SMUPS is a simple mod that makes the plot station slightly more useful.

It replaces the Silicon Wafers production line with one producing Reinforced Metal Plating, Fusion Reactors, and Bio-Optic Wiring, and adds the following drones to the drone production line:

Cargolifter URV
Construction URV
Scoop Collector URV mk.1
Surface Miner URV mk.1

Done upon suggestion by Sparky Sparkycorp, with ideas by charliebrownisgreat.

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What's New:

20.Jun.2015 - v0.22 is up!

Linux compatibility fix. (Thanks Crunchy/CulunTse!)

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So far, the production lines are set so:

STEEL REFINERY

Refined Metals
400 Energy Cells
240 Food Rations
400 Ore

makes 200 units in 600 seconds (? not sure if the time units in the code correspond to seconds)
-this is the default configuration which is left untouched.

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RECONFIGURABLE MATERIAL FABRICATOR

Bio-Optic Wiring
920 Energy Cells
420 Food Rations
1040 Ore
560 Silicon

makes 25 units in 1800 seconds

Fusion Reactors
2400 Energy Cells
1220 Food Rations
640 Ore
960 Silicon
800 Nividium
280 Crystals
200 Refined Metals

makes 10 units in 2400 seconds

Reinforced Metal Plating
760 Energy Cells
480 Food Rations
640 Ore
560 Silicon
200 Nividium
1500 Refined Metals

makes 15 units in 1800 seconds

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URV WHARF

Drones
As of SMUPS v0.21, resource usage varies between drone type produced.

Production cycles between making 6 Interceptors Mk1, 7 Cargolifters, 4 Construction URVs, 6 Scoop Collectors Mk1, and 7 Surface Miners Mk1 in 1800 seconds.

- resource usage and production rates changed to vanilla X:R 3.50 Beta 2 DeVries numbers since SMUPS v0.21

- In v0.11, production uses the vanilla DeVries configuration for Interceptors. Worked out the output of the other drones in relation to the DeVries interceptor output vs Albion's. Did NOT change resource requirements between drones to simplify supply, and later balancing, if needed.

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Page ID 97524 is used for what little text there is in this mod.  If this page is already in use, please let me know.

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This mod requires a save to at least before the Plot Station is built, possibly a new game start.  However, later development of this mod should be save-game compatible.

Current as of X-Rebirth v3.53

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Join the discussion, and dig for more information here:

http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=372383

Profitability figures here:

http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?p=4495145#4495145

Come!  Let's join us!

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Compatibility Notes:
This mod is not compatible with mods that alter the Plot Station (the Integrative URV Forge that is built over the course of the Plot).

This unfortunately includes Lubatomy's Fix Player URV Wharf for Plot Station which can be found here:

http://www.nexusmods.com/xrebirth/mods/309/?

Current as of X:R 3.60

Compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac versions of X Rebirth.

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Credit where credit's due:

charliebrownisgreat had the initial idea of replacing production Silicon Wafers with Reinforced Metal Plating.
Sparky Sparkycorp voiced the suggestion to do this mod in the Scripts and Modding Forum at the Egosoft website, and is further contributing with rather extensive testing.
YorrickVander pointed out that the idea behind the drone production facility is to produce (crappy) drones with resources that can be sourced in DeVries, and that it would be probably be a good idea to retain this concept in implementing further ware production in the plot station.  He also pointed out that his DeVries Freelancer start might be useful in testing the mod.
Rubini pointed out that lots of people are having trouble finding building materials for further station building if they follow the plot to the letter.  (This still won't replace proper stations for producing building materials because it produces them at such low quantities, but should be slightly more useful now.)
Crunchy/CulunTse for very helpful feedback, and active help to making this mod compatible with the Linux version of X Rebirth.

Thank you for your valuable contributions to the project!

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Changelog:

27.Feb.2015 - v0.21 is up!

Changed drone production to X:R v3.50 Beta 2 values. REQUIRES at least X:R v3.50

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20.Feb.2015 - v0.20 is up!

Production methods are now completely customized to this mod. Improves compatibility, but requires save edit if Plot Station is already built.

With X:R v3.50, it is now possible to specify custom production methods. This greatly increases compatibility with other mods, as well as with future updates. For example, older versions of this mod used method="devries" which were, and still are, undefined for the products produced by the SMUPS. However, if a different mod were to use the same production method, or if an update were to make more Canteran factories, thus increasing the number of products made via method="devries," there would be conflicts between the new developments and this mod.

This update REQUIRES X:R v3.50

If you are using X:R v3.20, please download SMUPS v0.11

The downside to this is that this update requires you to edit your save if the Plot Station (URV Integrative Forge) has already been built in your game. Sorry, but there is no other way to do this since the production method is saved in the save file. It's fairly straightforward, however.

1st Step:

Find:

<item ware="drp_surfaceminer_mk1" method="devries"/>
<item ware="drp_scoopcollector_mk1" method="devries"/>
<item ware="drp_interceptor_mk1" method="devries"/>
<item ware="drp_construction" method="devries"/>
<item ware="drp_cargolifter" method="devries"/>

2nd Step:

Replace that with:

<item ware="drp_surfaceminer_mk1" method="smups"/>
<item ware="drp_scoopcollector_mk1" method="smups"/>
<item ware="drp_interceptor_mk1" method="smups"/>
<item ware="drp_construction" method="smups"/>
<item ware="drp_cargolifter" method="smups"/>

Note that there may be two instances of that block if you've already built both URV Wharves. If so, replace both instances.

3rd Step:

Find:

<item ware="bioopticwiring" method="devries"/>
<item ware="fusionreactor" method="devries"/>
<item ware="reinforcedmetalplating" method="devries"/>

4th Step:

Replace that with:

<item ware="bioopticwiring" method="smups"/>
<item ware="fusionreactor" method="smups"/>
<item ware="reinforcedmetalplating" method="smups"/>

There may again be two instances of that block if you've already built both Reconfigurable Material Fabricators. If so, replace both instances.

If there are any problems with the update, please do not hesitate to let me know here.

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10.Feb.2015 - v0.11 is up!

Increased internal usage of Refined Metals for production of Fusion Reactors and Reinforced Metal Plating, and added usage of Refined Metals as a resource for all SMUPS drone production. The station will tend to have a surplus of 50 units of Refined Metals per hour. Otherwise identical to v0.10

This was the only thing changed in v0.11. Since production of Reinforced Metal Plating in v0.10_Sparky_Sparkycorp already uses up all internal Refined Metals production, that variant was not changed and is still current.

Please be aware that your stocks of Refined Metals will most likely always stay low, so your Manager will try to buy import it at a very high price without player intervention.

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10.Feb.2015 - Slightly More Useful Plot Station v0.10_Sparky_Sparkycorp is up!

This variant is identical to v0.10, except it does not produce Bio-optic Wiring and Fusion Reactors. Could be more predictable since the Material Fabricator won't switch production, producing only Reinforced Metal Plating.

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9.Feb.2015 - v0.10 is up!

Replaces the Silicon Wafer production line with one that produces Bio-optic Wiring, Fusion Reactors, and Reinforced Metal Plating.
Adds slightly more useful drones to the drone production line.
All production lines retooled to use resources native to DeVries.

Please be aware that all production lines were designed to be extremely inefficient and wasteful. The changes were intended to make sense as something that will be useful to kick-start the rebuilding of DeVries, as the description of the Plot Station states. This will, however, never be very profitable.

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9.Feb.2015 - v0.03 is up!

The drone production lines were re-tooled to use the DeVries method: uses only resources available in DeVries, but produces them in very small numbers due to having to manufacture the components in-situ.

Thanks, YorrickVander for this suggestion.

Station appears to be working, but is ugly as hell since the new RMP lines don't have any points of contact with the rest of the station, and some signs are floating in space. If you don't mind these, than v0.03 is safe for public consumption. If you like your stations preedy, than don't use this mod for now.