[CFGs][WIP][1.0.4]Balanced Science Labs v0.1

[Iodun]

Balanced Science Labs

Introduction

The amount of science that can be gathered from the kerbol solar system by experiments only is far higher than what is needed to unlock the whole tech tree. The stock science lab essentially allows you to multiply this science gained from experiments by a factor of 6. The lack of stock life support makes it especially easy to deploy some science labs and time warp until the tech tree is unlocked. Some people like the system as is and others started to completely ignore the lab and call it OP. To make the science labs comply with my personal playstyle I decided to make some rather substantial changes to the respective config files and I happily share those with you.

General Intentions

• Science labs allow you to double the science gained by experiments (factor 2 instead of 6)
  
• Science labs are supposed to do some background processing while running other missions
  
  • There should be no need to babysit science labs all day long
    

  [*]Science labs combine the knowledge gathered from single experiments and produce further science

  • A lot of data should be necessary to do that efficiently
    

  [*]Science labs produce science based on given data independent of their current location

  • It should not make a difference where you process your data
    

  [*]Science lab is a mid to late game utility

  • You need a lot of data input for reasonable science output
    
  • You need skilled scientists for reasonable output
    

  [*]Balancing is done with respect to typical travel times to other planets

Practical Implementation

• Data and science storage has been heavily increased
  
  • BEFORE: 500
    
  • NOW: 1000 to 8000
    

  [*]Science multiplier has been decreased

  • BEFORE: 5
    
  • NOW: 1
    

  [*]Surface and context bonuses have been removed

  [*]Necessary research time has been increased

Features

• All labs with the same number of crew are equally fast
  
  • Independent of the maximum storage capacity
    

  [*]The more scientists a lab supports the lower is the efficiency

  • For example a lab with 2 crew has the maximum speed of 1.92 crew
    
  • A lab with 12 crew has the maximum speed of 6.72 crew only
    
  • 1 scientist produces 5.0 science per day
    
  • 2 scientists produce 1.92 * 5.0 = 9.6 science per day
    
  • ...
    

  [*]EC is calculated based on storage and maximum crew

  • 1 EC per 1000 storage
    
  • 1.5 EC per scientist workplace
    

  [*]Labs only work efficiently when their capacities are maxed out

  • A 4000 storage lab with only 2000 data works on 50% speed
    
  • A 4 crew lab with only 2 crew also works at 50% speed
    
  • Always choose a lab that perfectly matches your mission!
    

Supported Labs

Mobile Processing Lab MPL-DSD-1

(Included)

• Small orbital data collector/processor
  
• Data/Science storage: 2000
  
• Min. | Max. crew: 1 | 1
  
• Cost (Entry Cost): 4000 (10000)
  
• Mass: 3.5t
  
• EC per second: 3.5
  
• Max. performance: 5.0 sci/day (1 x 5 star scientist; 2000 data stored)
  

Mobile Processing Lab MPL-LG-2

(Stock science lab)

• Large orbital data collector/processor
  
• Data/Science storage: 4000
  
• Min. | Max. crew: 1 | 2
  
• Cost (Entry Cost): 8000 (20000)
  
• Mass: 4.0t
  
• EC per second: 7.0
  
• Max. performance: 9.6 sci/day (2 x 5 star scientist; 4000 data stored)
  

UKS Pioneer Module (Orbital)

(USI Kolonization System)

• Large orbital data collector/processor
  
• Data/Science storage: 4000
  
• Min. | Max. crew: 1 | 2
  
• Cost (Entry Cost): 50000 (8000)
  
• Mass: 4.5t
  
• EC per second: 7.0
  
• Max. performance: 9.6 sci/day (2 x 5 star scientist; 4000 data stored)
  

UKS Pioneer Module (Surface)

(USI Kolonization System)

• Smaller data processor for planetary surfaces
  
• Data/Science storage: 1000
  
• Min. | Max. crew: 1 | 2
  
• Cost (Entry Cost): 50000 (8000)
  
• Mass: 4.1t
  
• EC per second: 4.0
  
• Max. performance: 9.6 sci/day (2 x 5 star scientist; 1000 data stored)
  

K&K Planetary Laboratory

(Kerbal Planetary Base Systems)

• Smaller data processor for planetary surfaces
  
• Data/Science storage: 1000
  
• Min. | Max. crew: 1 | 2
  
• Cost (Entry Cost): 4000 (10000)
  
• Mass: 3.55t
  
• EC per second: 4.0
  
• Max. performance: 9.6 sci/day (2 x 5 star scientist; 1000 data stored)
  

UKS Training Akademy (Surface)

(USI Kolonization System)

• Larger data processor for planetary surfaces
  
• Data/Science storage: 4000
  
• Min. | Max. crew: 3 | 12
  
• Cost (Entry Cost): 35000 (8000)
  
• Mass: 4.5t
  
• EC per second: 22.0
  
• Max. performance: 33.6 sci/day (12 x 5 star scientist; 4000 data stored)
  

Download

Coming soon...

Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Contributions

The model for the Mobile Processing Lab MPL-DSD-1 was taken from a similar mod called DSD Mobile Labs - Enhanced Mobile Processing Labs.

If you don't like the slow research speed of my mod, but still want some MPL improvements you can try this one instead.

The guy who created this mod wasn't online last days, but its licenced under CC so I guess this should be fine.

I hope to give him some models back at some point in the future.

Recommended Mods

[TABLE=width: 100%]

[TR]

[TD]Community Tech Tree

Planetary Base Systems

USI Kolonization Systems

USI Life Support[/TD]

[TD=align: right][/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

Edited July 28, 2015 by Iodun

[Hotblack Desiato]

interesting idea.

is this a module manager config, or more?

because for those who play with lifesupport-mods, the lab isn't that OP, and yet some of your changes are very interesting. although, on some point, science points become obsolete and become trophy-points à la "I did a mission to XY and gathered 10000 science". the science is of course worthless because of the unlocked tech tree, yet it is fun to have it.

I'm looking forward to this mod.

[Wolf Baginski]

Remember there's a science lab in the Fustek space station parts pack. I'm not sure I can recommend it, as the IVA-load of the latest WIP version is pretty heavy, but it should be easy enough to make the sort of changes to fit in with the others. The stock science lab may suffice.

[Iodun]

Remember there's a science lab in the Fustek space station parts pack. I'm not sure I can recommend it, as the IVA-load of the latest WIP version is pretty heavy, but it should be easy enough to make the sort of changes to fit in with the others. The stock science lab may suffice.

I never played this mod, but as I understand the description their science lab is more a less a larger science experiment hub that can perform a variety of different experiments.

Of course we could transform all available MPLs do exactly the same, but the idea behind my mod is to keep the functionality as is and just try to balance it and make it more interesting.

interesting idea.

is this a module manager config, or more?

because for those who play with lifesupport-mods, the lab isn't that OP, and yet some of your changes are very interesting. although, on some point, science points become obsolete and become trophy-points à la "I did a mission to XY and gathered 10000 science". the science is of course worthless because of the unlocked tech tree, yet it is fun to have it.

I'm looking forward to this mod.

At the moment its primarily config based and modifies the values of as many mobile processing labs as possible.

Some mods simply have duplicates of the stock MPL with the equally bad balancing and my mod will create some variety there.

Different labs have different crew requirements and different data storage capacities.

I don't like balancing on arbitrary values so I created equations for EC and research speed.

The future plan is to also add some more labs with custom models.

Maybe I have luck and some people provide them for me.

Life support mods are good and make it a bit more difficult to simply time warp to victory, but apart from TAC its still kinda easy to provide the necessary supply to do it.

You also have to keep in mind, that experiments can be processed in multiple labs at the same time and I actually like this idea.

Essentially I can slow down research speed as much as I want... it only means you need more labs to get the same output.

A reasonable and realistic scenario I have in mind is that a mission to another planet like duna for example expects a science output of around 2000 points.

So you take one of the smaller labs with you to duna and store all experiments inside it.

On your 250 days trip back home the lab and your onboard scientist already produced around 500 extra science for you.

Your first action in the kerbin SOI is to dock to your space station with the 4000 storage lab and your whole expert science team and process all experiments there again, before you finally deliver the results to kerbin.

A even larger chain has two smaller 1000 storage surface labs on another planet and its moon, a transfer ship with a 2000 storage lab and a space station with a 4000 storage lab.

Edited July 28, 2015 by Iodun

[Wolf Baginski]

I checked the Fustek Science Module against the stock lab, Most of the numbers are the same. The exceptions:

4 maximum crew

1000 data storage

0.5 scientistBonus

1000 scienceCap

Costs are a bit more than doubled, mass a little less than doubled.

I don't see any sign of different functions, though I assume that double the scientistBonus combines with twice the crew to quadruple the science generation rate.

(After checking all this, and knowing how the lag increased when I used Karmony modules, I doubt I shall use it.)

I haven't tried to reverse-engineer your numbers on efficiency, not enough data points.

[Iodun]

I checked the Fustek Science Module against the stock lab, Most of the numbers are the same. The exceptions:

4 maximum crew

1000 data storage

0.5 scientistBonus

1000 scienceCap

2 -> 4 crew => double research speed

500 -> 1000 storage => double research speed

0.25 -> 0.5 scientistBonus => double research speed

So after all this module should be 2 x 2 x 2 = 8 times as fast as the stock module...