Uranium Reprocessing - Seems Pointless?

[Anderson]

EDIT: I have managed to figure out how to modify recipes, so the issue is solved for me.

Given how much extra U238 you end up with from mining uranium, i don't understand why we need a process to create more of it.
What if, instead of creating U238 from reprocessing, the recipe instead takes, say 5 used up fuel cells and 50 U238 to create one good fuel cell? This gives the player a more stable fuel supply, without actually giving them more U235.

As well, Kovarex could be nerfed a bit (say, it takes 3 minutes instead of 1 to complete the process).

As is, U235 is hard to get, then becomes basically infinite once you get Kovarex going.

[DCYW]

the fuel cells are reusable, what do mean pointless?

[Fel]

He must be one of those people that never starved his base of U-238 by overdoing uranium-based things.
If you are using uranium ammo you can end up using a massive amount of U-238 to the point where added on top of the kovarex enriching recipe you are happy with even scraps like that.

In fission, U-235 is what is used up (very large simplification of fission of course) so I don't see how you would be able to make perfectly valid fuel cells out of used up cells without adding back what serves as "fuel".
It also means that you do need the kovarex recipe if you want to reliably produce your nuclear fuel instead of just using the first few U-235 to make the first batches (5 batches of 10 if we follow your idea) and then never need any more of it to run your whole base off nuclear power.

This would also mean that you would have no use for U-235 outside of the nuclear bomb and the fuel for vehicles, making the kovarex enrichment nearly useless unless you somehow want a large amount of those two things (I can understand for the fuel if you run trains with it but you really don't need all that many bombs unless you just like using them).

Having to deal with the kovarex enrichment process, making sure it doesn't eat up all of your U-238 without needing to, setting a loop that is sustaining itself without wasting too much, that whole process is pretty much the most complex thing most players will encounter in the game.
(if they don't go for advanced circuit logic or mods of course)
Sure, looking it up, using blueprints and/or having experience with it makes it significantly simpler to setup but that is true for everything else in the game as well.

[knighttemplar1960]

In a mega base with biters turned on there is no such thing as "enough" U-238 (or U-235 for that matter.) When I get kovarex going I'm always U-235 poor but I get to a point where I have a surplus running nuclear plants until I start making nukes to take out nests with. Same with U-238 I daisy chain that in a sushi belt with supply chests at the end. I had to swap out that last supply chest at the end of the chain to make sure I didn't take all the U-238 out of the system to make ammo.

[Hammer Of Evil]

Originally posted by Anderson:

As well, Kovarex could be nerfed a bit (say, it takes 3 minutes instead of 1 to complete the process).

As is, U235 is hard to get, then becomes basically infinite once you get Kovarex going.

why don't you nerf it for your own game?

why would you think anyone who actively employs nuclear materials to remove biter infestation would agree with you?

[impetus_maximus]

i helps feed my Kovarex enrichment (prioritized).
not pointless at all.

[Premu]

It adds extra complexity if you want to run your nuclear setup safely for a long time - you need to somehow get rid of the burnt fuel cells.

Sure, you can just dump them in a crate, but these crates might get filled at a time you don't look and you'll end up in an unexpected brownout as the reactors stop working.

Besides - you shall not waste resources, even if you an abundance of it on a planet you're currently destroying with your pollution. ;)

[Drum]

Nerving Kovarex has not much use since you can expand your nuclear factory to compensate. Just use a modular setup you can expand to your liking. I use this setup (quite simple, but does the trick):
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1972065234
(takes a while to get it running at full speed)

[Anderson]

Originally posted by Premu:

It adds extra complexity if you want to run your nuclear setup safely for a long time - you need to somehow get rid of the burnt fuel cells.

Sure, you can just dump them in a crate, but these crates might get filled at a time you don't look and you'll end up in an unexpected brownout as the reactors stop working.

Besides - you shall not waste resources, even if you an abundance of it on a planet you're currently destroying with your pollution. ;)

This is why I want to keep the recipe, but would like to change it. Having a means to reuse burnt cells seems fine to me, but more U238 is not what i want out of it.

And as for "why don't I nerf Kovarex in my own game?"

I would, if I knew how........

[Purpleganja]

You could make a map with minimal amount of uranium. Regular amount is a lot if you don't spend it on other things than power.

[Nasabot]

I agree, its reprocessing is completly pointless.
Also, using a non-optimal playstyle(using the gunturrent instead of the laser turret) is no argument, which makes reprocessing viable.
And even IF you consider gunturrets a good strategy, reprocessing does not even make up 1% of the total turnover.
Then there is the very high research cost.

I will never understand, why people constantly defend systems which so obviously make no sense at all. The only reason why they defend this nonsensical systems is because they are already there and they are used to it.

[KatherineOfSky]

At a megabase level, you soon find yourself drowning in 235 and lacking in 238.

More importantly, though, it gives the player a different game mechanic to explore: that is the important part of reprocessing. You have a spent item that needs to be carried from the machine and recycled.

Many major modpacks make significant use of this mechanic, and it's a valuable lesson to teach in vanilla.

[THE kilroy]

I like it cause it makes the nuclear fuel cycle endless, as spent fuel cells eventually will fill containers, however it being a seperate tech i could do without

[Anderson]

Originally posted by KatherineOfSky:

At a megabase level, you soon find yourself drowning in 235 and lacking in 238.

More importantly, though, it gives the player a different game mechanic to explore: that is the important part of reprocessing. You have a spent item that needs to be carried from the machine and recycled.

Many major modpacks make significant use of this mechanic, and it's a valuable lesson to teach in vanilla.

I don't mind this at all, I just wish the product was more useful. Given that Reprocessing costs 30 times less research, it seems like it should be useful BEFORE Kovarex, not after.

Perhaps there could be some other tech that allows Centrifuges to make U238 as well, as an additional recipe.

[AlexMBrennan]

Given how much extra U238 you end up with from mining uranium, i don't understand why we need a process to create more of it.

You need an automated way to destroy depleted fuel cells because the usual method of shooting chests cannot be automated.

What if, instead of creating U238 from reprocessing, the recipe instead takes, say 5 used up fuel cells and 50 U238 to create one good fuel cell?

That is literally what the recipe does - you take 10 depleted fuel cells, add 10 iron, 1 U235 and 13 U238 and get 10 brand new fuel cells.

Try thinking about it like green circuit assemblers - they could be altered to use copper plates directly but it would be rather stupid to say that the game is bad because you need a 2nd assembler to make copper wires.

As well, Kovarex could be nerfed a bit (say, it takes 3 minutes instead of 1 to complete the process).

How does that change anything? Power and space is infinite so running 3x as many centrifuges in parallel isn't any more difficult than what you are doing now.