Print money with XeEV-01 Xenon Extraction Unit?

[Tomski]

This is my industrial-scale Money Print-*ahem*.. Xenon Extraction Machine:

With panels deployed:

So here's the thing. This machine has 48 of those XeEV-01 Xenon extraction units. Leave it sitting out in the sun for less than a day and you get 56000 units of Xenon Gas, which nets you well over 200000 in Kerbal currency when recovered, essentially rendering Career Mode into Science Mode.

I know the game balance isn't perfect yet, and maybe this is one of those things, but perhaps this could be tweaked a bit so it can't be used to make free money? Perhaps slowing down the rate of xenon production to the order of weeks or months for such quantities of gas, or increasing the power requirements for the Extraction Units. Or alternatively, if the game allows for this, put the gas produced by these units into some sort of fuel supply at the Space Center that can't be recovered for its cash value.

I think this really undermines much of the challenge of Career Mode (e.g. trying to put a modular space station in orbit on borrowed money and not bankrupting your space program). I don't object to the possibility of having your space program pay off economically at some point down the line, but I would rather this become possible after your space program becomes much more mature, after a long and costly pioneering era. (I haven't even reached Duna yet in this game). What do folks think? Anybody else notice this?

[RainDreamer]

Uh. Is that a mod part? If it is, you probably should bring it to its respective mod page for talk for balance and things like that.

Also in stock game, you can already print money with just a kerbal on a planet + satellites and get all those science from space + plant flag contracts. Balance will be later down the road.

[Tomski]

I thought this was a new stock part because the manufacturer (Ionic Symphonic Protonic Electronics) is the same as the stock xenon tank and engine and communications antennas. Or does the manufacturer not matter?

Otherwise, if it's not stock then it might be Modular Kolonization System.

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...completing contracts isn't "free money" in the same sense that this machine is. Completing contracts takes time and effort and actually playing the game. I just let this machine sit on the runway for an afternoon (less than a second on time accelleration) and I had enough money to launch a small mun base.

Edited January 16, 2015 by Tomski
I wrote "missions" instead of "contracts" and it sufficiently bugged me when I read it back that I was motivated to edit my p

[Streetwind]

Congratulations, you discovered the big issue with all resource mods ever! This works in KSP because:

1.) the equipment is excessively cheap compared to the cost of resources - try adding three to four zeroes to the cost of your xenon producers

2.) you have 100% recovery and parts last forever with no maintenance required - try doing this off of the runway to simulate expenses for maintaining the equipment

3.) you don't have to pay wages to Kerbals, which gobbles up the largest part of revenue for RL resource mining companies

4.) you don't have to pay 20%-40% taxes on your profits

5.) you can timewarp, which effectively removes the factor of time investment with a slow process

A real xenon producing company would probably keep about 5,000 out of those 200,000 funds of income per day, and couldn't timewarp.

As for KSP and resource mods: set yourself a rule to not mine on Kerbin. You're a space program, not a for-profit mining company! Yes, it is an exploit, but you can choose not to exploit, you know

I thought this was a new stock part because the manufacturer (Ionic Symphonic Protonic Electronics) is the same as the stock xenon tank and engine and communications antennas. Or does the manufacturer not matter?

The manufacturer is just a simple text entry in the part configuration file. The modder can write literally anything in there, including "YOUR MOM!" or the cryptic number series from the TV show Lost. In most cases, modders either make up a new company or use those that are already known to exist, because hey, why not? It's just another product they put out!

Edited January 16, 2015 by Streetwind

[Tomski]

Altering the price of the xenon extraction units sounds like a good idea. I'll try that out. Thanks!

Edited January 16, 2015 by Tomski

[Streetwind]

See my edit above.

As an example, this is from one the xenon tank's part config files:

TechRequired = ionPropulsion
entryCost = 8800
cost = 3000
category = FuelTank
subcategory = 0
title = PB-X150 Xenon Container
manufacturer = Probodobodyne Inc
description = Although most of the Probodobodyne staff couldn't pronounce "Xenon", when told how to say it correctly, they all agreed it sounded super-cool - and everything possible should be done so it could be used as a fuel, no matter the cost.

See the field "manufacturer"? That's literally all there is to it. It can be anything.

[Tomski]

Sorry, I posted that before I saw your edit. Thanks again!

[Anquietas314]

Also in stock game, you can already print money with just a kerbal on a planet

Assuming you mean the flag planting contracts, that was supposed to be fixed in 0.90.

[tsotha]

Assuming you mean the flag planting contracts, that was supposed to be fixed in 0.90.

Was it? You have to put a new guy on to plant a flag now? It doesn't pay nearly enough for that.

[Anquietas314]

Was it? You have to put a new guy on to plant a flag now? It doesn't pay nearly enough for that.

The fix was that you won't get a new "plant a flag" contract while you have a kerbal on the surface. I don't know if that includes kerbals sitting in vessels which are on the surface though. As for them not paying enough... the idea is really to take that contract when you already have some reason to go to the planet in question

[GoSlash27]

Uh. Is that a mod part? If it is, you probably should bring it to its respective mod page for talk for balance and things like that.

Also in stock game, you can already print money with just a kerbal on a planet + satellites and get all those science from space + plant flag contracts. Balance will be later down the road.

Satellites, definitely!

Once you get those contracts, you're on a gravy train with biscuit wheels.

Best,

-Slashy

[Vanamonde]

As this appears to be an issue with a mod, moved to Add-on Affairs.

[Seeker89]

I generally make a rule for myself not to mine kerbin... I call it going "Green"

[Astrofox]

This happens? Well, I must go to try it...

and abuse the game mechanics of course.

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Why do you think it's a con? The more money in the space program, the more explosive-y your rockets can be!

[Joonatan1998]

Almost all resource mods that allow mining/resource collection on kerbin allow exploits like this.

[CaribouGone]

Where did this part come from?

it doesn't seem to be stock, and i can't find the mod it came from anywhere.

help?

i want one!

[tygoo7]

I believe that is Tantares.

[RoverDude]

Not my mod, I have no Xenon extractors. Your princess is in another castle.

[Axelord FTW]

Almost all resource mods that allow mining/resource collection on kerbin allow exploits like this.

Wouldn't call it an 'exploit'.

Low returns, lots of time...

It's more like a job.

[Beale]

It's a Tantares part! I am laughing a little the thought that it was stock

Yep, it's designed (for me really) to get out of tight economic spots.

So a bit cheaty, but you can only use it on Kerbin, what use is Xenon there really?

Personally I never saw any major way it can be exploited, but as an old part it could be balanced again if there is call for it.

As others have said, to get any serious money, you would need to babysit it for hours, if you have that free time, you might find better ways to fill it.

Edited February 26, 2015 by Beale