Want to use MPL but it is over powered

[cup a joe]

So I want to be able to use the mobile processing lab, but when i hit start research, I can't stop it and i never clear out enough data to actually research things that i have actually collected. It says it has a maximum of 500 data and when I want to store 60 data from a thermometer reading it says there is not enough storage I just keep farming 500 science points which I don't want.

HOW DO I USE THIS THING?

[Snark]

So there are three kinds of sciency things that can be in an MPL. Here's what they are and how they interact:

• Science results.
  
  • These are the things that you take out of science instruments.
    
  • You can stash them in the MPL, the same as you can stash them in any command pod.
    
  • There's no limit, you can stash as much as you want.
    

  [*]Science data.

  • This is what you get when you click the yellow "flask" icon on any science result (which you can do once per result per MPL).
    
  • The lab can hold no more than 500 points of data at any one time.
    
  • You don't have to put a result into the lab to get data from it. For example, if you have a command pod on your ship, and you do a crew report, you can directly click the yellow icon to "process it in the lab" to get science data; it's not required to transfer the result into the lab.
    
  • If you want to get data from a science result, you don't have to do it at collection time. You can stash the science result and process it into data later on, if you like.
    

  [*]Science points.

  • This is the stuff that you spend in the R&D facility to unlock technology.
    
  • The lab can hold no more than 500 points of science at any one time.
    
  • As long as you have electricity and an antenna, you can transmit the lab's science points. This clears it out of the lab, and makes it available to you to spend on R&D.
    
  • As long as the lab is actively researching, it gradually turns science data into science points, at the rate of 1 science data = 5 science points.
    
  • The speed at which it does the conversion (i.e. science points per day) depends on three things:
    
    • How many scientists you have in it (more is better)
      
    • What level the scientists are (higher is better)
      
    • How much science data is stored (more is better, so it's best to keep the lab topped off at close to its 500-data limit for maximum returns).
      

So you use it like this:

1. Keep the lab staffed with two scientists, at the highest level you have.

2. Research science results (click the yellow flask button) to add data to the lab. Get it up as close to 500 data as you can.

3. If you hit the 500-data limit and still have additional science results lying around, stash them in the lab so you can research them later after you've used up some of your current data.

4. Make sure that the lab is actively researching, so that it's converting data into points.

5. Every once in a while (e.g. every several days, or however often), check the lab. If it has a lot of science points built up, click the "transmit" button to collect them. If the science data has dropped a lot below 500 points, and you have un-researched results stashed in the lab, research them to "top off the tank" and bring your data back up to close to 500.

6. If you leave the lab running long enough without transmitting its science points, it may bump up against the 500-science-point limit. If that happens, nothing gets wasted-- it just stops converting data into points until you transmit the science points to make room for more.

[cup a joe]

But the thing is I want the percent provided by the MPL not a complete 500 points of science from research. I think the later is op and ruins the point of even doing missions.

[Snark]

But the thing is I want the percent provided by the MPL not a complete 500 points of science from research. I think the later is op and ruins the point of even doing missions.

Well, I have to say I kinda agree with you there, I'm not a huge fan of the current MPL mechanic (though I don't complain too much about it, because honestly I'm having trouble coming up with anything much better). Part of the problem is a fundamental difficulty in game design with trying to please everyone, when different players have radically different ideas of what's fun versus what's an annoying chore. Some people are like me (and, I suspect, you), and view gathering science as a fun challenge and a major point of the game. Such people likely find the MPL to be overpowered and game-dampening. On the other hand, a lot of folks view science as an annoying grind, and want to get it out of the way so they can get on to what they consider the fun bits. I can see how the MPL would really help with that.

In any case, it is how it is. If you don't like it, don't use it.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "the percent provided by the MPL", what are you talking about? There's no "percent" provided by the MPL, it just turns results into data and data into science points as I described.

If you'd like to use the MPL but find it too overpowered, one thing that you can do to mitigate it slightly is to install a life support mod, like TAC-LS. That makes your Kerbals require consumable supplies over time to stay alive, so that means if you want to park some scientists in a lab for many weeks doing research, you have to keep them supplied with oxygen and such.

[Guest]

One of the great things about KSP is it can be easily configured to fit whatever play style you want. If you feel the Science Lab is OP, change it. You can open largeCrewedLab.cfg with notepad and edit away. Look for this:

MODULE
	{
		name = ModuleScienceConverter
		scientistBonus = 0.25	//Bonus per scientist star - need at least one! So 0.25x - 2.5x 
		researchTime = 7	    //Larger = slower.  Exponential!
		scienceMultiplier = 5	//How much science does data turn into?
		scienceCap = 500	    //How much science can we store before having to transmit?		
		powerRequirement = 5	//EC/Sec to research
		ConverterName = Research
		StartActionName = Start Research
		StopActionName = Stop Research
	}

Change whatever you need and save. Problem fixed.

[cantab]

I'm in two minds. On the one hand the lab can get you a lot of "bonus" sciencr points. On the other hand the operation of my Mun station involved half a dozen launches from Kerbin, three or four Mun landings, countless rendezvous and dockings, and one rescue mission. So maybe the 2000 science wasn't unreasonable with the work I put in.

[Harry Rhodan]

But the thing is I want the percent provided by the MPL

That was removed with 1.0.

[maltesh]

I'm in two minds. On the one hand the lab can get you a lot of "bonus" sciencr points. On the other hand the operation of my Mun station involved half a dozen launches from Kerbin, three or four Mun landings, countless rendezvous and dockings, and one rescue mission. So maybe the 2000 science wasn't unreasonable with the work I put in.

In my experience, it also takes quite some time to start getting a decent rate of science from the lab. In the time it takes to get level-3 scientists trained up and into your science base (assuming low-energy transfers), a very focused player, playing on the Normal skill level, can clear the stock tech tree entirely. I don't typically play quite that focused, but my minmus surface base pulls down about 9 science per Kerbin Day with two level-3 scientists on board. Including travel time, a single-manned science lander with an untrained pilot can easily beat that on science return, even if it only lands in one biome, and it's not that difficult to build a lander that can hit multple biomes over Minmus.