Orienting Solar Panels In Space

[gatheris]

Whats the best way to maximize solar panel output in a space station base - current base uses more power than 14 panels can put out and that's with everything turned off that can be turned off - 100% efficiency in CPU so that isn't it

Tried creative but not sure i'm getting accurate info as i'm getting half of the output there with same blueprint

[The Big Brzezinski]

In space, you just aim them all directly at the star. The amount of power you get from each one depends on how close the playfield is to the middle of the star system.

[seven]

What I did was build the basic structure in creative with a couple panels, then added a big "gun sight" that matched the perpendicular to the panels. Then I used that to aim it when spawning it in, then took off the sight. I get a constant 1.58 kPu from 15 panels.

I've read the power you get does depend on how far you are from the sun.

[gatheris]

Thank-you
very helpful
basically - a fairly decent space base can't be run on solar alone (despite no interference from an atmosphere - pretty cheesy solar panels for this space faring race)

[VulcanTourist]

Originally posted by gatheris:

Thank-you
very helpful
basically - a fairly decent space base can't be run on solar alone (despite no interference from an atmosphere - pretty cheesy solar panels for this space faring race)

You can trivially mod the game to either increase the output of the panels or greatly increase the number that can be built, and also increase the batteries' storage capacity. Either approach can lead to bases fully self-sufficient on solar alone. Of course the number was arbitrarily and as you noted artificially limited to just 15 and the output of each panel limited because the developers don't want you to have self-sufficient bases. They want you to constantly top off the fuel supply of your base.

[gatheris]

did try changing the number of panels quite some time ago when making a planetary base following some not so complete instructions - didn't work and now whenever i spawn in any kind of base i have to completely get out of the game and come back in or the capacitors don't work - even tried completely removing the game from the PC to fix this but somewhere some file is hiding because that problem is everlasting

[VulcanTourist]

Originally posted by gatheris:

did try changing the number of panels quite some time ago when making a planetary base following some not so complete instructions - didn't work and now whenever i spawn in any kind of base i have to completely get out of the game and come back in or the capacitors don't work - even tried completely removing the game from the PC to fix this but somewhere some file is hiding because that problem is everlasting

You can be certain of a clean slate if you delete the entire contents of this directory and then use Steam's Verify Files feature:

...\Empyrion - Galactic Survival\Content\Configuration

It that doesn't eliminate the symptom then ECF modding wasn't the cause of it.

Making the text-editing changes necessary to do what I described is truly trivial and will never be game-breaking if done with a modicum of care. Here's a cut-and-paste copy of what is required:

# How it works:
# - rename to 'Config.ecf' to activate
# - change original values of parameters as desired
# - listed parameters will overwrite the game's internal original values
# - parameters not listed (commented out / removed) will cause the game to continue using the internal ORIGINAL values

VERSION: 8
# updated for 11.5.4.2763

{ Block Id: 1494, Name: SolarPanelBlocks
  SolarPanelEfficiency: 3.6, display: true					# 1.8
  MaxCount: 300, type: int, display: true					# 15
  CPUIn: 45, type: int, display: true
}
{ Block Id: 1495, Name: SolarGenerator
  FuelCapacity: 8000, type: int, display: true					# 800
  EnergyOut: 10000, type: int, display: false, formatter: Watt			# 5000
  CPUIn: 50, type: int, display: true
}
{ Block Id: 1496, Name: SolarPanelSlope
  SolarPanelEfficiency: 3.6, display: true					# 1.8
  MaxCount: 300, type: int, display: true					# 15
  CPUIn: 45, type: int, display: true
}
{ Block Id: 1513, Name: SolarPanelSmallBlocks
  SolarPanelEfficiency: 1.6, display: true					# 0.8
  MaxCount: 500, type: int, display: true					# 15
  CPUIn: 20, type: int, display: true
}
{ Block Id: 1514, Name: SolarPanelSlope3Small
  SolarPanelEfficiency: 1.6, display: true					# 0.8
  MaxCount: 500, type: int, display: true					# 15
  CPUIn: 20, type: int, display: true
}

These are example changes. The original values are commented at the ends of changed lines. I included the CPUIn properties because if you play with CPU Limits enabled in Difficulty then you will likely want to decrease the panels' CPU cost or having large numbers of them will drive the CPU tier required through the roof. You need not include those lines if you play with the Limits disabled. This is a "shorthand" exclusionary version of ECF modding, where only the changed lines are included and replace the defaults; since all the rest of the ECF is omitted the game relies on the internal defaults for everything else not changed.

[gatheris]

Originally posted by VulcanTourist:

Originally posted by gatheris:

did try changing the number of panels quite some time ago when making a planetary base following some not so complete instructions - didn't work and now whenever i spawn in any kind of base i have to completely get out of the game and come back in or the capacitors don't work - even tried completely removing the game from the PC to fix this but somewhere some file is hiding because that problem is everlasting

You can be certain of a clean slate if you delete the entire contents of this directory and then use Steam's Verify Files feature:

...\Empyrion - Galactic Survival\Content\Configuration

It that doesn't eliminate the symptom then ECF modding wasn't the cause of it.

Making the text-editing changes necessary to do what I described is truly trivial and will never be game-breaking if done with a modicum of care. Here's a cut-and-paste copy of what is required:

# How it works:
# - rename to 'Config.ecf' to activate
# - change original values of parameters as desired
# - listed parameters will overwrite the game's internal original values
# - parameters not listed (commented out / removed) will cause the game to continue using the internal ORIGINAL values

VERSION: 8
# updated for 11.5.4.2763

{ Block Id: 1494, Name: SolarPanelBlocks
  SolarPanelEfficiency: 3.6, display: true					# 1.8
  MaxCount: 300, type: int, display: true					# 15
  CPUIn: 45, type: int, display: true
}
{ Block Id: 1495, Name: SolarGenerator
  FuelCapacity: 8000, type: int, display: true					# 800
  EnergyOut: 10000, type: int, display: false, formatter: Watt			# 5000
  CPUIn: 50, type: int, display: true
}
{ Block Id: 1496, Name: SolarPanelSlope
  SolarPanelEfficiency: 3.6, display: true					# 1.8
  MaxCount: 300, type: int, display: true					# 15
  CPUIn: 45, type: int, display: true
}
{ Block Id: 1513, Name: SolarPanelSmallBlocks
  SolarPanelEfficiency: 1.6, display: true					# 0.8
  MaxCount: 500, type: int, display: true					# 15
  CPUIn: 20, type: int, display: true
}
{ Block Id: 1514, Name: SolarPanelSlope3Small
  SolarPanelEfficiency: 1.6, display: true					# 0.8
  MaxCount: 500, type: int, display: true					# 15
  CPUIn: 20, type: int, display: true
}

These are example changes. The original values are commented at the ends of changed lines. I included the CPUIn properties because if you play with CPU Limits enabled in Difficulty then you will likely want to decrease the panels' CPU cost or having large numbers of them will drive the CPU tier required through the roof. You need not include those lines if you play with the Limits disabled. This is a "shorthand" exclusionary version of ECF modding, where only the changed lines are included and replace the defaults; since all the rest of the ECF is omitted the game relies on the internal defaults for everything else not changed.

Hey, missed this reply - very helpful - thanks!

[VulcanTourist]

You're welcome.