[Bug] Mobile Processing Lab is generating too much science

[DannyS]

When transmitting data from the Mobile Processing Lab, the data in the lab decreases by a whole number of units of science, and the notification that appears that says: "transmission complete - x science gained!" also displays a whole number but the total science will increase by (about) the non-integer amount shown in the right click menu of the Mobile Processing Lab. It does not appear to be a display issue, as if you have less than 1 science in the Mobile Processing Lab, and transmit it, the total science will go up without the science in the lab decreasing, and this can be repeated indefinitely. Other than that, I am running a Mac with OS 10.10.3 and I have version 1.0.4.861.

[HoloYolo]

Do you have Kerbal Construction Time installed?

[DannyS]

Do you have Kerbal Construction Time installed?

Nope, I am absolutely mod free.

[HoloYolo]

The science lab gives you more science then you would get if you just had a pod. If you had science in there, it probably converted it in there.

[smjjames]

It's well known that the new science lab proccessing is WAY overpowered.

[DannyS]

Kaboom!: I don't have a command pod on this ship (I used a probe core to save on mass and Kerbals) or any other parts that could potentially store science, so I'm almost positive that this is a bug of some sort.

smjjames: I agree, if you can land one on Minmus, you could also put 2 scientists on it that which have 2 stars, as you've probably already explored the Kerbin system it shouldn't be too hard, you get an easy 5 science/day, with a little data collection on the surface. And that data lasts a long time. I'm not sure if your comment is a side note or a potential explanation, but what I believe I've run into would take the lab from WAY overpowered to easily abused for extra science and overpowered.

If what I described in my first post is not just a bug in my copy, then I think the problem would be in the code. I don't consider myself a programmer whatsoever, but I have learned to write a little code in school, and what I believe might be going on (take this with no less than 2 grains of salt) is that a floor function (rounds a number down to the nearest integer) may be missing from the code that enables the transmission of data from the mobile science lab.

[haltux]

If I understand correctly, you have found an exploit that allows you to earn a fraction of a science point, for free, and repeat that forever.

If you have some labs active somewhere, pressing the fast forward button gives you hundreds of science points, for free, more or less forever (at least long enough to complete the science tree). So really your exploit is no big deal.

You are entierly right that this is a bug, but I honestly think it does not deserve to be in top 1000 KSP bug list.

[DannyS]

haltux: You understand absolutely correctly, and have allowed me to understand smjjames' comment correctly as well. I see how the science lab's design flaw renders my bug relatively insignificant. Other than performance issues from being on a Mac, I have not noticed any other bugs, (other than potential UI bugs, which I think are far less significant and I can't figure out how to replicate), so I thought that this was a something that I should report, to be safe.

Thanks for clearing things up, and to everyone else for the help. For all we know, a developer may have noticed this bug and fixed it for 1.0.5 or whatever is rolling out next.

I hope on some future update the science lab will be balanced, as it is among my favorite features.