads of funds WITH labs!

 

err...Sorry then. I was unaware that my actual preference was other thing than what I stated. From now on I will ask random people how I'm supposed to play the game, so I get more enjoyment from it.

 

 

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If you play stock several times through, and then you want to make the game more challenging -- you can change the difficulty level. On Hard mode, those dribbles of science points from the MPL start becoming pretty important -- after you've sucked Minmus and the Mun dry, and before you get to Gilly. At 50% science difficulty level it gets even worse. And if you are going for a pure airplane game (where you never use a single rocket) -- there seems to come a point where you need a few hundred science points to get the whiplash engines, and you can't get them without launching an MPL. So they do still have a use, depending on your play style.

Edited by bewing
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so are they still useful if you play using both planes and rockets or is it only really that important for getting science if you only play with planes?

Also when you guys say "fill the MPL with science" do you mean just adding a bunch of things to it like a barometer, thermostat and goo or am i missing something really big...

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1 hour ago, Jebodiah said:

so are they still useful if you play using both planes and rockets or is it only really that important for getting science if you only play with planes?

It's useful if you want the extra science it gives you.  Limiting yourself to a spaceplane only program was just an example of how science can be harder to get (and by consequence more valuable). 

Quote

Also when you guys say "fill the MPL with science" do you mean just adding a bunch of things to it like a barometer, thermostat and goo or am i missing something really big...

You can collect that science by any means you see fit; then a kerbal in EVE can take those experiments and load it in the MPL,  finally you review data and  choose process. 

 

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When you go someplace (surface of the mun, orbit around Minmus, etc), perform an experiment and collect the data - then go to your space station with the MPL and dock.  Right click on the cabin where the science is stored, and you'll see a new icon on the science report screen:

LabBefore.png

That yellow beaker icon will transfer the report to the science lab, and fill up its tank of "data."  Over time, that data slowly turns to science.  Come back after a while, right click on the science lab, 'transmit science,' and finally the science will be in your account at KSC and can be used to unlock techs.

(you can also transfer reports by hand on EVA etc)

Main thing to know is that your hard-won science report is used up when you process it in the lab - it can't also be delivered back to Kerbin.  You'll need to take multiple copies of each experiment: one for each intended lab, one for KSC (plus more, if you like, for the parts that keep delivering additional science - surface sample, SciJr, etc).  I now take four copies just as a matter of course on my science landers.  This gets complicated - each lab can only process each experiment/situation combo once, and each command or science pod can only hold one of each at a time.  So you'd need a few places to stuff science to get four copies (Lander Can and three Science Containers for instance).

Last thing - that science value from the report (ie 50 in the above example) is worth more when processed by the lab.  It's weighted by the number of stars the scientists in the lab have, and how many of them there are).  I don't know the precise multiplier offhand but it can be 10X or more.  THAT (finally) is the main reason the lab seems overpowered to many players.

Edited by fourfa
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7 hours ago, bewing said:

If you play stock several times through, and then you want to make the game more challenging -- you can change the difficulty level. On Hard mode, those dribbles of science points from the MPL start becoming pretty important -- after you've sucked Minmus and the Mun dry, and before you get to Gilly. At 50% science difficulty level it gets even worse. And if you are going for a pure airplane game (where you never use a single rocket) -- there seems to come a point where you need a few hundred science points to get the whiplash engines, and you can't get them without launching an MPL. So they do still have a use, depending on your play style.

Jap, that's even more reason not to click the "Transmit science" button. I got all the way down to 30% rewards for everything and removed science rewards from contracts completely...the only science i got was from the actual experiments, and it was actually fun. This way science points are sacred.

Having to send a Mun flyby probe, not because I messed up but because that is all my current tech/funds allowed really puts a twist in the game. There was a steep wall between Kerbin orbit and the Mun but one flyby probe changed that. I had to get medium tech probes all over the Jool system and even some return-to-Kerbin probes from Duna/Eve to complete the techtree finally...it was fun somehow:/

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3 hours ago, Spricigo said:

It's useful if you want the extra science it gives you.  Limiting yourself to a spaceplane only program was just an example of how science can be harder to get (and by consequence more valuable). 

You can collect that science by any means you see fit; then a kerbal in EVE can take those experiments and load it in the MPL,  finally you review data and  choose process. 

 

I'm sorry i meant to say "fill the MPL with experiments"

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1 hour ago, Jebodiah said:

I'm sorry i meant to say "fill the MPL with experiments"

Just in case you are still wondering: what that phrase means is "click the yellow beaker on enough experiments (when reviewing them) to fill the MPL buffer of "data" up to 750 points (the maximum)", as fourfa was saying.

 

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Of note is that the screenshot's old ... the yellow beaker now gives a +(flat number) for data going in, what you see there was pre-processing to make transmission better.

Oh, and here's how some people treat science:

Every point is sacred

Every point is great

If a point gets wasted, Bob gets quite irate (Jeb doesn't care, he just flies stuff)
 

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12 hours ago, bewing said:

Just in case you are still wondering: what that phrase means is "click the yellow beaker on enough experiments (when reviewing them) to fill the MPL buffer of "data" up to 750 points (the maximum)", as fourfa was saying.

 

ok thanks, that really helped me to understand how the whole thing works.

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