Care and Feeding of your MPL-LG-2 Mobile Processing Lab in 1.0+ - How to be a science farmer

[BluetoothThePirate]

This tutorial is based on my own experience in career and RoverDude's information from this answered question thread. This is a basic tutorial with just text for now, pictures to follow if I think of it later or something needs clarity. It also ignores how to go and get the results because earlier tutorials from past versions still cover that part in fine detail.

First, some terms as I'm using them.

• Science is the blue currency you spend in the R&D building to unlock the tech tree.
  
• Data is the raw material used to make science in the lab.
  
• Experiments are the physical science parts themselves.
  
• Results are the part you can take out of the experiment with a Kerbal and move around from pod to pod.
  

How the lab works (now)

At the most basic level, the lab analyses a result, makes data from it, and converts data into stored science over time (even when not on the focused vessel). At the command of the player, it will take its stored science and transmit it back to Kerbin and into your science bank account. Generating data from a result does not destroy the result, once a lab has made data from a result that result can be used in other ways. It can be returned to Kerbin for the full payout or transmitted for a fraction, just like before. The transmission bonus for processing in the lab is gone now, replaced by this new system.

A lab can still be used to reset the goo and science jr. experiments as before, but now a scientist on EVA can do that job so it's mostly a matter of convenience. A lab needs to be manned by two scientist kerbals, and their levels affect its efficiency and yield, so level them up any way you can. They will not level up from doing their work in the lab, you need to take them places to grow their levels.

A lab can produce data from one unique result exactly once, but it's tracked per-lab. Meaning, you can take the results from one goo canister, transfer it to a lab, process it for data, then transfer it to another lab and process it for more data, but you can't take a second goo measurement (or crew report or surface sample or whichever) from the same biome and altitude and get more data in the same lab. The amount of data you get from an experiment is determined by where the lab is when you process the result. There's a bonus for being on or around the same body as the result is from, and being landed is more valuable than being in orbit (this is reversed on Kerbin, a landed lab there yields almost no data). The data yields scale with the raw science payout from the result, so surface samples are big and crew reports are small. Also remember, a lab can get full data from a result even if it's been returned to Kerbin and all its direct science yield is depleted. Doesn't matter what the blue bar says, if this particular lab hasn't seen it it's valuable!

A lab can only hold 500 data in reserve. If you have extra results and try to process them, it will refuse if it can't hold the data. The lab can hold an arbitrary number of stored results just like any manned part, so you can hold onto results for the future without processing them. When the lab is processing or researching it consumes a lot of power and converts data to science in a 5:1 ratio. The rate of conversion is based on how much data is in storage so it falls off over time. A lab with full data and two one-star scientists yields about 1 science every 4 days. When the lab's science buffer is full work stops. You must switch to the vessel with the lab and manually transmit the stored science to resume work.

Some important things to note

• The kerbals in the lab must both be scientists. Their level matters. Other scientists on the same vessel will also contribute.
  
• The lab draws a lot of power. Load up on solar panels and batteries.
  
• You can still return experiments after the lab has analysed them, so make it a point to get all your results into labs if you can.
  
• The stored science in a lab has to be transmitted, returning and recovering a lab does nothing, so you need to have an antenna on a lab vessel.
  
• Check on your science bases periodically since they need to transmit manually. Smart use of renaming vessels and assigning categories can make this easier, if you're doing this aggressively you might have a lot of stations and bases.
  
• The Mun has a long night, so expect your solar-powered science base to be shut down half the time. It doesn't need to be on to produce science in your absence but it needs to be on to transmit. It might be worth it to fill the lab with data on the ground for the bonus but then let it do its work in orbit.
  
• Being on the surface or on a more distant body increases data yields so the lab's data buffer will fill up sooner, but it still takes the same amount of time to process it into science no matter where it's located.
  
• The science per day is determined by how much data is stored, so it slows down over time to a trickle. Keep the lab topped up with data to keep the yield high.
  
• Some contracts will pay you to put lab-bearing stations in various places, so don't waste the opportunity if someone else is willing to foot the bill. If they ask for a station in orbit of Kerbin, put on some extra delta-V, complete the contract for the payout then fly it to Minmus or Munar orbit (or land it, if it's really overbuilt).
  
• Do the rescue contracts, getting enough scientists to fill out the bases can get expensive if you pay for all the hiring but if you aggressively recruit via rescue you get about a third scientists, and they gain a full star of XP in the process of being rescued.
  
• Remember that the lab isn't a command pod, so you can't do anything without a command pod (with a third kerbal in it) or probe core (and then you can't do anything when the power runs out.)
  
• EVA reports in orbit are biome-specific when almost nothing else is, so an easy source of early-mid-game data is to pop one of the scientists out for EVA reports from the ladder as your station orbits Kerbin. You can transmit those for full science afterwards.
  
• Don't put two labs on one vessel, it doesn't work the way you expect. You can have two parked near each other, just not docked.
  
• Labs are still useful after the tech tree is fully unlocked because your administrators can convert science income into funds and reputation. High-end parts are pricey and everyone needs a little PR once in a while.
  

I'll add to this as I learn more. Questions or corrections below please!

Edited May 15, 2015 by BluetoothThePirate
More details from down the thread.

[MacroNova]

Not sure if this is intended behavior, but it seems the scientists don't need to be physically in the Lab for it to do research. They can be in an attached command pod and get the same rate of conversion.

[BigFatStupidHead]

Not sure if this is intended behavior, but it seems the scientists don't need to be physically in the Lab for it to do research. They can be in an attached command pod and get the same rate of conversion.

Importantly this allows more than two scientists to give bonuses to a lab. A full lab with a third scientist in an attached pod will work faster than just a full lab. I suppose they work in shifts.

[FreeThinker]

THe Biodome EVA report are just realy silly, the same should be possible from a window in a spacestation. Probably better as you have access to tools, paper, pen. In 0.90 I always switch Science gathering for EVA with Crew reports. Saves me the frustration of missing a science report because I couldn't get into my EVA suit fast enough.

- - - Updated - - -

So from my understanding, If a created a science vilage in space, and transfer the research between them I could create lots of additional science? This seems a bit broken..

Edited May 12, 2015 by FreeThinker

[yafeshan]

Generating science out of experiment analysis is fine but doing it again in another lab is completely broken.

[FreeThinker]

Generating science out of experiment analysis is fine but doing it again in another lab is completely broken.

Indeed, it should only be allowed once globally. Now you simply build 100 Processing labs, collect a bit of science and allowed it to be processed by each of the 100 processing labs.

Edited May 12, 2015 by FreeThinker

[Skorpychan]

Indeed, it should only be allowed once globally. Now you simply build 100 Processing labs, collect a bit of science and allowed it to be processed by each of the 100 processing labs.

Indeed you could, but this is balanced by getting them all there in the first place.

Of course, this DOES give me the idea of creating a science lab for processing data on Kerbin, or in LKO. Maybe put it on a plane to fly it out to wherever you landed the return capsule, and process the science.

[stampy]

Indeed, it should only be allowed once globally. Now you simply build 100 Processing labs, collect a bit of science and allowed it to be processed by each of the 100 processing labs.

You'll need 200 Kerbals.

[KerbMav]

Generating science out of experiment analysis is fine but doing it again in another lab is completely broken.

It is a rather balanced way to get more science after all experiments have been sucked dry.

Ensures you have something to to and to trade for funds/rep with strategies.

Indeed, it should only be allowed once globally. Now you simply build 100 Processing labs, collect a bit of science and allowed it to be processed by each of the 100 processing labs.

If you really want to, yes - I myself plan on having a copy of every experiment I ever did somewhere safe - crazy gamer and all.

[FreeThinker]

Well it does motivate players to build a permanent research base at minumus and send all their measurement there to generate extra research. Even though it's a bit unrealsitic if takes litterly, from a gaeplay perspective is might be fun.

Edited May 13, 2015 by FreeThinker

[AndreZero]

Does this mean that once you have sufficient science to unlock the mobile processing lab, you should do never transmit your results (because they can't be processed after they have been transmitted) and you should not allow your results to be recovered with your craft (for the same reason)?

What is the difference between processing (the yellowish beaker icon) and having your processing lab "researching?"

[BigFatStupidHead]

Does this mean that once you have sufficient science to unlock the mobile processing lab, you should do never transmit your results (because they can't be processed after they have been transmitted) and you should not allow your results to be recovered with your craft (for the same reason)?

You can always just gather the science again. Collect it once for return to Kerbin and immediate science gains, and a second time to give to all of your science labs for forever research.

[AndreZero]

You can always just gather the science again. Collect it once for return to Kerbin and immediate science gains, and a second time to give to all of your science labs for forever research.

Ah... so even though the second time you do the experiment it is worth little (or no) science, it still produces data that can be used to produce science in the lab? For some reason I was thinking that you needed an experiment that yielded science for the lab to useful.

[BluetoothThePirate]

You can transmit or recover the science after you process it in a lab. You don't lose the result when you process it. If you're really obsessed with minmaxing the system you can hold onto your results and launch a lot of labs, but given that it's easy to find enough data to fill a lab almost anywhere it's probably not worth it.

[Coga19000]

I don't see why the ability to process one science experiment in multiple labs is broken. It is the equivalent of taking multiples of the same experiment and having multiple labs process each, only sans the frustration of having to get the same experiment over and over again.

Plus, do you think RL research is conducted only on one research facility at a time? In contrast, the results of one lean are being moved to another for further analysis, and so on.

[BluetoothThePirate]

I think what people don't like is the sheer yield of it, they think it makes clearing the tree too easy. Let's be honest here, the lab is heavy and expensive to put in place, and hiring and leveling up scientists is really expensive. And more to the point, finding 500 data is really easy almost anywhere, so it ultimately doesn't matter of you pass the same experiments around or just get new ones everywhere, 500 data is 500 data.

[g.koster]

if you play 10% science be aware that any science below 1 will effectively not be transported to the lab. so in effect all sciences on herbal eva's, crew reports, materials bay, barometer, temperature and soil samples. all give below 1 science so give 0 science in the lab

[DarkGravity]

Generating science out of experiment analysis is fine but doing it again in another lab is completely broken.

Not completely broken imho, but ideally there should be diminishing returns for multiple labs processing the same data. I used to run a research lab irl. Multiple labs working on the same problem, each with slightly different approaches is a good thing. The second lab working on one problem might even get a slight boost, reflecting the competition/synergy that happens between labs. 3 or 4 labs working on the same problem should still produce a pretty high return, but after that it should drop off considerably. But if you don't want to invest time into coding all of that, I'd say leaving it as it is, is pretty good. Not many people are going to have 5 labs working on the same data, considering how easy it is to get fresh data.

Edited June 2, 2015 by DarkGravity

[A_name]

So what happens if you dock 2 together? I'm planning a Duna mission and I figured I'd take 2 along since a single one will fill up rather quickly.

[moronwrocket]

Only one will operate if you dock two together. With the latest update, it seems like extra scientists outside the lab no longer contribute, so having a separate spacecraft with its own lab is best. What I did for my reusable landing craft was to add a pod along with the mobile science lab, and store all science experiments in both. Then when I liftoff and goto space, drop off the pod science experiments in the MSL orbiting in a space station, and send the LCV back down to collect more science somewhere else.

[cantab]

Great tutorial, this really helps understand one of the "game mechanic" aspects of the game.

A lab can produce data from one unique result exactly once, but it's tracked per-lab.

Does this mean that, for example, if I use a lab in Mun orbit to process results from the Mun, I can't then land that same lab on the Mun's surface and process the same results, but I can put a new lab *anywhere*, even in Mun orbit again, and process the same results?

[GoSlash27]

You know... I had originally intended to do this as part of my career development before the tech tree was complete, but I soon realized that it just plain isn't worth it in terms of time and effort.

It would take years to process enough data to unlock the tree, while simply retrieving enough science to Kerbin can be done in less than a month.

I'm sure it'd be a different story once the tree is unlocked, when the idea is to generate operating funds.

Best,

-Slashy

[BluetoothThePirate]

That is exactly what that means, yes.

[cantab]

A little detail I noticed. To convert results into data only required any single Kerbal in the lab, at least in Science Mode. So pilots or engineers can if desired get the lab filled up with data ready for a later arrival of scientists. It's a bit situational but that could be useful in installs with life support.

[kamitora]

How can i send data to MPL to research it.

Sometimes a button appears just below the "Keep Data" buton called "Process in Lab Module" but sometimes don't

And i couldn't figure out when that button appears

I read some articles which saying that it button appears when the vessel connected to MPL but i transmitted data to MPL from far away using antenna (from Sun orbit to Kerbin orbit)

What is the matter when that button appears ?

Thanks In Advance