[X3TC]Whats a good factory/complex to start with?

3at · Post by **3at** » Sun, 28. Dec 08, 03:20

I have 2-3 mil to spend and i need a good steady income from factories.I want it to be self reliant so that i dont have to babysit a load of UT's.Plz give me some suggestions of easy to build factories or complexes.
Also the most ideal sector to build these would be helpfull.
I hope someone can help as i am not much of a good economist, thx.

PaulP · Post by **PaulP** » Sun, 28. Dec 08, 03:39

2-3 mil isn't enough to make a complex, especially not a self reliant one.

Heres a link to a handy TC complex calculator (with cost).

For a self reliant one you need: power plant, crystal fab(s), food (both raw and processed factories), and a Silicon mine. This is just for the energy cell loop - you then either sell Ecells (or crystals?) or add on more factories to actually produce something. It's not cheap to make a self reliant one.

It's much cheaper to import energy - you could, for instance, make a Space Weed complex out of just a Bliss Place and a Dream Farm linked together, with a freighter importing energy. The product sells itself, so the money should flow in pretty well - just put it somewhere that its legal (Teladi space) and safe enough, with some SPPs within a few sectors range to get energy from.

cswiger · Post by **cswiger** » Sun, 28. Dec 08, 05:38

Go to Teladi space (Blue Profit, Spaceweed Drift, Two Grand, etc), and put together a Dream Farm M + Bliss Place M, with one station TS buying Ecells. Set spaceweed price to 1 below average.

Best profits!

3at · Post by **3at** » Sun, 28. Dec 08, 17:07

Any other tips guys?

I am gonna setup that spaceweed complex in blue profit because there is 2 SPP's in that sector and i'l go for the L version instead of the M version for maximum profits.

amtie · Post by **amtie** » Sun, 28. Dec 08, 19:03

3at wrote:maximum profits.

Profitsssss.

Make sure you keep yer complex in an empty area, where you can expand it later to make it produce more profitssssss. And when energy starts running dry, that extra few clicks of vacuum will come in handy for that tastey SPP XL. And eggstra Bliss Places/Dream Farms.

More expansion, more profitssss.

NeverSnake · Post by **NeverSnake** » Sun, 28. Dec 08, 22:50

Microchips sell well.

Scarecrow · Post by **Scarecrow** » Sun, 28. Dec 08, 23:27

Mosquito missiles and 1 mj shields sell real well.

shireknight · Post by **shireknight** » Mon, 29. Dec 08, 01:26

Here you go Plankton Farm in Queens Space -like having a personal Gold mine.

Goldo · Post by **Goldo** » Mon, 29. Dec 08, 01:36

I setup plankton farms & scruffin farms in Argon space (especially where there are 2 or more cattle ranches... sell at 1 credit below average with a station TS doing ECell runs... over time it makes a tidy profit...

So far I have ended up turned my plankton farm in the Wall into a complex consisting of 6 plankton farms - have an additional TS to keep the ECells topped up -

I have also placed a self-sustaining power plant complex in presidents end set to trade at min price but only to my ships - so the ECell route to the plankton farm complex & scruffin farms isnt too long and is minimal price...

I have found the setup works well...

NeverSnake wrote:Microchips sell well.

VERY well - as do computer componants, Quantum Tubes, Space Fuel Weed...

Coruskane · Post by **Coruskane** » Mon, 29. Dec 08, 02:06

until you are making huge complexes just stick with open-loop (i.e. shipping in energy, and possibly ore). They are more profitable than closed-loop, and until the local economy cannot support your factories don't worry about making it self-sufficient. As mentioned above, weed-booze complexes are great. Also, consider low level stuff like food; if you can find a good area which has a large demand for it they are significantly (typically 30% or so) more profitable than simply selling end-products to an equipment dock.

3at · Post by **3at** » Mon, 29. Dec 08, 22:46

well my spaceweed complex is up and running and i stuffed it with energy cells but its blinking yellow in the property list, anyone know what that means?

The Happy Trucker · Post by **The Happy Trucker** » Mon, 29. Dec 08, 22:51

It may just need a bit of extra food to stop it stalling. Is it still producing?

perkint · Post by **perkint** » Mon, 29. Dec 08, 23:17

You'll often see complexes blinking. It can just be down to the timing - the food is picked up as soon as it is made, leaving none spare. This makes the station flash, even tho it doesn't actually need any more.

Can be stopped by just chucking a bit of spare into the complex

Tim

The Happy Trucker · Post by **The Happy Trucker** » Mon, 29. Dec 08, 23:21

Yes, your Spaceweed Complex probably just has the munchies...

3at · Post by **3at** » Tue, 30. Dec 08, 04:09

Ok i dumped some swamp plants in it and now its producing as long as i provide the necessary ecells.The proffffitssss so far are endless, you only need to spend in ecells and the endproduct sells for 2900 a piece.I will most likely invest in a second complex like this or can i add more factories to my already existing complex?
I might want to add a SPP to my spaceweed complex, would that be a good idea?

Perseus1986 · Post by **Perseus1986** » Tue, 30. Dec 08, 06:26

3at wrote:Ok i dumped some swamp plants in it and now its producing as long as i provide the necessary ecells.The proffffitssss so far are endless, you only need to spend in ecells and the endproduct sells for 2900 a piece.I will most likely invest in a second complex like this or can i add more factories to my already existing complex?
I might want to add a SPP to my spaceweed complex, would that be a good idea?

An SPP? Well, if you're planning on a closed loop for the SPP (i.e adding Crystal Fabs, Silicon Mines, Food factories) , it'll be expensive but worth it in the long run.

Or you could just create the SPP and import crystals. But whatever, SPP saves you lots of $$$.

supakillaii · Post by **supakillaii** » Tue, 30. Dec 08, 06:41

Bah, SFuel factory in the Unknown Sector next to Mists of Elysium. Never been full.

1muvwndr · Post by **1muvwndr** » Tue, 30. Dec 08, 07:00

SPPs demand crystal fabs. And crystal fabs demand silicon and foodstuff. So basically if you link those together you'll get a closed, self-sufficient loop. And this is just what you want - a factory that needs no babysitting at all. And then you just set the price to -1 average and enjoy the profitssssss.
My mixed complex in Avarice (the Unknown sector between Montalaar and New Income) consists of 5x space fuel L + 6x PBE + 3x 25MJ + 5x Flail + 2x Hammer factories (+ the relative number of support factories to keep it self-sufficient) and it just can't keep up with the demand. I'm planning to gave 2-3 carriers full of Mamba Vanguards fitted with those PBEs but if I want to have some lasers and shields for me I need to set the price to max else they are sold.
A note, I found that setting the station to sell intermediate products (that's the excess of crystals, silicon, ore, e-cells, etc.) can lead to a stop in the production cycle. Especially if you have very little surplus on these resources. For example a crystal and an energy trader at the same time can really mess up your production.

Kor'ah · Post by **Kor'ah** » Tue, 30. Dec 08, 07:18

Olmancketslat's Treaty.

6x Space Fuel L
6x Wheat farm L
6x Bliss place L
6x Dream farm L
1x SSP XL
2x SSP M

Buying crystals on the open market at, or below avg price it'll turn 1.6M cr an hour profit. With a crystal production complex (that you will need lateron) in a "safe" racial sector the profit shoots up to 3M cr per hour. Open market pumps out enough crystals to feed it with ease.

You'll need 110M cash pluss at least one owned TL to get such an operation off the ground. I've had it operational now for two game days and the complex, or it's crystal fetching minstral, hasn't been attacked once.

The Happy Trucker · Post by **The Happy Trucker** » Tue, 30. Dec 08, 07:55

Demand for Space Weed is huge, here's my complex so far

Spaceweed Drift
12 x Bliss Place L
12 x Dream Farm L

A bunch of Mistral's buying Ecells. Always sold out of Weed. Think I will try me a SPP XL to expand it, didnt realise the crystal supply was that good...

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[X3TC]Whats a good factory/complex to start with?

[X3TC]Whats a good factory/complex to start with?